Ranking Every MLB Team’s Starting Left Fielder for the 2024 Season
Ranking Every MLB Team’s Starting Left Fielder for the 2024 Season0 of 30
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Welcome to Bleacher Report’s 2024 MLB position rankings series.
With the beginning of a new baseball season right around the corner, we’ll be ranking each team’s starter at every position in the coming weeks to provide a full position-by-position preview for the 2024 campaign.
Left field is a strange position, lacking in true top-tier talent, but with as many as 25 guys who are capable of putting together a 3-WAR season in 2024. It’s a group loaded with young up-and-comers, established second-tier contributors and veterans with bounce-back potential after posting elite numbers in the past.
Players were ranked based on expectations for the 2024 season. Offensive and defensive contributions were both considered, and past track record played a major role in determining each player’s outlook.
Let the debate begin.
30. JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics1 of 30
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JJ Bleday hit .347/.465/.701 with 27 home runs and 72 RBI in 71 games during his junior season at Vanderbilt to send his draft stock soaring, and he ended up going No. 4 overall in the 2019 draft to the Miami Marlins.
After being robbed of a year of development in 2020, he struggled at Double-A in 2021 but rebounded to post an .835 OPS with 20 home runs in 85 games at Triple-A the following year to earn his first MLB call-up.
The Marlins traded him to the Oakland Athletics prior to the 2023 season in a one-for-one swap for left-hander A.J. Puk, and while he has yet to fully break through at the MLB level, the 26-year-old showed enough potential last year to be the front-runner for the starting left field job.
29. Eddie Rosario, Washington Nationals2 of 30
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Despite posting a 100 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 21 home runs and 74 RBI in 142 games as the starting left fielder for the Atlanta Braves last season, Eddie Rosario had his $9 million club option declined at the start of the offseason.
In a slow-moving free-agent market with multiple veteran outfielders that fit a similar profile, Rosario ended up having to settle for a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals that will pay him up to $4 million if he makes the MLB roster.
The 32-year-old has a chance to be a nice buy-low pickup for a rebuilding team and a proven run producer in the middle of a young lineup.
28. Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres3 of 30
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Once upon a time, Jurickson Profar was prospect royalty, ranking as the No. 1 prospect in baseball prior to the 2013 season while rising the ranks in the Texas Rangers farm system as their shortstop of the future.
His future star trajectory ultimately stalled, but he has carved out a solid career as a corner infielder with some power and on-base ability.
The 31-year-old had a 3.1-WAR season for the San Diego Padres in 2022, and after falling flat with the Colorado Rockies on a one-year deal last season, he ultimately found his way back to the Friars where he is slated to break camp as the starting left fielder.
27. Matt Wallner, Minnesota Twins4 of 30
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With a 6’4″, 220-pound frame and some of the best power potential in the Minnesota Twins system, Matt Wallner broke through last season when he posted a 139 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 41 RBI in 76 games as a rookie.
However, he also posted a 31.5 percent strikeout rate and logged poor defensive metrics (-2 DRS, -0.4 UZR/150) in left field, so it is far from a foregone conclusion that he is the left fielder of the present and future.
The 26-year-old has also gone just 2-for-23 with 10 strikeouts this spring, and while his solid debut should afford him the first opportunity at the starting gig, he will need to prove himself further before he can climb any higher.
26. Bryan De La Cruz, Miami Marlins5 of 30
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After flashing some intriguing offensive potential in 2021 and 2022, Bryan De La Cruz was an everyday player for the first time in his career during the 2023 season.
The 27-year-old ranked among the Miami Marlins team leaders in hits (149, second), doubles (32, first), home runs (19, second), RBI (78, first) and total bases (238, third).
However, those strong counting numbers came with a lackluster .257/.304/.411 line and a 92 OPS+ to go along with poor defense (-9 DRS, -2.8 UZR/150), and in the end he finished the season with minus-0.3 WAR in 153 games.
Can he take another step forward?
25. MJ Melendez, Kansas City Royals6 of 30
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Developed as a catcher in the Kansas City Royals farm system, MJ Melendez has played primarily at the corner outfield spots in deference to longtime backstop Salvador PĆ©rez while serving as both a leadoff hitter and a middle-of-the-order run producer.
