MLB: Ranking the Top 10 Lineups for 2017

#10 Detroit Tigers

There’s time for one last hoorah before the Tigers will be forced to cut payroll and tentatively rebuild. Detroit has one of the older offenses in the game, but they can still hit. Miguel Cabrera continues to perform at an MVP level, he’s showing no signs of regression. Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez still perform in vintage fashion. Now 34-years-old, Kinsler remains a serious power threat at the leadoff role. Martinez continues to scrap together productive at-bat after productive at-bat as he soon enters his age 38 season.

Throw in a very underrated J.D. Martinez, a dangerous Justin Upton, and a growing Nick Castellanos–this Tigers lineup is the real deal.

Projected Lineup (all lineups presented via per Rotochamp)

1. Ian Kinsler
2. J.D. Martinez
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Victor Martinez
5. Justin Upton
6. Nick Castellanos
7. Tyler Collins
8. James McCann
9. Jose Iglesias

Player to Watch 

Justin Upton had a disappointing 2016 season. He slashed an underwhelming .246/.310/.465 and struck out 179 times. His 31 home runs are good, but misleading. Upton knocked 13 home runs between September and October alone, part of a sizzling finish to the season. The Tigers are hoping the September/October Upton is on display much more frequently in 2017. He’ll play a crucial role in the lineup, having the opportunity to clean up all that is created by a very good top of the Tigers order.

#9 Texas Rangers

Despite losing Prince Fielder to a career ending injury last season, the Texas Rangers appear to be just as good as when the big man was part of the lineup. Much thanks to the emergence of slugger Rougned Odor. Odor will take part in the middle of the Rangers lineup in the upcoming season. He, alongside Mike Napoli and the ageless Adrian Beltre, will be the team’s primary power threats.

The Rangers batting order is characterized by depth. The one through nine bunch could be considered the deepest lineup in MLB. Jonathan Lucroy is expected to bat sixth in the order. He could easily be a top five hitter in the majority of major league lineups. Texas has even bigger expectations for the supremely talented Nomar Mazara in his sophomore season. And don’t forget about the revived Elvis Andrus. Andrus will look to follow-up on a .302 batting average from 2016.

Projected Lineup

1. Carlos Gomez
2. Shin Soo-Choo
3. Adrian Beltre
4. Mike Napoli
5. Rougned Odor
6. Jonathan Lucroy
7. Nomar Mazara
8. Elvis Andrus
9. Joey Gallo (although likely Jurickson Profar)

Player to Watch

Speaking of Jurickson Profar…the Rangers have been outspoken about their continued faith in their former top prospect. He may not have a guaranteed spot in the lineup entering the season, but he’ll likely earn it. Texas is stoked to see what Profar can make of a healthy season. A stellar 2017 from Jurickson Profar would make the Rangers lineup even deeper. His versatility and professionalism in the lineup is tough to match.

#8 Houston Astros

Is this the year the Astros finally make a deep playoff run? Their offense will certainly allow it. The Astros have a dynamic offense led by Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. They wisely added some veteran leadership to compliment their young talent, signing Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Josh Reddick this offseason.

Like their rival Texas Rangers, the Astros have an extremely deep lineup. You can pick your poison at the top of the order, but good seasons from McCann and Reddick would be crushing to opposing pitchers. The Houston Astros have a lineup that should never go cold. They even have the power bat of Evan Gattis set to come off the bench.

Projected Lineup

1. George Springer
2. Alex Bregman
3. Jose Altuve
4. Carlos Correa
5. Carlos Beltran
6. Brian McCann
7. Josh Reddick
8. Yulieski Gurriel
9. Norichika Aoki

Player to Watch

No sense in digging deep for this analysis. The player to watch for the Astros this season is Carlos Correa. At 6’4”, 215 pounds, strong, long, and athletic, Correa has the complete makeup of a soon to be MVP. He could even earn the honor this year. Correa is the glue to the Astros lineup. An MVP caliber season from Correa could jump the Houston Astros to serious contenders in the blink of an eye.

#7 St. Louis Cardinals

They don’t offer the big names like most of these teams do, however, the St. Louis Cardinals have a legitimate offense. The Cards quietly led the National League in home runs in 2016. They also ranked third in runs scored. A drop off should not be expected. The only offensive loss St. Louis endured was seeing Matt Holliday go to the Yankees. Though, Holliday played in only 110 games last season, and they’ve replaced him with a likely more productive Dexter Fowler.

Balance is the key to the Cardinals lineup. Every hitter in the lineup seems to be equally capable. They have a lot of high contact hitters who approach the plate with a team first mentality. Look for St. Louis to post similar numbers in 2017 as they did in 2016.

