{"id":592332,"date":"2026-02-25T15:34:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/592332\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T15:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:34:15","slug":"toronto-blue-jays-rank-fifth-among-best-bats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/592332\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Blue Jays rank fifth among best bats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, not remembered for his soft side, uttered one oft-repeated romantic quote that has stood the test of time: <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask me what I do in winter when there\u2019s no baseball,\u201d Hornsby said. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

I know the feeling, but rather than staring out my window, I do an adult version of something I loved to do when I was a kid. Back then, I\u2019d take my baseball cards from the previous summer and sort them out into team defensive alignments or primary batting orders, depending on my mood.<\/p>\n

Then, when I got my copy of \u201cThe Sporting News\u201d that had all the moves from the previous week, I\u2019d swap cards from team to team, envisioning what the next summer would look like. These days, I don\u2019t do that with the cards, but I do love to sketch out projected lineups.<\/p>\n

With spring training underway, those projections are starting to come into focus. While there will be further iterations between now and Opening Day, let\u2019s take a snapshot of how each team\u2019s lineup fares in the revised MLB landscape.<\/p>\n

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Lineup Wins: 89.7)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B+ | Patience: A | Power: A | Baserunning: A- | Durability: B+ | Depth: B | vsR: A+ | vsL: A+ | Stars: 7 | Holes: 1<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Shohei Ohtani<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Kyle Tucker<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Mookie Betts<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Freddie Freeman<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Will Smith<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Max Muncy<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Teoscar Hernandez<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Tommy Edman<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Andy Pages<\/a><\/p>\n

Powerful. Patient. Savvy on the bases. Deep, mostly durable. Best in the majors against lefties and righties. Virtually no holes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be another long season for Dodgers opponents.<\/p>\n

2. Atlanta Braves (87.6)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B | Patience: B | Power: B | Baserunning: C | Durability: A- | Depth: C | vsR: A | vsL: B+ | Stars: 6 | Holes: 0<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Ronald Acuna Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Drake Baldwin<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Matt Olson<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Jurickson Profar<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Austin Riley<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Ozzie Albies<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Michael Harris II<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Mike Yastrzemski<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Ha-Seong Kim<\/a><\/p>\n

The durability grades are based on playing time forecasts at FanGraphs, and if this one turns out to be accurate, we\u2019ll learn why last year\u2019s Braves fell so far short. But the middling depth grade underscores the need for that to happen.<\/p>\n

If the Braves\u2019 lineup can stay mostly healthy, it\u2019s a stacked order with no real holes.<\/p>\n

3. New York Mets (86.2)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B | Patience: C+ | Power: B+ | Baserunning: B | Durability: B- | Depth: B- | vsR: B+ | vsL: A | Stars: 6 | Holes: 1<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Francisco Lindor<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Juan Soto<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Bo Bichette<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Jorge Polanco<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Marcus Semien<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Brett Baty<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Francisco Alvarez<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Luis Robert Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Carson Benge<\/p>\n

The Mets finished fifth by team WRC+ last year, then went out and turned over more than half of the lineup. The bottom line is a slightly more prolific group with a little different profile: more aggression, more average, good balance across the board.<\/p>\n

Whatever the middle of the lineup ends up looking like, you get the feeling that this crew carries with it the key to the Mets matching or beating last year\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n

4. Seattle Mariners (84.8)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B- | Patience: B+ | Power: C+ | Baserunning: C+ | Durability: C | Depth: C+ | vsR: A- | vsL: C | Stars: 5 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Brendan Donovan<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Julio Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Cal Raleigh<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Josh Naylor<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Randy Arozarena<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Dominic Canzone<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Luke Raley<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Cole Young<\/a><\/p>\n

9. J.P. Crawford<\/a><\/p>\n

Last season, Seattle\u2019s 113 wRC+ was tied with the Dodgers for second in the majors, trailing only the Yankees. While close observers pointed out the success of the Mariners\u2019 revitalized offense in one of baseball\u2019s roughest home environments, it still feels like the Seattle attack is slipping under the radar.<\/p>\n

The key question revolved around who will be positioned to pick up the slack from a Raleigh drop-off, which seems all but certain. Raleigh should still be among the best, but repeating last year\u2019s historic performances is just such a tall order.<\/p>\n

