Center field is the premier position in the outfield and in most cases the best athletes on MLB teams man center. You have to be able to read the ball off the bat well and cover a lot of ground to play the position. Having a strong throwing arm is a must as well. While it’s a demanding defensive position big league center fielders are also expected to be major contributors offensively also. The following list of players could do it all on the diamond and that’s why they’re The Top Center Fielders…Of My Lifetime.

10. Josh Hamilton

I discussed Josh Hamilton’s baseball journey from top prospect, to out of baseball, to MVP, a little in my last post. So, I won’t get into that too much but it deserves to be mentioned because it’s a major reason for his inclusion on this list. Hamilton’s perseverance was a great story that wouldn’t have been so special if he wasn’t a great player. His best seasons came in Arlington with the Texas Rangers from 2008-2012. During those five seasons Hamilton made 5 consecutive All-Star teams, led the AL in RBI in 2008 (130), led the AL in batting average (.359) and won the AL MVP in 2010 and had a 43 homer season in 2012. Because of his baseball story and his on-the-field play, Hamilton was gaining a lot of notoriety in 2008 heading into his first All-Star game. He entered the Home Run Derby and proceeded to put on the greatest derby performance in history and immediately vaulted himself into baseball superstardom. The All-Star Game that year was held at the old Yankee Stadium. Hamilton stepped into the left-handed batter’s box that over the years had been the host to all-time greats such as Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and Maris. And for a night, Hamilton belonged among them. He blasted an incredible 28 first round homers including a moon shot that was estimated at 518 feet. A few years later in 2012 Hamilton added another impressive home run feat to his resume when he hit four 2-run homers in a game against the Orioles. Oh and he added in a double for good measure, making for a 5-5 day and setting the AL record for total bases in a single game. In between these two home run occurrences I went to a game at Turner Field with my younger brother Ben to see the Rangers take on the Braves. It was Father’s Day 2011. The memory of that day is particularly vivid right now as I’m writing this post on Father’s Day 12 years later. Our dad had passed away 5 years prior in 2006. I was 25 at the time, Ben was only 13. I’d always been sort of a big brother/father to him because of our age difference but the father figure aspect of our relationship took on new importance to me after that. That game back on Father’s Day 2011 and in a way Hamilton himself, will always reflect that to me.

9. Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds was one of the best defensive center fielders in MLB history. This fact can be backed up by his 8 Gold Glove Awards. Although he stands out in my mind for his defensive prowess, Edmonds could swing it pretty well at the plate also. He finished his career with a lifetime .284 batting average, 393 homers and was a 4-time All-Star. Not bad at all, but Edmonds makes the list primarily because he could flat out go get it in center field and made some of the all-time greatest catches in MLB history. Including what I consider the best catch of all-time, an over-the-shoulder diving grab on a full sprint against the Royals in Kansas City in 1997. The play was on cable sports shows highlight reels for days and is still shown often to this day. That play and the countless web gems he produced land Edmonds at number 9 on my list.

8. Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran was a 9-time All-Star during his 20 year big league career. He was also the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, a 3-time Gold Glove winner and a 2-time Silver Slugger winner. All very impressive to say the least. But what made Beltran great was the postseason. Most notably 2004. Beltran was traded from the Royals to the Astros mid-season in 2004. At the time the Royals were perennial cellar dwellers and weren’t a playoff caliber team. The Astros on the other hand were postseason regulars and were looking to add a few pieces to put them over the top. Beltran did not disappoint. He homered twice in the deciding 5th game of the NLDS, giving him 4 HRs for the series, helping Houston hand my beloved Braves the series loss. Beltran would then proceed to homer in the first 4 games in the next round, the NLCS against the Cardinals. The Astros would eventually lose this series in 7 games but Beltran more than did his part, batting .435 with 14 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 12 games that postseason. One of the best playoff performances in history. Beltran competed in 15 playoff series during his postseason career and hit .307 with 16 HRs, 42 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He finally captured a ring as a role player on the 2017 Houston Astros World Series Championship team. The icing on top of a legendary career. Postseason and otherwise.

