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Ranking all 30 MLB lineups heading in 2017
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo leads the best offense in baseball. Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports

Ranking all 30 MLB lineups heading in 2017

Home runs saw a strong increase during the 2016 MLB season, as runs seem to be making a slight comeback. Following an offseason full of player movement, here are the best lineups in baseball ranked from 1-30.

 
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1. Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports Images

The Cubs finished second in the NL in runs in 2016, trailing only the Rockies, and they look even better this season on paper. Kyle Schwarber returns from a major knee injury, and Willson Contreras should be able to contribute for a full season. Chicago's lineup also features 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The only major loss this offseason was center fielder Dexter Fowler, who will be replaced by Jon Jay and Albert Almora. His loss will hurt the team against lefties, in which the Cubs ranked second in baseball with an .807 OPS. Still, the depth seems never-ending, as the versatile Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez show.

 
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2. Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox
Kim Klement / USA Today Sports Images

Losing David Ortiz is not an easy pill to swallow, but the Red Sox are still deep up and down the lineup. They led baseball with 878 runs last season and have reason to hope that Ortiz's bat can be replaced by Mitch Moreland and a full year of top prospect Andrew Benintendi. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts have quickly become stars, while Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez are coming off strong years. The offensive X-factor could be Pablo Sandoval, who has lost weight but is coming off of shoulder surgery.

 
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3. Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays
John E. Sokolowski / USA Today Sports Images

While Toronto lost Edwin Encarnacion in the offseason, the team did well to replace him with the consistent Kendrys Morales and also brought back Jose Bautista. Bautista hopes to rebound from a down year, and the lineup remains deep from top to bottom. Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki remain stars, while Russell Martin still has significant power. Second baseman Devon Travis could add a big bonus if he's able to stay healthy for an entire season.

 
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4. Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals
Geoff Burke / USA Today Sports Images

Despite a down year from 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper, the Washington offense finished fourth in the league in runs in 2016. Daniel Murphy had a career year, while Trea Turner was a fire starter after being promoted from Triple-A. He will move to shortstop, replacing Danny Espinosa, and Adam Eaton adds a strong bat in center field. Matt Wieters might not be able to match what Wilson Ramos contributed last season but has consistently been a plus bat at catcher. Ryan Zimmerman continues to decline at first base (.642 OPS), so the team signed Adam Lind as insurance.

 
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5. Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians
Jerry Lai / USA Today Sports Images

Cleveland was able to address its holes last season with breakout years from Jose Ramirez and Tyler Naquin. This year the Indians replaced Mike Napoli with a potentially bigger bat in Edwin Encarnacion, and Michael Brantley could also provide a boost returning from multiple shoulder surgeries. Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis also provide major punch and athleticism in the middle of the order. The only major hole last season was catcher, but the Indians hope Yan Gomes can rebound to the version we saw in 2014, when he hit 21 home runs.

 
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6. St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals
Dennis Wierzbicki / USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis finished third in the NL in runs last season, getting surprise contributions from Aledmys Diaz and Jedd Gyorko. Despite losing Matt Holliday, signs point to further improvement with the signing of Dexter Fowler and Jhonny Peralta's return from a thumb injury. That pair should help address the team's .742 OPS vs. lefties, 17th in baseball. Matt Carpenter is the team's top offensive performer and now finds himself at first base.

 
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7. Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies
Evan Habeeb / USA Today Sports Images

Colorado usually leads the NL in runs scored due to the launching pad that is Coors Field, but the lineup does deserve respect. Nolan Arenado has led the NL in home runs and RBI in consecutive seasons, while Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez are stalwarts in the outfield. Trevor Story would have easily won NL Rookie of the Year last season if not for a thumb injury that knocked him out for the last two months. New addition Ian Desmond fills a major hole at first base, while youngsters David Dahl and Tom Murphy should also help the offense.

 
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8. Houston Astros

Houston Astros
Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports Images

Few teams enter the season with more depth than the Astros. They finished in the middle of the pack last season with 724 runs but can look forward to full seasons from Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel. Key offseason additions Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and Brian McCann also add punch to the offense. Stars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer lead the way for a lineup that's clearly improved.

 
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9. Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers
Reinhold Matay / USA Today Sports Images

While Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez are on the wrong side of 30, their production remains elite in their roles. J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton hold down the outfield corners, showing the capability to hit 30 home runs each. The team is also optimistic about Nick Castellanos, who had an .827 OPS in 110 games last season. There are some issues up the middle, where James McCann and Jose Iglesias struggled last season, and the center field job is anyone's guess after trading Cameron Maybin.

 
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10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks
Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today Sports Images

Arizona didn't find much success in 2016, but the lineup was still productive with 752 runs, fifth in the NL. Perennial MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt leads the way, and the team is excited about the returns of A.J. Pollock and David Peralta from injury. Jake Lamb, Brandon Drury and Yasmany Tomas also add strong power. There are some concerns at catcher and shortstop, where former starters Welington Castillo and Jean Segura give way to Chris Iannetta/Chris Herrmann and Ketel Marte.

