A former Gold Glove winner in left field, he is a roughly average defender in center field. The 23-year-old had more walks (145) than strikeouts (93) on his way to an MLB-best .465 on-base percentage. He made more consistent contact while maintaining his usual elite average exit velocity and hard-hit rate metrics. Top Tools: Best Outfield Defense/Outfield Arm - Baseball His 26 home runs trail only Salvador Perez among all backstops. Springer has been one of the most productive outfielders in the game over the past five years, and he has joined up with a Blue Jays team that averaged 5.03 runs per game in 2020. Other good MLB outfielders right now include Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, J. D. Martinez, and Aaron Judge. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). It's not all about arm strength, of course. Cobb's 392 outfield assists are second all-time. Soto, in my opinion, has that. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. Those are qualities the. Most teams need to go at least six starters deep over the course of a season, and the Brew Crew also have three quality back-end starters behind their ace-caliber arms. The regimented preparation that had worked for Yelich in the past was simply not available to him, and he may have suffered for it. 2y Buster Olney. Chicago Cubs Top Prospects | Just Baseball Some of Mookie Betts' former teammates watched him go through the postseason last year and believed he really was out of sorts at the plate. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. This is not unusual: Cal Ripken Jr. spent his whole career fighting for feel, winning two MVP awards but also posting seven seasons in which he batted in the .250s or lower. Dylan Carlson, Cardinals (TOP 250 Rank: 11) Key Fantasy Skill (s): Power, OBP Roadblock: Tyler O'Neill, Lane Thomas (Threat Level: MEDIUM) ETA: 2021 Need to Know: Carlson had a rough MLB. Only 30 MLB hitters had a lower rate of soft contact than Jimenez -- Fernando Tatis Jr., Corey Seager, Anthony Rendon and Freddie Freeman were among those ranked ahead of him. The 27-year-old posted a 171 OPS+ with 42 extra-base hits in 254 plate appearances, and he had 10 DRS in 509.2 innings in center field. It's worth remembering that during the 2018-19 seasons, Pham had an on-base percentage of .368 and scored 179 runs in 282 games. Nate Eaton is making a case for sticking on . Having to play the field regularly could hinder his production, but the fact that he led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs while hitting .338/.431/.636 last season cant be ignored. Jackie Bradley Jr., free agent Clemente's arm was not only powerful but it also featured laser-like precision. . (Worth noting: Second on that list was DJ LeMahieu, who had a 92.9% in-zone contact rate, then Anthony Rendon and Tommy La Stella tied at 91.2% each.)". Williams played in just one World Series, and at a time when he was nursing an elbow bruise, Williams hit .200, with five walks and one RBI in seven games. He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. In 2021, he was the No. Translation: Realmuto dominates the catcher throwing department. . Between a breakout 2021 campaign and 2022, the journeyman reliever dropped his strong 9.6% walk rate to a miniscule 2.5%, good for best in the league. Then theres Stanton, who might be the biggest boom-or-bust pick in fantasy. He led the NL in home runs, RBIs and total bases last season, thriving with runners in scoring position: in those moments, Ozuna batted .364, with a .444 on-base percentage and a .623 slugging percentage. Here's everything we know, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies, From bubble struggles to NCAA seed improvement, why these final weekend games matter, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth. His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. Previous picks: DJ LeMahieu (hit), Aaron Judge (power), Ronald Acua Jr. (run), Matt Chapman (defense). The 24-year-old hit .251 with 10 homers, 10 steals and 42 runs in 59 games for the Padres last year. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. Below you'll find the consensus rankings that eight of our MLB writers were involved in. He had just 18 swings and misses at in-zone pitches in the entire regular season. Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? - Stadium Florida Baseball Recruiting: Gators commits clash, talk UF decision The goal is to decide which team has the best catchers, infielders, outfielders, bench, starting pitchers and relief pitchers. 9. A catch made high against the right field wall to take extra bases away from Ozuna. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants. Of the 60 games Ozuna played last season, only 21 were in the outfield, so if you wanted to make the argument that he should be ranked among designated hitters, well, you'd have a good case. But the Rays also added some competition for the starting role in former top prospect Francisco Mejia, whom they acquiredin the Blake Snell blockbuster. I want my superplayer to own a cannon and have shown time and time again that he can be accurate with it. Statcast Leaders Baseball Savant Top Prospect Stats. Quinn said, "Meusel's arm was the best I ever saw. Rob Neyer ranked him as our best right fielder in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups (pre-Bautista). Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield". Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Mookie. The longtime utility man split his time between center field (93 games) and second base (47 games), and he posted a 107 OPS+ with 58 extra-base hits in a career-high 585 plate appearances. Ken Griffey Jr. may have been the greatest player in baseball history had injuries not plagued him during his career. Evans was considered to have one of the greatest throwing arms in baseball in the 1970s. MLB players with the best arms I texted Votto that I thought Williams would've loved to watch the Nationals' Juan Soto, who might be the closest replica to Williams, with his remarkable plate discipline and power. In 2015, Marte had a 16-1 number (A-DP) as part of perhaps baseball's best fielding outfield. Here are this years top fantasy outfielders, broken down into tiers. Unfortunately for Valentine, he was only able to play 10 seasons in the majors. Throughout the history of baseball, there have been some outfielders that have had cannons for arms. But for now, it's not wholly clear whether the universal DH will be adopted for the 2021 season, despite the fact that both MLB and the Players Association want it. If you don't have coaching that can support that, then the player needs to be very stubborn with his thinking, which, in my opinion, requires a strong independence. Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels definitely ranks in the top 10 outfielders, along with Mookie Betts and Charlie Blackmon. Dynamic Outfield Trio May Provide Nucleus For Seattle Mariners - Forbes Tabbed as the 58th-best outfield prospect nationally (D1Baseball). Crow-Armstrong soaking in first Spring Training with Cubs. Arozarena is coming off a postseason for the ages, on top of a strong finish in the regular season. But at the least, we know the potential is there. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. That leaves the Cincinnati Reds as the pick. A standout defender throughout his time in the big leagues, Bader stepped his offensive game up this year, hitting .267/.324/.460 for a 116 OPS+ with 21 doubles and 16 home runs. Move over, Aaron Hicks! A look at the best outfield arms in MLB history He racked up 4.7 WAR despite missing 35 games early in the season with a fractured rib. The greatest player of this era turns 30 in 2021. The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. You can't go wrong taking him in the top five, either. The question that resonated at the end of October is about the best position player on the planet -- Betts, or Mike Trout? The 26-year-old made notable strides at the plate in 2020, posting the best chase rate (14.1%, second lowest in MLB), walk rate (15.6%), hard-hit rate (43.2%) and barrel rate (12.5%) of his career. Non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs at the start of last offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals. MLB fans up in arms over absurd outfield shift Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . The Athletics' Outfield Dilemma - MLB Trade Rumors February 24, 2023. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. The towering right fielder posted a 149 OPS+ with 39 home runs and a career-low 25.0 percent strikeout rate. Mejia, 25, is hitting .263/.323/.429 with 20 extra-base hits, and he has thrown out 32 percent of base stealers on the year. His throwing abilities were recognized by Bill James, as Guerrero was noted to have the best arm of the 1990s. Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the majors with a 2.90 starters' ERA, but injuries and off-the-field issues have thinned their rotation considerably. Bryson Worrell - Baseball - East Carolina University Athletics Now it's time to finalize those rankings while expanding the list out to the 25 best at each position on the diamond, which means each position is going to get its own article. It's possible that Merrifield will move back to the infield if Nicky Lopez struggles in his effort to establish himself as the Royals' second baseman. The top 10 center fielders, based on input from folks under the MLB umbrella: Another historical comp for Trout, unfortunately, is the link that is developing with Ted Williams: their paucity of postseason opportunity. The 33-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free-agent market this winter. Top 60 All-Time Greatest Jays: #6 Jesse Barfield Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's . Anyone paying attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 knew Bryan Reynolds was capable of the type of season he put together in 2021. The third tier is filled with enticing players, but its also rife with uncertainty. All of what you need to know about Meusel's arm was said by Bob Quinn, former president of both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. Speaker is the MLB record holder for most career outfield assists with 449. The 28-year-old hit .305/.394/.556 for a 140 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 24 home runs and 71 RBI in 485 plate appearances, earning his first All-Star selection. Mining the News (3/1/23) | RotoGraphs Fantasy Baseball MLB Free Agents 2021-22: Ranking the top 10 outfielders | RSN Breaking down top Mariners prospects with MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo However, he was also a 4.2 WAR player at the time of the trade. Whitaker was ranked the #37 prospect by MLB. 7. Mookie Betts is the sixth-best outfielder in baseball, and it feels wrong to rank him this low, but wait until you see the top five. Craig Counsell, Brewers. Hard-throwing top prospect Aaron Ashby has also made three spot starts, and he could make a major impact as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen down the stretch. He has taken to the outfield and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. Wilmer Flores (358 PA, 102 OPS+, 15 HR, 44 RBI), LaMonte Wade Jr. (249 PA, 123 OPS+, 16 HR, 41 RBI) and Darin Ruf (230 PA, 151 OPS+, 14 HR, 33 RBI)have all been extremely productive in utility roles. Accuracy is considered, but arm strength is the big piece of this. A good spring could get the 29-year-old on the 40-man roster. 