The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players that 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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages.
Atlanta Braves
– Jurickson Profar is not back from his 80-game PED suspension yet, but it's coming soon (July 2). When he's activated, he's expected to be slotted into the No. 2 spot in the Braves' lineup. It's an ideal spot to be, hitting behind Ronald Acuna and in front of Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna. It's fair to be skeptical how productive Profar will be as he comes back from a PED suspension, but he's set up for success and is 10-for-25 with two homers and a 3:4 K:BB so far in six "rehab" games with Triple-A Gwinnett.
– Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy went through a 16-game stretch from late May to mid-June when they alternated starts behind the dish. However, over the last six contests — all against right-handed pitching — Baldwin has been in the lineup four times. The rookie catcher has slowed down a bit in June following a monster May, but during the aforementioned six-game span he's reached base nine times, homered once and plated six runs. The left-handed-hitting Baldwin hasn't started
The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players that 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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages.
Atlanta Braves
– Jurickson Profar is not back from his 80-game PED suspension yet, but it's coming soon (July 2). When he's activated, he's expected to be slotted into the No. 2 spot in the Braves' lineup. It's an ideal spot to be, hitting behind Ronald Acuna and in front of Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna. It's fair to be skeptical how productive Profar will be as he comes back from a PED suspension, but he's set up for success and is 10-for-25 with two homers and a 3:4 K:BB so far in six "rehab" games with Triple-A Gwinnett.
– Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy went through a 16-game stretch from late May to mid-June when they alternated starts behind the dish. However, over the last six contests — all against right-handed pitching — Baldwin has been in the lineup four times. The rookie catcher has slowed down a bit in June following a monster May, but during the aforementioned six-game span he's reached base nine times, homered once and plated six runs. The left-handed-hitting Baldwin hasn't started a game all season versus a lefty, but he boasts an 1.137 OPS with three homers in 30 plate appearances against southpaws.
Miami Marlins
– The right-handed-hitting Heriberto Hernandez has started all nine games against lefties since being called up in late May, typically giving one of the Marlins' left-handed hitting corner outfielders (Jesus Sanchez and Kyle Stowers) a day off. He has started only four of 13 tilts against righties during that span, including one of the last six. Hernandez's last three starts against southpaw have come from the cleanup spot, while his rare starts versus righties have come from the bottom third of the lineup.
– Connor Norby got a late start to the season due to an oblique strain and batted second in his first game in mid-April. Each of Norby's last two and four of his last seven starts have come from the eight spot in the lineup, thanks in large part to a .476 OPS so far in June. The strikeout rate for Norby this season has come down from 33 percent last season to a better-but-still-high 28.4 percent in 2025. However, he's also not impacting the ball as well, with a barrel rate that's dropped from a robust 14.8 percent down to 8.9 percent.
New York Mets
– The Mets made a big decision at the catcher position over the weekend, demoting Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse. Alvarez missed the first month of the season with a fractured hand and has never got the ball rolling at the plate, sporting just a .652 OPS and 27.5 percent strikeout rate. He's also experienced a drop-off defensively, going from an elite framer the last two seasons to one of the worst in baseball in 2025. However, Alvarez does boast a 50.6 percent hard-hit rate and 92.9 mph average exit velocity, so he's still hitting the ball plenty hard when he makes contact. Alvarez should get his job back eventually, but for now Luis Torrens will be the Mets' primary catcher. Torrens had a .786 OPS entering June but has put up a dreadful .228 OPS so far this month. Still, there's enough juice in his bat for him to be a viable second fantasy catcher while he's playing regularly.
– Starling Marte is slashing .302/.381/.419 since the beginning of May, but despite that, he can't seem to find a foothold with his playing time. The 36-year-old has started only 45.8 percent of games since May 1, and he's been in the lineup just once over the past five tilts versus right-handed pitching. Marte's playing time could dip further if Mark Vientos (hamstring) is mostly used at designated hitter upon his return, although worth noting is that Brett Baty has trailed off in June (.468 OPS).
Philadelphia Phillies
– The Phillies initially had Alec Bohm shift over to first base to cover for the injured Bryce Harper (wrist), but 10 of Bohm's last 11 starts have come at his more familiar third base position. The new first baseman has been Otto Kemp, who has made nine of his last 10 starts at first base. Kemp did play left field Sunday during the Phillies' lone game versus a lefty over that stretch, and that could be his path to playing time once Harper returns.
– From April 11 to June 8, Bryson Stott hit leadoff against every right-hander the Phillies faced. However, he has since been demoted to seventh versus righties for nine of his last 11 starts (he also hit fifth once and sixth once). Stott has actually picked it up offensively during the latter stretch, but it seems unlikely he'll ascend back to the top of the batting order anytime soon, particularly with Harper possibly back before long.
