Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers scored 637 runs, ranking 25th out of 30 MLB teams.
For the Dodgers to live up to expectations, compete for the NL West and contend for a World Series championship this season, they have to score more runs and give their outstanding pitching staff some support.
But with Adrian Gonzalez for a full season, rather than one month, the Dodgers will have another big bat to join Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the middle of the lineup. Hanley Ramirez will also be in Dodger Blue all year, providing another run-producing bat.
The team will also benefit from having Carl Crawford, who will likely bat near the top of the batting order and provide more production than any Dodgers left fielder did last year.
What is the ideal lineup for the Dodgers’ new collection of offensive talent? How should manager Don Mattingly fill out his lineup card one through eight? Here are five suggestions for the best lineups the Dodgers could try during this upcoming season.