Breaking Down MLB's Next Wave of Future Outfield Stars

The two best players in Major League Baseball last year were Mookie Betts, a young outfielder, and Mike Trout, a fellow young outfielder. Bryce Harper, yet another young outfielder, was the best of 2015.

I'm sensing a trend here. What's say we get out ahead on where it goes from here?

There's no lack of candidates to join the league's parade of star outfielders. For reference, there are 19 full-time and part-time outfielders just within the top 45 prospects in MLB.com's rankings for 2017. And that's just scratching the proverbial surface. 

Not all of those players will actually break through as outfielders. For that matter, not all of them are cut out to be stars. Baseball is tough like that.

However, the least we can do is run through the likeliest stars and dole out honorable mentions to other names worth knowing. Let's get to it.

Coming Opening Day, 2017

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox

Andrew Benintendi is living the good life in pro baseball. He started as the No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft and is now baseball's No. 1 prospect and the projected starting left fielder for the Boston Red Sox.

With enough athleticism to handle center field, left field should be no trouble. But it's Benintendi's bat that will carry him. Jim Callis and the the MLB.com crew see his hit tool as the best of any prospect.

Anyone could have gleaned as much from the 22-year-old's numbers. He hit .312 in 151 minor league games, and .295 with an .835 OPS in a 34-game stint with the Red Sox last season. On display were his advanced approach and sweet left-handed stroke.

Said stroke is also more powerful than you'd expect from a guy listed at 5'10" and 170 pounds.

"I think my size sometimes catches people off guard," Benintendi told Callis last summer, "but I don't think size matters when it comes to power. Mechanics and technique and bat speed matter more."

What's more, Benintendi is stronger now after putting on weight over the offseason. Next to Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., he can be a third All-Star in Boston's outfield.

Hunter Renfroe, San Diego Padres

It'll take time for the San Diego Padres to dig themselves out of the hole they've fallen into. But Hunter Renfroe is ready to do his part as their everyday right fielder.

Renfroe's power was his standout tool when the Padres drafted him with the No. 13 pick in 2013, and it's continued to develop since then. The 25-year-old slugged 30 home runs with Triple-A Paso last season before hitting four more in the majors.

One of those literally landed on top of a building:

“I think we all know he’s got a ton of raw power,” Padres manager Andy Green told Dennis Lin of the San Diego Tribune. But then added: “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Renfroe also has a quality that's rare among sluggers: He doesn't swing and miss too much. He had a respectable 20.4 strikeout percentage at Triple-A last year and whiffed only five times in 36 MLB plate appearances. 

That's a strong indication his power will play in the majors, and it should be more than enough to overcome his lack of other standout tools.

Manny Margot, San Diego Padres

Where Renfroe already has a job, Manny Margot will fight for one in spring training. According to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, he must outperform Travis Jankowski if he wants to start in center field.

Doable. Very doable.

Although Jankowski's defense is his best selling point, he doesn't have you-know-what on Margot. The MLB.com gang considers him the best defender of all prospects thanks to the following abilities: "He has well-above-average speed and enhances it by getting good jumps and taking direct routes, and he even has plus arm strength."

But those are only words. Pictures are better:

Because power won't be part of Margot's offensive game, pitchers are likely to be aggressive against him. That could curse him to a life of relatively low on-base percentages.

Margot, 22, will have to buoy himself by hitting for average. He's a .288 career hitter in the minors. With a short stroke that's good for making contact, he can translate that to the majors.

All told, just the guy to set the table and patrol center field for the Padres over the long haul.

Honorable Mentions

• Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: Judge's power potential is about as big as his 6'7" and 275-pound frame, but his 44.2 K% in the majors last year raises questions about his hit tool.
• Albert Almora, Chicago Cubs: The Cubs are ready to see what Almora can do for them as an everyday center fielder. He's no Margot with the glove, though, and may be no better than Margot with the bat either.