7. Kirby Puckett

Kirby Puckett didn’t look like your typical center fielder. Actually he didn’t look like much of an athlete period. But as they say, looks can be deceiving and you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Because although he was shorter in stature and a little on the round side, Puckett was an incredible baseball player. Starting in 1986 Puckett made 10 consecutive All-Star teams. A streak that may have been cut short because prior to the 1996 season he was diagnosed with glaucoma. Multiple surgeries couldn’t correct the issue and Puckett was forced to retire. Despite the premature ending to his career he was still inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. Deservedly so as he collected 6 Silver Sluggers, 6 Gold Gloves, a batting title (.331 in 1989) and was a member of 2 World Series Championship teams with the Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1991. The latter came against the “Worst to First” Atlanta Braves team. Puckett played exceptionally well in the series. Especially in Game 6 when he robbed Rob Gant of extra bases with amazing catch. Leaping high against the plexiglass above the centerfield wall at the Metrodome, Puckett snared the ball and preserved the game for the Twins. Then in the 11th inning he hit a walk-off homer to force a Game 7, which the Twins would again win in extra innings. Despite his heartbreaking, Braves beating performance causing years of personal bias against him, Puckett was an amazing player and definitely deserving of inclusion on this list.

6. Eric Davis

Eric Davis was an amazing prep athlete at John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles, where he shined on the basketball court and the baseball field. As a high school senior Davis batted .615 and stole 50 bases in just 15 games. He chose to pursue baseball instead of hoops and was selected in the 8th round of the 1980 MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He made his Major League debut in 1984 and secured the Reds full-time center field role two years later in 1986. That season Davis hit .277 with 27 homers and 80 stolen bases and emerged as one of the most exciting young players in baseball. The following season Davis only got better, hitting .293 with 37 homers and 50 stolen bases and was named to the first of his two career All-Star games. This is around the time I started to become an Eric Davis fan. He had all the tools and he had a cool factor that was undeniable. I was especially fond of his high-top red cleats. They stood out at a time in baseball when most players still wore low cleats. Davis began to be hampered by injuries in the early 90’s and bounced around the league a few years before retiring at the end of the 1994 season. His retirement was short-lived. After recharging and recuperating for a year he returned to baseball in 1996 again with the Cincinnati Reds. He played several more seasons for a few more different teams and even battled and defeated colon cancer in 1997. Eric The Red was one of the most exciting players when I was growing up. His power/speed combination, on field style and overall tenacity make him deserving of the number 6 position on my list.

5. Kenny Lofton

Like the prior entrant on the list, Eric Davis, Kenny Lofton was an exceptional two-sport prep athlete. Lofton attended Washington High School in East Chicago where he pitched and played center field on the baseball team and was an All-State point guard for the basketball team. His basketball skills earned Lofton a scholarship to The University of Arizona who was a college hoops powerhouse at the time. At Arizona Lofton was a member of the 1988 Final Four team and finished his college basketball career as the Wildcats all-time leader in steals. Perhaps a little foreshadowing of the things to come. Lofton didn’t play baseball at Arizona until his junior year and even then he seldom saw the field. He only appeared in 5 college games and only logged 1 career at-bat. Luckily for Lofton, someone out there was paying close attention. The Houston Astros selected him in the 17th round of the 1988 draft. He played minor league baseball during the summers and college basketball in the fall until he obtained his degree. After college Lofton was able to focus on baseball full-time and saw rapid improvement in the minors. He made his MLB debut in 1991 for Houston but was traded to the Cleveland Indians that off-season. Lofton won Cleveland’s starting center field job and started a run of five consecutive seasons leading the American League in stolen bases. In 1994 he also started a streak of six consecutive All-Star selections and won 4 Gold Gloves. Lofton was traded to the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 off-season. He played one season for the Braves before returning to Cleveland in free agency in 1998. Lofton played four more seasons for the Indians before making his way to 9 different teams over the last decade of his career. He retired with a .299 career batting average and 622 stolen bases. Lofton was always one of my favorites because he was fast, he had a knack for robbing homers, his sole seasons with the Braves and because he always had cool cleats.

4. Andruw Jones

The player who succeeded Lofton in center field after his lone season in Atlanta with the Braves also follows him on this list. Andruw Jones. I can confidently say that Andruw Jones was the best defensive center fielder of all-time. However, he made a national name for himself with his bat in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. A 19 year-old Jones, who at the time was a rookie with just 106 career at bats, homered in his first two at bats against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium. He became the youngest player to ever homer in a World Series game. But now back to the defense. After taking over the center field assignment for Atlanta in 1998, Jones went on to win 10 consecutive Gold Gloves and led the league in defensive WAR four times. He made playing center look effortless the way he glided across the field and tracked every ball that could be conceivably caught, and many that couldn’t. Andruw also proved that his World Series homers weren’t flukes and put up some hefty home run seasons during his career. He had 7 seasons with 30 or more big flys, including 51 in 2005, which led all of baseball. Jones made 5 All-Star teams during his career and won a Silver Slugger in the aforementioned 2005 year. After leaving Atlanta in free agency following the 2007 season, Jones was never the same player. What once seemed like a sure Hall of Fame career quickly turned into a debatable one. In my opinion Jones definitely belongs in Cooperstown. He has more than adequate offensive numbers to go along with his unparalleled defensive metrics. It seems as though his Hall of Fame case is growing stronger as he has gained significant votes each year he’s been on the ballot. Only time will tell but I can tell you for sure that Andruw Jones is one of The Top Center Fielders…Of My Lifetime.

