Few seasoned infield players have been able to adapt to a full-time outfield position in the Major Leagues.
However, two well-known players are now doing precisely that: Javier Báez of the Tigers and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres have both moved from shortstop to the outfield with ease.
After making the transition in 2023, Tatis only managed to earn a Platinum Glove Award as the league’s finest defensive player overall and a Gold Glove Award in right field.
Parker Meadows’ injury recovery forced Báez to make the transition this season, and despite the limited sample size thus far, he has excelled in center field for Detroit.
What are the most important factors while switching from infield to outfield? Being athletic is helpful, and Tatis and Báez share this trait in addition to being some of the game’s most explosive players when they’re playing well.
However, there is another factor that, surprisingly, is directly related to becoming an infielder.
“Certainly,” Tatis said. “I can release the ball, spin, and throw [while] sprinting far faster than other outfielders. You fetch those objects from the infield. Additionally, you may use your strong arm in the outfield.
Tatis has the credentials to support the assertion, especially on the last point. He had the second-fastest throw from the outfield this season (102.9 mph), and his average arm strength of 94.9 mph, according to Statcast, was sixth among all outfielders going into Saturday.
Báez concurred that an outfield move can benefit greatly from an infielder’s skill set.
“For me, timing is the same as it is at shortstop,” Báez remarked. “It’s the timing and the focus with the contact of the ball with every pitch. Just see it off the bat and have solid readings off the bat.”
Tatis led all MLB right fielders with +5 Outs Above Average going into Saturday’s games, according to Statcast. He tied for the most defensive runs saved among right fielders with +8. Additionally, he tied for third place among all players, regardless of position, with a +6 fielding run value.
With +2 OAA going into Saturday (tied with two-time Gold Glove Award winner Brenton Doyle despite playing over 100 fewer innings at center this season) and +3 DRS (tied with Byron Buxton despite playing roughly half as many innings in center this season), Báez has held his own in the position.
Tatis in right has produced some amazing plays in the last two seasons, but even though Báez has only been in center field for a few weeks, he has already stolen a home run from Jorge Soler of the Angels in Anaheim on May 1.
As with his diving catch in the right-center-field gap on Friday night in Toronto that turned it into a double play and denied Nathan Lukes of additional bases, it all appeared to be quite easy.
When Tigers manager A.J. Hinch brought up the notion to Báez, who had never played in the outfield professionally, Báez was immediately on board.
Actually, the exact opposite.
To be honest, I was a little excited,” Báez remarked. I enjoy playing outfield; I used to play outfield as a child, and I still shag there. I was rather pleased when A.J. approached me and brought it up for that reason.
The player’s buy-in is another essential component of a successful outfield transfer.
“Being genuinely willing to go and do it,” Tatis said. His brief 2021 outfield stint wasn’t as successful as his full-fledged 2023 embrace. “And then if you have the talent, obviously it’s going to come out.”
Of course, that’s not to suggest it doesn’t need effort. Tatis noted that “there’s no secret” when it comes to it, and that it needs “as many reps as you can get.”
Both players have also been attempting to regain their explosive attacking output from earlier in their careers as they patrol the outfield.
Before he inked a six-year, $140 million contract with Detroit before the 2022 season, Báez’s performance at the plate was considerably more like that of the Báez of the past. This season, he has hit six home runs and is hitting.300,.336 and.500.
Tatis also appears to be a lot closer to the player he was prior to serving an 80-game ban in 2022 for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He has 11 home runs and a.305/.378/.551 slash line.
Tatis has been enjoying Báez’s presence in center field.
“I obviously listen to Javy,” Tatis remarked. “Dude, it’s so much fun, especially when you see how he’s recovering. I’m so glad for him.” He simply has that kind of talent.
Other players have made the transition from the infield to the outfield, but Tatis and Báez are the most recent to do so. The following notable MLB players have also made the switch, including current talents Oneil Cruz and Jose Altuve, who both just went to the outfield but are still adjusting to their new roles:
Pete Rose
The all-time hit king joined the Major Leagues as a second baseman, playing at the keystone position from 1963-66 for the Reds. He subsequently went to the outfield in 1967 and played largely the corner outfield spots for the following eight seasons until moving back to the infield in 1975.
In addition to playing in the outfield, Rose was the recipient of two Gold Glove Awards in 1969 and 1970.
Robin Yount
Yount was a shortstop for the first 11 seasons of his Hall of Fame career. In 1982, he helped lead Milwaukee to the AL pennant and won the American League MVP Award and Gold Glove Award. However, Yount’s shoulder problems forced him to switch positions in 1984, and he now plays center field.
