Ranking the Top 25 Outfielders of 2023 MLB Season
It's time to put a bow on the 2023 MLB season with Bleacher Report's final positional rankings.
Throughout the year, we released monthly updates to our position-by-position player rankings, selecting the top 10 players at each spot. Now it's time to finalize those rankings while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position.
Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order—this is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2023.
To qualify for inclusion, a player simply had to have at least 200 plate appearances. Each player was only included at the position where he played the most innings. That notably excluded Evan Carter (75 plate appearances) and Johan Rojas (164 plate appearances).
Now let's dive into the top 25 outfielders of the 2023 season.
Catch up on the Top 25 in 2023 series: Catchers, First basemen, Second basemen, Shortstops
Nos. 25-21
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25. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
Stats: 158 G, 112 OPS+, .248/.360/.431, 60 XBH (21 HR), 84 RBI, 14 SB, 3.0 WAR
Happ signed a three-year, $61 million extension in April after a 4.4-WAR season in 2023, and then he won his second straight Gold Glove. The 29-year-old also continued to be a productive run producer while raising his walk rate from 9.0 to 14.3 percent.
Max Kepler, Steven Kwan, Lars Nootbaar, Luke Raley, Bryan Reynolds, Jose Siri, Jack Suwinski and Leody Taveras were among the other outfielders in the running for the final spot.
24. Anthony Santander, Baltimore Orioles
Stats: 153 G, 121 OPS+, .257/.325/.472, 70 XBH (28 HR), 95 RBI, 5 SB, 3.0 WAR
Santander tied with AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson for the Orioles team lead with 28 home runs, and his 95 RBI were tops on the roster for a team that won 101 games and an AL East title. The former Rule 5 pick has hit 110 home runs over the past five seasons, and he is entering his final year of club control before reaching free agency.
23. Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs
Stats: 138 G, 124 OPS+, .285/.357/.485, 57 XBH (20 HR), 74 RBI, 6 SB, 2.8 WAR
Suzuki improved his offensive numbers across the board in his second year stateside after battling some injury issues in 2022. The 29-year-old hit .313/.372/.566 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI in 67 games after the All-Star break, which could be a springboard to an even bigger breakthrough in 2024.
22. Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies
Stats: 133 G, 127 OPS+, .277/.372/.458, 43 XBH (12 HR), 60 RBI, 10 SB, 3.4 WAR
In his first full season with the Phillies after coming over in a 2022 deadline deal with the Los Angeles Angels, Marsh settled into an everyday role in the outfield while providing a nice mix of power (43 XBH), speed (10 SB) and solid defense across all three outfield spots. The 25-year-old has four years of control remaining.
21. Lane Thomas, Washington Nationals
Stats: 156 G, 114 OPS+, .268/.315/.468, 67 XBH (28 HR), 86 RBI, 20 SB, 3.3 WAR
Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for veteran Jon Lester at the 2021 trade deadline, Thomas was one of the biggest breakout players of the 2023 season and a popular name at the trade deadline. The 28-year-old ultimately stayed put and went on to have a 20/20 season for the rebuilding Nationals.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
Stats: 138 G, 114 OPS+, .293/.331/.477, 54 XBH (18 HR), 57 RBI, 20 SB, 3.4 WAR
The 2022 NL Rookie of the Year got off to a slow start this season, hitting just .174 over the first two months of the season while missing three weeks with a lower back strain. The 22-year-old eventually rounded into form, hitting .326/.352/.535 with 48 extra-base hits in 416 plate appearances from June 1 through the end of the season.
19. Chas McCormick, Houston Astros
Stats: 115 G, 130 OPS+, .273/.353/.489, 41 XBH (22 HR), 70 RBI, 19 SB, 3.6 WAR
McCormick has quietly been a solid producer for the Astros since debuting in 2021, and he posted a 111 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 44 RBI in a 1.3-WAR season last year. The 28-year-old took another step forward during the 2023 campaign and posted career-best numbers offensively while coming one steal short of a 20/20 season.
18. James Outman, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 151 G, 112 OPS+, .248/.353/.437, 42 XBH (23 HR), 70 RBI, 16 SB, 3.3 WAR
Outman was the talk of baseball when he posted a .991 OPS with seven home runs and 20 RBI in April. His production dipped dramatically in the weeks that followed, but he eventually made the necessary adjustments and hit .264/.393/.458 after the All-Star break. The 26-year-old also had positive defensive metrics in center field (1 DRS, 1.8 UZR/150).
17. Josh Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
Stats: 135 G, 129 OPS+, .292/.335/.500, 55 XBH (20 HR), 83 RBI, 32 SB, 3.7 WAR
Lowe hit .221/.284/.343 over 198 plate appearances in his first extended MLB action in 2022, but the former top prospect and 2016 first-round pick turned a corner this season to provide a major in-house boost to the Tampa Bay offense. The 25-year-old played almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, tallying only 67 plate appearances against southpaws.
16. TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds
Stats: 138 G, 118 OPS+, .279/.352/.467, 48 XBH (18 HR), 66 RBI, 27 SB, 3.8 WAR
Teams didn't realize Friedl was draft-eligible in 2016, and the Collegiate National Team standout went undrafted before signing a $732,500 bonus with the Cincinnati Reds, the most ever given to a player in free agency following the draft. His breakout season helped stop a revolving door in center field for the Reds, and he could be the answer there for the foreseeable future.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
Stats: 151 G, 120 OPS+, .254/.364/.425, 45 XBH (23 HR), 83 RBI, 22 SB, 3.5 WAR
Arozarena posted his third consecutive 20/20 season while earning his first All-Star selection, and he hit .279/.388/.467 with 16 home runs and 10 steals during the first half of the season before his production leveled off after the break. The 28-year-old still has three years of club control before the Rays need to worry about whether they can afford him long-term.
14. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
Stats: 144 G, 124 OPS+, .278/.370/.447, 54 XBH (19 HR), 76 RBI, 28 SB, 3.6 WAR
Yelich may never return to the elite form he showed in 2018 and 2019 with back-to-back 7-WAR seasons, but he showed he is still capable of making an impact with a solid all-around 2023 campaign. His .370 on-base percentage and 28 steals made him a great fit in the leadoff spot in the lineup, and his 19 home runs were also his most since 2019.
13. Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets
Stats: 152 G, 127 OPS+, .274/.363/.466, 60 XBH (24 HR), 68 RBI, 3 SB, 3.9 WAR
Nimmo has struggled to stay healthy at times in his career, so following up his 151 games played in 2022 with a career-high 152 games in 2023 was a good sign after he signed an eight-year, $162 million deal during the offseason. The 30-year-old set career-high marks in home runs (24), RBI (68) and total bases (276), though he is still searching for his first All-Star selection.
12. Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies
Stats: 106 G, 138 OPS+, .297/.389/.542, 46 XBH (20 HR), 62 RBI, 20 SB, 4.3 WAR
Acquired in an under-the-radar deal with the Cleveland Guardians last offseason as part of a 40-man roster crunch, Jones thrived with a change of scenery and a more clear path to playing time. The 25-year-old became the first rookie in Colorado Rockies history with a 20/20 season, and he had terrific defensive metrics in the outfield (10 DRS, 8.0 UZR/150) despite being developed as a third baseman.
11. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Stats: 106 G, 175 OPS+, .267/.406/.613, 53 XBH (37 HR), 75 RBI, 3 SB, 4.5 WAR
The Yankees were 57-49 (.538) when Judge was in the lineup in 2023, compared to 25-31 (.446) when he was sidelined by injuries, so it's not hard to see the impact he can have on a team's success. His 37 home runs were the second-highest total in MLB history by someone who played in fewer than 110 games, behind only Mark McGwire's 39 in 104 games during the 1995 season.
10. Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs
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Stats: 130 G, 133 OPS+, .307/.356/.525, 56 XBH (26 HR), 97 RBI, 20 SB, 4.4 WAR
Cody Bellinger bet on himself after he was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason, signing a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs that would allow him to test the water again with a bounce-back performance.
The 2019 NL MVP did indeed bounce back, finishing 10th in NL MVP voting while posting a career-high .307 batting average and providing terrific middle-of-the-lineup run production. He split his time defensively between center field (686 innings) and first base (421.2 innings), adding further value with his versatility.
9. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
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Stats: 141 G, 113 OPS+, .257/.322/.449, 59 XBH (25 HR), 78 RBI, 29 SB, 5.5 WAR
The offseason addition of veteran shortstop Xander Bogaerts meant that once Fernando Tatis Jr. returned from serving the final 20 games of his PED suspension, his spot at shortstop was no longer waiting for him and his future was in the outfield.
The 24-year-old did a nice job shaking off the rust offensively with a 25-homer, 29-steal season at the plate, but his defensive work in the outfield was an even bigger surprise. His 29 Defensive Runs Saved in right field led all players across all positions, and he took home Gold Glove and Platinum Glove honors as a result.
8. Adolis García, Texas Rangers
6 of 13
Stats: 148 G, 123 OPS+, .245/.328/.508, 68 XBH (39 HR), 107 RBI, 9 SB, 4.2 WAR
Even before his postseason heroics, Adolis García had already put together the best season of his career with personal bests in OPS+ (123), home runs (39), RBI (107) and WAR (4.2) while also winning Gold Glove honors for the first time in his career.