Washington Nationals
– The Nationals summoned top prospect Brady House from Triple-A Rochester and have handed him eight straight starts at third base. The right-handed-hitting House has batted fifth four times (all against righties) and sixth four times (twice against lefties). House's reputation as a prospect is a guy with huge raw power and contact issues, so naturally he has just one extra-base hit (a double) and has struck out at just a 17.1 percent rate thus far. Paul DeJong (orbital) is due back soon, but the Nats didn't promote House to sit.
– The left-handed-hitting Daylen Lile has started seven of eight contests in right field since being recalled, including all six games versus right-handed pitching. The Nationals have also re-committed to Jacob Young in center field over that span, handing him eight straight starts. As a result, Alex Call has been phased out, having followed a stretch of 12 straight starts with one where he started just once in a seven-game span. Lile has batted seventh in all seven of the aforementioned starts, while Young has been planted in the nine spot for his eight starts.
Chicago Cubs
– The Cubs have faced five traditional left-handed starters this month and Michael Busch has garnered starts in two of those contests. While the first baseman is sporting a 1.023 OPS so far in June, he is just 4-for-33 against left-handed pitching on the season. Busch's theoretical platoon mate at first base, the 40-year-old Justin Turner, has been better than Busch against southpaws with a .674 OPS, but the Cubs might be better off at this point finding out whether Busch can be an everyday player rather than a strong-side platoon bat.
– Matt Shaw looked like he might be finding his groove when he slashed .359/.419/.487 in 11 games in May after being recalled from Triple-A Iowa. However, he's hit only .175/.224/.270 with a 12:2 K:BB so far in June. The rookie third baseman batted seventh Sunday, but he's hit either eighth or ninth in all of his other starts since being recalled.
Cincinnati Reds
– Matt McLain has finally earned his way back up to the two hole in the Reds' lineup over the last two games after spending more than five weeks in the bottom third of the batting order, often in the nine spot. In his first 19 contests in June, McLain is slashing .296/.394/.492 with three home runs. He's also cut his strikeout rate to 21.1 percent after entering the month having fanned at a 31.1 percent clip.
– Upon his activation from the IL earlier this month, Christian Encarnacion-Strand started seven straight games and nine of 10 contests. Since then, he's been in the lineup only two times over a six-game stretch, and in his last start Monday he batted ninth. He's clubbed five homers in 27 contests, but Encarnacion-Strand has posted just a .595 OPS with a 25:2 K:BB. Austin Hays (foot) and Noelvi Marte (oblique) are due back soon, putting Encarnacion-Strand's roster spot in peril.
Milwaukee Brewers
– Sal Frelick has held down the leadoff spot for the Brewers in each of the last 10 contests. It's not a perfect profile for the top of the batting order because Frelick doesn't really draw walks (6.8 percent walk rate in 2025), but he's got his on-base percentage at .351 thanks to elite contact skills that have resulted in a .293 average. Brice Turang has hit leadoff more than any other Brewer this season but has hit fifth in four of the last five tilts.
– Isaac Collins has become the Brew Crew's everyday left fielder, starting at the position in six straight games and nine of the last 10 contests. The 27-year-old has earned it with a 1.047 OPS in June, in addition to superb defense. Garrett Mitchell (oblique) injured his surgically repaired left shoulder recently in a rehab game, so his status is in flux. Milwaukee could get Blake Perkins (shin) back soon, but Collins looks to be the guy in left field for now.
Pittsburgh Pirates
– Spencer Horwitz's first 27 starts upon his return from the IL all came from between the third and fifth spots in the batting order, but he's hit sixth in each of the last two contests. The left-handed-hitting Horwitz has also yet to make a start against a traditional left-handed starter, having yielded first base to the right-handed-swinging Jared Triolo those days.
– With Horwitz down in the No. 6 spot, Nick Gonzales has hit cleanup for the Pirates in each of the last two contests. Gonzales had his first career five-hit game Monday and has collected multiple base knocks in four of his last five contests. The 26-year-old's 41.3 percent hard-hit rate and 90.1 mph average exit velocity are both easily career highs and his 16.3 percent strikeout rate is easily a career low.
St. Louis Cardinals
– The red-hot Alec Burleson has emerged as an everyday player for the Cardinals, starting 16 straight games. That includes all four contests against traditional southpaw starters for the left-handed hitter. Burleson has also hit third for St. Louis in eight of the last nine tilts. The 26-year-old had a career .209/.244/.288 batting line versus left-handed pitching coming into this season but is slashing .367/.387/.600 against southpaws since May 1.
