Red Sox vs the AL East: center fielders
By Conor Duffy
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.