Joe Soriano
O.J. Lewis8/2011 Center Fielder Rankings
August 6th 2011 14:07
One of the premier positions in baseball is center field. First off, it is the second most important position on the diamond- after shortstop- and many of the game's greats were center fielders. Below are my rankings of the center fielders in baseball today. (Minimum 750 plate appearances as a center fielder since 2009)
1. Rangers Josh Hamilton
2. Dodgers Matt Kemp
3. Phillies Shane Victorino
4. Yankees Curtis Granderson
5. Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury
6. Rockies Carlos Gonzalez
7. Pirates Andrew McCutchen
8. Braves Michael Bourn
9. Diamondbacks Chris Young
10. Yankees Brett Gardner
11. Orioles Adam Jones
12. Blue Jays Colby Rasmus
13. Reds Drew Stubbs
14. Twins Denard Span
15. Angels Torii Hunter
16. Indians Grady Sizemore
17. Rays B.J. Upton
18. Giants Carlos Beltran
19. Mets Angel Pagan
20. Giants Andres Torres
21. White Sox Alex Rios
22. Mariners Franklin Gutierrez
23. Braves Nate McLouth
24. Cubs Marlon Byrd
25. Brewers Nyjer Morgan
26. Angels Vernon Wells
27. Tigers Austin Jackson
28. Athletics Coco Crisp
29. Brewers Carlos Gomez
30. Blue Jays Rajai Davis
The Braves got a really nice deal when they got the eighth best center fielder in baseball for a a handful of decent prospects. They really needed a leadoff hitter and a better CF than McLouth. I still have McLouth in the top 25, but that's really not saying much. After all, there are only 30 starting centerfielders in the game. These are all useful players- they are starting-caliber center fielders- but some of them have a shorter shelf-life on this list than others.
The Yankees have two very good center fielders in Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson. But I honestly think that Gardner is better suited for the starting role in center, because Gardner is the best outfielder in baseball- in terms of fielding- and Granderson is only an average fielder.
Josh Hamilton is the best center fielder in baseball, and I don't buy the argument that he isn't good enough in center. His fielding rating from Fan Graphs in center is far better than Kemp's. Hamilton is actually a good defensive player, but people can't see past the stereotype of big mashers being solid defensive players in center. Kemp is fast, but man does he make some mistakes out there in center. It's a tough call, but Hamilton's RC of 142 makes it a win for the Rangers' CF.
1. Rangers Josh Hamilton
2. Dodgers Matt Kemp
3. Phillies Shane Victorino
4. Yankees Curtis Granderson
5. Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury
6. Rockies Carlos Gonzalez
7. Pirates Andrew McCutchen
8. Braves Michael Bourn
9. Diamondbacks Chris Young
10. Yankees Brett Gardner
12. Blue Jays Colby Rasmus
13. Reds Drew Stubbs
14. Twins Denard Span
15. Angels Torii Hunter
16. Indians Grady Sizemore
17. Rays B.J. Upton
18. Giants Carlos Beltran
19. Mets Angel Pagan
20. Giants Andres Torres
21. White Sox Alex Rios
22. Mariners Franklin Gutierrez
23. Braves Nate McLouth
24. Cubs Marlon Byrd
25. Brewers Nyjer Morgan
26. Angels Vernon Wells
27. Tigers Austin Jackson
28. Athletics Coco Crisp
29. Brewers Carlos Gomez
30. Blue Jays Rajai Davis
The Braves got a really nice deal when they got the eighth best center fielder in baseball for a a handful of decent prospects. They really needed a leadoff hitter and a better CF than McLouth. I still have McLouth in the top 25, but that's really not saying much. After all, there are only 30 starting centerfielders in the game. These are all useful players- they are starting-caliber center fielders- but some of them have a shorter shelf-life on this list than others.
The Yankees have two very good center fielders in Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson. But I honestly think that Gardner is better suited for the starting role in center, because Gardner is the best outfielder in baseball- in terms of fielding- and Granderson is only an average fielder.
Josh Hamilton is the best center fielder in baseball, and I don't buy the argument that he isn't good enough in center. His fielding rating from Fan Graphs in center is far better than Kemp's. Hamilton is actually a good defensive player, but people can't see past the stereotype of big mashers being solid defensive players in center. Kemp is fast, but man does he make some mistakes out there in center. It's a tough call, but Hamilton's RC of 142 makes it a win for the Rangers' CF.
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