Playoff baseball is underway, and after taking a deep dive into each team's postseason ace pitcher on Monday, now it's time to look at the starting lineups.

Pitching wins championships, but it's hard to navigate October baseball without at least an average offensive attack as well.

The Detroit Tigers (19th) are the only playoff team that did not rank among the top half of MLB in runs scored, and their season-long stats are not necessarily a good indication of how they have been playing heading into the postseason after catching fire down the stretch.

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the projected lineup for each of the 12 playoff clubs and ranked them based on top-tier talent, overall depth and recent performance.

12. Kansas City Royals

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. 2B Michael Massey
2. SS Bobby Witt Jr.
3. DH Vinnie Pasquantino
4. C Salvador Perez
5. 1B Yuli Gurriel
6. LF MJ Melendez
7. RF Tommy Pham
8. CF Kyle Isbel
9. 3B Maikel García

Notes

-The status of first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has been one of the big storylines for the Royals. The 26-year-old suffered a fractured thumb on Aug. 29 and spent the final month of the season on the sidelines, but he was one of the team's best offensive performers prior to that injury, posting a 111 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 19 home runs and 97 RBI in 131 games.

-The Royals could also give sporadic playing time to Paul DeJong, Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson, who all offer some level of defensive versatility, while Salvador Perez is a candidate to shift to first base for Freddy Fermin to get time behind the plate.

11. Detroit Tigers

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. CF Parker Meadows
2. DH Kerry Carpenter
3. 3B Matt Vierling
4. LF Riley Greene
5. RF Wenceel Pérez
6. 2B Colt Keith
7. 1B Spencer Torkelson
8. SS Ryan Sweeney
9. C Jake Rogers

Notes

-Since returning from a 66-game stint on the injured list with a lumbar spine stress fracture on Aug. 13, Kerry Carpenter is hitting .286/.349/.605 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI in 133 plate appearances.

-Center fielder Parker Meadows (92 PA, .322/.359/.552) and first baseman Spencer Torkelson (57 PA, .308/.368/.577) also picked up their production considerably during Detroit's red-hot September, providing more production length to the lineup.

10. Cleveland Guardians

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. LF Steven Kwan
2. DH Kyle Manzardo
3. 3B José Ramírez
4. 1B Josh Naylor
5. CF Lane Thomas
6. 2B Andrés Giménez
7. RF Jhonkensy Noel/Will Brennan
8. C Bo Naylor
9. SS Brayan Rocchio

Notes

-The Guardians raised their run production from 4.09 runs per game in 2023 to 4.37 runs per game this season, and they did it with largely the same group of players. Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan both had career years at the plate, while Kyle Manzardo and Jhonkensy Noel emerged from the minors to make an impact.

-Deadline pickup Lane Thomas hit an ugly .148/.239/.198 over 92 plate appearances in his first month with the Guardians, but he turned a corner in September when he batted .264/.295/.560 with six doubles, seven home runs and 20 RBI in 25 games.

9. Atlanta Braves

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. CF Michael Harris II
2. 2B Ozzie Albies
3. DH Marcell Ozuna
4. 1B Matt Olson
5. RF Jorge Soler
6. LF Ramón Laureano
7. C Travis d'Arnaud/Sean Murphy
8. 3B Gio Urshela
9. SS Orlando Arcia

Notes

-With Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn ACL) and Austin Riley (fractured hand) out for the season, this is not the same juggernaut Braves lineup we've seen in recent years. However, getting Ozzie Albies back healthy at the end of September after a 55-game stint on the injured list has provided a nice boost.

-Matt Olson (.954 OPS, 4 HR, 21 RBI) and Michael Harris II (.923 OPS, 8 HR, 18 RBI) led the way offensively in September, and outfielder Ramón Laureano also deserves a mention for his contributions while shoring up one of the outfield corners after being plucked from the scrapheap in May

8. Milwaukee Brewers

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. 2B Brice Turang
2. LF Jackson Chourio
3. C William Contreras
4. CF Garrett Mitchell
5. SS Willy Adames
6. DH Jake Bauers
7. 1B Rhys Hoskins
8. RF Sal Frelick
9. 3B Joey Ortiz

Notes

-The Brewers had one of the most improved offenses in baseball this season, jumping from 17th (728) to sixth (777) in the majors in runs scored. Adding sluggers Rhys Hoskins (26 HR, 82 RBI) and Jake Bauers (12 HR, 43 RBI) helped, but it was the development of some of their young up-and-comers that made the biggest difference.

-Rookie Jackson Chourio hit .310/.363/.552 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs, 44 RBI and 12 steals in 63 games after the All-Star break. Not bad for a 20-year-old who was the youngest player to appear in the majors this season.

7. Baltimore Orioles

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. SS Gunnar Henderson
2. 2B Jordan Westburg
3. RF Anthony Santander
4. LF Colton Cowser
5. DH Adley Rutschman
6. 1B Ryan Mountcastle
7. CF Cedric Mullins
8. 3B Ramón Urías
9. C James McCann

Notes

-The Orioles' offensive production dipped from 4.93 runs per game during the first half to 4.73 runs per game after the All-Star break, and things slid even further in September when they plated just 4.32 runs per contest over 25 games. Can they return to early-season form in October?

