With spring training sessions now in progress, the moment is right to evaluate the current status of baseball. As part of our 2026 MLB season forecast, ESPN’s Buster Olney consulted various industry insiders to assist in his ranking of the top 10 players at each position for his yearly positional assessment series.
Today’s focus is on ranking the premier corner outfielders in MLB.
This exercise aims to pinpoint the finest players for the upcoming 2026 season, not those who might excel in half a decade or throughout their careers. We will unveil one position daily over the forthcoming two weeks. Here is the remaining schedule: starting pitchers (Feb. 16), relief pitchers (Feb. 17), catchers (Feb. 18), first basemen (Feb. 19), second basemen (Feb. 20), third basemen (Monday), shortstops (Tuesday), center fielders (Thursday), designated hitters (Friday).
Throughout Chipper Jones’s tenure, he served as an excellent resource for comprehensive scouting assessments of burgeoning hitters. That characteristic has not diminished — as the Hall of Famer recently responded to a message about Boston’s Roman Anthony, requesting some time to examine video footage of the left-handed batter and replying within an hour with numerous observations.
“Not going to lie… I appreciate him,” Jones, a master of understatement, communicated. “I just viewed 20 minutes of footage. His bat remains in the strike zone for an extended period… Initially, I reviewed his statistics, and 84 strikeouts in 257 at-bats is concerning, but this could stem from adjusting to the league. I would prefer to see him engage his lower body more, because when he does, he generates significant power.
“He possesses an abundance of natural ability. I envision a .300 hitter with home run potential. With more consistent contact, you have a perpetual All-Star.”
Despite being only 21 years of age with merely 303 plate appearances in the major leagues, Anthony garners an excitement from Jones that resonates throughout the baseball community. Evaluators *adore* Anthony — and already perceive him as the foundational player of Boston’s offense.
“Provided he maintains his health,” former MLB general manager J.P. Ricciardi stated, “he will be remembered as one of the greatest Red Sox players ever.”
An American League assessor remarked: “He’s just over 20 years old and approaches at-bats with the strike zone awareness and self-assurance of a veteran with a decade of experience.”
Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone has voiced his admiration for Anthony’s skill, declaring in September that he’s “destined to be a formidable opponent.”
“He maintains such a calm demeanor at the plate — an advanced comprehension of the strike zone, and a readiness to allow the ball to travel and utilize all areas of the field,” a National League evaluator further commented. “Simply an extraordinary grasp of offensive strategy, considering his youth. His inherent power, which is undeniable, certainly aids him.”
A dilemma in this top-10 undertaking, then, is determining Anthony’s placement among a formidable collection of corner outfielders.
Elite 10 corner outfielders
1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Judge will attain 10 years of professional service, the benchmark for Hall of Fame consideration, later this summer. Naturally, he should be a unanimous choice when the time arrives, as his achievements are unprecedented. He established the AL record for home runs in 2022, and throughout the past two campaigns — during an era when pitching prowess has reached new heights — he has accumulated 20.5 WAR, along with 66 doubles, three triples, 111 long balls, a triple slash line of .326/.457/.695, and an OPS+ of 220. Furthermore, he is esteemed as a skilled outfielder, baserunner, teammate, and clubhouse leader.
And now, it appears highly probable, given his history as a hitter who has consistently forfeited more at-bats due to erroneous calls than any of his peers, that he will gain an advantage in crucial moments from the new ABS challenge system this upcoming season.
2. Juan Soto, New York Mets
During a contest against the Philadelphia Phillies last year, Soto paused at home plate after launching a home run. The subsequent time he stepped up to bat, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto — with whom Soto maintains an ongoing playful exchange — good-naturedly reprimanded him about his reaction to the preceding homer. Soto clarified that this had been a landmark hit — he had surpassed another notable figure in historical records in a particular category.
Soto is acutely conscious of his current standing and his accomplishments, which are largely unparalleled for a player with many years still ahead. He will participate in his age-27 season in 2026, a season where he will undoubtedly achieve his 250th home run (he currently stands at 244) and near 300 for his career. Soto led the major leagues in bases on balls for the fifth time last year, with 127, and reached base 282 times; he has already reached base by way of hit, walk, or hit by pitch 2,001 times across his eight-year career.
3. Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
He might face limitations due to hamate surgery on his right hand, particularly early in the year as he rebuilds the power in his swing. However, Carroll has already demonstrated his capacity to recover from an initial setback, evident in his rebound from a sluggish start in 2024. He is an offensive powerhouse:
4. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Tatis elaborated last season on how his father — a former major leaguer — had directly addressed his batting approach, inquiring: Do you believe you are an outstanding hitter? When Tatis Jr. affirmed, his father countered by highlighting the numerous at-bats he had squandered by swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. Tatis Jr. internalized this advice and demonstrated an immediate improvement in his plate discipline last year, a transformation rarely observed in hitters — he garnered a career-best 89 walks, reached base over 250 times, and registered 111 runs. Furthermore, his defensive prowess in right field remains exceptional — he ranked among the top 10 in a broad spectrum of advanced metrics.
5. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Upon his return to the diamond last season, he proved superb once more, achieving an adjusted OPS of 163, alongside 21 home runs and 71 bases on balls across 95 contests. Now, we are bound to encounter much discussion about Acuña’s contractual situation — he’s approaching the conclusion of that extensive agreement he signed at the commencement of his professional journey. He will earn $17 million this year, and subsequently, the Braves possess contractual rights for 2027 and 2028 at $17 million annually. Pleas have emerged across digital platforms for Atlanta to preempt this matter by brokering a fresh extended deal. That is not customarily how the Braves have conducted business; typically, head of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has opted against hefty payments to retain uncontracted players, allowing individuals such as Dansby Swanson and Max Fried to depart. The Braves could very well choose to proceed annually through the conclusion of Acuña’s contract — decisions that are certain to face close examination and discussion.
6. Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers
As Tucker approached unrestricted free agency, multiple teams felt apprehension regarding his frequent non-appearances from the field — he sat out 84 games for the Astros in 2024 and then an additional 26 contests with the Cubs last year. Will that become a recurring issue for him as he nears his 30th birthday? Time will tell. What is beyond dispute is that when he participates, he is outstanding, registering a 179 OPS+ in 2024 and 143 while performing in the demanding environment of Wrigley Field in 2025. When he plays, he stands as a game-changer, and the Dodgers are compensating him accordingly — his average yearly remuneration of $60 million, before deferrals, is unprecedented.
7. Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
Boston manager Alex Cora has already declared his plans to retain Anthony at the top of the batting order, a testament to his skill at reaching base — he achieved a .396 OBP in his debut year — and to maximize his turns at bat. While some analysts contend that the Red Sox would be most advantaged by retaining Anthony in center field, Cora is fortunate to possess a wealth of outfield talent, with Ceddanne Rafaela covering center field, Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu in right, and Jarren Duran in left.
Anthony commenced 32 contests in right field last year, 17 in left, and another 17 games at DH. Yet, his optimal role, as some assessors suggest, is in center. “He truly possesses remarkable intuition out there,” stated one, before adding that Anthony would gain from participating as much as possible and amassing familiarity in Fenway’s unconventional center field.
8. Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers
Greene slammed 36 long balls last year and secured a Silver Slugger Award, with an adjusted OPS of 120. This is his season at 25 years old, so it will be intriguing to observe what modifications he implements in the forthcoming months: His strikeout rate was a staggering 30.7% — he topped the American League in strikeouts with 201 — and his walk rate declined from 11% to 7%. He could be another athlete who gains from a more robust Detroit batting order as Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark ultimately secure their positions in the major leagues.
9. Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees
Bellinger exchanged messages with Judge during his period of unrestricted free agency, with both of them desiring Bellinger’s comeback to the Bronx. He represented an ideal match for the Yankees due to his large-market tenure, a batting style ideal for Yankee Stadium (18 of his 29 dingers last year were at home), superb fielding, and adaptability. Bellinger, 30, requires 25 more round-trippers to reach 250 in his career.
10. Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers
Chourio will reach 22 years of age in the upcoming fortnight, and a promising future lies ahead for him after two noteworthy campaigns to commence his MLB tenure. He has achieved a 20-20 mark in four-baggers and stolen bases in each of his initial two years.
Honorable mentions
Kyle Stowers, Miami Marlins: It is regrettable to omit Stowers from the top 10 after his standout 2025 in which he registered a 149 OPS+ — but unfortunately, because we are merging left and right fielders, we are compelled. Miami’s head of baseball operations Peter Bendix has shown a knack for trading at maximum worth, and Stowers will present a fascinating trial of that. He’s 28 years old, not 22 or 23, and he’s also a highly favored athlete who will qualify for salary arbitration for the first time next offseason. Will the Marlins exploit his position as a trade asset, or will they ink him to an extended contract?
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox: Boston conferred with other teams about dealing him away but failed to secure an agreement that could match his prospective value.
James Wood, Washington Nationals: His mean exit speed was 94.3 mph, which is akin to a hurler unleashing 101 mph. Let’s contextualize that by contrasting him with other great hitters:
Aaron Judge: 95.4 mph
Shohei Ohtani: 94.9 mph
Wood: 94.3 mph
Juan Soto: 93.3 mph
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 92.0 mph
Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs: With Kyle Tucker departing from the Cubs, we’ll categorize Suzuki with other right fielders. He faces challenges in the field, but he slugged 32 blasts last year and had an OPS+ of 130. He might be the pivotal batter in the Cubs’ lineup, given Chicago’s requirement for offensive punch and Pete Crow-Armstrong still in the nascent stages of his growth.
Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers: He might see some action in center field this year, but we’ll categorize him in the position where he played predominantly last season. Langford seems poised for a stellar performance commencing his season at 24 years old, as he develops control over the strike zone.
Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs: He’ll qualify for unrestricted free agency next autumn, having exhibited impressive steadfastness — his adjusted OPS over the past four seasons has been, sequentially, 117, 118, 120 and 120. Additionally, consider his strong defensive play.
Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics: He transitioned to an outfield role with the rise of Nick Kurtz, but Soderstrom’s superior output persisted — 60 long hits and an OPS+ of 126.
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians: Kwan is practicing in center field this spring in anticipation of what will be a significant season for him. He is superb in the field, but his statistics declined last year — he had an OPS+ of 96.
Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox: Winner of back-to-back Gold Gloves.