MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

A ranking of the 10 center fielders who generated the most value in the 2019 MLB season. Factors are equally balanced between offense and defense.

In MLB, we’re pretty much obsessed with the concept of value. We apply a plethora of often exotic statistical approaches to measure it: batting average, slugging, home runs, WAR, OPS+, Defensive Runs Saved, Weighted Runs Created…the list  goes on.

The one factor we generally overlook in all these assessments is the most meaningfully value-oriented of all of them: salary. What, precisely, was the player paid – relative to all other players tasked with doing what he was doing – and how much of that pay did he “earn?”

The rating system that follows corrects that oversight. Based on 2019 performance, it measures which players were the most “valuable” as judged by their on-field production relative to their salary. And let it be noted here that we are limiting our focus to on-field value only. Some players, megastars, are paid based largely on factors unrelated to on-field performance, their drawing power at the gate, their celebrity, their endorsement/promotional potential being among them. Those factors, while acknowledged as real, are not part of this discussion.

Since different positions require different skills, the standard for determining production will vary depending on position…although for position players there will always be an offensive component.

Today we’re looking at Mike Trout’s position, center field. Perhaps more than any other position, center fielders require a montage of both offensive and defensive skills. Synopsizing the offensive requirements in a single synoptic number, WAR, enables us to limit the formula to four elements while giving proper weight to both the offensive and defensive aspects.

The offensive and defensive demands of the position exist largely in balance. That being so, 50 percent of the formula is attributable to WAR. Since center field makes significant demands on both range and fielding reliability, the remaining 50 percent is allocated thusly: 25 percent to range per 9 innings, 15 percent to fielding percentage, and a final 10 percent to innings played.

Like left field and catcher, center field is a position where teams have come to disdain relying on just one regular. Whether for purposes of platooning or other reasons, 38 players whose primary position was center field qualified for consideration for this ranking by virtue of having played more innings, and at least 400, in center than at any other position.

Here are the positional averages for the qualifiers: Salary: $4.598 million; WAR: 1.729; fielding percentage: .984; range: 2.396; innings: 899.13

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

10. Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates, $6.287 million value; $10.333 million salary

Marte was supposed to be the linchpin of the 2019 Pirates season. He had a decent season – 23 home runs, 82 RBIs, a .295 season and 120 OPS+ — but when Pittsburgh’s pitching collapsed Marte’s contributions were rendered extraneous.

He’s signed through 2020 with a $12.5 million team option for 2021, so the projection is that again next season he will be a very solid contributor to a very poor ballclub.

Marte generated 2.9 WAR in 2019, ranking 11th among center fielders and equating to $3.856 million in on-field value. Curiously for one with a reputation as a defensive plus, his ball-hawking numbers were not all that great. His .984 fielding percentage was no better than average, ranking just 23rd and amounting to $690,000.

At 2.41 chances per 9 innings, he did have good range, although ranking just 15th it hardly stood out. That was worth an additional $1.157 million.

Marte did report for work. He played 1,141 innings, eighth-most at the position and adding a final $584,000 to his overall on-field value.

Marte will be 31 in 2020. Assuming the Pirates don’t unload him for prospects, he should continue to give them top-10 short-term value. The question Pittsburgh’s new front office must address is whether there’s any point to that?

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

9. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins, $6.558 million value; $1.75 million salary

The offensive numbers have never risen to the levels projected for him when he was a top prospect in mid-decade, but they’re playable. He batted .262 with a 114 OPS in 2019.

The problem, as it has often been for Buxton, was getting him on the field. Injuries limited Buxton to just six appearances after Aug. 1, allowing him to build up only 295 plate appearances for the season. In his five big league seasons, he has only once gotten 350 plate appearances.

Since several of our rating factors, notably WAR and innings, are linked to playing time, Buxton’s rating suffers for his absence.

As it is, his 3.1 WAR equals the ninth-best at his position, amounting to $4.122 million in actual value. His .991 fielding average is solid enough to rank 12th, and that in combination with his 2.89 chances per nine innings – the position’s fourth-best range – combine to add a bit more than $2 million to his value.

Playing time is an obvious issue. Buxton took the field for just 692 innings in 2019, putting him among the position’s bottom quarter. No other center fielder in the overall top 20 saw that little action.

