MLB Position Rankings for Every Team's Starting Outfielders in 2023
Welcome to Bleacher Report's 2023 MLB position rankings series!
With the beginning of a new baseball season right around the corner, we'll rank each team's starter at every position to provide a full position-by-position preview for the campaign.
Next up, the outfielders, headlined by superstars Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr., while rising stars Kyle Tucker, Julio Rodríguez and Michael Harris II are on the cusp of joining that elite group.
Ahead, we've ranked all 90 projected starting outfielders from across baseball,
Players were ranked based on expectations for the 2023 season. Offensive and defensive contributions were both considered, and past track records played a major role in determining each player's outlook.
Let the debate begin!
Catch up on previous Position Rankings articles: First basemen, Second basemen, Shortstops, Third basemen
Next Up: Catchers (March 25)
Nos. 90-61
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Starting Outfielders No. 90-61
90. Eddie Rosario, ATL
89. Corey Dickerson, WAS
88. Matt Vierling, DET
87. TJ Friedl, CIN
86. Edward Olivares, KC
85. Victor Robles, WAS
84. Yonathan Daza, COL
83. Robbie Grossman, TEX
82. Kyle Isbel, KC
81. Jesús Sánchez, MIA
80. Aaron Hicks, NYY
79. Jake Fraley, CIN
78. Esteury Ruiz, OAK
77. Drew Waters, KC
76. Avisaíl García, MIA
75. Leody Taveras, TEX
74. Jack Suwinski, PIT
73. David Peralta, LAD
72. Tyrone Taylor, MIL
71. Lane Thomas, WAS
70. Wil Myers, CIN
69. Jose Siri, TB
68. Trayce Thompson, LAD
67. Andrew McCutchen, PIT
66. Michael A. Taylor, MIN
65. Ramón Laureano, OAK
64. Jarred Kelenic, SEA
63. Garrett Mitchell, MIL
62. Adam Duvall, BOS
61. Chas McCormick, HOU
Nos. 60-31
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Starting Outfielders No. 60-31
60. Kevin Kiermaier, TOR
59. Myles Straw, CLE
58. Trent Grisham, SD
57. Oscar Colas, CWS
56. Alek Thomas, ARI
55. Brandon Marsh, PHI
54. Austin Meadows, DET
53. Jurickson Profar, COL
52. Cody Bellinger, CHC
51. Joey Gallo, MIN
50. Manuel Margot, TB
49. Dylan Carlson, STL
48. Austin Hays, BAL
47. Max Kepler, MIN
46. Mike Yastrzemski, SF
45. Nick Castellanos, PHI
44. Michael Conforto, SF
43. Mark Canha, NYM
42. Seth Brown, OAK
41. Mitch Haniger, SF
40. Riley Greene, DET
39. Kris Bryant, COL
38. Michael Brantley, HOU
37. Oscar Gonzalez, CLE
36. Alex Verdugo, BOS
35. Christian Yelich, MIL
34. Masataka Yoshida, BOS
33. Seiya Suzuki, CHC
32. Lars Nootbaar, STL
31. Anthony Santander, BAL
30. Harrison Bader, New York Yankees
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The New York Yankees acquired Harrison Bader at the Aug. 2 trade deadline last year in exchange for left-hander Jordan Montgomery. While he was on the injured list at the time of the trade, he returned to make a major impact in October.
The 28-year-old went 10-for-30 with five home runs during the Yankees' ALDS and ALCS matchups, providing optimism that an offensive breakout could be right around the corner.
A Gold Glove winner and 3.9-WAR player in 2021, Bader will need to prove he can stay healthy to maximize his mix of power, speed and defense. He is off to a rocky start in that department as he's sidelined with an oblique strain, but he still has significant upside.
29. Jake McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks
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The D-backs selected Jake McCarthy with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Despite that solid draft pedigree, he was never viewed as an elite prospect during his time in the minors.
