Welcome back to my weekly rankings. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This week is the Top 50 Dynasty Center Fielders for 2026.
The good news when it comes to this group is that it is young.
This is position for the younger players. Yes, there are 12 ranked players who are 30 or over, but none of them are older than 33, and that player is not a true outfielder. In the 25-29 age group we have 28 players, or 56% of the group. And out of those 28 players, nine of them are only 25 years old. If you lump them in with the 20-24 age group, that is 19 players, or 38%, who are 25 or younger who can slot in as your center fielder.
Here is the age breakdown of this position:
- 35+: 0
- 30-34: 12
- 25-29: 28
- 20-24: 10
The bad news when it comes to center fielders is, overall, they don’t hit. Center fielders slashed .240/.301/.393 with an 92 wRC+ in 2025. Out of the eight position groups, those slash numbers ranked 8th, 8th and 6th and the wRC+ ranked tied for last. The top-ranked center fielders are going to help you across the board on offense.
But after you get past the Tier 1 players and into Tier 2 and below, you will have to choose players who can maybe help you in two categories, but most likely one.
Just Missing The Cut
- Johan Rojas: He stole 12 bases in 71 games for the Phillies after swiping 25 in 120 games in 2024. His 162-game average is 33 steals, but speed is really all he offers as his career slash line is .252/.280/.289.
- Austin Martin: The former fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft has had a slow climb to the majors but is coming off a season in which he slashed .282/.374/.365 and 11 steals with an OPS+ of 106 in 50 games for the Twins. Most of his playing time came in left, but he appeared in 11 games in center, giving him eligibility at this position in many leagues.
TIER 5
*Age as of April 1, 2025
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Jacob Young | WAS | 26 |
| 49 | Blake Perkins | MIL | 29 |
| 48 | Kyle Isbel | KC | 29 |
| 47 | Jake Mangum | TB | 30 |
| 46 | Mauricio Dubon | HOU | 31 |
| 45 | Dane Myers | MIA | 30 |
| 44 | Kyren Paris | LAA | 24 |
| 43 | Parker Meadows | DET | 26 |
| 42 | Javier Baez | DET | 33 |
| 41 | Tommy Edman | LAD | 30 |
He At Least Has Speed
In 2024, Jacob Young stole 33 bases, a number that would be a good reason to roster him on your team, while slashing .256/.316/.331. But this past season saw Young regress to 15 steals (and caught 11 times) and a .231/.396/.287 slash line. But if you need steals, and believe that Young will improve at the plate in 2026, then he is worth taking a chance on in deep leagues.
Also A Second Baseman
The good news when it comes Kyren Paris is the fact that his slash line has improved each season since his 2023 debut with the Angels. The bad news is it has gone from .100/.200/.100 in 15 games to .118/.224/.216 in 21 games to .190/.266/.381 in 44 games. Paris has some pop and some speed and can play both second and center field. But right now he is a player to stash and hope he hits his stride.
A Pair of Tigers
The good news when it comes to Parker Meadows is his 162-game average is 15 homers, 52 RBI and 19 steals. That is about it, however, when it comes to good news for Meadows because he can’t stay on the field. He played in 37 games in 2023, 82 in 2024 and 58 this past season. His OPS+ of 94 in 2023 and 107 in 2024 gave me hope that he would break out in 2025. That never happened and now I’m not sure it ever will. But at 26 years old, it is too soon to completely give up on him.
With Meadows basically missing the entire season, Javier Baez stepped in as the Tigers’ center fielder and had a decent season, slashing .257/.282/.398 with 12 dingers and 57 RBI in 126 games, 53 of which came in center. Baez can also play third, short and second base, giving him value as a multi-positional player. At 33 next season, he is not a long-term solution to dynasty leagues, but he can be a solid depth player for another year or two.
TIER 4
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Nathan Lukes | TOR | 31 |
| 39 | Jesus Sanchez | HOU | 28 |
| 38 | Alek Thomas | ARI | 25 |
| 37 | Angel Martinez | CLE | 24 |
| 36 | Robert Hassell III | WAS | 24 |
| 35 | Colton Cowser | BAL | 26 |
| 34 | Jake Meyers | HOU | 29 |
| 33 | JJ Bleday | ATH | 28 |
| 32 | Cedric Mullins | NYM | 31 |
| 31 | Chandler Simpson | TB | 25 |
Solid Center Fielder
Angel Martinez is not a starting center fielder on any fantasy teams, but he earns extra points because he can also slot in as a second baseman and he offers decent numbers for a player who should be a good depth outfielder on your team. He hit 11 homers, drove in 45 runs and stole eight bases in 139 games. But his slash line was .224/.269/.359. If he can increase his 4.8% walk rate or decrease his 22.7% strikeout rate, his slash line will improve and make him a better fantasy option.
