Best Centerfielders In the Game

One of my favorite players growing up was the great Ken Griffey, Jr.  Junior was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame over the weekend, and I don't think there's any doubt that he'll be the first player to be sporting a Mariners hat on his plaque in Cooperstown.

Seeing that moving ceremony brought about a discussion of Junior's place in history.  I argued that if he hadn't been injured so much during his time in Cincinnati, we'd be talking about him on the short list of greatest players of all-time.  However, he'll have to settle simply for being one of the best centerfielders ever.  Definitely in the top five.  If not for the injuries, he'd be up there right behind Willie Mays as a clear No. 2 all-time.  He still might be, although I'm a little more inclined to put Mantle and/or DiMaggio ahead of him.

The greatest centerfielder of all-time debate is definitely a fun one.  While you'd probably get a near-consensus on Willie Mays at No. 1, I have a feeling positions 2-10 would vary greatly depending on who you asked.  So instead of using Ken Griffey, Jr., as my inspiration to count down the best centerfielders in history, I took on the much easier task of determining the best ones right now.  Choosing 10 was the easy part.  Ranking them, however, that was another story.  There are some really good centerfielders in the game right now (Bryce Harper is primarily a left fielder, so he doesn't qualify for this list).

10. Austin Jackson, Tigers-He strikes out a lot and his on-base percentage might be a little low for a leadoff hitter, but he's the perfect guy in that role on that Tigers team.  And you know what?  He's a pretty good defensive centerfielder, too.

9. Dexter Fowler, Rockies-This selection might be a little confusing to some, but Dexter Fowler's really come into his own.  Very few people have realized because he plays in Colorado and is the third-best outfielder on that team, but, after a couple years where he was getting shuttled back-and-forth to Triple A, Fowler's finally found his groove.  Defensively, he's committed just two errors this season.

8. B.J. Upton, Braves-I know that some others probably wouldn't rank B.J. Upton among the Top 10, especially since he's hitting below .200 after signing that megadeal in the offseason.  In the long run, though, I think the B.J. Upton that was in Tampa will eventually show up in Atlanta.  Based on that potential, which is the reason he got that contract in the first place, I've got him in the eight spot.

7. Angel Pagan, Giants-It's not a coincidence that in Pagan's three years in San Francisco, the Giants have won the World Series twice.  Talk about a guy who's a perfect fit for a team and a ballpark, it's Angel Pagan with the Giants and AT&T Park.  He's one of my favorite players in baseball.  And let's not forget he was the centerfielder for the Puerto Rican team that finished second in the World Baseball Classic.

6. Denard Span, Nationals-I loved Denard Span with the Twins.  I love him even more with the Nationals.  They decided that after last year, they didn't want Harper in center anymore.  They also needed a leadoff hitter.  So they killed two birds with one stone by trading for Span.  This year hasn't gone as planned for Washington.  That's not Denard Span's fault.  In the long run, they're going to make out big time for getting a still-in-his-prime leadoff hitter who's also an awesome centerfielder.

5. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox-The top five really stand head and shoulders above the rest, starting with Jacoby Ellsbury.  As a Yankees fan, he's one of the Red Sox I find most annoying.  But coming from a Yankees fan, that's a tremendous complement.  It's no secret that he's one of the most important players on that team.  Just look at last year when he was hurt and they were a complete mess.  This year, I think he probably should've been on the All-Star team.

4. Matt Kemp, Dodgers-If he wasn't hurt all the time, there's no way Matt Kemp would be ranked this low.  The definition of a five-tool player, he's one of the absolute best all-around players in the game when he actually is on the field.  Like in 2011, when he put up MVP-type numbers.  When he actually does come back, if he's anything like the Matt Kemp of old, the Dodgers are going to be that much better.

3. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates-The Pirates have been steadily climbing towards respectability over the past few years, and it looks like they're finally going to break through this season.  Andrew McCutchen is one of the biggest reasons why.  He can do it all, and he does.  It's not a stretch to say he's among the frontrunners for National League MVP.  And defensively he's one of the best there is.  I can't wait to see what this guy's going to do in October.

2. Mike Trout, Angels-"What?  Mike Trout's only No. 2?"  Yes.  For one, the Angels play Trout in left half the time, even though center's his best position, because of their stubborn insistence that Peter Bourjos is a Major League outfielder (he's not).  This has nothing to do with the sabermetrics vs. old-school stats debate that was front-and-center last year because of Trout.  He's got skills coming out the wazzou and is really fun to watch play.  I just think he ranks ever so slightly below...

1. Adam Jones, Orioles-With all due respect to Chris Davis, Adam Jones is the Orioles' best player.  What can't he do?  That's a good young team that's built for sustained success.  As long as they can hang on to Adam Jones and keep him healthy.  An in-his-prime player at a premium position who hits in the middle of the order and plays sensational defense in centerfield.  That trade with Seattle to get Jones a few years ago has turned into an absolute steal for Baltimore.

So, there you have it.  Positions 1-4 are pretty much interchangeable, but I'll take any of them.  They all prove that long-standing belief that a good centerfielder is an important key to success.  That's why four of those five teams are currently in the playoff race.