All 30 MLB starting lineups, ranked

An elite lineup is a beautiful thing when it all comes together, and the Yankees have been in harmony since the arrival of Juan Soto. He's been truly elite alongside Aaron Judge, with the duo combining for 31 home runs by Memorial Day. Giancarlo Stanton has also shown power of old, and Alex Verdugo has been a strong addition. Anthony Volpe has prospered as the leadoff man with an OPS near .800, and Anthony Rizzo continues to show pop. The offense has also left some meat on the bone, as Gleyber Torres and Austin Wells have struggled, and DJ LeMahieu is set to make his season debut after a foot injury.

Many expected LA's offense to be otherworldly after the additions of Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez. That duo has been advertised along with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Max Muncy, but it's the rest of the supporting cast that has dragged down the team. James Outman was demoted to Triple-A after a terrible start, Gavin Lux is struggling to recover from his knee injury, and Chris Taylor looks cooked. It will be interesting to see if the team spends even more money to shore up their weaknesses down the stretch.

While Houston has been one of baseball's most disappointing teams, the lineup isn't at fault. They've continued to be one of the leaders in wOBA, with a monster start from Kyle Tucker and also strong contributions from Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Yordan Alvarez, and Jake Meyers. The head-scratching slow starts from corner infielders Alex Bregman and Jose Abreu are concerning, and Yainer Diaz is also off to a slow start as the regular catcher after popping more than 20 home runs last year.

Philadelphia has been the best team in baseball for most of the season, though not without hardships offensively. Trea Turner has been absent due to injury, and Nick Castellanos is off to an awful start as he whiffs at breaking pitches. The lineup is deep despite those issues, with most of the other regulars having strong starts led by Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Bryson Stott.

Baltimore is showing that last season's breakout wasn't a fluke, even as some of their key cogs struggle. The team is getting MVP production from Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, while Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser are contributing breakout performances. Ryan O'Hearn continues to demolish right-handed pitching, and Ryan Mountcastle has rebounded from last year's health issues. The jobs of Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander are on shaky ground after early struggles, with the organization sporting plenty of minor league depth, and we can't help but wonder when 2022 No. 1 draft choice Jackson Holliday will get another chance at second base after struggling during his debut.

Milwaukee wasn't given a great chance to win the NL Central after losing Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, but the lineup didn't listen. It's been one of the deepest in baseball between the additions of veterans Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sanchez, old standbys Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, and William Contreras, and youngsters Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, and Sal Frelick. Contreras has a strong argument as the NL MVP, posting an OPS well above .900 behind the plate.

Atlanta has seen their fair share of bad luck early, losing ace Spencer Strider in April and Ronald Acuna Jr. just before Memorial Day. The loss of MVP Acuna completely changes the offense despite his power struggles, though there's still reason to believe bright days are ahead. The trio of Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies have underperformed relative to last season, and Michael Harris is right behind them. The team also expects catcher Sean Murphy and his 20-home-run ability back soon. DH Marcell Ozuna has carried his weight, leading the league in home runs for much of the year, and veteran power hitter Adam Duvall is a nice ace in the hole to replace Acuna after hitting 21 home runs in only 92 games last season.

Cleveland's hot start has been spurred by unsustainable RISP stats, but the team still deserves credit for their surprising start. They've been able to overcome Steven Kwan's hamstring injury due to great production from Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and David Fry, all sporting OPS well above .800. Andres Gimenez has also been a nice table setter after moving up in the batting order. The rest of the offense has been non-descript, with Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan, Brayan Rocchio, and Bo Naylor showing inconsistency. Top prospect Kyle Manzardo has also struggled to find consistent playing time since his promotion.

The Cubs haven't hit as advertised with a wOBA in the bottom one-third of the league, but injuries are a big reason. The team has missed Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, and Dansby Swanson to brief IL stints but enters Memorial Day with a healthy crew. The bats of Michael Busch and Christopher Morel has slowed after nice starts, and the team is still waiting for Ian Happ to reach his usual production. Mike Tauchman has been a solid table setter in the leadoff spot, and Nico Hoerner is also starting to resemble the player we saw last season.

San Diego's offense has been polarizing, with big surprises and massive disappointments. Who knows where the team would be without Jurickson Profar and his .900 OPS, given the struggles of Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts? Fernando Tatis Jr. has also been a disappointment after a fast start, and Ha-Seong Kim's OPS hovers below .700. Jake Cronenworth is off to a nice start, and the addition of Luis Arraez has lengthened the lineup. Bogaerts' shoulder injury has taxed the team's already poor depth, giving veterans David Peralta and Donovan Solano playing time.

