Ranking the Top 10 lineups heading into Opening Day

It¡¯s been a minute since strangers have yelled at me on the internet, so it must be time to post my top 10 lineups for 2025!

As always, this is an inexact science, because baseball, despite all the incredible data readily available to us, remains an inexact science. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s going to get hurt, who¡¯s going to break out, who¡¯s going to shock the system. Neither do you. That¡¯s the beauty of it.

But we can sure speculate, can¡¯t we? So here are 10 clubs that seem reasonably well equipped to rain runs upon the world in 2025. (No, we don¡¯t care about defense on this list. We¡¯re not nerds!)

*Note that the lineups posted here are not projected Opening Day lineups (because some of the players listed here are currently injured) but rather representative samples of what the lineups could look like for the meat of the 2025 season.

1) Dodgers

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, SS
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Teoscar Hern¨¢ndez, RF
5. Max Muncy, 3B
6. Will Smith, C
7. Michael Conforto, LF
8. Tommy Edman, 2B
9. Andy Pages, CF

The Dodgers -- like every other club in MLB -- were outscored by the Diamondbacks last season. And I would not be dismissive of the same hard realities facing this lineup, which include: Ohtani is coming off shoulder surgery, to go with his return to the mound from elbow surgery (and probably won¡¯t be as bold on the basepaths); Freeman and Muncy are in their mid-30s; Betts is taking on everyday shortstop duties in his age-32 season; Hern¨¢ndez could have trouble repeating a career year. Also, for as mighty as this club obviously is, there are question marks up the middle, where it is unclear how the second base and center field starts will be divvied up among Edman, Pages, Enrique Hern¨¢ndez, James Outman and Hyeseong Kim.

Still, give me the Dodgers¡¯ concerns over those of any other club. They not only have star power but also a lot of fluidity that should allow them to employ productive lineups against any manner of opposing pitcher. Therefore, they are a safe bet to eclipse 800 runs for the seventh straight full season.

2) Mets

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. Jose Siri, CF

For a while there, I wrestled with Dodgers vs. Mets for the No. 1 spot. It gave me stomach aches. I broke out in hives. I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

It¡¯s possible all of this had absolutely nothing to do with my top lineups column and that I should see a doctor¡­

Anyway, the Mets¡¯ incredible 1-2-3 punch up top with Lindor, Soto and Alonso puts them in conversation with the Dodgers for best in the sport. But unanswered questions in the lower half -- questions that are even more pronounced given Alvarez¡¯s fractured left hand, which will cost him six to eight weeks -- ultimately land them below L.A. We¡¯ll have to see if Vientos¡¯ improved swing decisions stabilize, if McNeil can build off a strong second half from 2024, how center field shakes out with Siri and Tyrone Taylor, where young Ronny Mauricio might slot into all this and what Starling Marte can still bring to the equation before we go anointing Soto¡¯s new crew at No. 1.

The potential to be the best lineup in baseball is obviously there, but Alvarez¡¯s injury is an early depth-tester.

3) Braves

1. Ronald Acu?a Jr., RF
2. Jurickson Profar, LF
3. Austin Riley, 3B
4. Matt Olson, 1B
5. Marcell Ozuna, DH
6. Michael Harris II, CF
7. Ozzie Albies, 2B
8. Sean Murphy, C
9. Orlando Arcia, SS

Led by Acu?a, the NL MVP, Atlanta had a historically great offense in 2023 (947 runs scored and a .501 slugging percentage as a team) but then experienced a severe regression last season (704 runs, .415 SLG). The problem was a lack of depth that was exposed when Acu?a blew out another knee and injuries also hit the likes of Albies, Riley and Harris.

The Braves brought in Profar to improve the corner-outfield and on-base profile, and, needless to say, the return of Acu?a (hopefully in May) will boost this lineup a great deal. But it¡¯s impossible to know if Acu?a will instantly reclaim his electricity, and the Braves are dealing with an injury issue again with veteran catcher Sean Murphy¡¯s cracked rib.

So while the Braves again have a lot going for them offensively, there are definitely some depth concerns here.

4) Phillies

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

Like the rival Braves, the Phillies possess a lineup that is clearly elite but also would be vulnerable to injury or regression. There¡¯s a lot of star power here, but not much untapped upside, unless Bohm, Stott and Marsh take their games to another level. Harper, Turner, Schwarber and Realmuto are all in their 30s, and if they were to simultaneously show signs of age, this fun lineup would suddenly be, um, not so fun. And this generally profiles as an aggressive-swinging team -- a trait that has been known to work against them at times, including some high-profile stretches in October.

