Lineup Lowdown: American League

Baseball is back and so is the Lineup Lowdown.

The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players who might be undervalued or overvalued. Who is playing more/less? Who is moving up/down? We'll be doing a deep dive into one league each week as we navigate the lineup landscape.

Baltimore Orioles

– Jordan Westburg has started all five games so far and has done so at three different spots, occupying the designated hitter spot once and second base and third base two times apiece. He also played an inning at shortstop in the second contest. Although he's yet to bat higher than sixth, Westburg's spot in the everyday lineup looks pretty secure – at least until Jackson Holliday is promoted, and potentially even after that – and additional position eligibility is possible.

– Cedric Mullins has started all five games even with two of them being against southpaws (good), but he hit sixth once and seventh four times (not so good). It's not terribly surprising, as Mullins made just one start in his former leadoff spot in the second half last season. The potential looming concern is what happens when Holliday does arrive. Jorge Mateo has handled second base versus both lefties in the early going, but Holliday will be an everyday guy there when he's up. It could mean Mateo in center field against left-handers, with Mullins sitting. Ramon Urias could also be squeezed out of playing time at that point, as Westburg would presumably be seeing most of the action at third.

Boston Red Sox

– After it was revealed that Ceddanne Rafaela would be part of the Opening Day roster, one of the major questions with the Red Sox was how the playing time in the outfield would break down. We might have a better idea now of what the hierarchy looks like. Jarren Duran is the only one of the four outfielders to start all six games, and he was in the leadoff spot each time, including Tuesday versus a lefty. Rafaela and Tyler O'Neill have each started five games apiece, while Wilyer Abreu has started just two. Duran – who was in left field four times and center field once – looks to be the biggest priority, while Abreu is at the bottom. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have followed through on their plans to make Masataka Yoshida a full-time DH, with all five of his starts coming there.

– Connor Wong and Reese McGuire have split catching duties in half. Manager Alex Cora should ultimately lean Wong's way more often than not. Wong (105) more than doubled up McGuire (51) in starts at catcher last season and fantasy managers wouldn't mind that gap widening further in 2024. The 27-year-old Wong is easily the more interesting of the two backstops in fantasy, although with catcher surprisingly deep, he's not very widely rostered.

New York Yankees

– The Yankees have also split their catching duties between Jose Trevino and Austin Wells. The team has been pleased with the strides Wells has made defensively, but Trevino still has a sizable edge there which is why it's unlikely Wells will outright wrestle the starting job away even as his offensive upside is much higher. Wells should nonetheless remain a viable second fantasy catcher given his power and sneaky steals potential.

– The Yanks traded for Jon Berti shortly before Opening Day in an effort to supplement their infield depth while DJ LeMahieu (foot) was on the shelf. Berti has made just one start in the first six games, though, and that was only because Anthony Volpe was a late scratch Sunday due to an illness. The reasoning for that is because Oswaldo Cabrera has already doubled his hit total from last season (not really, but it feels like it). Cabrera is obviously going to slow down, but his status as an everyday player likely has been extended for a bit with the news that LeMahieu is dealing with a fracture in his foot in addition to a bone bruise. The 25-year-old utility player has batted ninth four times and eighth twice and it seems unlikely that he'll leave the bottombthird of the order even amidst the hot start.

Tampa Bay Rays

– With Josh Lowe (oblique) sidelined, the Rays have split starts in right field between Richie Palacios and Amed Rosario in their first six games. Given his drastic career splits, most of Rosario's playing time figures to ultimately come against left-handers, but he did get a start Sunday versus Kevin Gausman (granted, the team knew Gausman's outing wouldn't be long since he's not fully stretched out yet). The feeling had been that Tampa Bay's outfield injuries could force Harold Ramirez to play the field more often, but so far he's been in the DH spot for all five of his starts.

– Brandon Lowe made just eight starts and had a .512 OPS against left-handers last season, and in both games versus southpaws this season he has been on the bench. Curtis Mead has been used at second base those days, and he also received an additional start at third base versus a right-hander when Isaac Paredes was given a day off.

Toronto Blue Jays

– The Blue Jays haven't seemed too keen on the idea of playing Justin Turner much in the field, so it felt at least mildly surprising that he got a start at the hot corner during the first series of the season. While the defense would take a notable hit, the outlook for Toronto's lineup would be enhanced greatly if Turner can convince the team he can play third base adequately enough to be used there regularly. It would also improve the health outlook for George Springer, who will probably need regular starts at DH if he wants to play 140-plus games (that's where he was Sunday when Turner played third). On the days Turner was at DH or had a day off, the Jays had Isiah Kiner-Falefa at third base three times and Ernie Clement there twice.