-Adley Rutschman has been splitting his time more evenly between catcher and designated hitter over the past few weeks as the Orioles try to keep him fresh. He missed time early this season with lower back discomfort, and his offensive numbers since the All-Star break suggest he has not been at 100 percent.

6. New York Mets

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. 2B José Iglesias
3. 3B Mark Vientos
4. LF Brandon Nimmo
5. 1B Pete Alonso
6. DH J.D. Martinez
7. RF Starling Marte
8. C Francisco Alvarez
9. CF Tyrone Taylor

Notes

-While Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez and Jesse Winker all missed time in September with various injuries, all three are on the Wild Card Series roster for the Mets. That means the only notable bat missing from action is Jeff McNeil, who suffered a fractured wrist at the beginning of September.

-Tyrone Taylor has seemingly overtaken Harrison Bader as the go-to option to start alongside Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte in the outfield, though it was Marte who was on the bench in the first game of Monday's doubleheader. All three could see starting duty as the Wild Card Series unfolds.

5. Houston Astros

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. 2B Jose Altuve
2. DH Yordan Alvarez
3. RF Kyle Tucker
4. 3B Alex Bregman
5. C Yainer Diaz
6. 1B Jon Singleton
7. SS Jeremy Peña
8. LF Jason Heyward/Mauricio Dubón
9. CF Jake Meyers

Notes

-Yordan Alvarez had been sidelined since Sept. 22 with a knee injury prior to being included on Houston's Wild Card Round roster and starting at designated hitter in Game 1 on Tuesday. His ability to produce up to his usual standard will be one of the major X-factors in the Astros' playoff outlook after he hit .308/.392/.567 with 34 doubles, 35 home runs and 86 RBI In 147 games.

-With Alvarez almost certainly limited to DH duties, expect to see a straight platoon of Jason Heyward and Mauricio Dubon in left field. The Astros also activated Chas McCormick from the injured list on Tuesday morning and included him on the playoff roster, though he has not seen game action since Sept. 10.

4. San Diego Padres

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. DH Luis Arraez
2. RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. LF Jurickson Profar
4. 3B Manny Machado
5. CF Jackson Merrill
6. SS Xander Bogaerts
7. 2B Jake Cronenworth
8. 1B Donovan Solano
9. C Kyle Higashioka

Notes

-Rookie standout Jackson Merrill has been the Padres' best hitter over the past month, hitting .309/.349/.568 with 13 extra-base hits in 87 plate appearances. The stage has never looked too big for him this year, starting with his MLB debut in the Seoul Series back in March, and a huge postseason would not be the least bit surprising.

-Veteran David Peralta has seen regular action in left field and at designated hitter, with Luis Arraez shifting to first base and Donovan Solano on the bench when he is penciled into the DH spot. Former All-Star Elias Díaz could also see a start or two behind the plate if they make a deep playoff run.

3. New York Yankees

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. 2B Gleyber Torres
2. RF Juan Soto
3. CF Aaron Judge
4. C Austin Wells
5. DH Giancarlo Stanton
6. 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
7. LF Jasson Dominguez
8. 1B Ben Rice
9. SS Anthony Volpe

-First baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered two fractured fingers on his right hand on Saturday, but the Yankees opted to keep him on the active roster when Ben Rice was called up from Triple-A to replace him in the lineup for the regular-season finale. He is viewed as a "long shot" to be ready for the ALDS, but the door remains open.

-A strong finish to the season from second baseman Gleyber Torres has given the Yankees an even more imposing top of the lineup. He hit .333/.387/.472 over 119 plate appearances in September, and he's been a staple in the leadoff spot in the batting order since early August.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. DH Kyle Schwarber
2. SS Trea Turner
3. 1B Bryce Harper
4. RF Nick Castellanos
5. 3B Alec Bohm
6. 2B Bryson Stott
7. C J.T. Realmuto
8. LF Brandon Marsh
9. CF Johan Rojas

Notes

-The only moving parts in the Phillies lineup are in the outfield, where Austin Hays could start in left field, with Brandon Marsh shifting to center field and light-hitting Johan Rojas on the bench. However, the former Orioles All-Star hit just .256/.276/.397 in 80 plate appearances after joining Philadelphia at the trade deadline

-Slugger Nick Castellanos is hitting .410/.452/.769 with three doubles, three home runs and six RBI in his last 12 games. The 32-year-old has a solid postseason track record, including five long balls in 13 games during Philadelphia's playoff run a year ago.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Go-To Starting Lineup

1. DH Shohei Ohtani
2. RF Mookie Betts
3. 1B Freddie Freeman
4. LF Teoscar Hernández
5. 3B Max Muncy
6. C Will Smith
7. CF Tommy Edman
8. 2B Gavin Lux
9. SS Miguel Rojas

Notes

-The top four players in the Dodgers lineup—Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández—combined for 128 home runs, 393 RBI and 23.0 WAR this season as one of the most productive foursomes baseball has seen in recent memory.

-A lot of words have been written about Ohtani's incredible season, but it's worth mentioning that he is swinging perhaps the hottest bat on the planet heading into his first postseason series. He hit .393/.458/.766 with 42 hits, eight doubles, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 27 runs scored in 26 games in September.