AL East Positional Rankings: Center Field an Uneven Field
By Nate Wardle
The center fielders of the AL East continue to see change and turmoil, as players struggle to stay healthy for an entire season.
The center fielders of the AL East continue to see change and turmoil, as players struggle to stay healthy for an entire season.
Center field in the AL East has long been a position of somewhat stability and strength. Names like Bernie Williams, Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Johnny Damon, Brady Anderson, Vernon Wells, and most recently, Adam Jones represent players with particularly longevity at the position in the division.
There may not be a truly complete player anymore in the position. Kevin Kiermaier can’t stay healthy but has the most talent. Jacoby Ellsbury is aging and can’t stay healthy, and no one knows if Aaron Hicks can start 130 games and be successful.
Jones’ defensive ability is waning somewhat, especially if you ask sabermetricians. Kevin Pillar‘s defense slumped a bit in 2017, and Jackie Bradley‘s offense did as well.
With all of that said, who should be first? Last? Well, first, here were the pre-season rankings:
5. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
3. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Baltimore Orioles
1. Boston Red Sox
5. Toronto Blue Jays – Kevin Pillar
Pillar started 148 games in center field for Toronto, with Ezequiel Carrera starting eight. Most would think that a full season of Pillar should keep him from the basement, but that isn’t quite the case.
Pillar hit .256/.300/.404 with 16 home runs, 37 doubles, 72 runs scored and 42 runs batted in, with 15 stolen bases to go along. It was the most power that Pillar has shown, achieving career marks in home runs and doubles.
So, why so low? Well, Pillar had a WAR of 2.8, which featured a 1.1 offensively and a 1.9 defensively. The past two years, Pillar had a dWAR higher than 2.5.
Pillar’s defense was superb as usual. He only made one error, and his runs saved above average was 15.
Pillar played more games in center field in 2017 than any other player in the American League, and also had the best fielding percentage.