Five years ago, there was no debate as to who would play in center field.

  Fresh off of a strong rookie season the prior year, Odubel Herrera cemented his status as one of the Phillies’ franchise cornerstones in 2016. With strong skills at the plate and in the field, accompanied by one of the game’s quirkiest personalities, it seemed as if he had the job locked down for the foreseeable future.

  Looking back, things didn’t turn out so well. Herrera declined considerably at the plate in each successive year up to May 2019. However, his on-field struggles were overtaken by his off-field decisions. After violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy when he assaulted his then-girlfriend, he was suspended for the remainder of the season.

  For the rest of 2019, the Phillies turned to three players to regularly play in center: Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn, and Adam Haseley. Kingery excited fans with 34 doubles, 19 home runs, and 15 steals, but the other two were largely unimpressive.

  In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Phillies used the same committee, but this time, all three players turned in poor results. This brought an issue to the front office’s attention: what could be done about the production void in center field?

  In the opening month of the 2021 season, this question is still left unanswered. With a spot in the starting nine up for grabs, who will the Phillies call upon to become the primary center fielder?

  Right now, there are four contenders for the job: Quinn, Haseley, Herrera, and young prospect Mickey Moniak. I’ll review each one, and showcase their benefits as well as their drawbacks. By the end, we’ll hopefully come to a conclusion.

  If Quinn wins the race, it’ll be because of his speed. Each year he’s been in the majors, he’s ranked inside the top five for sprint speed in all of baseball. He can simply wreak havoc on the base paths, as well as in the field.

  However, his excellent speed doesn’t do too much if he doesn’t reach base. Quinn has never been a particular threat at the plate throughout his career, but his struggles have hit a new low in 2021. Through eighteen games, he slashed a brutal .065/.237/.097, which is a hole in the lineup if I’ve ever seen one.

  Haseley, selected eighth overall in the 2017 MLB draft, has a lot of upside. In a limited 107-game showing between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he posted solid hitting stats, while grading as an above-average defender in center field. Currently, he’s only made one error in his MLB career.

  Unfortunately, personal reasons have blocked his path towards becoming a regular with the Phillies. On April 14th, he took an indefinite leave of absence from the team, and was placed on the restricted list. After batting .190 to start the year, along with the increased pressure of being a first round selection, hopefully Haseley can find his way back to success.

  Out of the contenders, Herrera certainly has the best track record in the majors. With 632 MLB games under his belt, his experience may be his greatest calling card at this point. But with declining skills across the board, he may not be able to keep pace with his younger competitors.

  Looking strictly at his on-field presence, it’s going to be a case of which Herrera we see. Now that he’s back in the major leagues for the first time in almost two years, will we see the player who lit up the diamond from 2015-2017? We’ll soon find out over the course of the season.

  Finally, there’s Moniak, who is under the most pressure to succeed out of anyone. As the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, everyone is expecting him to finally emerge as a quality player in the Phillies system. He’s had average numbers in the minor leagues, but made the jump to the majors last year, skipping AAA entirely.

  I like Moniak as a player, because he has all-around solid skills. He can hit well, play a good outfield, and also steal a few bases; he has all the best qualities of his competitors. Of course, he still needs to develop in order to adapt to the MLB, but he should be on the top of the list for probable center fielders.

  Based on what we’ve discussed, I think that Mickey Moniak should be the Phillies’ primary center fielder of the future. As a highly-regarded prospect, he should get an extended opportunity to impress the front office and make waves not just on the team, but across the league.

  Quinn, Haseley, and Herrera have all had their chances to run away with the job in the past, but none have ultimately stuck in the long run. Now, it’s Moniak’s turn.