5. Toronto Blue Jays (84.1)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: A- | Patience: D+ | Power: B- | Baserunning: C- | Durability: B | Depth: A | vsR: B | vsL: B | Stars: 4 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. George Springer<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Addison Barger<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Alejandro Kirk<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Daulton Varsho<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jesus Sanchez<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Kazuma Okamoto<\/p>\n

8. Ernie Clement<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Andres Gimenez<\/a><\/p>\n

There you see the Blue Jays\u2019 offensive M.O. in grade form. Swing aggressively and do damage on contact. It worked really well last season.<\/p>\n

Now, the Blue Jays are tasked with repeating the breakout with Okamoto filling the lineup shoes of departed Bo Bichette<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Athletics (84.1)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C+ | Patience: D- | Power: A- | Baserunning: D | Durability: C | Depth: C- | vsR: B | vsL: B- | Stars: 4 | Holes: 4<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Nick Kurtz<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Shea Langeliers<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Tyler Soderstrom<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Brent Rooker<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jeff McNeil<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jacob Wilson<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Lawrence Butler<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Max Muncy<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Denzel Clarke<\/a><\/p>\n

Slow and strong. Isn\u2019t this kind of what you think about when it comes to a contention-worthy Athletics<\/a> lineup?<\/p>\n

The patience part of the dossier is not really on brand for the A\u2019s, however, and you do wonder if maybe there is some progress to be made in that department considering the youth up and down the batting order.<\/p>\n

7. Chicago Cubs (83.8)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C | Patience: C | Power: C+ | Baserunning: C+ | Durability: A | Depth: A- | vsR: C+ | vsL: B- | Stars: 5 | Holes: 2<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Michael Busch<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Alex Bregman<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Ian Happ<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Seiya Suzuki<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Nico Hoerner<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Moises Ballesteros<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Dansby Swanson<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Carson Kelly<\/a><\/p>\n

The durability and depth grades are presented together for a reason: Scoring low on the first but high on the latter shows a team is built to withstand some injuries.<\/p>\n

The Cubs, it seems, are built to deploy a stable lineup but have plenty of options if the injury bug bites.<\/p>\n

8. New York Yankees (83.3)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: F | Patience: A+ | Power: A+ | Baserunning: B- | Durability: D | Depth: B+ | vsR: B+ | vsL: C+ | Stars: 3 | Holes: 5<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Trent Grisham<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Aaron Judge<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Cody Bellinger<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Ben Rice<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Giancarlo Stanton<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Ryan McMahon<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Anthony Volpe<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Austin Wells<\/a><\/p>\n

The grading curve hands out three F\u2019s in every category, and the Yankees\u2019 projected No. 28 ranking in park-adjusted batting average lands them a failing grade in that department.<\/p>\n

This is exciting news for Yankees fans. No, really. Because with No. 1 rankings in power and patience, a bit of good balls-in-play luck in the average column could mean an especially monster-ish Yankees offense. If healthy, that is, and of course the durability grade suggests that should not be taken for granted.<\/p>\n

9. Philadelphia Phillies (83.3)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B | Patience: D+ | Power: C- | Baserunning: A+ | Durability: B | Depth: D | vsR: B- | vsL: C- | Stars: 6 | Holes: 2<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Trea Turner<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Kyle Schwarber<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Bryce Harper<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Alec Bohm<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Brandon Marsh<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Adolis Garcia<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Bryson Stott<\/a><\/p>\n

8. J.T. Realmuto<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Justin Crawford<\/p>\n

Most of this is pretty self-evident if you watch the Phillies a lot except, perhaps, the No. 1 ranking in the baserunning category. That one at least caught me off guard despite the presence of Turner.<\/p>\n

The Phillies ranked sixth in team BsR in 2025 and led the majors in Statcast\u2019s team-level sprint speed score. Now they are trying to work in the fleet Crawford as a regular.<\/p>\n

The Phils are phast?<\/p>\n

10. San Diego Padres (83.2)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: A+ | Patience: F | Power: C- | Baserunning: D+ | Durability: B+ | Depth: B- | vsR: C+ | vsL: B | Stars: 2 | Holes: 0<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Xander Bogaerts<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Jackson Merrill<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Manny Machado<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jake Cronenworth<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Ramon Laureano<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Gavin Sheets<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Miguel Andujar<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Freddy Fermin<\/a><\/p>\n

If the Padres could pair their hyper-aggressive, high-contact approach with a Blue Jays-like leap in power on contract, this could be an exciting group.<\/p>\n

