Ranking The Top 10 Center Fielders Ahead Of The 2023 MLB Season

Outfielders have significant roles on defense.

An outfielder must be able to judge the trajectory of fly balls and have enough speed to run to the point where the ball will come down.

Batted or thrown balls that pass beyond the infielders along the ground must be run down and picked up by the Outfielders.

A strong throwing arm, as is accuracy in throwing the ball to the right point in the infield, is essential.

The most notable on defense is the Center Fielder.

Center Fielders are chosen for their speed and expert judgment of fly balls.

The Center Fielder not only positions himself at a strategic point for each batter but often directs the playing positions of his Outfield teammates.

Some of the best batters in the league play the Center Field position.

Below, we analyze the top 10 Center Fielders entering the 2023 MLB season.

The Top 10 Center Fielders Entering The 2023 MLB Season

Some of the best batters in the league play the Center Field position

Unfortunately, some talented Center Fielders had to be left off the top 10 list.

Chas McCormick is entering his third year in the big leagues. His offensive numbers in 2022 were very similar to his 2021 numbers. In 2021, he had 47 runs, 73 hits, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 50 RBIs, a .257 batting average, .319 OBP, .447 SLG, and .766 OPS. In 2022, he had 47 runs, 88 hits, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs, a .245 batting average, .332 OBP, .407 SLG, and .738 OPS. He provides very reliable defense and is the perfect fit in an Astros lineup. McCormick is a solid all-around player.

Dylan Carlson is still young, he will be 24 years old for the 2023 MLB campaign. However, he still has had two full MLB seasons under his belt. He played 149 games in 2021 and 128 games in 2022. Carlson suffered a sophomore slump. In 2021, Carlson had 79 runs, 144 hits, 31 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, a .266 batting average, .343 OBP, .437 SLG, and .780 OPS. Last season, he had 56 runs, 102 hits, 30 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, a .236 batting average, .316 OBP, .380 SLG, and .695 OPS. He is one of the better defensive Outfielders in the league. Carlson just missed out on cracking the top 10 list but he will have a bounce-back year and remain an excellent asset defensively.

We look at the top 10 Center Fielders entering the 2023 MLB season.

Harrison Bader kicks off the top 10 list of CF for the 2023 MLB season.

10. Harrison Bader

Harrison Bader has had spurts of playing exceptionally well offensively but has also seen droughts in the big leagues.

Take 2021 and 2022 for example.

In 2021, Bader had a .785 OPS and 16 home runs in 103 games but in 2022, Bader had a .650 OPS and five home runs in 86 games.

While he has had his ups and downs on offense, he has consistently been elite on defense.

Bader won a Gold Glove during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals.

His brief Yankee showing in the regular season was so-so but he turned it on big time in the postseason last year.

He hit five home runs and had an OPS of just under 1.300 in nine playoff games.

Bader is expected to bat seventh in a very good Yankees lineup.

Gleyber Torres will bat fifth and Aaron Hicks will bat sixth just in front of Bader.

If Bader can perform well offensively, he will move up the batting order, which will further improve his offensive numbers.

Bader already brings elite defense and if he can continue his momentum from the playoffs last season, this will be his best season in the big league yet.

9. Cedric Mullins

Cedric Mullins didn’t match his breakout 2021 season, where he posted a 6.0 WAR and finished ninth in AL MVP voting.

Still, he is a tremendous fielder and an above-average offensive contributor.

He was the only player in the MLB to go 30/30 in 2021 but he had 16 home runs last season, to go along with 32 stolen bases.

He was able to stay healthy last season, playing in 156 games.

Last season, Mullins had 89 runs, 157 hits, 32 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, a .258 batting average, .318 OBP, .403 SLG, and .721 OPS.

He ranked tied for third in runs, third in hits, first in doubles, tied for third in triples, tied for 12th in home runs, and tied for sixth in RBIs among Center Fielders last season.

Mullins ranked sixth in batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS among Center Fielders that qualified with at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game played last season.

Mullins will bat leadoff once again for the Baltimore Orioles.

Adley Rutschman will bat second and Gunnar Henderson will bat third behind Mullins.

This will help Mullins rack up runs.

Expect Mullins to have over 90 runs, 155 hits, 35 doubles, 18 home runs, and 65 RBIs, and to keep his batting average to approximately .270 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

Mullins will once again have a very good season and be among the top 10 Center Fielders in the MLB.

