Left field, surprisingly, is the worst position in baseball. And it’s been that way for a few years now. While many of the league’s best players are outfielders, most like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Julio Rodriguez, preside in right or center. There are a lot of solid MLB players in left field, but no true stars.
This might have been the most difficult position of MLB rankings. Since there are so many solid players, guys like Taylor Ward and Spencer Steer missed by small margins. Notably missing from these MLB Rankings are Yordan Alvarez, who will be ranked as a designated hitter, Corbin Carroll and Juan Soto, who will presumably spend most of their time in 2024 in right field.
10. Daulton Varsho, TOR (Last year: 5)
Daulton Varsho was sent from Arizona to Toronto in a deal including young catcher Gabriel Moreno. Though Moreno was one of the league’s top prospects, Varsho was the headline of the trade. In his first two seasons in Arizona, the young catcher-turned-outfielder continued to improve after coming up as a top-100 prospect. In year three it all came together as Varsho had a 107 wRC+ and 4.8 fWAR while hitting 27 home runs and knocking in 74.
Even as a slightly above-average hitter in 2022, he was nearly a five-win player due to his elite defense. He split time between right and center field and had 19 DRS and 18 OAA. In 2023, he had 29 DRS and 10 OAA splitting time between left and center field. No matter where he plays, Varsho is an elite defensive talent in the outfield – good enough to keep him on these MLB rankings.
9. Bryan Reynolds, PIT (9, CF)
Bryan Reynolds‘ 2021 season is starting to look like an outlier as he had another solid, not special, 2023 campaign. He had a .263/.330/.460 slash line with a 110 wRC+, 24 home runs, and 84 RBI. He was one of the Pirates’ best players but still had just 2.3 fWAR, a far cry from his 6.0 fWAR season in 2021 when he was great with the bat, glove, and on the bases.
In 2023, however, he was only good on offense. While Reynolds was an 11 OAA center fielder in his breakout 2021 campaign, he was a negative defender in left field in 2023 where he projects to play in 2024. In 2022, he had -14 DRS in center field.
It doesn’t appear that the position change was the problem; Reynolds’ 2021 defense looks tough to replicate. Still, his bat alone makes him a valuable player, especially for a rebuilding time like the Pirates. And there is still hope for more with the bat, as his .359 xwOBA points towards an absence of luck in 2023.
8. Chas McCormick, HOU, (NR)
Where do the Astros find all of these productive players to supplement their superstars? Chas McCormick, who had a 133 wRC+, 3.8 fWAR season in 2023, is just the latest of these late-blooming Astros. McCormick was drafted in the 21st round (631st overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft and worked through five years of minor-league ball before debuting with the big-league Astros in 2021.
Carving out a role as a 26-year-old rookie on a perennial World Series contender is tough, but McCormick did just that. In 2021 and 2022, he was a solid player with a 111 wRC+ and 4.3 fWAR. In 2023, he broke out. He had a .273/.353/.489 triple slash (133 wRC+) with the bat, 19 stolen bases with his legs, and four OAA with his glove.
McCormick is one of the best fastball hitters in baseball; he had a +22 run value and slugged .745 against heaters. He even slugged .573 and hit six home runs against fastballs above 95 miles per hour. Pitchers can adjust – and we’ll see how they do in 2024 – but McCormick doesn’t appear to have much of a weakness at the plate. He should be in store for another solid, near-120 wRC+ season in 2024.
7. Evan Carter, TEX (NR)
Evan Carter has played only 23 regular season MLB games but has already cemented himself as a postseason hero. In the Rangers’ title run, Carter hit .300/.417/.500 with 10 extra-base hits and six RBI. In the regular season, Carter hit an unbelievable .306/.413/.645 (180 wRC+) albeit in just 75 plate appearances.
Carter is MLB Pipeline’s fifth-ranked prospect entering 2024, notable for his elite hit tool and speed. At the plate, Carter sees a ton of pitches. He ran a 32.0% K% and 16.0% BB% in his short MLB tenure. He only stole three bases but has the potential for elite base-running seasons with his 97th-percentile sprint speed.
In the field, Carter had a 5% success rate added and three OAA in just 74 attempts. Over a full season, Carter could put up double-digit run-value defensive seasons. Carter has all the tools to be one of baseball’s premier outfielders for years and has already proven he can provide in the biggest moments.
6. Steven Kwan, CLE (2)
Steven Kwan followed up his elite rookie reason in 2022 with a mediocre 2023 campaign. In 2022, Kwan finished 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting, hitting .298/.373/.499 with a 126 wRC+, 4.9 base runs (BsR), 4.5 fWAR, and took home a Gold Glove for his efforts in left field. He won another Gold Glove in 2023 but took a step back with the bat. In 2023, he had just a 100 wRC+ and saw his slash line drop by about 30 points across the board.
Even so, Kwan’s glove stands out in left field. At a somewhat mediocre defensive position leaguewide, Kwan has put up incredible defensive numbers in his first two years. In just under 2400 innings in left field, Kwan has racked up 37 DRS and 19 OAA. Kwan has also stolen 40 bases in his first two seasons. He’s good at everything else; the only question is whether Kwan can be a good enough hitter to maintain his place among the league’s best left fielders.