Tatis and Machado are the standouts. Now the Padres need a bounce-back season from Merrill and a throwback season from Bogaerts to double that star count.<\/p>\n

11. Arizona Diamondbacks (83.0)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B- | Patience: B | Power: C+ | Baserunning: B+ | Durability: D+ | Depth: C | vsR: C+ | vsL: A- | Stars: 3 | Holes: 2<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Geraldo Perdomo<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Ketel Marte<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Corbin Carroll<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Gabriel Moreno<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Nolan Arenado<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Carlos Santana<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Jordan Lawlar<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Pavin Smith<\/a><\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks had a dangerous offense last season and remained solid even after trading away Eugenio Suarez<\/a> and Josh Naylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of question marks now, especially with health. Having Arenado and Santana in the order would have been really exciting a few years ago.<\/p>\n

12. Baltimore Orioles (83.0)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C- | Patience: A- | Power: B+ | Baserunning: D | Durability: C | Depth: C+ | vsR: B | vsL: C+ | Stars: 2 | Holes: 2<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Gunnar Henderson<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Taylor Ward<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Adley Rutschman<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Pete Alonso<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jordan Westburg<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jackson Holliday<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Dylan Beavers<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Samuel Basallo<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Colton Cowser<\/a><\/p>\n

With the acquisitions of Ward and Alonso, the Orioles have fashioned a take-and-rake profile that Earl Weaver would find most agreeable.<\/p>\n

Health is already an issue with Holliday and Westburg dealing with maladies, but in addition to staying on the field, Baltimore badly needs Rutschman to rediscover the superstar track he once seemed destined to follow.<\/p>\n

13. Houston Astros (82.1)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: B+ | Patience: D- | Power: C | Baserunning: D- | Durability: C+ | Depth: F | vsR: C | vsL: B+ | Stars: 3 | Holes: 1<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Jeremy Pena<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Jose Altuve<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Yordan Alvarez<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Carlos Correa<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Yainer Diaz<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Christian Walker<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Joey Loperfido<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Zach Cole<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Jake Meyers<\/a><\/p>\n

Healthy versions of Pena and Alvarez would paper over a lot of dings, but this is a shaky profile for Houston\u2019s attack. Paper-thin, slow, overly aggressive and dependent on batting average.<\/p>\n

These are not the industry-defining Astros we once knew.<\/p>\n

14. Kansas City Royals (81.6)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C+ | Patience: D | Power: C | Baserunning: C- | Durability: C+ | Depth: D- | vsR: C | vsL: C | Stars: 1 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Maikel Garcia<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Vinnie Pasquantino<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Salvador Perez<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jac Caglianone<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jonathan India<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Carter Jensen<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Isaac Collins<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Kyle Isbel<\/a><\/p>\n

This Royals\u2019 season will be a feast for the senses for data nerds.<\/p>\n

The Royals have attacked their poor track record for plate discipline by bringing fresh voices to the hitting program. They\u2019ve tried to address the franchise\u2019s long-standing power deficiency by messing with the fences in their home park, which could make Kauffman Stadium a lower-altitude version of Coors Field.<\/p>\n

We will see how it works out in the cold, indifferent world of baseball analytics. Either way, at least the Royals are trying.<\/p>\n

15. Milwaukee Brewers (81.3)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: A | Patience: D | Power: F | Baserunning: B | Durability: B | Depth: C+ | vsR: C | vsL: C | Stars: 3 | Holes: 1<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Jackson Chourio<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Brice Turang<\/a><\/p>\n

3. William Contreras<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Christian Yelich<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Andrew Vaughn<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Sal Frelick<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Luis Rengifo<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Garrett Mitchell<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Joey Ortiz<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s strange-looking profile for the Brewers\u2019 offense.<\/p>\n

The power grade might surprise you, but it shouldn\u2019t. Despite the Brewers\u2019 homer-happy home venue, Milwaukee ranked just 22nd in long balls. The offense was really good anyway. The patience grade is more surprising, as the Brewers were an excellent on-base team in 2025, even beyond their elite average.<\/p>\n

The Brewers lost some of their top walk guys from last season (Isaac Collins<\/a>, Rhys Hoskins<\/a> among them) so a dip on offense might be in the offing.<\/p>\n

