Top 5: 2015 Center Fielders In AL East

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Sep 13, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder

Mookie Betts

(50) makes a diving catch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports

Center fielders have been very significant for each team in the American League East division in 2015. From spectacular catches in the field to solid offense at the plate and on the base paths, these men have shown what it takes to play the position in the majors. They are the standard that all other center fielders in the minors wish they could be.

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It didn’t happen overnight, but some of these players have rocketed to stardom quickly for their respective teams. Some of them were established veterans who have been consistently performing for many years. However, all of these men have established themselves as essential to their clubs for many years to come.

Here is a ranking of the top five center fielders in the division. Each chosen player played the position the most for their club and appear at the top of their depth charts. The players were ranked based on both offensive results, defensive skills, and ‘it’ factors:

** All statistics come from MLB.com, not counting the last game of the regular season

5) Jacoby Ellsbury – New York Yankees

Bio: 32 y/o, 6’1″, 195 lbs, bats left, & throws left

MLB Years: 9

Games Played in 2015: 110 (109 as CF)

Offense:

.260 batting average
.321 on-base percentage
.349 slugging percentage
7 home runs & 33 RBIs
35 walks to 85 strikeouts
21 stolen bases in 30 attempts

Defense:

2.15 range factor
1.000 fielding percentage
0 errors, 4 assists, & 230 putouts in 234 opportunities

‘It’ Factor: Solid performer, but aging quickly.

Ellsbury played the fewest games of the group mentioned in the top five. His numbers are good; however, with the others doing better offensively, Ellsbury would need to contribute more behind the plate in order to be ranked higher on this list.

At first glance, his perfect fielding record makes it seem that he is the defensive force to be reckoned with. Yet, the number of opportunities suggests that Ellsbury played it safe for much of his time in center field. How often can you remember Ellsbury laying everything on the line to catch a flyball that was seemingly out of reach? Some of those balls were well played by Ellsbury to make sure that they didn’t get by him, which is a definite sign of maturity. Some of those balls were also big outs that the team could have had if he would have laid out for them. And, to be fair, some of those balls were never in his direction, with many batters trying to hit over the close fence in Yankee Stadium’s right field.

Oct 1, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder

Kevin Kiermaier

(39) singles during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4) Kevin Kiermaier – Tampa Bay Rays

Bio: 25 y/o, 6’1″, 215 lbs, bats left, & throws right

MLB Years: 2 (only one game in 2013)

Games Played in 2015: 151 (148 as CF)

Offense:

.263 batting average
.298 on-base percentage
.420 slugging percentage
10 home runs & 40 RBIs
24 walks to 95 strikeouts
18 stolen bases in 23 attempts

Defense:

2.87 range factor
.988 fielding percentage
5 errors, 15 assists, & 412 putouts in 432 opportunities

‘It’ Factor: Youthful exuberance, a gun of an arm, and potential for better offense.

Kiermaier was fourth on the Tampa Bay Rays roster for the RBI lead, and yet his youth suggests a growth spurt will soon come at the plate. With maturity inevitably seeping into his game, Kiermaier won’t be striking out so many times. With his speed on the base paths, he should look to improve his OBP through a keener eye to leave bad pitches and walk more.

In the field, the man is a beast. Kiermaier’s been clocked at over 100 mph when throwing the ball in from deep center field. For our rankings, he may be lower on the list but an argument to give him the Gold Glove for the position is certainly not out of the question. That youth gives him incredible range and the courage to lay out for flyballs that nobody thought that he had any business catching.

Give this man some time and you will definitely see Kiermaier moving up this ranking, maybe even within a year.

Sep 19, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder

Adam Jones

(10) hits a RBI single during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

3) Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles

Bio: 30 y/o, 6’2″, 215 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 10

Games Played in 2015: 137 (134 as CF)

Offense:

.269 batting average
.308 on-base percentage
.474 slugging percentage
27 home runs & 82 RBIs
24 walks to 102 strikeouts
3 stolen bases in 4 attempts

Defense:

2.46 range factor
.991 fielding percentage
3 errors, 13 assists, & 317 putouts in 333 opportunities

‘It’ Factor: Power at the plate and dependability equals stardom.

Jones’ confidence is well-founded. The man simply produces. His batting average this season may be the worst that he’s had since 2007, but his SLG has been one of the best that he’s ever had. The Baltimore Orioles have struggled this season, possibly putting added pressure on Jones to come through for them offensively, which would explain his strikeout total being so high. However, he made third place on his team for the most RBIs, with Chris Davis hitting an amazing 117 in a contract year. If Davis decides to leave in free agency, there will be even more pressure on Jones to come through for his team.

