Homegrown players Steven Duggar and Austin Slater have also seen semi-regular time in the outfield, though Duggar was recently optioned to Triple-A now that Bryant can provide corner outfield depth as well. My guess, after talking with folks who know him: Yelich was among the players affected by how dramatically the COVID-19 protocol changed processes. Throughout the history of baseball, there have been some outfielders that have had cannons for arms. It simply looks at outfield arm strength. This tier includes a number of power-speed options, led by Tucker and Robert, who both went 30/30 in the Minors in 2019 and continued to contribute on multiple fronts in '20. Scott Pianowski continues his tiered positional rankings by examining the outfield landscape for 2023 fantasy baseball drafts. "There are so many factors that go into it, and I don't want to speak for Soto, but there are certainly some habits you have to develop and reinforce when you are young. It must be noted here that Tatis did have an issue with throwing miscues that drove down his overall defensive value. Ranking the best outfield arms in the majors right now He's played at that level, and sometime this season, he'll surpass 1,000 runs for his career, and move beyond 1,500 hits. Tier 3: Randy Arozarena, Trent Grisham, Michael Conforto, Giancarlo Stanton, Nick Castellanos, J.D. The eight-time Gold Glove winner even managed to throw out 11 base runners from left field at age 39. But despite all of that offensive imperfection, the lasting impression Betts left behind is that of the closest thing you can have to a perfect player in a sport filled with moments of failure. And I'm talking about strong arms, not merely accurate ones. Accuracy is considered, but arm strength is the big piece of this. MLB Player Rankings for the Top 25 Outfielders of 2021 Season However, Mays is more well-known for "The Catch" than for his arm. Whether it's unleashing the ball from deep in the outfield, across the infield or behind the plate, it can make the seemingly impossible happen. $0.99 His defensive metrics in center field (14 DRS, 12.1 UZR) helped him post a career-best 4.9 WAR season. At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. 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. T. Alex Verdugo, Kik Hernandez, and Hunter Renfroe were Boston's primary outfielders last season. 2021 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders ADP Analysis - Most Talented & Top Tier 2: Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert, Aaron Judge, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte, Whit Merrifield. Twins Top Prospect Vote 2023: Round 3 - Twinkie Town Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers; Eddie Rosario, free agent; Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox; Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers; Clint Frazier, New York Yankees. In order to qualify for the leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team games / 5. . The Red Sox acquired him at the deadline, and he finished with a 148 OPS+ and 32 home runs in 113 games, posting a .266/.374/.554 line that represented career highs across the board. That success has come despite myriad injuries and significant roster turnover. Part I: Hit toolPart II: Power toolPart III: Run toolPart IV: Fielding tool. While a member of the Indians minor league team in San Diego, he once threw a ball from home plate and it landed 436 feet away, deep over the center field fence. 9. He hit .271 with a .349 on-base percentage, tallying 34 extra-base hits, 30 steals and 3.2 WAR, and he was also a Gold Glove finalist in center field. The club also traded away Diego Castillo at the deadline in exchange for JT Chargois and Austin Shenton. While his .286 on-base percentage and 31.2 percent strikeout rate leave something to be desired, he was a stellar defender (16 DRS, 11.8 UZR/150) to go along with his power production in a 3.8 WAR season. As a rail-thin rookie, Bonds managed to accumulate 10 assists. During nine full MLB seasons, Mike Trout has won three MVP awards, made nine All-Star teams and posted 75 WAR, per FanGraphs (Betts is the next-closest during that span with 40.2). 2021 MLB Preview: Ranking the top 20 outfielders in the league Ken Griffey Jr. may have been the greatest player in baseball history had injuries not plagued him during his career. Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. Oneil Cruz (Pirates): 97.9 mph 2. No position in fantasy baseball is deeper than the outfield. From first-time All-Star Andrew Kittredge (44 G, 1.41 ERA) to reclamation project Collin McHugh (27 G, 1.30 ERA) to 31-year-old rookie Louis Head (20 G, 3.16 ERA), they continue to plug and play better than any organization in baseball when it comes to building a bullpen. Mantle earned one Gold Glove in his career and threw out 117 base runners from the outfield. Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman, 505 PA, .235/.309/.504, 56 XBH (31 HR), 76 RBI, 75 R, 4.3 WAR. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. The 23-year-old is expected to return sometime during the first half of next season. Bez was responsible for five of the 31 tracked assists of at least 90 mph by infielders last season, the second most in MLB, and his average arm strength on max-effort throws (88.3 mph) was the third best among infielders. Wil Myers, San Diego Padres; Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros; Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies; Nicholas Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds, Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best outfielders, NBA investigating after Morant shows gun in video, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Edey leads Wooden finalists; Bama's Miller off list, Chase Elliott out indefinitely after tibia surgery, Jays' Guerrero to miss WBC with inflamed knee, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Ledecky sees 9-year win streak in U.S. snapped, Inside the long-awaited return of Jon Jones and his quest for heavyweight glory, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. The Venezuela native surged three levels in his age-18 season, showing off plus power and 70-grade speed on his way to becoming the No. A good spring could get the 29-year-old on the 40-man roster. Harper wraps up the first tier. Which Outfield Position Has The Best Arm? - On Secret Hunt In the third season of his massive 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, there was no question that Bryce Harper lived up to his salary. His .366 career average is a major league record. best outfield arms in mlb 2021 - Katrin Fridriks Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021. The home run he stole from Freddie Freeman in the NLCS, his leap perfectly timed. 