20. He's hit .300 or better in five of the last seven seasons, and in the two he didn't, he batted .299 (in 2017) and was injury-ravaged in the other (2016). The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? Jackson had 183 outfield assists during his 13 year career. Baseball's worst fielders at every position | Sporting News Hot Stove Tracker Starting Lineups Transactions . It must be noted here that Tatis did have an issue with throwing miscues that drove down his overall defensive value. The biggest surprise has been Austin Riley, who looked like the weak link after posting an 84 OPS+ in 503 plate appearances over his first two seasons. The writers involved are Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Dunbar, Ryan Kirksey, Nic Civale, Logan Kritzeck, and Matt Heckman. Kimbrel still has explosive stuff with a fastball that sits comfortably in the high-90s and a wipeout curveball that generated a staggering 59.3 percent whiff rate in 2021. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? The 31-year-old is hitting .337/.413/.543 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI in 74 games since the beginning of June, and his 3.5 WAR on the year ranks fifth among all first basemen. Fingers crossed that the 2021 MLB season will begin on time -- and that we get to see some live baseball at the ballpark this year. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead. One of the tougher players to slot on this list, Buxton played in only 61 games while missing time with a hip strain and fractured hand. There are many questions surrounding Barry Bonds' arms, but none of them are about his ability to throw a baseball. Mantle earned one Gold Glove in his career and threw out 117 base runners from the outfield. Pete Crow-Armstrong 'best defender' among outfield prospects - NBC Milwaukee Brewers Top 30 prospects list 2023 preseason - mlb.com Shortstop Dansby Swanson is hitting .322/.372/.594 with 10 home runs in 36 games since the All-Star break. But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. Even though Meusel played just 11 seasons, he still recorded 157 outfield assists. Even at age 36, Ichiro was consistently able to throw out runners trying to take an extra base. Stars and depth help the Dodgers dominate both NL competition and Best Tools voting. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. 2021:Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection as an outfielder Started 58 of 59 games played in centerfield Batted .262 (53-for-202) with nine home runs and 33 RBI Scored 35 runs and walked 26 times Swiped 9 of 13 bases (69.2 percent) Mookie is one of the best defensive right-fielders of all time. Fantasy managers can still find some starting-caliber outfielders in this tier. Rather than ranking individual players, we set out to name the best multi-player units in baseball. As in: This is the type of hitter I want to be; get out of my way.". The league may have changed the rules on shifting . The Frisco Classic is one of college baseball's premier early-season tournaments year-in and year-out, and this year's field is strong as usual, headlined by 2021 national champion Mississippi State and 2022 national runner-up Oklahoma. Ranking the best outfield arms in the majors right now Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox The eight-time Gold Glove winner was finally inducted into Cooperstown in 2010. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. but if he regresses to 2017 or 2021 levels no one should complain. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18. He hit .310/.383/.458 with 42 extra-base hits and 47 steals in 52 attempts to lead the majors. You might not realize just how strong his arm is, though, because the focus tends to be on his hitting first, then his running, then his defense. His career OPS is 1.000, exactly. Most everyone reading this article is probably asking themselves who Glenn Gorbous is. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining . The Milwaukee Brewers aren't far behind with a 3.11 ERA, and they have a trio of bona fide aces atop the staff that have helped lead them to the top of the NL Central standings. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. This is Just Baseball's staff consensus ranking of the top 15 corner outfielders in baseball. He was snubbed as a Gold Glove finalist despite tallying 11 DRS with a 5.4 UZR/150 in right field while also holding his own when he shifted to center field down the stretch. Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide, The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. Mantle's pure strength can be seen was demonstrated by the fact that he hit some of the longest home runs in baseball history. Up next is the 22-year-old Soto, whose production over his first three seasons has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. With Charlie Morton and Blake Snell both departing during the offseason and Tyler Glasnow lost to Tommy John surgery, more pressure has fallen on the relief corps to prop up the pitching staff. It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. 