5. Nolan Jones, COL (NR)
For years, Nolan Jones was one of the Cleveland Guardians’ top prospects as he worked his way through the minor leagues, dominating at the lower levels. He struggled to make the jump to AAA in 2021, but eventually made his Major League debut in 2022, striking out at a 33% clip and posting just a 95 wRC+. That was enough for the Guardians to pull the plug and deal the young outfielder to Colorado.
Jones started the 2023 season at Triple-A Albuquerque where he put up a 1.292 OPS in 39 games, enough to earn a call-up to the big-league club. In 106 games for the Rockies, Jones hit .297/.389/.542 (135 wRC+) and 20 home runs. He was also a solid defensive left fielder with nine defensive runs saved in 501 innings in 2023. Jones was a late bloomer who didn’t live up to his top-prospect potential right away. But now it looks like the Guardians gave up on the young outfielder too early, as he is under team control until 2029.
4. Ian Happ, CHC (3)
Ian Happ was also a late bloomer. He made his debut in 2017 for the Cubs as the organization’s number-two prospect with heavy expectations coming directly off a World Series title. Happ had a decent rookie season (114 wRC+, 1.7 fWAR in 413 PAs) in 2017 but the Cubs flamed out in the NLCS. In 2018, he was expected to take a leap and help lengthen Chicago’s contention window. But Happ struck out at a ridiculous 36.1% clip, had just a 106 wRC+, and was even sent back down to AAA in 2019.
Five years later, Happ is a two-time Gold Glover and an MLB All-Star. One of the few holdovers from the Cubs’ last playoff teams, Happ is now part of a new core of young Cubs. Since the start of the 2022 season, Happ has a 119 wRC+ and 15 DRS in left field while ranking 2nd among primary left fielders in fWAR with 7.1.
As he’s developed, Happ has cleaned up his strikeout problem as he has become one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball. In 2023, Happ ranked in the top 10 in MLB in walk rate at 14.3% while striking out at a league-average 22.1% clip. Happ is by no means a star, but he’s consistent and good at what he does. He runs a high OBP, sees a lot of pitches, and is good for 20 home runs and gold glove-caliber defense, more than a lot of his contemporaries in left field can offer.
3. Randy Arozarena, TBR (9)
Randy Arozarena shot up these MLB rankings by putting together another solid season in 2023 and by virtue of many players around him either moving off the position. Arozarena will forever be known for his heroics in the 2020 playoffs – and boy, they were awesome – when he hit .377 with 10 home runs as he led the Rays to an American League pennant.
Entering the 2021 season, Arozarena was on top of the baseball world. Still entering his rookie season, he was the heavy favorite to take home the AL Rookie of the Year – he did – and was expected to quickly blossom into a star. Arozarena hasn’t been a star but he has quite the flare for the dramatic. In the World Baseball Classic, Arozarena led Team Mexico to the semifinals with a 1.507 OPS.
2. Christian Yelich, MIL (8)
Five years ago, Christian Yelich was on top of the baseball world. He starred in commercials with Cody Bellinger during the 2019 NL MVP race. On the field, he had a .327/.415/.631 (170 wRC+) with 80 home runs, 52 stolen bases, 14.3 BsR, and 14.9 fWAR in 2018 and 2019. He won the 2018 NL MVP and would’ve repeated if not for a late-season injury. From 2020-22, though, he was worth just 4.5 fWAR over three seasons.
In 2023, Christian Yelich reinvented himself as an elite leadoff hitter. Yelich had a 12.3% walk rate, .370 OBP, and stole 28 bases as Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter. Even so, he led all left fielders in fWAR last year. On offense, he finished the year with a 122 wRC+ and 7.5 BsR.
As a corner outfielder, defense doesn’t move the needle much. Yelich is just below an average left fielder, as he has -1 OAA and -6 DRS since 2021. He was once an elite defender in his early years in Miami but he’s been pedestrian since arriving in Milwaukee in 2018. The 2023 version of Christian Yelich was a revelation as he proved to still be a productive four-win player. As we know, the sky is the limit for Yelich.
1. Brandon Nimmo, NYM (3, CF)
Brandon Nimmo will play left field full-time in 2024 with the addition of Harrison Bader. Nimmo is one of the best, most consistent hitters in baseball. Since 2018, Nimmo sports a .270/.382/.483 triple slash and 135 wRC+. The on-base percentage stands out; Nimmo walks at a 13.0% rate and has had three .400 OBP seasons.
Nimmo has always been a slightly better defensive corner outfielder than a center fielder, although he has been solid at both spots in his career. In about a season’s worth of left field throughout his career, Nimmo has 7 DRS and 6 OAA. At center field, he had -18 DRS and 9 OAA. So although Nimmo is moving off of a premium position, his defensive value shouldn’t take too much of a hit. Nimmo’s bat alone has been worth four wins each of the past two years and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be just as good in 2024.
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