8. Bryan Reynolds

Bryan Reynolds has become a go-to name to speculate about regards to trades given his offensive production over the last two seasons.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates hurts Reynolds’ chances of collecting runs and RBIs but he has shown he has power, hitting 24 home runs in 2021 and 27 home runs in 2022.

Reynolds had a batting average of just over .300 in 2021 as well.

He was able to stay healthy last season, playing in 145 games.

Last season, Reynolds had 74 runs, 142 hits, 19 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .262 batting average, .345 OBP, .461 SLG, and .807 OPS.

He ranked tied for eighth in runs, fifth in hits, tied for 17th in doubles, tied for third in triples, fifth in home runs, and ninth in RBIs among Center Fielders last season.

Reynolds ranked fifth in batting average, third in OBP, and fourth in SLG and OPS among Center Fielders that qualified with at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game played last season.

O’Neil Cruz will bat leadoff and Reynolds will bat second. If Cruz can improve and get on base more, this will help Reynolds collect more RBIs.

Expect Reynolds to have over 75 runs, 140 hits, 20 doubles, 27 home runs, and 70 RBIs, and to keep his batting average to approximately .270 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

Reynolds will be among the top 10 Center Fielders in the MLB.

7. Luis Robert

Luis Robert appeared to be a future star when he won a Gold Glove award and finished second in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting in the shortened 2020 season.

However, out of a possible 324 games over the last two seasons, Robert has been limited to just 166 games.

He played in 98 games last season.

Last season, Robert had 54 runs, 108 hits, 18 doubles, 12 home runs, 56 RBIs, a .284 batting average, .319 OBP, .426 SLG, and .746 OPS.

Robert is expected to bat second against righties and third against southpaws.

He has a good lineup around him.

Tim Anderson will bat leadoff and Eloy Jimenez will bat third or fourth in the lineup.

The biggest concern for the White Sox is getting their players to stay healthy.

Anderson played in just 77 games and Jimenez played in 84 games last year.

Robert, Anderson, and Jimenez all played less than 100 games last season.

Expect Robert to have over 70 runs, 140 hits, 20 doubles, 20 home runs, and 80 RBIs, and to keep his batting average to approximately .285 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

If Robert can stay healthy, he should easily outperform his seventh-ranked Center Fielder on this list.

6. Brandon Nimmo

Brandon Nimmo returned to the New York Mets this offseason on an eight-year/$162 million deal in the offseason after a career 2022 season.

When he is healthy, Nimmo is an on-base machine that can hit at the top of the Mets’ batting order.

However, 2022 was just the second time that he has played more than 100 games in a season.

Nimmo will need to stay healthy and avoid the injured list for the contract to be worth it for the Mets.

He played 151 games last year.

Last season, Nimmo had 102 runs, 159 hits, 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, a .274 batting average, .367 OBP, .433 SLG, and .800 OPS.

He ranked second in runs and hits, third in doubles, first in triples, tied for 12th in home runs, and tied for sixth in RBIs among Center Fielders last season.

Nimmo ranked third in batting average, second in OBP and fifth in SLG and OPS among Center Fielders that qualified with at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game played last season.

He will bat leadoff for a good New York Mets batting lineup.

Expect Nimmo to have over 100 runs, 160 hits, 30 doubles, 20 home runs, and 65 RBIs, and to keep his batting average to approximately .275 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

If Nimmo can stay healthy once again, he will have a stellar season.

The Top 5 Center Fielders Entering The 2023 MLB Season

Now, we get to the top-five Center Fielders in the MLB.

Jazz Chisholm kicks off the top-five list of CFs entering the 2023 MLB season.

5. Jazz Chisholm

Jazz Chisholm will move to play Center Field in the 2023 MLB season after playing second base each of the last two seasons.

He is one of the most exciting young stars in the game but he has had injury concerns as he missed the entire second half of the 2022 season with a back injury.

The potential to be a future star in the league is there for Chisholm.

Last season, Chisholm had 39 runs, 54 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, a .254 batting average, .325 OBP, .535 SLG, and .860 OPS.

He will bat third in the Miami lineup.

Luis Arraez will bat leadoff and Jorge Soler will bat second ahead of Chisholm, with Garrett Cooper batting fourth and Avisail Garcia batting fifth in the lineup.

Arraez gets on base very frequently, hitting no less than .294 in any of his four seasons in the league. He has hit over .300 in three of his four years in the MLB. This will set up Chisholm to knock in runners often.

