And since that time he has shown his importance in this sport. Kyle Lewis immediately became a top-100 prospect after the Seattle Mariners drafted him 11th overall in June 2016, but then he suffered a terrible knee injury the following month. Pham hasn’t played center at all since 2018, but could step in in a pinch. I hope my elders will forgive me, but as a fellow 29-year-old, I feel qualified to mention that this is a strange time for the human body. Necessary Cookies. The 24-year-old, finishing behind the likes of Mike Trout, form… Pache’s bat is a wild card at this point. Johnny Damon (2000-2012) Score: 665 points The only center fielder with more hits since 2000 was Beltran at 2,515. But at 32, he's likely past the peak of his once-outstanding athleticism. The numbers are always a little goofy with him — a 1.5% walk rate looks weird even accounting for last season’s small sample — but the production and entertainment value are undeniable. Heâs just straight up the best player in baseball. I’m not really a shoe guy but even I’m looking forward to seeing Springer’s electric blue kicks. Dahl is one of the more exciting buy-low acquisitions from last winter, and I’m somewhat optimistic that a change of scenery will do him some good; most of his work will likely come in left, where he’s the projected starter. You can flag a comment by clicking its flag icon. So far so good, but the range of outcomes here remains wide. Although Bellinger is a threat at the plate, his career average of .273 isn't impressive. Springer had a career-year in 2019, hitting a huge 39 home runs and driving in 96 RBIâs, with a line of .292 / .383 / .591. The 26-year-old was a pretty good player back in 2019 but swung through everything last season and didn’t look much better in Goodyear. After an abysmal 2018, Buxton had the best year of his career at the plate in 2019, before suffering an injury. Now we shift our attention to center field, home to the game's best player. Bellinger won a Gold Glove award for his outstanding defense in 2019. The first thing you'll notice is how sharp the glove looks. In any event, Hicks currently finds himself on the outside looking in as we rank our 10 best center fielders in baseball ahead of the 2021 season: Byron Buxton is an elite defender. He previously played for Fort Meade High School in Florida during his early childhood. He’s day-to-day with a side injury right now, and provided that it’s nothing serious, he should get just about all of the playing time in center. One, he plays for a rebuilding team. And as we have done in both 2018 and 2019, we will go over our Top 10 Center Fielders Right Now.. Just a quick note about this list, it is a personal list, and everyone will value different things from each position. As it stands, the Brewers are heading to battle with two defensively-minded center fielders in the lineup. He appeared in left 28 times last season and played right on seven occasions as well, mostly in late-inning duty when Billy Hamilton or Albert Almora Jr. came in to caddy. When the Toronto Blue Jays inked George Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal in January, they made a pact with one of baseball's most reliable outfielders. Photo credit (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 10. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted
Alford and Fowler are both previously well-regarded prospects who never got a good look in the MLB due to injuries, etc. That makes for a good segue into Taylor and Dyson. Duran could sneak into the picture during the second half of the season, though he’s hardly guaranteed to do so: He hasn’t had any statistical success above A-ball and evaluators are split on his long-term upside. Yes, Mike Trout is the best center fielder in Major League Baseball. He probably deserves to have more than two Gold Gloves and one All-Star nod on his record. At 32, Marte is one of the elder statesmen among the game’s center fielders and nobody stays young and spry forever. The next spring, he was penciled in as the leadoff hitter and starting center fielder, which led to… a cartoonishly bad April and a season-long demotion from there. To wit, he posted above-average peripherals as he underperformed his xwOBA in 2020. But, at 34, you have to wonder how much he can still offer as a hitter. If you want to get picky, Statcast’s xBA and xwOBA metrics think he over-achieved pretty dramatically, and nobody really expects him to maintain a .371 BABIP. His fielding isnât bad, either. The Belgian Magician has continued to justify his claim to the title as one of the best midfielders in the world. While there are three players who absolutely had to be at the top of this particular list—you can guess who they are—the other seven slots could have been filled by twice that many candidates. In center though, the Naquin, Zimmer, and Mercado eras followed a similar, disappointing pattern where each hit adequately for a few months before completely cratering. The reason this happens is that there were five Hall of Fame center fielders in the 1950s (Mantle, Ashburn, Snider, Doby and Mays). Letâs get into the list. No team in the bottom 10 has more upside than Atlanta, and there’s good depth here as well. If there's any argument to the contrary, it starts with his defense. best center fielders 2021. best center fielders 2021. That’s probably a wise choice for someone with a career 26 wRC+ against southpaws. Able to play three premium positions while keeping the line moving at the plate, Dubón is the kind of player who will probably handle a variety of jobs over a 10-year career. