Could the 2024 Dodgers Have the Best Lineup in MLB History?
Will the 2024 version of the Los Angeles Dodgers operate in rarified air?
The 2023 Dodgers' offense already made a Los Angeles franchise record by scoring 906 runs in a season. But the 2024 team has a chance to be even better.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are coming back, and they finished second and third in National League MVP voting, respectively. But joining them is the winner of the American League MVP — Shohei Ohtani — and he's coming off a season in which he led the AL with 44 home runs. He also led the entire league with a .654 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.066.
The Dodgers will have three of the seven MLB players who posted an offensive WAR of at least 6.0 last season, and they'll be hitting 1-2-3 in their lineup. As Doug McKain of dodgersnation.com points out, this has the chance to be historic.
The stat alone is mind-boggling. When extrapolating out further, the context of the team as a whole is truly special. Betts is arguably the best lead-off man in baseball. He hits for both power and contact and while his speed has diminished a bit, he's still an above-average threat on the base paths.
Betts is coming off a season in which he hit a career-high 39 home runs and broke the MLB record for most home runs and RBIs (107) out of the lead-off spot.
As for Freeman, he is as rock-solid as they come. A doubles machine, he works counts as well as any player in the game. Rarely does he strike out, and even more rare is it that he looks foolish at the plate in any circumstance.
Last year, he hit .331 with 29 home runs, an unbelievable 59 doubles and 102 runs batted in.
Then... there's Ohtani. It's still unknown as to how Dave Roberts will slot Ohtani and Freeman in the order. You can envision a scenario where Ohtani bats second so he has protection behind him in the form of Freeman.
Either way, you're looking at a top-three grouping with three future first-ballot Hall of Famers. Not only that but three players who are currently in the prime of their careers.
We can quibble about the rest of the lineup. You'll likely see Will Smith in the cleanup spot to balance things out as a right-handed bat. Max Muncy and his power from the left side will be present, likely in the No. 5 hole. The corner outfield spots (as of now) will likely be manned by Chris Taylor and a platoon of Manuel Margot and Jason Heyward.
From there, Gavin Lux will be back to provide further length in the lineup at shortstop. James Outman will patrol center field with the hopes of improving on a very solid rookie season.
This lineup will have power, speed, versatility and a ton of depth. In an era where flexibility is key, the Dodgers have set themselves up extremely well for a deep run.
