Ranking the 10 Best Lineups Entering 2020

The Twins were the most powerful lineup ever last season after breaking the single-season home run record with 307 dingers. Last season, the “Bomba Squad” had eight players with 20 or more home runs, breaking another record.

In his age-38 season, Nelson Cruz led the Twins offense, mashing 41 home runs, and hitting .311/.392/1.031. Eddie Rosario had a career-high 32 home runs and 109 RBI in 137 games. Minnesota also had breakout years from Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Mitch Garver. Kepler and Garver were the surprises of the season for the Twins, combining for 67 bombs and 157 RBI.

The Twins also had Miguel Sano, who hit 34 home runs, in full force after he only played 79 games in 2018. And yet, this insanely powerful lineup managed to get even better this offseason with the addition of Josh Donaldson, a former AL MVP.

The Cubs missed the postseason last season for the first time since 2015, but their lineup is still one of the most star-studded lineups in the majors with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez as the headline offensive players.

In recent seasons, Baez has become the face of the lineup for the Cubs. Since 2017, “El Mago” has 86 home runs, 271 runs driven in, and a .282/.320/.845 slash-line. Bryant and Rizzo are still a very productive duo with the tandem combining for 58 home runs and 171 RBI in 2019. Chicago also saw Kyle Schwarber become a consistent offensive force, leading the team in home runs last season with 36 dingers.

It’s fitting that Hollywood’s lineup is full of star power with Cody Bellinger, the defending NL MVP, and Mookie Betts, the 2018 AL MVP in the spotlight. Along with that dominant duo of the lineup, it is the rest of the batting order that makes the Dodgers’offense so impressive.

Corey Seager, a 2016 MVP finalist, is a threat hitting in the bottom half of the lineup. Seager had a nice season in 2019, driving in 87 runs and hitting 44 doubles.

In addition, Max Muncy has become a huge power source for Dave Roberts’ team, mashing 70 bombs over his last two seasons. Muncy also had a .374 OBP in 2019, the second-highest on the team behind Bellinger.

Justin Turner is another force, putting up a .916 OPS since 2017. In 2019, the Dodgers led the NL in home runs and OPS. LAD could be even better in 2020 as they’re adding one of the best hitters of the past three seasons to a lineup that now has an offensive threat up and down the order.

The Astros were an offensive force in 2019, leading the majors in team OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS +. The lineup was already one of the best in the sport, and in 2019 they added Michael Brantley and the rookie Yordan Alvarez, who hit a combined .312/.392/.971 in 2019.

Alex Bregman, the 2019 AL MVP runner-up, exploded last season with 41 home runs, 112 RBI, and a 1.015 OPS in 156 games. In addition, George Springer, Yulieski Gurriel, and Jose Altuve all had 30-plus home run seasons.

After a long Winter of constant bashing from fans’ and media for their sign-stealing system in 2017 and 2018, the Houston lineup will look to prove baseball fans that they are indeed the great hitters the stats show, and they don’t need the “Codebreaker“.

The Bronx Bombers possess one of the deadliest, most powerful lineups in the Bigs led by Aaron Judge and 22-year-old Gleyber Torres. New York’s strength, like the Dodgers, has been the depth pieces that have stepped up and produced above the Major League average. Surprises like Gio Urshela and Luke Voit have helped the Yankees deal with an incredible amount of injuries.

In 2019, the Yankees broke the record for most IL stints in one year with 30, surpassing the previous record of 28. And still, New York was within the top-five in most team hitting categories (Runs, HR, AVG, OBP, SLG, TB, etc.).

Last season, their surprise MVP was newly-acquired D.J. LeMahieu, who hit .327/.375/.893 with 26 home runs and 109 RBI from the leadoff spot in his first season in the Bronx. A fully healthy Yankees’ lineup could prove itself as the most dangerous unit in the league. They’ll have to prove they can stay healthy first.