The 25-year-old saw his first extended MLB action last season and looked the part of a building block in the Arizona outfield, hitting .283/.342/.427 for a 118 OPS+ with 27 extra-base hits and 23 steals in 99 games to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
He could be in for a true breakout season slotted between Ketel Marte and Christian Walker in the No. 3 spot in the Arizona lineup.
28. Hunter Renfroe, Los Angeles Angels
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Hunter Renfroe will play for his fifth team in five years when he makes his Los Angeles Angels debut. While he has bounced around a ton, he has been a consistent source of power production and solid corner outfield defense wherever he has gone.
Since becoming an everyday player in 2017, he has a 110 OPS+ while averaging 30 doubles and 36 home runs per 162 games. Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, he put up a career-high 126 OPS+ with 29 home runs, 72 RBI and 2.7 WAR in 125 games.
Aside from his 30-homer upside offensively, Renfroe also has one of the strongest throwing arms in baseball. His 11 outfield assists last year ranked fourth in the majors, and his 57 career outfield assists rank in the top 20 among active players.
27. Tyler O'Neill, St. Louis Cardinals
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Tyler O'Neill was one of the most productive outfielders in baseball during the 2021 season, hitting .286/.352/.560 for a 148 OPS+ with 34 home runs, 80 RBI and 15 steals while taking home Gold Glove honors in a 6.3-WAR season.
The 27-year-old failed to duplicate that production last season as shoulder and hamstring injuries limited him to 96 games, but he will look to reestablish himself as a star on the rise.
He went 8-for-13 with two doubles for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, and he could provide even more defensive value this season as he shifts from left field to center field.
26. Adolis García, Texas Rangers
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Adolis García came out of nowhere during his age-28 season in 2021 to finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, launching 31 home runs and earning an All-Star selection in a 3.8-WAR season with the Texas Rangers.
He proved that breakout performance was the real deal last year when he logged a 113 OPS+ with 34 doubles, 27 home runs, 101 RBI and 25 steals. With club control through the 2026 campaign, he will be a staple in the middle of the Texas lineup.
He raised his walk rate from 5.1 to 6.1 percent last year, and if he can find a way to bump that number up closer to 10 percent, he would make a significant climb up these rankings.
25. Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels
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The Angels selected Taylor Ward in the first round of the 2015 draft out of Fresno State as a strong-armed catcher. After hitting .230/.305/.388 in 534 plate appearances in four years' worth of sporadic MLB action, he broke out as a corner outfielder last year.
The 29-year-old hit .281/.360/.473 for a 135 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs and 65 RBI. Much of that production came during a red-hot first two months of the season when he logged a 1.145 OPS with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 35 games.
His strong on-base skills make him a candidate to hit leadoff in 2023, which would mean setting the table for Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and a healthy Anthony Rendon.
24. Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox
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Andrew Benintendi was an All-Star for the first time last season, hitting .304/.373/.399 for a 120 OPS+ with 31 extra-base hits and 3.2 WAR in 126 games with the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees.
The 28-year-old never quite lived up to expectations with the Boston Red Sox, where he began his pro career as one of the top prospects in baseball, but he thrived following a chance-of-scenery trade prior to the 2021 season.
The Chicago White Sox gave him a five-year, $75 million deal in free agency. While he doesn't hit for a ton of power, his contact skills and Gold Glove defense could make him one of the biggest bargains of the winter.
23. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
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Ian Happ was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time last season, putting together a 4.4-WAR season while playing through a flurry of trade rumors that saw him stay put with the Chicago Cubs.
The 28-year-old posted a 119 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 17 home runs and 72 RBI with a career-high 155 hits. He enters a contract year trying to solidify his standing as one of the top bats on the market next winter.
After holding on to him at the trade deadline last year, the Cubs could try to hammer out a long-term extension, but it might be just as likely he is playing elsewhere Aug. 1.
22. Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
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The D-backs saw enough in a 32-game audition from Corbin Carroll last season to sign him to an eight-year, $111 million extension that could keep him in Arizona through the 2031 season if a club option is exercised on the back end.
