The National League has some of the best offenses in MLB, headlined by the Los Angeles Dodgers and a couple of surprise performers.
If you had the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants as better offenses than the New York Mets, the Atlanta Braves, or the San Diego Padres, well, kudos to you.
Get to know these top-notch offenses a little better.
3. Cincinnati Reds
You may be surprised by seeing the Reds’ name on this list, especially considering their offensive struggles in last year’s playoffs.
But the truth is that the Reds lineup is much-improved in 2021, and the numbers back that up.
The team is tied for fifth in MLB in runs per game, with five.
They are eighth in weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+, with 103.
The wRC+ stat encompasses several offensive components and considers eras and ballparks to determine whether an offense is above or below-average, with the “average” value being 100.
The Reds’ unit is one of 13 in MLB with at least a 100 wRC+.
Jonathan India’s breakout season (.279/.398/.454 with 13 homers and 19 doubles) and Joey Votto’s resurgence (25 homers, .958 OPS) are some recent success stories in this offense, but Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos remain the most consistent performers, with .945 and .938 OPS, respectively, and keeping that level virtually all year long.
I LOVE THIS REDS OFFENSE PLEASE LET'S GET TO THE POSTSEASON.
— Tyler Sebree (@TylerWSFA12) August 6, 2021
2. San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been one of the most pleasantly surprising teams in MLB this season.
Everybody expected the Dodgers to dominate the division, and the Padres to follow them closely.
Yet, the Giants’ 73-41 record is the best in the league.
A big part of the reason behind the Giants’ success is their offense.
The unit ranks fifth in MLB (second in MLB) in wRC+ with 107.
Additionally, they are tied for seventh in runs per game with 4.9.
Buster Posey (.336/.429/.560, with 15 homers) and Brandon Crawford (.295/.362/.542, 19 homers) are having their best seasons in years, while other unexpected contributors like LaMonte Wade Jr. (.864 OPS), Darin Ruf (.946 OPS), Brandon Belt (.912 OPS), and Evan Longoria (.892 OPS) have stepped up.
Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford have entered the MVP chat #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/Uq33yGtqUO
— Jeff Young (@BaseballJeff1) August 12, 2021
They acquired Kris Bryant at the deadline, and still have the dangerous Mike Yastrzemski.
San Francisco has few weaknesses, but their offense has really shined this year and is perhaps their best unit.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may not be leading their division, but their offense has been, once again, the best in the NL.
There are tied for second in runs scored per game with 5.2, and their 109 wRC+ is the third-best in MLB and the top mark in the NL.
Simply put, the Dodgers are the best offense in the senior circuit, and when all their elements are healthy, they are extremely dangerous.
Right now, they have their best player, Mookie Betts, on the injured list, but Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager are finally healthy.
They are good and deep: Will Smith and Austin Barnes are excellent catchers, they now have one of the NL’s premier shortstops in Trea Turner playing second base, Justin Turner and his contact-power combo is at third, and Max Muncy’s incredibly productive bat is also around.
Don’t forget about Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock, too: they are just so good and deep that they require your pitcher to be at the top of his game just to avoid big innings.
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