Falling Down The Rankings
I was all aboard the Colton Cowser train in 2024 as I had him ranked 27th in my Top 400 entering the 2025 season. Needless to say, he will not be ranked that high in my upcoming Top 400 rankings. But I am not ready to write Cowser off. His 2025 season was a bust as a broken thumb sidelined him for most of April and May. Overall he played in 92 games and hit 16 homers and drove in 40 while stealing 14 bases. He has the ability to hit 25 to 30 homers and add 20 steals. The problem is getting on base as his has a career OBP of .300 and batting average of .216. If, and that is a big word, if Cowser can increase his batting average and OBP, he is ranked too low here. But I am not sure he ever will, leaving him here as a Tier 3 player – a player who MAY do something, but may not.
Great Defender, But…
For years, Jake Myers was a defense-first center fielder. But this past season saw him slash a career best .292/.354/.373 (career average is .243/.307/.371) with three homers, 24 RBI and 16 steals. Myers was limited to 104 games due to an injury, limiting his counting numbers. The question with Myers is can he duplicate his slash line again in 2026. If he does, he is ranked too low here. But based on history, I am not counting on him to replicate that slash line again. I want to see it once more.
Speed, Speed And More Speed
Chandler Simpson appeared in the left field rankings as well as here as a center fielder. This is what I said about him: :he provides a tool that is still very much in demand – steals. As a rookie he stole 44 bases and he had a solid batting average of .295. But he had only a .326 OBP thanks to a 4.5% walk rate and his SLG was .345 as he has no power.”
TIER 3
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Jakob Marsee | MIA | 24 |
| 29 | Victor Scott II | STL | 25 |
| 28 | Wenceel Perez | DET | 26 |
| 27 | Luis Robert Jr. | CHW | 28 |
| 26 | Brenton Doyle | COL | 27 |
| 25 | Dylan Crews | WAS | 24 |
| 24 | TJ Friedl | CIN | 30 |
| 23 | Brandon Marsh | PHI | 28 |
| 22 | Ramon Laureano | SD | 31 |
| 21 | Harrison Bader | PHI | 31 |
Solid Rookie Campaign
In some leagues Jakob Marsee is a left fielder after appearing in 12 games with six starts, though his path to being a fulltime player is likely in center. Marsee had a solid rookie campaign for the Marlins, slashing .292/.363/.478 with 14 steals in 55 games while adding five homers and 33 RBI. He is a good candidate to add steals to your team while supplying some power.
Lots of Speed, Not Much Else
Victor Scott II has one really good skill – he can steal bases. He is coming off a season in which he stole 34 bags. But that is about all he does well. In 138 games he slashed .216/.305/.296 with five homers and 37 RBI. So if you need an outfielder who is going to hit homers and drive in runs, Scott is not your man. But if you need steals, the Scott is a player to target.
Still Not A Fan
At this point last year, I was writing about how I was no longer a fan of Luis Robert Jr. as I ranked him as the 31st overall center fielder. He’s moved up in the rankings this year, but that mostly due to the lack of good depth at this position. This is what I wrote about him last year: “Once a top young player in the game, it is hard to have any trust in him. He finished second in the 2020 ROY voting when he hit 11 homers and drove in 31 runs in 56 games. But he then played in only 68 games in 2021 and 98 in 2022, though he was productive as in those 166 games he slashed .307/.344/.485 with 25 homers, 99 RBI and 17 steals.
The 2023 season finally saw Robert play a full year as he appeared in 145 games and hit 38 homers with 80 RBI and 20 steals while slashing .264/.315/.542. But then came 2024. Robert again got hurt, appeared in only 100 games, and slashed .224/.278/.379 with 14 homers, 35 RBI and 23 steals. He shows that he still has speed, but his strikeout rate has increased from 19.2% in 2022 to 28.9% in 2023 to 33.2% this past year. At this point my hopes for Robert are dim. You are certainly welcome to take a chance on him as he is a buy low player, but I will go after other players at this point.”