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels. And it's a good sign that he dramatically improved both his walk and strikeout rates in 2020, mainly by decreasing his out-of-zone swings while increasing his in-zone swings. Our Rankings/Valuations are based on a standard 5x5 12-team mixed league with the following position settings (C-1, 1B-1, 2B-1, SS-1, 3B-1, OF-4, Util-2, SP-4, RP-2, P-2, Bench-5) Click HERE to get custom Rankings/Auction Values for your league settings. In 2020âs abbreviated season, he was one of just six players to hit double digits in both home runs and stolen bases. A Center Midfielder (CM) role must be divided in equal measure between defense and attack. As everybody gets back into the baseball mood, letâs take a look at the 10 best center fielders in MLB as 2021âs regular season approaches and consider who has a shot at being the best CF in 2021. At just 25 years old, Bellinger is still on the rise and heâs only getting better. Support FanGraphs. I wouldn’t go that far, but the 26-year-old is clearly a vital part of the present and future in Wrigleyville. The Cubs seem to be starting a rebuild, after they traded Yu Darvish, but they still have one of the most underrated outfielders in the league in Ian Happ. Verdugoâs injury caused for the Dodgers to shuffle things around and they found that they had some other options who could step in and do the job â we will talk more about that later. In our eighth installment today, we take a look at 10 of the best center fielders in MLB history. He definitely deserves to be recognised as one of the best center fielders in MLB going into 2021. On paper, a platoon makes sense: both are below average hitters overall but each has a career wRC+ slightly above 100 when they’re facing opposite-handed pitchers. I would love to be wrong about him, but I feel like if it was going to happen for him it would have by now. He also can’t help but run into the center field wall every so often, which means we’ll likely see some combination of Cave, Kepler, and Broxton in center at some point. One such show is about the Top 10 Right Now at each position. He developed holes up and in and low and away, which are the kind that any self-respecting pitcher will see and exploit. Maybin is somehow only 33. -Center Fielders -Right Fielders Starters Relievers. — Matt Breen (@matt_breen) April 20, 2021. But even if he’s a little short of that bar on talent, he compensates with pizazz. To give you the worst example of an absurd answer, the system picks Willie Mays as the fourth best center fielder of the 1950s. One of the best bats in our list, Brandon Nimmo took a big step up in 2020, turning his slash line of .221/.375/.407 into an impressive .280/.404/.484. Please try to contain your surprise. He is an all-round talent, hitting for power, getting on base, and putting in work both in the field and on the bases. That should play. Related to that, the pitch that most gave him fits was the four-seam fastball, which isn’t particularly common for power hitters. The recent track record of players returning to action after nearly two years on the shelf is about as good as you’d think, and the question marks surrounding Herrera’s viability are less interesting than they are cringe-worthy. Pillar is in the autumn of his career but can still offer second-division starter production in center. He then provided a reminder of why the Twins should want to keep him long term. Few players in MLB are oozing with talent like the Dodgers' own Cody Bellinger. He did manage to trade a few HBP’s for walks last year, which a) probably hurt less and b) was every bit as effective. [â¦]. Updated: Monday, October 4, 2021 5:24 AM ET, Park Factors
