Ranking the scariest lineups in MLB: How Kyle Tucker changes everything

Kyle Tucker inked a four-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. It felt like the death knell for any team hoping to combat this mounting L.A. dynasty in 2026. He's due $120 million over the next two years (not including luxury-tax penalties, of course) before a potential opt-out lets him test the market again.

Player empowerment is a good thing. Players should sign with the teams they want to sign with and get as much money as possible from a competitive market. But this was an extremely cowardly move from Tucker — not to mention the teams who wouldn't match or exceed L.A.'s offer. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to protect the sanctity of competition. The landscape of the league is different now. Here is how the scariest MLB lineups stack up against what the Dodgers are cooking.

Honorable mentions: Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners

10. Philadelphia Phillies

Metaphorically, the Philadelphia Phillies were a Tush Push away from signing Bo Bichette to a seven-year, $200 million contract. That would have sent Philly skyrocketing up these rankings. Instead, the Phillies are basically set to run it back with minor tweaks. We cannot count out a desperation trade or a Hail Mary offer to Cody Bellinger, but in reality, we probably know more or less what this lineup will look like on Opening Day.

The Phillies are still a talented group, to be clear. You could argue they are the single greatest threat to Los Angeles in the National League. But this lineup has deep flaws, especially once you move past the three-headed monster of Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at the top.

Alec Bohm is a fine hitter. Totally fine. But he cannot be hitting cleanup for a World Series contender. If the Phillies want to instigate meaningful change, it still starts with trading Bohm and reallocating that money elsewhere.

The entire back half of this lineup is a bit underwhelming. The Bryson Stott-Edmundo Sosa platoon at second base did well last season, but Adolis García is a power-over-hit veteran whose production declined precipitously last season. Brandon Marsh might not be able to replicate last season's surge in production, and he's still stuck in a platoon (probably with Otto Kemp). Justin Crawford is tremendously promising — he posted an .863 OPS in Triple-A last season — but he's a contact hitter with a high, high ground-ball rate, raising questions about how effectively (and quickly) his skill set can translate to the Majors.

9. Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles can really swing in either direction this season. If everyone stays healthy, and if Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman can channel their production from a couple years ago, the O's are potential AL East champs and a genuine World Series threat. If more recent trends continue, and if the young guns don't break out like expected (lookin' at you, Jackson Holliday), Baltimore could vanish from this list by season's end.

The AL East is a bloodbath. It's easy to forget that just a year ago, the O's were in first place and felt like a perennial 90-win team. On top of an uber-talented young core, Baltimore inked Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. You can agree or disagree with the length and compensation, but Alonso is in the middle of his prime as one of this generation's premier sluggers. He raked 38 homers in 2025. Taylor Ward, whom Baltimore acquired via trade, hit 36.

Few teams present this level of upside. Holliday couldn't quite find that next gear in 2025, but he's so close. The athleticism, the raw pop and speed are all right there on the surface. Dylan Beavers broke through as a rookie and still has room to grow at 24. Samuel Basallo, MLB's No. 7 prospect, is a strong Rookie of the Year candidate.

Your faith in this O's lineup will ultimately boil down to your faith in Henderson and Rutschman, though. Are we expecting an MVP and an All-Star level campaign, respectively, or will both continue their backslide from last season? There's no reason both can't improve with a bit of health luck, but questions are fair.

8. Athletics

The Athletics are hiding in plain sight as a potential under-the-radar contender in 2026. It feels a bit silly to prop up the small-market team playing in a Minor League ballpark, especially when the franchise has operated in such an unserious fashion these past few years. But despite John Fischer's best attempts at inadvertent sabotage, the A's are building something special.

There is baked-in uncertainty with any lineup this young, this untested. But when tossing around the adjective "scary," how can you not spotlight the A's? There's a real chance the team from Sacramento ends up leading the AL in home runs and blitzing its way to a Wild Card berth, especially if the pitching staff experiences even a modicum of growth.

Nick Kurtz burst onto the scene as a rookie. Pound for pound, he was up there with Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh as the most productive hitters in the AL, hitting 36 home runs in only 420 at-bats. His 1.023 OPS and 173 OPS+ is MVP-type stuff if he can stretch it over the course of an entire season.

The A's also have Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker — all guys who can easily top 30 homers in 2026. The Jeff McNeil trade brought in a stabilizing veteran at second base. Jacob Wilson won't elevate the baseball a ton, but his absurd contact skills make him a valuable buoy in the back half of the lineup. Lawrence Butler regressed in 2025, but he's 25 years old with incredible athletic gifts; it's fair to expect a bounce back. If Muncy, Clarke or any other members of the A's pipeline take a leap, watch out.

7. Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are an odd duck in these rankings, as there isn't really a player on their roster you can point to as a superstar — or really anything close to a superstar. Christian Yelich was, once upon a time, but he has settled into his post-prime as an excellent veteran anchor and a sort of guiding light for this young, incredibly balanced group.

