Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we debated the team that most needs Shohei Ohtani. This week we're going to tackle great 1-2 punches.
Who has the best 1-2 lineup punch in baseball?
R.J. Anderson: As always, it depends on what you consider. If we're talking for the 2024 season -- meaning Ohtani is only being viewed as a hitter -- and if you use Baseball-Reference's Wins Above Replacement metric to determine your answer … then you end up with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Granted, the margin is small enough to fit into the margin of error on WAR, with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman hot on their heels. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson or Austin Riley are up there, too, as are Marcus Semien and Corey Seager and Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Of course, if you include Ohtani's pitching, too, that changes the dynamic a lot and I think you'd have to go with Betts and Ohtani over everyone. So, to end this rant where it began, it just depends.
Matt Snyder: I do think Judge and Soto are close, just as Acuña and Olson are, but I'm going with Betts and Ohtani. Looping in Freeman it's the best three-man grouping on any team, too. I'm not sure how many lineups in history have ever had three MVPs, still in their prime, together. Let's just keep in mind that's still only 1/3 of the order and none of them will be pitching in 2024.
Dayn Perry: I'll have to lean Betts and Ohtani (or Ohtani and Freeman, for that matter), largely because I still worry about Judge's health and durability. I know last season's foot injury was a fluke thing, but Judge had concerns before that. If Judge is fully healthy, then I'd probably say him and Soto. Expectations as they are, though, I'll say Betts-Ohtani by a nose.
Mike Axisa: Yeah, it's Betts and Ohtani for me. Honestly, my ranking of the best 1-2 punches probably looks like this:
- Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani
- Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani
- Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman
- Everyone else
Betts, Freeman, and Ohtani are that good. I would probably go Acuña and Olson next only because Judge has had difficulty staying on the field throughout his career. When everyone is healthy and at their best though, Judge and Soto are as good as any 1-2 punch we've ever seen, really. For now, give me Mookie and Ohtani, and I'm willing to hear arguments for Freeman over Betts.