The 30-year-old then went 10-for-28 with five home runs and 15 RBI in seven games against the Houston Astros to win ALCS MVP. All told, he hit .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs and 22 RBI during the Texas Rangers' run to a World Series title.
7. Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
7 of 13
Stats: 145 G, 128 OPS+, .264/.315/.542, 75 XBH (38 HR), 80 RBI, 20 SB, 5.0 WAR
Injuries limited Luis Robert Jr. to only 68 games in 2021 and 98 games in 2022, but he showed superstar potential when healthy during that two-year stretch. He finally stayed upright for an entire season in 2023, and he was one of the few bright spots in the Chicago White Sox's dumpster fire.
The 26-year-old hit 26 of his 38 home runs during the first half of the season to earn his first All-Star selection, and he also took home Silver Slugger honors while finishing 12th in AL MVP voting. Will he still be playing for the White Sox in 2024?
6. Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
8 of 13
Stats: 157 G, 142 OPS+, .284/.369/.517, 71 XBH (29 HR), 112 RBI, 30 SB, 5.4 WAR
The enduring memory of Kyle Tucker's 2023 season will unfortunately be his 6-for-40 showing in the postseason that included only one RBI in 11 games. But before his bat went cold in October, he put together another terrific all-around season.
The 26-year-old came one home run away from the first 30/30 season of his career while leading the AL with 112 RBI and finishing fifth in the league with 297 total bases. He finished fifth in AL MVP balloting, and with two years remaining before he reaches free agency, extension talks could pick back up again this offseason.
5. Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
9 of 13
Stats: 162 G, 158 OPS+, .275/.410/.519, 68 XBH (35 HR), 109 RBI, 12 SB, 5.5 WAR
In his first full season with the San Diego Padres, Juan Soto put together one of the best seasons of his young career. He led the majors with 132 walks while slugging a career-high 35 home runs and playing in all 162 games.
His .930 OPS ranked ninth among qualified hitters and trailed only Ronald Acuña Jr. (1.012) and Mookie Betts (.987) among outfielders, and he took home his fourth Silver Slugger Award while finishing sixth in NL MVP voting.
4. Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
10 of 13
Stats: 155 G, 128 OPS+, .275/.333/.485, 71 XBH (32 HR), 103 RBI, 37 SB, 5.3 WAR
After taking MLB by storm with one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory, Julio Rodríguez was slow out of the gates in 2023. But he eventually rounded into form to again rank among the game's best all-around talents.
The 22-year-old hit .308/.363/.578 after the All-Star break, including an absurd month of August when he batted .429/.474/.724 with 10 doubles, seven home runs, 30 RBI and 11 steals in 23 games. He already has 11.5 career WAR over two seasons, and he ended up fourth in the AL MVP vote.
3. Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Stats: 155 G, 134 OPS+, .285/.362/.506, 65 XBH (25 HR), 76 RBI, 54 SB, 5.4 WAR
The first rookie in MLB history with a 25-homer, 50-steal season, Corbin Carroll immediately became the best player on the Arizona Diamondbacks roster during his rookie campaign, helping to lead the team on a surprise run to the World Series.
He won NL Rookie of the Year unanimously and finished fifth in NL MVP voting, making the Arizona front office look genius for signing him to an eight-year, $111 million extension after he posted a 132 OPS+ in 32 games as a late-season call-up in 2022.
2. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Stats: 152 G, 163 OPS+, .307/.408/.579, 80 XBH (39 HR), 107 RBI, 14 SB, 8.3 WAR
Mookie Betts made things interesting in the NL MVP conversation when he hit .455/.516/.839 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 30 RBI in 28 games in August for arguably the best individual month of any player in baseball during the 2023 season.
He ultimately finished runner-up in the NL MVP balloting, but he was invaluable to the Los Angeles Dodgers' success once again. On top of his elite offensive production and Gold Glove defense in right field, he also saw regular action at second base (62 starts, 485 innings) and shortstop (12 starts, 98 innings) for the first time in his career to help plug a hole on the roster.
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
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Stats: 159 G, 168 OPS+, .337/.416/.596, 80 XBH (41 HR), 106 RBI, 73 SB, 8.2 WAR
Ronald Acuña Jr. won NL MVP honors unanimously after leading the NL in hits (217), runs scored (149), steals (73), on-base percentage (.416), OPS (1.012), OPS+ (168) and total bases (383), while also joining the exclusive 40/40 club.
The 25-year-old didn't look like the same dynamic talent in his return from a torn ACL during the 2022 season. But another year removed from the injury and with baseball's new pickoff rules and larger bases, he ran wild on the bases while once again showing one of the best all-around offensive toolboxes in the sport.
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