xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. (Catcher throwing arm data has been available for some time and may be found here.). The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Raul Mondesi did just that, compiling 112 assists over his 13-year playing career, including 53 between 1994 and 1997 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. Jesse Barfield could always throw, and anyone who challenged his arm generally found themselves on the losing end of the battle. Still, his elite on-base skills continue to increase his value in fantasy leagues, especially considering that he bats leadoff in one of the most explosive lineups in baseball. There may be many ways to arrive at a logical ranking of outfield throwing arms, but assists minus double plays is telling. Varsho split his time between right field (541.2 innings), center field (378.2 innings) and catcher (175.0 innings) as one of the more unique utility players in the sport. However, the 25-year-old smashed 30 HR with 107 RBI, 71 runs, and 25 stolen bases in 2022 en route to another World Series win for the Astros. Pittsburgh has a good long history of trading great players once they reach arbitration, so chances are that he will don a different uniform come Opening Day. Vaughn has underestimated power and maintains a good batting average. 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. As an outfielder, Sheffield racked up 108 assists for his career, including a career high 17 in 2001 when he patrolled left field for the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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. Kyle Schwarber strikes out at such a large clip (29.9 K%) that it is easy to miss his dominance in other fantasy categories. velocity and launch angle. Whether or not you draft Luis Robert depends entirely on how risk-averse you are to injuries. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage in 93 games with the Royals before he was traded to the Yankees at the deadline, and while he battled injury down the stretch, his combination of contact ability and defense still made him a 3.2-WAR player in 2022. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. He still has a microscopic walk rate, but he also took four points off his K%. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Five years later, Acua is a three-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year Award winner, and a World Series winner. 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. Current: . His OBP was the second-lowest of his career at .323, but his xwOBA was .375, so hopefully, some improvement is in the cards for 2023. In traditional 5x5 leagues, he can anchor any fantasy outfield you put him in. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. Clemente has more outfield assists than anyone who played after 1930 (I believe this was the year where they made the rule that you were allowed to run instead of speed-walk on the basepaths). (For this, well just look at throws on fielded balls, not outfield relays or double play pivots.). 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. Fantasy managers are scared because of injury risk or age, but Stanton is going to mash. and 32 degrees. His throwing abilities were recognized by Bill James, as Guerrero was noted to have the best arm of the 1990s. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Nicknamed the "Reading Rifle," Furillo led all outfielders in assists in 1951 with 24, and he has 151 for his career. Baseball may never see another player as smooth at the "catch-and-throw" than Al Kaline. 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. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. . 15. 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. He is a top OBP guy and his ratios have one of the highest floors in baseball. It's possible they leave him in the 2-slot, especially until Bryce Harper returns, in which case he will continue to score runs and increase his RBI total. As for Vlad, well he only had 13,000 innings. The reason he may fall out of the 1.1 slot on draft day is simply fantasy managers anticipating the regression that is likely to come. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. Heres all of 2022s Braves. Byron Buxton staying healthy is the carrot dangling in front of fantasy managers every offseason. Current: Rankings Top 15 MLB Corner Outfielders for 2023. Kwan is in the 100th percentile of K% after striking out only 60 times in 638 plate appearances. Bob Quinn, former president of the Boston Braves and Boston Red Sox, had this to say when asked about Bob Meusel: "Meusel's arm was the best I ever saw. It is difficult to project significant development in outfielders' arm strength, but with a player with Buxton's athleticism, anything is possible. On Sept. 27, 1988, in front of less than 9,000 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Pirates had a 3-2 lead over the Cardinals heading into the ninth inning. The best hitter on the Pittsburgh roster by a landslide in 2022, Reynolds led the team in OPS+ (126), hits (142), extra-base hits (50), home runs (27), RBI (62), runs scored (74) and total bases (250). All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Baseball Savant. Traded outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins for pitchers Steven Cruz and Evan Zisk. 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. He struggled with the Padres, slashing .236/.388/.390 with only six homers and 16 RBI in 52 games, but he also took a trip to the NLCS. Pete Rose once attempted to put Valentine's arm in perspective: "They say that I can't throw like Ellis Valentine or run like Tim Raines or hit with power like Mike Schmidt. as Active Spin. 