OK, with all the warts and worries out of the way, the Phils finished fifth in MLB in runs scored last year and obviously have the pieces to be top-five again. When they run hot, it¡¯s a beautiful, baseball-bashing thing to behold. And Kepler could be an underrated acquisition.

Interestingly, manager Rob Thomson has said he could make a change at leadoff, where Schwarber was an unconventional but effective top-of-the-order threat. Turner seemingly makes the most sense there.

5) Red Sox

1. Jarren Duran, LF
2. Rafael Devers, 3B
3. Alex Bregman, 2B
4. Triston Casas, 1B
5. Trevor Story, SS
6. Masataka Yoshida, DH
7. Connor Wong, C
8. Wilyer Abreu, RF
9. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF

WARNING! I¡¯m about to list three AL East teams in a certain order. Quite frankly, you can shuffle them in any order for all I care. The point is all three belong somewhere right around here, but putting down a ¡°tie¡± is lame and doesn¡¯t read as well as an actual 1-10 list, so here we are. Flame away.

The Red Sox fielded a top-10 offense, in terms of runs scored, and that was before they added the right-handed stick they sorely needed in Bregman. A lot of teams were understandably hesitant to lock in with the 30-year-old Bregman on a blockbuster long-term deal, but the Red Sox got him on excellent terms (three years, $120 million with opt outs after each of the first two years) that should have him motivated. His presence in the lineup could help Devers take his performance to another level, and Casas has the potential to have a breakout year akin to what we saw from Duran last season.

While having Story healthy is important, the Red Sox might not be overly reliant on him returning to the level that earned him a nine-figure contract. The top-end depth in the Sox¡¯s system is possibly the biggest reason to put them this high on this list, because highly touted prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer are all knocking on the door and capable of providing the support required over the course of 162.

6) Orioles

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

Baltimore¡¯s fun young lineup produced the fourth-most runs in MLB last season. Then October came, and the Orioles scored only one more postseason run than the 121-loss White Sox (who, in case you¡¯re not picking up on this hilarious joke, did not reach the postseason).

The O¡¯s are obviously still going through some growing pains on the October stage, but that shouldn¡¯t affect their ability to again provide plentiful run production. And did you hear the news? That weird wall they had constructed out in left field, which robbed Orioles hitters of 72 homers over the last three seasons, has been amended. So let the Ryan Mountcastle MVP chatter begin!

Now, in projecting the O¡¯s capabilities, we obviously have to account for the loss of Anthony Santander in free agency, which is why I dropped them down to this spot. Free-agent signee O¡¯Neill has a lot of thump himself but has not been nearly as reliable as Santander at suiting up every day. Henderson¡¯s spring rib strain is also an early concern. But there¡¯s still a tremendous amount of upside in this group, and it would surprise absolutely nobody if Holliday pops off this year.

7) Yankees

1. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Cody Bellinger, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
6. Austin Wells, C
7. Jasson Dom¨ªnguez, LF
8. Anthony Volpe, SS
9. Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B

The Yankees finally found the perfect, lefty-swinging sidekick to Judge, but then somebody had to go and pay him $765 million to leave. Don¡¯t you hate when that happens?

While there¡¯s a good argument to be made that the Yanks are better off, in the long run, spreading that money around, Juan Soto¡¯s departure certainly doesn¡¯t help them on this list. Nor does Stanton¡¯s absence with bum elbows -- a huge concern that now has this club in dire need of a right-handed bat. The Yankees could pull it all together and still somehow lead the Majors in homers, especially if Goldschmidt follows many past veterans in having a turn-back-the-clock campaign in the Bronx. (Hopefully the power rests in the pinstripes and not in the shaving razor the Yanks once ¨C but no longer! ¨C forced their players to wield.)

But there are clear contact concerns here, and Judge could conceivably have trouble repeating his MVP campaign without Soto¡¯s protection from the front. The X-factors in all this are Chisholm trying to tap into his star potential for a full season, which variety of Bellinger shows up and whether Ben Rice (filling in for Stanton against right-handers), Volpe and Dom¨ªnguez can catch on at the plate. I¡¯ve got the Yanks lower than their AL East counterparts on this list because I don¡¯t see as much youthful upside and because it¡¯s impossible to count on anything from Stanton right now.

