Leandre: Top 30 center fielders entering 2024, 10-1
Who are the 10-best center fielders entering the 2024 MLB regular season?
A couple of members of my top 10 center fielders may surprise some, but these guys are studs.
Among this group are several young guys, a couple still awaiting a breakout campaign. On top of that, there’s a gentleman ranked within this 10 who hasn’t been a full-time center fielder in a season yet in his MLB career.
Before getting into the top 10, let’s recap the middle third of this top 30.
With that, let’s take a look at who the 10-best center fielders are entering the 2024 MLB regular season.
10. TJ Friedl – Cincinnati Reds
As mentioned in previous rankings, it’s hard to pinpoint who plays where in Cincinnati. However, I think one of the few locks is/should be Friedl in center field.
Last season, the lefty bat posted four outs above average in center with a 118 wRC+ and 4.4 fWAR.
I like Friedl a good amount, it’s just a matter of stacking good seasons on each other at this point for the young outfielder. The Reds have an exciting – and young – squad but seem poised to leap into potential division crown contention.
9. Cody Bellinger – Chicago Cubs
It was a hectic offseason for Bellinger. Not quite like Carlos Correa last season; in fact, quite the opposite.
A market people questioned the strength of heading into the winter proved to be as nonexistent in practice. As a result, Bellinger not only signed late but signed a considerably below-market deal to return with the Cubs.
There’s plenty to love about his return to greatness in 2023, but plenty to be concerned about moving forward.
For starters, his numbers against velocity at 95+ mph are spotty at best and his quality of contact was also meh. Not to mention his two years prior were marred by injuries and poor performance.
He’s still a freak athlete with a strong arm and left-handed pop. He’ll sustain a good enough level of success to remain top 10 assuming health.
8. James Outman – Los Angeles Dodgers
Defense and age help Outman eke out the former Dodger in Bellinger for eighth on my top 30 center fielders list.
Last year was a good one for the rookie but left him with more to prove moving forward.
He posted nine outs above average and had a 118 wRC+ hitting near the bottom of the Dodgers’ order. He also was an animal on the basepaths, accumulating 5.7 base runs, which ranked 14th among 134 qualified batters.
7. Riley Greene – Detroit Tigers
I’m ready for Greene to break out and become a superstar for the Tigers, who are my pick to win the American League Central this season.
Last year, he posted a .365 xwOBA with a 119 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR in 99 games.
There’s some speculation that he’ll get kicked to a corner outfield spot for Parker Meadows to be the team’s center fielder, but I think Greene can handle center field and play it at an elite level.
He’s got All-Star potential with great quality of contact. Moving forward, assuming health, I expect him to post fourish wins above replacement consistently.
6. Kevin Kiermaier – Toronto Blue Jays
Last season was a rare one for the veteran outfielder in the sense he was a below-average baserunner.
I will chalk that up as an anomaly off a leg injury that limited him to just 63 games in 2022.
However, he hit to a 104 wRC+, which was the third-best of his career, and continued his reign of terror in center field for AL East teams (18 DRS, 13 OAA).
Sticking with the Blue Jays should be beneficial for both parties, and him centering Daulton Varsho and George Springer gives them one of the best defensive outfields in recent memory.
5. Michael Harris II – Atlanta Braves
The regression bug hit Harris in Year 2 of his MLB career, but he still churned out a 115 wRC+ with great baserunning and baserunning for the Atlanta Braves.
I expect Year 3 to be a big one for Harris II, who figures to slot between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jarred Kelenic/Adam Duvall in the outfield.
He has a beautiful swing that allows him to hit for easy power but high batting average. In Spring Training, that’s translated to the tune of a .327 batting average and a .551 slugging (three homers).
He has true 25-homer, 25-steal talent and I anticipate that showing in 2024.
4. Luis Robert Jr. — Chicago White Sox
F-I-N-A-L-L-Y.
Robert Jr. eclipsed 100 games played for the first time in his career and slashed .264/.315/.542 with a 128 wRC+, 38 homers and 5.0 fWAR.
He’ll never be a high on-base percentage guy unless he carries a batting average over .300, as he did in 2021. However, if he becomes a lock for an .857 OPS, especially in a not-so-hitter-friendly ballpark like Chicago’s, he’s a lock for the top four center fielders in baseball.
Especially if he posts six defensive runs saved and 13 outs above average as he did last year.
3. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels
Don’t overthink it.
Until Trout doesn’t perform well while healthy, he’s a top-three center fielder at worst.
2. Julio Rodríguez – Seattle Mariners
My dark horse pick to win AL MVP in 2024, Rodríguez followed up an impressive rookie campaign with an even better sophomore season.
His wRC+ dipped from 146 to 126 last year, but he was half a win better in fWAR, posted 2.7 more base runs, stole 12 more bases, hit four more homers, drove in 28 more runs and played 255 games.
He’s a machine and the Mariners are in a tremendous spot with him locked down for the next decade-plus.
1. Aaron Judge – New York Yankees
I have questions about Judge’s ability to hold up over 162 games as the team’s center fielder, but he’s easily the best in baseball.
He’s in the running for the best hitter in the sport and, so long as he plays 100 games, he’s probably a lock for at least four wins (5.3 in 106 games last season).
Red Sox make surprise move an option Brennan Bernardino to Triple-A Worcester
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