The field for the 2024 Major League Baseball postseason is set, and the Wild Card Series matchups and first-round byes are all decided. That means it’s time to start looking forward to all the high-intensity baseball before us and start pondering which teams seem likely to make a deep run.
To help us do that, we’re here to rank with awful and redoubtable authority all 12 postseason teams based on the quality of their respective offenses. It’s not just about how many runs they scored during the regular season, although that of course matters quite a bit. We’ll also think about things like how their home ballpark affected run-scoring levels, how healthy they are heading into the playoffs, and whether the underlying numbers justify their top-line results on offense. With that brew of considerations now simmering, let’s rank from one to 12 the offensive attacks of the 2024 postseason.
It’s hard to dream up a more potent one-two-three punch than Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Ohtani in particular seems to be in peak form as the playoffs loom. As well, Teoscar Hernández gives them a dose of top-line power from the right side. Max Muncy is healthy, Will Smith remains a strong producer as catchers go, and deadline addition Tommy Edman aids the infield depth. Tellingly, the Dodgers’ offense this season led the majors in Weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+ (what’s this?).
Yes, the Yankee attack is driven by their No. 2 and No. 3 hitters, but that’s one hell of a duo around which to build your offense. We speak, of course, of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, who combined for a slash line of .305/.439/.634 with 99 home runs and 262 walks. To be sure, the remainder of the Yankee offense generally leaves much to be desired, but Judge and Soto helped lead the AL in runs scored by a wide margin.
The O’s this season, paced by standout shortstop Gunnar Henderson and veteran slugger Anthony Santander, ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored, second in home runs, and fourth in OPS. The return of Jordan Westburg means they now have no real holes in the lineup.
Despite playing their home games in Petco Park, which is a difficult environment for hitters, the Padres rank a quite respectable eighth in MLB in runs scored per game. Eyeball their lineup, and you find no glaring weak spots – especially after the trade for Luis Arraez and since Fernando Tatis Jr. returned from injury.
Citi Field plays as a pronounced pitcher’s environment, but the Mets, thanks to their balanced lineup, managed to rank seventh in the majors in runs scored and ninth in OPS. Francisco Lindor was at his best, and the elevation of Mark Vientos to an every-day presence added a lot of pop to the lineup. Lindor’s big homer on Monday was reassuring in light of his recent back problems.
Of the Phillies’ nine current lineup fixtures, only one – Bryson Stott and his 32 steals – has an OPS+ of below 100 for the season (he’s at 89). That’s lineup balance, and that’s an offense that’s not overly dependent upon one or two mashers. As well, there’s a nice mix of thump from the right and left sides. During the regular season, Philly ranked fourth in the majors in wOBA.
Atlanta’s offensive numbers overall are pretty middling, but they’ve been finding their level of late. That’s in part because core hitters like Matt Olson and Sean Murphy have in turn been finding their levels of late. In the second half, the Braves rank fifth in the majors in OPS and fifth in wOBA. Unfortunately for the Braves, slugging third baseman Austin Riley has been ruled out for the playoffs.
On the one hand, Kyle Tucker is finally back, and Alex Bregman rediscovered a more customary level of production in the second half. On the other hand, Yordan Alvarez, one of the very best hitters in baseball, is dealing with a knee sprain he suffered on Sept. 22. He’s on the Wild Card Series roster, but might not be 100%. Even with Alvarez, this is a slightly above-average attack.
Once you correct for the hitter-friendly nature of what should still be known as Miller Park, the Brewers have a slightly above-average offensive attack. The loss of Christian Yelich to injury earlier in the year was a huge blow, but that’s been partially offset by the fact that rookie phenom Jackson Chourio appeared to take the next step toward stardom in the second half. Willson Contreras deserves some down-ballot MVP support. Overall, though, there are a bit too many soft spots in this lineup.
Detroit this season ranked 21st in wRC+, the lowest such ranking of any playoff team. That said, the Tigers right now are better off offensively than their overall numbers suggest. That’s thanks in part to the return of Kerry Carpenter from injury. As well, young Parker Meadows has surged in the second half, and Riley Greene remains one of the most underrated players around.
The Guards for a time defied much of their recent history by scoring runs in abundance early in the season. However, the shine somewhat predictably came off as we got deeper into 2024. For instance, Cleveland in the first half averaged 4.78 runs per game, but that figure tumbled to 3.85 in the second half. The recent return of Steven Kwan helps a bit, but the bottom half of this lineup is badly lacking.
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best and most electric players in baseball today, but he doesn’t have much help in the KC lineup outside of veteran catcher Salvador Perez, whose numbers have declined in the second half. You can cite Vinnie Pasquantino as a “Witt helper,” but he’s been out since late August with a fractured thumb and just . He’s ahead of schedule, and the Royals are hoping he’ll be able to play in the Wild Card Series. However, he’s no guarantee. The Royals this season ranked 20th in wRC+.
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