Every team's projected 2025 Opening Day lineup, rotation
The 2025 Major League Baseball season is upon us at long last. Though the Hot Stove flame still flickers while teams look to tweak their roster as Spring Training gets underway, the foundations and expectations for most squads are set.
With help from MLB.com's 30 beat writers, here's how each team's lineup and rotation figures to stack up come Opening Day.
Jump to: AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
BLUE JAYS
Lineup
1. George Springer, RF
2. Bo Bichette, SS
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Anthony Santander, DH
5. Alejandro Kirk, C
6. Daulton Varsho, CF
7. Andrés Giménez, 2B
8. Ernie Clement, 3B
9. Joey Loperfido, LF
So much depends on whether Varsho (right shoulder) is ready for Opening Day and Will Wagner will need regular at-bats somehow, but with the Santander signing alone, the Blue Jays have strengthened their lineup.
Rotation
1. José Berríos, RHP
2. Kevin Gausman, RHP
3. Chris Bassitt, RHP
4. Max Scherzer, RHP
5. Bowden Francis, RHP
This is a fine-looking group, especially with Yariel Rodríguez ready to step in when needed, and the recent Scherzer signing adds a fascinating dynamic to a group that was already leaning on savvy veterans. -- Keegan Matheson
ORIOLES
Lineup
1. Gunnar Henderson, SS
2. Jordan Westburg, 3B
3. Adley Rutschman, C
4. Colton Cowser, RF
5. Tyler O'Neill, LF
6. Ryan O'Hearn, DH
7. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
8. Jackson Holliday, 2B
9. Cedric Mullins, CF
The O¡¯s will have a lot of different ways they could arrange their lineup, but a configuration like this would make sense, as O¡¯Neill was signed to be a run producer in the heart of the order.
Rotation
1. Zach Eflin, RHP
2. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP
3. Charlie Morton, RHP
4. Dean Kremer, RHP
5. Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP
Cade Povich and Trevor Rogers are the top left-handers in Baltimore¡¯s rotation mix, but it¡¯s possible the club will head into the season without a southpaw on its staff. -- Jake Rill
RAYS
Lineup
1. Yandy Díaz, 1B
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Josh Lowe, RF
5. Christopher Morel, LF
6. Jonathan Aranda, DH
7. Danny Jansen, C
8. Jonny DeLuca, CF
9. Taylor Walls, SS
This lineup looks a lot like the one that the Rays finished last season with, aside from the addition of Jansen and DeLuca replacing Jose Siri in center field, as free-agent addition Ha-Seong Kim (right shoulder surgery) will start the season on the IL.
Rotation
1. Shane McClanahan, LHP
2. Drew Rasmussen, RHP
3. Ryan Pepiot, RHP
4. Shane Baz, RHP
5. Taj Bradley, RHP
This is tough to predict, because the Rays will enter the spring with six top starters (these five, plus Zack Littell) competing for five spots. Most likely, health and availability will determine which starter gets squeezed out to begin the season; nearly all of them have previous injuries or potential workload limitations to consider. -- Adam Berry
RED SOX
Lineup
1. Jarren Duran, LF
2. Rafael Devers, 3B
3. Trevor Story, SS
4. Triston Casas, 1B
5. Masataka Yoshida, DH
6. Connor Wong, C
7. Wilyer Abreu, RF
8. Vaughn Grissom, 2B
9. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
Healthy seasons for Story and Casas would make a lineup that was potent for much of last year more complete.