After another lackluster 2025 season, my stance toward Robert has not changed. He can still steal bases as he had 33 this past season, but he slashed .223/.297/.364 with 14 homers and 52 RBI in 110 games. His stats over the last two seasons – .223/.288/.372 slash line with 28 homers, 88 RBI and 56 steals in 210 games, or 14 homers, 44 RBI and 28 steals over an average of 105 games. He may achieve that lofty 2023 season again, but I am not counting on it.
Underrated At The Plate
Ramon Laureano has been known for his defensive ability – mainly his arm – for years. But he is much better at the plate than he is given credit for. His career slash line is a solid .253/.323/.489 and this past season Laureano hit 24 homers and drove in 76 runs with Baltimore and then San Diego. For a variety of reason, Laureano has never played in more than 123 games until this past season, when he appeared in 132 games. But his 162-game average is 23 homers, 72 RBI and 16 steals. If he appears in another 130 games or so, I expect him to match his 2025 output.
He likely won’t get as many starts in center field next season with Jackson Merrill hopefully healthy, but he will get time in center and right and DH and thus get his fair share of at-bats.
TIER 2
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Jung Hoo Lee | SF | 27 |
| 19 | Trent Grisham | NYY | 29 |
| 18 | Sal Frelick | MIL | 25 |
| 17 | Evan Carter | TEX | 23 |
| 16 | Mickey Moniak | COL | 27 |
| 15 | Oneil Cruz | PIT | 27 |
| 14 | Ceddanne Rafaela | BOS | 25 |
| 13 | Daulton Varsho | TOR | 29 |
| 12 | Cody Bellinger | NYY | 30 |
| 11 | Michael Harris II | ATL | 25 |
Nice “Debut” Season
Jung Hoo Lee made his American debut with the Giants in 2024, but injuries limited him to 37 games. So this past season was his first chance to really show what he could do in the majors and Lee put up solid numbers. He slashed .266/.327/.407 with eight homers, 55 RBI and 10 steals. That is pretty much what you should expect from Lee, but in a position that is not loaded with offensive stars, he is a solid player to have, especially in deep leagues.
Made for New York
Trent Grisham knows a good thing when he sees it. Coming off a career year with the Yankees, he accepted the team’s 1-year qualifying offer to remain in New York. Grisham hit 34 home runs (doubling his previous career high of 17 hit in 2022) with 74 RBI and a .235/.348/.464 slash line. While Yankee Stadium is built for Grisham and his ability to pull the ball to right field, he was not a product of the cozy dimensions in the Bronx. In 70 home games he slashed .195/.326/.376 with 13 homers and 23 RBI while in 73 road games he went .269/.367/.537-21-51.
I would not bet on him duplicating the 34 homers again, but 25 homers is an easy prediction to make.
Ready To Live Up To The Hype?
A slew of people, myself included, jumped on the Evan Carter Hype Train after the 2023 season in which he slashed .306/.413/.645 in 23 games and then went nuts in the postseason by slashing .300/.417/.500 with 1 homer, six RBI and three steals in 17 games. But the Hype Train derailed in 2024 and has taken a while to get back on the track. Injuries and poor performance have limited Carter to 45 games in 2024 and 63 this past season. During those two seasons he has slashed .222/.309/.379 with 10 homers, 40 RBI and 16 steals.
When he is healthy, Carter is an above average player. In 43 games covering all of June and July, he slashed .260/.345/.420 with three homers, 18 RBI and nine steals. That is a 162-game pace of 11-68-34. I’d like more power, but I will take 68 RBI and 34 steals from my center fielder – if he remains in center. Wyatt Langford could man center and move Carter to right field, a position that offers a little more on offense than center field. If that is the case, it hurts Carter’s ranking a bit.
Tantalizing Talent
There is a lot to like about Oneil Cruz. The obvious skill to like is his speed as he stole 38 bases in 2025 after swiping 22 in 2024. Then there is the power as he has hit 21 and 20 homers the past two years and at any time the ball may be hit to the moon. But there also are the warts. This year he slashed .200/.298/.378 and his career slash line is .233/.309/.425. A lot of that can be chalked up to a 31.7% career strikeout rate, including 32% this year.