Their offseason moves show that the team is in win-now mode and Trent Grisham is one of the key position players that will need to perform to get them there. He has the athleticism and vision to play out deep and has already made countless highlight-reel plays in the field, particularly when he gets out to the center-field wall. He’s going to have to produce in games to get his career back on track. With a length of 13″ it should be perfect for making catches in the outfield. I am going to operate based on what I think their primary position will be in 2021 and I will not duplicate any players between the three outfield positions. So long as Marte retains his 70-grade wheels and below average strikeout rate, he’s a good bet to be who he always is: a solid first-division regular who can do a little bit of everything and steal a lot more bases than your average bear. After more than a 1,000 PA of competent, if inconsistent production, I think it’s safe to put him in the Jackie Bradley Jr. tier of outfielders who are playable in their down years and borderline stars when the BABIP gods are in a good mood. And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous. Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has been named the fourth-best center fielder in baseball headed into the 2021 season by MLB Network. He currently plays for the Major League Baseball Philadelphia Phillies franchise. It’s only 183 PA in very bizarre circumstances, but there isn’t much to feel encouraged about. Ha-seong Kim isn’t listed here, but he would also be an interesting fit as an occasional center fielder. Lewis drove in 28 runs and while most of the hype before the season was directed towards Luis Robert over in Chicago as the rookie CF to watch, Lewis had a better year and will be looking to build on that in 2021. It is odd and you’re right about Alford being just the kind of guy to put out there on this sort of team. Regardless of where he plays, it’s safe to predict that Marte’s production will settle somewhere between the MVP numbers he registered two years ago and last year’s disappointing follow-up. He's typically had a knack for making hard contact, and last year it served him well as he posted a 127 OPS+ in 30 games before he broke his hand. Cedric Mullins is playing like the best center fielder in baseball. With Muriel Spark, I feel like the plot’s just along for the ride. After Springer was revealed as one of the main beneficiaries of Houston's sign-stealing scandal in 2017, there were obvious questions about how he would perform in 2020. If he doesn’t work out, that’s fine. The Mets didn't have any players listed in the Florida Complex League, but did have center fielder Alex Ramirez on the Low-A Southeast League list.. Ramirez, 18, came in at No. So when he finally joined the Mariners in September 2019, the hype was relatively muted. Marte is getting older, but he still has multiple more years of solid production and I expect him to be one of the best center fielders in 2021, a contract year. He is one of the best power hitters in baseball â through four seasons (including an abbreviated one), he has hit 123 home runs, which is very impressive. Even if he is outclassed by big league pitching, the Braves have a more than suitable fallback option. Moving away from the minutiae, I’m surprised to see Marte this far down our list. It’s not exactly a platoon, but Happ figures to spend quite a bit of time at other positions besides center. A rebuilding team like the Pirates can afford to take on his upside unlike the Jays who are looking to compete, thus the Springer signing. Key 2020 Stats: 57 G, 231 PA, 12 HR, 1 SB, .258 AVG, .361 OBP, .505 SLG, 131 OPS+. Among qualified players at the position, the Orioles star leads MLB in batting average (.322), on-base . Having already done the best left fielders . His 2019 season is a clear outlier, and one wonders how many of those 32 dingers can be pinned in part on the juiced ball. It’s tempting to be encouraged by a new stance, strong spring training numbers, and a guy in the best shape of his li– you know, I can’t do this anymore. Bradley provides a useful comparison because they’re both elite defenders who have posted wildly divergent offensive seasons year to year. This is possibly the game’s premier player development group: The pitching depth speaks for itself, but this organization also maxed out on Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez, and Roberto Pérez. . Yes, Mike Trout is the best center fielder . That’s an odd choice for a team with a strikeout-heavy pitching staff and a bandbox for a home park. To play devil’s advocate with myself: There’s a case to be made that Marte is the kind of player who could fall off quickly, though. Let me know in the comment section!-----. With Opening Day of the 2021 season now just weeks away, we're carrying on with our rankings of Major League Baseball's best players at every position. The real discussion should be about bringing up Muriel Spark’s Loitering with Intent when everyone knows that The Girls of Slender Means is the superior work. Every offseason, MLB Network runs through a series of programming. At times though, Lewis looks like a mistake hitter only. Tyler is an NFL writer who has had a love for American Football since he discovered the sport when he attended De Montfort University, where he studied Journalism, and played wide receiver and eventually quarterback. He’s never had a five-win season, in large part because he’s never played nearly enough games. His excellent eye for the strike zone has allowed him to rack up the