It never surprises me that many baseball enthusiasts, whether they are fans, journalists, or front-office staff members, always seek to find a way to improve their team’s lineup. For one, no fan wants to pay good money to watch players, getting paid millions of dollars, whiff at fastballs left and right.
It seems the journalists are always finding something to critique, and for MLB’s average or sub-par teams, it’s usually the lack of offense production (players whiffing at a lot of fastballs). The general managers, in desperate need of a bat, don’t hesitate to trade minor leaguers for MLB-quality bats to present a new dynamic to their team’s offense and compliment a great pitching staff.
Having a solid, well-balanced lineup that hits for average, power, and generates runs is vital to any club that wants a spot in the post-season. But, many teams in today’s game focus solely on pitching, and don’t see a need to rack up the big bats. Pitching is great and all, but it’s the sluggers that have and always will bring the crowds out to the ballpark. Starting from the bottom of my list to the top, here is a breakdown of MLB’s top five scariest and most intimidating lineups.
5. Texas Rangers
The Rangers haven’t made a legitimate playoff run since 2012, when they dropped the Wild Card game 1-0 to Baltimore. Bad pitching and injuries to key players have plagued them in the past, but this season’s narrative looks to be different. Globe Life Park in Arlington has always been their hitter’s favorite, especially for the team that calls it home. Like most scary lineups, Texas sports a very dangers heart of the order consisting of Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre, and Mitch Moreland.
Fielder has proved that he is finally healthy and fully recovered from neck surgery he underwent prior to the 2014 season. He has consistently hit for average, ranking among baseball’s best in that category. Although the power is not what it used to be, Fielder still provides a fast bat and is a RBI machine.
Mitch Moreland, the former Mississippi State Bulldog, is having a career year for Texas. He is on pace to hit over 25 homeruns and knock in nearly 100 RBI’s when it’s all set and done. Although Beltre has been plagued by injuries this season, he’s finally getting back in the swing of things and is still a very dangerous bat. Additions of Mike Napoli, who hit for a career best .324 average and slugged 30 home runs for the Rangers in 2011, and Will Venable will also provide extra offensive production.
4. Kansas City Royals
The Royals post-season run and World Series appearance was obviously no joke. They are doing it even better this season, with a huge lead in the AL Central and a lineup that can generate runs on any given night.
The Royals don’t hit for power, but collect a lot of extra-base hits and seem to have a runner on base every inning. They have proven to have the ability to easily manufacture runs. Kansas City gets it done with what seems to be an offensive philosophy that combines a little bit of everything.
Some players provide the power, while the majority just get on base consistently and open the door up for big innings. Guys like Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain continue to showcase their talent offensively, while catcher Salvador Perez and DH Kendry Morales have stepped up big time to enable the Royals to grab a comfortable lead in their division. Cain hits for a high average, just over .300, and has already collected nearly 30 doubles this season.
Hosmer Is currently in his fifth season with the Royals, and knows how to get on base more often than not. His career average is just over .280, and fits perfectly into the heart of that Royals order. The big story is the resurgence of Kendry Morales, who had one of his worst seasons in 2014.
Now, the veteran DH is leading the team in RBI’s and can possibly match or break his career high in doubles and RBI’s that he set in 2009 with the LA Angels. Salvador Perez leads the team in homers, and provides another power bat for an offense based on getting runners on and getting them in.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
All around, this season has gone well for Don Mattingly’s club. Some new names and faces have assisted in the team’s offensive success, while a very familiar name, Yasiel Puig, has been dealing with a hamstring injury all year. He has struggled to maintain his eye-popping offensive numbers that caught all of baseball’s attention two years ago.
The Dodgers post-season chances look good and should have no problem competing for a World Series ring. Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, and Joc Pederson make this lineup very scary. New guys like veteran Jimmie Rollins, former Padre Yasmani Grandal, and rookie Joc Pederson have also contributed to the offensive success.
The Dodgers have always carried an intimidating lineup based on power and clutch late-inning hits. I think we all remember the show Puig put on when he was first called up to the big club.
Carl Crawford seems to be healthy and has potential to be very dangerous out of the lead-off spot for LA.Third baseman Justin Turner has been very consistent at the plate and provides yet another spark in that Dodgers lineup. Rookie outfielder, Joc Pederson, has also boosted the lineup with over 20 home runs in his first year. But, his offensive success has been stagnant, and Don Mattingly could really use that bat come playoff time. The lineup in Chavez Ravine is certainly not one to mess with, and is usually a pitcher’s nightmare. As a fan, I’m looking forward to watching them swing the bats down the stretch.
2. New York Yankees
They are nicknamed the "Bronx Bombers" for a reason. The offensive production has been plentiful in New York all season long. The return of Alex Rodriguez has been the biggest story surrounding the 2015 Yankees, plus the transformation of Mark Teixeira who has reached 30 or more home runs for the first time since 2011.
The Yankees haven’t been to the playoffs since 2012, and are in great position to capture the AL East and make another run at the World Series trophy. The Yankees have seven players with at least 10 home runs or more, and rank in the top five in MLB in home runs as a team.
Power hasn’t been a problem at all this year, and will carry them all the way through the post-season if anything else. Yankee Stadium is a great park for the long ball, so it is not too far-fetched to make the assumption that the Yankees can rely solely on homers to win it all this year.
Entering the season, most people didn’t expect A-Rod, at 40 years old, to clobber pitching like he once did in his prime. But, he has proven many people wrong, and is on his way to yet another big season for the Yankees. What’s really scary about this lineup is the daily threat of three-run homers and big innings.
Teixeira has put up a monster year, slugging his way to 30 home runs and becoming the rock of the Yankees offense. Brian McCann is continuing to adjust to the American League and has provided New York with another power threat. Teams that have the power have always found a way to get it done, and I am counting on the 2015 Yankees to make some loud noise heading into October.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
The scariest lineup in 2015, without a doubt, belongs in the hands of Canada and their beloved Toronto Blue Jays. This team is a crew of wrecking balls that haunt pitchers in their dreams. The Blue Jays have scored over 630 runs this season, and stand on top of baseball In most runs scored by a landslide margin.
Like their AL East rival the New York Yankees, the Blue Jays have some very powerful bats that can unload at any time. Off-season additions of Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin have led to more offense, while long-time team veterans like Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion continue to hit the cover of the baseball. Toronto leads the league in slugging and definitely lives up to the statistic.
I still don’t understand why the Oakland Athletics traded Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays in the first place, but no one in Toronto is thinking twice about the deal that brought his bat to the team. Donaldson, who played his college ball at Auburn, has always been a power threat and nightmare for MLB pitchers.
This season has been special for him though. With 33 bombs and over 90 RBI’s, Donaldson is making a strong case for AL MVP. One player like Josh Donaldson could be just enough for some teams to find a spot in the postseason.
Well, the power doesn’t stop there. Jose Bautista is right behind Donaldson in all the numbers, besides average, that usually produce an MVP type season. With his homerun total inching closer towards 30 and the RBI number now over 80, Jose is helping state my case. Can’t forget about Mr. Encarnacion who has over 20 long balls for the Jays, and is on pace for 85 RBI’s or more.
Oh yeah, the addition of Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Revere at the trade deadline just allowed the rich to get richer. The battle between the two juggernaut in the AL East will be a fun one to watch. Not only a battle for the division, but to prove which lineup is ultimately the best.
All statistics used in this article came from baseballreference.com
