Left Field: Jarred Kelenic (1.2 fWAR) 26th of 61
It started off so good for Kelenic in 2023. He looked to finally be producing like fans wanted him to. He started to slow down on his torrid start, and then in a poorly timed instance of emotion, broke his foot kicking a water cooler. It happens, and it sounded like it wasn't him being a brat, but just being upset at himself. He still had a solid year, and it could be a good building block going forward for his success.
Center Field: Julio Rodriguez (5.9 fWAR) 1st of 48
5 years ago, and not a single person in the world, maybe even Julio himself, would've predicted that he would become this player. He didn't have great foot speed as a prospect at first, and was projected to be a corner outfielder with massive power. Instead, he's turned into the American League version of Ronald Acuna, a bit slower, maybe a bit less power, but also the ability to play a good center field. It was a great year, and we could see another leap in year 3 in 2024.
Right Field: Teoscar Hernandez (1.7 fWAR) 24th of 56
Teo's strikeouts and lackluster defense really bring down his WAR. You would think that the power and batting average would be enough to rank higher at the position, but when you don't pla good defense, don't walk, and strikeout 200+ times, it makes for a rough hill to climb. Teo definitely would've been one of the guys back in the day that everyone thought was amazing. Analytics tell a different story (although he is still good and fun to have on the team).
Designated Hitter: Mike Ford (0.6 fWAR) 25th of 46
Ford played about half the season with the Mariners, and actually had a pretty strong OPS+ or WRC+, whichever you prefer. Not a great batting average, but his slash was still good at .228/.323/.475. Anytime someone gets near an OPS of 800, you're in a good spot. Would a full year of Ford be worth pursuing if you could get a similar slash line for a full season? It's worth contemplating, especially since he might net you 30 HR. The 32% K rate... not so much.