16. Texas Rangers (81.1)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C | Patience: B+ | Power: B | Baserunning: C | Durability: D | Depth: C- | vsR: B- | vsL: C | Stars: 1 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Brandon Nimmo<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Wyatt Langford<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Corey Seager<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Joc Pederson<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jake Burger<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Josh Jung<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Josh Smith<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Danny Jansen<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Evan Carter<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new-look offense for the Rangers, who are banking on better plate discipline and better health from a group that has struggled to stay on the field.<\/p>\n

Can Langford make the leap from good to elite? If so, that would make this portrait a lot more promising.<\/p>\n

17. San Francisco Giants (81.0)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C | Patience: C- | Power: C- | Baserunning: F | Durability: A+ | Depth: D+ | vsR: C- | vsL: D+ | Stars: 5 | Holes: 1<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Luis Arraez<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Rafael Devers<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Willy Adames<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Matt Chapman<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jung Hoo Lee<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Heliot Ramos<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Harrison Bader<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Bryce Eldridge<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Patrick Bailey<\/a><\/p>\n

Apparently, the Giants are too slow to get injured, so expect to see a lot of the same players standing around day after day playing station-to-station offense for a team with middling power.<\/p>\n

The depth of the lineup, illustrated here by the star count, looks like a plus.<\/p>\n

18. Minnesota Twins (80.6)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C- | Patience: C+ | Power: B | Baserunning: C | Durability: C- | Depth: C- | vsR: C | vsL: B | Stars: 1 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Byron Buxton<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Luke Keaschall<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Josh Bell<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Royce Lewis<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Ryan Jeffers<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Matt Wallner<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Victor Caratini<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Trevor Larnach<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Brooks Lee<\/a><\/p>\n

An atypical season of health might not lift the Twins\u2019 offense into the elite, but it would at least give us a better sense of who they are.<\/p>\n

Alas, with the bad early pitching news (Pablo Lopez<\/a>, Joe Ryan<\/a>), Minnesota\u2019s hopes for contention might hinge on these hitters staying on the field and building on that foundation of above-average power.<\/p>\n

19. Boston Red Sox (79.4)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D+ | Patience: C- | Power: C | Baserunning: B- | Durability: B- | Depth: B | vsR: D+ | vsL: C- | Stars: 3 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Roman Anthony<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Trevor Story<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Jarren Duran<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Willson Contreras<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Wilyer Abreu<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Caleb Durbin<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Marcelo Mayer<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Ceddanne Rafaela<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Carlos Narvaez<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the second-most surprising ranking for me, after Detroit a couple of spots down, but after digging into it to make sure it wasn\u2019t a product of baseball analyst error, it is what it is.<\/p>\n

There is a lot of upside with this group, from those displayed and others — such as Kristian Campbell<\/a>, Triston Casas<\/a> and Masataka Yoshida<\/a> — who are not. But it is a group that a year ago opened with Alex Bregman<\/a> and Rafael Devers<\/a> as fixtures in the lineup. Now, they\u2019re not here.<\/p>\n

The kids will have to step up.<\/p>\n

20. Los Angeles Angels (78.5)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: F | Patience: B- | Power: B- | Baserunning: D+ | Durability: C- | Depth: F | vsR: D | vsL: C+ | Stars: 3 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Zach Neto<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Nolan Schanuel<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Mike Trout<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Yoan Moncada<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Jo Adell<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Josh Lowe<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Jorge Soler<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Logan O\u2019Hoppe<\/p>\n

9. Christian Moore<\/a><\/p>\n

If you squint, you can see some upside from this group of nine hitting the high side of their probability range in the power and patience departments.<\/p>\n

But with every injury, the Halos have to dig deeper into a razor-thin depth chart. It\u2019s not the kind of thing that has worked out for them very often.<\/p>\n

21. Tampa Bay Rays (78.4)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C+ | Patience: D | Power: F | Baserunning: C+ | Durability: F | Depth: D- | vsR: D+ | vsL: D+ | Stars: 2 | Holes: 4<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Gavin Lux<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Yandy Diaz<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Jonathan Aranda<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Junior Caminero<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Cedric Mullins<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jake Fraley<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Taylor Walls<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Chandler Simpson<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Nick Fortes<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rays are the main example of why you might want to think of the durability category as a measure of stability rather than health. It\u2019s both, really.<\/p>\n