8) Diamondbacks

1. Corbin Carroll, RF
2. Ketel Marte, 2B
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
5. Eugenio Su¨¢rez, 3B
6. Gabriel Moreno, C
7. Pavin Smith, DH
8. Jake McCarthy, CF
9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS

It¡¯s way too easy to forget or ignore that the D-backs were a better team in 2024 than the one that reached the World Series in 2023. They were eliminated from playoff contention by a mathematical tiebreaker on the season¡¯s final day, and that doesn¡¯t fit cleanly onto a T-shirt or banner.

But as noted above, this offense was the most productive in the sport last year, with 886 runs scored. Granted, that was with Joc Pederson and Christian Walker both in the fold before they bolted in free agency, and their departures affect the projections for Arizona. But the Snakes¡¯ electric offense also came in spite of Carroll¡¯s middling sophomore season, and there¡¯s reason to believe he can be a 30-homer, 50-steal type now that he¡¯s settled in. Arizona also acquired Naylor coming off an All-Star season and in his walk year, which should have him motivated to perform.

Overall, the D-backs might not have the thump it takes to ultimately justify this position on the list, but this is an athletic group fronted by a fabulous and fun one-two punch in Carroll and Marte, and it will be interesting to see if it can keep churning out the runs in 2025.

9) Padres

1. Luis Arraez, DH
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Jackson Merrill, CF
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Jake Cronenworth, 1B
7. Jose Iglesias, 2B
8. Jason Heyward, LF
9. Elias D¨ªaz, C

The Padres deserve to be on this list even after a fairly underwhelming offseason in which Iglesias, who was great for the Mets last season but on the might of a difficult-to-repeat .382 batting average on balls in play, was the only big-ticket acquisition.

Despite the weak winter, San Diego fields a strong lineup that, in Tony Gwynn tradition, keeps the strikeouts to a minimum and can actually produce those old-fashioned hits known as singles. If all engines are humming, that top half of the lineup can be as good as any in the game. This could be the year that Tatis makes good on his MVP potential, and it took only one season for Merrill to insert himself into the argument for best center fielder in baseball.

Still, because of what¡¯s going on at the bottom of the order and because the Padres again figure to be well below average in the walks department, they occupy a lower-profile spot on this list.

10) Rangers

1. Marcus Semien, 2B
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Wyatt Langford, LF
4. Adolis Garc¨ªa, RF
5. Joc Pederson, DH
6. Josh Jung, 3B
7. Jake Burger, 1B
8. Jonah Heim, C
9. Evan Carter, CF

First, a word about a few clubs that didn¡¯t make the precious cut¡­

It feels really strange leaving the Astros off this list for the first time in forever, but their new-look lineup without Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman has plenty to prove. With better health, the Reds look really interesting. The Brewers were sixth in runs last year but lost one of their best hitters (Willy Adames) in free agency. The swingin¡¯ A¡¯s are definitely a team to watch after a scorching second half (though their temporary pad in Sacramento might not be as hitter friendly as many assume). The Blue Jays have Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Cubs have Tucker and the Royals have Bobby Witt Jr., and that can go a long way. The Twins ranked 10th in runs last season and are a threat to do so again, if their main cogs can actually stay on the field.

I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone I¡¯m leaving out. Such is life.

But I¡¯m giving the final spot to the Rangers. To include them on this list requires belief in positive regression to the mean. This was the best lineup in the American League in 2023 and then, last year, it was like ordering loaded brisket nachos at Globe Life Field and only getting plain tortilla chips. Blah. (By the way, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single concession at Globe Life that doesn¡¯t have some form of loaded nachos. It¡¯s paradise.)

Projections, such as those at FanGraphs, insist the Rangers will bounce back this year. It¡¯s hard to argue with them, though it should go without saying that Texas needs to keep Semien and Seager on the field. The additions of Pederson and Burger should take some of the burden off those two stars and provide a lot of launch. Garc¨ªa¡¯s batted-ball metrics remained strong in a subpar 2024, though a spring oblique injury is an early concern. Langford looks primed to break out in Year 2, and that would make the top of this lineup a real force.

There¡¯s a lot of conjecture here, obviously, but it still seems worth putting the Rangers in the top 10. And to those I left off, well, don¡¯t worry: I¡¯m usually wrong. We all are.