The 25-year-old hit .235/.316/.398 with 29 doubles, 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 148 games last season while splitting his time between left field and right field. Now that newcomer Hunter Renfroe is penciled in as the team’s primary right fielder, Melendez will settle in as the primary left fielder.
His 11.3 percent career walk rate and 20-homer power give him the upside to climb higher in these rankings, and an improved lineup around him would also remove some pressure as a primary run producer.
24. Michael Conforto, San Francisco Giants7 of 30
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Michael Conforto declined a qualifying offer from the New York Mets following the 2021 campaign and then underwent shoulder surgery that would keep him on the sidelines for the entire 2022 season.
The San Francisco Giants signed him to a two-year, $36 million deal last offseason, but he struggled to shake off the rust of a lost year, hitting .239/.334/.384 for a 99 OPS+ with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in 125 games.
The 31-year-old was a 30-homer slugger and All-Star at his peak, and he still has a 120 OPS+ over 3,450 career plate appearances, so there is plenty of potential for a bounce-back campaign in 2024.
23. Tyler O’Neill, Boston Red Sox8 of 30
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Just a few years ago, Tyler O’Neill was a 6.1-WAR player for the St. Louis Cardinals, posting a 148 OPS+ with 34 home runs while winning a Gold Glove and finishing eighth in NL MVP balloting.
Injuries have limited him to 168 games over the past two seasons, and he has hit just .229/.310/.397 with a 97 OPS+ and 1.6 WAR when he has managed to take the field.
Despite those struggles, he still looks like a prime candidate to benefit from a change of scenery, and the Boston Red Sox acquired him to plug a hole in the outfield following the departures of Alex Verdugo and Adam Duvall.
22. Mark Canha, Detroit Tigers9 of 30
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One of the bigger Rule 5 success stories of the past decade, Mark Canha turned a strong run with the Oakland Athletics into a two-year, $24.5 million deal from the New York Mets in his first trip to free agency prior to the 2022 season.
The Mets traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline last year, and he posted a 120 OPS+ with five home runs and 33 RBI in 50 games after changing teams. The Brewers faced an $11.5 million club option decision for the 2024 season but instead flipped him to the Detroit Tigers who locked him in for that salary.
The 35-year-old has logged six straight seasons with an OPS+ above 100, posting a terrific .364 on-base percentage during that span while averaging 20 home runs and 73 RBI per 162 games. He will give a young Tigers lineup a welcome veteran presence.
21. Alex Verdugo, New York Yankees10 of 30
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The New York Yankees acquired Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in one of the first notable trades of the offseason, marking just the eighth time since 1969 that the two bitter rivals have come together on a trade.
Over the past three seasons, he has been roughly a league-average contributor offensively, posting a 103 OPS+ over 1,850 plate appearances while averaging 36 doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBI.
Being the centerpiece of the deal that sent face of the franchise Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers no doubt came with significant pressure, and moving on to another team could help him turn in a true breakout season in his age-28 campaign and a contract year.
20. Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals11 of 30
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Lars Nootbaar was a standout for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic last spring, becoming the first player born outside of Japan to play for the country’s national team, and he used that as a springboard to the best season of his MLB career.
The 26-year-old hit .261/.367/.418 for a 115 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 14 home runs, 46 RBI and 11 steals in 117 games, finishing third on the team with 3.3 WAR while playing all three outfield spots.
With Tommy Edman set to be the team’s primary center fielder and Tyler O’Neill now in Boston, Nootbaar is expected to settle in as the everyday left fielder once he recovers from a rib setback, and he has still not reached his full potential.
19. Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners12 of 30
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One of baseball’s biggest out-of-nowhere impact players last year, Luke Raley entered the 2023 season with a .189 batting average and 57 OPS+ in 144 career plate appearances in the big leagues.
The 29-year-old played his way onto the Opening Day roster with a terrific spring training last year, and he went on to post a 126 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 19 home runs and 49 RBI in 118 games while starting multiple games at first base, all three outfield spots and designated hitter.
