Inside The Pinstripes

New York Yankees Superstar Ranked Among Top Center Fielders in MLB

The New York Yankees hope that their new acquisition in center field will help to offset the loss of Juan Soto in their outfield.

Kyle Morton

Feb 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) waves to fans during the spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Feb 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) waves to fans during the spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Dave Nelson-Imagn Images
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Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees made good on a long rumored and discussed possible acquisition this offseason when they acquired Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

Bellinger, a left-handed power bat with a strong tendency to pull the ball, had long been viewed by those around the league as the perfect match for both the New York media market and the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

While Bellinger's bat is nice, there is not a single person out there expecting his offensive output to serve as a one-for-one replacement for the man whose spot he is taking in New York's outfield.

When Juan Soto opted to leave the Yankees for the New York Mets in free agency, it guaranteed that the Pinstripes would take something of a step back offensively, but Bellinger's all around game makes him an upgrade in other areas.

The primary benefit is his defensive prowess at his center field position, which will allow superstar Aaron Judge to revert back to his primary position in right field. Judge performed admirably in center, but he grades out very well in defense in right and closer to average in center.

Soto may be gone, but the Yankees will have a better defensive outfield as a result, and that's in large part because Bellinger is one of the very best centerfielders in the league.

ESPN Insider Buster Olney agrees, as he writes in ESPN+ (subscription required), to rank the top 10 center fielders in Major League Baseball, placing Bellinger in the No. 7 spot.

"Bellinger is still regarded as a very good outfielder, although rival evaluators say his range isn't what it used to be (not a surprise, as he nears his 30th birthday) and the Yankees are settled on playing him in center this year," Olney wrote. "The great variable is what he does as a hitter: Bellinger had an OPS+ of 136 in 2023, and that dipped to 109 in '24.

Bellinger comes to New York from the Cubs, where he spent the previous two seasons. As Olney alludes to in his piece, the 2023 campaign went a lot better than that of 2024 for the former National League Most Valuable Player, who found his game again in 2023 in the Windy City after losing it completely with miserable efforts in 2021 and 2022 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If the Bellinger the Yankees get is closer to the 2023 version than the one that showed up in 2024, New York's lineup shouldn't take too much of a step back despite the loss of Soto.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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