Washington Nationals Editorial: Where Does Ben Revere Rank Among NL East Center Fielders?

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We continue our look at the 2016 NL East by ranking the center fielders in the division

After looking at who were the top third basemen in the division on Monday, we continue our rankings today by looking at center field. Unlike third base, this is a position that has undergone a lot of changes over the course of this offseason.

Starting with the Washington Nationals, Denard Span is now in San Francisco, so the team traded for Ben Revere from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Drew Storen. Revere is expected to be the opening day center fielder. Down in Philadelphia, Odubel Herrera had a good rookie season, but the team also signed former Cardinal Peter Bourjos for that position.

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The biggest surprise of the offseason at center field has to be in Atlanta. Even though the Braves are in rebuilding mode, they were able to acquire Ender Inciarte along with shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson from the Diamondbacks in the Shelby Miller trade during the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

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The two players who are constants in center field from the division last season would be Marcell Ozuna from the Miami Marlins, who did spend some time in the minor leagues last season and Yoenis Cespedes, who re-signed with the Mets. The Nationals were involved in the Cespedes sweepstakes, but he ultimately decided to re-sign with New York after a great second half.

So, let’s take a look at how I rank the center fielders in the division, starting with number five:

Next: Number Five

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Philadelphia Phillies –Peter Bourjos

Back in December, the Phillies claimed Bourjos off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. Last season, Bourjos had a slash line of .200/.290/.333 with four home runs and 13 RBI’s in 117 games for St. Louis. The right-handed hitter does not bring much offense to the table, but he is more known for his defensive capabilities.

However, his defense did slip in 2015. According to Fangraphs, his defensive runs saved dropped from seven in 2014 to -4 in 2015. Plus, his UZR dropped from 8.9 in 214 to -3.4 in 2015. The question is going to be whether or not Bourjos, who will be 29 in March, can bounce back with a new change of scenery.

Last season, the Phillies used rookie Odubel Herrera in center field and Herrera flourished as he hit .297 with eight home runs, 41 RBI’s, and had 16 stolen bases in 147 games. But, with a hole in left field, Herrera likely slides into that part of the outfield.

For 2016, the Phillies need Bourjos to be a good contact hitter at the bottom of the order. While he is not the player that stole 22 bases, had 11 triples, and had a WAR of 5.1 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2011 (led the team), he can still steal a few bases and provide some consistent defense for a young team. But, there is a significant talent gap between Bourjos and the rest of the center fielders in the National League East.

Next: Number Four

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Washington Nationals – Ben Revere

With Denard Span now with the Giants, it was thought Michael Taylor would be the new center fielder in DC. However, Mike Rizzo pulled a surprise move by landing Revere in the Storen trade. The Nats were familiar with Revere after facing him when he was with the Phillies.

Revere played the first 96 games of the 2015 season with Philadelphia. He had a slash line of .298/.338/.374 with one home run, 26 RBI’s, and 24 stolen bases. At the trade deadline, the Phillies dealt him to Toronto where he hit .319 over his last 56 games with one home run, 19 RBI’s, seven stolen bases, and a .356 on-base percentage.

While the 27-year-old is mainly a singles hitter, he did have six triples and finished in the top ten in hits in National League last season. He is one of those hitters that are difficult to strike out He led the league in at-bats per strikeout in 2014 (12.3) and was seventh in the majors last season (9.3).

As far as his defense goes, he made drastic improvements in 2015 if you go by defensive runs saved, which went from -18 in 2014 to one run saved in 2015. His UZR also went up dramatically from -6.4 to 2.9.

It will be interesting to see if Revere and Michael Taylor end up being a platoon in center field as the team tries to find Taylor at-bats. However, if Revere is the regular center fielder, he can provide the speed and contact that the Nats lineup needs at the top of the order. He’s not Span, but he can make an immediate contribution.

Next: Number Three

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Miami Marlins – Marcell Ozuna

When compiling this list, the toughest decision for me was where to put Ozuna. Last season, the 25-year-old center field was a big disappointment for Miami. After hitting 23 home runs in 2014 and having a 4.5 WAR (fourth among NL center fielders), Ozuna had a slash line of .259/.308/.383 with ten home runs and 44 RBI’s in 123 games.

It was a rough 2015 for Ozuna. He hit .249 in the first half of the season and he ended up spending time in triple-A New Orleans. From July 12-August 14, Ozuna hit .317 in 33 games with five home runs and 11 RBI’s. However, the most notable moment from that minor league stint was when he compared it to being in jail.

Once he got back to the big league club, he did have six home runs and 18 RBI’s in his final 120 at-bats. Just as his offense slipped in 2015, so did his fielding. His defensive runs saved dropped from 10 in 2014 to -3 in 2015. He was third in that category in 2014 behind Billy Hamilton of the Reds and Juan Lagares of the Mets.

With Don Mattingly now the manager in Miami, this is the chance for Ozuna to get his career back on track. He was the subject of many trade rumors this winter, but he is still under team control till 2020. He is a player with a lot of talent and if he is able to get back to what he did in 2014 at the plate, he will be a big boost to the Marlins’ offense.

Next: Number Two

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Atlanta Braves – Ender Inciarte

Although Inciarte is entering just his third season in the big leagues, he is expected to make a significant impact on the Braves in 2016. Last season, with the Diamondbacks, he had a slash line of .303/.338/.408 with six home runs and 45 RBI’s in 103 games.

Inciarte played mainly right field last season with Arizona due to A.J. Pollock being a Gold Glove center fielder, but he did play 22 games in center field in 2015. If you look at his rankings among right fielders in the NL, he was second in batting average behind Bryce Harper (.330), sixth in on-base percentage, ninth in slugging, eighth in .OPS (.747), and third in WAR (5.3). The only two right fielders with a higher WAR than Inciarte in 2015 were Harper and Jason Heyward.

As far as his defense goes, he has had 20+ runs saved each of the last two seasons as an outfielder. Four of his 29 runs saved last season came as a center fielder, but as an outfielder in general, he had the most runs saved in the National League and second most in the game (Kevin Kiermaier of the Rays had 42).

With the Braves in rebuilding mode, Inciarte is one of those pieces that can be a building block to the future when they move into their new ballpark next season. He may not have great power numbers, but he can get on base and provide good defense. The future is bright for Inciarte as he is only 25 years old.

Next: Number One

New York Mets – Yoenis Cespedes

While Cespedes didn’t play much center field before being traded to New York, he is expected to be the Opening Day center fielder for Terry Collins’ squad this season. After being traded from the Tigers to the Mets, Cespedes had a slash line of .287/.337/.604 with 14 home runs and 54 RBI’s.

Cespedes has the best power of any center fielder on this list. The 30-year-old has hit 22+ home runs in each of his four seasons in the big leagues. Last season, if you combine his numbers with the Tigers and Mets, he hit 35 home runs and had 105 RBI’s, both career-highs. His 35 homers were seventh in baseball and second in RBI’s among outfielders (Jose Bautista had 114 RBI’s).

Next: Nats Sign Ryan To Minor League Deal

Cespedes did win the Gold Glove last season, but it was as a left fielder. He had 15 defensive runs saved as a left fielder (second behind Starling Marte), but he had -4 runs saved as a center fielder. But, keep this in mind, the Mets could always use Juan Lagares late in games as a defensive replacement.

By signing the three-year deal with the opt-out after 2016, Cespedes can get the long-term deal next winter if he has another great season. He wanted to stay in New York and he is the impact bat that the Mets needed in that lineup. We want to hear from you! How do you rank the center fielders in the NL East and where does Ben Revere rank on your list?

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