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Tout Wars 12-team mixed draft results Nearly every player on this list has been an All-Star, and all the rest have a chance to make their first Midsummer Classic this season. 5 Best Outfield Throwing Arms in the Majors - Sportscasting Despite his 2020 postseason heroics, Arozarena entered the 2021 season with rookie eligibility, and he wound up leading all rookies with 4.1 WAR. When he's locked in and at his best, they reported, he's consistently pulling the ball, driving it, and this is not what Betts was doing. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. 8. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 assists. Standings. fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft in right-handed . 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. But the Rays also added some competition for the starting role in former top prospect Francisco Mejia, whom they acquiredin the Blake Snell blockbuster. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. Ramirez is fourth among active outfielders with 129 career assists. The Gators routinely welcome recruiting classes that rank among the top in the country, and the class of 2023 will be no exception. Carlos Correa (Twins): 95.0 mph 5. 3. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . Hernndez (.919 OPS) and Gurriel (.882 OPS) are looking to validate their breakouts, and Conforto is, too, to an extent. The 33-year-old hit .307 with runners in scoring position, and he had a .937 OPS in 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. Listen. It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Infielder Tyler Hardman also finds himself in the top 30, but unlike Fitts, he wasn't even ranked ahead of the 2022 season. 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. Walker was known for his abilities at the plate, but he also had a gun for an arm. 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. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones. 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. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. . 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28, 2023 Pick. The towering right fielder posted a 149 OPS+ with 39 home runs and a career-low 25.0 percent strikeout rate. MLB Best Tools 2021: Managers, Scouts & Executives Vote On Baseball's His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen,. Let's marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. -- Thomas Harrigan Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense) Astros Top Five Outfield Prospects For 2022 - The Crawfish Boxes There are undoubtedly better defensive trios than this group, but their top-tier offensive production earns them the nod for top outfield unit in 2021. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. 4 overall prospect. Minimum 800 innings 6. He hit the walk-off home run in the NL Wild Card Game and had a three-homer game in Game 5 of the NLCS. In his first 303 games in the big leagues, he has a .380 OBP and an .859 OPS. A.J. Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. Near the top of Florida's next crop of freshmen are two of South Florida's finest arms, right-hander Christian Rodriguez . That duo has started all but one game behind the dish for the Rays this year and posted the following combined stat line in the process: Zunino, 30, was an All-Star for the first time this year. September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. Fantasy managers can still find some starting-caliber outfielders in this tier. That's primal, natural. His contract and track record mean more is expected of him, but he was still a top-15 outfielder. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. 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. The league may have changed the rules on shifting . Other choices were more complicated, particularly by the question of who might be more suited to be ranked among the designated hitters. Tatis, of course, was a sensation in just about every way as a rookie in 2019, and his throwing ability was no exception. Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and runner-up in the MVP voting last year. MLB Tonight: Outfield Arm | 09/10/2021 | MLB.com 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. The 27-year-old also has a perfect 99 reaction time rating, 86 arm strength, and 81 arm accuracy. Below, we're focusing on fantasy baseball outfield sleepers. 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. March 1, 2023. Nate Eaton is making a case for sticking on . He compiled 157 outfield assists in his 20 major league seasons. There is no shortage of articles ranking MLB players by position, league, age, production or something else entirely. As the anchor of the Dodgers' package for Betts, Verdugo was the centerpiece in perhaps the most unpopular Boston baseball deal since Babe Ruth was shipped off to the Yankees, and he joined the Red Sox with a well-publicized reputation as a less-than-ideal teammate. Harper hit .338/.476/.713 with 20 home runs after the All-Star break, doing his part to help a Phillies team that tried in vain to chase down a postseason berth. 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. Potential Outfield Trade Targets For The New York Yankees - Forbes His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. Since the start of 2019, all of Duran's time in the outfield has been played exclusively at center, a position probably best suited for his elite speed and average to below-average arm. Jackson is known most for his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal and the fact that he was banned from baseball by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis following the 1920 season. For reference, Bradley Zimmer has one of the best throwing arms on the big league roster and has always had a strong arm, considered to be plus (60) and maybe even double-plus (70). 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. 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. All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball, Alonso says Aston 'living a dream,' eyes podium. A big part of any draft kit are the rankings, and we're continuing our staff consensus rankings for 2021 with our fantasy baseball outfield rankings. The Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. 5. He had such a good showing last year that as some rival executives kick around the idea of a possible Toronto match in a Francisco Lindor trade, they think Gurriel could anchor the package of players going from the Jays to Cleveland. After a terrific finish to the 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs, Nick Castellanos signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds in free agency. As a 28-year-old rookie, Garcia posted a 101 OPS+ with 31 home runs, 90 RBI and 16 steals, and he was a surprise All-Star for the rebuilding Rangers. Gallo, Soler, Lewis, Yastrzemski, Happ, Rosario and Mountcastle can provide it. Need more power? 