Top Five at Every Position Right Now: Right Field

Photo Courtesy of LA Times

By: Chris Larson 

Concluding the position player side of our "Top Five at Every Position Right Now" Series, the focus today shifts to right field. Right fielders must be able to demonstrate strong throwing skills on a regular basis and prevent those balls that get down the first base line before trouble starts on the base paths. By utlizing speed and proper glove-to-ball skills, any right fielder can be successful in the big leagues.

Sometimes, teams around baseball are willing to sacrifice a right fielders defense and overall fielding skills if they have an impactful enough bat. It's a significant risk though and one that requires a lot of thinking because if a team makes the wrong decision, then they have a liability out in right field which could come back to really bite them during the course of a 162-game season. For example, the Arizona Diamondbacks saw that with Yasmany Tomas a few years ago when Tomas played in right field and was moved to left field the following season. Tomas had a potent enough bat to make an impact in the lineup, but was a huge liability for the Arizona Diamondbacks defense in right field.

Many of the most well-known right fielders from the last decade are still playing the game today. For example, Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees was a terrific right fielder with the Miami Marlins, but hasn't been able to stay healthy for the Yankees. Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves is yet another well-known right fielder as is Jayson Heyward of the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, other right fielders who are at the top of their craft are listed below. Furthermore, you can't overlook what Jose Bautista or Jay Bruce did during their prime years either.

With that being said, here are the top five right fielders in the game of baseball right now.

Photo Courtesy of DodgerBlue.Com 

1. Mookie Betts (Previously with the Boston Red Sox, Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers) 

• Defensive Runs Saved: 15 (2nd Among Right Fielders with 700 Innings Played) 
• Ultimate Zone Rating: 12.9 (1st) 
• Defensive Rating: 7.0 (2nd) 
• Offensive Rating: 37.0 (4th Among Right Fielders with 400 PA) 
• Wins Above Replacement: 6.6 (3rd) 

Mookie Betts has a new home with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it should be a very good fit. Betts immediately upgrades the Dodgers roster and it's amazing to think that he will be playing in the same outfield as Cody Bellinger. Both Bellinger and Betts are tremendously talented in their own ways and the Dodgers now have a team capable of winning a World Series Championship. Granted, that's the way it looks on paper and there's still 162 games left to be played before the final verdict comes out, but it was the splash the Dodgers needed to make after the way the team finished over the last few years. Betts really shines on both sides of the baseball with his bat as well as his glove. Both of those things are huge selling points and a reason why the Dodgers ended up pulling the trigger on a trade to bring him to Hollywood. 

Over the span of 706 plate appearances last season with the Boston Red Sox, Mookie Betts hit: .295/.391/.524 with 29 home runs, 80 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. During that span, Betts put up a .309 Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) along with a Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) value of 135. Among the rest of the position player group, using the criteria from above, that put Betts towards the bottom half in BABIP and seventh overall in wRC+. Besides being talented on both sides of the baseball, Betts is a very good base runner as well. According to FanGraphs, Betts had an overall Baserunning score of 5.6 last season, which tied him with Leury Garcia of the Chicago White Sox. Looking ahead to the coming season, Betts seems primed to be the Los Angeles Dodgers leadoff hitter and that's likely exactly where the team will utilize him. 

Photo Courtesy of On Milwaukee

2. Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers) 

• Defensive Runs Saved: -3 (9th Among Right Fielders with 700 Innings Played) 
• Ultimate Zone Rating: 0.4 (8th) 
• Defensive Rating: -5.0 (T-9th) 
• Offensive Rating: 65.2 (1st Among Right Fielders with 400 PA) 
• Wins Above Replacement: 7.8 (T-1st) 

Ever since the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Christian Yelich a few years ago, he has been the perfect fit out in right field for the Brew Crew. Yelich has a tremendous heart for the game of baseball, has really become the face of the Brewers baseball brand, and is a tremendously talented baseball player in every regard. The Brewers and Yelich relationship has fit like a glove since his acquisition and Yelich is once again primed to be a pillar for the teams offense and defense this year. When you look at the rest of the Brewers lineup, it is hard to debate the fact that Yelich is the team's best hitter. As such, Yelich should be utilized in the two hole this season as that is what analytics says especially when it comes to the best hitter on the team. Every year people seem to sleep on the Milwaukee Brewers, but Christian Yelich helps everyone realize why they shouldn't. 

Last season alone, Christian Yelich recorded the highest Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA) value of his career at 61.0. His offensive production was where he really shined especially when you look at the metrics listed above underneath his name. Furthermore, the amount of hard contact Yelich made last season really increased from the 2018 regular season. Last year over the span of 580 plate appearances, Yelich recorded a Hard Hit Percentage of 50.8% which was up from his Hard Hit Percentage of 47.6% from the 2018 regular season. If there was one potential area for Yelich to improve, it would be on his defense but it's still hard to dock him points for that. However, the Brewers now have outfielder Avisail Garcia penciled in right field which would shift Yelich back to left field. That move alone could easily improve his overall defense numbers. 

