MLB Best Tools 2021: Managers, Scouts & Executives Vote On Baseball's But that represents the bulk of the 26-year-olds big league experience. He's a career .225/.337/.409 hitter in the minors, and his strikeout rate has risen at every level, topping out at 27% in Triple-A last year and 28.2% in his 238-plate appearance MLB debut . MLB Tonight: Outfield Arm | 09/10/2021 | MLB.com Two seasons into his 13-year deal with the Phillies, his production has been excellent -- a .385 on-base percentage, an OPS+ of 134, 139 runs in 215 games. 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). In total, he made 10 throws of 95-plus mph last season and had three throws of 300 feet or more. This is the 14th highest total of all-time. 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. Braves manager Brian Snitker mentioned during the playoffs that he liked to hear Ozuna predicting to teammates in the dugout the pitch sequencing he was about to see -- and a lot of the time, Snitker said, Ozuna would be exactly right. 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. Most everyone reading this article is probably asking themselves who Glenn Gorbous is. Sox On 35th's 2023 Pre-Season Top 30 White Sox Prospects: #1-15 How could a man who nicknamed his right arm "El Canon" not make this list? In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. The tattoo was earned, as Mondesi had one of the strongest arms in baseball in the 1990s. Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. Jesse Barfield had an incredibly strong and an incredibly accurate throwing arm. Along with a .199 average and 213 strikeouts, he led the AL with 111 walks and had a solid .351 on-base percentage. The Giants acquired him at the trade deadline, and he is poised to cash in as a free agent this offseason. Still two years away from arbitration, he will be a cornerstone player for the cost-conscious Rays. 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. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . Cobb had 271 errors as an outfielder in his career. 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. Having to play the field regularly could hinder his production, but the fact that he led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs while hitting .338/.431/.636 last season cant be ignored. 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. He scored 15 runs in 18 postseason games, reminded everyone that he's the best baserunner in the game -- and then there was his defense, with layer upon layer of highlights. 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. He made more consistent contact while maintaining his usual elite average exit velocity and hard-hit rate metrics. How to Build Up an Outfielder's Arm Strength - Chron Free shipping for many products! All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball, Alonso says Aston 'living a dream,' eyes podium. Davis looking to get back on track this spring. Which Outfield Position Has The Best Arm? - On Secret Hunt He might just be entering his throwing prime, making this the perfect time to claim his golden arm for my superplayer. The corner outfield duo of Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker both rank among the MLB leaders in a number of offensive categories: Joining them isTyler Naquin, who earned a spot on the MLB roster on a minor league contract and is earning $1.5 million on a one-year deal. Share. But that seemed to be more about a rookie being overly aggressive than anything else. In Trout's only three games in the postseason, as the Angels were swept by the Royals in a 2014 division series, he went 1-for-12 with a solo home run and three walks. However, Mays is more well-known for "The Catch" than for his arm. The writers involved are Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Dunbar, Ryan Kirksey, Nic Civale, Logan Kritzeck, and Matt Heckman. Red Sox. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ranking the best outfield arms in the majors right now That success has come despite myriad injuries and significant roster turnover. 2021 Consensus Top-80 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings 2023 MLB Top 30 Prospects; Rankings; Players; Draft; Store; . 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. Top Tools: Best Outfield Defense/Outfield Arm - Baseball Tabbed as the 58th-best outfield prospect nationally (D1Baseball). The MLB Tonight panel breaks . Even at age 36, Ichiro was consistently able to throw out runners trying to take an extra base. While Bo Jackson's greatest accomplishment might be the fact that he is the greatest video game character ever, it is not the only thing that Bo is known for. Slowed by a variety of injuries in 2020, Bryant returned healthy and productive this year. Mervis' busy spring preparing him for Majors. RP - Joe Mantiply, ARI (2.5 BB%) Devin Wiles. 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. That seems almost impossible. 25 attempts). Judges 12.5 AB/HR rate ranks fourth among players with 50-plus homers since the beginning of 2017. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. The 29-year-old hit .309/.429/.615 to lead the majors in OPS+ (179). MLB fans were up in arms on Friday afternoon because of an absurd shift used during a Spring Training game. Even in his time in the minors, his swing-and-miss rate jumped up a few percentage points. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants. 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. Along with the 89 games he played in the outfield, he also spent time at second base (46), shortstop (23) and third base (11). 4. Similarly, Grisham has played fewer than 120 games in the Majors. Harper wraps up the first tier. 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. What is particularly impressive about Mantiply, though, is that literally every single . Mar 22, 2021. 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. Tier 4: Jeff McNeil, Byron Buxton, Wil Myers, Alex Verdugo, Joey Gallo, Jorge Soler, Tommy Pham, Kyle Lewis, Ramn Laureano, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Brantley, Ian Happ, Dylan Moore, Eddie Rosario, Ryan Mountcastle, Dylan Carlson. The Gators routinely welcome recruiting classes that rank among the top in the country, and the class of 2023 will be no exception. 