Los Angeles Dodgers, once again, look like the favorites...
Aug 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is congratulated by second baseman Gavin Lux (9) and shortstop Mookie Betts (50) after hitting walk off grand slam home run for his 40th of the season in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
MLB Opening Day kicks off in Tokyo with the Tokyo Series at the Tokyo Dome, featuring two National League teams, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19.
All the National League lineups, according to MLB.com:
NL East
Atlanta Braves
Still elite, still stacked – but missing Ronald Acuña Jr. Once he’s back, they go from dangerous to ridiculous, especially with Jurickson Profar in the mix.
Lineup
- Jurickson Profar, LF
- Austin Riley, 3B
- Marcell Ozuna, DH
- Matt Olson, 1B
- Ozzie Albies, 2B
- Michael Harris II, CF
- Sean Murphy, C
- Jarred Kelenic, RF
- Orlando Arcia, SS
Rotation
- Chris Sale, LHP
- Reynaldo López, RHP
- Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP
- Grant Holmes, RHP
- Ian Anderson, RHP
Miami Marlins
Sandy Alcantara returning is about the only certainty here. The offense is a mess, the rotation is full of question marks.
Lineup
- Xavier Edwards, SS
- Connor Norby, 3B
- Jonah Bride, DH
- Jesús Sánchez, RF
- Dane Myers, CF
- Matt Mervis, 1B
- Otto Lopez, 2B
- Kyle Stowers, LF
- Nick Fortes, C
Rotation
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP
- Ryan Weathers, LHP
- Edward Cabrera, RHP
- Cal Quantrill, RHP
- Max Meyer, RHP
New York Mets
Juan Soto. That’s the headline. But in the fine print is a wildly incomplete rotation, with Clay Holmes somehow their No. 2 starter.
Lineup
- Francisco Lindor, SS
- Juan Soto, RF
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Brandon Nimmo, LF
- Mark Vientos, 3B
- Jesse Winker, DH
- Francisco Alvarez, C
- Jeff McNeil, 2B
- Tyrone Taylor, CF
Rotation
- Kodai Senga, RHP
- Clay Holmes, RHP
- David Peterson, LHP
- Griffin Canning, RHP
- Paul Blackburn, RHP
Washington Nationals
They hit the fewest home runs in the NL last year, so they added some power with Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell. Crews and Wood are set for their first full seasons, and the pitching depth isn’t bad.
Lineup
- CJ Abrams, SS
- Dylan Crews, RF
- James Wood, LF
- Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
- Josh Bell, DH
- Luis García Jr., 2B
- Keibert Ruiz, C
- Paul DeJong, 3B
- Jacob Young, CF
Rotation
- MacKenzie Gore, LHP
- Jake Irvin, RHP
- Michael Soroka, RHP
- Mitchell Parker, LHP
- Trevor Williams, RHP
Philadelphia Phillies
Still the team to beat in the NL East. Solid rotation, great lineup, barely a weakness. Probably the second-best team in the NL – behind you-know-who.
Lineup
- Trea Turner, SS
- Bryce Harper, 1B
- Alec Bohm, 3B
- Kyle Schwarber, DH
- Nick Castellanos, RF
- Bryson Stott, 2B
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Max Kepler, LF
- Brandon Marsh, CF
Rotation
- Zack Wheeler, RHP
- Cristopher Sánchez, LHP
- Aaron Nola, RHP
- Ranger Suárez, LHP
- Jesús Luzardo, LHP
ALSO READ: Yankees correct infamous 2024 World Series musical miscue
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers
Last year’s postseason surprise, even if they didn’t make it past the Wild Card. Eyes on Jackson Chourio and Nestor Cortes Jr., a Yankees fan favorite now in Milwaukee.
Lineup
- Brice Turang, 2B
- Jackson Chourio, LF
- Christian Yelich, DH
- William Contreras, C
- Garrett Mitchell, CF
- Rhys Hoskins, 1B
- Sal Frelick, RF
- Joey Ortiz, SS
- Oliver Dunn, 3B
Rotation
- Freddy Peralta, RHP
- Nestor Cortes, LHP
- Tobias Myers, RHP
- Aaron Civale, RHP
- Aaron Ashby, LHP
St. Louis Cardinals
Far from stable. Paul Goldschmidt is gone, and Nolan Arenado seems next. The rotation is righty-heavy again unless Matthew Liberatore or Steven Matz step up. St. Louis is banking on big things from Andre Pallante and rookie Michael McGreevy – plus a Miles Mikolas bounce-back.
Lineup
- Masyn Winn, SS
- Alec Burleson, DH
- Willson Contreras, 1B
- Nolan Gorman, 3B
- Iván Herrera, C
- Brendan Donovan, 2B
- Jordan Walker, RF
- Lars Nootbaar, LF
- Michael Siani, CF
Rotation
- Sonny Gray, RHP
- Andre Pallante, RHP
- Erick Fedde, RHP
- Michael McGreevy, RHP
- Miles Mikolas, RHP
Chicago Cubs
Kyle Tucker is a game-changer. If Nico Hoerner isn’t ready, Jon Berti likely fills in at second. Justin Turner gets time at first, and the catching duo will be a timeshare. Rotation starts strong, but questions loom down the stretch.