3. Dale Murphy

My first heroes in life were Hulk Hogan, The Duke Boys and Dale Murphy. At the same time that Hogan was the king of the squared circle and Bo and Luke Duke were the kings of Hazard County, Murphy was the king of the baseball diamond. In the 1980’s Murphy was the best player in baseball playing for my home team Atlanta Braves. I still remember going to games at Fulton County Stadium and watching Murphy play baseball. I had all sorts of Murphy memorabilia. Baseball cards, Starting Lineup figures, jerseys. I even had a custom air brushed Dale Murphy baseball shirt. The kind with the colored sleeves and white torso. All of my Murphy adoration was well warranted. During his 18 year career Murphy made 7 All-Star teams, won 5 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers, led the NL in RBIs twice, led the NL in HRs twice and won back-to-back NL MVP awards in 1982 and ’83. Much like the previous entry on the list, Andruw Jones, I believe it’s a travesty that Murphy hasn’t been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He was the best player in baseball for a decade. His numbers during the 80’s dwarf most of his contemporaries’. There’s still time for Murphy to be voted in by the Hall’s Veteran Committee and when and if that day comes I’m sure he will be inducted into Cooperstown with a heroes welcome.

2. Mike Trout

Mike Trout has been the best player in the game since he came into the league in 2011. He can do everything on a baseball field better than most. He hits for power and average. He plays a great center field and has a strong throwing arm. And he’s fast. After a late season call-up in 2011, Trout burst onto the baseball scene in a big way in 2012. He hit .326 with 30 HRs and led the AL in runs (129) and stolen bases (49), on his way to being named Rookie of the Year. The first of many accolades he would accumulate during his career. So far Trout has been named to the All-Star teams ten times, won 9 Silver Sluggers, and has also won the AL MVP award 3 times. Trout has been my favorite player since June 27th 2012. That was the day he made one of the best home run robberies Of My Lifetime, at Camden Yards against the Orioles J.J. Hardy. He was already ascending the ranks to being my favorite player and that catch skyrocketed him to the top spot. I’ve had the opportunity to see Trout play in person on two separate occasions. The first being in June of 2014 when the Angels came to Turner Field to take on the Braves. Trout didn’t disappoint. He went 3-6 with a home run, a double, a stolen base and 4 RBI. The most recent time I saw Trout in person was at the final game of this year’s World Baseball Classic. That game didn’t go quite as smoothly for Trout as he struck out against his Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani to end the game. Nevertheless, it was still cool to see Trout and Team USA and the historic match up with Ohtani. There is no doubt that Trout will go down as one of the all-time great baseball players in history. His legacy is still being written and although he’s shown some signs of slowing down he’s still widely regarded as one of, if not the best player baseball.

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

Junior. The Kid. The Natural. Ken Griffey Jr. The player with perhaps the best swing in baseball history. Griffey’s swing was iconic and unforgettable. The way he whipped the bat through the zone. The follow through. The way he walked a few steps and watched a no-doubter before beginning his home run trot. If you were a kid growing up in the 80’s or 90’s there is a high probability that Jr. was your favorite player. As he was mine. For good reason. On top of being the best player in the game, Griffey was just cool. With his backwards hat and his signature cleats, Griffey was the biggest superstar of all baseball stars. Of course he had all the numbers and accolades to go along with his cool factor. A 13-time All-Star, 10 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, the 1997 AL MVP Award, 630 career HRs, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Injuries would plague Griffey during the later years of his career, cutting his prime short. Who knows what kind of numbers he could’ve produced if he’d been healthy. But Griffey still invokes the best memories, baseball or otherwise. I grew up on Griffey and to me, much like music or old photographs, sports or certain athletes are like mini time machines. They take me back to places or points in my life. It’s one of the many reasons I love sports and also one of the many reasons that Ken Griffey Jr. is The Top Center Fielder…Of My Lifetime.