After stopping off at the hot corner, the B/R MLB 300 now moves to the outfield for a look at the top center fielders in the league.
Like the four infield positions, our list of center fielders consists of 25 out of the overall 300 players. As for how this list came to be, we subjected each player to a scoring system that adds up to a total of 100 possible points.
First, there are 25 points for hitting. Our focus is on how well each player is equipped to hit for average and get on base. This means looking not only at how he hits the ball but also at how consistently he makes contact and whether he has the discipline to draw walks.
Then, there are 25 points for power. We concentrated on how well each player collects extra-base hits, which means looking at how often he puts the ball in the air—ground balls don’t tend to go for extra-base hits, after all—how hard he hits it and how much of the field he can use for power.
Next, there are 20 points for baserunning. It’s more of a priority for center fielders than it is for most, so we’ll look at whether players can steal bases as well as whether they’re capable of running the bases aggressively.
Lastly, there are 30 points for defense. This is arguably overrating the importance of center field a little, but by conventional wisdom it’s an important position. We’ll use defensive metrics as a guiding star and judge center fielders on how much range they have and whether they can make plays with their arms.
As for how the scoring works, a score in the middle is meant to denote average, not failing. For example, a 15 out of 30 for defense means the player is a merely average defender, whereas 10 out of 30 is clearly below average and 20 out of 30 is above average. It’s also important to note that if two or more players end up with the same final score, the priority goes to our preference.
Before we begin, here’s an important reminder that while we’re using what’s happened in 2015 as a foundation for the scores, this list projects performance for the 2016 season. Players are evaluated based on the staying power of each category with progression, decline and past luck in mind—creating a different ranking system than simply judging where each player stands today.
You may now start the show.