Baseball fans nationwide are itching for their teams to take the field. The 2015-2016 offseason certainly didn’t disappoint with many high profile free agent signings.
Pitchers have been dominating the MLB in the past couple years, but many teams revamped their lineups to bring in major run production. We decided to rank the top 10 MLB lineups as we head into the 2016 season.
10. St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis won the NL Central in 2015, the toughest division in the MLB. Despite coming out on top, the Cardinals had the 24th-ranked offense.
Racking up a team .253 batting average, they were good for the 16th place among all MLB teams. However good teams find a way to win.
If the Cards want to repeat in their division, they have some serious ground to make up since Jason Heyward, team leader in batting average and hits, departed for division rival Chicago Cubs. They will see an upgrade with a healthy Matt Adams returning from a 102 game injury hiatus, and young outfielder Stephen Piscotty becoming an everyday player.
9. Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles had an outside chance at clinching a playoff spot with just two weeks remaining in the regular season, but ultimately had too much ground to make up.
The catalysts of the Angels lineup return in Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, who led the team in batting average, home runs, RBI, hits and OBP. Unfortunately, there are nine spots in the lineups, and LA will need consistent offensive production from its other teammates.
Yunel Escobar had a very respectable 2015 campaign posting a .314 batting average and 168 hits and only 70 strikeouts, and will need the same consistent production in 2016.
Designated hitter C.J. Cron will need to step up in 2016 improving on his .251 average and 50 RBI. If the Angels want to make another playoff run, they will need solid run support to take the pressure off Trout and Pujols.
8. Arizona Diamonbacks
Arizona made a big splash this offseason by signing arguably the most sought-after starting pitching free agent in Zack Greinke, which could synergize well with the offensive lineup. In 2015 the D-backs had the eighth-best offense with a team batting average of .264 and 680 RBI.
Their offense was lead by young studs Paul Goldschmidt (team leader in batting average, home runs, RBI and OBP) and A.J. Pollock, who led the team in hits with 192.
As long as Goldschmidt and Pollock have similar seasons while fellow young guns Chris Owings, Nick Ahmed and Phil Gosselin add solid, consistent production, Arizona could turn some serious heads in the NL West.
7. Baltimore Orioles
In a talent-packed AL East, the Orioles had the third-best batting year in their division with a .250 team batting average. They made a huge decision to re-sign their team leader in home runs, RBI and OBP, Chris Davis. He came with a hefty top-tier contract at seven years, $161 million, but he is obviously a necessary key to their explosive lineup.
Manny Machado will also see a serious pay raise in 2016 earning $5 million with a number of incentives compared to his 2015 salary of $500,000. Machado led the team in batting average, .286, and hits, 181, and saw career highs in home runs, RBI, runs scored and stolen bases.
The lethal weapons of Davis, Machado, Matt Wieters and Mark Trumbo will propel Baltimore in the AL East and give them a legitimate chance at making the playoffs.
6. San Francisco Giants
Our predicted 2016 World Series champs had a less than stellar 2015 campaign, posting the fifth-least home runs (136). While they are stocked up on pitching, their hitting shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Leading the production is three-time All-Star Buster Posey, who topped the Giants in batting average, RBI, OBP and hits. Shortstop Brandon Crawford could have a breakthrough year after posting a team-high 21 home runs last year.
The wild cards for San Francisco will be veterans Hunter Pence and Denard Span. Pence is a serious question mark in the field, but can drive in some clutch runs. Span hit .301 in 2015 but only totaled 22 RBI.
There’s no doubt pitching will carry the Giants into the playoffs, but clutch hitting and consistence offensive production will be the key difference in hoisting the World Series trophy or packing their bags.
5. Texas Rangers
Hot off a relatively sneaky 2015 AL West championship, Texas had the third best offense in the MLB. The Rangers should have just as dynamic, if not more, of an offensive season in 2016, but will require production from someone other than Prince Fielder.
Fielder had a career year, leading the team in all major offensive categories while appearing in 158 games. Veteran Adrian Beltre held his own bringing in 83 RBI and achieving a .287 batting average while Shin-Soo Choo and Mitch Moreland had high hit totals at 153 and 131 respectively.