Milwaukee is not a huge home run team, although their power numbers were respectable enough in 2025. The Brewers are the ultimate buzzsaw in terms of constant competence: Just about everyone in the lineup is smart working counts and intentional with their approach. The Brewers get on base, run like hell and find creative ways to apply constant pressure on the opposing pitcher and the defense behind him.

Milwaukee has a few potential homemade stars coming up through the pipeline, which could take things to a new level in 2027 or beyond. But for now, the Brewers will use basically the same strategy that netted them the No. 1 seed last October. Is that enough? Fair question. It sure didn't feel that way in the NLCS. But this team is built to churn out wins in the regular season and at least get to October, which is half the battle. Some of these teams are far less dependable from April to September.

There is some untapped potential with this current group, though. Jackson Chourio is 22. Brice Turang and Caleb Durbin are 26, just getting their feet wet. A couple lucky developmental breaks, maybe a savvy deadline trade or a bargain-bin signing, and the Brew Crew will be well positioned to take on all challengers.

6. San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are a confusing team in so many ways. GM AJ Preller is essentially in season-long win or go home territory. If San Diego falls short, we can expect massive overhaul from the top down. He also has his hands tied financially. He managed to coax Michael King back to San Diego, but the Padres aren't the big free agency players we've come to expect in years past.

This team is getting older. Last season was definitively a disappointment. After the most ambitious trade deadline gambit in recent memory, San Diego just couldn't get the job done. Now Ryan O'Hearn is gone. Luis Arraez is a free agent. It's not entirely clear how the Padres plan to move forward.

How much can we trust Manny Machado and, to a less extent, Xander Bogaerts? That is the main question. Last season, Machado continued a longstanding trend of raking in the regular season and scuffling in October. But he's 33, and he struggled massively down the stretch. These elite bats don't last forever. Bogaerts, also 33, saw his OPS+ dip below 100 for the second straight season.

Maybe this is the end of the Padres as we've come to know them. Not necessarily a dynasty, but a very good team with a lot of boppers. Or maybe a bounce back is in order. Perhaps Machado and Bogaerts still find their second wind. Maybe Fernando Tatis Jr. gets back in the MVP hunt; maybe Jackson Merrill takes the superstar leap he hinted at as a rookie. There is uncertainty with this group, but in terms of overall ceiling, the Padres rank awfully high.

5. New York Yankees

The New York Yankees were the most explosive lineup in MLB last season. Their home run powers were unmatched; their ceiling higher than any other group. Of course, the Yankees also had a tendency to strike out a lot and fall into cold spells, but you take the bad with the good. The only reason this team doesn't land higher on this list — for now — is because the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes remains unresolved.

Assuming the Yankees are able to get a new Bellinger contract over the finish line, you can bump New York up a couple spots. If not, this team still has Aaron Judge, the single most dominant offensive force in baseball. Judge also supplies the fear factor these rankings are based on: You do not want to face him at any juncture, and it's even worse when he's sandwiched between two other sluggers.

Ben Rice somehow qualifies as one of the most underrated players in MLB, despite playing first base for the Yankees. He should get a bit more shine this season with Paul Goldschmidt out of the picture and the full-time role his to lose. A peek under the hood paints Rice as one of the league's best hitters, period. He posted an .836 OPS and 133 OPS+ last season, and all that came while he was statistically unlucky. Rice hammers the baseball (97th percentile for hard-hit rate) and he's not prone to excessive strikeouts or flights of bad decision-making.

New York also has Giancarlo Stanton, who despite being basically immobile on the bases is still an absolute tank at the plate. Trent Grisham feels like an obvious regression candidate, but he still hit 34 home runs with an .811 OPS last season. Jazz Chisholm joined the 30-30 club. If Bellinger returns, that's another All-Star in the mix. If he doesn't, Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones can both hit the baseball a long way, giving New York a couple breakout candidates in Bellinger's stead.

The back third of this Yankees lineup is less than ideal right now, but New York should get Anthony Volpe back midseason and there's always room for Brian Cashman to work his magic at the trade deadline. Ryan McMahon and José Caballero, though not terribly intimidating at the plate, can both run the bases — and both are quite sharp with their gloves, for what that's worth in the big picture.

4. New York Mets

The New York Mets came up just short in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, which felt like a worst case scenario. Then, in a remarkable twist of fate, New York pulled the rug out from under the Phillies to sign Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract. The Mets got their marquee bat in the end. It comes with certain risks, certain sacrifices, but this lineup is shaping up quite nicely.

In terms of pure star power, only a handful of teams can challenge the combined talents of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette. It's a hell of a way to open games. Lindor and Soto are potential MVP candidates. Bichette is the ideal Soto protection — a .300 hitter who rarely strikes out and who can put solid lumber on just about any pitch.

The rest of New York's lineup is less settled, but Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty both made important strides last season. Mark Vientos is an exciting depth piece, even still. Carson Benge, New York's No. 3 prospect, is known for his extremely high hitting IQ. He has genuine Rookie of the Year potential as the Mets' outfield game plan crystalizes.

