With the Mets re-signing Brandon Nimmo in December, the center field picture in the NL East remains largely unchanged from the 2022 season. The only team in the division entering 2023 with a new centerfielder is the Marlins, who will shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. to that spot after acquiring a surplus of infielders. While the NL East doesn’t necessarily boast a true superstar at the position, there is some solid depth throughout the division.

No. 5 Victor Robles, WSH

Once ranked as high as the second-best prospect in the sport by Baseball Prospectus, Victor Robles finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 and played a key role in helping the Nationals win the World Series. However, Robles has failed to replicate that level of production ever since. He hit just .224/.273/.311 with six homers and 10 doubles, giving him a career-worst 64 wRC+. Robles also set career lows in walk percentage, ISO, wOBA, xwOBA, and xBA.

While his offense was subpar, Robles’ speed and defense were still solid. He racked up 12 DRS and registered a 4.8 uZR, with his 6 OAA ranking in the 90th percentile of MLB. Robles also showed off his impressive arm strength, ranking in the 96th percentile in that category. His 28.7 feet-per-second ranked in the 86th percentile in that category and he swiped 15 bases in 19 tries.

Even though Robles is coming off another disappointing season, it’s worth noting that he’s only 25 years old and has time to turn his career around. With the Nationals firmly in rebuild mode, he seems to be in line for plenty of playing time for the foreseeable future.

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No. 4 Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA

After a solid showing in his rookie season, Jazz Chisholm came out of the gates firing in 2022. In 60 games, he hit a strong .254/.325/.535 (139 wRC+) with 14 homers, 10 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 steals. While he was still striking out at a high rate, Chisholm’s walk rate increased from 6.7% to 8.7%, his ISO went from .177 to .282, and his 2.6 fWAR eclipsed the 1.9 mark he put up in 124 games the year prior. As a result, Chisholm became the first Bahamian-born player to be named to the All-Star Game. However, he was placed on the injured list in June with a back strain and missed the rest of the season after suffering a stress reaction in his lower back.

The biggest issue holding Chisholm back in these rankings is that he has never played an inning in the outfield at the professional level. There’s a chance he rises on this list, but there’s also a chance he isn’t playing the position by the end of the first half. Chisholm should be helped by his elite footspeed of 29.2 feet-per-second and he was the one who approached Skip Schumaker about making the shift to the outfield. One way or another, it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out this season.

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No. 3 Brandon Marsh, PHI

Brandon Marsh was in the midst of a disappointing season with the Angels when he was shipped to Philadelphia for catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe. While Marsh still isn’t a masher with the bat, he made considerable strides with the Phillies, hitting .288/.319/.453 with three homers, nine doubles, and two triples in 138 plate appearances. While his strikeout rate was still high, Marsh’s hard-hit rate rose from 36.5% to 41.8%, his line-drive rate went from 22.7% to 33%, and his ground-ball rate fell from 43.6% to 37.4%.

Defensively, Marsh is solid in center, though he posted better numbers in left field. Still, he ranked in the 93rd percentile for OAA and his arm strength improved after moving positions. Marsh has always been lauded for his speed, and his 28.9 feet-per-second ranked in the 89th percentile in that category. With a full season in Philly ahead of him, expect the 25-year-old to post solid numbers in 2023.

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No. 2 Michael Harris II, ATL

When the Braves called up Michael Harris on May 28th, they were just 22-24 and facing an 8.5-game deficit in the NL East. After Harris debuted, Atlanta went 79-37 (.681) and as a result, claimed their fifth straight division crown. Harris was phenomenal in his rookie season, hitting .297/.339/.514 (136 wRC+) with 19 homers, 27 doubles, 20 steals, and 4.8 fWAR in 114 games. Harris won NL Rookie of the Year and finished 13th in MVP voting. The only knock against Harris’ game was that he walked in just 4.8% of his plate appearances and had a 39% chase rate, while he struck out in 24.3% of his at-bats. His .361 BABiP, 55.2% ground-ball rate, and 17.9% fly-ball rate suggest he may regress a little, but he’s still projected to be a well-above-average bat.

Defensively, Harris was impressive, recording 4.9 uZR while racking up 7 OAA and 8 DRS. Statcast ranked him in the 92nd percentile for OAA, the 89th percentile for outfield jump, and the 95th percentile for arm strength. Harris’ 29.4 feet-per-second put him in the 95th percentile of sprint speed, and he was only caught stealing twice. Even if his bat regresses a little bit, the 21-year-old looks to be a lock to stay near the top of this list for years to come.

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1. Brandon Nimmo, NYM

Brandon Nimmo finally was able to play a full season without a trip to the injured list, and he had the best season of his career. In a career-high 151 games, Nimmo hit .274/.367/.433 (134 wRC+) with 16 homers, 30 doubles, 64 RBIs, and 5.4 fWAR. While his 10.5% walk rate is the lowest mark he’s recorded, Nimmo cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 17.2%, making this the first time that mark has been below 20% over a full season. Once plagued by his struggles against lefties, Nimmo hit .264/.358/.428 in 234 plate appearances against southpaws, which was one of the best marks on the team. His 50.4% ground-ball rate suggests that there’s still room to improve for the 29-year-old, but he’s projected to excel with the bat again in 2023.

Defensively, Nimmo proved once again that he can man centerfield every day. He posted a career-best 6 OAA, which Statcast ranks in the 90th percentile. While his arm strength still isn’t elite, Nimmo’s 88.1 miles-per-hour average throw represents a solid increase from the 84.6 he posted in 2021. While he only stole three bases this year, Nimmo’s average sprint speed increased to a career-high 28.9 feet-per-second, which is good for the 86th percentile in MLB. Now locked in on an eight-year contract, expect Nimmo to be a mainstay at the top of the Mets’ batting order and be a catalyst for the team for years to come.

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