– Each of Lars Nootbaar's first 66 starts this season came from the leadoff spot, but he was demoted following a 1-for-32 slump with 17 strikeouts, first to the No. 7 spot but more recently to the No. 5 spot. Nootbaar has reached base 11 times and homered twice in 27 plate appearances since being lowered in the batting order, so he might be rediscovering his swing. Brendan Donovan has ascended to the leadoff spot in Nootbaar's place, with Burleson now occupying Donovan's old three hole.
Arizona Diamondbacks
– The Diamondbacks have lost Corbin Carroll to the IL due to a chip fracture in his left wrist. With Carroll sidelined, Randal Grichuk has gone from short-side platoon bat to everyday player, slotting into the Arizona lineup for each of the last six contests (three against right-handed pitchers). Grichuk seemed to find his niche with the Diamondbacks last season as a lefty masher, but he's fared better against righties (.778 OPS) than lefties (.691 OPS) in 2025. Jake McCarthy has taken Carroll's spot on the roster and could get another chance, but he's 3-for-41 at the big-league level this season so the club might just stick with Grichuk in right field.
– Geraldo Perdomo has moved from the third spot to leadoff to accommodate the loss of Carroll, while Pavin Smith has moved into the three hole for each of the team's last three games against right-handed pitching. That's after he had been demoted down to seventh. Smith homered twice Monday and has gone deep four times across his last nine tilts.
Colorado Rockies
– Michael Toglia is back after a brief stint in the minors and has been used as the Rockies' No. 5 hitter for each of the last four games. Toglia has homered three times in seven games since being recalled but is also sporting a 33.3 percent strikeout rate, which is actually an improvement on the 39.1 percent rate he had before being sent down. Toglia is worth picking back up because of his power potential. Just be prepared for peaks and valleys.
– Tyler Freeman has batted leadoff for Colorado in each of the last two contests and has hit either first or second in each of his last seven starts. The former Guardian has walked (11) more times than he's struck out (nine) this season and he's also stolen eight bases in relatively limited action. Freeman's power will likely continue to be limited even at Coors Field, but his elite contact ability is well suited for his home confines.
Los Angeles Dodgers
– Manager Dave Roberts said last week that Hyeseong Kim — who is slashing .372/.410/.538 — had earned more playing time. Kim had been out of the lineup for each of the previous three contests when Roberts made the statement, and since then Kim has started three of five games. He started four straight games shortly after being promoted in early May but hasn't started more than three games in a row since then, and that's happened only twice. Kim's clearest path to everyday playing time would be for the Dodgers to finally bail on Michael Conforto, who is hitting only .165/.296/.269. However, the club has been unwilling to give up on Conforto thus far.
– Dalton Rushing has made only 12 starts since being promoted in mid-May and has yet to start consecutive games. All 12 starts have been at catcher, with Rushing's only other action coming in the form of four innings at first base across two contests. It's odd to see a 24-year-old top prospect being utilized this way, but the Dodgers have made the decision they're better off giving Rushing a couple starts per week rather than keeping him at Triple-A Oklahoma City where he has nothing left to prove.
San Diego Padres
– The Padres have utilized Jackson Merrill in the two hole in the two games since he returned from the concussion injured list. He's flip-flopping spots with Luis Arraez, who has hit cleanup. Getting Arraez out of the two spot seems wise given his .309 on-base percentage, as he's batting only .279 despite a 1.9 percent (lol) strikeout rate. Arraez's quality of contact has never been great, but it was down in 2024 and has been even worse in 2025 with an anemic 16.6 percent hard-hit rate.
– Xander Bogaerts is slashing .325/.364/.525 since inching back up to the No. 5 spot in the lineup in eight of the last 10 games. Bogaerts is a guy who has consistently outperformed his xwOBA during his career, but he's been unlucky so far this year with a .297 wOBA as compared to a .329 xwOBA. Granted, a .329 xwOBA isn't great, but it would be his highest since 2021.
San Francisco Giants
– Jung Hoo Lee has spent the bulk of this season hitting third for the Giants and had not hit lower than fourth until June 18, but over his last four starts he's hit fifth twice, sixth once and seventh once. The 26-year-old is slashing only .206/.275/.329 since May 1, and the left-handed-hitter also has reverse splits, posting an .845 OPS versus lefties as compared to just a .682 OPS against righties.
– Tyler Fitzgerald's playing time had been trending downward, and on Monday the Giants sent him down to Triple-A Sacramento. Brett Wisely and Christian Koss will hold down second base for now, but when Matt Chapman (hand) returns the Giants are likely to move Casey Schmitt to the keystone. Schmitt has a 1.037 OPS so far in June while filling in for Chapman at third base.