 
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11. Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers
Jerome Miron / USA Today Sports Images

Texas didn't quite have the offensive season we've grown accustomed to seeing last season, though the Rangers still ranked fourth in the AL in runs, but there's reason to believe the offense will be better this year. Jonathan Lucroy was a huge offensive force after being acquired in July, hitting .276-11-31 in only 47 games. Nomar Mazara showed big power in his rookie season, and the addition of Mike Napoli is likely a net positive offensively over Mitch Moreland. Carlos Gomez also hit again when he was acquired. Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor round out one of the top all-around infields in baseball.

 
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12. Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles
Winslow Townson / USA Today Sports Images

The O's are built for their homer-friendly home ballpark, ranking first by a wide margin in home runs last season. Mark Trumbo returns to a lineup that also includes big power hitters Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop. Welington Castillo could be an even bigger power threat at catcher than Matt Wieters was last year, and Seth Smith has consistently been strong against right-handed pitching. The team's biggest weakness last season was hitting lefties, ranking last in OPS, and it will likely remain an issue this year.

 
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13. Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers
Geoff Burke / USA Today Sports Images

Depth continues to be the name of the game for the Dodgers, who seem to have a viable alternative at every position. The team finished in the middle of the pack in runs in the NL last season but upgraded second base with Logan Forsythe. Young upstarts Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Andrew Toles give the team plenty of upside, while Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal are coming off of career years. Adrian Gonzalez started to decline last season with only 18 home runs. Should he fall off a cliff at age 35, top prospect Cody Bellinger is ready to replace him. Yasiel Puig could be a major difference maker for a team that finished dead last in OPS vs. lefties last season.

 
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14. Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners
Joe Nicholson / USA Today Sports Images

Seattle scored the third most runs last season with one of baseball's most pitcher-friendly home ballparks in Safeco Field. This year's roster has seen significant turnover, but the core of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager remains. Among the additions since late last season are Dan Vogelbach, Jean Segura, Danny Valencia, Mitch Haniger and Jarrod Dyson. All those additions won't necessary make the Mariners better offensively, but they should make the team more well-rounded.

 
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15. San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants
Jerry Lai / USA Today Sports Images

San Francisco spent its resources this offseason on closer Mark Melancon, which could be to the detriment of the offense. The Giants finished ninth in the NL in runs last season and are trusting left field to Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson after letting Angel Pagan walk. The team is hoping for rebound seasons from Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Joe Panik. First baseman Brandon Belt is coming off a career year with an .868 OPS, and third baseman Eduardo Nunez is doing the same after producing a .758 OPS and 40 steals last season. Shortstop Brandon Crawford proved 2015 wasn't a fluke, with an OPS that only declined 10 points to .772 last year.

 
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16. New York Yankees

New York Yankees
Adam Hunger / USA Today Sports Images

New York has seen significant losses in Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann. Those areas have gotten younger, with the exception of Matt Holliday, as Aaron Judge, Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez will be relied upon this season. The Yankees also added Chris Carter if Bird falters. Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius provide pop but not much else, but the biggest issues with the offense could be the lack of production relative to pay from Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley. The team could get even younger if Headley doesn't improve.

 
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17. Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates
David Kohl / USA Today Sports Images

Despite offseason Andrew McCutchen trade rumors, the Pirates held the fort together. There haven't been any major offseason changes since last season, though a full year of Josh Bell at first base (.775 OPS last season) could be helpful. Pittsburgh has one of the most athletic outfields in the game with McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, plus top prospect Austin Meadows behind them. The hitting performed in the middle of the pack last season, but the outfield shows upside.

 
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18. New York Mets

New York Mets
Jasen Vinlove / USA Today Sports Images

For all the offseason Jay Bruce trade rumors, the Mets arrived in spring training with four outfielders for three spots (Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto). That's not necessarily a bad problem to have, especially with first baseman Lucas Duda coming off a major back injury. David Wright's status at third base looks bleak, but the team has depth with Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores. The middle infield is offense-inclined between Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera, while Travis d'Arnaud has shown a good bat in the rare occasions he's been healthy. In other words, there's a far higher ceiling than the 671 runs New York scored last season.

 
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19. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves
Logan Bowles / USA Today Sports Images

While Atlanta scored only 649 runs last season, there's real optimism. The team acquired Matt Kemp at the trade deadline, and Dansby Swanson was impressive in his debut. That pair adds to Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte, while Brandon Phillips is a clear improvement over what Atlanta had at second base last season. Tyler Flowers had a plus year offensively (.777 OPS), and Adonis Garcia can at least smash lefties.