– It's been disappointing to see how little Davis Schneider has been used to this point. He started just one of the first five games but swatted a two-run home run and added a walk in that contest (he was also in left field Tuesday). While he got off to a fantastic start last season, Schneider did struggle late in the year and also during spring training. That seems to have shaken manager John Schneider's confidence in the 25-year-old. Meanwhile, Cavan Biggio has started four of five games at second base versus righties and was in the lineup in the other one in right field. 

Chicago White Sox

– The White Sox rolled out veteran Kevin Pillar in right field on Opening Day against a left-hander but have since given Dominic Fletcher four straight starts there versus righties. Fletcher has been in the lower third of the order in three of four starts and hit sixth in the other game. There aren't many roadblocks for Fletcher to encounter if he wants to vault his way up higher in the batting order, though, and he did pick up his first hit of the season Monday.

– Nicky Lopez has started four of the first five games at second base and Paul DeJong has been at shortstop for three of five tilts. It was Braden Shewmake filling in for them on their days off. Shewmake, 26, came over from the Braves over the offseason in the trade which sent Aaron Bummer to Atlanta. The former first-round pick is known more for his glove than his bat, but there's some deep-league fantasy potential if the at-bats are there, and I suspect they ultimately will be. Shewmake hit 16 homers and stole 27 bases (while being caught just once) at Triple-A Gwinnett in 2023 and already has a homer and a steal this year.

Cleveland Guardians

– The Guardians' center field job seemed to be set up in spring training as a battle between incumbent Myles Straw and newcomer Estevan Florial. Straw, though, was jettisoned from the 40-man roster and Florial has yet to play an inning in center, having made just two starts at DH. Instead, it's been Tyler Freeman in center field for five of the first six games. They are the first five starts in center in the professional career of Freeman, who was mostly a seldomly used infielder last season under former manager Terry Francona. New skipper Stephen Vogt, however, seems to have an affinity for the 24-year-old, and Freeman has responded with a home run and a stolen base in the early going.

– In the one game Freeman wasn't in center field, it was Ramon Laureano handling the position. He's also made three starts in right field and was up in the third spot in the batting order the two times Cleveland faced a left-hander. Will Brennan has started all four games versus righties and it looks like both he and Laureano are currently favored over Florial. Eventually, the Guardians will probably give Florial extended run to see what they have, but he had a dreadful spring training and certainly hasn't shown much to this point at the big-league level.

Detroit Tigers

– The left-handed-hitting Parker Meadows has been up in the leadoff spot each of the three times the Tigers have gone up against a righty. In the two times they've faced a lefty, he's hit ninth once and the other time he was out of the lineup. Meanwhile, the Tigers clearly like what Andy Ibanez brings against southpaws. He started at third base and hit leadoff on Opening Day versus a lefty and started at second base and hit second the other time they faced a left-hander.

– Kerry Carpenter has been on the bench each of the two times Detroit has faced a southpaw. It's not a surprise given that he had just a .657 OPS against left-handers last season and also because the Tigers have some better options for platoons than they did last year. Speaking of platoons, the club has given Carson Kelly three starts at catcher and Jake Rogers two, although Rogers has also picked up an additional start at DH. There were reports late in spring training that Kelly was likely to play a lot this season, and while it might not be an even timeshare, the early returns suggest manager A.J. Hinch does plan to use him plenty.

Kansas City Royals

– The Royals had the exact same top five in their batting order for the first four games of their season when they faced all right-handers. Against a lefty in their fifth contest, MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel and Adam Frazier were all given breathers. Melendez struggled against lefties last season, but he was actually much better versus lefties than righties in his rookie season and is not in danger of being platooned. Isbel probably isn't, either, on the strength of his defense. The right-handed hitting Nick Loftin got the start at the keystone versus the southpaw and that could continue even after Michael Massey (back) returns, which shouldn't be long.

– There was some school of thought that Salvador Perez might sit a little more often this season, not only because he's a catcher in his mid-30s with tons of mileage on his legs, but also because Freddy Fermin emerged as a viable alternative last season. However, that hasn't been the case so far as Perez has started each of the first five contests in the cleanup spot. He has made one start at first base and another at DH, with Fermin handling the catching duties those days.

Minnesota Twins

– Alex Kirilloff was not in the lineup on Opening Day with the Royals throwing tough left-hander Cole Ragans. In the three games since then versus right-handers, he's not only been in the lineup but been all the way up in the two spot in the batting order. Now, a major reason for that is unfortunately that Royce Lewis (quad) got hurt and will be sidelined for a while and Max Kepler (leg) was also banged up, but it's undoubtedly a boost for Kirilloff's fantasy outlook if he sticks there.

