Ranking Every 2026 MLB Playoff Team's Starting Lineup

The 2026 MLB postseason begins on Tuesday. While a strong pitching staff remains arguably the most important factor in a deep playoff run, more than a few World Series hopefuls have been stopped in their tracks by an ice-cold offense.

To that point, the Philadelphia Phillies (19th), Boston Red Sox (23rd) and Cleveland Guardians (24th) are the only teams in this year's playoff field that did not rank in the upper half of the league in runs scored. All three rank inside the top 10 in starting pitching ERA.

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the projected lineup for each of the 12 playoff clubs and ranked them based on impact talent, injury questions, overall depth and recent performance.

1. SS Jeremy Peña 2. DH Yordan Alvarez 3. 3B Isaac Paredes 4. 2B Jose Altuve 5. C Yainer Diaz 6. 1B Christian Walker 7. CF Lucas Spence 8. RF Cam Smith 9. LF Taylor Trammell

Bench: C Christian Vázquez, IF Nick Allen, IF Raynel Delgado, OF/1B LaMonte Wade Jr., OF Nelson Velázquez

One-Sentence Outlook: The Astros have the presumptive AL MVP in Yordan Alvarez, but the rest of the offense has produced a .233/.300/.396 line this year. He will need to replicate his memorable performance in the 2023 ALCS for pretty much the entirety of October.

Injury Questions: Daulton Varsho, Jake Meyers and Brice Matthews all landed on the injured list in September. All three will be out of action for at least the wild card round, with Meyers done for the year.

Lineup Construction: Infielder Raynel Delgado has a solid chance of being the 14th position player on the roster for the Wild Card Series. He would provide some insurance for Isaac Paredes at third base after he fouled a ball off his knee on Saturday.

X-Factor: Lucas Spence went 6-for-18 with four home runs in five games after being recalled from Triple-A when Varsho and Matthews were placed on the injured list. He suddenly looks like the no-doubt starting center fielder for the club's playoff run.

1. CF Steven Kwan 2. 3B José Ramírez 3. RF Chase DeLauter 4. DH Jo Adell 5. 2B Travis Bazzana 6. 1B Nathaniel Lowe 7. LF Angel Martínez 8. C Patrick Bailey 9. SS Brayan Rocchio

Bench: C Austin Hedges, 1B/OF David Fry, IF Angel Genao, IF/OF Daniel Schneemann

One-Sentence Outlook: The Guardians ranked 26th in OPS (.696), 27th in home runs (162) and 24th in runs per game (4.19) during the regular season, once again leaning heavily on the pitching staff to punch their playoff ticket.

Injury Questions: The only position player currently on the Guardians' injured list is Rhys Hoskins. He has been sidelined since Aug. 18 with lower back inflammation, but he has been taking batting practice at the team's "stay ready" camp and could add some pop off the bench if he's available.

Lineup Construction: David Fry and Austin Hedges have both been seeing regular action against left-handed pitching. Both the catcher and first base positions will likely continue to be straight platoons in October.

X-Factor: José Ramírez hit just .229/.296/.302 after returning from a fractured left hamate bone in July, followed by an even worse .198/.237/.264 in September. It's hard to see Cleveland making it deep into the postseason without him heating up at the plate.

1. DH Kyle Schwarber 2. SS Trea Turner 3. RF Bryce Harper 4. 1B Alec Bohm 5. 2B Bryson Stott 6. LF Brandon Marsh 7. 3B Edmundo Sosa 8. C J.T. Realmuto 9. CF Justin Crawford

Bench: C Rafael Marchan, C Garrett Stubbs, IF Otto Kemp, OF Bryan De La Cruz, OF Derek Hill

One-Sentence Outlook: Veteran sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were the only players on the Phillies' roster this season with at least 100 plate appearances and an OPS+ of 100 or better.

Injury Questions: Luis Arraez suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him for the final three games of the season, and he will not be included on the Wild Card roster. Otto Kemp will be recalled from the minors to replace him on the roster, while Edmundo Sosa will almost certainly move into the starting lineup.