 
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20. Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals
Rick Osentoski / USA Today Sports Images

K.C.'s lineup is deep but lacks star power with the decline of Alex Gordon over the last two years. There is more power upside this year with Mike Moustakas returning from a knee injury and Jorge Soler replacing Jarrod Dyson in the outfield. Brandon Moss at DH in place of Kendrys Morales is a downgrade, but not significant, and Salvador Perez continues to be one of the most powerful catchers in baseball. Lorenzo Cain is also coming off an injury-plagued season, while Eric Hosmer is trying to rebound from his .761 OPS. The Royals finished 13th in runs in the AL last season, and the expectation is that they'll certainly improve with better luck.

 
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21. Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

The suggestion is that Cincinnati is rebuilding, but you wouldn't be able to tell based on the lineup. Joey Votto remains one of the best hitters in baseball, and the loss of Brandon Phillips is probably addition by subtraction with Jose Peraza replacing him. The outfield has power upside between Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler, with speedy Billy Hamilton improving to a .664 OPS last season. The return of Devin Mesoraco after two injury-plagued seasons could determine the tier of the offense, as he hit .273-25-80 in 2014.

 
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22. Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

The offensive abilities of Ryan Braun and Jonathan Villar don't need much introduction, but the team around them is largely unknown. The Brewers have seen two huge losses in Jonathan Lucroy, traded last July, and NL home run champ Chris Carter. Eric Thames hopes to pick up the slack at first base after tearing apart the Korean League, while Domingo Santana and Travis Shaw have big power upsides. Tied for the fourth lowest run total in the NL last season, Milwaukee will need better health to not fall further.

 
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23. Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins
Nick Turchiaro / USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota lost 103 games last season, but the offense wasn't really the problem. The Twins finished in the middle of the pack in the AL, and there's reason to believe an improvement is imminent. Byron Buxton came alive in September, while young hitters Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco and Kennys Vargas are being trusted to improve in their development years. Brian Dozier was arguably the top offensive second baseman in baseball last year (.886 OPS) and remains with the club despite offseason trade rumors.

 
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24. Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images

The Angels' front office has worked on addressing what was a very top-heavy offense last season. Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun are still the clear foundation, but the team has improved with the additions of Cameron Maybin, Ben Revere, Danny Espinosa and Luis Valbuena. C.J. Cron and Yunel Escobar are also adequate in their roles, so the lineup could progress from sixth worst in the AL if the Angels get some breaks.

 
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25. Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins
Jasen Vinlove / USA Today Sports Images

Miami had the third worst offense in the NL last season but also spent much of the year without Giancarlo Stanton and Dee Gordon. Stanton's recent injury history shouldn't chalk him up as a sure thing, but there are still some nice pieces to work with like Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto and Martin Prado.

 
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26. Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays
Kim Klement / USA Today Sports Images

Hitting continues to be a problem for the low-budget Rays, who traded Logan Forsythe away in the offseason. The additions include Mallex Smith and Wilson Ramos, who could return from knee surgery before the All-Star break. Matt Duffy is also an offensive improvement at shortstop after being added late last season. Ultimately, the team is still hoping Evan Longoria, Brad Miller and Corey Dickerson can prop up the offense while the strong rotation does its thing.

 
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27. Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox
Patrick Gorski / USA Today Sports Images

The White Sox are an organization in transition, so the lineup we see on opening day probably won't be the same one we see in September. There are still some very consistent hitters like Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera. However, the team lost Adam Eaton in the offseason from a squad that finished fifth worst in runs in the AL, with a band of rookies to replace him. The infield does have a great future ahead with Tim Anderson and eventually Yoan Moncada.

 
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28. San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres
Jake Roth / USA Today Sports Images

San Diego has undergone a complete teardown, but the lineup looks in better shape than the pitching staff. Wil Myers was extended after a breakout season at first base, and the outfield has lots of talent with Hunter Renfroe, Alex Dickerson, Manuel Margot and Travis Jankowski competing for three spots. Yangervis Solarte had a very good season as San Diego's third baseman in 2016, and Ryan Schimpf is trying to prove his all-or-nothing style can keep up his second time around the league. Austin Hedges is trying to prove his Triple-A performance from last season (.951 OPS) wasn't the fluke that his history suggests.

 
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29. Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

As mediocre as Philadelphia's lineup looks heading into opening day, the franchise's Triple-A lineup looks historically good. It's not as if the MLB team is barren after last year's breakouts from Odubel Herrera, Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis, along with a decent showing from Maikel Franco. The outfield has improved with Michael Saunders and Howie Kendrick. Top prospects Roman Quinn, Nick Williams, Dylan Cozens, J.P. Crawford, Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro should all be up in 2017.

 
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30. Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics
Jim Cowsert / USA Today Sports Images

Oakland is slowly but surely adding some interesting youngsters to its mix of veterans. The team lacked much consistency beyond Khris Davis and Marcus Semien last season, though Ryon Healy did show much upside after being promoted. The A's hope Matt Joyce can carry over what he did in Pittsburgh as a part-time player, and Rajai Davis is back after rebounding in Cleveland. A young crew that includes Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, Renato Nunez, Franklin Barreto and Matt Chapman shows upside, but there aren't any sure things. It remains to be seen if the worst offense in the AL last season has improved at all.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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