The Rays spread their playing time around to so many contributors that it makes them look fragile in an exercise like this. But the quality of the depth isn\u2019t great on paper, either, so maybe that doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve written before, we\u2019re at the point where the Rays need to prove they are still ahead of the analytical curve.<\/p>\n

22. Detroit Tigers (78.0)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D- | Patience: C- | Power: C | Baserunning: F | Durability: D+ | Depth: A+ | vsR: D | vsL: D | Stars: 1 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Parker Meadows<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Gleyber Torres<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Riley Greene<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Spencer Torkelson<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Kerry Carpenter<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Wenceel Perez<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Zach McKinstry<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Dillon Dingler<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Colt Keith<\/a><\/p>\n

I love this profile because I\u2019m certain it\u2019s going to be wildly off — and I think it\u2019ll be off because the Tigers keep iterating their lineup as the season goes along.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a hard thing to predict. For example, in two weeks it might make sense to plug Kevin McGonigle in as an every-day player. Right now, it\u2019s probably jumping the gun. Yet McGonigle\u2019s forecast is one of the reasons why Detroit\u2019s depth rating is MLB\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

So if the injuries come, the Tigers might actually get better as they unfurl their fill-ins. It\u2019s a team that is a lot of fun even beyond its standout rotation.<\/p>\n

23. Pittsburgh Pirates (78.0)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D+ | Patience: B- | Power: D | Baserunning: D | Durability: D | Depth: B | vsR: C- | vsL: D | Stars: 1 | Holes: 4<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Oneil Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Brandon Lowe<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Bryan Reynolds<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/p>\n

5. Marcell Ozuna<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Spencer Horwitz<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Joey Bart<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Jared Triolo<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Nick Gonzales<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pirates finished 29th in wRC+ last season. Despite a busy offseason, there was just no way to lift Pittsburgh into an elite offensive projection.<\/p>\n

The baseline is a lot better, though, and this version does not pencil Konnor Griffin into the base lineup projection. Obviously if he works his way into that, the upside of this improved baseline increases considerably.<\/p>\n

24. Cincinnati Reds (77.9)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D | Patience: C | Power: D+ | Baserunning: B+ | Durability: C+ | Depth: C | vsR: F | vsL: C- | Stars: 2 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. TJ Friedl<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Noelvi Marte<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Elly De La Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Eugenio Suarez<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Sal Stewart<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Tyler Stephenson<\/a><\/p>\n

7. JJ Bleday<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Matt McLain<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Ke\u2019Bryan Hayes<\/p>\n

Suarez hit 49 homers last season and now returns to Great American Ball Park, one of baseball\u2019s launching pads, where he has hit more than twice as many homers as any other venue. So think of what Cincinnati\u2019s power grade looked like before.<\/p>\n

The grade against righties is rough, however, and it\u2019s a reflection of Cincinnati\u2019s lack of lefty swingers, both in quantity and quality.<\/p>\n

25. St. Louis Cardinals (77.9)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C- | Patience: C | Power: D | Baserunning: B | Durability: C | Depth: B+ | vsR: D | vsL: D- | Stars: 3 | Holes: 2<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Lars Nootbaar<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Ivan Herrera<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Alec Burleson<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Nolan Gorman<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Masyn Winn<\/a><\/p>\n

6. JJ Wetherholt<\/p>\n

7. Jordan Walker<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Pedro Pages<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Victor Scott II<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very young and unproven lineup. You might have to go back decades to find a St. Louis lineup with such a short collective track record.<\/p>\n

But if Wetherholt becomes what the Cardinals hope he can become, we might look at this transitional lineup as the beginning of something truly interesting.<\/p>\n

26. Cleveland Guardians (77.1)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D | Patience: C | Power: D+ | Baserunning: D- | Durability: D- | Depth: C | vsR: C- | vsL: F | Stars: 2 | Holes: 5<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Steven Kwan<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Gabriel Arias<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Jose Ramirez<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Kyle Manzardo<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Rhys Hoskins<\/a><\/p>\n

6. George Valera<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Chase DeLauter<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Bo Naylor<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Brayan Rocchio<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s such a weird group. Roster Resource has the Guardians platooning at four positions. So despite the collective talent of lefty swingers Manzardo, Valera, DeLauter and Naylor, they all have righty partners to face southpaws in this configuration. Yet the Guardians don\u2019t profile to hit lefties at all.<\/p>\n

