What Does the Dodgers’ Lineup Look Like With Teoscar Hernandez?
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Dodgers principally agreed upon a 1-year, $23.5 million contract with outfielder Teoscar Hernández. The addition of Hernández, barring any surprise trades, likely sets the position player portion of the team’s 26-man roster.
Now comes the fun part, where everyone gets to speculate on the potential order of the lineup. It’s even more fun when a lineup has the star power of the Dodgers.
Guessing the Dodgers’ projected lineup can be tricky because they tend to play to matchups. The team typically favors one lineup against left-handed pitchers and another against right-handers. Beyond that, considerations around rest and player health generate even more unique lineups. In 2018, for example, the Dodgers used 155 different lineups (excluding the pitcher’s spot) in 162 games.
Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman will bat one through three in some order. Last year, Betts and Freeman combined for 209 RBIs batting first and second, respectively. Splitting up the best leadoff duo in baseball may be unwise, but Ohtani is the kind of player for whom a team can make exceptions.
Looking for certainties outside the top three spots, Gavin Lux will is a near-lock to bat ninth. This has nothing to do with his talent at the plate. When the Dodgers started batting him ninth in 2022, he excelled at turning over the lineup. That year he slashed .276/.346/.745, and hit an NL-leading nine triples. Coming off a major injury, expect Lux to return to the familiar comforts of the 9-hole.
The rest of this lineup is entirely fluid, but certain trends can be speculated. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts historically prefers lineups that alternate handedness — right, left, right, left, etc. — so a right-hander likely will bat cleanup after Freeman or Ohtani.
Whether the Dodgers continue to bat Will Smith there, or newly acquired Teoscar Hernández, could rest on matchups, health, and recent performance. Continuing that trend, Max Muncy will probably spend most of his time hitting fifth. Behind him will be the other half of Smith and Hernández.
James Outman gets the nod batting seventh after his breakout rookie season. After a pitcher slogs through the rest of this lineup, Outman will see his fair share of quality pitches to hit.
That leaves the platoon of Heyward and Margot to bat eighth, with Lux rounding out the go-to starting lineup.
Chris Taylor figures to move all around the field in 2024. He will also move around the lineup, depending on who he’s replacing.
No matter what order Roberts lands on, this collection of hitters is a handful for any pitcher. Each player can provide a quality at-bat and is a threat at any given time. The Dodgers hope the question of how to line them up is a good problem to have long into October.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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That is the exact lineup the Dodgers should be running out on a night to night basis. Of course health will play a part eventually but as long as everybody is healthy, the Dodgers need to roll this lineup out there and stick with it every single day. And let Lux play! Don’t mess with him anymore. Stick him in the 9 hole and let the kid play every day. It’s no coincidence that the teams that do not platoon and play matchups every game win World Series titles. I hope the Dodgers have learned that by now.
This line up should score more runs than last year’s line up even if Betts and Freeman slightly regress. Barnes is number 12 of 13 position players. What about Vargas and Busch? Which one sticks? Which one is part of a trade for another starter? This team should give up fewer runs than last year, but a starter and Brasier or his replacement are needed. Should win over 100 games. Postseason is not predictable.
last year, before the injury, Gavin Lux was slated to bat lead-off or second. I hope that he is well enough this year so that he COULD bat first or second. If, and that is a big if, he could hit that high, the lineup, top to bottom, would be incredible! Also, even though it is very very early, I like to think who will be playing right field in 2025 —- Juan Soto? …. oh yeah, too early.
Barnes is actually #13, leaving no room for Vargas or Busch unless Rojas is traded. So these guys will sit in the minors again either as trade bait or injury replacements. Tough for them.
Batting ninth is the top of the lineup after one rotation.