Similar to there’s each different 12 months, there guarantees to be tons of competitors among the many greatest proper fielders in 2023 in terms of who’s the perfect in baseball at that place.
A number of of the highest proper fielders in MLB proper now may simply find yourself being among the many greatest outfielders of all time or the best players in baseball history when all is alleged and achieved. Even when they aren’t there but, there are a number of gamers who’re on their option to that form of standing.
Greatest proper fielders 2023
However sufficient in regards to the future, who’re the perfect RFs in baseball at the moment? Nicely, we narrowed our checklist right down to the ten greatest proper fielders in 2023.
From there, placing them so as was no straightforward activity as a result of a number of proper fielders have a robust argument for being the perfect at their place. However we crunched the numbers and thought of the entire angles to offer you a correct rating of the ten greatest proper fielders for the 2023 season.
10. Hunter Renfroe
The Angels shall be Hunter Renfroe’s fifth crew in 5 years in 2023. It’s laborious to determine why groups don’t wish to maintain this man. He’s bought a rocket for an arm in proper area and has 60 homers and 56 doubles over the past two seasons.
Granted, his plate self-discipline and pace are a little bit missing, which is why he’s not as priceless as the appropriate fielders forward of him on our checklist, even some who’re older. However hitting for energy and enjoying stable protection are traits most groups would like to have in a proper fielder, and the Angels are getting them with Renfroe.
9. Teoscar Hernandez
How in regards to the deal the Mariners made this offseason to commerce for Teoscar Hernandez? Even when his numbers slipped a little bit in 2022 after profitable the Silver Slugger in every of the 2 earlier seasons, he was nonetheless one of many higher gamers in baseball to be traded this offseason.
Clearly, the Mariners don’t wish to see any additional drops in his numbers after Hernandez posted an OPS of .807 final 12 months. However they have been absolutely clever to take an opportunity on somebody with 57 homers and 64 doubles over the past two years.
8. George Springer
With Kevin Kiermarier in Toronto, George Springer will seemingly see most of his enjoying time in proper area this 12 months. That’s not essentially a foul factor for a participant who’s now 33 and should not cowl as a lot floor as he used to.
Extra importantly, Springer was capable of keep wholesome for probably the most half in 2022 following an injury-plagued 2021 marketing campaign. So long as he can keep on the sphere, the Blue Jays must be happy together with his manufacturing.
Springer hit .267 with 25 residence runs and an .814 OPS final 12 months. Toronto will certainly take that form of manufacturing once more, particularly since Springer has an opportunity to be one of many higher defensive proper fielders within the American League this season.
7. Starling Marte
Starling Marte is one other participant who has moved from heart area to proper area as he begins to age. However even at age 33 final season, Marte nonetheless made the All-Star Workforce.
Understand that Marte has hit no worse than .281 in 4 consecutive seasons, in order that a part of his recreation isn’t diminishing in any respect.
He’s additionally a robust defensive participant in proper area now that he doesn’t should cowl fairly as a lot floor. Energy-wise, Marte isn’t going to maintain tempo with most proper fielders, hitting simply 16 homers final 12 months. However that’s by no means been an enormous a part of his recreation, so the Mets shouldn’t fear an excessive amount of about what they’ll get from Marte in 2023.
6. Bryce Harper
Heading into the season, it’s very a lot up within the air whether or not Bryce Harper shall be one in every of MLB’s greatest proper fielders in 2023. He’s more likely to miss the primary a part of the season after having Tommy John surgical procedure in November.
Even when he returns, it’s uncertain if Harper will have the ability to play the appropriate area away or be relegated to DH obligation the way in which he was final season.
Nevertheless, it’d be a mistake for anybody to doubt Harper or wager in opposition to him. Amidst his damage troubles final 12 months, he hit .286 with an OPS of .878 in 2022. He then proceeded to hit .349 with six homers and a 1.160 OPS within the postseason. Absolutely, that’s greater than sufficient to maintain him among the many high proper fielders in MLB proper now regardless of some questions on his well being.
5. Fernando Tatis Jr.
Regardless of having immense expertise, Fernando Tatis Jr. may be one of many greatest query marks in baseball this 12 months. He performed zero video games final 12 months, will miss the primary 21 video games of the 2023 marketing campaign and is being requested to maneuver from shortstop to proper area.
That’s loads happening with the 24-year-old, despite the fact that he has three seasons within the huge leagues beneath his belt. After all, in these three seasons, Tatis is batting .292 with an OPS of .952 because of his 42 residence runs in simply 130 video games two years in the past. He’s additionally an exceptional athlete who ought to modify shortly to proper area, so we’re going to offer him the good thing about the doubt.
4. Ronald Acuna Jr.
A torn ACL sidelined Ronald Acuna Jr. through the second half of 2021 and hindered him all through 2022. Regardless of the damage, Acuna nonetheless made the All-Star crew, though he absolutely wasn’t himself regardless of hitting 15 homers and stealing 29 bases.
However now that he’s greater than a 12 months faraway from the damage, we must always see the perfect that Acuna has to supply in 2023. Understand that he has two Silver Slugger awards and was a 30-30 participant in 2019. He’s additionally a mere 25 years previous and may get again to acting at a famous person stage this season.
3. Kyle Tucker
Contemporary off his first Gold Glove and all-star choice in 2022, to not point out incomes a World Collection ring, Kyle Tucker could possibly be about to have the perfect season of his profession in 2022.
For what it’s value, the man has hit 30 residence runs in back-to-back seasons and owns a profession OPS of .837. However he’s 26 years previous and must be about to enter his prime years. Plus, he does much more than hit residence runs. As talked about, Tucker was a Gold Glover final season. He additionally stole 25 bases in 2022.
His protection and pace assist to separate him from the entire power-hitting proper fielders and places Tucker in unique firm.
2. Mookie Betts
Since 2016, Mookie Betts has been a perennial all-star whereas additionally profitable a Gold Glove all however as soon as throughout that span. At age 30, Betts may be very a lot in his prime and is surrounded by expertise with the Dodgers, which ought to assist his efficiency.
We should always point out that Betts has seen his numbers decline since he received the batting title and MVP honors in 2018 whereas additionally becoming a member of the 30-30 membership. However he’s nonetheless an above-average hitter with energy and an elite athlete. In different phrases, Betts is on one other stage in comparison with nearly each different outfielder within the majors proper now.
1. Aaron Choose
Given the season that Aaron Judge had final 12 months, there’s no manner he wouldn’t find yourself on the high of this checklist. Judge is coming off a historic season and was appropriately compensated by the Yankees through the offseason.
Clearly, it’s going to be laborious for Choose to duplicate his 62 homers, 131 RBIs, and 1.111 OPS that he posted in 2022, to not point out his 16 stolen bases.
However even when there’s a little bit little bit of a drop-off, there aren’t too many gamers in baseball at any place who’re able to producing something near that. Along with being a behemoth within the batter’s field, Choose additionally performs a stable proper area and shouldn’t have to fret as a lot in regards to the Yankees needing him in heart area the way in which they did final season.
