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AP Photo/Roger Steinman

Top Ten Tuesday: 2020 MLB Lineups


Football is done until the summer, and baseball is right around the corner. Recently, ESPN ranked every starting lineup in the MLB, and plenty of fans had complaints, so we wanted to give it a shot for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday.

 

10. New York Mets

The biggest complaint about the aforementioned ESPN rankings is that the Mets (No. 3) were much higher than the Yankees (No. 9), but I view things differently. They obviously have potential, but aside from Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, there are too many question marks to be ranked among the best of the best ahead of spring training.

 

9. Philadelphia Phillies

On paper, the Phillies could have a case to be firmly in the top five assuming former World Series champion Joe Girardi is able to push the right buttons, but the play of Rhys Hoskins—coming off a disastrous second half last year—is key. If Hoskins doesn’t rebound behind Bryce Harper, the addition of Didi Gregorious and return of Andrew McCutchen might not be enough to carry the team in the NL East.

 

8. Chicago Cubs

The core remains in place for Chicago, but will the magic return after a disappointing result last year? Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and the rest of the guys should hopefully get a boost from former teammate David Ross being a familiar face in the clubhouse as the team’s new manager.

 

7. Oakland Athletics

The A’s don’t have any nationally recognized superstars on the roster, but Matt Chapman and Matt Olson both hit 36 home runs in 2019, while Khris Davis could easily rebound from a down year (he previously had 40+ homers in three consecutive seasons). One way or another, Oakland should again produce runs this spring to fall.

 

6. Houston Astros

The biggest storyline of the 2020 season is how the Astros will react to the target on their backs following the cheating scandal that led to some of the harshest punishments in sports history. I can understand continuing to rank Houston in the top spot, but personally, a drop seems more than fair before we see them in produce without cheating—and knowing that the pressure is on.

 

5. New York Yankees

Maybe this is just a personal preference, but the lack of pure speed for New York holds them back slightly on this list. That said, the power up and down the lineup is undeniable, and when the heavy hitters (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, and Gary Sanchez) all get hot… watch out.

 

4. Atlanta Braves

Although the Twins poaching Josh Donaldson is a big loss, Atlanta has young catalysts (Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Dansby Swanson) and a trio of star-level veterans (Freddie Freeman, Marcell Ozuna, and Nick Markakis) to give them one of the most balanced lineups in baseball. The “floor” is probably 90 wins if everyone stays healthy.

3. Minnesota Twins

Speaking of Donaldson, his new team will slot him right into the heart of the order, which is scary considering the Twins just set the MLB record for home runs in a season (307). The top three lineups could probably go in any order—and Byron Buxton (shoulder) reaching his full potential would give Minnesota the best claim for No. 1.

 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

There were reports of a Mookie Betts trade being close, and the Dodgers are viewed as the presumptive favorite for the former AL MVP. Even if a trade never comes to fruition, though, Los Angeles has the star power to make another World Series appearance behind the bats of Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, and Corey Seager.

 

1. Los Angeles Angels

I could see how the Angels being here is controversial, but Mike Trout should finally have the help he needs to carry the team in the postseason with Anthony Rendon, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, and Albert Pujols behind him. If Tommy La Stella (.295 average in 80 games last season) stays healthy and Aldrelton Simmons provides production at the bottom of the order, baseball fans should see two LA teams in October.

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