The 22-year-old posted a 133 OPS+ with 15 extra-base hits and 1.1 WAR in his cup of coffee. That came after he laid waste to minor league pitching to the tune of a .307/.425/.611 line with 22 doubles, 24 home runs, 62 RBI and 31 steals in 93 games.
With top-of-the-scale speed, an advanced hit tool, sneaky power and a great glove, Carroll enters the 2023 season as the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner.
21. Teoscar Hernández, Seattle Mariners
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Teoscar Hernández took his game to another level during the abridged 2020 season, posting a 146 OPS+ with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in 50 games to finish 11th in AL MVP voting and win Silver Slugger honors.
From that breakout campaign through last season, he has a stellar 132 OPS+ in 1,337 plate appearances, making him one of the most productive hitters in baseball during that three-year stretch.
The Toronto Blue Jays flipped him to the Seattle Mariners during the offseason in exchange for Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko. He will be counted on as one of the primary run-producers for a team on the rise.
20. Starling Marte, New York Mets
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All things considered, Starling Marte had an extremely successful first season in a New York Mets uniform.
The veteran outfielder signed a four-year, $78 million deal prior to last season, and he posted a 132 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 16 home runs, 63 RBI, 76 runs scored and 18 steals in a 3.9-WAR season while making his second All-Star appearance.
Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider he played in just 118 games while missing roughly a month with a fractured finger. The Mets will count on him to be a central part of their offensive attack once again.
19. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
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In two years, Kyle Schwarber went from hitting .188 with an 88 OPS+ and getting non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs to signing a four-year, $79 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and winning the NL home run title in 2022.
The 30-year-old posted a 130 OPS+ with 46 home runs and 94 RBI in his first season in Philadelphia. He added six more home runs during the team's run to the Fall Classic with three long balls each in the NLCS and World Series.
He also struck out 200 times and continues to be a borderline liability defensively in left field, but his overall offensive production earns him a spot inside the top 20 in these rankings.
18. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Where will Bryan Reynolds be playing when the 2023 season ends?
The Pittsburgh Pirates' star outfielder has been a frequent subject of trade rumors in recent years, and he threw gasoline on that fire when he requested a trade in December.
The Pirates have him under club control through the 2025 season, so he doesn't have much leverage, and there has been no movement on trade talks. That said, if it's clear that he won't stick around long-term, then trading him makes sense.
The 28-year-old posted a 126 OPS+ with 19 doubles, 27 home runs, 62 RBI and 74 runs scored with little protection in the Pittsburgh lineup in 2022.
17. Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays
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Drafted as a catcher, Daulton Varsho has developed into one of the more versatile players in baseball, continuing to see time behind the plate while also finishing as a Gold Glove finalist in right field.
The 26-year-old played in a career-high 151 games last season and posted a 109 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored and 16 steals in a 4.9-WAR season. Arizona traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in December in exchange for a package built around young catcher Gabriel Moreno.
He will need to improve on a .302 on-base percentage and 24.5 percent strikeout rate to move up these rankings, but his defensive versatility and power production make him a young player on the rise.
16. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
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Steven Kwan began the 2022 season ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the Cleveland Guardians farm system, and that was the only time he appeared on the organization's top-30 list since being selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.
The 25-year-old won a wide-open competition for the starting left field job last spring, and he was the talk of baseball at the start of the 2022 season, going 10-for-15 with three extra-base hits and seven walks in his first five MLB games.
He continued to impress all season, hitting .298/.373/.400 with 38 extra-base hits, 19 steals and more walks (62) than strikeouts (60). He also posted terrific defensive metrics in left field (21 DRS, 8.4 UZR/150) en route to Gold Glove honors and a 5.5-WAR season.
15. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
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Randy Arozarena is one of only three players in baseball with back-to-back 20-homer, 20-steal seasons in 2021 and 2022, joining superstars José Ramírez and Trea Turner.