Fortunately for Buxton, playing time only occupies 10 percent of the rating’s weight, enabling him to hold his spot in the elite 10.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

8. Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies, $6.637 million value; $1.5 million salary

In his second full season, Kingery generated undistinguished offensive numbers. His .250 batting average, 19 home runs, and .788 OPS equaled a perfectly normal 100 OPS+. Still, Kingery’s numbers added up to a 3.0 WAR that was the position’s 10th highest, representing $3.989 million in on-field value based on the positional averages.

His defensive performance very much valued range over consistency. As a ball-chaser, Kingery averaged 3.01 chances per nine innings. That amounted to $1.445 million in on-field value. Actually catching the ball was another matter entirely. His .977 fielding average was below the .984 positional average and just 31st of the 38. That added just $685,000.

In his sophomore season, Kingery graded out as a center fielder even though he was often a utility player. Beyond his 65 games in center, he started 37 at third base, a dozen at short and lesser numbers at second, left and right. His total playing time amounted to 1,012 innings, 13th best among centerfielders and valued at $518,000.

As you might guess, the Phillies haven’t quite figured out exactly where Kingery fits into their plans going forward. On the winter line, he’s listed as the primary third baseman, a backup at second and shortstop, and not a factor in the outfield. He was primarily a shortstop in 2018.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

7. Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics, $7.494 million value; $558,000 salary

In his first full season, Laureano gave every appearance of having arrived to stay. Playing 123 games, he batted a solid .288 with above-average .340 on-base and .521 slugging numbers, all that translates to a 128 OPS+ for the Athletics.

His 3.8 WAR was the position’s seventh-best, out-performing many players – Lorenzo Cain, Ian Desmond, Juan Lagares, Starling Marte – who out-earned him by millions of dollars. That WAR valued out at $5.053 million in on-field performance.

Defensively, Laureano is sort of a Kingery clone. His .977 fielding average precisely matched Kingery’s for value, and like Kingery he was statistically superior at getting to balls as opposed to actually catching them His 2.55 chances per nine innings ranked 10th  among the position, valuing at $1.224 million.

Although largely a center fielder, Laureano did a brief 2019 stint in right field. The presumption is that in 2020 he’ll be left alone in center.  The 40 games he missed dragged his usage down to 1,041 innings in 2019, although that still ranked 12th at the position, worth $533,000.

pre-arbitration eligible for two more seasons, Laureano profiles as the kind of player Athletics fans love pure on-field profit. He won’t hit even $1 million in 2020, and possibly not in 2021 either. That’s measured against the position’s $4.6 million average salary.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

6. Brett Gardner, New York Yankees, $7.661 million value; $7.5 million salary

Gardner may or may not even be on New York’s roster when the 2020 season starts. He’ll be 36 then and New York has stacked its outfield with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge. On the other hand, the Yanks are on the hook to Gardner for $10 million next year whether they play him or not, and even in the Bronx $10 million is real money.

Given his lack of showiness relative to his outfield teammates, it’s easy to overlook the value of Gardner’s contribution. He hasn’t hit over .270 since 2013 and managed just 2.51 in 2019. Still, his 117 OPS+ translated to a 4.0 WAR in 2019, and that amounted to $5.32 million in value, the position’s sixth-largest.

Gardner is the archetype of the old-school center fielder, one who emphasizes fielding percentage over fly-chasing. His .996 average ranked as the position’s third-best, behind only Billy Hamilton and Teoscar Hernandez, both part-timers who rank well down the value line. It translated to $698,000 in on-field value.

What he has lost over the seasons is range. Gardner’s 2.18 chances per game is below average for a center fielder, generating just $1.046 million in value, the position’s 32nd best.

Thanks in part to all the injuries the Yankees suffered in 2019, Gardner did get in 1,119 innings, the position’s sixth-best figure.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

5. Victor Robles, Washington Nationals, $8 million value; $558,000 salary

In his first full season, Robles established himself as a central player on a World Series-winning team. That in itself is pretty good.

