The left fielder position is usually overlooked in Major League Baseball when discussing the best players in the game. This is the position currently with the least amount of household names. However, the top five left fielders all have strong talent and could continue to be great players for their respective clubs. It is hard to predict who will be occupying the position permanently, as the teams tend to rotate their left-fielders throughout the season. Among the players who are projected to be left fielders in 2024, here are the top 5.
Top 5 Left Fielders Heading Into 2024
5. Christian Yelich
Since Christian Yelich has recovered from his injury which plagued his career a few years ago, he has returned to form. In 2023 the old MVP Yelich showed up again for the Milwaukee Brewers, having a strong season. He finished the year batting .278 with 19 home runs, an OPS of .818, and a WAR of 3.6. That’s a good season considering he had been lost at the plate for nearly three seasons. Now the question that remains with Yelich is, can he keep this up going into 2024? If he can, then expect him to finish higher up on the list and back in the number one position that he occupied a couple of seasons ago.
4. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is one of the more perplexing players in baseball. His potential and talent have been on display since he was in Toronto with the Blue Jays. However, he has not always been able to put everything together. However, Gurriel has been a consistent performer for the past three seasons, always hitting well and playing strong defense. 2023 was no exception, as he hit .261 with 24 home runs, a .772 OPS, and a WAR of 3.0. On paper, those are respectable numbers, but where he stands out is in his defense. Since 2021, Gurriel is the only player on this list to have a positive defensive WAR, averaging 0.2 a season.
Just a reminder that Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is an elite defender
— Jake “Iggy” Ignaszewski (@JakeIggy) December 6, 2023
What is holding him back is his low on-base percentage. Gurriel hits well but struggles to get on base by taking pitches. He only walked 33 times in 2023. If Gurriel can adjust this part of his game, then he could be a breakout player for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.
3. Bryan Reynolds
A couple of years ago Bryan Reynolds was regarded as one of the most valuable trade pieces on the market. This was following a great 2021 season where he finished with a 5.9 WAR, a batting average of .302, and 24 home runs in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. However, since 2021, he has not been able to replicate that form. In 2022 he finished with a 2.9 WAR, and in 2023 he finished with a WAR of 2.4. WAR is not the end all, be all of the stats, but it does paint a picture, and the picture is obvious. Reynolds’ OPS dropped from .912 in 2021 to .790 in 2023, and his batting average dropped to .263 in 2023. These are significant drop-offs. However, his talent is still there. Reynolds has maintained his power, hitting around 25 home runs a season.
What Reynolds can do now to stand out and significantly improve his game is to improve his defense. In four full Major League seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Reynolds has averaged a defensive WAR of -0.5. However, among the other top players at the position, he is right in line since there currently is no elite-tier defensive player among the top five. Most of them have averaged negative defensive WAR seasons as well. If Reynolds can take a step forward defensively and make his bat more consistent, he will be a huge piece on the trade block.
2. Randy Arozarena
The Tampa Bay Rays sparkplug Randy Arozarena is one of the game’s most clutch players and best left fielders. He is a consistent bat in the Rays lineup and reliably hits in the low 20s for home runs and reaches the cusp of an .800 OPS. In 2023 Arozarena had a great World Baseball Classic, leading Team Mexico to a shocking victory over Team USA. In 2023 he had a respectable season, hitting 23 home runs, batting .254, and finishing with an OPS of .789.
Arozarena could have been number one on the list, however, two major flaws in his game have to be addressed. For one, he has not had a positive defensive WAR for a full major league season, and in 2022 he finished with a defensive WAR of -1.3. The other issue with his game is his overly aggressive base running. In 2021 and 2022, he has led the league in being caught while attempting to steal. Last year, he again was caught ten times, which is in line with his career average. Arozarena is strong with the bat but has to improve in all facets of his game if he wants to finish in first place next year on the list.
1. Ian Happ
Ian Happ may be a surprise pick for the number 1 spot on the list of top 5 left fielders in 2024. However, he is the most well-rounded player at the position. Since 2021 he has improved in all areas of his game, hitting for a higher average, playing better defense, and maintaining his power. Happ is now a back-to-back Gold Glove winner at the left field position. In 2022, he had a defensive WAR of 1.0, which is the highest of anyone on this list. That year, he also batted .271, hit 17 home runs, and finished the year with a 4.4 WAR. In 2023, Happ had another solid season, batting .248 with 21 home runs, an OPS of .791, and a WAR of 3.0. What is also impressive is his increase in taking walks. In 2022 he walked 58 times, and in 2023 he walked 99 times.
If Happ continues to improve the way he has and increases his walk rate even further, Chicago Cubs fans could be watching a breakout year in 2024.
Photo Credit: “Christian Yelich” by IDSportsPhoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