Rotation
1. Garrett Crochet, LHP
2. Tanner Houck, RHP
3. Brayan Bello, RHP
4. Walker Buehler, RHP
5. Lucas Giolito, RHP
6. Kutter Crawford, RHP
Blossoming ace Crochet (acquired through trade) and veteran Buehler should help the rotation take a big leap, and manager Alex Cora could go six deep to start the season given the grueling schedule the first three weeks. -- Ian Browne
YANKEES
Lineup
1. Jasson Domínguez, LF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Cody Bellinger, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
6. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
7. Austin Wells, C
8. Anthony Volpe, SS
9. DJ LeMahieu, 3B
A new-look batting order could have Dom¨ªnguez in the leadoff spot after seven players took turns there in 2024 (mostly Volpe, who logged 76 starts atop the lineup). Yankees manager Aaron Boone has said he believes Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s skill set fits well there, pointing to the top prospect¡¯s blend of on-base ability, power and solid baserunning. They¡¯d prefer to station Bellinger and Chisholm in the heart of the order, looking for thump from both.
Rotation
1. Gerrit Cole, RHP
2. Max Fried, LHP
3. Carlos Rodón, LHP
4. Luis Gil, RHP
5. Clarke Schmidt, RHP
6. Marcus Stroman, RHP
The Yanks¡¯ addition of Fried, a two-time All-Star who garnered the richest contract ever issued to a left-handed pitcher, should further bolster what projects to be a strong rotation. Cole is said to have had a normal offseason after missing time early in 2024 with a right elbow injury, Rod¨®n is coming off career highs in wins (16) and starts (32), and Gil is the reigning AL Rookie of the Year. New York is unlikely to use a six-man rotation, which makes Stroman a trade candidate after he was moved to the bullpen in September and did not appear in the postseason. -- Bryan Hoch
AL CENTRAL
GUARDIANS
Lineup
1. Steven Kwan, LF
2. Kyle Manzardo, DH
3. Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez, 3B
4. Carlos Santana, 1B
5. Lane Thomas, CF
6. Will Brennan, RF
7. Bo Naylor, C
8. Juan Brito, 2B
9. Brayan Rocchio, SS
Depending on who is pitching against the Guardians on Opening Day, Brennan or Jhonkensy Noel may be the best fit in right field, while Brito will still have to prove during Spring Training that he¡¯s ready to make his Major League debut instead of letting Gabriel Arias, who already has big league experience, man the position.
Rotation
1. Tanner Bibee, RHP
2. Luis Ortiz, RHP
3. Gavin Williams, RHP
4. Ben Lively, RHP
5. Triston McKenzie, RHP
The fifth spot in the rotation will be the big competition this spring, considering McKenzie is trying to overcome last year¡¯s struggles and reclaim his spot over other candidates like Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi. -- Mandy Bell
ROYALS
Lineup
1. Jonathan India, 2B
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
3. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B
4. Salvador Perez, C
5. MJ Melendez, LF
6. Hunter Renfroe, RF
7. Michael Massey, DH
8. Maikel Garcia, 3B
9. Kyle Isbel, CF
The Royals got a big boost to the top of their lineup when they acquired India, who will slot in as the leadoff hitter and share second-base duties with Massey, with the potential for either/both to go to left field or third base if they can show the ability to do so in spring.
Rotation
1. Cole Ragans, LHP
2. Seth Lugo, RHP
3. Michael Wacha, RHP
4. Michael Lorenzen, RHP
5. Kris Bubic, LHP
The fifth spot of the rotation will be determined this spring, with Bubic -- who did well out of the bullpen in the second half last year -- competing with Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch IV, Kyle Wright and others, and whoever doesn¡¯t win that spot has the potential to help out in the bullpen. -- Anne Rogers
TIGERS
Lineup
1. Parker Meadows, CF
2. Matt Vierling, RF
3. Riley Greene, LF
4. Kerry Carpenter, DH
5. Gleyber Torres, 2B
6. Colt Keith, 1B
7. Jace Jung, 3B
8. Trey Sweeney, SS
9. Jake Rogers, C
The Tigers can platoon Sweeney with Javier Báez at shortstop, Keith with Andy Ibáñez or Spencer Torkelson at first, and Jung with Vierling at third -- barring a late-offseason addition, of course.
