Right field has traditionally been the primary position of some of baseball’s biggest stars. From home run champion sluggers to cannon-armed defensive geniuses, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Ichiro Suzuki are just three of the all-time greats to have called right field home.
The current group of right fielders is just as littered with superstar talent. This ranking of the 10 best players at the position features the reigning AL MVP, several of the candidates for NL MVP, and many of the sport’s top all-around hitters.
There can be no debate over the player in first place, but it was incredibly difficult splitting the next five players. This order could change drastically by the midway point of the 2025 regular season.
1. Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge is the best hitter in baseball. This peak is up there with the primes of baseball’s greatest-ever players. From the start of 2022 to the end of 2024, Judge posted a 206 OPS+, averaged 60 home runs per 162 games, and collected 8.7 bWAR per season.
It would take a significant injury or an unfathomably great season from someone else to stop Judge from making it three AL MVP awards in four years. Cherish what we’re witnessing, because we might not see another run of hitting production like this.
2. Juan Soto
Moved back to right field by the New York Yankees in 2024, Juan Soto is continuing in right for the Yankees’ cross-city rivals. Soto is projected for 6.4 fWAR and a 166 wRC+ in 2025, comfortably clear of every other non-Judge right fielder.
His defense is the only real weakness. Comparisons to Ted Williams are deserved. He had an 18.1% walk rate in 2024 along with a 57% hard-hit rate and 19.7% barrel rate.
3. Fernando Tatis Jr.
After posting a 121 wRC+ over the last two seasons, Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to have a big 2025. His defense looks to be returning to a Gold Glove standard, he’s still got elite speed, and the underlying metrics are back at their pre-suspension levels.
Tatis is one of several players in these rankings — along with Kyle Tucker and Corbin Carroll — who could rival Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP. The San Diego Padres star has 40-40 upside.
4. Kyle Tucker
Given that Tucker had a 153 wRC+ over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, his projection of a 132 wRC+ seems a little harsh. The way he’s started the 2025 season indicates the newest Chicago Cubs star will be closer to the former number than the latter.
A worse defender than Tatis and Carroll, Tucker provides baserunning value despite a lack of elite speed. His all-around hitting skill set is exceptional, with a lower strikeout rate than many of his peers and elite power numbers. Stylistically, Soto is probably his closest comparison among the top six.
5. Corbin Carroll
Voted NL Rookie of the Year and fifth in MVP voting in 2023, Carroll started the 2024 season slowly but rescued his campaign to finish with a 107 OPS+. He still led the majors in triples, hit 22 home runs, and stole 35 bases.
An increase in bat speed in 2025 has brought a higher strikeout rate, a leap in barrel rate, and much more overall power. If he maintains this approach, there’s a world where he hits 40 home runs and steals 50 bases. There’s definitely MVP potential here.
6. Ronald Acuña Jr.
The second ACL injury of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s career limited him to 49 regular-season games in 2024. Ahead of his 2025 debut, there is a degree of uncertainty over whether he can return to his MVP-contending levels.
A four-time All-Star, Acuña led the majors in hits, stolen bases, and OPS in 2023 en route to his first MVP award. The 171 OPS+ was the highest of his career by a clear margin, and ZiPS projects he will return to the mid-150s in wRC+ in 2025.
7. Mike Trout
From the start of the 2021 season to the end of 2024, Mike Trout played 266 games. He was worth 7.3 bWAR per 162 games across that period, but a lack of availability has brought an end to one of baseball’s most spectacular primes.
Trout is in a different stage of his career. Many of his injuries have been freak incidents, yet there are also signs he’s not the same player in his 30s as he was a few years ago. The contact has dropped off a cliff, he’s no longer a special athlete, and it’s hard to imagine another fully healthy season from the three-time MVP.
8. Teoscar Hernández
Only a handful of full-time right fielders had a better wRC+ than Teoscar Hernández across the 2023 and 2024 seasons — and that includes a relative down year with the Seattle Mariners in 2023.
Since the start of 2020, Hernández has posted a 127 OPS+ and averaged 34 home runs per 162 games. A poor defender who would be a DH on most other teams, Hernández’s value is limited to his bat, but that doesn’t stop him from being among the best right fielders in the sport.
9. Mike Yastrzemski
Solid is the best word to describe Mike Yastrzemski. The grandson of Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl, Yaz has been worth between 2.0 and 2.7 bWAR in every season since debuting for the San Francisco Giants in 2019.
With a very good eye and a barrel rate above 10% in almost every season of his career, the left-handed outfielder is also a good defender.
10. Lawrence Butler
With bat speed better than 80% of hitters and coming off a 131 OPS+ in 2024, Lawrence Butler sneaks into the top 10 despite a relatively limited track record.
Butler hit 22 home runs and stole 18 bases in 2024 while playing passable corner outfield defense. If he can retain his 11% barrel rate, it won’t take long for Butler to climb this list and potentially earn an All-Star nod.
Enjoyed this article? Follow us for more!
📸 Instagram: @EnterSandmanSports
📘 Facebook: @EnterSandmanSports
🐦 X (Twitter): @EnterSandmanSports
📺 YouTube: @EnterSandmanSports
🎵 TikTok: @EnterSandmanSports
📨 Join our newsletter for weekly updates and picks!
Be sure to check out the other position breakdowns in this series
Top 10 Starting Pitchers in MLB