Lineup Construction: Looking ahead to the potential NLDS roster, Kyle Schwarber has played 50 innings at first base and 17 innings in left field this year, so they could have him dust off his glove to open up DH for Arraez if he is still limited.

X-Factor: J.T. Realmuto and Brandon Marsh went a combined 16-for-123 (.130 BA) in September, so getting anything out of them would be a major boon to the club's offensive outlook.

1. LF Roman Anthony 2. CF Ceddanne Rafaela 3. RF Wilyer Abreu 4. 1B Willson Contreras 5. C Adley Rutschman 6. 3B Caleb Durbin 7. DH Jarren Duran 8. SS Trevor Story 9. 2B Nick Sogard

Bench: C Connor Wong, IF Isiah-Kiner Falefa, IF Andruw Monasterio, IF/OF Nate Eaton, OF Jahmai Jones

One-Sentence Outlook: The Red Sox scored just 71 runs over 24 games in September, the lowest in the majors for the month and a whopping 18 fewer runs than the Phillies, who were 29th.

Injury Questions: Willson Contreras returned to action on Sunday after missing eight games with a bruised hand, but Mickey Gasper (biceps strain) has been ruled out for the Wild Card Round.

Lineup Construction: With a lefty on the mound, Jahmai Jones (156 PA, .742 OPS, 13 XBH vs. LHP) will likely be the starting DH and potentially the No. 2 hitter in the lineup. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the best defensive option at second base, so he will be a candidate for starts over Nick Sogard.

X-Factor: Contreras only took 16 plate appearances in September, as a hamstring injury sidelined him before he suffered a bruised hand. He led the team in OPS+ (153), home runs (27) and RBI (81), so the team will count on his bat heavily in the middle of the lineup.

1. CF Trent Grisham 2. DH Ben Rice 3. LF Cody Bellinger 4. 1B Luis García Jr. 5. RF Spencer Jones 6. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. 7. SS George Lombard Jr. 8. C Austin Wells 9. 3B Anthony Volpe

Bench: C Ali Sánchez, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, IF/OF José Caballero, OF Heliot Ramos, DH Giancarlo Stanton

One-Sentence Outlook: The Yankees went 52-43 without Aaron Judge in the lineup this season, so while their star is out, the lineup still has enough firepower to support a stacked rotation.

Injury Questions: While Aaron Judge will almost certainly be watching the Wild Card Series from the dugout, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham are both expected to be activated from the injured list after taking live batting practice over the weekend.

Lineup Construction: The Yankees could stock the roster with as many as 16 position players for the Wild Card Series, with Amed Rosario and Ryan McMahon as candidates to join the players listed above. Given how lefty-heavy the Yankees' "go-to lineup" skews, it might look decidedly different against the Red Sox southpaws.

X-Factor: Even if he is only limited to pinch-hitting duties, Giancarlo Stanton still has the potential to change a game with one swing of the bat. The 36-year-old has a .926 OPS and 18 home runs in 48 career playoff games.

1. LF Sam Antonacci 2. C Kyle Teel 3. 3B Miguel Vargas 4. 1B Munetaka Murakami 5. DH Andrew Benintendi 6. CF Tristan Peters 7. 2B Chase Meidroth 8. SS Colson Montgomery 9. RF Braden Montgomery

Bench: C Jake Rogers, IF/OF Luisangel Acuña, OF Brenton Doyle, OF Randal Grichuk, OF Tommy Pham

One-Sentence Outlook: With 1,494 strikeouts, the White Sox whiffed more than any other team in this year's playoff field, but their 211 home runs are also good for fourth among 2026 postseason participants.

Injury Questions: Catcher Joey Bart suffered a fractured hand on Aug. 6. In his absence, veteran Jake Rogers is expected to back up Kyle Teel in October. Otherwise, the White Sox have a clean bill of health entering the playoffs.

Lineup Construction: Randal Grichuk (left field), Brenton Doyle (center field) and Tommy Pham (designated hitter) have all seen regular action against left-handed pitching down the stretch, so expect at least a few platoon tweaks to the starting lineup.

