Leandre: Top 30 center fielders entering 2024, 20-11
The middle third of this center field ranking has quite a bit of upside, with a couple World Series champions in the mix as well.
As you creep toward the top 10 center fielders in the game, the pedigree starts to shine.
Within this group are several players with All-Star potential, not to mention multiple contributors to World Series winners.
As I mentioned in the latter third of this top 30, being good on both sides of the ball in a premium position like center field is the hallmark of accumulating a high WAR. Being great at both is certainly not a prerequisite but it doesn’t hurt.
Before getting into this group, let’s recap the 10 from the last chunk of this center fielder ranking.
Now, let’s take a look at Nos. 20 through 11.
20. Michael A. Taylor — Pittsburgh Pirates
Taylor’s defensive prowess is well documented, it’s just a matter of the kind of hitter he is yearly.
The hitter he was last season makes him an incredibly viable option in center field despite his strikeout and OBP issues. In 129 games last season, he hit 21 home runs and drove in 51 runs to pair with a .308 wOBA.
He’s never going to vy for a batting title, but if he can replicate something similar to his 96 wRC+ moving forward, his defense will more than pick up the slack.
19. Adam Duvall — Atlanta Braves
What’s the record for most times getting re-acquired by a team? Duvall with the Braves has to be in the running.
Regardless, nature is healing because he’s back in Atlanta and back with a team contending for a World Series title.
Last year, Duvall was a pleasant surprise in Boston; not because of his fit at Fenway Park, but because of how long his torrid stretches lasted. If he can be that caliber of hitter with the Braves again this go-around, unlike his 2022 season, he will hover around 1.5-2.0 fWAR.
18. Jazz Chisholm Jr. — Miami Marlins
Everyone awaits Chisholm to pop as one of the game’s most dynamic players.
He’s certainly one of the most fun to watch when he’s on, and he learned center field on the fly last year while posting four outs above average.
Right now, I’d firmly call him a *good* ballplayer with the potential to be great. He was on pace for a 30-homer, 30-steal season last year but injuries limited him to 97 games. I’d like to see what a full 162 looks like from Chisholm before he climbs this mountain any higher but coming in at No. 18 feels right.
17. Mike Tauchman — Chicago Cubs
The veteran outfielder played exceptional ball for the Cubs in 108 games last year.
Across 401 plate appearances, he slashed .252/.363/.377 with a .345 xwOBA and 1.8 fWAR. He also posted three defensive runs saved and one out above average.
Tauchman had a great 2023 coming off two bad years in a row, so it’s hard to tell what’s real about his success — if anything. Remember, he was tremendous for the Yankees in 2019 before bottoming out in 2020 and 2021 between them and the San Francisco Giants.
16. Cedric Mullins — Baltimore Orioles
Mullins hasn’t replicated the success of his 2021 when he abandoned switch-hitting and became a full-time lefty bat.
Last year was good value-wise for Mullins, but he still posted a pedestrian 98 wRC+ in 116 games. He also dipped below 20 stolen bases after consecutive seasons over 30.
I still like Mullins a lot as a player, especially with the glove. If he can return to his 2022 self — 108 wRC+, 34 stolen bases — he has a chance to re-climb the mountain.
15. José Siri — Tampa Bay Rays
Siri is a difficult person to project because his 2023 was bizarre. He hit 25 homers and slugged .494, but among 245 hitters with at least 350 plate appearances, he ranked tied for 240th in on-base percentage.
His season feels super volatile, but his defense should translate yearly. Last year, he had 10 outs above average; in 2022, he had 13.
He’s a great defender and, based on power output, could peak around three wins above replacement. However, if he hits just 10-12 homers, he’s roughly a 1.0-1.5-win player.
14. Jarren Duran — Boston Red Sox
Duran is a similar player to Siri considering volatility. The only difference is Duran’s volatility stems from a lack of power.
Last year, Duran posted a 120 wRC+ but his streaks ebbed and flowed with his BABIP luck.
If he can double his home run output, it should cause less stressful slumps for the young outfielder, a game-wrecker on the basepaths because of his high IQ and daring decision-making.
13. Leody Taveras — Texas Rangers
Taveras’ defense is his calling card, especially during the postseason last year in Texas. However, he’s not a slouch with the twig.
He finished with a 98 wRC+ but with 48 extra-base hits and 67 runs batted in.
That said, his defense was sparkling. In over 1,200 innings, he had three DRS and six OAA.
I question how much playing time he gets with the call-up of Wyatt Langford, but that glove deserves serious playing time.
12. Jack Suwinski — Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s hard to generate momentum behind Suwinski because he strikes out a third of the time. However, his power plays big time and he’s an elite-level baserunner.
Depending on your choice of defensive metric, your opinion of him as a defender is greatly different. However, -10 defensive runs saved isn’t impressive.
If he can get over the 30-homer hump this season with improved defense, he has a shot to climb into the back half of the top 10.
11. Johan Rojas — Philadelphia Phillies
I wish he had a better Spring Training so I could get instant validation of this take, but I believe in Johan Rojas.
His defense in center field is generational. In 392 innings, he had 15 (!!!!) defensive runs saved. He also posted six outs above average.
Offensively, he raked in Double-A last year and saw some of that success translate at the MLB level (109 wRC+). However, he never played in Triple-A so perhaps growing pains await the 23-year-old.
I think he’ll be a star, which is great for the Phillies because it kicks Brandon Marsh to left field, giving them two plus-defenders in the outfield with Nick Castellanos in right.
Chase Shugart poised for rebound in 2024 for Red Sox after positive outings in spring
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