– Lewis went down with what's been described as a severe quad injury that could put the young slugger on the shelf for a couple months. In the three games since then – all versus righties – Willi Castro has occupied Lewis' third base position. This was after Castro started in left field on Opening Day against a left-hander. The 26-year-old is limited in what he can offer fantasy managers and has yet to get going at the plate in the early going this season. However, Castro stole 33 bases in 38 attempts last season in just over 400 plate appearances, so he certainly looks like a viable steals source while he's receiving regular playing time.

Houston Astros

– Yainer Diaz was down in the seventh spot in the lineup for the first two games of the season when the Twins were facing left-handers. Over the last four contests, however, he's batted fifth, and he also got starts at DH in the two games he didn't catch (Yordan Alvarez shifted out to left field those days). Victor Caratini will surely be mixed in more often as the season goes along, but it's a good early sign for Diaz's playing time outlook. He slugged his first two home runs of the season Monday.

– Manager Joe Espada has followed through on plans for everyday playing time for Chas McCormick, with the 28-year-old drawing five starts in the first six tilts. It's a bit frustrating to see Jose Abreu batting ahead of McCormick against righties, and Jon Singleton also was a spot ahead of him in the game Abreu missed with a sore hand. Perhaps that will be rectified as the season moves along.

Los Angeles Angels

– Manager Ron Washington said back in late February that he envisioned Luis Rengifo or Mickey Moniak as his leadoff hitter, followed by Nolan Schanuel, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. However, he then began mulling other options late in spring training, including Rendon at leadoff, and that has carried over into the season with Rendon hitting at the top of the batting order each of the first five contests. Rendon's theoretical on-base skills make sense in the leadoff spot even if he's slow, but he came into Tuesday still looking for his first base hit of the season.

– Meanwhile, Washington's initial leadoff candidates, Rengifo and Moniak, have each made just one start so far. Moniak had been set for an additional start over the weekend but was scratched due to illness, and it probably qualifies as only mildly surprising that Aaron Hicks got the call over him in right field (and in the second spot in the batting order) three times. Rengifo's lack of playing time is more surprising after he was one of the few bright spots for the Halos last season. The 27-year-old technically doesn't have a set starting spot, but the feeling was that he'd essentially be an everyday player at multiple positions. Rengifo did deal with a hamstring issue for much of spring training, so perhaps this is mostly about easing him into things.

Oakland Athletics

– The big news with the Athletics is Esteury Ruiz started just two of the first four games and then was abruptly optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Monday's game to make room for waiver claim Tyler Nevin. How much Ruiz will ultimately hit is very much a question and he's graded out very poorly as a defender in the outfield. However, given the dearth of options on Oakland's roster, fantasy managers still felt the 25-year-old's playing time was pretty secure when they used a draft pick expecting him to anchor the stolen base category. Oops.

– JJ Bleday was awful for the A's last season and was even worse for the Marlins the year before that, but Oakland appears committed to him as its center fielder, starting him there in all six games, including once against a left-hander. To his credit, Bleday is off to a nice start at the plate, but his track record both in the majors and minors says it will be short-lived. Lawrence Butler can also play center field and should theoretically be part of the team's rebuild, but he's been relegated to right field so far and has yet to bat higher than eighth.

Seattle Mariners

– The Mariners have gone up against a right-hander in all six tilts so far. Luke Raley has started just three of them, and all three of those came when Mitch Garver sat out with a back issue, which allowed Mitch Haniger to slide into the DH spot on two occasions (Dominic Canzone had a day off in the other game). Raley put up an .834 OPS with 17 home runs in 363 plate appearances versus righties last season with the Rays, but he struggled badly in the second half and also in spring training.

– Speaking of Haniger, he's (currently) healthy and has started all six contests, with the last five of them coming from the cleanup spot. Entering play Tuesday, Haniger had put up an .898 OPS with one home run, and it came after he had a monster spring. Yes, a stint or three on the IL is probably assured, but while he's on the field and back in his comfortable digs in Seattle, Haniger is back on the mixed-league radar.

Texas Rangers

– Wyatt Langford has started each of the Rangers' first five games after winning an Opening Day roster spot, with three of them coming at DH and the other two in left field. On days he has played left, Evan Carter has been in right field and Adolis Garcia has occupied the DH slot. Langford has batted fifth or sixth in four of five starts, but was up in the two spot for the other game when Corey Seager received a day off.

– Josh Jung suffered another unfortunate freak injury when a pitch fractured his right wrist Monday. Josh Smith started at third base Tuesday in Texas' first game without Jung, but the club also called up Justin Foscue as Jung's replacement on the roster and he will be in the mix for starts at the hot corner. Ezequiel Duran is an option at third base, too, but he also made a start at first base on Opening Day versus a left-hander. Jared Walsh has started four straight at first base while Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) recovers, with one of them coming against a lefty.