Mookie Betts put together a second consecutive All-Star season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and moved up MLB Network’s The Shredder rankings of the Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now for 2023.
Betts placed second behind New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, which was an improvement from ranking fifth heading into the 2022 season. Overall, Betts has been ranked by The Shredder as one of the top-10 right fielders in baseball eight consecutive seasons in a row, falling inside the top five each year.
Follow Judge and Betts on the list of top-10 right fielders for 2023 are Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper (third), Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker, Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr., Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer, New York Mets’ Starling Marte, Seattle Mariners’ Teoscar Hernández, San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatís Jr. and Hunter Renfroe of the Los Angeles Angels.
The Shredder ranked Tatís the No. 1 shortstop heading into the 2022 season, but he’s poised for a position change due to the Padres signing Xander Bogaerts.
MLB Network analysts Mike Petriello and Vince Gennaro also ranked Betts as the No. 2 right fielder in baseball behind Judge, and Sarah Langs placed him third after the reigning American League MVP and Harper.
After being bothered throughout the 2021 season by a bone spur in his right hip, Betts rebounded to have production closer to expected levels. He finished 2022 batting .269/.340/.533 with 35 home runs, 40 doubles, 82 RBI, 117 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and 144 wRC+ across 142 games.
Betts tied with Freddie Freeman for the National League lead in runs scored and set a career high in home runs. Betts won a fifth career Silver Slugger Award, sixth Gold Glove and was named to the All-MLB First Team.
While Betts remains an elite right fielder, there were some indications he would move to second base if it the Dodgers wanted to sign Judge. Manager Dave Roberts later clarified Betts possibly playing second base would be more on a sporadic basis to provide him with some rest.
MLB Top-10 Right Fielder Right Now for 2023
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Vince Gennaro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Judge (Yankees) | Aaron Judge (Yankees) | Aaron Judge (Yankees) | Aaron Judge (Yankees) |
| 2 | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) | Bryce Harper (Phillies) | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) |
| 3 | Bryce Harper (Phillies) | Kyle Tucker (Astros) | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) | Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves) |
| 4 | Kyle Tucker (Astros) | Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves) | Kyle Tucker (Astros) | Kyle Tucker (Astros) |
| 5 | Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves) | George Springer (Blue Jays) | Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves) | Bryce Harper (Phillies) |
| 6 | George Springer (Blue Jays) | Bryce Harper (Phillies) | Fernando Tatís Jr. (Padres) | Fernando Tatís Jr. (Padres) |
| 7 | Starling Marte (Mets) | Fernando Tatís Jr. (Padres) | Starling Marte (Mets) | Starling Marte (Mets) |
| 8 | Teoscar Hernández (Mariners) | Starling Marte (Mets) | George Springer (Blue Jays) | George Springer (Blue Jays) |
| 9 | Fernando Tatís Jr. (Padres) | Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) | Teoscar Hernández (Mariners) | Lars Nootbaar (Cardinals) |
| 10 | Hunter Renfroe (Angels) | Teoscar Hernández (Mariners) | Hunter Renfroe (Angels) | Mitch Haniger (Giants) |
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