Cruz has a nice understanding of the zone as he had an 11.8% walk rate this past season and his career rate is 9.7%. But when he makes contact, don’t be near the ball. His Average EV of 95.8 mph ranked in the 100th percentile as did his 78.8 mph Bat Speed ranking. He was in the 98th percentile in Hard Hit% and 97th percentile in Barrel%. When you see those numbers, there is no way one can’t believe there is more power production that is to come from Cruz.
Just A Good Outfielder
Cody Bellinger appeared in my left field rankings, coming in at No. 8. To summarize what I wrote, over the last three years he is averaging 85 runs scored, 24 home runs, 91 RBI and 14 steals with a .281/.338/.477 slash line and 125 OPS+. Bellinger is a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium as he is coming off a 29 homer, 98 RBI season in his first year in pinstripes and he should continue to put up those kind of numbers for several more years.
Finally A Full Season
I have been waiting to see what Michael Harris II could do over a full season, and we finally got that in 2025. Prior to this season, Harris’ career high in games played was 138 in 2023. That season he hit 18 homers with 57 RBI and 20 steals. This past season he played in 160 games and swatted 20 homers, drove in 86 and stole 20 bases. The downside was a career-low slash line of .249/.268/.409.
A lot of that damage to the slash line occurred from March through June. In 82 games he slashed .212/.238/.320 with six homers, 43 RBI and 11 steals. From July 1 through the rest of the season, he slashed .285/.299/.498 with 14 bombs, 43 RBI and nine steals in 78 games. That is the player I expect Harris to be going forward.
TIER 1
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Byron Buxton | MIN | 32 |
| 9 | Kyle Stowers | MIA | 28 |
| 8 | Jackson Merrill | SD | 22 |
| 7 | Lawrence Butler | ATH | 25 |
| 6 | Jo Adell | LAA | 26 |
| 5 | Wyatt Langford | TEX | 24 |
| 4 | Andy Pages | LAD | 25 |
| 3 | Jackson Chourio | MIL | 22 |
| 2 | Pete Crow-Armstrong | CHC | 24 |
| 1 | Julio Rodriguez | SEA | 25 |
The Old Man Of The Group
Of the 10 Tier 1 players, nine of them are 28 or younger and four of them are are 24 or younger. Byron Buxton is the odd man when it comes to this tier as he will be 32 when the 2026 season starts. But I am not going to let Buxton’s age prevent me from not wanting him on my team. He is coming off a season in which he hit 35 homers, drove in 83 runs, stole 24 bases and slashed .264/.327/.551. Those numbers are not far off his career 162-game average of 30 homers, 79 RBI, 21 steals and a .248/.308/.487 slash line.
The problem with Buxton has been staying on the field as the 126 games he played this season were the most since appearing in 140 games in 2017. Ranking Buxton here is a bit of a gamble as it takes a leap of faith that he will play in at least 120 to 130 games for the next several seasons. I am taking that leap of faith, because when he is on the field, he is one of the best players.
See Ball, Hit Ball Hard
I talked about Kyler Stowers in my left field rankings. But in summary, Stowers hit 25 homers and drive in 73 runs in 117 games while slashing .288/.368/.544. His Statcast numbers were among the best in baseball and his career Average EV is 90.8 mph, and his career Hard-Hit% is 50.6%. When he hits the ball, he hits it hard.
Ready To Rebound
After an impressive rookie campaign that had Jackson Merrill finish 9th in both the NL Rookie of the Year and MVP voting thanks to 24 homers, 90 RBI, 16 steals and a .292/.326/.500 slash line, the 2025 season brough Merrill back to Earth a bit. Thanks to three trips to the IR in 2025 (hamstring strain in April, concussion in June, sprained ankle in August), Merrill appeared in only 115 games and slashed .264/.317/.457 with 16 home runs, 67 RBI and one steal – a result of the hamstring and ankle injuries.
Merrill didn’t forget how to play in 2025 and he didn’t suddenly see his ability diminish. There is no reason to think he will not return to the player he was in 2024 and produce at a high level for years to come.
Can Be Even Better
Lawrence Butler did not have as good of year in 2025 as he did in 2024, but he is still one of the top center fielders in the game. This past season he slashed .234/.306/.404 with 21 homers, 63 RBI and 22 steals in 152 games. That comes on the heals of 2024, when he had 22 homers, 57 RBI and 18 steals with a .262/.317/.490 slash line in 125 games. I would love to see a better slash line from Butler, and cutting down on his career strikeout rate of 26.6% would go a long way in helping it improve. But Butler’s career Average EV of 90.2 mph is nearly 2 mph better than the MLB average and his Hard Hit% of 44.9 is five points better than the MLB average.