Expect Chisholm to have over 70 runs, 140 hits, 30 doubles, 25 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases, and to have his batting average to approximately .270 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

If Chisholm can remain healthy, he will have a superb 2023 MLB season.

4. Michael Harris

Michael Harris burst onto the scene in 2022, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award and he finished 13th in NL MVP voting, despite playing in just 114 games last year.

In his rookie season, Harris had 75 runs, 123 hits, 27 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 64 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, a .297 batting average, .339 OBP, .514 SLG, and .853 OPS.

Harris ranked seventh in runs and doubles, eighth in hits, tied for ninth in triples, tied for seventh in home runs, tied for sixth in RBIs, and fourth in stolen bases among Center Fielders last season.

He is in one of the best lineups in the MLB.

Harris will bat fifth. Ronald Acuna will bat leadoff, Matt Olson second, Austin Riley third, and Sean Murphy will bat cleanup ahead of Harris.

This will set up Harris to have massive numbers offensively.

Behind Harris is Ozzie Albies batting sixth, which will help Harris collect runs as well.

Expect Harris to have over 80 runs, 145 hits, 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases, and to have his batting average to approximately .290 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

Not only is Harris a very good player, but he is also surrounded by numerous talented players.

Harris is set up to have a massive sophomore season and be one of the best Center Fielders in the MLB in the 2023 season.

3. Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton is one of the most complete players in all of baseball when he is on the field but over the last four 162-game seasons, injuries have limited him to just 268 out of a possible 648 games.

He is injury prone, which may rob him of being one of this generation’s best Center Fielders.

Buxton played in 92 games last year.

Last season, Buxton had 61 runs, 76 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 51 RBIs, a .224 batting average, .306 OBP, .526 SLG, and .833 OPS.

Buxton will bat third in a good Minnesota lineup against righties.

Jorge Polanco will bat leadoff and Carlos Correa will bat second ahead of Buxton against right-handed pitchers.

Against southpaws, Buxton is expected to bat leadoff.

The biggest concern for Buxton is staying healthy.

He has all the potential to be a star in this league.

Expect Buxton to have over 85 runs, 140 hits, 30 doubles, 35 home runs, and 95 RBIs, and to have his batting average to approximately .250 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

If Buxton can stay healthy, he will be one of the bright stars in the league and be among the best Center Fielders in the league.

2. Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez emerged as one of the game’s biggest superstars last season.

He made the All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award, and won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2022.

Another major accomplishment was being voted seventh in AL MVP award voting in his first big league season.

Seattle snapped the longest postseason drought in baseball in 2022 and Rodriguez was a big part of that.

He played 132 games last year.

Last season, Rodgriguez had 84 runs, 145 hits, 25 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 75 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, a .284 batting average, .345 OBP, .509 SLG, and .853 OPS.

He ranked sixth in runs, fourth in hits, ninth in doubles, tied for ninth in triples, tied for third in home runs, fourth in RBIs, and second in stolen bases among Center Fielders last season.

Rodriguez ranked second in batting average, SLG, and OPS and fourth in OBP, among Center Fielders that qualified with at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game played last season.

He will look to take another big step forward in his second season.

Expect Rodriguez to have over 90 runs, 150 hits, 30 doubles, 35 home runs, and 80 RBIs, and to have his batting average to approximately .285 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

Rodriguez is one of the young stars in the MLB and he is set to have a monster 2023 campaign.

1. Mike Trout

Mike Trout is the greatest player in the history of the Los Angeles Angels franchise and he is one of the best Center Fielders of all time.

Staying healthy has been the biggest issue for Trout.

He played in 119 games last season and 36 games in 2021.

Last season, Trout had 85 runs, 124 hits, 28 doubles, 40 home runs, 80 RBIs, a .283 batting average, .369 OBP, .630 SLG, and .999 OPS.

He ranked fifth in runs and doubles, seventh in hits, and second in home runs and RBIs among Center Fielders last season.

When he is on the field, Trout is the best player in the league.

If Trout can stay healthy, expect him to have over 1000 runs, 150 hits, 30 doubles, 40 home runs, and 100 RBIs, and to have his batting average to approximately .285 in the upcoming 2023 MLB season.

His health is always the biggest concern but if he can play over 130 games this season, he will have the best season out of any Center Fielder in the league and be one of, if not the best player in all of baseball.