Los Angeles ranks first in this list heading into the season, to the surprise of none

It is only a few days away from the beginning of the 2026 MLB season, as the Los Angeles Dodgers will begin their title defense for the second straight season after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays last October in the World Series to become back-to-back champions.

For the last few seasons, the Dodgers have been the team most targeted for their abundance of talent, with the most notable move coming in 2023, when the team signed two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract.

Obviously, there were other moves that also greatly affected the batting lineup, such as bringing in Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and others, which have allowed them to possess arguably the best lineup in baseball.

More: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani can strengthen Babe Ruth comparison with 20 homers and 30 strikeouts

The Athletic's Jim Bowden seems to agree with that statement after ranking the Dodgers first in his "Ranking all 30 MLB lineups ahead of 2026 Opening Day" article, followed by the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Atlanta Braves to round out the top five. 

Again, when taking a deep dive into the lineup of the Dodgers, there really shouldn't be any doubt of this ranking, as they literally have home run threats from the top to the bottom of the order. It can be easy to forget that Miguel Rojas was responsible for the game-tying home run that sent game seven of the World Series into extra innings, and he was near the bottom of the lineup.

Not to mention, the team also added another primetime bat and marquee free agent this offseason, bringing in the 2025 NL Silver Slugger, Kyle Tucker.

More MLB news:

• Blue Jays sign Joe Mantiply to minor league contract
• Alex Cora announces Caleb Durbin is Red Sox starting third baseman
• Joey Wentz is out for the season with a torn ACL for the Braves
• Reds’ Hunter Greene to be out until July amid brutal injury news
• Braves predicted to trade Bryce Elder for Lars Nootbaar
• Jesus Luzardo’s $135 million extension is a steal for Phillies