The Seattle Mariners acquired him in January in exchange for utility infielder JosƩ Caballero, and while he will likely fill a similar super-utility role, left field looks like his primary spot to open the year.
Keep an eye on up-and-comer Dominic Canzone as someone who could force his way into a larger role after he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the deadline in the Paul Sewald trade.
18. Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels13 of 30
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A first-round pick as a catcher back in 2015, Taylor Ward was one of baseball’s biggest breakout stars in 2022, hitting .281/.360/.473 for a 134 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs and 65 RBI in a 3.7-WAR season.
His encore performance was derailed when he was hit in the face by a 91 mph pitch from Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah, sidelining him from July 29 through the end of the regular season.
Prior to that injury, he had a 105 OPS+ with 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 97 games, and he actually improved his hard-hit rate (42.9 to 43.9 percent) and average exit velocity (90.0 to 90.7 mph) relative to his 2022 numbers.
17. Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox14 of 30
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After falling short of expectations during his time with the Boston Red Sox, former top prospect Andrew Benintendi put together a 3.2-WAR season with the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees in 2022 while earning his first All-Star selection.
The 29-year-old parlayed that into a five-year, $85 million contract with the Chicago White Sox last offseason, but he fell short of matching his 2022 success in his first season with the South Siders.
He hit just .262/.326/.356 for an 87 OPS+ with 41 extra-base hits and 0.2 WAR in 151 games, and he still has $66.4 million remaining over the final four years of that back-loaded deal.
With 16.1 WAR over eight seasons, he has a more successful career track record than some others ahead of him on this list but less upside heading into 2024.
16. Jarred Kelenic, Atlanta Braves15 of 30
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Jarred Kelenic hit .291/.364/.540 with 31 doubles, 23 home runs, 68 RBI and 20 steals in 117 games during his age-19 season in 2019, reaching Double-A and cementing his status as one of baseball’s elite prospects.
The canceled 2020 MiLB season delayed his arrival in the big leagues, and he fell flat once he did finally get the call, hitting .168/.251/.338 with a 66 OPS+ and 30 percent strikeout rate in 558 plate appearances during his first two seasons in the big leagues.
The 24-year-old took a significant step forward last year, posting a 109 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 steals in a 2.0-WAR season, but he broke his foot kicking a water cooler in July and missed almost two months.
The Atlanta Braves acquired him at the start of the offseason to plug their hole in left field, and he could prove to be one of the best buy-low pickups of the winter.
15. Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles16 of 30
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In three seasons as the Baltimore Orioles’ starting left fielder, Austin Hays has hit .262/.313/.439 for a 109 OPS+ while averaging 32 doubles, 18 home runs, 66 RBI and 2.6 WAR.
The 28-year-old was an All-Star for the first time last year, hitting .275/.325/.444 for a 114 OPS+ with 36 doubles, 16 home runs and 67 RBI and finishing as a Gold Glove finalist while posting strong defensive metrics (6 DRS, 8.1 UZR/150).
With a wealth of young outfielders rising the minor league ranks, it remains to be seen where he will be playing once he reaches free agency for the first time following the 2025 season, but for now he is a key cog on the defending AL East champions.
14. Chas McCormick, Houston Astros17 of 30
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An underrated contributor in a stacked Houston Astros lineup, Chas McCormick put together the best season of his career in 2023, hitting .273/.353/.489 for a 130 OPS+ with 17 doubles, 22 home runs, 70 RBI and 19 steals in a 3.6-WAR season.
The 28-year-old has already been a major success story after going in the 21st round of the 2017 draft out of D-II Millersville University, and he is one of only four players ever to be drafted out of that school, with Toronto Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza also on that list.
After splitting his time evenly between center field and left field last year, he will be the team’s primary left fielder this season with Jake Meyers getting a crack at the everyday center field job. That said, his ability to handle center field if needed further adds to his value on the roster.
13. Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds18 of 30
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The Cincinnati Reds acquired Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Minnesota Twins at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for Tyler Mahle, and that is shaping up to be one of the most lopsided deals in recent memory.