Project Lineup

1. Dexter Fowler
2. Aledmys Diaz
3. Matt Carpenter
4. Stephen Piscotty
5. Yadier Molina
6. Jhonny Peralta
7. Randal Grichuk
8. Kolten Wong
9. (Pitcher)

Player to Watch

Surprisingly, the Cardinals’ player to watch isn’t even mentioned in the above lineup. Even more surprising, the player who led the team in home runs in 2016 isn’t projected in the starting lineup. Jedd Gyorko popped 30 homers last season to lead the club. He’s currently in a battle for third base with Jhonny Peralta and could pose a threat to second baseman Kolten Wong. It may not be long until the Cardinals realize they need Gyorko’s power in the lineup.

#6 Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have nothing new to offer offensively in the coming season. Their lineup once again consists of power hitter after power hitter after power hitter. Aside from Wellington Castillo replacing Matt Wieters (a great signing by the way), the Orioles will present the same lineup in 2017. Seth Smith and Joey Rickard will battle for the final outfield spot. The key offseason move was of course re-signing Mark Trumbo.

Baltimore annihilated the rest of MLB in long ball totals last season. They led the majors with 253 home runs, overpowering the runner-up Cardinals by a generous 28 homers. Buck Showalter is a true traditionalist. He turns his shoulder on small ball and elects to let his players swing for the fences. The strategy certainly works. Despite ranking last in stolen bases year after year, the Orioles manage to score plenty of runs the old-fashioned way.

Projected Lineup

1. Adam Jones
2. Manny Machado
3. Chris Davis
4. Mark Trumbo
5. Pedro Schoop
6. Wellington Castillo
7. Seth Smith
8. J.J. Hardy
9. Hyun Soo Kim

Player to Watch

The Orioles will need Mark Trumbo to post another big home run total this season. Trumbo’s effectiveness in the fourth spot in the lineup is key in keeping everyone in place. Any struggles from Trumbo could force Chris Davis to the cleanup role, a player who strikes out an awful lot. Or maybe Adam Jones would have to drop from his customary leadoff role.

Teams were hesitant to sign Trumbo this offseason. There is obvious doubt that he will not be able to sustain his power numbers. A noticeable drop off in the second half of the 2016 season warrants said concern. Trumbo went from slashing .288/.341/.582 in the first half, to .214/.284/.470 in the second half of 2016.

#5 Washington Nationals

Fans may not be completely aboard the Adam Eaton bandwagon given the prospects the Nationals forfeited to acquire him. However, they can’t argue Washington’s need for a leadoff hitter, and Eaton has proved to be a very effective top of the order presence.

The Nationals have perhaps the best 1-5 part of the lineup in all of MLB. Trea Turner is well on his way to being one of the purest hitters in the game. Daniel Murphy, on the other hand, already is. Eaton, Turner, and Murphy will set the table for Bryce Harper. Yes, Harper will be set up to break the RBI record if he performs at an MVP level in 2017.

Harper will be the test dummy to the new intentional walk rule. He’ll likely make the walk from the on deck circle to first base more than any other hitter in the league. That is where third baseman Anthony Rendon comes into play. Rendon has posted quality numbers throughout his brief career, however, he has not yet had a breakout season. A .290+ batting average and 20+ home run season from Rendon would make the Nationals lineup even more lethal.

Projected Lineup

1. Adam Eaton
2. Trea Turner
3. Daniel Murphy
4. Bryce Harper
5. Anthony Rendon
6. Jayson Werth
7. Ryan Zimmerman
8. Matt Wieters
9. (Pitcher)

Player to Watch

This one is simple. Bryce Harper will need to vastly improve upon his .243/.373/.441 slash, .841 OPS, and 24 home runs from 2016.

#4 Boston Red Sox

The sky is the ceiling for the Boston Red Sox lineup. The killer B’s (Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew Benintendi) have another year of experience under their belts; they are clearly not going away anytime soon.

Even with the loss of David Ortiz, it doesn’t appear the Red Sox will take even a small step back. In fact, they may even be better. Manager John Farrell will have some experimenting to do with the lineup, but there really is no wrong way to go. They don’t have the constant power threats atop their lineup like the Orioles or Astros; however, they have some of the most elite contact hitters stockpiled at the top of the order.

Opposing pitchers will have no opportunity to relax or move to second gear against the Boston lineup. Pablo Sandoval and Mitch Moreland project to hit seventh and eighth in the order. Each could easily fit in the middle of the order for the majority of teams around MLB. Instead, they add unique power to the bottom of the Red Sox lineup.

Projected Lineup

1. Dustin Pedroia
2. Andrew Benintendi
3. Mookie Betts
4. Xander Bogaerts
5. Hanley Ramirez
6. Jackie Bradley Jr.
7. Pablo Sandoval
8. Mitch Moreland
9. Sandy Leon

Player to Watch

Boston will put tremendous faith in the 22-year-old Andrew Benintendi. The team has him set to bat second in the lineup. Benintendi will jump right into the fire. We’ll see if the player who is 34 games into his MLB career can handle the pressure of hitting second in the Red Sox order.