Rotation
1. Tarik Skubal, LHP
2. Jack Flaherty, RHP
3. Alex Cobb, RHP
4. Reese Olson, RHP
5. Jackson Jobe, RHP
Flaherty¡¯s return solidifies the front of this group while setting up a battle for the fifth spot, which the Tigers would like to see Jobe grab. -- Jason Beck
TWINS
Lineup
1. Edouard Julien, DH
2. Carlos Correa, SS
3. Trevor Larnach, LF
4. Byron Buxton, CF
5. Royce Lewis, 3B
6. Jose Miranda, 1B
7. Matt Wallner, RF
8. Ryan Jeffers, C
9. Brooks Lee, 2B
These are the nine players most likely to take the field, but at this point, they could be deployed in a wide range of potential orders.
Rotation
1. Pablo López, RHP
2. Bailey Ober, RHP
3. Joe Ryan, RHP
4. Chris Paddack, RHP
5. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP
Assuming everyone is healthy, this is a deep and talented group, with some talented youngsters waiting in the wings. -- Matthew Leach
WHITE SOX
Lineup
1. Mike Tauchman, RF
2. Josh Rojas, 2B
3. Luis Robert Jr., CF
4. Andrew Vaughn, 1B
5. Andrew Benintendi, LF
6. Bryan Ramos, DH
7. Miguel Vargas, 3B
8. Colson Montgomery, SS
9. Korey Lee, C
Austin Slater provides a right-handed-hitting outfield option against a left-handed starter for the Angels, if the team chooses to go that direction. Robert should continue to draw trade interest during Spring Training, while Montgomery would be making his big league debut on Opening Day.
Rotation
1. Jonathan Cannon, RHP
2. Martín Pérez, LHP
3. Davis Martin, RHP
4. Bryse Wilson, RHP
5. Sean Burke, RHP
Drew Thorpe eventually will be part of this front five. But the right-hander suffered offseason setbacks recovering from Sept. 7 surgery to shave down a bone spur in his right elbow and won¡¯t be ready at the start of the season. -- Scott Merkin
AL WEST
ANGELS
Lineup
1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Luis Rengifo, 2B
3. Mike Trout, CF
4. Jorge Soler, DH
5. Nolan Schanuel, 1B
6. Logan O'Hoppe, C
7. Jo Adell, RF
8. Yoán Moncada, 3B
9. Tim Anderson, SS
Shortstop Zach Neto is expected to open the season on the injured list after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in November. Trout could also be moved to a corner outfield spot.
Rotation
1. Tyler Anderson, LHP
2. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
3. José Soriano, RHP
4. Kyle Hendricks, RHP
5. Jack Kochanowicz, RHP
Anderson and Kikuchi are the top candidates to start Opening Day, while the fifth spot is up for grabs, with Kochanowicz and lefty Reid Detmers as the top two candidates. -- Rhett Bollinger
ASTROS
Lineup
1. Jose Altuve, LF
2. Isaac Paredes, 3B
3. Yordan Alvarez, DH
4. Christian Walker, 1B
5. Yainer Diaz, C
6. Jeremy Peña, SS
7. Chas McCormick, RF
8. Mauricio Dubón, 2B
9. Jake Meyers, CF
The big question is whether Altuve will start the season in left field or his natural position of second base, but no matter where he plays on defense, the first six spots in Houston¡¯s lineup are solid.
Rotation
1. Framber Valdez, LHP
2. Hunter Brown, RHP
3. Ronel Blanco, RHP
4. Spencer Arrighetti, RHP
5. Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Valdez and Brown are an elite 1-2 combination at the top of the rotation and Blanco and Arrighetti were workhorses last year, but there¡¯s some depth concerns with newcomer Wesneski penciled into the fifth spot. -- Brian McTaggart
ATHLETICS
Lineup
1. Lawrence Butler, RF
2. Brent Rooker, LF
3. JJ Bleday, CF
4. Shea Langeliers, C
5. Tyler Soderstrom, 1B
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Zack Gelof, 2B
8. Gio Urshela, 3B
9. Jacob Wilson, SS
With Rooker now fully recovered from his right forearm injury, the DH spot will likely see somewhat of a rotation between Rooker, Andujar and Seth Brown.