The measurable Robles generated were, for the most part, only okay. He batted .255 with a .326 on-base average, both major league midline. Robles did heist 28 bases in 37 attempts and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Based solely on those numbers plus his equally pedestrian on-base and slugging figures, it would be hard to detect where Robles was exceptional. WAR, which factors second-level aspects into its equation, found enough value to assign him a 4.1 value, the position’s fifth highest.

With his foot speed, one might assume Robles’s defense rated exceptional. Not really. His .882 fielding average ranked just 27th among the 38 centerfielders and translated to $689,000. His 2.48 chances per nine innings did rank 12th, good if not exceptional.

Reliability was a Robles asset. He played 1,309 innings, third-highest for the position and worth $670,000 in value. That drove his overall value to an even $8 million.

Like Laureano, Robles is pre-arbitration eligible, so the Nationals can expect value in excess of his cost for at least the next few seasons.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

3. Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves, $9.767 million value; $560,000 value.

Acuna beat out Juan Soto for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2018 and made the All-Star team in 2019. Obviously he’s won the respect of teammates and foes alike.

Acuna combined 41 home runs with a league-leading 37 stolen bases in a power-speed combination rarely seen these days. His .280 batting average won’t get a lot of attention, but check out that .883 OPS. It boils down to a 5.5 WAR, third-best at his position.

That WAR works out to $7.313 million in actual on-field value.

Despite his obvious and touted foot speed, Acuna is not especially adept at getting to the ball. His 2.21 chances per nine innings is below average for the position, ranking 29th and valuing out to just $1.061 million. His .991 fielding average is fractionally above average, ranking 14th and adding $695,000 to his value.

Nobody will criticize Acuna’s work habits. He put in 1,364 innings, the most of any center fielder in baseball in 2019, and equating to a final $698,000 of value.

The Braves are sold. Although he’s completed just two seasons, they have locked up Acuna to a $123 million deal that will pay him amounts ranging to $17 million by 2023, and potentially extending for five seasons beyond that.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

2. George Springer, Houston Astros, $10.468 million value; $12 million salary

Springer’s defensive credentials are literally identical to Acuna’s – they had the same fielding averages and range factors—so his superior rank is pegged entirely to his production at the plate.

That production includes a .292 batting average, .383 on-base average and a .591 slugging average. Springer couldn’t match Acuna’s 41 home runs, but at 39 he didn’t miss that figure by much.

His offense, which boiled down to a 150 OPS+, worked out to a 6.2 WAR, the position’s second-best and worth $8.244 million in on-field value. That was about $900,000 more than Acuna’s on-field value.

Since they matched defensive credentials, that left Acuna with only playing time to make up that $900,000 difference. Since the Atlanta star led the position, Springer obviously couldn’t stay with him. But at 918 innings, worth $468,000, he stayed close enough to hold on to second place.

Springer is a third-year arbitration-eligible in 2020, and given his performance, he’ll deliver a major hit to the Houston budget. His reliable production, however, ensures that Astros management will smile through that process. Among Astros position players, only Alex Bregman ran up a higher WAR in 2019, and only Michael Brantley alongside him in left produced a higher on-field value.

MLB: The most valuable center fielders of 2019

1. Mike Trout, $13.495 million value; $36.833 million salary

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What did you expect? Obviously Trout is the game’s most valuable center fielder based on on-field value.

When the subject of Trout comes up, the focus is generally his remarkable offensive versatility. Forget just centerfielders, in 2019 Trout ranked first in all of MLB in both offensive WAR and on-base average, second in slugging and OPS, third in overall WAR and walks, and fifth in home runs.

While two points better than any other centerfielder, Trout’s 8.3 WAR actually declined from his 10.2 of the previous season. It works out to $11.036 million in value.

So much is written and said about Trout’s overall talents that it may come as a surprise that his defensive numbers aren’t far above ordinary. His .987 slugging average stands 17th among the 38 centerfielders, working out to $692,000.

His 2.56 range was fractionally above the positional average, giving Trout a $1,229 million value for coverage.

He logged 1,052 innings, 10th best at the position and adding $538,000.

Compared with his $36.8 million salary, Trout’s $13.5 million value illustrates the reality that teams pay their high-end talent as much for their marketing force, the inherency of their identification with the team, and their ability to draw eyeballs as for their actual on-field production.

Teams like the Angels understand this reality of the game’s salary system.