The Five Best Lineups For The 2023 MLB Season

We’ve already looked at the ten best starting rotations for the 2023 MLB season, so now it’s time we take a trip across from the mound and to home plate, and rank the five best lineups for the 2023 MLB season.

Among these five lineups, three were also found on my best rotations list. If you want to place a little World Series future on any of those teams, it may not be a bad bet. Unfortunately for the fans of the As, Tigers, and Nationals–I’m sorry, but I would avoid your teams with a ten-foot poll.

Luckily for those Tigers fans, though, they can take a bet on the rest of the league and find a great sportsbook by surfing through this list, which contains all Michigan online casinos.

1. Houston Astros

Projected Lineup:

1. Jose Altuve, 2B

2. Michael Brantley, OF

3. Alex Bregman, 3B

4. Yordan Alvarez, DH

5. Jose Abreu, 1B

6. Kyle Tucker, OF

7. Jeremy Pena, SS

8. Chas McCormick, OF

9. Martin Maldonado, C

This Astros lineup presents danger at almost every spot, with the only times you can breathe coming in the eight and nine holes. However, by the time you get there, you’ve already gone through some absolute killers.

The Astros added Jose Abreu in the offseason which was a huge upgrade at first base, and their 1-6 hitters each hit for both power and average, which is always a dangerous combination. The player I would keep my eye on the most in this Astros lineup is the man in the middle, Yordan Alvarez. He’s totaled 70 homeruns over the last two seasons, hit .291 while he’s at it. It’s a bit of a stretch, but I think he’s a future hall of famer that is well worth a future MVP bet. His odds to win the award are currently +1400, according to Caesars Sportsbook.

2. Atlanta Braves

Projected Lineup:

1. Ronald Acuna Jr, OF

2. Michael Harris, OF

3. Austin Riley, 3B

4. Matt Olson, 1B

5. Sean Murphy, C

6. Ozzie Albies, 2B

7. Travis d’Arnaud, DH

8.  Marcell Ozuna, OF

9. Vaughn Grissom, SS

Losing Dansby Swanson and William Contreras was definitely a blow to the Braves this year, but adding Sean Murphy at catcher helped fill that hole a little bit. If Acuna can stay healthy all year, the top six hitters in this lineup could be an All-Star team in and of itself. Also, it will be interesting to see how Vaughn Grissom progresses throughout the season.

FanGraphs currently has the Braves projected to score the most runs in 2023, and I can see that happening with a lineup like this.

3. San Diego Padres

Projected Lineup:

1. Ha-seong Kim, 2B

2. Juan Soto, OF

3. Manny Machado, 3B

4. Xander Bogaerts, SS

5. Jake Cronenworth, 1B

6. Matt Carpenter/Nelson Cruz, DH

7. Austin Nola, C

8. Trent Grisham, OF

9. Adam Engel, OF

Talk about the modern-day murderers row–Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts is a SCARY sight. Other than that, the lineup doesn’t really pop out the page–but when you really break it down and crunch the numbers, these are all guys who can get on base at a pretty consistent clip.

Also, the Padres just added Nelson Cruz to the lineup who could be a massive boost to the lineups overall power. All in all, the Padres are definitely making a push for the World Series right now. Their odds to do so are currently +1100 to do so, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

Projected Lineup:

1. George Springer, OF

2. Bo Bichette, SS

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 1B

4. Alejandro Kirk, C

5. Dalton Varsho, OF

6. Matt Chapman, 3B

7. Brandon Belt, DH

8. Whit Merrifield, 2B

9. Kevin Kiermaier, OF

It’s a lineup with a ton of potential and a ton of veteran presence, which is just the perfect combination for a deep postseason run. The 1-6 hitters are scary, while 7-9 can provide the experience that a lot of teams look for in a well-balanced lineup.

If Guerrero Jr, Bichette, and Kirk can keep their progression moving forward, this will be a scary team to face in October.

5. Cleveland Guardians

Projected Lineup:

1. Steven Kwan, OF

2. Amed Rosario, SS

3. Jose Ramirez, 3B

4. Josh Bell, DH

5. Andres Gimenez, 2B

6. Josh Naylor, 1B

7. Oscar Gonzalez, OF

8. Mike Zunino, C

9. Myles Straw, OF

The Guardians are currently +140 to win the AL Central, and I would lock that in now before the odds change. This Guardians offense is DEADLY, and they really proved their worth last year in the postseason with a big series against the Yankees. Although they lost the series, they proved that their lineup could go up against the best of them.

Anchor by Jose Ramirez, this lineup is full of guys that can get on base. And, for those who've seen Moneyball, what do you have to do to score runs?

Get on base.