Rotation
1. Luis Severino, RHP
2. JP Sears, LHP
3. Osvaldo Bido, RHP
4. Jeffrey Springs, LHP
5. Joey Estes, RHP
Severino is the heavy favorite to take the mound come Opening Day, while the fifth spot will be decided by a spring competition that includes Estes, Mitch Spence, J.T. Ginn and Hogan Harris. -- Mart¨ªn Gallegos
MARINERS
Lineup
1. Victor Robles, RF
2. Julio Rodríguez, CF
3. Cal Raleigh, C
4. Randy Arozarena, LF
5. Luke Raley, 1B
6. Mitch Garver, C
7. Jorge Polanco, 3B
8. Dylan Moore, 2B
9. J.P. Crawford, SS
The Mariners didn't make many, if any, significant offensive additions, with the return of Polanco, coming off a down year, being the most notable.
Rotation
1. Luis Castillo, RHP
2. Logan Gilbert, RHP
3. George Kirby, RHP
4. Bryce Miller, RHP
5. Bryan Woo, RHP
For the second straight offseason, the Mariners were able to keep their incredibly talented pitching staff intact, and they will again lean on those arms in an attempt to break through to the postseason. -- Daniel Kramer
RANGERS
Lineup
1. Marcus Semien, 2B
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Wyatt Langford, LF
4. Adolis García, RF
5. Joc Pederson, DH
6. Josh Jung, 3B
7. Jake Burger, 1B
8. Jonah Heim, C
9. Evan Carter, CF
The Rangers' outfield spots are up for grabs, specifically the center-field spot between Leody Taveras and a recently healthy Carter. That being said, the club has flipped Nathaniel Lowe for Burger at first base and added a designated hitter in Pederson, giving the lineup some much-needed pop.
Rotation
1. Jacob deGrom, RHP
2. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP
3. Jon Gray, RHP
4. Cody Bradford, LHP
5. Tyler Mahle, RHP
Rookie pitchers and former Vanderbilt teammates Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter will be waiting in the wings as depth options, but when everybody¡¯s healthy, those five veterans are likely to open the season in the rotation. -- Kennedi Landry
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
BRAVES
Lineup
1. Jurickson Profar, LF
2. Austin Riley, 3B
3. Marcell Ozuna, DH
4. Matt Olson, 1B
5. Ozzie Albies, 2B
6. Michael Harris II, CF
7. Sean Murphy, C
8. Jarred Kelenic, RF
9. Orlando Arcia, SS
Profar¡¯s power and plate discipline should adequately fill the leadoff spot until this powerful lineup is bolstered by the return of Ronald Acuña Jr., who could miss approximately six weeks while recovering from left knee surgery.
Rotation
1. Chris Sale, LHP
2. Reynaldo López, RHP
3. Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP
4. Grant Holmes, RHP
5. Ian Anderson, RHP
Last year¡¯s preseason Cy Young Award favorite Spencer Strider could return in late April to join a rotation that includes the eventual winner (Sale), and two of this year¡¯s dark-horse Cy Young candidates (L¨®pez and Schwellenbach). -- Mark Bowman
MARLINS
Lineup
1. Xavier Edwards, SS
2. Connor Norby, 3B
3. Jonah Bride, DH
4. Jesús Sánchez, RF
5. Dane Myers, CF
6. Matt Mervis, 1B
7. Otto Lopez, 2B
8. Kyle Stowers, LF
9. Nick Fortes, C
There is only one certainty when it comes to the offensive side of things for Miami: tablesetter Edwards will lead off after batting .328 with 31 steals in 70 games.