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. The strength of the club lies in its outfield with seniors Ethan Beal and Benjamin Jurenko back. A promising career cut short by injury and addiction, Ellis Valentine possessed one of the great throwing arms in baseball history. Seven of the first 15 players in MLB.com's player rankings are outfielders, including four of the top five. More often than not, your eyes will not be deceived by what is displayed on a throw. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. 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. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). The 29-year-old hit .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBI and 102 runs scored as the table-setter atop the Mets' lineup, and he once again played a roughly league-average center field. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as USA TODAY Sports photo. Corey Julks. His throwing arm, whether in use from a dead stop, a running start or from his knees, was a powerful weapon that kept baserunners honest. For example, if you're an outfielder and they want you to improve your arm strength for a training period goal, you can pour spare points into arm strength even after meeting your goal;. Remembered more for his involvement in the Black Sox Scandal and alleged throwing of the 1919 World Series, Jackson routinely picked off baserunners from the outfield, racking up 183 career assists, including 90 in a three-year span from 1911 through 1913. 22). That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. A shotgun concealed as his right arm, Parker fired baseballs at a ridiculous velocity, resulting in his leading the league with 26 assists in 1977 and finishing his career with 143 assists. All rights reserved. 5) Wait, is Mike Trout actually improving at yet another thing? One of the great centerfielders of all-time, Duke Snider would land higher on this list if not for suffering an injury to his arm that robbed him of much of the power behind his throws. But it is best to exercise some caution and ensure you have outfield depth if you plan to roster him. Meet Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom the Mets selected with their first pick. How quickly a player can get the ball from glove to hand and on its way can sometimes make up for a deficiency in arm strength. However, his 30+ HR, 100+ runs, and solid advanced metrics will contribute across the board, and he is worthy of a late first-round pick. Taylor Ward's breakout in his fifth MLB season was interrupted by a nagging hamstring injury that cut into his ability to be a consistent fantasy asset. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff A lot of 2023 draft boards will have Aaron Judge at the top of them, and there is no doubt he belongs there after his record-setting 2022. He is not projected to be quite as much of a disaster in 2023 - his HR total should creep back above 20 instead of 13 - but a 20/70/70/5 guy with a .260 batting average and low OBP isn't someone you have to reach for in a draft. Other bad news includes a Statcast page that is almost entirely blue, meaning he was ineffective in almost every meaningful statistical category during his first season in Philadelphia. His 195 career assists leave him tied with another member of our list who you may have heard of, Willie Mays. He's barely a half-season into his career. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from His sophomore campaign should be a boon to fantasy teams, and he will come at a discount. Yankees fans like Frank Costanza had reason to be irate that the Bronx Bombers traded Jay Buhner to the Seattle Mariners for Ken Phelps back in 1988. Reports also surfaced that he had turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington, and soon, the HR Derby winner headed to San Diego with expectations as big as the contract he turned down. 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. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. Back in 2017, a then-19-year-old Ronald Acua Jr. appeared in Miami at the Futures Game. Being a former pitcher who routinely hit the upper 90's will certainly leave you with a powerful throwing arm, but some of the throws that Rick Ankiel has made from the outfield have been ridiculous. 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. He may suffer some of the typical rookie issues, but all signs point to a quick adjustment and solid fantasy production. Every one, that is, except Story. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. As Reynolds was rounding third, Jackson unleashed a throw that not only reached Royals catcher Bob Boone on the fly, but in plenty of time to stop Reynolds from scoring the winning run. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to While "The Catch" is unquestionably one of the great plays in the history of the game, the part of the play that is often overlooked is the throw that Willie Mays made immediately following it. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. and bam, you're dead.". Ranking third here is not a knock, just shows the depth at third base. 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. 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. In early September, he tried to throw out Jose Altuve, who was tagging up on a sacrifice fly. 6 yr. ago. However, his .336 BABIP is unsustainable and will take a bite out of his batting average when it corrects. (Previous individual throws are still valid -- Aaron Hicks touching 105.5 mph back in 2016 is still the hardest throw on record -- but season averages are not available for those years just because fewer throws were tracked. Not only is his arm incredibly strong, it's also accurate. He doesn't make a lot of loud contact at the plate . 6) Do first basemen really ever have to throw hard? Heading into the season, Juan Soto is the leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, which feels ridiculous to say about a guy who still ended with a WAR of 5.2. With the addition of Xander Bogaerts, the return of Fernando Tatis, Jr., and the presence of Manny Machado, this is a real-life team you want multiple pieces of in fantasy. Therein lies the problem, of course. 