There is a lot to like when it comes to Butler’s game, and if he increased his fly ball rate to just be league average, his power numbers will be outstanding.
A Breakout Season
Jo Adell has always had a lot of talent, but tapping into that talent on a consistent basis was a challenge for him until he broke out in 2025. From 2020 until 2023, Adell averaged 46 games per season with five homers, 127 RBI, two steals and a .214/.259/.366 slash line. Given a chance to play nearly every day in 2024, Adell hit 20 bombs, drove in 62 runs and stole 15 bases. But he also slashed .207/.208/.402.
But Adell finally pieced it all together this past season. His slash line wasn’t great (.236/.293/.485), but it was a career best line. He also added 37 dingers and 98 RBI, though his steals dropped to five in 152 games. Adell strikes out too much and also doesn’t walk much, so that is the downside to his game. But the obvious question is can he duplicate 2025 in 2026 and beyond? My answer is yes. He always hit for power in the minors as he had a .550 SLG in 411 minor league games. Adell is only 26 but will be 27 for most of the season, so he is just entering his prime. It took him a while to reach his potential, but I think anther 30 homer, 90 RBI season is very reachable for the next several years.
Better Ranking In Center
Wyatt Langford and Andy Pages are back in the rankings again. As left fielders they came in ranked 12th and 11th respectively. As center fielders they come in at No. 6 and No. 5 as this position does not have the same hitting depth that left field has. Both players have yet to reach their ceilings and I see them doing no worse than what they did on the field in 2025 going forward.
To see what I wrote about them in the left field rankings, just click here.
He’s Back
This is the second time for you to see Jackson Chourio in my rankings as he was my second-ranked left fielder. This is what I wrote about him: After finishing third in the 2024 ROY voting thanks to a .275/.327/.464 slash line with 21 homers, 79 RBI and 22 steals, Chourio basically duplicated that season again in 2025, slashing .270/.308/.463 with 21 homers, 78 RBI and 21 steals, though in 17 fewer games.
PCA is A-OK
Pete Crow-Armstrong gave us a taste of his talent in 2024 when he hit 10 homers, drove in 47 and stole 27 bases in 123 games. He then gave everyone a full display of what he can do this past season. While his slash line of .247/.287/.481 was not great and needs improvement, he hit 31 bombs, recorded 95 RBI and swiped 35 bases. His Statcast numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was in the 79th percentile in xSLG and 82nd percentile in Barrel%.
He has plenty of power and plenty of speed as his sprint speed ranked in the 96th percentile. Lots of players have a great spring speed but can’t turn that into stolen bases. Cros-Armstrong is not one of those players as he was only thrown out eight time in his 43 attempts.
I know he had a poor second half (216/.262/.372, six homers and 24 RBI in 62 games), but I think his first half (.265/.302/.544, 25 homers, 71 RBI in 95 games) is more indicative of the player he is and the numbers he will produce.
Just Take Him
It seems Julio Rodriguez likes to start a season slowly or have some bad month during the first half of a season. But when all is said and done, I want Julio Rodriguez on my team because at the end of the year he is going to have great numbers. The 2024 season was Rodriguez’s worst season with the Mariners, and that meant 20 homers, 68 RBI and 24 steals with a .273/.325/.409 slash line.
But in 2022 he was the Rookie of the Year and 7th in MVP voting, then finished 4th in the MVP voting in 2023 and then finished sixth this past season. His 162-game average is 31 homers, 94 RBI and 32 steals – and this is with his 2024 season included.
For his career, his Average EV is 92.1 mph (88.4 is MLB average) and his Hard Hit% is 49.9 (MLB average is 39.5). Yes, he will have his slumps. But he will also carry your team for weeks or even a few months, and at the end of the year you will be happy to have him on your team.
Thank You
Thanks for reading and come back next week for the final position rankings as I put a spotlight on the right fielders.
Previous Rankings
Top 50 Dynasty Relievers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 100 Dynasty Starting Pitchers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Catchers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty First Basemen for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Second Basemen for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Shortstops for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Third Baseman for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Left Fielders for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