Rotation
1. Sandy Alcantara, RHP
2. Ryan Weathers, LHP
3. Edward Cabrera, RHP
4. Max Meyer, RHP
5. Valente Bellozo, RHP
Alcantara is expected to return from Tommy John surgery, but who follows him -- and in what order -- is up for grabs after Jes¨²s Luzardo¡¯s departure and Braxton Garrett's left elbow surgery. -- Christina De Nicola
METS
Lineup
1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Juan Soto, RF
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Brandon Nimmo, LF
5. Mark Vientos, 3B
6. Jesse Winker, DH
7. Francisco Alvarez, C
8. Jeff McNeil, 2B
9. Tyrone Taylor, CF
Alonso¡¯s return sure does deepen this group, doesn¡¯t it? There won¡¯t be many wrong answers for manager Carlos Mendoza in terms of constructing the top half of the lineup, while Starling Marte (designated hitter) and Jose Siri (center field) should work regularly into the bottom half.
Rotation
1. Sean Manaea, LHP
2. Kodai Senga, RHP
3. Frankie Montas, RHP
4. Clay Holmes, RHP
5. David Peterson, LHP
6. Griffin Canning, RHP
The Mets are likely to use a six-man rotation more often than not, with off-days dictating the exact schedule. Canning, Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill are all candidates to fill out the sixth slot, though Megill has an accessible Minor League option, which hurts his chances. -- Anthony DiComo
NATIONALS
Lineup
1. CJ Abrams, SS
2. Dylan Crews, RF
3. James Wood, LF
4. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
5. Josh Bell, DH
6. Luis García Jr., 2B
7. Keibert Ruiz, C
8. José Tena, 3B
9. Jacob Young, CF
The Nationals, who hit the fewest home runs in the NL last year, added offensive power this winter with Lowe and Bell to hit in the middle of the lineup behind the young top of the order that features Crews and Wood playing in their first full Major League seasons.
Rotation
1. MacKenzie Gore, LHP
2. Jake Irvin, RHP
3. Michael Soroka, RHP
4. Mitchell Parker, LHP
5. Trevor Williams, RHP
The Nationals¡¯ starting depth is deep this season -- in addition to the five pitchers listed above, DJ Herz and Shinnosuke Ogasawara are also in the mix for a spot in the rotation, but they have options for Triple-A. -- Jessica Camerato
PHILLIES
Lineup
1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Bryce Harper, 1B
3. Alec Bohm, 3B
4. Kyle Schwarber, DH
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
6. Bryson Stott, 2B
7. J.T. Realmuto, C
8. Max Kepler, LF
9. Brandon Marsh, CF
Rob Thomson said again recently that he is considering a change to the lineup. If Schwarber isn¡¯t leading off, who¡¯s the next-best candidate? Turner, Thomson said. We¡¯re going with that for now, and we¡¯re going with the idea that Schwarber will hit no lower than fourth.
Rotation
1. Zack Wheeler, RHP
2. Aaron Nola, RHP
3. Ranger Suárez, LHP
4. Cristopher Sánchez, LHP
5. Jesús Luzardo, LHP
Everybody thinks the Dodgers have the best rotation in baseball, but the Phillies will try to make the argument they are better. It¡¯s a formidable top five, with Andrew Painter (No. 8 prospect in baseball) a possibility to join by the summer. -- Todd Zolecki
NL CENTRAL
BREWERS
Lineup
1. Brice Turang, SS
2. Jackson Chourio, LF
3. Christian Yelich, DH
4. William Contreras, C
5. Garrett Mitchell, CF
6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
7. Sal Frelick, RF
8. Joey Ortiz, 3B
9. Caleb Durbin, 2B
Chourio may see some time in the leadoff hole this season, but presuming it¡¯s righty Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees, a lefty bat will lead off here.