New York doesn't have a great option in center field right now, and it's fair to wonder if Marcus Semien can return to form after an abysmal 2025 campaign in which he posted a .669 OPS. But the Jorge Polanco signing gives the Mets a solid Alonso replacement. The defensive alignment of this core makes very little sense and could backfire, but in terms of offensive capacity alone, the Mets figure to mash. They mashed last season, though. That is not always enough.

3. Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs came out of left field, frankly, to sign Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract. He received his no-trade clause, a security measure the Red Sox were unwilling to grant, and took his talents to the North Side. The Cubs needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat with Tucker's impending departure. They did so in impressive fashion.

This lineup is nails all the way through. Dansby Swanson posted the lowest OPS of any projected starter last season (.717). In terms of depth, the Cubs inked Tyler Austin after a productive stretch in Korea and now have Matt Shaw, their former top prospect, to move around the infield as a supercharged utilityman. There are precious few holes to poke. Power, contact, speed, discipline — the Cubs check every box.

Bregman's contract figures to age in complicated and uncomfortable ways, but he's still excellent in the short term. Injuries put a drag on last season, but the third baseman posted an .821 OPS and 125 OPS+. Moreover, he was viewed as an essential leadership figure in the Red Sox locker room. He can now bring those intangible qualities to the Chicago clubhouse.

Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong all hit 30-plus home runs last season. Moisés Ballesteros looks like the type of guy who can join that club in 2026. Hoerner and Swanson provide IQ and speed (assuming the Cubs keep the former, as they should). Ian Happ has eight years of quality Cubs baseball under his belt. Carson Kelly is quickly rising up the ranks of MLB catchers. This is just an awesome team. Credit to Jed Hoyer for getting the job done.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Should the Toronto Blue Jays drop after whiffing on Tucker and losing Bichette, a combination that seemed impossible mere weeks ago? It always felt like one or the other for Toronto, but in the end, the Blue Jays were once again left holding the bag in a contentious free agent market. Still, for now, it's hard not to believe in this group's ability to persevere after a gut-wrenching Game 7 loss in the World Series.

George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are still there, both coming off of monster campaigns (Vladdy in particular dominated the postseason). The Blue Jays are a fundamentally sound group. They take smart swings, generate pop across the board and don't fall into the lulls of less disciplined groups.

The back of the lineup has a bit more uncertainty now, but Kazuma Okamoto was a genuine superstar in Japan and his offensive profile — on paper — translates beautifully to the Majors. He's not going to replace Bichette's bat one-for-one, but there's a decent chance he's thwacking 20-plus home runs with an .800-plus OPS.

In addition to Okamoto, we can't forget the quality of talent on the margins in Toronto. Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Daulton Varsho are all savvy, productive hitters. Varsho is particular feels bound for a leap: He cranked 20 home runs in just 248 at-bats last season with an .833 OPS and consistently high exit velocities. Folks might not recognize how good he is. Alejandro Kirk is an incredible hitter for the catcher position. Anthony Santander hit 44 home runs in 2024. If he can regain some of that old magic and work his way back into the regular lineup, Toronto won't miss Bichette so much.

Based on precedent and procedure, this Blue Jays offense still stands as the primary challenger to Los Angeles. There are other teams in the mix, and there's more to prove than Toronto fans probably expected given all the high hopes of this offseason. But when push comes to shove, I'd caution you to not bet against the hungry Jays.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Not much of a surprise here. The Dodgers were the clear No. 1 before signing Kyle Tucker, and now there's an even bigger wedge between them and the competition after forking over $60 million annually to the All-Star right fielder. This is borderline unfair. Great for Dodgers fans. Good on the front office. But this is bad for the overall MLB product, at least from a competitive integrity standpoint.

That's not to say the Dodgers are unbeatable. Injuries come for every team eventually, and the Blue Jays were oh so close to dethroning L.A. just a few months ago. Anything can and will happen in baseball. It's hard to threepeat. But also, it's hard not to pick the Dodgers to win it all this season — and next season, and the season after that.

Tucker is an absolute machine at the plate. He has dealt with his share of injuries over the years, but when healthy, he possesses a level of plate discipline and raw power. Tucker doesn't necessarily crank 40-plus home runs a season, but he shoots bullets into the gaps and has the speed to apply pressure as a base-runner.

He's expected to bat cleanup, despite being a clear No. 1 or No. 2 hitter on almost any other team. Shohei Ohtani, the back-to-back NL MVP, will presumably reclaim his leadoff spot. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are well proven superstars. Will Smith and Max Muncy are both acclaimed in virtually any other setting. Even the tail end of the lineup has pop: Pages hit 27 home runs last season and probably lands ninth in the Dodgers' order. On the depth front, L.A. has top prospects like Daulton Rushing and Alex Freeland threatening to break through at any moment, plus the sneaky upside of Hyeseong Kim entering just his second MLB season.