The 28-year-old won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 following his postseason heroics in 2020. Last year, he posted a 124 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 20 home runs, 89 RBI, 72 runs scored and 32 steals in 153 games.
Adding to his reputation as a player with a flair for the big moment, he went 9-for-20 with six doubles, one home run and nine RBI in six games during the World Baseball Classic playing for Team Mexico.
14. Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles
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Cedric Mullins became the first 30/30 player in Baltimore Orioles history during a breakout 2021 season, posting a 137 OPS+ with 37 doubles, 30 home runs, 30 steals and 5.7 WAR to finish ninth in AL MVP voting.
The 28-year-old continued to show a good mix of power and speed last year, logging a 104 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 89 runs scored and 34 steals in 156 games. His strong performance the last two years earned him a spot on the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic.
Similar to Jose Altuve in Houston and Anthony Rizzo in Chicago, Mullins was the first core piece to emerge from a major rebuild, and he looks like a prime candidate for a long-term extension.
13. Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets
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After briefly testing the open market this offseason, Brandon Nimmo found his way back to the New York Mets on an eight-year, $162 million deal.
The oft-injured outfielder played a career-high 151 games last season and hit .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBI and 102 runs scored in a 5.1-WAR season.
His on-base ability and solid defense in center field make him one of the more underrated outfielders on this list, and he will be as important to the Mets' success as anyone on the roster.
12. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins
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Jazz Chisholm Jr. was on his way to a huge breakout season last year when a stress fracture in his lower back brought things to an abrupt halt inJune.
The 25-year-old posted a 139 OPS+ with 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 12 steals in 60 games, putting him on pace to finish in the neighborhood of a 30/30 season, and he was a 2.4-WAR player despite having his season cut short.
He shifts from second base to center field after suggesting the move himself to plug a significant hole in the Miami outfield, and he could be one of the breakout stars of 2023 with a fully healthy season.
11. Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
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Can Luis Robert Jr. stay healthy for a full season?
Since finishing runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, he has played in 166 games over the past two years, which amounts to roughly one full season's worth of games.
During that time, he has hit .307/.344/.486 for a 129 OPS+ with 40 doubles, 25 home runs, 99 RBI, 96 runs scored, 17 steals and 5.7 WAR. That's MVP-level production if it happened in one full season rather than spread across two injury-plagued campaigns.
Still only 25 years old, he needs to prove he can stay on the field before he jumps into the top 10 in these rankings.
10. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
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After an injury-shortened first season with the Toronto Blue Jays, George Springer was his usual impactful self last year, hitting .267/.342/.472 for a 131 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 89 runs scored, 14 steals and 4.0 WAR.
The 33-year-old earned his fourth All-Star selection last year, and he is putting together an impressive career body of work with 221 home runs, 34.2 WAR and a postseason track record that includes an .889 OPS and 19 home runs in 65 games.
The addition of Kevin Kiermaier means he'll shift from center field to right field. That could mean an uptick in his offensive production with less pressure on his glove.
9. Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
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Michael Harris II jumped straight from Double-A to the majors last year and didn't miss a beat on his way to NL Rookie of the Year honors.
He nearly had a 20/20 season despite not making his MLB debut until the end of May, hitting .297/.339/.514 for a 135 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs scored, 20 steals and an impressive 5.3 WAR in 114 games.
The Braves saw enough to sign him to an eight-year, $72 million extension in August. After he saw most of his at-bats at the bottom of the lineup last year, he'll take on a more central role in the team's offensive attack in 2023.
8. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres' addition of Xander Bogaerts in free agency means Fernando Tatis Jr. will be a full-time outfielder once he returns from serving the final 20 games of his PED suspension.
While he is playing in spring training games, he will still have some rust to shake off when he settles back into the grind of an MLB season. Coupled with the fact that he'll miss most of the first month, that makes it tough to move him any higher in these rankings.