He won a second MVP Award in 1989 after becoming a standout in center and continuing to hit after undergoing a second shoulder surgery following the 1984 season. Yount’s diving catch in center to finish Juan Nieves’ no-hitter, the first in Brewers history, was arguably the most well-known defensive performance of his career in 1987.
Dale Murphy
When Murphy was selected fifth overall by the Braves in the 1974 high school draft, he really emerged as a catcher. However, he was shifted to first base after he started having trouble throwing from behind the plate. Although he struggled with throwing there as well, Atlanta moved him to center field because they needed his strong bat in the lineup.
Murphy found his place there. In addition to winning back-to-back NL MVP Awards in 1982 and 1983, he was a center fielder from 1982 to 1986 who earned five straight Gold Glove Awards.
Craig Biggio
Biggio also made his Major League Baseball debut as a catcher, playing backstop with the Astros from 1988 to 1991. In order for Houston to extend his career and have his bat in the lineup every day, he subsequently made the unconventional shift from behind the plate to second base.
Biggio established himself as a tough-minded standout in the NL while winning four Gold Glove Awards at second base. When Houston acquired former NL MVP Jeff Kent in 2003, he was requested to switch to center field. In addition, Biggio had the best fielding percentage in the NL that season (.997). He returned to second base from 2005–07 before ending his 20-year Hall of Fame career.
Gary Sheffield
During his first two seasons in Major League Baseball, Sheffield played shortstop for the Brewers from 1988 to 1989. After being promoted to third base in 1989, he spent the following three seasons playing for San Diego and Milwaukee.
However, Sheffield’s subpar defensive play in the hot corner led the Marlins to shift him to the outfield after he was traded to them halfway through the 1993 season. Throughout the remainder of his career, he played corner outfield, where the dreaded right-handed slugger hit 509 home runs. Sheffield had his moments, such as in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series when he made an incredible leaping grab to deny Jim Thome additional bases, despite not being a particularly good defensive outfielder.
Chipper Jones
Jones was selected first overall in the 1990 Draft and was bound for greatness because of his strength on both sides of the plate. Before joining the Braves as a full-time third baseman in 1995, the Hall of Fame slugger spent some time in the corner outfield spots. He was a shortstop when he first appeared on the field.
In 2002, Jones, who had been a shortstop in Atlanta’s farm system and later became a star at the hot corner with the Rockies, moved to left field to make room at third. After two seasons, Castilla returned to Colorado, and Atlanta put Mark DeRosa at third, but DeRosa struggled there, and Jones returned in 2004. That year, Jones was a rookie who helped lead Atlanta to a World Series title.
Alfonso Soriano
After playing in Nippon Professional Baseball for a season, Soriano, a Dominican Republic native, was signed by the Yankees from Japan. In 1999, he made his New York debut as an infielder. Although he spent some time at shortstop and third base in the beginning, he emerged as the team’s main second baseman in 2001 after placing third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.
Up to the 2003 season, Soriano was the Yankees’ second baseman. In the transaction that sent Alex Rodriguez to the Bronx, he was moved to the Rangers. Before being traded to the Nationals, Soriano spent the 2005 season as a second baseman for Texas. After first objecting to the proposal, he finally moved to left field when Washington requested him to.
For the remainder of his career, Soriano played outfield, spending two seasons with the Yankees and seven with the Cubs. He was named a seven-time All-Star and finished with 412 home runs and 289 steals.
Jose Altuve
Prior to 2025, Altuve spent all 14 of his Major League seasons at second base. At that point, however, he took a surprising turn. Given that Houston had previously acquired another infielder, Isaac Paredes, there was initial conjecture that he may make the move if third baseman Alex Bregman re-signed with the team.
But even after Bregman joined the Red Sox, Altuve kept playing left field and eventually took over as the Astros’ main left fielder to provide for additional lineup flexibility since several other players could fill in at second.
Although Altuve’s age-35 campaign had some early snags due to his move to a new position, he has demonstrated his desire to be adaptable for the sake of the team, much like Biggio did for Houston decades before.
Oneil Cruz
Cruz has ample cause to be a Statcast favorite. When he enters the batter’s box, his 6-foot-7 frame, some of the most violent bat speed, highest exit velocities, and longest home runs at the plate make him an absolute must-see on television. However, he has struggled defensively at shortstop, the position on the field where he made his Major League debut.
Cruz was moved to center field by the Pirates, who believed that his size and the demands of the position would allow him to better use his speed and amazing arm strength. Although he has displayed glimpses of his promise in the outfield, he has struggled overall, starting Saturday’s game with a -7 DRS in center.
