MLB Preview: Ranking the top five lineups for 2016

With MLB Opening Day around the corner and another baseball season set to begin, one of the most difficult questions to answer is who will have the best lineup in baseball. While some hitters are consistently great from season to season, many hitters’ performances fluctuate, which makes it difficult to predict which lineup will be the most potent in 2016. But with that being said, here are the top five best offenses in baseball for this upcoming season.

Next: Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions

10. Seattle Mariners

Led by Nelson Cruz last season, the Mariners had a couple of really good performances from their hitters in a disappointing 2015 season. Having Cruz back, along with the emergence of Kyle Seager and Ketel Marte, the Mariners offense looks to be in a good shape with the power and speed in the lineup. The team also signed some quality veterans to help supplement some of Seattle’s bigger pieces with the additions of Adam Lind, Nori Aoki and Chris Iannetta.

9. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox lineup certainly has upside with very young talented players like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogearts and Jackie Bradley possibly improving on last season. Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez will also look to bounce back from down years in 2015. Boston still has reliable veterans in Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz too. Overall, there are many good hitters in this lineup who bring a lot of things to the table. However, the Red Sox just don’t have enough established players to be in the top five.

8. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals always seem to find a way to have a quality lineup. Even with injuries all over the field last season, St. Louis managed to have a batting order that was still very productive. Guys like Randal Grichuk, Kolten Wong and Stephen Piscotty were able to step up and carry the offense, which is a very good sign for the team’s future. These players look they are going to produce solid numbers for years to come and with hitters Matt Holliday and Matt Carpenter supporting the Cardinals’ young studs, St. Louis should be one of the better offenses in the game.

7. Baltimore Orioles

The O’s did a lot this offseason to keep their offense from falling back to Earth in 2016. The team re-signed Chris Davis to a record setting deal, had Matt Wieters accept a qualifying offer and added power hitters in Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez. Baltimore should be one of the top power hitting teams in the league, but their achilles heel will probably be their strikeouts and ability to get on-base consistently. Even with all of this talent in the lineup, the Orioles have hitters that are prone to extended slumps, which will limit how good the Orioles offense will be. However, the Orioles will still have one of the best offenses in the major leagues in 2016 due to the amount of power that their batting order will produce.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers

Even though the team just lost Andre Ethier for 10-14 weeks according to the Los Angeles Post, the Dodgers still have guys who have been productive in Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig. Granted they have also all been inconsistent as well. Though Pederson is a frequent strikeout victim because of his long swing and Yasiel Puig has had some character concerns, the talent in the Los Angeles outfield stacks up very favorably to every other team in MLB. In addition, Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner and Howie Kendrick will be able to provide consistent offense for the team. Not to mention that the club now has the talented Corey Seager for a full season.

Next: 5. San Francisco Giants

5. San Francisco Giants

1. Denard Span CF
2. Joe Panik 2B
3. Matt Duffy 3B
4. Buster Posey C
5. Hunter Pence RF
6. Brandon Crawford SS
7. Brandon Belt 1B
8. Angel Pagan LF
9. Pitcher

The San Francisco Giants don’t have a lot of big names outside of Buster Posey, but that doesn’t mean that their lineup isn’t stacked with talent. Lead by the best catcher in the game in Posey, the Giants arguably have the best hitting middle infield in the game with Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford. Both infielders were All-Stars in 2015 after having breakout seasons, in addition to having a surprisingly productive year from Matt Duffy. The team also added a legitimate leadoff hitter in Denard Span. San Francisco may not have the star power of some other offenses, but the team has above-average hitters at almost every position.

Next: 4. Detroit Tigers

4. Detroit Tigers

1. Ian Kinsler 2B
2. Justin Upton LF
3. Miguel Cabrera 1B
4. J.D. Martinez RF
5. Victor Martinez DH
6. Nick Castellanos 3B
7. James McCann C
8. Anthony Gose CF (*Cameron Maybin injured)
9. Jose Iglesias SS

Looking at the Tigers lineup, the strength of this batting order comes from the first four hitters. These four players easily make up one of the best top-of-the-order combinations in the league. Miguel Cabrera is still a top-five hitter in MLB. Ian Kinsler is a quality offensive option at second base and J.D. Martinez has shown that his breakout 2014 season was not a fluke with the type of production he had last year. The Tigers were also able to add Justin Upton, who should be in for a slight increase in power moving from San Diego to Detroit. Guys like Jose Iglesias and James McCann should not be overlooked as well.

Next: 3. Kansas City Royals

3. Kansas City Royals

1. Alcides Escobar SS
2. Mike Moustakas 3B
3. Lorenzo Cain CF
4. Eric Hosmer 1B
5. Kendrys Morales DH
6. Alex Gordon LF
7. Salvador Perez C
8. Omar Infante 2B
9. Jarrod Dyson RF

People should not keep doubting the Kansas City Royals anymore after the run they’ve had over the past two seasons. Putting Kansas City’s lineup this high on the list may seem a little ambitious but the beauty of the Royals offense is how they utilize their talent and not just the players themselves. Behind Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain could be the second-best center fielder in the game. Guys like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon have proven themselves as above average hitters in this league as well. The team is also able to use the speed on their roster to put pressure on opposing pitchers. The mix of power, speed and on-base percentage makes the Royals a truly unique and very capable offense.

Next: 2. Toronto Blue Jays

1. Chicago Cubs

1. Dexter Fowler CF
2. Jason Heyward RF
3. Anthony Rizzo 1B
4. Kris Bryant 3B
5. Kyle Schwarber LF
6. Ben Zobrist 2B
7. Miguel Montero C
8. Addison Russell SS
9. Pitcher

This best way to describe the Cubs batting order is that it is stacked. Chicago truly has above-average offensive producers at every position. In addition, they don’t just have a bunch of power swingers like the Blue Jays, but they have hitters that are able to complement each other with what they bring to the table. Hitters like Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward will be able to set the table for the teams’ power hitters in Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber. Ben Zobrist would be a middle-of-the-order option in pretty much every other lineup in the league too.

Addison Russell, who is projected to hit eighth, is still very young and will improve greatly in 2016. The only complaint that someone could have about this offense is that many hitters are young and unproven. But just look at their talent and this negative should be more of a strength when examined more closely. All of these hitters will also make the offense better overall because there is really no spot for the pitcher to hide. These factors will give the Cubs the best offense in the MLB next season.

Next: Top 100 players in baseball history (100-91)

What teams do you think will have the best offenses in 2016? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.