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. . but if he regresses to 2017 or 2021 levels no one should complain. 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. Texas Rangers outfield arms: The Outliers Some of these players were considered to have the best throwing arms on the Texas Rangers, but statistically, they failed to crack the top 10.. Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield". Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. His throwing abilities were recognized by Bill James, as Guerrero was noted to have the best arm of the 1990s. He homered 12 times in a 10-game stretch at the end of June, but he missed most of July with a hamstring strain. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. Clemente is tied with Willie Mays for the the most Gold Gloves for an outfielder with 12. Free agency, trade talk, offseason news . Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Count on these outfielders to shine 2021 Topps series 1,Rookie Monte Harrison #126 Miami marlins outfield baseball. He played more games in the outfield (93) than he did at his natural position of third base (55), and he posted a 124 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 25 home runs and 73 RBI in a 3.3 WAR season. The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. Share. MLB Tonight: Outfield Arm. 2023 MLB Top 30 Prospects; Rankings; Players; Draft; Store; . "He's a hitting outlier," Votto responded. Now the #20 prospect in the Yankees' organization, Hardman posted a 109 wRC+ across High-A and Double-A last season with 22 HRs in 111 games, but his over 30% K% is alarming for his projectability long-term. Edmonds had phenomenal range while he was younger, and there are many instances in which he scaled the outfield wall to retrieve would-be home runs. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Spring training battles: The outfield - Royals Review Breaking Down the Best MLB Units in 2021: Cs, INFs, OFs, Bench, SPs and Similarly, Grisham has played fewer than 120 games in the Majors. The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. 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. 10. He also slugged 38 home runs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. Cubs Top Prospects | MLB.com Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . He also quietly held his own in right field (3 DRS, 2.0 UZR/150) after posting negative defensive metrics in left field previously, and his 7.1 WAR led all outfielders and ranked fifth among all players in 2021. The so-called five-tool player is a special breed, as those who truly rate above average in each category are extremely rare. February 13, 2023. 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. ESPN's Paul Hembekides sent this along: "I think his issues in 2020 stem from a lack of confidence -- he just stopped swinging. Milwaukee Brewers Top 30 prospects list 2023 preseason - mlb.com There are many questions surrounding Barry Bonds' arms, but none of them are about his ability to throw a baseball. You can make a case for a number of players to go first overall in 2021 drafts, but were giving Acua a slight edge over Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Heres the 23-year-olds per-162-game averages over the past two seasons: 45 homers, 37 steals, 105 RBIs and 139 runs with a .274/.374/.531 slash line. Mookie Betts, Dodgers. Previous picks: DJ LeMahieu (hit), Aaron Judge (power), Ronald Acua Jr. (run), Matt Chapman (defense). Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. While the debate has raged on for years regarding if Jackson actually participated in fixing the World Series, there is little debate that he is one of the greatest players of all-time. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. 1 guy is pretty obvious, through the compilation of thought from folks around the industry. 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. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. Trout is about halfway through his career, maybe even further along than that. How to Build Up an Outfielder's Arm Strength - Chron This is a pretty straight forward category. 2021 Consensus Top-80 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. His middling defense (-6 DRS, -4.8 UZR/150) and the time he missed kept him from ranking any higher. The precision is there (nine errors across nearly 1,140 innings last year), and so is the power and reaction time. he Boston Red Sox outfield exceeded expectations in 2021. No other infielder came close to matching his average arm strength on Statcast-measured throws. With three more home runs from Albies, the 2021 Braves will become only the second team in MLB history to have all four primary infielders tally 25 home runs, per ESPN Stats & Information's Jared Berson, joining the 2008 Florida Marlins. Statcast Year to Year Stats | baseballsavant.com Best outfield in each MLB division in 2020 Bez was responsible for five of the 31 tracked assists of at least 90 mph by infielders last season, the second most in MLB, and his average arm strength on max-effort throws (88.3 mph) was the third best among infielders. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that my fantasy baseball outfield rankings for 2021 will not be 100 percent right. Even with all of those free passes and teams pitching around him, he still managed 20 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. Guerrero has the second best arm of any player in baseball today. Here are the players who just missed the cut, listed alphabetically: 25. Ramirez has never won a Gold Glove and he is thought of more for his offensive prowess than his defensive abilities. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didnt result in an assist. 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. There has been industry speculation that he was still dealing with the aftereffect of the fractured right kneecap he suffered at the end of the 2019 season. He entered spring training far from assured of a spot on the Baltimore Orioles' Opening Day roster, but he won the starting center field job and went on to have the biggest breakout season of 2021. Before he retired in the middle the 2010 season, Junior was the active leader in outfield assists with 154. 6. Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays. The Tampa Bay Rays began the offseason by declining their $4.5 million club option on catcher Mike Zunino, who logged a 50 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR in 118 games with the team in 2019 and 2020.