The last time he was on the field, he was posting a 166 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 42 home runs and 97 RBI in 130 games in 2021 to finish third in NL MVP voting, so it's entirely possible he's a top-five outfielder by season's end.
7. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
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Ronald Acuña Jr. returned from the torn ACL that ended his 2021 season on April 28 last season, but he never looked like the dynamic player he was prior to that injury.
The 25-year-old hit .266/.351/.413 for a 114 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBI and 29 steals in 119 games. While that's solid production relative to most players, it was a far cry from the 40/40 threat we saw during the 2019 season.
With an offseason of rest and recovery, he will look to get back to his elite offensive form, and this spot in the rankings reflects a belief that he will do just that.
6. Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
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Here is a full list of all the outfielders who had back-to-back 5-WAR seasons in 2021 and 2022:
- Aaron Judge: 6.0 in 2021, 10.6 in 2022
- Juan Soto: 7.1 in 2021, 5.6 in 2022
- Kyle Tucker: 5.7 in 2021, 5.3 in 2022
That's solid company for the Houston Astros' sweet-swinging right fielder, who posted a 128 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 25 steals last season while winning his first Gold Glove.
The Astros began extension talks with Tucker this offseason, and they have plenty of time to get a long-term deal done with club control through 2025.
5. Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
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Julio Rodríguez just had one of the best rookie seasons in MLB history.
The 22-year-old phenom hit .284/.345/.509 for a 147 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 84 runs scored and 25 steals in 132 games to win Silver Slugger honors, finish seventh in AL MVP balloting and win AL Rookie of the Year honors almost unanimously.
He is the third rookie ever with a 25-homer, 25-steal season, and with 6.2 WAR, he became just the seventh rookie since 2000 with a 6-WAR debut campaign. That stellar rookie season coincided with the Seattle Mariners' snapping of a postseason drought that stretched all the way back to 2001.
With room for improvement in his 7.1 percent walk rate and 25.9 percent strikeout rate, he may just be scratching the surface of his long-term ceiling.
4. Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
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It speaks volumes that Juan Soto posted a 149 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 27 home runs and 5.6 WAR last season with the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres, and it was widely regarded as a disappointing season.
The casual fan looks at his .242 batting average and considers it a down year, but he was once again one of the game's elite on-base threats with 135 walks and a .401 on-base percentage, more than offsetting his dip in average.
With a full season hitting alongside Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the San Diego lineup after receiving little protection on the Nationals, he could be in for a career year in his age-24 season.
3. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Mookie Betts hit a career-high 35 home runs last season along with 40 doubles and three triples en route to topping 300 total bases for the fourth time in his career.
The 30-year-old was also a 6-WAR player for the sixth time as he posted a 136 OPS+ offensively and won his sixth Gold Glove Award, providing as much all-around value as any player in the game outside of Shohei Ohtani.
Still in his prime, he will be a perennial NL MVP candidate after finishing fifth in the balloting in 2022.
2. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
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The good: Mike Trout hit 40 home runs in just 119 games last season, suggesting a 50-homer season might be lurking.
The bad: He only played 119 games because he was sidelined with a rare spinal condition that could be a nagging issue for the remainder of his career.
The greatest player of this generation is fresh off serving as captain of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. With arguably his best cast of supporting characters since he broke into the league, he has a shot to get to the postseason for just the second time in his career.
1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
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Aaron Judge has plenty of room to regress from last year's numbers and still stake claim to the No. 1 spot among outfielders.
The newly minted New York Yankees captain nearly won the AL Triple Crown while setting the league's single-season home run record, batting .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI en route to an absurd 211 OPS+ and 10.6 WAR in 157 games.
That games played total is as significant as anything in his stat line as he stayed healthy for the second year in a row after dealing with a variety of injuries earlier in his career. That no doubt made it easier for the Yankees to offer a massive nine-year, $360 million contract.
Beyond the elite offensive numbers, he played a career-high 78 games in center field, adding to his overall value.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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