He just hasn't thrown enough to qualify yet from those spots, and when he does, he'll look like he has a considerably better arm than Goldschmidt which he does. Since there are three times as many outfielders as there are other positions on the diamond, it made sense to add an honorable mention list of 25 guys onto our top 25 list. Soto is worth every penny of a top draft pick. Remembered more for hitting four home runs in one game than anything else, Mark Whiten's throwing arm was a weapon that he often tried to hide. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that When you call Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth your teammates, you tend to get overlooked. Heres what his 43rd-hardest throw looks like its clearly one hes putting effort into. The open event saw prospects from across the state of Mississippi perform in front of several college coaches, and the Prep Baseball Report Mississippi scouting staff. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the "He was a leader offensively and defensively for us. His slash line was an other-worldly .311/.425/.686 with an xwOBA of .463 and wRC+ of 207. . xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". Upon his arrival in Detroit, Colavito's arm was so good that it pushed another member of this list, Al Kaline, to center field for the 1960 season. Honestly, he doesn't take many pitches, period, as he sits in the first percentile in chase rate. 1 among shortstops over the last three years, ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. Cruz has five of the six hardest shortstop throws this year, and eight of the top 13. Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. Acua maxed out at 101.5 mph this season, and on Aug. 13, he had a 99.1 mph outfield assist, throwing out Joey Wendle trying to stretch a single into a double from the right-field xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was USA TODAY Sports photo. play. In 118 games, he slashed .292/.347/.468, buoying the ratios for fantasy managers in roto leagues. The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. Or he could clog your IL for two-thirds of the season. Not any more. 25. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. The 25-year-old set a new career high in 2022 in games played and still didn't crack 100, finishing at 98 with a variety of ailments and injuries derailing any sort of rhythm he could get. Take Tommy Edman, who has moved back and forth between both spots. play. Corey Julks. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second . He was named the MVP of the 1964 All-Star Game, best remembered for his three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Dick Radatz that gave the National League a 7-4 victory. play. At the end of his breakout season, Justin Dirden felt fatigued. Given that there is no rulebook definition of "a throw where the player is trying hard," and many non-competitive lobs are captured, we have elected to take the average of the top portion of a player's throws. and 32 degrees. His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. George Springer continues to appear on the What Could Be All-Star Team after playing 133 games in 2022 while dealing with elbow and knee injuries that left him with many "DTD" tags. He played at least 50 innings at six different positions and hit .281/.394/.379 with 27 extra-base hits and a 12.8 percent walk rate in 126 games, posting a 4.1-WAR season that earned him a third-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. I think his weakness, so far as he has any, is in his throwing arm. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. A six-time Gold Glove winner and the 1997 National League MVP, Larry Walker was yet another smooth fielding right fielder with a cannon for an arm who has played the game. (He has 14 harder throws from the right side, though obviously in far more opportunities. So is that because the elbow isnt allowing harder throws -- not that its mattered much, as hes been excellent defensively -- or because his new position doesnt demand it? He hits the ball with great power, ranking in the 92nd percentile in maxEV. It is difficult to predict what effect the new running rules will have on his SB total, but fantasy managers can safely count on 10-15 in this area. It only took two years for the American League to learn that you can't run on Kirby Puckett, a 10-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove award winner. That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. If you want to get to the fun stuff -- the leaderboards, and fun questions about them -- feel free to skip to the part about Oneil Cruz. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff window.". Outfielders can get a running start, preparing for a long throw. one base to another, like Home To First. Those who did generally failed in their attempt to take an extra base, and Puckett finished his career gunning down 142 men on base. Defense: Moves through the ball well, gets to the ball quick. The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. Known primarily for his throwing arm, Glenn Wilson threw out 38 runners between 1985 and 1986, leading the league in assists each season. . Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Arm: RH. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. Other concerns include the fact that Judge will be 31 years old for the majority of the season and played in a career-high 157 games last year. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the At. It is difficult to project significant development in outfielders' arm strength, but with a player with Buxton's athleticism, anything is possible. velocity and launch angle. Theres a lot of lobs and non-competitive throws. Evans had six seasons of at least 10 assists, and the 157 he has for his career leaves him tied with Andre Dawson. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. If strikeouts count against you in your league, then you might want to stay clear of Adolis Garcia. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). Steven Kwan put together a 5.5-WAR debut season with an old school game built on contact ability, speed and defense. The deal to acquire him from the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2020 season in exchange for prospect Matthew Liberatore looks like a major win. Its the chicken-and-the-egg question of our times. He played in 32 games, hitting four homers and stealing two bases while slashing .260/.330/.500 in the small sample size. Just beware you'll probably get closer to 500 plate appearances than the preferred 600 with his injury history. A .230/.305/.388 career hitter in 534 plate appearances entering the 2022 season, Ward was one of the year's biggest surprises. The 28-year-old is capable of making a greater impact in half a season than most players can in a full 162 games, and he racked up 4.0 WAR and 44 extra-base hits in 92 games this year while earning his first All-Star selection. On Saturday . The 30-year-old posted a 136 OPS+ with 40 doubles, 35 home runs, 82 RBI and an NL-leading 117 runs scored in 142 games. Not all was lost, though, as the 27-year-old showed off more of his speed, stealing 14 bases, which was only one less than his 2021 total. Michael Harris II played 43 games in Double-A last year before getting called up to the majors and proceeded to hit 19 HR, steal 20 bases, and slash .297/.339/.514 on his way to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. Junior had 154 assists for his career, a number that would have been significantly higher were it not for the rash of injuries that he dealt with. Greene played well in center field, finishing in the 71st percentile in Outs Above Average, 67th percentile in arm strength and 75th percentile in outfielder jump, according to Statcast. Arm Strength (ARM) Definition Arm Strength is defined as the maximum velocity of any throw made by a fielder -- with the max velocity always being at the release point, due to physics. His strikeout rate crept above 30% for the first time since his rookie year. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in Tyler O'Neill experienced a litany of injuries in 2022 that inhibited the power he demonstrated in 2021. He is above the 90th percentile in all of the power categories and sprint speed, and when he is on the field, he is a dynamic player who contributes mightily to fantasy teams. In the bottom of the 10th inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 5, 1989, Jackson's arm made one of the great throws in the history of the game. one base to another, like Home To First. Proportional frame w/ well developed strength and athleticism. At the age of 21, he didn't take many walks and struggled with strikeouts, but these numbers should improve based on his profile in the minors. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. A lifelong Dodger, Carl Furillo was a master at playing the tricky right field corner of Ebbets Field, becoming adept at fielding balls off of the 40-foot-high wall that loomed over him. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Mike Trout may have had the quietest 40-homer season in 2022. Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. In a down season by his own lofty standards, Juan Soto was still one of the most productive offensive players in the game. The four-category stud is worth a first-round pick. His arm strength is middling, but he makes good throws nonetheless. 1 prospect in baseball with the Red Sox in 2017, Benintendi never quite lived up to expectations in Boston, but he has set himself up for a nice free agency payday after a strong 2022 season. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the When healthy, he was productive atop the Toronto lineup, smacking 25 HR, scoring 89 runs, driving in 76, and even stole 14 bases for good measure. Interval Throwing Program for Outfield / PositionPlayers. That was by far the best throw I've ever seen in 10 or 11 seasons. Back in 2017, a then-19-year-old Ronald Acua Jr. appeared in Miami at the Futures Game. (Those downsides are only injury concerns (he played in 135 games last year), and his outfield eligibility will probably expire after this season.) A mainstay in Boston for nearly 20 years, Dwight Evans is the owner of eight Gold Glove awards and one of the best throwing arms of the 70's and 80's. A prototypical right fielder with plus power and a strong throwing arm, Renfroe was productive once again playing for his fourth team in as many years. Jake McCarthy is a vessel for stolen bases in the later rounds of drafts. His xwOBA and xSLG are both near the 90th percentile, and he hit particularly well at Camden Yards in spite of the extended left field fence. The Cubs surprisingly held onto him at the trade deadline despite significant interest, and he now enters a contract year looking to build off his breakout performance. He missed 52 games due to injury, and his BABIP was a career-low (by a lot) .227. With 5.3 WAR, he joined Jason Heyward (6.4, 2010) and Dusty Baker (5.1, 1972) as the only rookie outfielders in Atlanta Braves history with a 5-WAR season, and he edged out teammate Spencer Strider for NL Rookie of the Year honors. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight The 31-year-old hit .283/.369/.630 for a 178 OPS+ while slugging 40 home runs in just 499 plate appearances, and his 6.3 WAR still ranked sixth among all American League players. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. Christian Yelich played in 154 games in 2022, his highest total since his last year in Miami in 2017. What a strong throwing arm does, mostly, is make things happen faster. No one, I mean no one, runs on him.". Hes also No. 6 yr. ago. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Non-first base infielders get the average of the top 5% of their throws. Baseball is largely played in terms of feet and seconds, and they all add up quickly. The 25-year-old posted a 128 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 25 steals in 29 attempts. The shortstop position has become one of the deepest and most talented positions in fantasy baseball over the last decade. A below average fielder who threw out 107 runners over the course of his career, Jose Guillen made what some consider to be the best throw in the history of baseball - click here to check it out. Carroll's upside is in the 30/30 range, and he should have no trouble sticking as the everyday centerfielder with his plus-defense. In 2022, thats down again, to 76 mph. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight become a hit. 1 spot in 2023? He stole six bases in nine attempts, but his numbers declined from his best year in 2021. He could pop double-digit homers, but all fantasy managers need to care about is that he keeps running well (23-for-26 SB in 2022) and with impunity. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. A promising career cut short by injury and addiction, Ellis Valentine possessed one of the great throwing arms in baseball history. 9. The 21-year old has also shown the speed, instincts, and arm strength that project him as a center fielder long-term. The past two seasons, Phillips has amassed 21 outs above average while patrolling center and right field (seventh-most among outfielders last season with 11). as Active Spin. As for Vlad, well he only had 13,000 innings. In stints with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers, Smith threw out 127 runners from the outfield, spending significant time in both center field and right field. The former top prospect posted a 109 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored and 16 steals, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in right field in a 4.9-WAR season. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . Its been well over a year since his last 80 mph+ throw, much of which he spent at shortstop; Arizonas Ketel Marte, comparatively, has six such throws just this month. Opponents quickly learned that they couldn't run on Geronimo and they stopped trying, which explains his 81 career assists, one of the lower totals of those on our list. Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the orderthis is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2022. . In fact, if we look at the 16 fielders who had enough throws to qualify at both second base and shortstop this year, plus Story, and look at their comparisons on both sides of the bag every single one had a harder average throw from the left side than the right side, by an average of 5.3 mph. In traditional 5x5 leagues, he can anchor any fantasy outfield you put him in. Its hard to think its entirely about Storys move to the right side. Then during a throwing competition where competitors were given a six-step running start, Gorbous launched a ball 445 feet and 10 inches from the right field corner to left field, setting a world record that stands to this day. After Ichiro, Francoeur has the best throwing arm in baseball today. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. The tools are all there: Robert has good speed, reduced his strikeout rate in 2022, and his expected slash numbers will be helpful to fantasy squads. Steven Kwan was hard for fantasy managers to believe in last season, but he ended up being the 16th-ranked outfielder in 5x5 leagues when it was all said and done. What is not of concern are the 81 games he gets to play at Yankee Stadium this year and each one after until 2031, thanks to his 9-year, $360 million free-agent contract. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Schwarber batted leadoff for the vast majority of the season, but the acquisition of Trea Turner will most likely move him down in the order. Some, obviously, but its not everything. Ranking third here is not a knock, just shows the depth at third base. Let them. + Allen Williams, LHP/OF, Cleveland Central, 2019 No longer an everyday playernor having as strong and accurate an arm as he had in his primeAbreu forces baserunners to show him respect and think twice before running on him. The No. The 30-year-old slashed .267/.316/.491 with 25 HR, 77 RBI, and 71 runs scored. He missed time in the middle of the season with a finger injury he incurred while stealing a base, or he would have probably joined the 30/30 Club. Partly because of time missed due to injury, largely because of his reputation, people generally don't try to run when Ankiel has the ball in his hand, which would help to explain how someone with that strong of an arm has never reached double-digit assists in any season as an outfielder. 12 finisher at outfield on the strength of a .291 average, 33 homers, 83 runs, 89 RBI, and 12 steals. With the score tied at three and Harold Reynolds on first, Seattle catcher Scott Bradley hit a double to left. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Who would have guessed an under-the-radar rookie who didn't crack Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list and ranked as the No. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. Top Major League Outfield Arm: Bryce Harper ( Washington Nationals) All-Time Tool: Jesse Barfield How to Identify It: Arm strength is a simple tool to evaluate in comparison to others. Let's freeze the play to show you exactly what we mean: If you check out the pop time leaderboards, the gap between absolute best and dead last is just 0.28 seconds. Brandon Nimmo was a 5-WAR player for the first time in his career in 2022, just in time to test the free agency waters. The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. The umpire called the runner safe, but it was a bad callClemente's throw beat him to the bag, and it wasn't close. Ronald Acuna Jr. appeared in 119 games last year, a significantly higher number than the original projection of a July return from his torn ACL injury. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a 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. He also led the majors with 200 strikeouts and was a below average defender (-14 DRS, -13.7 UZR/150), but he still finished with a 130 OPS+ and 2.2 WAR in 155 games as an impact bat atop the Philadelphia lineup. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. From 1986 through 1991, Snyder led the league in assists with a total of 61. He is an OF5 being drafted in the OF4 range because of the cliff the position drops off of in drafts. He finished his career with one Gold Glove award and 117 assists, largely in part to the fact that nobody was crazy enough to try running on him after awhile. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. Current: If you can stomach the idea of spending a high-round draft pick on an injury risk with a high ceiling, Robert could be a steal. Playing for the Cleveland Indians minor league team in the Pacific Coast League in 1956, Colavito threw a ball from home plate 436 feet, watching it land well beyond the centerfield wall. In his fourth year in the league, Randy Arozarena hit 20 HR, knocking in 89 and scoring 72 while stealing 32 bases. Once the No. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the He had the hardest-hit ball of the evening, but he also showed off his arm, uncorking a pair of throws -- each tracked at over 95 mph. Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. If you want to understand how it all works stay right here. Week 1 - Days 2and 3. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. The talent is enormous but now, at age 33, the injury concerns continue to grow as well. That doesn't happen without Furillo's play. Potentially ever, though we certainly cant go back through history here to see how hard Shawon Dunston or whatever shortstop of your choice might have thrown. Consistent at the plate as well as in the field, Van Slyke spent his formative years patrolling the middle of the outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates, between Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds. Exit Velocity & Barrels. attempt. Laureano is looking to bounce back after a rough 2020 season in which he hit just .213 with a .704 OPS. Bob Forsch, a teammate of his with the Cardinals, remembered Reggie's arm: "It was FUN being on the same team as he was. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Jesse Barfield was considered to have the best outfield arm in the '80s and he wasn't shy about reminding his opponents. One of baseball's legendary figures and the greatest switch hitter who ever lived, Mickey Mantle's defense and rocket of an arm are often overshadowed by his offensive numbers. His average arm strength on max-effort throws was 97.9 mph, making him the top right fielder -- the position with the strongest arms, with a league average of 90.5 mph. His sophomore campaign should be a boon to fantasy teams, and he will come at a discount. However, his .336 BABIP is unsustainable and will take a bite out of his batting average when it corrects. Warm-up throws at 20-45feet Throws at 45 feet Warm-down throws 1 set only / Rest the next day. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. He hit 31 HR in 451 plate appearances with 78 RBI. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a The immortal Vin Scully put it best: "Clemente could field the ball in New York, and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.". Solid . USA TODAY Sports photo. [My arm strength] is just something natural.". He should rack up the RBIs batting in the middle of that order, and he may creep back toward the 30-HR mark as well. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff A three-time All-Star, Johnny Callison terrorized baserunners from right field for more than a decade. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. Here we go. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96) while hitting .242/.401/.452 with 25 doubles, 27 home runs, 62 RBI and 93 runs scored. After injuries limited him to just 78 games in his first season with the Blue Jays, Springer bounced back with a 131 OPS+ in 133 games while earning his fourth career All-Star selection. One of his most remarkable assists came in the top of the third inning of a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers on August 27, 1951. Ari Bethea, Collierville (TN), 2025 Positional Profile: RHP/OF Body: 6-1, 192-pounds. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Its that the demands of different positions are, well, different. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. The definitive power rankings on the strength of the outfield, where we (no, I don't play anymore but old habits die hard) talk to ourselves and it's totally accepted as the norm. And a tenth of a second really doesn't sound like very much. The Arkansas commit is an explosive athlete that burned a 6.62 in the 60-yard dash, then showcased a sizzler of an arm, 90 mph across the infield and 95 . The 28-year-old is too talented to leave on the board, so fantasy managers can draft him and send a quick wish into the universe that he plays basically anywhere else in 2023. He's barely a half-season into his career. Yes. -- came in above 72 mph. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. But theres also this, that Story has 195 tracked throws of at least 80 mph in his career -- he even topped 90 a few times early on -- but its happened only once since the 2021 All-Star break. thrown with. He is a pure contact hitter who gets on base and isn't afraid to run (19-for-24 in SB attempts). the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed 1 / 20. By Geoff Pontes.
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