Oneil Cruz (Pirates): 97.9 mph 2. Gorbous is the answer to the trivia question: "Who has the longest throw in baseball history"? 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. It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. Speaker also holds the unique record for most unassisted double plays by an outfielder with six. After a slow start, reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman is once posting elite numbers. This year, he barely edges out Pittsburgh's Neil Walker, who checks in at minus-12-2, for the . Sits in the Top Ten of draft. As a matter of fact, the consensus top two outfielders Mike Trout and Mookie Betts also are considered the two best overall players in MLB. The well-rounded Betts is our second-ranked outfielder and No. The 27-year-old already has career-highs in OPS+ (109), hits (126), doubles (29), home runs (25) and RBI (75). Sun's out, guns out. Let's marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. Standings. Realmuto paced all full-time catchers (min. At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. 22). Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract, Previewing the 2023 college baseball season: Teams and players to watch, key storylines, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live', Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021, Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021, Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best teams, Free agency, trade talk, offseason news , Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty". Ichiro has won a Gold Glove all 10 years that he has been in the major leagues. 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. 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) 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. 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At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). The identity of the No. Base runners in the National League feared the arm of Roberto Clemente. The quick reaction and retreat and leap before taking extra bases away from Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the World Series. Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series:Catchers,First Basemen,Second Basemen, Third Basemen,Shortstops. In the short 2020 season, he had more walks (49) than strikeouts (43). He failed to maintain a red-hot start in his first season with the team, but he put together the best year of his career in 2021, hitting .309/.362/.576 for a 136 OPS+ with 38 doubles, 34 home runs and 100 RBI for a career-high 3.2 WAR. Walker was known for his abilities at the plate, but he also had a gun for an arm. With George Springer, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert all missing considerable time and Cody Bellinger struggling through a down year, the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers narrowly missed the cut for the title of MLB's best outfield unit in 2021. Kolten Wong -- Best Defensive Second Baseman (NL) Francisco Lindor -- Best Defensive Shortstop (AL/NL) Bob Melvin -- Best Manager (AL) Below are the 2021 winners, followed by voting results. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 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). Furillo also has the distinction of having needed just one more hit in his career to have a .300 average, while he instead finished at .299. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". 3. 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. However, he was also a 4.2 WAR player at the time of the trade. Mantle's pure strength can be seen was demonstrated by the fact that he hit some of the longest home runs in baseball history. 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. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Best Outfield Arm. It's partially controllable. But that seemed to be more about a rookie being overly aggressive than anything else. You can't go wrong taking him in the top five, either. There was a lot of debate during the truncated season why Yelich struggled so much -- and there's no disputing that his troubles were acute, something more than a slump. 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. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. Scott Pianowski continues his tiered positional rankings by examining the outfield landscape for 2023 fantasy baseball drafts. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. Despite only having played 15 seasons, Abreu is second on the active list for outfield assists with 132. Stars and depth help the Dodgers dominate both NL competition and Best Tools voting. 3 overall player, followed by Trout, who continues to deliver at the plate year after year and remains among fantasys top five players despite his decline on the bases (one steal in 2020). 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. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. Over the past two seasons, he has a .393 on-base percentage, and an OPS+ of 140. He also once again took home Gold Glove honors in a 6.3 WAR season. They've helped to bridge the gap with veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria both missing significant time because of injuries. "There's a nuance to disciplined hitting that needs to become a habit. Rodriguez was a top 10 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 international prospects list for 2019-20 when the signing period opened up in July of 2019. . Meusel is another player on this list gaining recognition from Bill James as having the strongest outfield arm in the majors during his playing years (1920s). MLB Power Rankings: The 25 Best Outfield Arms in MLB History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report MLB Final NYY 7 LAA 4 Soccer Today 6:30PM ARS AVFC Today. Trout is about halfway through his career, maybe even further along than that. Statcast Statistics Player Batting 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | All 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. 