Photo Courtesy of New York Post 

3. Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) 

• Defensive Runs Saved: 19 (T-1st Among Right Fielders with 700 Innings Played) 
• Ultimate Zone Rating: 12.7 (2nd) 
• Defensive Rating: 8.7 (1st) 
• Offensive Rating: 23.7 (8th Among Right Fielders with 400 PA) 
• Wins Above Replacement: 4.6 (4th) 

When you think of the New York Yankees, the first name that automatically stands out is right fielder Aaron Judge. Judge is a tremendously talented player in his own regard and really is the Yankees brand of baseball heading into the 2020 regular season. Last year, Judge missed two months with a left oblique strain and that was a similar problem that Judge dealt with during the 2016 regular season - only it was his right oblique that season that gave him problems at that time. As such, the Yankees lost out on two months of production at the plate from Aaron Judge, but heading into this season the Yankees are really hoping that Judge can stay healthy for the entire 162-game season so they can see exactly what he is capable of doing. 

Although Aaron Judge recorded a strikeout percentage of 31.5% last season, he did have the third highest walk rate at the position using the criteria from above among the position player group. Judge put up a cumulative walk rate last season of 14.3% which helps to indicate the level of plate discipline that he started to show. However, that was down from the walk rate that Judge put up during the 2018 regular season which was 15.3%. If Judge is able to bring up his walk rate again this season and focus on putting the ball in play more while striking out less, than the Yankees will certainly appreciate that extra offense amid their already deep and powerful lineup. Furthermore, Judge became a well known line drive hitter last season as well. Over the span of 447 plate appearances last season, Judge had a Line Drive Percentage of 27.3% which was up from his 2018 Line Drive Percentage of 23.3%. 

Photo Courtesy of New York Times

4. Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves) 

* Split time between left field, centerfield and right field last season. * 

* Ronald Acuna Jr. only played 199.2 innings in right field last season which is not enough to qualify for the metrics listed below the other players names. * 

Although Ronald Acuna Jr. didn't rake up enough innings in right field last season to qualify in the metric categories for the other names on this list, it looks like Acuna Jr. will be the Atlanta Braves full-time right fielder this year. With the addition of Marcell Ozuna to occupy left field and Ender Inciarte in centerfield, Acuna Jr. now has an everyday spot in right field and that should only help him become better at his craft. That's if that's even possible because Acuna Jr. is already extremely talented at his craft and knows how to play the game with his bat and glove. One of the things that makes the Atlanta Braves such a fun team to watch is the relationship that Ronald Acuna Jr. has with second baseman Ozzie Albies. Both Acuna Jr. and Albies are going to be a fun duo to watch in Atlanta for the next several seasons and are an integral part of the team's makeup moving forward. 

Last season with the Atlanta Braves over the course of 156 games, Acuna Jr. posted a Wins Above Replacement value of 5.6 which was almost two wins better compared to his WAR from the 2018 regular season of 3.7. Considering that Acuna Jr. is getting ready to enter his age 22 season, there's still a lot of room for him to grow and the ceiling is extremely high so what he's already shown the baseball world is probably only half of what he is capable of doing during his prime. That's how talented of an athlete Acuna Jr. is and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him post a WAR between 7, 8, or maybe even 9 wins this year, if he is able to stay healthy the entire season. Another aspect of Acuna Jr.'s game that is fascinating is his base running skills and abilities. Last season, Acuna Jr. recorded 37 stolen bases and had an overall Baserunning score of 8.1. That is yet another facet of his game that Acuna Jr. should only get better at this coming season. 

Photo Courtesy of NESN

5. Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) 

• Defensive Runs Saved: 9 (4th Among Right Fielders with 700 Innings Played) 
• Ultimate Zone Rating: 10.0 (3rd) 
• Defensive Rating: 3.2 (4th) 
• Offensive Rating: 21.9 (10th Among Right Fielders with 400 PA) 
• Wins Above Replacement: 4.6 (T-4th) 

During his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies, outfielder Bryce Harper didn't necessarily live up to expectations. Some of that could have been because he placed too much pressure on himself or something as simple as just having a down year because it was a down year overall. However, Harper is in the middle of his prime years right now at the age of 27 and the Phillies are committed to him for the foreseeable future. As such, Harper should have a much better season with the Phillies this year and it will be interesting to see what effect playing under new manager Joe Girardi will have on his style of play. While the 2019 regular season was disappointing, any baseball fan would likely be willing to have Bryce Harper as a member of their team's starting outfield trio. After all, that's exactly why Harper got the deal that he did last offseason from the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Over the span of 682 plate appearances in 2019, Bryce Harper hit: .260/.372/.510 with 35 home runs, 114 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. During that span, Harper posted an Isolated Power (ISO) value of .250 and a wRC+ value of 125. One area of Harper's game that changed drastically last year was his ability to hit the ball straight away to centerfield. Granted, the dynamics of Nationals Park are different compared to that of Citizens Bank Ballpark (where the Philadelphia Phillies call home), but it was definitely eye opening to say the least. During the 2018 regular season with the Nationals Harper had a Centerfield Hit Percentage of 29.5%. Last season with the Phillies that percentage increased almost ten percentage points to 37.8%. As a result of that, Harper became much less of a pull hitter with a Pull Hit Percentage of 37.8% last season compared to 42.3% in 2018. It's going to be interesting to watch both of those trends for Bryce Harper this coming season and see if a definitive conclusion can be drawn in relation to the ballpark and the overall bat-to-ball path for Harper.