These are the best outfields in each division

Throughout January, MLB.com is rolling out weekly division-by-division breakdowns of each position group. This week, we look at the outfields in each division.

Below is a compilation of the teams deemed by MLB.com beat reporters to have the best outfield situation, along with a link to the full team-by-team analysis for each division.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: It's hard not to pick an outfield that houses Ronald Acuna Jr., who finished three stolen bases shy of a 40-40 season in 2019. He's expected to move to right field in 2020, and he will be accompanied by the newly signed Marcell Ozuna as well as Ender Inciarte, if healthy. Ozuna's best year came in the NL East in 2017, when he hit a career-high 37 homers as a member of the Marlins. Though his stats declined in his two years in St. Louis, he's still just 29 years old. Inciarte is a boon defensively -- a three-time Gold Glove winner -- and he hit over .300 as recently as 2017. Each projected starter in the outfield for the Braves has been an All-Star at least once in his career. More >

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: The Crew has the Central's best outfield, led by Christian Yelich in right field and Lorenzo Cain in center. There just isn't another divisional outfield duo that comes very close. Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and runner-up in the MVP voting last year. Cain was third among MLB outfielders with 14 OAA last year and won his first career Gold Glove Award, though his offensive performance declined substantially, so he'll be looking for a bounce-back campaign in '20. Newcomer Avisaíl Garcia will presumably play left, though he might swap with Yelich, given his strong arm. Garcia also brings a good bat, having slashed .282/.332/.464 with 20 homers in 125 games for the Rays last year. And then there's veteran Ryan Braun, who becomes perhaps the best fourth outfielder in the game as he enters what might be his final MLB season. More >

NL WEST

Dodgers: They've been kings of the NL West for seven straight years, and fittingly, the Dodgers' outfield is also the best in the division. It features Cody Bellinger, the reigning NL MVP, in center field after playing right and first base last year, Joc Pederson in left and A.J. Pollock in right. And that's not to mention the possibility of a trade that would bring former AL MVP Mookie Betts to town. Pederson is coming off the best season of his career, in which he posted an .876 OPS with 36 homers in 450 at-bats. Pollock was hurt for most of the year, and the biggest question surrounding him, as it has always been, is health. And we all know what Bellinger did in an incredible MVP campaign. Then there's the depth -- it's the Dodgers -- with Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Alex Verdugo able to come off the bench. More >

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Red Sox: The AL East is a tough one to figure when it comes to which club has the best outfield. There are health questions in New York, where the Yankees are gearing up for a World Series run, and new faces in Tampa. And then there is the uncertainty as to whether the Red Sox will have former AL MVP Mookie Betts patrolling right field on Opening Day, with trade talks swirling. Nevertheless, since Betts is still in Boston, that gives the Sox the best outfield in the division. Jackie Bradley Jr., a tremendous defensive center fielder, and Andrew Benintendi, coming off a down year at the plate but a good bounce-back candidate in left, round out the starting trio. And the club's designated hitter, J.D. Martinez, can always give a corner outfielder a breather from time to time as he continues to be one of the game's best sluggers. More >

AL CENTRAL

Twins: A lot will depend on whether Byron Buxton stays healthy in 2020, and whether he can somewhat approximate his offensive production in 87 games last season -- he slashed .262/.314/.513 with 10 home runs and 14 steals. The defensive side isn't in question, with Buxton owning a Platinum Glove and finishing fifth among outfielders last year with 12 OAA despite playing just half the season. But with big bats at the corners, Minnesota can lay claim to the AL Central's finest outfield. Over the last three seasons, left fielder Eddie Rosario has averaged 28 homers with an .813 OPS. And in right, Max Kepler had a breakout year in '19, smashing 36 homers while posting an .855 OPS. Behind the starters, super-utility man Marwin Gonzalez can slide in when needed, and MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects Alex Kirillof and Trevor Larnach are nearly ready for the Majors. More >

AL WEST

Astros: Another tough call, this one between the Astros' outfield and the Angels'. Los Angeles, of course, boasts the best player in baseball in center field, Mike Trout. And there's a four-time All-Star to his right, where Justin Upton patrols left field. But Upton is coming off a down year, and Houston's outfield consists of All-Star Michael Brantley in left, George Springer -- who would have been in the thick of the AL MVP race last season had he not missed time due to injury -- in center, and terrific defender Josh Reddick in right. Reddick will have competition from 23-year-old Kyle Tucker, who was impressive in a 22-game stint with the Astros last season, hitting .269/.319/.537 with four homers and five steals. And behind them there's Myles Straw, the fastest man on the club, whose path to an opportunity was cleared with the trade of Jake Marisnick to the Mets. More >