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. "There's a nuance to disciplined hitting that needs to become a habit. The eight-time Gold Glove winner is one of the best defensive center fielders in major league history. He also has a career-high 16 steals in 18 attempts and provides Gold Glove-caliber defense. And I'm talking about strong arms, not merely accurate ones. News. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. Twins Top Prospect Vote 2023: Round 3 - Twinkie Town Best outfield in each MLB division in 2020 Walker won seven Gold Gloves and ended his career with 154 outfield assists. best outfield arms in mlb 2021 - Katrin Fridriks In a Houston Astros lineup loaded with star power, Kyle Tucker was arguably the team's most productive hitter in 2021. Nothing less should be expected from a man who was nicknamed "Muscles". As a rookie, he hit .314/.377/.503 with 37 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and rack up 4.2 WAR. An intercostal strain limited Winker to only one game after Aug. 15. 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. He batted just .169 against right-handed pitchers, with a .345 slugging percentage. He hit .310/.383/.458 with 42 extra-base hits and 47 steals in 52 attempts to lead the majors. For your basic .520/.647/1.160 slash line. His contract and track record mean more is expected of him, but he was still a top-15 outfielder. 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. Tier 5: Anthony Santander, Victor Robles, Clint Frazier, Max Kepler, Kyle Schwarber, Jesse Winker, Trey Mancini, Andrew McCutchen, Jarred Kelenic, AJ Pollock, Andrew Benintendi, Mark Canha, Chris Taylor, Nick Solak, Mitch Haniger, Aaron Hicks, Brandon Nimmo, Lorenzo Cain, Joc Pederson, Garrett Hampson. His .366 career average is a major league record. Soto has created a mountain of crazy numbers already, but here's one of my favorites: When he led off an inning in 2020 -- when pitchers might've been most likely to challenge him -- Soto went 13-for-25, with four doubles, four homers, eight walks, one hit by pitch and one strikeout. The 31-year-old is hitting .337/.413/.543 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI in 74 games since the beginning of June, and his 3.5 WAR on the year ranks fifth among all first basemen. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. Great teams are composed of . He has taken to the outfield and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. He also improved dramatically on defense, recording +2 Outs Above Average after finishing at -13 in just 53 games in the field in 2019, so his glove is no longer a reason to keep him out of the lineup. The longtime utility man split his time between center field (93 games) and second base (47 games), and he posted a 107 OPS+ with 58 extra-base hits in a career-high 585 plate appearances. Even with all of those free passes and teams pitching around him, he still managed 20 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? Quinn said, "Meusel's arm was the best I ever saw. "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. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. Ichiro has won a Gold Glove all 10 years that he has been in the major leagues. Buck Showalter, Mets. 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. Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series:Catchers,First Basemen,Second Basemen, Third Basemen,Shortstops. Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. Unfortunately for Valentine, he was only able to play 10 seasons in the majors. Vote for who you think are the best MLB outfielders currently playing in the league today . Pete Crow-Armstrong 'best defender' among outfield prospects - NBC Astros Top Five Outfield Prospects For 2022 - The Crawfish Boxes He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. He's clearly taken pride in his plate discipline from an early age and been rewarded with performance and -- I would also guess -- supportive coaching. 2021 Topps series 1,Rookie Monte Harrison #126 Miami marlins outfield baseball. Tagged: 2023 MLB Draft, MLB Draft, Dylan Crews, Jacob Gonzalez, Max Clark, Brock Wilken, Walker Jenkins, Christian Little, Patrick Reilly, Dylan Cupp, Thomas White, Enrique Bradfield, Tanner Witt, Jaxon Wiggins, Teddy McGraw, Carson Montgomery, TJ Nichols, Drew Bowser, Jackson Baumeister, Will Sanders, Blake Mitchell, Tre' Morgan, Tommy Troy, The Tampa Bay Rays bullpen has chewed through an MLB-leading 533.1 innings this season. He earned a starting nod in the All-Star Game, and he deserves a ton of credit for the job he did protecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the cleanup spot in the Toronto lineup. Honorable Mention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants. MLB Best Outfield Throws || MLB 2021 Season (Supercut) The top 10 right fielders, based on input from folks around baseball: From Sarah Langs of MLB.com, about Betts: "He ended the year with a 93.3% contact rate on in-zone pitches, which led all hitters with at least 250 swings at in-zone pitches. 14. Rather than ranking individual players, we set out to name the best multi-player units in baseball. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. Buxton, Myers, Pham, Laureano, Moore and Carlson could be double-digit homer and steal guys. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. 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. Reels. those in the top 10 percent of a players sample. 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). Yelich is 29 years old. Here are five options going much later in drafts than they should based on their . To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. Of the 60 games Ozuna played last season, only 21 were in the outfield, so if you wanted to make the argument that he should be ranked among designated hitters, well, you'd have a good case. Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? - Stadium He also had the two fastest-tracked infield assists to first base -- reaching 94 mph -- and was responsible for about half of the 92-plus mph assists from all infielders. Cedric Mullins hit .225/.290/.342 with seven home runs and 10 steals in 115 games scattered across his first three big league seasons. 