one base to another, like Home To First. Ruth carried his strong pitching arm into the outfield, where he threw out 204 runners over the course of his career. He's also had nearly 2,000 tracked throws since Statcast came online in 2015, and exactly one of them -- one! All rights reserved. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Top Major League Outfield Arm: Bryce Harper ( Washington Nationals) All-Time Tool: Jesse Barfield How to Identify It: Arm strength is a simple tool to evaluate in comparison to others. In 2020, Story averaged 82.3 mph as a Rockies shortstop -- a good-not-great number, slightly below average for shortstops. 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. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out This year, thats all the way up to 90.7 mph, which is about 75th percentile among outfielders. In 118 games, he slashed .292/.347/.468, buoying the ratios for fantasy managers in roto leagues. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an In 2021, before he was injured, that went up to 88.2 mph. 1 among shortstops over the last three years, ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. Cruz has five of the six hardest shortstop throws this year, and eight of the top 13. A finger injury derailed his season, but he finished the year strong. A diving catch or someone reaching over the wall to rob someone of a home run might get the crowd going, but nothing makes you stand up and say "wow" more than a big throw from an outfielder to nail a runner trying to advance a base. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". Carroll's upside is in the 30/30 range, and he should have no trouble sticking as the everyday centerfielder with his plus-defense. A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit He'll lope after a ball to see if he can get you to run, picks it up . It will be very important to keep track of where Happ is batting in the revamped Cubs lineup. 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. He should also get to move back to the infield and play 1B now that Jose Abreu is in Houston. Mays fired the ball back into the infieldby his own admission, he had no idea where the ball was goingbut it stopped Al Rosen from advancing to second base and, more importantly, stopped Larry Doby from scoring, forcing him back to third base. Some forget that before he was saving baseball with his bat, Babe Ruth was a heck of a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. Not only was it probably the better part of 300 feet, it was dead on line and in the air the whole way.". It's time to put a bow on the 2022 MLB season with Bleacher Report's final positional rankings. Whether or not you draft Luis Robert depends entirely on how risk-averse you are to injuries. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Not that his arm is weak by any means but it is not his strongest point.". play. Meusel finished his career with 157 assists, including a three-year period from 1921 through 1923 where he racked up 69. 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. . This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. So the answer here might really be more than one answer, in that infielders who spend times on both sides of second base seem to throw harder from the left side, and Story might best be served as a second baseman going forward. 2. 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). 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. Aaron Judge's 100 mph assist is the hardest throw recorded in 2018 - Yahoo! Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the orderthis is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2022. Once the No. In 2020, his average on competitive throws was 86.6 mph, an almost exactly-average number. 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 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. BY Justin Leger -. One of the most well-rounded players in the sport, Kyle Tucker continued his rise as a bona fide superstar for the Houston Astros in 2022. Week 1 - Days 2and 3. Astros Top Three Third Base Prospects for 2023 - Astros Future 23. But all-in-all, the players on this list had an incredible combination of all those skills, making them more likely to throw straight for the base that the play was at rather then hitting the cutoff man. With the injury-prone label fading after back-to-back healthy seasons, teams can feel a bit more comfortable signing him to a long-term deal this winter, and he hits the open market for the first time as one of the highest profile players in the history of MLB free agency. velocity and launch angle. With a seasoned Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in front of him, Santander will fill your power categories in the tenth round or so. Right here, at the Baseball Savant leaderboards, as well as on appropriate player pages. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Proving ineffective, the Blue Jays featured one of the worst defensive outfields in the majors last season, ranking 18th in Outs Above Average (-3) and 21st in Defensive Runs Saved (-6),. (Those downsides are only injury concerns (he played in 135 games last year), and his outfield eligibility will probably expire after this season.) outfield. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. Fantasy managers can deal with those considering he is above the 90th percentile in Avg EV, Max EV, HardHit%, barrel%, outs above avg, and sprint speed. . 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. It's a risky proposition, but the payoff could be incredible. attempt. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out on March 4, 2023. Pirates starting pitcher Mel Queen hit a fly ball into the gap between right and center. 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. Anthony Santander answered the fantasy world's questions regarding his power by hitting 33 HR with 89 RBI and 78 runs in a Baltimore lineup that should be much improved in 2023. Andre Dawson epitomized the tern "five tool player" for more than a decade before 12 knee surgeries and age began to take their toll. 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. Meet Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom the Mets selected with their first pick. In 1978, Cromartie and Valentine led the league in outfield assists with 24 apiece. He will . He missed time in the middle of the season with a finger injury he incurred while stealing a base, or he would have probably joined the 30/30 Club. Defense: Moves through the ball well, gets to the ball quick. In traditional 5x5 leagues, Garcia can provide value from the fifth round on. It seems likely that one of Volpe or Peraza will shift over to third base or . He doesn't make a lot of loud contact at the plate . That "throwing hard" is rarely a demand of the position is somewhat reflected in the leaderboards, which has many first basemen near the bottom. (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. The 25-year-old outfielder hit everything in sight at Double-A Corpus Christi, slashing .324/.411/.616 with 20 home runs in 93 games . ), Slice and dice them as you like. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a He famously broke the A.L. Outfield Arm Strength Rankings : baseball - reddit He played one year of baseball for the school, but it was during a football game that his left arm was injured to the point that doctors gave serious consideration to amputating it. In his age-29 season, he played 155 games, led the NL in home runs with 46, scored 100 runs, drove in 94, and stole 10 bases. Statcast Outfielder Jump Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com Expect him to be one of the faces of baseball for the next decade-plus and a strong contender for the No. With 5.3 WAR, he joined Jason Heyward (6.4, 2010) and Dusty Baker (5.1, 1972) as the only rookie outfielders in Atlanta Braves history with a 5-WAR season, and he edged out teammate Spencer Strider for NL Rookie of the Year honors. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. Back in 2017, a then-19-year-old Ronald Acua Jr. appeared in Miami at the Futures Game. Amed Rosario's numbers in 2022 looked quite similar to the ones from 2021. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff Yes, of course. one base to another, like Home To First. A three-time All-Star, Johnny Callison terrorized baserunners from right field for more than a decade. MLB breakout candidates: One player from all 30 teams who could make a That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. Kris Bryant in Coors Field was supposed to be a party and instead, the guest of honor got plantar fasciitis and played in only 42 games for the entire year. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second 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. In 2022, the 28-year-old ranked in the 98th percentile in outfielder jump and 97th percentile in arm strength, filling out the mold for a complete defensive outfielder. Five years later, Acua is a three-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year Award winner, and a World Series winner. As for Vlad, well he only had 13,000 innings. 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. 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. What a strong throwing arm does, mostly, is make things happen faster. You don't currently have any notifications, Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. Its sort of like pitching; all things being equal, youd much rather throw 100 mph than 90 mph, but it also might not matter so much if you cant throw strikes. These should correct to be nearer to his baseline, in which case fantasy managers are drafting a 30/20 guy with high on-base skills who bats smack in the middle of what is, essentially, an All-Star team. 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. It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man.". 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. Baltimore Orioles. 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. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. Kwan is in the 100th percentile of K% after striking out only 60 times in 638 plate appearances. The first of which registered. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). Other concerns include the fact that Judge will be 31 years old for the majority of the season and played in a career-high 157 games last year. . ", In discussing the effects of PED's on players with Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press, Barfield noted the biggest problem that taking PED's has on an outfielder: "They can't get the arm up over the top because of how the muscles are built up. 2022 Offensive Stats: 592 PA, .235 . The 2015 first-round pick hit .281/.360/.473 for a 135 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs, 65 RBI and 3.7 WAR in 135 games, and he now looks like a core piece of the lineup alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. His slash line declined to .263/.327/.445, though that average is misleading as his expected was .234. A below average fielder who threw out 107 runners over the course of his career, Jose Guillen made what some consider to be the best throw in the history of baseball - click here to check it out. Fantasy managers can count on significant strikeouts and not many walks, but he is at or above the 90th percentile in five power-hitting categories that can be a salve for those burns. Take Boston second baseman Trevor Story, who had been a very good shortstop with Colorado, and may yet be again if Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts chooses to opt out this winter and depart. The "Free Kyle Tucker" movement didn't garner the momentum fantasy managers were hoping for as he continued to bat in the sixth spot way too often. It's understandable that fantasy managers who drafted him thinking they secured a 30/30 guy were disappointed at the end of the season. That doesn't happen without Furillo's play. (For this, well just look at throws on fielded balls, not outfield relays or double play pivots.). White Sox first baseman Jos Abreu has about the same number of tracked throws as Rodrguez does. It was maddening to watch him throw a ball, only because his motion was so fluid that it appeared that he wasn't even tryingyet the ball exploded out of his hand and routinely reached it's destination on the fly. If you can stomach the idea of spending a high-round draft pick on an injury risk with a high ceiling, Robert could be a steal. Who can?". 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. 12 finisher hit .297. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. 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. It's been said that the Indians have been cursed ever since they traded Colavito to the Detroit Tigers in 1960, getting Harvey Kuenn in return. Top Tools: Best Outfield Defense/Outfield Arm - Baseball Arm Strength (ARM) | Glossary | MLB.com Week 1- First Day. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. From 1998 through 2002, Bobby Abreu racked up 59 assists patrolling right field for the Philadelphia Phillies. He missed 52 games due to injury, and his BABIP was a career-low (by a lot) .227. Fantasy managers dream each spring of a full season of this production, and if he manages to get to 500 plate appearances, he could be a steal at his current ADP of 78. Ari Bethea, Collierville (TN), 2025 Positional Profile: RHP/OF Body: 6-1, 192-pounds. It's baffling why baserunners still try and advance on Jeff Francoeur. Let them. Hardly the same, is it? play. His strikeout rate crept above 30% for the first time since his rookie year. The biggest plus Andrew Vaughn has going this season is that Tony La Russa won't be there to block his playing time. Jake McCarthy is a vessel for stolen bases in the later rounds of drafts. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. Theres a lot of lobs and non-competitive throws. it's a tough call between Clemente and Whiten.". How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Nicknamed the "Reading Rifle," Furillo led all outfielders in assists in 1951 with 24, and he has 151 for his career. Cedric Mullins stole 30+ bases for the second consecutive year in 2022, though the power disintegrated, lowering his home total to 16 from 30. The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. Improving arm strength - ESPN.com The 26-year-old and his new found power led the Astros system with 31 HR in 130 games, all coming in Triple-A. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. A six-time Gold Glove winner and the 1997 National League MVP, Larry Walker was yet another smooth fielding right fielder with a cannon for an arm who has played the game. Yordan lvarez actually played more games at designated hitter (77) than he did in the outfield (56), but since there are not enough everyday DHs for us to do a top 25 list for that position, he's being included here alongside the rest of the league's best outfielders. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA), 1B -- average of top 1% of throws -- minimum 100 throws to qualify, 2B/SS/3B -- average of top 5% of throws -- minimum 75 throws to qualify, OF -- average of top 10% of throws -- minimum 50 throws to qualify. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that produces a result. Top 10 Shortstop Prospects for Fantasy Baseball 2023 "[Those throws are] something that I do all natural," Acua said at the time. Palm Beach, Fla - It's early, but with each passing day Jordan Walker 's case to break camp with the Cardinals major league team gets stronger. After injuries limited him to just 78 games in his first season with the Blue Jays, Springer bounced back with a 131 OPS+ in 133 games while earning his fourth career All-Star selection. Rankings Top 15 MLB Corner Outfielders for 2023. 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. 2023 MLB Season Preview: Kansas City Royals - Battery Power Just make sure you have enough IL slots. Furillo picked up the ball and fired a strike to Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges, beating Queen to the bag by two feet. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. Whether he was lost in the Aaron Judge hoopla or continues to squander an incredible career on a terrible team (hint: it's the latter), Trout went about his business as he always has. An All-Star for the second time, he posted a 144 OPS+ and led the Giants with 23 home runs, and that earned him a qualifying offer which he accepted. One of the greatest defensive centerfielders to play the game, Jim Edmonds played with a reckless abandon, often launching his body into the air or wall to make a catch. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. On the other hand, those 40 HR and .347 ISO probably won some leagues last year for patient managers who could ride out the injuries. Mets Select Outfielder with Team's 1st Pick - Prime Time Sports Talk 25. The 25-year-old ranks in the 100th percentile in average EV, HardHit%, xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, and Barrel% while coming in the 99th percentile in MaxEV. He also posted well-above-average defensive metrics (5 DRS, 19.7 UZR/150) in left field, which makes it much easier to justify including him in these rankings. Daulton Varsho - 4.6 fWAR. 7) Al. 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. So is that because the elbow isnt allowing harder throws -- not that its mattered much, as hes been excellent defensively -- or because his new position doesnt demand it? Interval Throwing Program for Outfield / PositionPlayers. Christian Yelich played in 154 games in 2022, his highest total since his last year in Miami in 2017. Yet when Meusel had the ball in his hand, anyone who was still running the bases was a candidate to get picked off by one of his powerful throws. Not any more. In a down season by his own lofty standards, Juan Soto was still one of the most productive offensive players in the game. His career high came last year in Washington, recording nine. Click a bubble to see all the player's throws. Power, speed Turner has it in bunches and has delivered such throughout his career, but he's not alone. 25. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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). of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second In regards to the two plays in the video, former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus had this to say about the second one: "I didn't think there was a play, to be perfectly honest. 20. While the play itself was quite amazing, Dodgers starter Ralph Branca would end up taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning before the Pirates would collect two hits off of him. Steven Kwan was hard for fantasy managers to believe in last season, but he ended up being the 16th-ranked outfielder in 5x5 leagues when it was all said and done. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. Steamer projections have him at 43/109/104 for the upcoming season, and his ratios should see a small decline as well. He logged a 104 OPS+ with 52 extra-base hits, 34 steals and 3.8 WAR in 156 games, and he still has three seasons of club control remaining for an Orioles team on the rise. 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. The biggest downside is that he most likely does not have OF eligibility in your league, so make sure your UTIL slot is free for him. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. Long toss is the commonly mentioned method to strengthening a baseball . Prep Baseball Report > Missouri > News It is difficult to project significant development in outfielders' arm strength, but with a player with Buxton's athleticism, anything is possible. In fact, if we look at the 16 fielders who had enough throws to qualify at both second base and shortstop this year, plus Story, and look at their comparisons on both sides of the bag every single one had a harder average throw from the left side than the right side, by an average of 5.3 mph. Signed to a four-year, $79 million deal during the offseason, Schwarber slugged an NL-leading 46 home runs in his first season with the Phillies. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. Only in baseball can the son of a potato farmer who born and raised on Long Island become Boston's favorite son. 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. Hes also No. For as powerful as his arm was, it was also prone to be erratic, and Parker committed his fair share of throwing errors, which is why he doesn't rank higher on our list. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? It was his hardest throw in nearly three calendar years. become a hit. 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. Potentially ever, though we certainly cant go back through history here to see how hard Shawon Dunston or whatever shortstop of your choice might have thrown.