After a quick rebuild, the Braves have quickly assembled an incredibly talented lineup. It all starts with Ronald Acuña Jr., who has taken the league by storm and quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous weapons in the game today. The almost 40-40 player, hit 41 home runs, stole 37 bases, and drove in 101 runs in 2019.

Alongside him, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman won Silver Slugger awards at their respective positions last season, combining for 207 RBI. The Braves also have young players like Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley, who have a lot of potential and have shown signs that they can be very productive hitters in the Majors.

This season, Marcell Ozuna arrives on a one-year deal and will look to bounce back and replicate what he did as a Marlin back in 2017. Meanwhile, Travis d’Arnaud is coming off the best year of his career and looks to carry that over into 2020.

The White Sox have one of the youngest lineups in the league, and also one the most talented and well-round. Though still young and inexperienced, the White Sox offense is led by the promising trio of Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, and Yoan Moncada who are all under 28 years of age.

Anderson won the AL batting title last season after hitting .335, and Moncada had a breakout season in which he hit .315/.367/.915 with a 141 OPS+. Jimenez had a slow start to his rookie season but picked up as the year went on, finishing with 31 home runs and a .513 SLG.

The lineup will welcome new talent this season, with Yasmani Grandal, Nomar Mazara, and Edwin Encarnacion arriving on the South Side. Luis Robert, the White Sox’s no. 1 prospect according to Fangraphs’ “THE BOARD“, will be joining the big league club after signing a 6yr/$50M contract this past offseason and enters 2020 as an AL ROY favorite.

The Rockies have always been known for their offense in the Mile High City. Led by Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon, this Colorado offense takes full advantage of Coors Field’s elevation. As a team, the Rockies finished tied-for-first in batting AVG. (.265) and second in SLG (.456).

Arenado is by far their best player, hitting .307/.375/.577 since 2017 and playing at least 155 games per season. His 116 HR and 358 RBI over the last three years lead all National League hitters. Story and Blackmon are two of the NL’s best hitters, combining for 67 HRs and 171 RBI in 2019.

This lineup also features David Dahl, who made the All-Star team in 2019 during his first full season, and Ryan McMahon, another young stud who added 24 home runs and 83 RBI’s to the lineup last season.

Oakland’s offense finds itself in the shadows of the AL powerhouse lineups. The Athletics finished fifth in team OPS and fourth in home runs among AL teams in 2019. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Marcus Semien are the trio that will be carrying Oakland’s offense going forward.

Chapman is one of the great defenders in the game and also one of the league’s top sluggers, finishing 2019 with 36 home runs and 91 RBI while posting a .848 OPS. Semien, much like Chapman, is another A’s player that has risen recently and established himself as one of the top hitters in the AL.

Semien finished second runner-up in the AL MVP vote in a season where he played in 162 games, hit 33 home runs, drove in 92 runs, and had a .892 OPS. Semien and Chapman are also both in the top-10 in wRC (weighted runs created) in the AL since the start of 2018.

Olson is a power-hitting lefty, who’s hit 65 home runs since the start of 2018. Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano are other solid hitting weapons, combining for 125 RBI in 2019. The rest are less proven but Sean Murphy and Franklin Barreto carry upside considering their top prospect pedigree.

The Phillies’ lineup is headed by Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto; it all starts and ends with these three. Despite those three leading the way in 2019, the Phillies were below league-average in every team hitting stat (OPS, OBP, SLG, and AVG) last season.

Harper, Hoskins, and Realmuto were pretty much the only run creating sources for the fighting Phils in 2019, combining for 89 home runs and 282 runs driven in. The addition of Didi Gregorius will help new manager Joe Giradi have another lefty power-hitting option besides Harper in the middle of the lineup. Sir Didi is second to only Francisco Lindor for the most home runs by AL Shortstops since the start of 2017 (68) bringing an impressive resume to the city of Brotherly Love.

Additionally, the return of Andrew McCutchen should help boost the on-base numbers and create even more RBI opportunities for the heart of the lineup. Cutch had a .378 OBP in the 59 games he played last year before a season-ending knee injury. The talent and potential are definitely there for the Phillies to take that next step forward.