X-Factor: Grichuk hit .333/.362/.635 with 10 extra-base hits in 69 plate appearances in September. He is one of the few players on a young White Sox roster with any postseason experience.

1. DH Drake Baldwin 2. RF Ronald Acuña Jr. 3. 1B Matt Olson 4. CF Michael Harris II 5. SS Mauricio Dubón 6. 2B Ozzie Albies 7. LF Mike Yastrzemski 8. 3B Austin Riley 9. C Sean Murphy

Bench: C Chuckie Robinson, 1B Dominic Smith, IF Ha-Seong Kim, OF Brewer Hicklen, OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

One-Sentence Outlook: Despite a lineup filled with household names, the Braves rank 18th in OPS (.714) since the All-Star break and 21st in OPS (.687) in September, so they will need to find some momentum in October.

Injury Questions: Deadline pickup Lane Thomas has been sidelined since Sept. 7 with a strained oblique, but he has been working his way back following a cortisone injection . He could be ready by the NLDS, with DeShawn Keirsey Jr. likely bumping to open a spot for him on the roster.

Lineup Construction: When a lefty is on the mound, the Braves have been shifting Mauricio Dubón to left field and using Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop, so expect that platoon approach to continue in October.

X-Factor: With a .325/.367/.470 line in September, Dubón has gone from a useful utility player and best-available option at shortstop to one of the team's most productive hitters, filling a key spot in the batting order.

1. DH Yandy Díaz 2. 1B Jonathan Aranda 3. 3B Junior Caminero 4. C Liam Hicks 5. LF Chandler Simpson 6. RF Victor Mesa Jr. 7. 2B Richie Palacios 8. CF Jonny DeLuca 9. SS Taylor Walls

Bench: C Nick Fortes, IF Ben Williamson, OF Cedric Mullins, OF Ryan Vilade

One-Sentence Outlook: The Rays finished seventh in the majors in runs scored after the All-Star break, providing ample support for one of baseball's best pitching staffs.

Injury Questions: While there are a handful of questions on the pitching side, most notably Shane McClanahan, the position player group is at full strength for its playoff run.

Lineup Construction: Nick Fortes, Ben Williamson and Ryan Vilade have all frequently been penciled into the starting lineup against left-handed pitching, while Jonny DeLuca has played all over the outfield, potentially opening up starts for Cedric Mullins in center field. There is no true "end of the bench" guy here.

X-Factor: The Rays have had a top-heavy lineup for much of the year, so the breakout performance of Victor Mesa Jr. during the second half has added much-needed depth. The 25-year-old is hitting .288/.338/.555 with nine home runs and 22 RBI in 158 plate appearances since the break.

1. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. 2. LF Dustin Harris 3. 3B Manny Machado 4. CF Jackson Merrill 5. 1B Ty France 6. DH Gavin Sheets 7. SS Xander Bogaerts 8. 2B Jake Cronenworth 9. C Ethan Salas

Bench: C Luis Campusano, IF Sung-Mun Song, OF Jase Bowen, OF Austin Hays, OF Samad Taylor

One-Sentence Outlook: The Padres ranked 15th in runs scored during the regular season, but they were tied for second with 134 runs in 24 games during their red-hot September. Season-long stats don't tell the full story in San Diego.

Injury Questions: With Gavin Sheets back in action for the final two games of the regular season, the only lingering injury question is Miguel Andújar. He squeezed in a nine-game rehab stint for Triple-A El Paso before their season ended, but he wasn't activated down the stretch and hasn't played an MLB game since July 19.

Lineup Construction: The Padres could start Samad Taylor and Austin Hays against left-handed pitching over Dustin Harris and Gavin Sheets. Harris has only logged 23 plate appearances against southpaws this year, while Sheets has a .455 OPS against left-handed pitching.

X-Factor: Just a few months removed from his 20th birthday, Ethan Salas became the youngest catcher to start a big league game since Ivan Rodriguez. After a slow start, he went 9-for-22 with two home runs over his final eight games. It remains to be seen how catching duties will be divvied up between Salas, Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin.

