As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to search for a Cody Bellinger replacement, they were left without a player making MLB Network’s The Shredder rankings of the Top-10 Center Fielders Right Now for the 2023 season.
Los Angeles Angels All-Star Mike Trout again was ranked the No. 1 center fielder in baseball. He was followed on The Shredder rankings by Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners rookie phenom Julio Rodríguez, New York Mets’ Brandon Nimmo, Atlanta Braves’ rookie Michael Harris II, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert, San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastremski and Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick.
The Shredder ranked Bellinger as the No. 8 center fielder heading into the 2022 season. Bellinger was left off its rankings this year, but analyst Vince Gennaro had him eighth.
Notably ranked sixth by The Shredder, Reynolds has been recently tied to the Dodgers in a potential trade. The 27-year-old requested a trade from the Pirates in early December.
As the Dodgers have begun to evaluate internal options for center field, including Chris Taylor, Trayce Thompson and James Outman, Reynolds could surely be a welcomed everyday starter in the role for L.A. if a deal can be accomplished.
A career .281 hitter with 74 home runs, Reynolds has spent his entire career with the lowly Pirates after debuting with them in 2019, making it no surprise that he wishes to be dealt to a competitor.
Although Reynolds hit a career-high 27 home runs in 2022 along with a solid .806 on-base plus slugging percentage, arguably his best year year came in 2021 when he had an impressive .302 batting average and .912 OPS.
With interest in Reynolds extending well beyond just Los Angeles, should the Dodgers not be able to make a deal to acquire him, it seems that Thompson could find his way to center field in the everyday role.
The 31-year-old Thompson, who was traded to the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers, and hit a .268/.364/.537 in 74 games with 13 home runs.
MLB Network Top-10 Center Fielder Right Now for 2023
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Vince Gennaro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Trout (Angels) | Mike Trout (Angels) | Mike Trout (Angels) | Mike Trout (Angels) |
| 2 | Byron Buxton (Twins) | Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) | Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) | Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) |
| 3 | Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) | Michael Harris III (Braves) | Byron Buxton (Twins) | Brandon Nimmo (Mets) |
| 4 | Brandon Nimmo (Mets) | Brandon Nimmo (Mets) | Brandon Nimmo (Mets) | Byron Buxton (Twins) |
| 5 | Michael Harris III (Braves) | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Michael Harris III (Braves) | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) |
| 6 | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Byron Buxton (Twins) | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Michael Harris III (Braves) |
| 7 | Cedric Mullins (Orioles) | Luis Robert (White Sox) | Luis Robert (White Sox) | Dylan Carlson (Cardinals) |
| 8 | Luis Robert (White Sox) | Cedric Mullins (Orioles) | Cedric Mullins (Orioles) | Cody Bellinger (Cubs) |
| 9 | Mike Yastrzemski (Giants) | Harrison Bader (Yankees) | Dylan Carlson (Cardinals) | Luis Robert (White Sox) |
| 10 | Chas McCormick (Astros) | Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks) | Chas McCormick (Astros) | Austin Slater (Giants) |
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