#3 Cleveland Indians

The argument could be made that the Indians’ offense should rank in the top two on this list. Maybe so, but there are a few too many unknowns within the lineup. First and foremost, what kind of year will Michael Brantley have? Brantley played in only 11 games last season due to a major right shoulder injury. This occurred after back-to-back seasons in which he factored into AL MVP voting. The Indians will be good with or without a good season from Brantley. Though, the trek will be slightly less difficult if he can return to form.

The bottom of the order presents inconsistency. It’s tough to predict the capabilities of Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Yan Gomes.

But, on the positive side, Cleveland’s 1-5 of the lineup is just as good as any of their competition. The signing of Edwin Encarnacion is the sole reason they crack the top five on this list. Encarnacion is the perfect fit for an offense that sees their second best slugger, Carlos Santana, hit leadoff. And of course we should see upward success for Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Jose Ramirez.

Projected Lineup

1. Carlos Santana
2. Jason Kipnis
3. Francisco Lindor
4. Edwin Encarnacion
5. Jose Ramirez
6. Michael Brantley
7. Tyler Naquin
8. Lonnie Chisenhall
9. Yan Gomes

Player to Watch

Aside from Brantley, keep an eye on Yan Gomes. The Indians have had high hopes for Gomes since day one; however, injuries and blunt lack of performance have forced surrounding doubt. One of the deterrents for Jonathan Lucroy, when choosing between the Rangers and Indians, was a concern that Yan Gomes would take his place when he reached full health. It’s clear Gomes has potential. Yet, there’s no telling if he’ll be the team’s number one catcher beyond the opening month.

#2 Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies may not factor into any playoff conversations in 2017, but they will hit the cover off the ball. A slight tip of the hat to the generous ballpark they play in, but there is no doubting the capabilities of the Rockies’ offensive unit.

Colorado had five hitters hit over .290 last season, including the National League batting champ, D.J. LeMahieu. Nolan Arenado put forth yet another MVP worthy season, perhaps he’ll finally win one this year. Shortstop Trevor Story was an anomaly. Story knocked 27 home runs in only 372 at-bats last season. That equates to a home run every 13 trips to the plate.

As a whole, the Rockies topped the NL in runs scored, RBI, and team batting average. They are a crazy talented offense. They may even be able to score enough runs to outweigh their poor pitching.

Projected Lineup

1. Charlie Blackmon
2. D.J. LeMahieu
3. Nolan Arenado
4. Carlos Gonzalez
5. Ian Desmond
6. Trevor Story
7. Gerardo Parra (Possibly David Dahl)
8. Tony Wolters
9. (Pitcher)

Player to Watch

The Rockies signed Ian Desmond to a 5-year, $70 million contract this offseason. A controversial signing, as many doubt Desmond’s talent matches the value of his awarded contract. Desmond had an outstanding first half to the 2016 season with the Texas Rangers. However, he dropped off considerably post-All-Star break. He is a very streaky hitter who at times can look completely lost at the plate. Colorado is hoping for the best from Desmond. He should fit well in a lineup in which he doesn’t have to be the main guy.

#1 Chicago Cubs

You guessed it, the Chicago Cubs have the best lineup in baseball. The World Series champs could be even more dangerous in 2017. Kyle Schwarber returns after his crushing ACL tear from last season. Manager Joe Maddon has deemed Schwarber the team’s leadoff hitter for the upcoming campaign. Maddon’s reasoning is to get Shwarber as many at-bats as possible. He certainly can’t go wrong with that logic.

Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Wilson Contreras now have a significant major league experience, including some serious playoff experience, each at a very young age. Russell and Baez should certainly advance with their plate discipline this season.

Batman (Kris Bryant) and Robin (Anthony Rizzo) should once again help lead their team to a wildly successful season.

Projected Lineup

Kyle Shwarber

Kris Bryant

Anthony Rizzo

Wilson Contreras

Addison Russell

Javier Baez

(Pitcher)

Next: Arizona Diamondbacks 2017 Team Preview

Player to Watch

Despite reaching the promised land last season, there is still serious pressure on the $184 million man, Jason Heyward. Whether his poor 2016 season was overlooked, or Cubs’ fans just didn’t care given their team’s accomplishments, a repeat of 2016 will not be tolerated in 2017. Heyward was once the future of MLB, but for whatever reason, he’s now lost. If he can wander back to his early Braves’ days, or match his productivity with the Cardinals, he’ll provide the Cubs with yet another major weapon. He’s certainly capable; we’ll see if he can bounce back in 2017.