Center fielder

The Center fielder (abbreviated CF and position 8 when scoring) is an outfielder who plays between the left fielder and the right fielder. His normal position is in the outfield roughly behind, but much deeper than, second base. Like all outfielders, the center fielder may shift his position to one side or the other because of the hitting tendencies of the batter.

Center field is considered to be the most difficult outfield position. The fences in center field are deeper than those in right or left field, so the center fielder has to cover a larger territory than the other outfielders. Because he may make catches deeper in the outfield than the other outfielders, he needs a strong arm to make the throw back in to the infield. The center fielder is usually the captain of the outfield and makes the call of whether he or the other outfielder will make a catch when either fielder can catch a fly ball.

Further Reading

• "This is your team's best center fielder ever", mlb.com, May 7, 2020. [1]