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. . Mike Trout was born on Aug. 7, 1991, and every so often, it's worth a few moments to consider the start to his career, to remind yourself that you are watching a historic peer of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth. 3. The 29-year-old opted out of the final two years of his contract shortly after the World Series concluded. It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. With the Astros first pick the 2021 draft, they took a prospect who fell right in their laps. In the third season of a five-year, $60 million contract, Pollock enjoyed his best season in a Dodgers uniform, hitting .297/.355/.536 for a 137 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 21 home runs and 69 RBI. Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2022: Best sleepers, breakouts, busts from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays. . $0.99 He tallied a career-high 42 doubles along with 35 home runs, 84 RBI and 101 runs scored in a 5.9 WAR season. Cobb's 392 outfield assists are second all-time. 2. 2024 MLB Draft - Top 100 Prospects Prospects Live The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Count on these outfielders to shine The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. Starling Marte made a unique bit of history in 2021, becoming the first player in MLB history with at least 20 stolen bases in both leagues in the same season. You might not realize just how strong his arm is, though, because the focus tends to be on his hitting first, then his running, then his defense. Youth. 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. Previous picks: Anthony Rendon (hit), Mike Trout (power), Byron Buxton (run), Simmons (defense), Ramn Laureano, CF, AsKey stat: 321-foot assist on Aug. 11, 2018. Despite his 2020 postseason heroics, Arozarena entered the 2021 season with rookie eligibility, and he wound up leading all rookies with 4.1 WAR. 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.. Anyone paying attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 knew Bryan Reynolds was capable of the type of season he put together in 2021. And it would be a crime not to grab Bellinger in this five-tools exercise somewhere. Few players have joined an organization under more challenging circumstances than Verdugo faced when he went to the Red Sox. Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best outfielders - ESPN.com MLB Best Tools 2022: Managers, Scouts & Executives Vote On Baseball's "He's a hitting outlier," Votto responded. In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones. This will likely be the most questioned name on this list. Gallo, Soler, Lewis, Yastrzemski, Happ, Rosario and Mountcastle can provide it. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. After back-to-back 20-plus-homer seasons in 2018 and 2019, Teoscar Hernandez showcased a more well-rounded offensive game last year, hitting .289/.340/.579 for a 146 OPS+ in 50 games to finish 11th in AL MVP voting and win a Silver Slugger Award. Fielding Bible For Springer, that box is checked indelibly. Robert may have the higher ceiling of the two, but he also has the lower floor. A catch made high against the right field wall to take extra bases away from Ozuna. 1. 10. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. Statcast Year to Year Stats | baseballsavant.com The eight-time Gold Glove winner was finally inducted into Cooperstown in 2010. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. February 13, 2023. Since there are three times as many outfielders as there are other positions on the diamond, it made sense to tack an honorable mention list of 25 guys onto our top 25 list. even despite missing a good chunk of 2021 . 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. His 5.7 WAR was second on the AL West champions roster, behind only Carlos Correa. Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Mookie is one of the best defensive right-fielders of all time. 2021 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders ADP Analysis - Most Talented & Top It has been suggested that the Indians have been cursed after trading Colavito, a fan favorite, to the Detroit Tigers in 1960. 12 Reds Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30 In a down year by his standards, Betts was still a 4.2 WAR player. The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. 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. He's not just an MVP-caliber hitter; he has one of the strongest outfield arms in the league. All of what you need to know about Meusel's arm was said by Bob Quinn, former president of both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. The league may have changed the rules on shifting . 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. Mookie Betts is the sixth-best outfielder in baseball, and it feels wrong to rank him this low, but wait until you see the top five. Oneil Cruz (Pirates): 97.9 mph 2. It's not all about arm strength, of course. Through Williams's age 21 year -- two seasons -- he had 203 walks, 54 homers and an OPS of 1.041 in 293 games. Spring training battles: The outfield - Royals Review March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. We're going to try something a little different. Starling Marte, Miami Marlins Minimum 800 innings 6. MLB Free Agents 2021-22: Ranking the top 10 outfielders | RSN They've helped to bridge the gap with veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria both missing significant time because of injuries. Previous picks: Mookie Betts (hit), Joey Gallo (power), Christian Yelich (run), Harrison Bader (defense), Cody Bellinger, CF, DodgersKey stat: 101.1 mph max arm strength. 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. Brewers: The Crew has the Central's best outfield, led by Christian Yelich in right field and Lorenzo Cain in center. 15 throws) with an average arm strength of 88.4 mph on max-effort throws -- a.k.a. Sun's out, guns out. Best throwing arms in the 2022 postseason - mlb.com Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . Top 10 MLB Outfielders for 2022 | Just Baseball But the Rays also added some competition for the starting role in former top prospect Francisco Mejia, whom they acquiredin the Blake Snell blockbuster. ESPN's Paul Hembekides sent this along: "I think his issues in 2020 stem from a lack of confidence -- he just stopped swinging. 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.