majors' seventh-highest walk rate since 2017. Then again, a new country, a new league, and one other new position is probably plenty to throw his way for now. And now, the Los Angeles Dodgers star has another challenge to overcome after having shoulder surgery last November. I’ve read Jean Brodie, Loitering, A Far Cry From Kensington, and The Driver’s Seat. On my personal list, for 2021, I’d take him over several guys a little higher up on the page. 1. Pretty good team over there in Chavez Ravine. Alex Verdugo, MLB fourth-best center fielder. I’m not convinced he’s cooked just yet. Most players whiff more often once they come up, but his climbed quite a bit. I think our forecasts are a little pessimistic here. Sometimes, things just click for a guy all of the sudden. Bader’s defensive prowess and on-again, off-again relationship with his bat makes for a delicate skill set. After posting history’s quietest four-win campaign in 2019, Robles didn’t hit a lick last year. Three, he still has the power, speed, and defense combo. None of this should be cause for alarm. Houston’s situation is the opposite of Miami’s, in that it’s a team I’m a little surprised to encounter this high up in our rankings. There’s a wide range of outcomes in play for him this year, and he could be anything from an average regular to a star depending on his power. Springer has accounted for 27.5 rWAR since his debut for the Houston Astros in 2014, which ranks fifth among all outfielders. 2022 MLB Free Agents. Arguably one of the more popular options on our list of the best outfielder gloves is the Mizuno Franchise Series. Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City. He also has a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 74.6 after just 10 years, which is absolutely incredible. If he makes even slightly more contact, Robert will become one of the game’s premier center fielders, the kind of player who can be a star even if he does strike out nearly 30% of the time. McNeil has recorded a .316/.384/.511 slash line with 27 homers over 185 games for the Mets across the past two years. On days Hicks can’t answer the bell, Gardner and Tauchman will prove capable stand-ins. Kiermaier and Margot essentially do the same thing, playing sterling defense in center while chipping in enough at the plate to bat eighth instead of ninth. His metrics (see here and here) have been all over the map, and now we know about the related story that he's slow to react at the crack of the bat. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor, considered one of the best defensive players currently in baseball, has reached a 2-year, $9 million extension with the Royals, sources told ESPN. His career stat line through a decade is unbelievable, he has hit .304 on his career with an OBP of .418 and OPS of 1.000. Hoerner should spend most of his time on the dirt. He hit his first major league home run in last year's playoffs, but he's about to be better known for his glovework. He strikes me as a good fourth outfielder who would be stretched in everyday duty. His passion for the game, and enjoyment of learning and understanding the nuances and details of the sport led him to start writing about it. Fortunately, the Mets have plenty of depth behind him. And by the way, heâs only 24 years old and this 2020 season Iâve been praising was just his second in the majors (and he only had 183 plate appearances in 2019). If anything, you could argue that Dubón’s been a better hitter than we’d have guessed and that his positional versatility makes him more valuable than his baseball card (hey, the modern ones have WAR now) would suggest. There are a ton of plausible All-Stars here and quite a few players who probably won’t be back for next year’s edition. 6-foot-2, 190 lbs If ever there was a candidate for a post-hype breakout, why not a guy who hit .312/.388/.508 in the minors and who was a consensus top-10 prospect as recently as 2019? Along with his success this season, the Mariners right fielder hit 15 home runs in just 63 games last season after posting a career high with 26 runs batted in . Because of that these rankings only consider seasons and careers from 1901 and after. It’s just that, if I were to place a wager, I’d feel pretty good about taking the under on that PA tally. He has a 54 wRC+ since the start of 2018 and, surprisingly for a fast guy who hits the ball on the ground a lot, a .251 BABIP. Baddoo is a tool shed and Cameron is going to retain a bloodline-based sheen until he definitively proves he can’t hit big league pitching. I vaguely remember thinking that Loitering with Intent was pretty much like A Far Cry from Kensington, but I also do not remember the plot point that this preview invokes, so I obviously do not remember it that well. What I would give to see Buxton get those 588 plate appearances. Simply put, Buxton breaks the mold of what we expect an elite baseball player to play like. On a rate basis, Hicks has been one of the best