The major elephant in the room will be the production and health of Josh Hamilton. He only appeared in 50 regular seasons games and missed spring training in 2015, but manager Jeff Banister still thinks he has plenty of production in him.
“I do believe if we can get 100 plus games from Josh at a better than average level, we don’t need him to go be an MVP, he just needs to be one of the guys, and I think he can do that,” Banister said, via the Dallas News.
Texas is the front-runner to win the AL West for the second year in a row, and could possibly make a deep playoff run in 2016.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
The 2015 AL East champs were first in the MLB in RBI with 852, which was 115 higher than the second place New York Yankees, and in home runs with 232. Toronto also had a lot of help from AL MVP Josh Donaldson, who lead the AL in RBI, 123, and total bases, 352.
2016 is World Series or bust for the Blue Jays after losing to the eventual World Series champs Kansas City Royals in the 2015 ALCS.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will have a full year with Toronto after being acquired at the 2015 trade deadline. His veteran leadership and clutch hitting will help the Blue Jays make a deep playoff run.
Jose Bautista was nothing short of dominant in 2015, and provided one of the most memorable bat flips in MLB history.
Jose Bautista's infamous bat flip has been explored by Sports Science http://t.co/uNj6wdk8ch https://t.co/6xGfGkH4U6
— OnSMASH (@OnSMASH) October 18, 2015
It will be hard for the Blue Jays to top their 2015 offensive production, but they will still be one of the best lineups in not only the AL but the entire MLB.
3. Kansas City Royals
Can Kansas City repeat as the World Series champs in 2016? Many baseball pundits predict they could possibly not even with their division, but they have the experience needed to repeat.
Unlike many of the top 10 teams, the Royals 2015 offensive leaders came from numerous players like Kendrys Morales, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer- all of who are returning in 2016.
World Series MVP Salvador Perez had a career year with 21 RBI and 138 hits, while Alex Gordon was mister clutch during the postseason.
The Royals will have a top five lineup in 2016 due to their unselfish team play. They aren’t carried but just one or two players but rather one through nine can get the job done at any time.
2. New York Yankees
New York will send out an almost identical lineup in 2016, with one major change at second base in free agent Starlin Castro. The former Chicago Cub will bring speed and power to a lineup that has few players who can do both.
Alex Rodriguez had an above average year in 2015 after moving to the DH leading the team in home runs, and catcher Brian McCann led in RBI with 94.
There’s no doubt the Yankees are aging and, like always, are in a win-now mode. The 2016 club is made up of individual hitters with very specific strengths. With that comes great risk. If a power hitter is struggling like Rodriguez or Carlos Beltran, than the RBI total will be low even if speedsters like Castro and Didi Gregorius consistently reach base.
If the pinstripes can stay healthy and play together as a team, they will have one of the most dangerous lineups in 2016, and possibly in the history of their organization.
1. Chicago Cubs
The team with 97 wins came in third in its division in 2015. But thanks to a combination of elite pitching and young, clutch hitting, the North Siders had a nice run in 2015 losing to the ultimate World Series runners-up New York Mets.
Veteran 1B Anthony Rizzo did not disappoint in 2015 leading Chicago in all major batting categories. His easy going attitude and leadership will prove crucial to the team’s success in 2016.
The Cubs made a big splash in the offseason by signing former division foe Jason Hayward. He will take over in center field for the departing Dexter Fowler resulting in a serious upgrade in power.
The real keys to a successful 2016 season will be Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. Bryant was called up to Chicago 12 games into the MLB season and earned the NL Rookie of the Year award. Schwarber appeared in 69 games and impressed fans with his moon shot home runs. Both players are entering their sophomore seasons, and the Cubs can’t afford for them to experience sophomore slumps.
Manager Joe Maddon is known as a player’s coach for his loose atmosphere and unique coaching techniques. Chicago fans have been waiting a long time to return to baseball elite and Maddon is the right guy to lead them there.
Their mix of young and old represent the perfect combination for a dominating offense. It will be an exciting time at Wrigley Field in 2016 as the Cubs will have the best and most dominating lineup in the MLB.