Steer, 26, hit .271/.356/.464 for a 119 OPS+ with 37 doubles, 23 home runs, 86 RBI and 15 steals in 156 games to finish sixth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
After playing primarily third base in the minors, he played a variety of positions in his first full year in the big leagues, and adding the outfield to his defensive repertoire proved extremely valuable to a Reds organization loaded with young infielders.
12. Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies19 of 30
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In what could turn out to be the rare one-for-one trade that ends up benefiting both teams, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Brandon Marsh from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe at the 2022 trade deadline.
Marsh served as the team’s starting center fielder during its surprise run to the 2022 World Series and then shifted to left field last year after Johan Rojas arrived in the big leagues and staked his claim to the center field job.
Marsh, 26, hit .277/.372/.458 for a 127 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 10 steals and 3.4 WAR in 133 games while hitting primarily at the bottom of a stacked lineup, and he is controllable through the 2027 season.
11. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Arizona Diamondbacks20 of 30
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Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit .261/.309/.463 for a 108 OPS+ with 35 doubles, 24 home runs and 82 RBI last year after coming over along with Gabriel Moreno in the deal that sent Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays last offseason.
That earned him his first All-Star selection, and a new three-year, $42 million deal in free agency, with the D-backs solidifying their starting outfield alongside young up-and-comers Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas.
That could end up looking like a bit of an overpay relative to some of the deals given out as a slow-moving offseason unfolded, but it’s money well spent for the defending NL pennant winners as they look to build off last year’s success.
10. Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays21 of 30
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Originally drafted and developed as a catcher, Daulton Varsho has developed into one of baseball’s best defensive outfielders and a perennial 20-homer threat who can provide value in a wide variety of ways.
He had 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 16 steals in a 3.9-WAR season in his first year with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, but that was accompanied by a lackluster .220/.285/.389 line and an 85 OPS+ over 158 games.
The 27-year-old hit .235/.302/.443 for a 108 OPS+ during his final season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, and he is just now entering the prime of his career, so there is plenty of reason to believe a bounce-back season could be coming.
Even if he lands somewhere in the middle offensively, his defense is good enough to consistently make him a 3-WAR player.
9. Evan Carter, Texas Rangers22 of 30
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It’s tempting to vault Evan Carter straight into the top five among left fielders after his fantastic run through the 2023 postseason, but it’s also important to remember he played only 23 games in the majors prior to that impressive few weeks in October.
The 21-year-old still carries rookie eligibility into the 2024 season, and he will likely open the year as the AL Rookie of the Year front-runner after hitting .306/.413/.645 with 10 extra-base hits and 1.6 WAR as a September call-up and then logging a .917 OPS with 18 hits and 10 walks in 17 games in the playoffs.
There is a non-zero possibility he ends the 2024 season in the No. 1 spot on this list, but for now, we’re taking a cautiously optimistic approach until he proves himself over a large sample size.
8. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers23 of 30
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Christian Yelich was squarely in the conversation of best player in baseball during the 2018 and 2019 seasons when he won consecutive NL batting titles, launched a combined 80 home runs, racked up 14.3 WAR and took home 2018 NL MVP honors.
His production fell off a cliff during the abbreviated 2020 season, and he has never returned to that elite level of production, but he turned in his best season since that peak performance last year when he hit .278/.370/.447 with 54 extra-base hits, 28 steals and 106 runs scored serving as more of a table-setter.
The 32-year-old started 20 games at designated hitter last year, and he could see more action there in 2024 to help keep him fresh, especially with a wealth of young outfielders vying for playing time.
7. Teoscar HernƔndez, Los Angeles Dodgers24 of 30
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Slugger Teoscar HernĆ”ndez was one of baseball’s most productive corner outfielders during his five full seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, winning a pair of Silver Slugger Awards and starting the All-Star Game in 2021.
The 31-year-old was traded to the Seattle Mariners ahead of his final year of arbitration eligibility last year, and after a slow start he caught fire in August, hitting .365/.396/.654 with nine doubles, seven home runs and 22 RBI in August.
He finished the season with a 106 OPS+ and 26 home runs, and the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $23.5 million deal after his free agency stretched out longer than expected.
6. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs25 of 30
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Ian Happ has been a consistent power threat in the Chicago Cubs lineup since bursting onto the scene with a 113 OPS+ and 24 home runs in 115 games during the 2017 season, just two years after going No. 9 overall in the 2015 draft.
The 29-year-old was an All-Star for the first time in 2022, putting up stellar numbers in the face of swirling trade rumors, and the Cubs ended up signing him to a three-year, $61 million extension last year that starts during the 2024 season.
Aside from his power production, Happ has also won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in left field, making him one of the most well-rounded players on this list.
5. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians26 of 30
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Steven Kwan spent his college career at Oregon State playing in the shadow of Adley Rutschman, Nick Madrigal and Trevor Larnach who would all go on to be first-round picks and top prospects once their collegiate careers ended.
On the flip side, Kwan was a fifth-round pick and never sniffed leaguewide Top 100 prospect lists, peaking as the No. 27 prospect in the Cleveland Guardians farm system heading into the 2022 season.
The 26-year-old broke camp as Cleveland’s starting left fielder in 2022 and went on to a 5.5-WAR rookie season, finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and winning Gold Glove honors.
He offers little in the way of power production, but his combination of contact ability, plate discipline, speed and defense have made him one of the most valuable players on the Cleveland roster.
4. Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies27 of 30
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The Cleveland Guardians gave up too soon on former top prospect Nolan Jones when he was traded to the Colorado Rockies last offseason in exchange for minor league infielder Juan Brito.
The 25-year-old didn’t make his Rockies debut until the end of May, but he still went on to hit .297/.389/.542 with 22 doubles, 20 home runs, 62 RBI and 20 steals over 106 games in a 4.3-WAR season.
He also quietly posted terrific defensive metrics (9 DRS, 14.2 UZR/150) in left field after starting his career as a corner infielder, and he now looks like a long-term building block for the Rockies with club control through 2028.
3. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates28 of 30
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Bryan Reynolds hit .314/.377/.503 with 37 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in a 4.2-WAR season as a rookie in 2019, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and providing a 93-loss Pittsburgh Pirates team with some hope for the future.
Now five years into his MLB career, he has racked up 15.9 WAR and played his way into an eight-year, $106.75 million extension that will make him a foundational piece of the team’s rebuilding efforts in the coming years.
The 29-year-old hit .263/.330/.460 for a 113 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 85 runs scored in 145 games last year, and his glove fits better in left field than it did when he played center field earlier in his career.
2. Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets29 of 30
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Brandon Nimmo has spent the last five seasons of his career manning center field for the New York Mets, but with former Gold Glove center fielder Harrison Bader signed to a one-year deal during the offseason, he will now shift to left field.
The 30-year-old hit .274/.363/.466 for a 127 OPS+ with 30 doubles and a career-high 24 home runs in the first season of an eight-year, $162 million contract in 2023, and he will once again serve as the table-setter atop the Mets lineup in 2024.
With better career defensive metrics in left field (958.1 INN, 7 DRS, 6.1 UZR/150) than in center field (4,155.1 INN, -18 DRS, -3.1 UZR/150), he arguably becomes more valuable now that he is no longer playing up the middle.
1. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays30 of 30
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The legend of Randy Arozarena began during the 2020 postseason, when he led the Tampa Bay Rays on a surprise run to the World Series by hitting .377/.442/.831 with 10 home runs and 14 RBI in 20 games.
He then entered the 2021 season with his rookie eligibility still intact and went on to win AL Rookie of the Year honors while logging the first of three straight 20/20 seasons, and he has steadily improved throughout his time in the majors.
The 29-year-old hit .254/.364/.425 for a 120 OPS+ with 23 home runs, 83 RBI and 22 steals in a 3.5-WAR season last year, and he did it while posting career-best marks in walk rate (12.2 percent) and strikeout rate (23.9 percent).
With three years of club control remaining and his salary steadily growing now that he is arbitration-eligible, it will be interesting to see if the small-market Rays can find a way to keep him long-term, but for now he is one of the headliners of their offensive attack.