14. Dawson racked up 157 outfield assists in his 21 major league seasons. February 24, 2023. He was forced to retire at age 30 as the result of a broken jaw which forced him to play with a facemask for a few years. Steven Duggar-OF-San Francisco Giants-Bats Left-Age 27 It might be tough to pry Duggar from the winning Giants, but he is a very good defensive center fielder with speed. Mays' throwing arm deserves more recognition as he was he had the second strongest arm of any outfielder in the 1960s. In order to qualify for the leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team games / 5. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. Trent Grisham, San Diego Padres 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. . September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. Past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order. But his range of skills at this stage of his baseball life is so extraordinary -- the defense, the baserunning -- that Bellinger is still a great player even when he's not swinging great. 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. Steven Hajjar- Michigan prospect sophomore that fanned 24 of 87 batters faced and 3-0 record in four game. He compiled 157 outfield assists in his 20 major league seasons. ESPN's Paul Hembekides sent this along: "I think his issues in 2020 stem from a lack of confidence -- he just stopped swinging. That success has come despite myriad injuries and significant roster turnover. He has taken to the outfield and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. One important stipulation: Each player could only be selected for one of the five tools. His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. but if he regresses to 2017 or 2021 levels no one should complain. 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. He had just 18 swings and misses at in-zone pitches in the entire regular season. 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. More MLB videos How Does Carlos Correa Fit on the Giants? He went three rounds without hitting a home run, and had one extra-base hit in the seven-game National League Championship Series against the Braves. The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. He struggled in 2020, with his slugging percentage (.312) matching his on-base percentage. Juan Soto hit .348/.525/.639 after the All-Star break. Aaron Judge, Yankees Davis looking to get back on track this spring. But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. Or his 92 mph rocket from right to nail Stephen Strasburg at first base and preserve a Hyun-Jin Ryu no-hit bid on May 12. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. Carlos Correa (Twins): 95.0 mph 5. The aisle of youth had two of the best young arms in Cuba but Raisel Iglesias and Yoan Lopez now represent two of the best Cuban arms in the Majors. You need to do it all to be an MVP these days. Tatis, of course, was a sensation in just about every way as a rookie in 2019, and his throwing ability was no exception. 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. The 29-year-old proved that performance was sustainable over a full season this year, logging a 133 OPS+ while hitting .296/.346/.524 with 29 doubles, 32 home runs and 116 RBI. Mookie Betts, Dodgers. The man known as El Mago (The Magician) is blessed with many gifts and would have been a fine pick for the fielding tool, but lets focus on his rocket for a right arm. Mar 22, 2021. Santander is locked into an everyday role with the Orioles, and he has produced 31 homers with 91 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 130 games over the past two years. 2. 1. In his first 303 games in the big leagues, he has a .380 OBP and an .859 OPS. Furillo once threw pitcher Mel Queen out by two feet on a ball that was hit to right field and that everyone believed to be a single. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? The question that resonated at the end of October is about the best position player on the planet -- Betts, or Mike Trout? 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. 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. In total, he made 10 throws of 95-plus mph last season and had three throws of 300 feet or more. 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. Minimum 800 innings 6. 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. Tabbed as the 58th-best outfield prospect nationally (D1Baseball). Ha-Seong Kim (Padres): 95.2 mph 4. 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. In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. 6 spot. The 24-year-old has a 131 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs and 76 RBI, and he has also made significant strides defensively at the hot corner. Despite playing only eight seasons, Jackson managed to rack up 49 assists. 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. 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. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining . Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . His contract and track record mean more is expected of him, but he was still a top-15 outfielder. His .366 career average is a major league record. Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense). His contact rate was easily the worst of his career, and his swing rate was way down. 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. Among players with at least 200 plate appearances last season, the 23-year-old had the fourth-highest chase rate, the third-highest whiff rate and the sixth-highest strikeout rate, making him a high-risk, high-reward pick in the early rounds. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. 