Rotation
1. Freddy Peralta, RHP
2. Nestor Cortes, LHP
3. Tobias Myers, RHP
4. Aaron Civale, RHP
5. Aaron Ashby, LHP or DL Hall, LHP
At some point, the Brewers hope to add former ace Brandon Woodruff to this mix, but he first must complete his comeback from right shoulder surgery in October 2023. -- Adam McCalvy
CARDINALS
Lineup
1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Alec Burleson, DH
3. Willson Contreras, 1B
4. Nolan Gorman, 3B
5. Iván Herrera, C
6. Brendan Donovan, 2B
7. Jordan Walker, RF
8. Lars Nootbaar, LF
9. Michael Siani, CF
In the event that Nolan Arenado does get traded -- which still appears likely -- it¡¯s going to take some getting used to with no Paul Goldschmidt nor Arenado in the middle of the lineup, so the Cards are going to need plenty of pop from Burleson, Contreras, Gorman and Walker. Nootbaar and Donovan are versatile enough to hit anywhere in any lineup. Winn wants to get on base and steal more in 2025.
Rotation
1. Sonny Gray, RHP
2. Andre Pallante, RHP
3. Erick Fedde, RHP
4. Michael McGreevy, RHP
5. Miles Mikolas, RHP
The Cards are again right-handed heavy in their rotation, but Matthew Liberatore or Steven Matz could fix that with strong springs. St. Louis thinks it really found something in Pallante, a reliever-turned-starter, and the club is counting on big things from a rookie in McGreevy. Can Mikolas somehow bounce back? -- John Denton
CUBS
Lineup
1. Ian Happ, LF
2. Dansby Swanson, SS
3. Kyle Tucker, RF
4. Seiya Suzuki, DH
5. Michael Busch, 1B
6. Matt Shaw, 3B
7. Jon Berti, 2B
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
9. Miguel Amaya, C
If Nico Hoerner (October surgery on right forearm) is not ready for the opener, Berti would be the leading candidate as a temporary option at second. Amaya and veteran catcher Carson Kelly will have a timeshare behind the plate.
Rotation
1. Shota Imanaga, LHP
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP
3. Justin Steele, LHP
4. Matthew Boyd, LHP
5. Colin Rea, RHP
With Javier Assad (left oblique) slowed at the start of camp, free-agent addition Colin Rea is the front-runner for the fifth spot. Younger options like Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks will also be in the running. -- Jordan Bastian
PIRATES
Lineup
1. Andrew McCutchen, DH
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Oneil Cruz, CF
4. Joey Bart, C
5. Nick Gonzales, 2B
6. Spencer Horwitz, 1B
7. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
8. Tommy Pham, RF
9. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
The top half of the lineup is solid, but some players in the bottom half are going to need to step up, whether it¡¯s Horwitz breaking out or Hayes staying healthy.
Rotation
1. Paul Skenes, RHP
2. Mitch Keller, RHP
3. Jared Jones, RHP
4. Johan Oviedo, RHP
5. Bailey Falter, LHP
The Pirates may have the best mix of upside and depth in their starting rotation, especially with top 100 prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington waiting in the wings. -- Alex Stumpf
REDS
Lineup
1. Matt McLain, 2B
2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
3. Tyler Stephenson, C
4. Spencer Steer, 1B
5. Jeimer Candelario, DH
6. TJ Friedl, CF
7. Gavin Lux 3B
8. Austin Hays, LF
9. Jake Fraley, RF
Both corner infield spots are viewed as open, which means Christian Encarnacion-Strand or Noelvi Marte could find their way into the lineup with a strong camp.
Rotation
1. Hunter Greene, RHP
2. Brady Singer, RHP
3. Nick Martinez, RHP
4. Nick Lodolo, LHP
5. Rhett Lowder, RHP
This is a challenging prediction because Cincinnati is entering camp with eight starters in the mix, and multiple pitchers who contributed to the rotation last season could be on the outside looking in. Andrew Abbott's name is the most difficult to omit among this group, but he shouldn't be counted out. -- Mark Sheldon
NL WEST
D-BACKS
Lineup
1. Corbin Carroll, RF
2. Ketel Marte, 2B
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
5. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
6. Gabriel Moreno, C
7. Pavin Smith / Randal Grichuk, DH
8. Jake McCarthy, CF
9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS
The Diamondbacks will mix-and-match at DH once again this year, with Smith and Grichuk the likely duo. McCarthy and Alek Thomas figure to battle it out in Spring Training for the starting center-field job.
