Top 5: 2015 Center Fielders In AL East

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.