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. He hit .264/.367/.487 with 29 doubles, 23 home runs and 10 steals, which, coupled with his usual standout defense in right field, was enough for him to finish fourth in WAR on a stacked Dodgers roster. After playing in just over 63 percent of the New York Yankees' games during the three-year stretch prior to this season, Aaron Judge finally stayed healthy and turned in an MVP-caliber campaign. News. We're going to try something a little different. Bonds had a strong throwing arm even before he began to bulk up. A catch made high against the right field wall to take extra bases away from Ozuna. In five-and-two-thirds career innings, Colavito only gave up one hit. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. The 24-year-old hit .251 with 10 homers, 10 steals and 42 runs in 59 games for the Padres last year. Something that jumped out to Giants staffers last year was Yastrzemski's fearlessness in two-strike counts: After the count reached no balls and two strikes, he hit .222; after the count was 1-2, his OPS was 1.033. Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . Baseball Savant. That notably excluded Mike Trout (146 PA). It must be noted here that Tatis did have an issue with throwing miscues that drove down his overall defensive value. His career OPS is 1.000, exactly. Despite his 2020 postseason heroics, Arozarena entered the 2021 season with rookie eligibility, and he wound up leading all rookies with 4.1 WAR. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Mantle earned one Gold Glove in his career and threw out 117 base runners from the outfield. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. 10. The late-bloomer is controllable for two more seasons, and the Blue Jays could explore a long-term extension to make sure he sticks around as part of the offensive core that also includes Guerrero, Bo Bichette and George Springer. With big-name, big-money free agents, there is usually a question of how the player will respond in big games, big moments. those in the top 10 percent of a players sample. Pete Crow-Armstrong named among top OF prospects in MLB 38M ago / by James Neveau Cubs hicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been turning heads with his skills both at the plate and on defense, and a new ranking lands him among the best outfield prospects in the game. Despite his great arm, Gorbous only managed to play three seasons in the major leagues. Kelenic had a rough rookie year for. Colavito is another player on this list who has a legendary arm. Red Sox. He also has a career-high 16 steals in 18 attempts and provides Gold Glove-caliber defense. Listen. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Hernandez was signed as a super-utility . There's still a chance we'll see him in the Majors before the end of April, however, so he's someone to keep in mind in the latter half of fantasy drafts. (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.)". Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. 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. Which outfielder has the strongest arm 2021? The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. Gallo, Soler, Lewis, Yastrzemski, Happ, Rosario and Mountcastle can provide it. 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 MLB Tonight panel breaks down the components of a good outfield arm. The Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. But the Rays also added some competition for the starting role in former top prospect Francisco Mejia, whom they acquiredin the Blake Snell blockbuster. He racked up 4.7 WAR despite missing 35 games early in the season with a fractured rib. No position in fantasy baseball is deeper than the outfield. The former Red Sox great and six-time Gold Glove winner is known for his arm. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. The Giants acquired him at the trade deadline, and he is poised to cash in as a free agent this offseason. From Jimenez's first season to his second, his wRC+ jumped from 116 to 141. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. The two-year, $14 million contract Hernandez signed with Boston ended up being one of the best bargains of the 2020-21 free-agent market. A 2021 20th-round pick . 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. ESPN's Buster Olney leads the discussion of the latest news and notes around baseball with the game's top analysts. His 5.7 WAR was second on the AL West champions roster, behind only Carlos Correa. Youth. He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. The fourth tier features OF3 candidates of every type. Reels. Quinn said, "Meusel's arm was the best I ever saw. Joey Votto travels with Ted Williams' book "The Science of Hitting" and has built a Hall of Fame rsum based on a lot of the principles that Williams espoused -- like not doing the pitcher a favor by chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays. That's primal, natural. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2021 Topps Series One Baseball MONTE HARRISON Rookie Base #126 Miami Marlins RC at the best online prices at eBay! What is particularly impressive about Mantiply, though, is that literally every single . He also had one of the strongest arms that baseball has ever seen. Clemente is tied with Willie Mays for the the most Gold Gloves for an outfielder with 12. Hernndez (.919 OPS) and Gurriel (.882 OPS) are looking to validate their breakouts, and Conforto is, too, to an extent. Cobb is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players in the history of the game. In a Houston Astros lineup loaded with star power, Kyle Tucker was arguably the team's most productive hitter in 2021. Simply speaking, Mantiply has become the epitome of control. Lagares easily has the most rARM per 1,000 innings over the last three seasons. fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft in right-handed . Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield". Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. He could seemingly throw out any runner trying to pick up an extra base. My guess, after talking with folks who know him: Yelich was among the players affected by how dramatically the COVID-19 protocol changed processes. The 27-year-old also has a perfect 99 reaction time rating, 86 arm strength, and 81 arm accuracy.