Coming Summer, 2017

Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers 

Cody Bellinger is a first baseman first and an outfielder second. But with Adrian Gonzalez locked in at first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his quickest road to the majors goes through the outfield. 

That's where the Dodgers have opportunities, and Bellinger's bat is right for the task of seizing one. He started off with a good hit tool, and his 56 homers since 2015 prove his power has developed.

"I was always told growing up, learn how to hit first, the power will come," he recently told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "Also, [after] three years in pro ball, the game starts to slow down a little bit. You start seeing everything you haven't seen before, and [last] offseason I hit with my hitting coach consistently, and there's some tweaks in my swing and putting on weight and it just kind of happens like that."

Bellinger, 21, has only logged three plate appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, so he's not quite ready to break camp with the big club. 

But stay tuned. He'll come along sooner rather than later.

Clint Frazier, New York Yankees

Clint Frazier began his pro career in the spotlight after the Cleveland Indians drafted him at No. 5 in 2013. He returned to the spotlight this summer when they traded him to the Yankees for Andrew Miller.

Frazier is a solid athlete who's played all three outfield spots. But really, it's all about his swing.

"Frazier has an electric bat. His bat speed is already legendary," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last summer, via Joe Giglio of NJ.com.

Observe:

His numbers? Well, they're just in the good-not-great range. In 416 minor league games, Frazier has put up an .804 OPS and slugged 50 home runs. His immediate priority is correcting a whiff habit that had gone away but came roaring back with a 27.9 K% at Triple-A.

Once Frazier gets that under control, a call from the Yankees won't be far behind.

Austin Meadows, Pittsburgh Pirates

Although not the reason, Austin Meadows is certainly a reason the Pittsburgh Pirates kicked around Andrew McCutchen trades this winter.

Meadows hasn't had the easiest time staying healthy since the Pirates drafted him at No. 9 in 2013. But he's been solid every step of the way when he has been on the field, hitting .300 with an .848 OPS in 307 minor league games.

The question used to be whether Meadows would develop power to go with his hit tool. He began answering that with 12 homers in 87 games last year, pointing to a potential as a dangerous hitter. The 21-year-old is also a plus runner and a strong defender in center field. 

At this point, the big question has nothing to do with Meadows' talent. He's looking up at an outfield populated by McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco.

Barring an injury, he may have to settle for making his major league debut as a September call-up.

Honorable Mentions

• Lewis Brinson, Milwaukee Brewers: With plus tools across the board, it's no wonder that Brinson checks in as MLB.com's No. 18 prospect. He had a rough year in 2016, however, and there are lingering questions about how he's going to translate his tools into production.
• Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland Indians: Zimmer is the same type of toolsy outfielder as Brinson. His problem is that he has a swing-and-miss tendency that's gotten worse as he's gotten closer to the majors. That's not a small problem.
• Tyler O'Neill, Seattle Mariners: O'Neill is a big right-handed swinger with plus-plus power and decent athleticism. But with a big swing-and-miss problem of his own, he's closer in spirit to Judge than Renfroe.

Coming Summer, 2018

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Victor Robles, Washington Nationals

Bryce Harper will be in his walk year come 2018, so Victor Robles will be coming along just in time.

Robles made his pro debut as a 17-year-old in 2014. He's since advanced as far as High-A and hit .306 with an .860 OPS in 218 minor league games. At work have been all five tools that scouts want to see.

“He does some things like that where it’s just pretty special,” Tripp Keister, Robles' manager at High-A Potomac, told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. “It’s certainly not our coaching. He does some God-given things.”

The one tool that's lagging behind is Robles' power, which is more of the gap variety than the over-the-fence variety. But the ball already jumps off his bat, like so:

As he continues to build up his frame, the ball will jump even further off Robles' bat.

Robles is only 19, and his numbers did slow down against tougher competition in 2016. He's a fast-riser, nonetheless, and should soon be knocking on the Nationals' door.

Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners 

After the Mariners took Lewis with the No. 11 pick in the 2016 draft, he promptly started making them look brilliant.

The Mercer product played 30 games with Low-A Everett and hit .299 with a .915 OPS. That was him showing off above-average hit and power tools that could one day make him a superstar center fielder.

But now, the catch: Lewis also suffered a major injury last season, tearing the ACL and the medial and lateral meniscuses in his right knee. If there are any ill effects from that, he may have to transition from center field to right field.

On the bright side, Lewis' bat and arm strength are good fits for right field should that need arise. According to Greg Johns of MLB.com, the mystery will begin to unravel around midseason. Lewis should be on the doorstep of the majors a year later.

Corey Ray, Milwaukee Brewers

If Brinson's potential as an all-around center fielder fizzles, the Brewers can rest easy knowing they have Corey Ray to fall back on.

Ray was the No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft, and it wasn't long before the Louisville product found himself playing with High-A Brevard County. Cue things getting bumpy. In 57 games, he managed just a .692 OPS. More recently, he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The 22-year-old's upside is still there, however. He has above-average power potential and, unlike Lewis, should still have above-average speed even if his knee injury puts a dent in it. And as you'd expect from a hitter who hit .318 in college, Ray's hit tool is also solid.

Although Ray didn't put himself on the fast track to the majors in his first taste of pro ball in 2016, that could change in a hurry.

Honorable Mentions

• Alex Verdugo, Los Angeles Dodgers: Verdugo is a sweet-swinging 20-year-old who's already advanced as Double-A. But with subpar athleticism, he must further develop his power before he can stand out as a possible major league star.
• Anthony Alford, Toronto Blue Jays: Alford turned heads in 2015, looking more like a polished ballplayer than a football player who was drafted for his tools. Then came last season, when a knee injury sapped his speed and his numbers took a dive. The 2017 season will be something of a reset for his development.

Coming Summer, 2019

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Eloy Jimenez, Chicago Cubs 

No, the Cubs aren't done producing elite young talent. Meet the proof.

Now 20 years old, Eloy Jimenez put himself on the map as a 19-year-old with Single-A South Bend last season. He .329 with a .901 OPS and 12 home runs in 112 games.

That power? It's very real. See for yourself:

Jimenez also has a good hit tool. Although not the most patient hitter, his 19.2 K% in the minors is a solid promise that he won't have as much swing-and-miss as other sluggers.

The one tool that's not great is Jimenez's speed. But with plus arm strength, he fits just fine in right field. If Jason Heyward opts out after 2018 or 2019, Jimenez will be ready to take his place. 

Mickey Moniak, Philadelphia Phillies 

The Philadelphia Phillies' rebuild should start bearing fruit in the near future, so there's no need for them to rush the development of their No. 1 pick from the 2016 draft.

As is, there are aspects of Mickey Moniak's game that don't need much development. He comes with a legit hit tool, complete with an advanced approach and a feel for the barrel. Also, a certain attitude.

“When I go up to the plate, I have the mentality that the pitcher is not going to beat me,” he told Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America. “I go up there with a purpose. I’m going to get on base and score.”

With high OBPs in his future, there's not too much pressure on Moniak, 18, to develop what's for now a subpar power tool. A future as a pesky top-of-the-order hitter is in order.

Moniak will also boost his value elsewhere. His plus speed will come in handy on the basepaths and on defense. Picture an Adam Eaton clone, and you're on the right track.

Honorable Mentions

• Blake Rutherford, New York Yankees: Rutherford is ranked between Frazier and Judge at No. 37 in MLB.com's top 100, a good spot for a guy who was just drafted last June. But at 19, he's older than a typical prep draftee and not necessarily more advanced.
• Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros: Tucker was the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft and has made good progress since then. He hit .285 with a .798 OPS as a 19-year-old last year. But with only 190 pounds on a 6'4" frame, there's a question of what will be gained and lost as he adds weight.

Data courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.