KC's anemic offense from last season has been more palatable this year, with All-Star starts from Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez along with the return of Vinnie Pasquantino from shoulder surgery. Michael Massey also sparked the offense after a back injury, but he's returned to the IL. The team's outfield really needs to pick up the pace, sporting three regulars with sub-.600 OPS. MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe have proven capable power hitters in the past, but patience can only last for so long.

Minnesota has managed well despite major injuries, including Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa. Their ability to remain in the top half of the league has been spurred by Ryan Jeffers' breakout, plus rebound seasons from Max Kepler, Jose Miranda, and Alex Kirilloff. The team is still waiting for Edouard Julien to find his stroke and could use more consistency from Carlos Santana.

Texas had no trouble scoring runs in their World Series season, but it's surprisingly become an issue in 2024. The team lost Josh Jung early in the year, and only Corey Seager, Josh Smith, and Adolis Garcia have OPS near .800. Young players Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford have found MLB pitching to be a challenge, while Marcus Semien is off to a relatively slow start despite showing power. There's more potential here if the Rangers play up to their ability.

The Giants had a busy offseason, adding Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, Matt Chapman, and Nick Ahmed to the lineup. Three of the four have missed time due to injury, with Lee done for the season. Fortunately, young Luis Matos has been a revelation. LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, and Patrick Bailey have held up their ends while the new players and Thairo Estrada find their footing.

Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is still trying to find himself with a .188 batting average on Memorial Day, and fellow second-year player Gabriel Moreno has been almost as disappointing. The result is a team in the middle of the pack in runs this season despite strong starts from perennial power bats Christian Walker and Joc Pederson. The team does have some relief coming with Alek Thomas working his way back from a hamstring, and top shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar is also on the cusp, but Arizona desperately needs Carroll to get on track.

Cardinals fans seemingly witnessed a train crash with the offense's slow start, but the team has shown signs of a breakout. Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Gorman, and Lars Nootbaar have started to find their form since Willson Contreras went down with a fractured arm. The team has also seen positive trends from young Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson, bucking the trends of poor young player development from Dylan Carlson, Jordan Walker, and Victor Scott. There's still a long way to go as the team waits for Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, and eventually Tommy Edman to contribute, and the team fans expected is showing glimpses.

Can a team have too much depth? It's an actual issue in Tampa Bay, where manager Kevin Cash has struggled to keep everyone in the lineup. That said, only Isaac Paredes, Richie Palacios, and Jonny DeLuca have exceeded expectations, while the team has seen OPS well below .700 from Yandy Diaz, Jose Caballero, Randy Arozarena, Jose Siri, and Harold Ramirez. Injuries to Josh Lowe, Brandon Lowe, and Jonathan Aranda haven't helped, resulting in an offense that's near the bottom of the league but could be so much more. The Rays also have top infield prospect Junior Caminero waiting for his opportunity.

Mariners fans have seen this story before, with the notoriously slow-starting Julio Rodriguez handicapping the lineup. He's started to breakout in late May and should help Seattle's offense at least ascend to the middle of the pack. Fans also hope for more from Mitch Garver, J.P. Crawford, Jorge Polanco, and Mitch Haniger. Cal Raleigh continues to show himself as one of the premier hitting catchers in baseball, with 11 homers through 48 games played, while Josh Rojas and Luke Raley have been nice additions since the second half of last season. The team is also riding out Dylan Moore's hot streak, with the veteran utilityman posting an OPS near .850.

Much of New York's early struggles has been on the shoulders of the struggling pitching staff, but there are plenty of disappointments to go around. Mark Vientos is challenging Brett Baty at third base after a terrible start from Baty, and high-priced former Batting Champ Jeff McNeil hasn't done much. Francisco Lindor has an OPS well below .700, while late signing J.D. Martinez hasn't been a big power contributor yet. Corner outfielders Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo also have OPS near .700. The loss of Francisco Alvarez to a thumb injury has also been brutal, as backups Tomas Nido and Omar Narvaez have been lineup sore spots. Even Pete Alonso has struggled to get on base again, though he continues to show power in his walk year.

Toronto continues to wait on their offense to perform, but it could be too late. The team could ill-afford slow starts from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer, but that's exactly what they saw. Only Vlad has broken out of his slump completely. Justin Turner is show signs of age at 39, while the rest of the infield has been anemic. Davis Schneider has earned more playing time with his strong on-base skills, and Danny Jansen has been hot since returning from injury. Daulton Varsho also showing his 2022 form after struggling in his first season with Toronto last year.