The Twins were the most powerful lineup ever last season after breaking the single-season home run record with 307 dingers. Last season, the “Bomba Squad” had eight players with 20 or more home runs, breaking another record.

In his age-38 season, Nelson Cruz led the Twins offense, mashing 41 home runs, and hitting .311/.392/1.031. Eddie Rosario had a career-high 32 home runs and 109 RBI in 137 games. Minnesota also had breakout years from Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Mitch Garver. Kepler and Garver were the surprises of the season for the Twins, combining for 67 bombs and 157 RBI.

The Twins also had Miguel Sano, who hit 34 home runs, in full force after he only played 79 games in 2018. And yet, this insanely powerful lineup managed to get even better this offseason with the addition of Josh Donaldson, a former AL MVP.

The Cubs missed the postseason last season for the first time since 2015, but their lineup is still one of the most star-studded lineups in the majors with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez as the headline offensive players.

In recent seasons, Baez has become the face of the lineup for the Cubs. Since 2017, “El Mago” has 86 home runs, 271 runs driven in, and a .282/.320/.845 slash-line. Bryant and Rizzo are still a very productive duo with the tandem combining for 58 home runs and 171 RBI in 2019. Chicago also saw Kyle Schwarber become a consistent offensive force, leading the team in home runs last season with 36 dingers.

It’s fitting that Hollywood’s lineup is full of star power with Cody Bellinger, the defending NL MVP, and Mookie Betts, the 2018 AL MVP in the spotlight. Along with that dominant duo of the lineup, it is the rest of the batting order that makes the Dodgers’offense so impressive.

Corey Seager, a 2016 MVP finalist, is a threat hitting in the bottom half of the lineup. Seager had a nice season in 2019, driving in 87 runs and hitting 44 doubles.

In addition, Max Muncy has become a huge power source for Dave Roberts’ team, mashing 70 bombs over his last two seasons. Muncy also had a .374 OBP in 2019, the second-highest on the team behind Bellinger.

Justin Turner is another force, putting up a .916 OPS since 2017. In 2019, the Dodgers led the NL in home runs and OPS. LAD could be even better in 2020 as they’re adding one of the best hitters of the past three seasons to a lineup that now has an offensive threat up and down the order.

The Astros were an offensive force in 2019, leading the majors in team OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS +. The lineup was already one of the best in the sport, and in 2019 they added Michael Brantley and the rookie Yordan Alvarez, who hit a combined .312/.392/.971 in 2019.

Alex Bregman, the 2019 AL MVP runner-up, exploded last season with 41 home runs, 112 RBI, and a 1.015 OPS in 156 games. In addition, George Springer, Yulieski Gurriel, and Jose Altuve all had 30-plus home run seasons.

After a long Winter of constant bashing from fans’ and media for their sign-stealing system in 2017 and 2018, the Houston lineup will look to prove baseball fans that they are indeed the great hitters the stats show, and they don’t need the “Codebreaker“.

The Bronx Bombers possess one of the deadliest, most powerful lineups in the Bigs led by Aaron Judge and 22-year-old Gleyber Torres. New York’s strength, like the Dodgers, has been the depth pieces that have stepped up and produced above the Major League average. Surprises like Gio Urshela and Luke Voit have helped the Yankees deal with an incredible amount of injuries.

In 2019, the Yankees broke the record for most IL stints in one year with 30, surpassing the previous record of 28. And still, New York was within the top-five in most team hitting categories (Runs, HR, AVG, OBP, SLG, TB, etc.).

Last season, their surprise MVP was newly-acquired D.J. LeMahieu, who hit .327/.375/.893 with 26 home runs and 109 RBI from the leadoff spot in his first season in the Bronx. A fully healthy Yankees’ lineup could prove itself as the most dangerous unit in the league. They’ll have to prove they can stay healthy first.

After a quick rebuild, the Braves have quickly assembled an incredibly talented lineup. It all starts with Ronald Acuña Jr., who has taken the league by storm and quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous weapons in the game today. The almost 40-40 player, hit 41 home runs, stole 37 bases, and drove in 101 runs in 2019.

