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

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