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. In eight years of Statcast tracking, only two first baseman throws have come in above 91 mph, and each of them -- both from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., one shown below -- were on relays. 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. Lin features another true 70-grade arm that plays at that level in games and fits well in right field. Andre Dawson epitomized the tern "five tool player" for more than a decade before 12 knee surgeries and age began to take their toll. 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. On Aug. 21, Giants veteran Evan Longoria had to do the exact same thing, to make a throw of 100 feet from third to first. Just beware you'll probably get closer to 500 plate appearances than the preferred 600 with his injury history. Only a starter in four of the 11 seasons he played, Whiten ended his career with 77 assists, an impressive number when you figure that he was often a pinch-hitter or late-inning replacement. velocity and launch angle. For example, lets take two somewhat similar plays. 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. ), But the counterbalance to that is looking at a handful of infielders who have played on both sides of the bag just this season. Not only was it probably the better part of 300 feet, it was dead on line and in the air the whole way.". He finished his career with 89 assists in 877 games played, which means that, on average, Snyder threw out a runner every 10 games. Take Tommy Edman, who has moved back and forth between both spots. His 10 hardest non-relay/pivot throws on the right side of the infield average 75.7 mph, maxing out at 78.2 mph. It can be used to evaluate outfielders on attempted assists, catchers on stolen base and pickoff throws, and infielders on throws across the diamond. And a tenth of a second really doesn't sound like very much. Jesse Barfield was considered to have the best outfield arm in the '80s and he wasn't shy about reminding his opponents. 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. one base to another, like Home To First. It was his hardest throw in nearly three calendar years. Bo Bichette, Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor, Corey . How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a However, he can be a mid-round source of stolen bases either way. Warm-up throws at 20-45feet Throws at 45 feet Warm-down throws 1 set only / Rest the next day. The stolen bases are most likely gone forever, but he could pair nicely with a speed guy from Round 1. With a seasoned Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in front of him, Santander will fill your power categories in the tenth round or so. In 2021, still at shortstop, that was down to 79.1 mph, largely believed to be related to a midseason elbow injury. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man.". Let's dive into the top 25 outfielders of the 2022 season. Baltimore Orioles. Hes also, so far as Statcast is concerned, the owner of the strongest throwing arm in baseball this season -- or at least thats what being atop the newly released arm strength leaderboards for position players, available publicly for the first time, would imply. Really, unless you are playing in a stolen base premium league, Alvarez offers little downside heading into 2023. From 1998 through 2002, Bobby Abreu racked up 59 assists patrolling right field for the Philadelphia Phillies. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight It only continues to get better, as about half of these prospects below have a good shot to earn consistent playing time this upcoming season. He'll lope after a ball to see if he can get you to run, picks it up . Arm: RH. Players in the National League knew that Clemente could throw anyone out from anywhere in the ballpark, yet 266 of them feebly tried to advance on his powerful right arm, also known as "El Howitzer.". That doesn't happen without Furillo's play. Signed pitcher Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $3.75 million contract. Top Major-League Arm: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) All-Time Tool: Jesse Barfield Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. There is hope that the White Sox have realized that Eloy Jimenez is a designated hitter and will deploy him as such in an effort to keep the 26-year-old healthy. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult. He finished his career with 109 assists, 61 of which came in a four-year period for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1984 through 1987. However, he took it to another level Friday night when he unleashed a pair of critical outfield assists. Steamer projections have him at 43/109/104 for the upcoming season, and his ratios should see a small decline as well. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. Meusel finished his career with 157 assists, including a three-year period from 1921 through 1923 where he racked up 69. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the The 29-year-old posted a 113 OPS+ with 66 extra-base hits, 101 RBI and 25 steals, while making modest improvements to his walk rate (5.1 to 6.1 percent) and strikeout rate (31.2 to 27.9 percent) in a 3.5-WAR campaign. An All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time, Happ hit .271/.342/.440 for a 119 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored and 4.4 WAR in 158 games. That holds true when you realize hes still played some left side in the shift, and his hardest throw from there was this 75.1 mph throw in April. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. Had he only been able to stay healthy, we could be talking about the greatest player in the history of the gamebefore he got injured, there was no better player in the game. MLB.com lists Ramon Laureano (average 94.8, top 100.1) and Cody Bellinger (101.1 top) as two outfielders with some of the best arms in the league. Along with his stellar offensive numbers, Tucker also won his first career Gold Glove while posting stellar defensive metrics (13 DRS, 4.6 UZR/150) in right field. Hes also No. Three times he registered 20 or more assists in a season. Heres what his 43rd-hardest throw looks like. Heres third basemen for 2021. A good example of this is Cubs rookie Christopher Morel, who has a 96.5 mph competitive average as an outfielder -- maxing out at 102.3 mph -- and a 90.4 mph competitive average as a second baseman, maxing out at 90.9 mph. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to His homers fell from 31 to 27 as a result, but he increased his runs and RBI by 11 each, and he stole 25 bases to boot. His arm was so impressive that Expos manager Dick Williams is said to have compared it to Roberto Clemente's, a bold statement to say the least. Etc., etc., etc. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 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. 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. 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. This Eaton is a speedy infielder who seems more useful in the outfield, where he can leverage his range and strong arm into GIF-worthy plays. Steven Kwan put together a 5.5-WAR debut season with an old school game built on contact ability, speed and defense. If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. Glen Gorbous might actually have the greatest throwing arm in the history of the world, but because his incredible feats were primarily accomplished outside of game action, he finds himself closer to the bottom of the list. But in 1957, while playing for the Omaha Redbirds of the American Association, Gorbous made two ridiculous throws. Based on three separate categories (Release, Strength and Accuracy) here are the owners of the top outfield in 2005 according to the fans: Top-Ranked Outfield Arms, Fans' Scouting Report 1. A full season alongside Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the San Diego Padres lineup would provide him with the best protection he's had at any point in his career, and with free agency fast approaching after the 2024 season he's playing for a huge payday. He played in 142 games in 2022, batting first in the lineup in all of them. Longoria, who at nearly 37 years old has the weakest qualified third base arm (75 mph), got his off at 76.6 mph and it took his throw 0.97 of a second to get to first. You can see video of the play here (the actual play starts around the 40 second mark). Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an raw numbers and as a measurement against average. 12 finisher hit .297. So, here are the leaders in ARM over the past three years: Alfonso Soriano - +25.6 runs Jeff Francoeur - +23.4 runs Ichiro Suzuki - +12.5 runs Nick Markakis - +10.8 runs Michael Cuddyer - +10.4. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a After all the hype over Cruzs 97.8 mph dart in July that stands as the fastest throw on an infield assist Statcast has tracked, hed better be atop a list like this, and he is, by a pretty large 4 mph gap over Cincinnati's Jos Barrero. Seven times in his 23-year-career Yaz won a Gold Glove, and seven times he led outfielders in assists, including a career-high 19 in 1964. The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield. Youd be surprised at how complicated it gets. OF-95 mph. Pirates starting pitcher Mel Queen hit a fly ball into the gap between right and center. One answer to that is in the context of his new position; 76 mph is one of the weakest marks of any regular second baseman. 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. A lot of things went wrong for Giancarlo Stanton in 2022. Outfielder Jump. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Unless you're in a quirky league where defense counts, Melendez fills a scarce position with decent skills. MLB average for right fielders is about 49 percent. (He has 14 harder throws from the right side, though obviously in far more opportunities. From his Rookie of the Year season in 1977 through 1983, Dawson averaged nearly 10 assists a season, racking up 69 over those seven years, including a career high 17 in 1978. Would anyone be surprised to see him reclaim the No. 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 . In traditional 5x5 leagues, Garcia can provide value from the fifth round on. His K% (25.9) and BB% (7.1) need improvement, but at age 22, he has plenty of time to work on these numbers. thrown with. Jump is calculated only on plays that are Two Stars or harder, meaning Statcast Statistics Player Batting 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | All Paul Goldschmidt, for example, is an MVP candidate this year, and a borderline Hall of Famer. From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. 23. He leads all active outfielders in career assists with 134. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a 2022 Stats: 117 G, .261 BA/.374 OBP/.394 SLG, 19 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 8 SB. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". Theres a lot of lobs and non-competitive throws. The 27-year-old struck out 156 times in 586 at-bats while drawing only 46 free passes; if you believe it, these were improved numbers from 2021. No one, I mean no one, runs on him.". High effort on throws, accurate. He hits the ball with great power, ranking in the 92nd percentile in maxEV. pitch. His slash line was impressive at .284/.345/.509 with a wOBA of .366. Yet every year on draft day, there he sits in the ninth or tenth round, and every year we all imagine what an absolute steal that would be if he were to play 140+ games.