1. CF Garrett Mitchell 2. LF Jackson Chourio 3. 2B Brice Turang 4. C William Contreras 5. 1B Jake Bauers 6. 3B Joey Ortiz 7. DH Christian Yelich 8. RF Sal Frelick 9. SS Cooper Pratt

Bench: C Gary Sánchez, 1B Andrew Vaughn, IF David Hamilton, OF Luis Lara

One-Sentence Outlook: Despite ranking 28th in the majors with 154 home runs, the Brewers were baseball's second-highest-scoring team this year at 5.14 runs per game, highlighting their ability to manufacture runs.

Injury Questions: The Brewers placed Andrew Vaughn on the injured list while he was dealing with an illness to get a fresh bat on the roster, but he is eligible to be activated on Oct. 3, ahead of Game 1 of the NLDS.

Lineup Construction: Luis Lara and Sal Frelick have split time in right field in the second half of the season, while David Hamilton has been part of a rotating shortstop/third base situation with Cooper Pratt and Joey Ortiz. Andrew Vaughn and Gary Sánchez are also candidates to start against left-handed pitching.

X-Factor: Ortiz hit .348/.386/.500 in September, but suffered a bruised right knee down the stretch that sidelined him for the final two games. He is fully expected to be part of the NLDS roster after clean MRI results, but will the injury cool his red-hot bat?

1. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong 2. RF Seiya Suzuki 3. 1B Michael Busch 4. DH Alex Bregman 5. LF Ian Happ 6. 2B Nico Hoerner 7. 3B Pedro Ramírez 8. C Carson Kelly 9. SS Dansby Swanson

Bench: C Miguel Amaya, IF/OF Matt Shaw, OF Michael Conforto, OF Tyrone Taylor

One-Sentence Outlook: The Cubs were baseball's highest-scoring offense this season with 850 runs scored and 5.24 runs per game, outpacing the 2016 World Series team by 42 runs.

Injury Questions: With Alex Bregman back in action Friday and Sunday after a line drive to the eye while standing in the on-deck circle, the only lingering question for the Cubs is whether he'll be ready to play third base Tuesday or be limited to DH duties. If he's penciled in at DH, Pedro Ramírez or Matt Shaw will get the start at the hot corner.

Lineup Construction: Deadline pickup Tyrone Taylor has hit .318/.348/.573 with 10 doubles and six home runs in 118 plate appearances against left-handed pitching this season. He effectively pushed Ian Happ into a platoon role down the stretch.

X-Factor: The Cubs gave Bregman that five-year, $175 million deal during the offseason because of his veteran leadership and lengthy track record of postseason production. The two-time World Series winner has a .791 OPS, with 19 home runs and 55 RBI in 102 career playoff games.

1. DH Shohei Ohtani 2. SS Mookie Betts 3. 1B Freddie Freeman 4. C Will Smith 5. RF Kyle Tucker 6. LF Teoscar Hernández 7. 3B Max Muncy 8. CF Andy Pages 9. 2B Tommy Edman

Bench: C Hunter Feduccia, IF Miguel Rojas, IF/OF Enrique Hernández, OF Alex Call

One-Sentence Outlook: No lineup can match the Dodgers' combination of star power and playoff experience. While several of their stars are having down years, it's hard to bet against them flipping the switch in October.

Injury Questions: The Dodgers have rarely been at full strength this season, but their entire starting lineup is ready to roll for October. Dalton Rushing was activated from the injured list on Friday, but he didn't play in the team's final three games. His DH-only status, given his partial UCL tear, likely puts him on the outside looking in for a roster spot.

Lineup Construction: Don't be surprised if manager Dave Roberts finds a way to get Enrique Hernández into the starting lineup given his track record of postseason production, but aside from that, the go-to lineup is the most likely starting nine for any given matchup.

X-Factor: Andy Pages went 4-for-51 last October. A fractured left hand derailed him in the second half, but he returned to go 6-for-18 with two home runs in six games to close out the regular season. Can he avenge last year's playoff struggles?