Even with his speed, however, Jones only tried stealing four times. The team may be relying too much on home runs, or at least hits, to drive people home. One would think that Jones would use that speed to create some more offense, getting himself into scoring position more often.

One would also think that his speed would help his range factor, compared to some of the other center fielders in this ranking list. Yet, his range is fourth best out of the five men. Much like Ellsbury, Jones has been solid defensively, but has also not risked much to help his team. At least, not very often. Is age creeping up to Jones or is he just prolonging his career by not picking up unnecessary injuries?

Oct 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder

Kevin Pillar

(11) is congratulated by left fielder

Ben Revere

(7) as he scores during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2) Kevin Pillar – Toronto Blue Jays

Bio: 26 y/o, 6’0″, 205 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 3

Games Played in 2015: 158 (141 as CF)

Offense:

.278 batting average
.314 on-base percentage
.400 slugging percentage
12 home runs & 56 RBIs
28 walks to 83 strikeouts
25 stolen bases in 29 attempts

Defense:

2.91 range factor
.995 fielding percentage
2 errors, 7 assists, & 403 putouts in 412 opportunities

‘It’ Factor: Superman has come to Toronto, and he found his bat.

Pillar has been a human highlight reel, defensively. His aerial acrobatics in center field are all over the sports news channels almost every night. Pillar’s success has given him the confidence to dive for any ball coming vaguely in his direction. However, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and his fractured shoulder blade would have liked his range factor to be a tad shorter, as their collision kept him out of the lineup for several weeks.

Offensively, he exceeds the first three men in almost every respective category. His bat may not be as powerful or hit as many home runs and RBIs as Jones’, but that’s not what has been required of him on his team. Pillar is tied for fourth on the Blue Jays for most runs scored, yet he’s also tied for sixth in RBIs, which is incredible considering how far down he is in the batting lineup. He produces and sets the table for the top of the order to drive him home. Think how vital that is for any team, to have a player producing that much no matter where you put him.

Pillar’s days of struggling at the plate are over and he’s only 26. Maturity combined with speed, a good eye at the plate, good power, and incredible defense puts his potential ahead of Kiermaier’s for the moment.

Sep 29, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) rounds the bases on his solo home run to left during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Boston Red Sox won 10-4. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

1) Mookie Betts – Boston Red Sox

Bio: 22 y/o, 5’9″, 180 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 2

Games Played in 2015: 144 (132 as CF)

Offense:

.294 batting average
.344 on-base percentage
.483 slugging percentage
18 home runs & 77 RBIs
46 walks to 81 strikeouts
21 stolen bases in 27 attempts

Defense:

2.61 range factor
.989 fielding percentage
4 errors, 10 assists, & 334 putouts in 348 opportunities

‘It’ Factor: The smile that sank a thousand opposing pitchers’ ships.

Being the youngest of all of the men in this list, is it any wonder that Betts’ future can only go up? Not only is his slash line the best of all of the A.L. East center fielders, but his walks are far and beyond the rest. That keen eye, which vastly improved since the beginning of the regular season, put him on base a great deal and put pressure on the opposition’s defense to keep him in check. He was third on the Boston Red Sox for most RBIs, which is saying something for an entire team that struggled to get hits, let alone win games.

Some nights would be quiet for the team as a whole, but one could bet that Betts would do something, either at the plate or in the field, to amaze the baseball world. Like Pillar, Betts’ diving catches made him the center of attention on game recaps in the media across North America, not just in Boston.

Here’s where being a Gold Glove center fielder may not help. It’s true that Betts does not have the best range or fielding percentage on this list, but the fact that they are not the weakest either makes a huge difference.

In close games, Betts’ batting average was .297. With two outs, it was .303. With runners in scoring position, it was .333. Those numbers are coming from the leadoff man on the team, not the heart of the order. To put that into perspective, Jones’ averages are .227, .267, and .281 respectively. Kiermaier’s averages are .250, .271, and .297. Pillar’s numbers stand at .197, .230, and .268. As for Ellsbury, a pitiful .113, .220, and .262 when the heat is on is not going to muster much in terms of wins.

Even though Betts is a good three years younger than the next youngest on this list, he’s shown better patience at the plate than the wily veterans and better power than the other prospects-turned-starters. Betts has another few years before he will be where Pillar and Kiermaier are at now, with more experience and maturity under his belt, and yet his numbers are either on par or above them, especially offensively. He’s already doing well defensively, considering he started as a second baseman who made a change to right field before becoming the Red Sox full-time center fielder, this season. With more work, he can only grow better from here.

Betts is the total package already far beyond his years. Imagine what will happen when he spends more time in the majors at the center field position. The phrase the sky’s the limit doesn’t quite define what this future MLB All-Star’s potential will be.

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