Dodgers: Ranking the best Opening Day lineups in Los Angeles history

On the day that we should be celebrating the start of the 2020 season, let’s rank the best Opening Day lineups in Los Angeles Dodgers history.

The Dodgers franchise has a rich history that dates back to the late 19th century. There are so many Dodgers greats who have reached immortal status while wearing the blue and white, from Jackie Robinson to Pee Wee Reese to Steve Garvey. While all of these players are part of Dodgers lore, not all of them made their name while playing in Los Angeles.

On the day that baseball was supposed to open its 2020 season, I thought it would be fun to rank the best Opening Day lineups in Dodgers history, focusing on the teams that called LA their home.

My criteria is simple. I am not looking for the best lineup on Day 2 of the season, or the best lineup that played the most games. I am only concerned with the names on the lineup card on Opening Day of each season and deciding which lineups are the best.

I consider the historical significance of players, but the biggest factor used in evaluating individual names within a lineup is how they performed during that season. Think Justin Turner in 2014. He might not be one of the best second baseman in Dodgers history, but for that one season, he was a great hitter. I also take into account the Opening Day starter as part of the Opening Day lineup. This is the National League, after all.

Without further ado, the best Opening Day lineups in Los Angeles Dodgers history:

5) 1958: Where it all began

Ok, so I lied. This first lineup is a bit ceremonial, but important to remember in the context of Dodgers history in Los Angeles. Their first game as the “LA” Dodgers resulted in a loss to those horrible Giants, who also had relocated out west from New York.

The first Opening Day lineup card for the Los Angeles Dodgers is perhaps most memorable for the player missing from it. Roy Campanella, who had started at catcher the previous nine openers, was absent after he was partially paralyzed in a car accident during the offseason. Rube Walker took his place, an anemic hitter, who only ended up standing in for 44 at-bats during the ’58 season.

Even without Campanella, the ’58 lineup that served as the first of the Los Angeles era featured three Hall-of-Famers, more than any other Opening Day fielded by the Dodgers since. Duke Snider started in left field, his career coming toward an end, but still finishing the season with an impressive .312/.371/.505 slashline over 106 games. Don Drysdale took the hill, on the opposite end of the aging curve than Snider, just getting his career going. And Pee Wee Reese started his final Opening Day as a Major Leaguer.

It’s the 1958 lineup that sets the stage for the rest of my rankings of the best Opening Day lineups in Los Angeles history.

4) 1994: The Rookies of the Year

If you grew up a fan of this team in the nineties, you probably had a poster of Eric Karros or Mike Piazza in your bedroom. The Dodgers were in the midst of dressing a Rookie of the Year every season back then, with Karros handing the award to Piazza who handed it over to Mondesi (who eventually handed it over to Hideo Nomo in 1995). The 1994 Opening Day lineup featured three of these young stars.

Piazza continued to amaze with his second Silver Slugger award while smashing .319/.370/.541 from the catcher position. Erik Karros had a down year, but still provided protection in the middle of the lineup with a .426 slugging percentage.

With a core of young talent, the ’94 lineup also received production from two veteran players in Brett Butler and Tim Wallach, both proving one of their best years was ahead of them at advanced points in their careers. Wallach cracked 23 home runs, his most since 1987, and even received a few MVP votes. Butler helped set the table at the top of the lineup, hitting .314 with a .411 on-base percentage. He still had his speed, too, as he led the National League in triples with nine.

Of course, this opening lineup was made complete with the Bulldog, Orel Hershiser, on the mound. At this point of his career, he wasn’t the pitcher he once was , but he was still effective during his final season with the Dodgers.

3) 1978: Almost champions

The Dodgers trotted out the same lineup for three straight Opening Days between 1977-1979. But I think 1978 was the best iteration, as Rick Monday put together his best season as a Dodger to complement the ever-reliable production from Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, and Reggie Smith.

Monday made the All-Star team in 1978 in what was really his last full productive season as a professional. He joined the Dodgers in 1977, but batted .230 and saw his power drop significantly from the season before with the Cubs. In 1978, while he didn’t get all of his power back, he upped his slugging percentage from .383 to .468. With Monday adding depth to the lineup, this veteran group presented a tough match-up for an opposing pitcher.

Steve Garvey led the league in hits and finished second in MVP voting. Ron Cey improved his average 30 points on the season before and made his fifth All-Star team. And switch-hitting Reggie Smith continued to rake with an OPS+ of 162.

The dependable Don Sutton took the ball for Game 1 in what turned out to be his final Opening Day start for the boys in blue, handing the reins to Burt Hooten the next two seasons. This lineup would carry the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series match-up against the New York Yankees.

1) 2019: Here comes Cody Bellinger

The best Opening Day lineup since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles? It might smell of recency bias, but the 2019 lineup card submitted by Dave Roberts is the best. 2017-2019 all offer amazing lineups which rank among the top in franchise history using park and league-adjusted statistics, but varying factors that altered which of the best hitters played on Opening Day for each of those years makes 2019 the strongest.

Obviously, it starts with Cody Bellinger. The National League MVP proved he is worthy of being considered among the very best in all of baseball. He smashed 47 home runs, drove in 115 runs, batted .305/.406/.629 and led the league in total bases. He was a machine at the plate.

Max Muncy proved 2018 wasn’t a fluke. He made his first All-Star team, hitting 35 home runs for the second consecutive season. To give an idea of the depth of this lineup, Muncy was one of seven hitters featured in this lineup who reached double digits in home runs during this season. Only two players had an OPS+ below league average. This lineup could flat out hit.

Joc Pederson hit 36 home runs and was almost an afterthought when talking about this Dodger offense. Justin Turner had another strong season with 27 homers, and finished third on the team in total bases. Corey Seager bounced back nicely from injury, mostly reproducing the numbers he generated before missing most of the 2018 season.

And that does it! I wish we were talking about the 2020 Opening Day lineup, but hopefully you enjoyed reading about the top opening lineups since the Dodgers moved to LA. Who knows where the 2020 lineup could rank when they eventually get their names called.