Lineup
- Ian Happ, LF
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Seiya Suzuki, DH
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Matt Shaw, 3B
- Jon Berti, 2B
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
- Miguel Amaya, C
Rotation
- Shota Imanaga, LHP
- Jameson Taillon, RHP
- Justin Steele, LHP
- Matthew Boyd, LHP
- Colin Rea, RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
Health is key, whether it’s Ke’Bryan Hayes staying on the field or getting Spencer Horwitz back soon. As for the rotation: Paul Skenes. That’s the story.
Lineup
- Andrew McCutchen, DH
- Bryan Reynolds, RF
- Oneil Cruz, CF
- Joey Bart, C
- Nick Gonzales, 2B
- Jared Triolo, 1B
- Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
- Tommy Pham, LF
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
Rotation
- Paul Skenes, RHP
- Mitch Keller, RHP
- Jared Jones, RHP
- Johan Oviedo, RHP
- Bailey Falter, LHP
Cincinnati Reds
All eyes on Elly De La Cruz and the rotation. They enter camp with eight starters in the mix, which means some arms who contributed last year might be left out.
Lineup
- Matt McLain, 2B
- Elly De La Cruz, SS
- Tyler Stephenson, C
- Spencer Steer, 1B
- Jeimer Candelario, DH
- TJ Friedl, CF
- Gavin Lux, 3B
- Austin Hays, LF
- Jake Fraley, RF
Rotation
- Hunter Greene, RHP
- Brady Singer, RHP
- Nick Martinez, RHP
- Nick Lodolo, LHP
- Rhett Lowder, RHP
ALSO READ: WATCH: Rafael Devers practices at hot corner amid trade rumors
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
Just look at the lineup. Then look at the rotation. What else is there to say? World Series favorites again – it’ll take a miracle to stop them.
Lineup
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Mookie Betts, SS
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Teoscar Hernández, RF
- Max Muncy, 3B
- Will Smith, C
- Michael Conforto, LF
- Tommy Edman, CF
- Hyeseong Kim, 2B
Rotation
- Blake Snell, LHP
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
- Tyler Glasnow, RHP
- Roki Sasaki, RHP
- Tony Gonsolin, RHP
Arizona Diamondbacks
From the 2023 World Series to just missing the playoffs in 2024 – a clear step back. The lineup is fast and aggressive, with Josh Naylor added to the cleanup spot. The rotation gets depth with Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery.
Lineup
- Corbin Carroll, RF
- Ketel Marte, 2B
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
- Josh Naylor, 1B
- Eugenio Suárez, 3B
- Gabriel Moreno, C
- Pavin Smith / Randal Grichuk, DH
- Jake McCarthy, CF
- Geraldo Perdomo, SS
Rotation
- Corbin Burnes (RHP)
- Zac Gallen (RHP)
- Merrill Kelly (RHP)
- Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP)
- Brandon Pfaadt (RHP)
San Francisco Giants
Willy Adames is the big bat, and Jung Hoo Lee is back after an injury-shortened rookie season. After losing Blake Snell to the Dodgers hurts, they’ll lean on former Cy Young winners Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander to stay healthy behind the ultra-reliable Logan Webb.
Lineup
- LaMonte Wade Jr.,1B
- Willy Adames, SS
- Jung Hoo Lee, CF
- Matt Chapman, 3B
- Heliot Ramos, LF
- Mike Yastrzemski, RF
- Tyler Fitzgerald, 2B
- Wilmer Flores, DH
- Patrick Bailey, C
Rotation
- Logan Webb, RHP
- Justin Verlander, RHP
- Robbie Ray, LHP
- Jordan Hicks, RHP
- Kyle Harrison, LHP
San Diego Padres
Still a power-heavy lineup, just not a perfectly balanced one. The rotation is a similar story – talented, but not fully settled, with Dylan Cease leading the way.
Lineup
- Luis Arraez, 1B
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Connor Joe, DH
- Jason Heyward, LF
- Elias Díaz, C
Rotation
- Dylan Cease, RHP
- Michael King, RHP
- Yu Darvish, RHP
- Nick Pivetta, RHP
- Randy Vásquez, RHP
Colorado Rockies
In a stacked division, the Rockies have their work cut out. The offense has been shockingly bad for a team that plays at Coors Field, and they need Kris Bryant to show signs of his old Cubs self. The rotation is a mix of injured veterans and untested prospects.
Lineup
- Brenton Doyle, CF
- Thairo Estrada, 2B
- Ezequiel Tovar, SS
- Kris Bryant, RF
- Ryan McMahon, 3B
- Nolan Jones, LF
- Michael Toglia, 1B
- Jordan Beck, DH
- Jacob Stallings, C
Rotation
- Kyle Freeland, LHP
- Ryan Feltner, RHP
- Austin Gomber, LHP
- Germán Márquez, RHP
- Antonio Senzatela, RHP
mlb
Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.
Read more
MLB 