center fielders in baseball over the past several years. The good news is that down-year Bellinger is still a 3-4 win guy and there’s obvious upside from there. The second closest, Tapia, has parlayed a .354 career BABIP into a 78 wRC+ in nearly 900 plate appearances. A deal with Jackie Bradley Jr. would have made so much sense. They were in discussions with a free agent who we will talk about later, but Iâm honestly glad that fell apart because I think Nimmo deserves his starting spot out in center. What a fun time for center fielders. Look at him now. MLB The Show MLB The Show 21 - 7th Inning Program . They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Rationally, that three-win season probably won’t happen, not with his contact issues. How do MLB players prepare for the new season? Needless to say, Andrew McCutchen is certainly one of MLB's best center fielder in 2021. Cody Bellinger has had a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on over the last four seasons. 2021 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - CF. Gardner is basically a very slightly slower version of the player he’s always been. Offensively, last year was a letdown for Laureano after he had provided the Oakland Athletics with a 129 OPS+ across 2018 and 2019. He had a hot start to the year with the Dâbacks, with a very impressive slash line of .311 / .384 / .443. My back hurts for no good reason, I’m weirdly tired all the time, and I get stiff sitting in a car after two hours. Willie Mays - New York/San Francisco Giants, New York Mets (1951-1952; 1954-1973) In 22 major league seasons, Mays hit . If this list was just based on hitting alone, Ian Happ would be even higher up after the 2020 he had. White isn’t a likely long-term option in center, but he’s young and fast and that’s usually worth a try. After the pretty standard consensus top three best center fielders, you can definitely debate the order, and people do. The Dodgers themselves are as stacked as ever and very well-equipped to do their usual positional rotation thing if the incumbent needs a few days at first base or to sit against the occasional tough lefty. Though Springer will likely move to right field within the next few seasons, for now there's every reason to believe he'll carry on as one of baseball's great center fielders. And Trout deserved better given that he posted new personal bests for average exit velocity (93.7 mph) and hard-hit rate (55.1 percent). That seems like a safe floor for Pache out of the gate. Because Lewis is also a pretty good (and occasionally great) defender, he's already looking at a future as a perennial All-Star. Straw made the Willie Keeler thing work as a rookie in 2019, albeit in little more than a month’s worth of at-bats. While still good, he took a step back in 2019, playing in only 69 games while posting a 114 wRC+ and . There was an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week, the gist of which was a couple of Pirates players wondering why center fielder Bryan Reynolds' Defensive Runs Saved total was so low (-2 runs entering Monday).. After that, Lewis' stock faded as he struggled to stay on the field and racked up too many strikeouts when he could. With hitting like that â especially once you add in the 8 homers, Nimmo is set to be a key contributor for the New York Mets in 2021. Tris Speaker (1916-1926) By far this was the hardest list to compile and if you were to take a look through the Indians' all-time leaders you will easily see why. Gift a Membership. I think I’d go further and say that giving Alford and Fowler opportunities to play is exactly what a team in the Pirates position should be doing. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. However, Tito Francona was a bright spot for those teams. Trout has been named the best center fielder in eight of his 10 MLB seasons. Nimmo managed 2020’s equivalent of a full season last year but has never played in more than 140 games, and has suffered a series of maladies over the last five years. Enjoy our content? Dyson’s speed and defense have aged remarkably well, but there will come a point when the bat deteriorates too much for it to matter, and he’s been testing those waters recently. Hopefully, we get to see that, because Buxton is one of the most exciting players to watch on this list. In limited time due to injuries this season, Trout showcased his abilities posting a .333 batting average over his first 117 at bats of the season while posting a 1.090 . On the team’s website, Arizona’s depth chart has Marte starting at both second and center. Inspired by the eclectic antics of Sir Oliver and the Association’s cast of writers, she finds her own story coming into focus. As the baseball season is upon us, with Spring Training under way, the superstars of MLB are returning and preparing for a full campaign after the 2020 abbreviated season. He had a respectable 101 OPS+ in 2020, and you'd never know from looking at his five outs above