MLB.com ranks New York Mets as second-best lineup

In a recent article, MLB.com ranked the New York Mets as the second best lineup in Major League Baseball.

Troy Brock | Mar 11, 2025

Mar 6, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) lines out to second base in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Clover Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

After an offseason that saw the New York Mets sign superstar Juan Soto and bring Pete Alonso back into the fold, it is easy to be excited about the lineup.

Francisco Lindor is still at the forefront, setting the table for the big boppers to come behind and drive him in. Even without Soto in 2024, it is a unit that ranked ninth in MLB in OPS at .734. Soto posted a .989 in that metric, with a .953 career mark, easily beating the .709 the Mets received from right field last year.

The hype surrounding the unit is real, and it is not unfounded. In fact, in a recent article for MLB.com, Anthony Castrovince ranked the unit as the second-best in MLB, with only the Los Angeles Dodgers ranked higher.

"The Mets’ incredible 1-2-3 punch up top with Lindor, Soto and Alonso puts them in conversation with the Dodgers for best in the sport," Castrovince wrote. "But unanswered questions in the lower half -- questions that are even more pronounced given Alvarez’s fractured left hand, which will cost him six to eight weeks -- ultimately land them below L.A."

Even if Francisco Alvarez is out of action on the longer side of the timetable (eight weeks), the top of the lineup remains one of the most dangerous in all of baseball. FanGraphs projects the lineup as follows:

Hitter	2024 OPS
1. SS Francisco Lindor	.844
2. RF Juan Soto	.989
3. 1B Pete Alonso	.788
4. LF Brandon Nimmo	.727
5. 3B Mark Vientos	.837
6. DH Jesse Winker	.764
7. CF Jose Siri	.620
8. 2B Jeff McNeil	.692
9. C Luis Torrens	.665

Even with the potency of the lineup, some questions remain. Can Alonso return to his 45+ home run power? Will Brandon Nimmo stay healthy long enough to have a more Nimmo-like campaign? Can Mark Vientos repeat the fantastic year he had in 2024? Can Jeff McNeil have a full season in 2025 like his second half of last year?

However, adding Soto to the group renders most of these questions moot. He stands alone as the best all-around hitter in the sport, capable of hitting for power, average, and getting on base better than any hitter since Barry Bonds.

Another aspect Soto can help with is the Mets' chances against the potent rotations of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Both of these units are set to improve from last year, which saw the Braves rotation depleted by injury and the Phillies not having a viable fifth pitcher to complement their four aces. Atlanta will be getting Strider back before they face the Mets, and Philadelphia added Jesus Luzardo this offseason to fill the role as the fifth pitcher.

Last year, the Mets posted a team OPS of .666 against the Braves, and .729 against the Phillies. While Soto (with the New York Yankees) did struggle against Atlanta with only a .585 OPS (in three games), he saw major success against Philadelphia with a 1.117 OPS (also in three games).

The addition of Soto to this lineup makes an already solid unit that much better. He alone could add a handful of wins to the record, something that would have aided the team tremendously in their playoff race in 2024, potentially bringing them even closer to the Phillies for the National League East crown.

2025 is gearing up to be an exciting year in Queens. And with one of the best lineups in the sport, the fireworks are sure to impress.

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