Rotation
1. Corbin Burnes, RHP
2. Zac Gallen, RHP
3. Merrill Kelly, RHP
4. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP
5. Brandon Pfaadt, RHP
How the Diamondbacks sort through having seven starters, including Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery, will be one of the most-watched storylines of the spring. -- Steve Gilbert
DODGERS
Lineup
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, SS
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Teoscar Hernández, RF
5. Max Muncy, 3B
6. Will Smith, C
7. Michael Conforto, LF
8. Tommy Edman, CF
9. Hyeseong Kim, 2B
Even with a couple of new faces in the mix, this lineup should not look very different from last year's starting nine, led by the Dodgers' three MVPs at the top.
Rotation
1. Blake Snell, LHP
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
3. Tyler Glasnow, RHP
4. Roki Sasaki, RHP
5. Tony Gonsolin, RHP
6. Dustin May, RHP
Snell and Sasaki are the high-profile additions to this deep group, which should also add Ohtani sometime in May. There could be some competition for the last spot or two, as both Gonsolin and May are coming off major injuries. -- Sonja Chen
GIANTS
Lineup
1. Jung Hoo Lee, CF
2. Willy Adames, SS
3. LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B
4. Matt Chapman, 3B
5. Heliot Ramos, LF
6. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
7. Tyler Fitzgerald, 2B
8. Wilmer Flores, DH
9. Patrick Bailey, C
Adames should add some much-needed punch after joining the club on a seven-year, $182 million deal, but the Giants are also hoping to get a major boost from the return of Lee, who missed most of his rookie season after suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury last May.
Rotation
1. Logan Webb, RHP
2. Robbie Ray, LHP
3. Justin Verlander, RHP
4. Jordan Hicks, RHP
5. Kyle Harrison, LHP
After losing Blake Snell to the Dodgers, the Giants will be counting on two other former Cy Young winners -- Ray and Verlander -- to stay healthy and provide stability behind the ultra-durable Webb. -- Maria Guardado
PADRES
Lineup
1. Luis Arraez, 1B
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Jackson Merrill, CF
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
7. Connor Joe, DH
8. Jason Heyward, LF
9. Elias Díaz, C
The Padres landed Joe and Heyward in early February, planning to platoon them in left field. As such, they¡¯re looking for one more bat -- whether external or internal -- to emerge as a DH option.
Rotation
1. Dylan Cease, RHP
2. Michael King, RHP
3. Yu Darvish, RHP
4. Randy Vásquez, RHP
5. Matt Waldron, RHP
Trade rumors continue to swirl, though if the Padres were to deal Cease -- arguably their best starter -- they would likely do so looking to acquire a starting pitcher or two (with extra years of control) in return. -- AJ Cassavell
ROCKIES
Lineup
1. Brenton Doyle, CF
2. Thairo Estrada, 2B
3. Ezequiel Tovar, SS
4. Kris Bryant, RF
5. Ryan McMahon, 3B
6. Nolan Jones, LF
7. Michael Toglia, 1B
8. Jordan Beck, DH
9. Jacob Stallings, C
To correct an offense that has been startlingly poor considering that Coors Field is home, the Rockies need the top of the lineup to provide patience and speed, Bryant to provide a semblance of what he did in the past with the Cubs, and younger players throughout to continue their growth.
Rotation
1. Kyle Freeland, LHP
2. Ryan Feltner, RHP
3. Austin Gomber, LHP
4. Germán Márquez, RHP
5. Antonio Senzatela, RHP
Freeland, M¨¢rquez and Senzatela have started postseason games for this club, but they and others must regain health and production -- or else a group of prospects (led by righty Chase Dollander, MLB's No. 25 prospect) -- will usher in the next attempt for the Rockies to build a rotation that can sustain winning. -- Thomas Harding