Alongside him, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman won Silver Slugger awards at their respective positions last season, combining for 207 RBI. The Braves also have young players like Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley, who have a lot of potential and have shown signs that they can be very productive hitters in the Majors.

This season, Marcell Ozuna arrives on a one-year deal and will look to bounce back and replicate what he did as a Marlin back in 2017. Meanwhile, Travis d’Arnaud is coming off the best year of his career and looks to carry that over into 2020.

The White Sox have one of the youngest lineups in the league, and also one the most talented and well-round. Though still young and inexperienced, the White Sox offense is led by the promising trio of Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, and Yoan Moncada who are all under 28 years of age.

Anderson won the AL batting title last season after hitting .335, and Moncada had a breakout season in which he hit .315/.367/.915 with a 141 OPS+. Jimenez had a slow start to his rookie season but picked up as the year went on, finishing with 31 home runs and a .513 SLG.

The lineup will welcome new talent this season, with Yasmani Grandal, Nomar Mazara, and Edwin Encarnacion arriving on the South Side. Luis Robert, the White Sox’s no. 1 prospect according to Fangraphs’ “THE BOARD“, will be joining the big league club after signing a 6yr/$50M contract this past offseason and enters 2020 as an AL ROY favorite.

The Rockies have always been known for their offense in the Mile High City. Led by Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon, this Colorado offense takes full advantage of Coors Field’s elevation. As a team, the Rockies finished tied-for-first in batting AVG. (.265) and second in SLG (.456).

Arenado is by far their best player, hitting .307/.375/.577 since 2017 and playing at least 155 games per season. His 116 HR and 358 RBI over the last three years lead all National League hitters. Story and Blackmon are two of the NL’s best hitters, combining for 67 HRs and 171 RBI in 2019.

This lineup also features David Dahl, who made the All-Star team in 2019 during his first full season, and Ryan McMahon, another young stud who added 24 home runs and 83 RBI’s to the lineup last season.

Oakland’s offense finds itself in the shadows of the AL powerhouse lineups. The Athletics finished fifth in team OPS and fourth in home runs among AL teams in 2019. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Marcus Semien are the trio that will be carrying Oakland’s offense going forward.

Chapman is one of the great defenders in the game and also one of the league’s top sluggers, finishing 2019 with 36 home runs and 91 RBI while posting a .848 OPS. Semien, much like Chapman, is another A’s player that has risen recently and established himself as one of the top hitters in the AL.

Semien finished second runner-up in the AL MVP vote in a season where he played in 162 games, hit 33 home runs, drove in 92 runs, and had a .892 OPS. Semien and Chapman are also both in the top-10 in wRC (weighted runs created) in the AL since the start of 2018.

Olson is a power-hitting lefty, who’s hit 65 home runs since the start of 2018. Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano are other solid hitting weapons, combining for 125 RBI in 2019. The rest are less proven but Sean Murphy and Franklin Barreto carry upside considering their top prospect pedigree.

The Phillies’ lineup is headed by Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto; it all starts and ends with these three. Despite those three leading the way in 2019, the Phillies were below league-average in every team hitting stat (OPS, OBP, SLG, and AVG) last season.

Harper, Hoskins, and Realmuto were pretty much the only run creating sources for the fighting Phils in 2019, combining for 89 home runs and 282 runs driven in. The addition of Didi Gregorius will help new manager Joe Giradi have another lefty power-hitting option besides Harper in the middle of the lineup. Sir Didi is second to only Francisco Lindor for the most home runs by AL Shortstops since the start of 2017 (68) bringing an impressive resume to the city of Brotherly Love.

Additionally, the return of Andrew McCutchen should help boost the on-base numbers and create even more RBI opportunities for the heart of the lineup. Cutch had a .378 OBP in the 59 games he played last year before a season-ending knee injury. The talent and potential are definitely there for the Phillies to take that next step forward.