Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: center field

5. Jarrod Dyson, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates had, arguably, the best centerfielder in the division heading into offseason. Starling Marte, however, was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks over the winter and Pittsburgh signed Jarrod Dyson (one-year/$2M) to take over in center field for the for the two-time Gold Glover and former All-Star.

Dyson, formerly of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals, has never put up great numbers at the dish. For his career, Dyson is a .247 hitter with an OPS of .657. The 35-year-old does put up good defensive numbers though. According to FanGraphs, last season with the Diamondbacks, Dyson had 14 defensive runs saved, double the number (7) he put up in 2018.

4. Harrison Bader, St. Louis Cardinals

Speaking of defense, few in the game of baseball possess the speed of Harrison Bader. The 25-year-old is likely to be roaming the center of the St. Louis Cardinals outfield once the 2020 season commences, but there are a few young prospects nipping at his heels.

Bader, much like Jarrod Dyson, is not a real threat at the plate. Bader hit just .205 last season and for his career, has just a .236 batting average. However, defensively, Bader can track down almost any ball hit into the gap. According to FanGraphs, Bader had 14 defensive runs saved last season in center field. He put eight DRS in 2018.

Dylan Carlson, a former first-round selection of the Cardinals in 2016, is on his way to the bigs. Whether he profiles better as a centerfielder or a corner outfielder is anyone’s guess, but the 21-year-old is likely to make his major league debut in 2020. Bader will have to put up good numbers at the plate to fend off the young stud.