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Projecting Dodgers’ Opening Day lineup with Freddie Freeman

By Adam Weinrib |
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 02: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after their 7-0 victory against the Houston Astros in Game Six to win the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park on November 02, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 02: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after their 7-0 victory against the Houston Astros in Game Six to win the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park on November 02, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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Freddie Freeman and other members of the Atlanta Braves (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Freddie Freeman and other members of the Atlanta Braves (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images) /

Oh, what a beautiful mornin’! Oh, what a beautiful day! Freddie Freeman has chosen the Dodgers, and everything’s goin’ LA.

If you thought the Dodgers’ death lineup from 2021 was invincible, wait until you see 2022’s version with Freeman and a fully-healthy Max Muncy in place.

Sadly, Corey Seager had to go, chasing long-term security in Texas. And, technically, with the Universal DH added, we could’ve seen a world where Seager, Freeman, Muncy and Trea Turner could all share the field more often than not. Truly terrifying!

As it is, the Dodgers suppose they’ll make do with only that trio on the field. Regardless, ditching the pitcher’s spot should (should! please!) make this lineup more fearsome.

Will LA’s new favorite son be eased into the Hollywood lineup? Will he reclaim his old spot in Atlanta without hesitation? Will all the Dodgers’ existing stars defer to his wishes?

Doubtful, likely, probably! Here’s our best guess for what the Dodgers look like on Opening Day 2022, facing off against the Rockies at Coors Field (again!).

Dodgers Opening Day Lineup 2022 (Projection) with Freddie Freeman

  1. Mookie Betts, RF
  2. Trea Turner, SS
  3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
  4. Max Muncy, DH

How ’bout THAT top four?! Betts and Turner get copy-pasted into our new-look batting order straight from the end of last year’s NLCS, but it’s pretty impossible to top that as a one-two punch. Not sure who the Dodgers will acquire over the next year or two to attempt to top it, as they often do, but that’ll be addressed eventually.

It’s difficult to keep FreeBomb out of the top half of this order, even with the immense amount of star power in play here. If Dave Roberts wants to get experimental, he can split the righties and lefties and run with Betts/Freeman/Turner/Muncy, but that feels unnecessarily cute. Let the speed demons set the table, worry about everything else later.

We’ll give Muncy the DH role for now, too, considering he’ll still be getting up to speed.

Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Bottom of Dodgers’ projected 2022 lineup is still beastly

As for five-through-nine, this projection feels likely, but you really can’t go wrong here.

5. Justin Turner, 3B

6. Will Smith, C

7. Chris Taylor, 2B

8. AJ Pollock, LF

9. Cody Bellinger, CF

In conclusion: HAHA! What an embarrassment of riches. Legitimately, the rest of the league should be more embarrassed than they currently are.

What minor changes could possibly be made? Defer to Turner, the vet, and move him up to the cleanup spot while sliding Muncy down to split the lefties? “Demote” the veritable team MVP from 2021 and his 36 homers/138 OPS+ to the five-hole for the good of some balance? Sure, we can see it. But beyond that … Cody Bellinger, looking for a resurgent season, is still in the No. 9 hole. Come on now.

Your Opening Day starter, despite a career-high in innings last season, should still be … Walker Buehler, the big right-hander out of Vanderbilt who’s looking for an extension and is going to hit the ground running with a vengeance. No. 21 and Julio Urías might be the only sure things in this rotation right now as Clayton Kershaw continues his rehabilitation, and Kershaw’s proudly deferred to Buehler regardless, so expect those three to open the season in that order.

So all that’s left to determine is … who’s left out by this dominant nine-man crew?

Kevin Pillar #11 of the New York Mets (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Kevin Pillar #11 of the New York Mets (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

Projected Dodgers bench to open 2022 season

OK, went out on a limb here, but it’s looking like a four-man weave to begin the campaign:

2B/SS/CF(?) Gavin Lux

3B/OF Edwin Rios

C Austin Barnes

OF Kevin Pillar, in an upset

Pillar’s just a classic gamer, and represents the type of minor-league signing you have very little intention of stashing at Triple-A. Things could shift quickly, players could go down, and Rios could theoretically open camp looking worse for wear after suffering a brutal shoulder injury in 2022.

We’re just calling it like we see it, though. Pillar does the Dodgers more good on the Opening Day roster than he does at Triple-A or chasing another opportunity, and Matt Beaty and Zach McKinstry might need to lease a duplex in Oklahoma City.

At this point, Los Angeles is leaking experience out of every corner of their reserve unit, though, and did we mention their nine-man batting order is nearly unrivaled in this game’s great history? We don’t want to get hyperbolic, but the preseason Bill Plaschke columns that everyone called ridiculous in 2021 essentially came true. The Dodgers won 106 games, added Max Scherzer midseason, and weathered bullpen meltdown after bullpen meltdown in the early going to basically climb right up to where they were projected to be.

If they can run out a variation of this lineup at least, say, 120 times, 100 wins should be the floor, which is quite impressive for a team that was somewhat unsettled when the lockout struck.

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