Red Sox vs the AL East: center fielders
Sep 26, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Dalton Pompey (45) heads for third base on his triple against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
5. Dalton Pompey, Blue Jays
The 22-year old Pompey is coming off a 2014 season that seems like more of a dream than a reality. The Canadian outfielder began the year in High-A ball and played so well throughout the year, hitting .317/.392/.469 with 43 stolen bases across three levels, that he made his major league debut, representing his home country. His 17-game stint with the Blue Jays wasn’t quite so rosy, but he still managed to hit a respectable .231/.302/.436 with a home run in 43 major league plate appearances. Pompey brings an abundance of speed to the table and also has shown the ability to reach base at a high rate, showing that he might be suited to hitting at the top of Toronto’s lineup a few years down the line. However, it’s unreasonable to expect a 22-year old rookie to be a key performer in his first season and that’s why Pompey, despite his undeniable potential, ranks last on this list.
Aug 21, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings (8) at bat against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
4. Desmond Jennings, Rays
Jennings, a former top prospect for the Rays, hasn’t quite lived up to his tremendous ceiling. However, he has still settled in as a reliable everyday center fielder both in the outfield and at the plate. In 123 games for the Rays last season, Jennings slashed .244/.319/.378 with 10 homers and 15 stolen bases at, at age 28, that’s probably about who he’ll be for the next few seasons. Jennings is a speedy outfielder who appears to have mastered playing center field in the majors and who has shown the ability to reach base at a respectable rate. He appears to have limited room to grow, though, and has settled in as a solid, but unspectacular performer in Tampa Bay.
Sep 25, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Rusney Castillo (38) hits a three run home run during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
3. Rusney Castillo, Red Sox
Castillo, whom the Red Sox signed to the largest contract ever for a Cuban player last August (a 7-year deal worth $72.5M), has the potential to be the best center fielder in the AL East this year. However, with just 10 major league games under his belt, there’s just too much uncertainty to rank him any higher than third. With an impressive stint in Boston last season, in which he slashed .333/.400/.528 with 2 home runs, and in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he went 15-37, Castillo has shown that he has a huge ceiling. He has the potential to be a legitimate five-tool player, packing surprising power into his 5’8″ frame while adding blazing speed on the base paths, which also helps him display excellent range in center field. At 27 years old, Castillo is right in his prime and he should be a key contributor for the Red Sox next season.
Sep 16, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA;New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (22) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees
Ellsbury’s first season in New York didn’t exactly go as planned, as he slashed only .271/.328/.419 a season after signing a 7 year/$153M contract to leave Boston (I’m still bitter about it). His Yankee debut wasn’t a complete waste either, though, as he did manage to stay healthy– playing in 149 games– and was excellent (as usual) on the bases, stealing 39 bags, and in the field. Plus, there are reasons to expect that Ellsbury’s second season with the Yankees could actually be better than his first. His .296 BABIP was 25 points lower than his career mark of .321 and if he regresses to the mean, that slash line could be significantly more impressive. Plus, while Ellsbury didn’t really tap into his power and take advantage of the short porch last season, he could always improve in that area next season. Ellsbury’s 2014 season is likely his floor for the coming year, but he could also wind up being quite a bit better than he was a year ago.
Oct 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) hits a two-run home run in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals in game two of the 2014 ALCS playoff at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
1. Adam Jones, Orioles
It’s worth mentioning that I’m not a huge fan of Jones as a player. He’s widely overrated by baseball fans and analysts and the fact that he has won three consecutive Gold Gloves is a travesty, as defensive metrics consistently rate him a below-average fielder. All that aside, however, there’s no doubt that he’s still an incredibly talented player. He almost never walks (just 2.8% last season), which hampers his overall line, but he has shown the ability to hit for both average and power, slashing .281/.311/.469 with 29 home runs and 96 RBIs last season. Still 29 years old and in his peak, Jones probably won’t begin his decline just yet and he probably still has a few more years of mashing in the middle of Baltimore’s lineup (he has hit 25 or more home runs in each of the last four seasons). He might not be truly in the ranks of baseball’s elite as some would lead you to believe, but he’s a very good player and will continue to be one.