Major League Baseball’s center fielders are arguably the position with the most front-loaded talent. Very few positions hold a host of former MVP’s and future greats. However, despite the top five extremely talented players, some have difficulty staying on the field due to continuous injuries. Ultimately, that significantly affected who was placed in each spot. Who are the top 5 centerfielders?
The Center Fielders Preview
Luis Robert Jr.
The Chicago White Sox centerfielder is one of the most exciting young talents in the majors. Luis Robert Jr. has shown flashes of power, speed, and athleticism in the field. 2023 was his breakout season, where he hit 264, with 38 home runs, and finished the year with a 5.0 WAR. Robert was also great in the field, finishing with a defensive 1.1 WAR. He is an all-around great player with immense potential; however, he is not higher on the list due to his injury history. 2023 was his first full season, where he played over 100 games. If Robert can find a way to stay in the game and on the field, then expect him to only improve from his impressive 2023 campaign.
Brandon Nimmo
Brandon Nimmo is one of the most underrated players across the league. In every full season when healthy, he has not had an OPS below .800 and has consistently been an on-base machine. Nimmo finished 2023 with a .274 batting average, 24 home runs, and a 3.9 WAR. In 2022, he was even better, finishing the year with a 5.3 WAR. Since 2021, Nimmo has been on a steady incline, improving in all facets of his game and staying healthy. Over the past two seasons, Nimmo has played in over 150 games and has been a great performer for the New York Mets.
Nimmo may not have the staggering numbers as other players on this list. His consistency and ability to add balance to the Mets lineup makes him a great player while playing in one of the largest center fields in baseball.
Mike Trout
It seems strange to have Mike Trout anywhere, but number one on this list. However, over the past three seasons, Trout has been injured and only played over 100 games once since 2021. 2023 was not a great year for him as he played in only half the games, where he batted .263 and hit 18 home runs. These have been his lowest tallies since he first broke into the majors. He is still so high on this list because of his exceptional track record. Before 2021, no one would have doubted that Trout was the best player. At one point, it seemed like Trout was winning an MVP every season and breaking multiple generational records.
Julio Rodríguez
Julio Rodríguez has become one of the game’s best players in just two seasons. He plays great defense in center field to go along with his exceptional bat-to-ball skills and his speed on the base path. In 2022, Rodríguez won the AL Rookie of the Year with an impressive showing, batting .284, with 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases, finishing his rookie season with a 6.2 WAR. Rodríguez also finished the year with a 0.7 defensive WAR, further solidifying his former high prospect status. In 2023, he followed up his impressive rookie season by batting .275, with 32 home runs, 37 stolen bases, and a 5.3 WAR.
The All-Star could be baseball’s next 40/40 player, considering he is only going into his age-23 season. If the Mariners can improve their offense, look out for Rodriguez as a dark horse candidate for AL MVP.
Aaron Judge
With the addition of Juan Soto, Aaron Judge will return to center field, where he won his first MVP. Judge is arguably the game’s best hitter since the season. In three seasons, he has averaged a staggering 178 OPS +, over three seasons, Judge has been 78 points better than the average hitter. Shohei Ohtani‘s 161 OPS + is the next closest over that same period. If Judge had not been injured in a freak accident at Dodger Stadium, there would have been a good chance of him hitting 60 home runs again.
This is after he broke Roger Maris‘s 61 American League home run record in 2022 with 62. Judge’s final line in 2022 was a .11 batting average, with 62 home runs, 131 RBI, 1.111 OPS, 120 OPS +, 10.6 WAR, an all-time great season. In 2023, he followed up by hitting 37 home runs with a .267 batting average, an OPS of 1.019, and a 4.5 WAR. Judge missed a third of the season and likely played at 60-80 percent of his true capacity due to the toe injury sustained at Dodger Stadium.
If Judge can stay healthy, avoid freak injuries, and pair with Juan Soto, expect him to be the overwhelming AL MVP favorite.
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