Dodgers News: Who Will Stand Out as Starting Center Fielder for LA?

Who will take control of LA’s eight spot?

Pitchers and catchers report in a few days. Spring training will be underway in a few weeks, and, Opening day is a little over a month away. However, there are still a handful of questions surrounding your Los Angeles Dodgers. One of the main questions is, who will start at the center field position for the Boys in Blue?

Well, there are a couple of options. Chris Taylor, James Outman, and Trayce Thompson are a part of the 40-man roster. There are two other viable options that aren’t on the 40-man roster: Bradley Zimmer and Jayson Heyward. All will be competing for the center field spot come Spring Training, but only one will get the starting spot on Opening Day.

Let’s start with the obvious, Zimmer and Heyward are highly unlikely to be out there for the Boys in Blue come late March. Heck, barring injury or tremendous play in Spring Training, they’ll be lucky to be on the 40-man roster at the conclusion of ST. 

In his prime, Heyward was one of the better outfielders in the game. However, Heyward has not been a fixture in the outfield since 2019 with the Chicago Cubs, playing in 144 games in the outfield that season. The 33-year-old is the oldest from the bunch, and if he makes the team, he’ll probably see more time in left field compared to center field. 

Zimmer is among the least likely to get the starting role. He’s only played in 372 career games in six seasons with the Guardians, Phillies, and Blue Jays. Zimmer’s best season came in 2021, when he had an OPS+ of 85 and a batting average of .227. 

The ones really competing for the spot are Outman and Thompson. CT3 will most likely get the start at left field and play numerous positions throughout the seasons, as he's always done with the Dodgers. 

Thompson has experience in the big leagues and knows what it’s like to play the outfield for Los Angeles. However, Outman is the new kid on the block who many Dodger fans fell in love with in his first major league debut last summer. 

It’ll be fun to see who will get the edge come Spring Training time and if they’ll maintain it throughout the season. Our questions will be answered in a matter of time.