2023 MLB Top 30 Prospects; Rankings; Players; Draft; Store; . The best arms tend to have lower rates because they get run on less, though Clemente is barely in the top 70 all time and IIRC Vlad doesn't even crack the top 200 Though I guess my point agrees with you, he wasn't great but he wasn't awful 2 Buzzed27 San Francisco Giants 5 yr. ago Not sure what you're talking about exactly. Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. On the other hand, the league still hasn't had a chance to develop a counterattack against the right-handed-hitting masher. Abreu's strong arm helped him win his only Gold Glove in 2005. 14. Welcome to Bleacher Report's final positional rankings of the 2021 MLB season! Runners were afraid to take the extra base when these outfielders had the ball in their hands. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs, Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets; Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners; Aaron Hicks, New York Yankees; Victor Robles, Washington Nationals; Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins. Robles struggled in 2020, but he had 17 homers, 28 steals, 65 RBIs and 86 runs in '19 and has no competition for playing time this season. Laureanos arm is best known for the throw mentioned above, which resulted in a double play after he caught a fly ball hit by Justin Upton at Angel Stadium. While one of Ramirez's most memorable moments in the field occurred when he walked into the Green Monster mid-game, it should also been noted that Ramirez has also showcased his arm in front of that very same wall. Once regarded as injury-prone, the 28-year-old has missed only 10 games over the past three years combined, averaging 36 homers, 107 RBIs, 105 runs and 16 steals per 162 games in that span. He's a career .225/.337/.409 hitter in the minors, and his strikeout rate has risen at every level, topping out at 27% in Triple-A last year and 28.2% in his 238-plate appearance MLB debut . The guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. Amazingly, his arm was not the best part of his game defensively. The 26-year-old got off to a slow start this year, but he caught fire in May and never looked back. . Previous picks: Anthony Rendon (hit), Mike Trout (power), Byron Buxton (run), Simmons (defense), Ramn Laureano, CF, AsKey stat: 321-foot assist on Aug. 11, 2018. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . This is a pretty straight forward category. Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. Gorbous is the answer to the trivia question: "Who has the longest throw in baseball history"? Which outfielder has the strongest arm 2021? Mays' throwing arm deserves more recognition as he was he had the second strongest arm of any outfielder in the 1960s. Or his game-saving throw from center field to the plate against the Red Sox in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . The 24-year-old led the team in OPS+ (147) while hitting .294/.359/.557 with 37 doubles, 30 home runs, 92 RBI and 14 steals in what was essentially his first full season in the majors, aside from last year's shortened slate. Bonds had a strong throwing arm even before he began to bulk up. 12 Reds Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30 All three of those guys could finish in the top 10 in NL Cy Young voting, but the staff goes deeper than that trio. ESPN's Buster Olney leads the discussion of the latest news and notes around baseball with the game's top analysts. Lagares easily has the most rARM per 1,000 innings over the last three seasons. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. Realmuto, C, PhilliesKey stat: 46.7 percent caught stealing rate in 2019. In the third season of a five-year, $60 million contract, Pollock enjoyed his best season in a Dodgers uniform, hitting .297/.355/.536 for a 137 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 21 home runs and 69 RBI. After years of teasing his immense raw power potential in the minors and sporadically in the big leagues, Tyler O'Neill finally put together his long-awaited breakout season. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Simply speaking, Mantiply has become the epitome of control. The precision is there (nine errors across nearly 1,140 innings last year), and so is the power and reaction time. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 assists. Reynolds hit.302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 93 runs scored for a 146 OPS+ despite having little in the way of protection in a bad Pittsburgh lineup. Statcast Year to Year Stats | baseballsavant.com September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. Minimum 800 innings 6. The left-handed outfielder had a rock solid 2022 season, holding a .281 batting average with 12 home runs while leading the South Atlantic League with 34 doubles joining Project Birmingham. While Bo Jackson's greatest accomplishment might be the fact that he is the greatest video game character ever, it is not the only thing that Bo is known for. In an empty Fenway Park on Aug. 7, Verdugo had a big day -- two home runs, both over the Green Monster, for the left-handed-hitting Verdugo, and then he took a home run away from Travis Shaw in the ninth inning. One of the most exciting defensive plays in baseball occurs when there is going to be a play at the plate. 2023 Frisco Classic: Everything You Need To Know D1Baseball