The takeaway: Cleveland needs that quartet of young hitters to step up so that the platooning isn\u2019t necessary. Or it needs better righty hitters on the bench. The first option would bode better for the long term.<\/p>\n

27. Chicago White Sox (76.8)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D- | Patience: B | Power: D- | Baserunning: F | Durability: C- | Depth: F | vsR: D- | vsL: D | Stars: 3 | Holes: 3<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Chase Meidroth<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Kyle Teel<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Colson Montgomery<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Munetaka Murakami<\/p>\n

5. Miguel Vargas<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Austin Hays<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Andrew Benintendi<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Edgar Quero<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Brooks Baldwin<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite the grades here, there is a lot of power potential in this overhauled group of ChiSox, beginning with the dangerous Murakami.<\/p>\n

Next year, maybe we\u2019ll be introducing Braden Montgomery and Roch Cholowsky into the mix. The trend arrow is pointing up.<\/p>\n

28. Washington Nationals (75.7)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: C | Patience: F | Power: D- | Baserunning: A | Durability: F | Depth: D+ | vsR: F | vsL: F | Stars: 1 | Holes: 7<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. CJ Abrams<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Dylan Crews<\/a><\/p>\n

3. James Wood<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Daylen Lile<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Luis Garcia<\/a> Jr.<\/p>\n

6. Keibert Ruiz<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Brady House<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Nasim Nunez<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Jacob Young<\/a><\/p>\n

The Nationals have James Wood<\/a> and some collective speed. The cupboard isn\u2019t completely bare.<\/p>\n

29. Miami Marlins (75.7)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: D | Patience: C+ | Power: F | Baserunning: C | Durability: D- | Depth: D | vsR: D- | vsL: D- | Stars: 2 | Holes: 5<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Jakob Marsee<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Xavier Edwards<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Kyle Stowers<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Agustin Ramirez<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Griffin Conine<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Otto Lopez<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Liam Hicks<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Connor Norby<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Owen Caissie<\/a><\/p>\n

The Marlins can be better than this, but obviously this is a low baseline.<\/p>\n

The foundation for a breakout would be laid in the middle of the order, with full seasons from Stowers and Ramirez, and Caissie acclimating to the majors quickly and moving up from this bottom-of-the-order projection.<\/p>\n

30. Colorado Rockies (69.7)<\/p>\n

Grades: Hit: F | Patience: F | Power: D | Baserunning: C- | Durability: F | Depth: D | vsR: F | vsL: F | Stars: 0 | Holes: 8<\/p>\n

Base lineup:<\/p>\n

1. Ezequiel Tovar<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Willi Castro<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Hunter Goodman<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Jordan Beck<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Troy Johnston<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Brenton Doyle<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Mickey Moniak<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Jake McCarthy<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Edouard Julien<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a brand new operation and, goodness knows, there is plenty of space for innovation.<\/p>\n

Grades glossary<\/p>\n

Note: All grades are based on park-neutral projections. Grades are assigned according to a version of a bell curve using their ranking in each category.<\/p>\n

Hit: Team batting average<\/p>\n

Patience: Portion of OBP based on walks and HBPs<\/p>\n

Power: Slugging percentage minus batting average (isolated power)<\/p>\n

Baserunning: Based on Fangraphs\u2019 BsR metric<\/p>\n

Durability: Percentage of plate appearances projected to go to the base lineup. This category could also be called \u201cStability\u201d<\/p>\n

Depth: Aggregate wRC+ for all players projected by Fangraphs to receive plate appearances who are not part of a base lineup, either as an every-day regular or as part of a platoon<\/p>\n

vsR: Lineup wRC+ against right-handed pitchers<\/p>\n

vsL: Lineup wRC+ against left-handed pitchers<\/p>\n

Stars: Batting order slots projected to land in the top 10, based on weighted runs created<\/p>\n

Holes: Batting order slots projected to land in the bottom 10, based on weighted runs created<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, not remembered for his soft side, uttered one oft-repeated romantic quote that has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":592333,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2378],"tags":[5,377,2554,4,282,70,46737,2553],"class_list":{"0":"post-592332","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-blue-jays","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-blue-jays","10":"tag-bluejays","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-toronto","13":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","14":"tag-toronto-blue-jays-sports-baseball-team-team-statscom-238","15":"tag-torontobluejays"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116132011331080554","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}