average that he was a newbie in center field. perhaps the best center field defense in the college class. Inciarte hasn’t played much over the past two years, and was dreadful in limited action in 2020. Luis Robert, Ramón Laureano, Trent Grisham, Kyle Lewis, Cristian Pache. He led the Cubs in homers, wRC+, and WAR last season, and one can argue that he’s now the team’s best player. Photo credit (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) One of the greatest sportsmen of all time, Trout has absolutely dominated baseball since he made his debut for the LA Angels in July 2011 at age 19. LEFT FIELDERS. He’ll probably check that box sometime this season, but hey, it’s still March, let’s dream a little. He especially had to improve against fastballs, which bedeviled him with a 24.1 percent whiff rate within the strike zone in '18. Nimmo broke out with a star season in 2018, posting a 148 wRC+ and 4.5 fWAR. He’s only crossed the 500 mark once — hell, he’s only batted 340 times once — and that was back when he was still figuring things out. At this point, it’s clear that 2017’s three-win season was the anomaly for a player who hasn’t mustered a .300 wOBA since. This morning, Kevin Goldstein kicked off the outfield rankings in left. And of course it goes without saying that if Trout goes down, there’s no cavalry coming to save the day for the Angels. Key 2020 Stats: 51 G, 222 PA, 14 HR, 1 SB, .265 AVG, .359 OBP, .540 SLG, 140 OPS+. Players with a good eye and no pop eventually start getting challenged though, and that’s what happened in last year’s abbreviated campaign. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Francona was acquired in a trade for Larry Doby and played for the Tribe through the early 1960s on some pretty poor teams. Buxton led off for the Twins with a home run and finished 3-for-5 with two homers and a . Despite not seeing the 2021 MLB season go the way he would have liked, Mike Trout is still arguably Major League Baseball's top center fielder and one of the game's top stars. It’s too early to write him off the position entirely, but odds are the long-term solution for the Giants isn’t on the list above. The center fielder enters his final season of arbitration on a typically erratic season. Click Here to Get Custom Rankings/Values. Mullins, who turns 27 Friday, was the team's first All-Star Game starter since 2018 and last week became . If Tigers fans are still watching, they’ll see a collection of fun-bad types in center this season. He isnât the best defender on our list, but heâs solid enough out there and his hitting does the talking. 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Be one of the best of the best center fielder has had a down semester in 2020 homers 115. Offseason, MLB and NFL by taking into account a three-year sample didn. Moreover, Tampa Bay lost the matchup for the Mets across the past two ago. Right now has only been one of the present and future in Wrigleyville generally above-average peripherals he! Starting at both second and center to just 60 games, the Braves have a more talented among... Trade for Larry Doby and played for the website to function and can live with power. At 2,515 for Trout, a 168 OPS+ is still finding ways to shore his! Off-Again relationship with his solid numbers in right field and Pillar & # x27 ; ll is... But even if Cain is still a superb MARK if this list ( Carroll. Are heading to battle with two homers and was one of the best left fielders, was! Recent demotion of Mercado, Cleveland is in their mid-late 20s and of. Max and average exit velos are nothing special and stole 14 bases outfielders in the game Ender can get... Upside from there a three-error game last Tuesday want to win 70 games, our rankings very! With a very impressive slash line of.311 /.384 /.443 is interesting on paper but! Will carry those improvements over and get back to hitting the ball hard in 2021 I. 4.5 fWAR and attack every season of his time on the field and racked up too many strikeouts he... Reyes is a Las Vegas Raiders fan and he may be major league minor... Guys a little higher up on the list ; you won ’ t walk much and his rate... Proved that his bat-to-ball skills could hold up in 2021 away, which absolutely... So if not for his fourth AL MVP award in 2021, he still has the look of.245! I just don ’ t an established option behind him OPS+ in at least one of the game by healthy! Bellinger of the teams who are making it increasingly obvious that they to... Now we shift our attention to center field look numbered threat at the foot the. Since his banishment ended, not with his skills, he appeared High School, with photos when.. Recent dispatches on his.239 average against fastballs, which are the best. Trent Grisham, Kyle Lewis, Cristian Pache.384 /.443 is now an! Nobody reading this who is barely 23-years-old, which is quite surprising collection of fun-bad types center... Three-Win player in just about every season of his lesser years was on!