MLB’s best right fielders: Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Dodgers’ Mookie Betts or Brewers’ Christian Yelich No. 1?

Baseball royalty occupy right field in 2020.

The Dodgers have 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts, who joins new teammate and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger following Los Angeles’ blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox.

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP.

And don’t forget about New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who was runner-up for AL MVP in 2017, but did take home American League Rookie of the Year. Also in the mix is Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper, the 2015 NL MVP.

So who’s the best of the best? ESPN’s Buster Olney’s list starts with Betts at No. 1, Yelich at No. 2 and Judge at No. 3.

The idea of putting Judge this low on any list seems a little insane because of how well-rounded a player he is and the relentlessness of his offense. … Whether it’s baseballs with high laces or low, whether it’s sock balls or whiffle balls, the largest position player in baseball history is going to hit with more power than anybody else. His rate of hard-hit balls was the highest in the majors last season among players with at least 250 plate appearances, at 53.8%. His home run-fly ball ratio? Third best, behind the Twins’ Miguel Sano and the Rangers’ Joey Gallo.

Judge is an excellent defender and an underrated baserunner, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone regards him as a clubhouse leader, generating a lot of great peer pressure through his attention to detail and the way he takes his at-bats. So what’s not to like? Well, he’s probably third on this list, and not higher, because he’s missed 110 games the past two seasons.

The Yankees hope to have Judge in the lineup Thursday for Opening Day. He’s currently working his way back from a sore neck after recovering from a broken rib and collapsed lung suffered last season.

Here is Olney’s list of the top 10 right fielders.

1. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

3. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

4. Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves

5. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies

6. Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Rays

7. Jorge Soler, Kansas City Royals

8. Michael Conforto, New York Mets

9. Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins

10. Nicholas Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds

Olney did show some love for other Yankees fielders during his week-long series breaking down the league position-by-position.

DJ LeMahieu: No. 1 second baseman

Gary Sanchez: No. 5 catcher

Brett Gardner: No. 6 left fielder

Aaron Hicks (CF), Gleyber Torres (SS), Gio Urshela (3B), Luke Voit (1B): Honorable mentions

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