Best Player Series: MLB Centerfielders

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

This is the eighth in a series of threads about the best players in the MLB at their positions. I'm going to use the past 5 years as the criteria, that eliminates one hit wonder and life time acheivement award type players.

Centerfielders will be the eighth position in the series.

The question is who do you think the best centerfielder in the MLB is and why?

Be ready to defend your choice.






My choice will be Carlos Beltran.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltrca01.shtml

Beltran's stat might have fallen off since 2004 but he is still one dangerous man, he can do it at the plate and in the field.

This is probably the last one in the series unless I go crazy and do one for the Designated Hitter, it's half of a position.

Here we go, let's try not to agree too much.

 

[The Crock]

My choice for best centerfielder is Torii Hunter. The man is great in the outfield, most likely one of the greatest fielders ever, and can put up big numbers with the stick. He usually gets 20 homers and 90 rbi, that is good. Every so often he'll give you 30 homers and 100 rbi, and he gets 20 steals almost every year.

 

[The Brain]

Either I'm slipping and drawing a black here or there have not been many great consistent centerfielders in recent years. Beltran is a good choice, but his below average (for him) 2005 and injury plagued 2009 are going to push me toward Torii Hunter. Torii Hunter is so well known for his glove that his bat often goes unnoticed. His bat isn't anything spectacular, but his consistent good numbers at the plate will allow his glove work to push him just past Beltran in my opinion. If not for the injury I may have gone Beltran instead. I realize he has great numbers, but somehow he is a letdown to me. I expected him to be a 40/40 guy. Him being a letdown is probably more my fault than his for putting such high expectations on him.

 

[The Insano Shiekh]

My pick has to be Andruw Jones.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesan01.shtml

Although he may have not had the best past few years, he had a pretty good season in 2009. But, when he was with the Braves, he was phenomenal, who can forget the 1999 "Spider Man" catch? It just made me MTFO. But...with age, comes a decrease in skill, and I guess you could say that Andruw Jones was the "Best Centerfielder from 1999-2003". If we want to go current, I'm going to have to agree with Torii Hunter, because he's been doing absolutely PHENOMENAL, and like The Brain said, he never gets noticed as a star centerfielder in most cases, but he still can bring in some runs to get a win every game.