Key injuries to Triston Casas, Trevor Story, and Masataka Yoshida have really hurt Boston's lineup, yet they've compensated with very strong early performances from Tyler O'Neill, Wilyer Abreu, and Connor Wong. Defensive whiz Ceddane Rafaela is showing power and speed, though has struggled to get on base, while speedy outfielder Jarren Duran continues to set the table. After early injuries, Rafael Devers is back to his old self with a .901 OPS on Memorial Day. The team needs more from young Vaughn Grissom and their myriad of replacements to compete in the AL East.

Cincinnati's offense has arguably been the most disappointing in baseball, and injuries have played a key role. They lost Matt McLain and TJ Friedl in Spring Training, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand has also missed time. The team is waiting for Jonathan India, Will Benson, and Jeimer Candelario to show past form. The big bright spot has been Elly De La Cruz, but his long swing has led to streakiness despite the big power and speed upside.

The offseason loss of Shohei Ohtani has been compounded by more injuries for Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout. Thus, the Angels have struggled to score runs, and have employed multiple veterans like Cole Tucker, Kevin Pillar, and Willie Calhoun who would likely be sitting at Triple-A in other orgs. The team has seen some positives from young core players Zach Neto, Jo Adell, Logan O'Hoppe, and Nolan Schanuel, while Luis Rengifo has overcome Ron Washington's hesitancy to post the best OPS on the team.

Detroit's starting pitching has been dynamite, but the lineup can't say the same. The struggles of young hitters Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, and Parker Meadows have been particularly dire. The team has seen some positives, with an early breakout from Wenceel Perez and strong contributions from Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, and Mark Canha. The contract of Javier Baez continues to be a blackhole in payroll and performance, with an OPS hovering around .500.

The final rendition of the Oakland A's before moving off to Sacramento has been better than expected, especially offensively. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers have shown last year's power wasn't a fluke, and the team has seen surprising contributions from JJ Bleday and Abraham Toro. The offense looks like it has more in store, with Zack Gelof hoping to rebound from an oblique injury and Miguel Andujar returning from an early-season lower-body issue. The team has also seen positive power contributions from Seth Brown, J.D. Davis, and Tyler Nevin.

The rebuilding Nats have been a mixed bag as the buy time for top prospects to develop. CJ Abrams looked like an MVP in April, but has been nowhere to be found in May. Keibert Ruiz has struggled to overcome a serious bout of the flu, and Lane Thomas looked lost before injuring his knee. Luis Garcia's arrival has been a major positive, showing 20/20 potential, and veteran Jesse Winker is showing a resurgence. The same can't be said for fellow veterans Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario, and Joey Meneses, who have been almost free outs for opposing pitchers.

The arrivals have high octane starting pitchers Jared Jones and Paul Skenes has done a good job drowning out the ineptitude of Pittsburgh's lineup. While Bryan Reynolds, Connor Joe, Andrew McCutchen, Oneil Cruz, and Nick Gonzales have been positives, it's been tough to find contributors elsewhere. Jack Suwinski and Henry Davis were demoted to Triple-A after poor starts, Ke'Bryan Hayes barely hit before suffering more back problems, and Rowdy Tellez and Michael A. Taylor have been DFA candidates.

Colorado's offensive performance has been embarrassing once again given the advantages of their home environment. The exceptions have been the performances of Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Elias Diaz, players who could be significant parts of the team's near future. On the other hand, high-priced Kris Bryant has fought injuries again, Nolan Jones was disappointing before getting hurt, and infielders Elehuris Montero and Brendan Rodgers are still trying to find their strokes. Veteran Charlie Blackmon is also showing that 2024 could be his swan song.

The Marlins struggled to score runs last year, and made the midseason power additions of Jake Burger and Josh Bell to right the ship. Neither player has delivered this season, and Miami waved the white flag early by trading Luis Arraez to San Diego. The outfield has been a bright spot with Jazz Chisholm, Bryan De La Cruz, and Dane Myers performing well, but it's tough to find another positive contributor on the roster. The young movement is likely to be at full force during the second half, including Vidal Brujan, Otto Lopez, and Xavier Edwards.

The bad news is that Chicago's offense is off to a historically poor start, averaging fewer than three runs per game. The good new is that they've performed better since adding Tommy Pham, and have more help coming with the return of Luis Robert Jr. The team has also seen encouraging signs from Korey Lee, Gavin Sheets, and Bryan Ramos. On the other hand, oft-injured Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez have caught the bug again, Andrew Vaughn is off to a slow start, and Andrew Benintendi is proving to be a free-agent bust for the second year.