With the 2023 Major League Baseball season over two months away, the preseason rankings have begun rolling in.
On Tuesday, MLB Network continued to release it’s annual “Top 10 Players Right Now” list. And as they used advanced metrics — both offensively and defensively — to assemble the positioned rankings list, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts notched some notable recognition.
Rewarded for his strong 2022 campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Betts was ranked No. 2 among all right fielders in the MLB.
Betts crushed a career-high 35 home runs while also hitting .269/.340/.533 with 40 doubles and 80 RBIs. The two-time World Series champ also finished 11th in WAR (6.4) among all players last season and notched a .994 fielding percentage through 308 defensive chances in the outfield.
Here’s the full top 10 list, courtesy of MLB.com:
1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (last season ranked fourth)
2. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (last season ranked fifth)
3. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (last season ranked second)
4. Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros (last season ranked sixth)
5. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves (last season ranked third)
6. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (last season ranked second among centerfielders)
7. Starling Marte, New York Mets (last season ranked sixth among centerfielders)
8. Teoscar Hernández, Seattle Mariners (last season ranked eighth)
9. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (last season ranked first among shortstops)
10. Hunter Renfroe, Los Angeles Angels (not ranked last season)
Renfroe, another former Red Sox outfielder, also made the list. The 30-year-old hit .259 with 29 homers and 72 RBIs before being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. Renfroe also notched a .982 fielding percentage in 225 chances.
