mlb outfield arm strength rankings
Bo Bichette, Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor, Corey . That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. But thats hardly true for position players, where you might sometimes be throwing at your maximum effort (heres Julio Rodrguez with a 99.6 mph cannon to nail a runner at third base) and sometimes you are absolutely not (heres Rodrguez with a 21.6 mph [!] raw numbers and as a measurement against average. 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. Theres a lot of lobs and non-competitive throws. Run: 7.10 runner in the 60. 14. pitch. At. 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. 3) Players throw differently at different positions, right? -- Sarah Langs As MLB.com Toms Tango has detailed, when looking at players who have played multiple positions, outfielders consistently throw about 3 mph higher than themselves at shortstop and third, 7 mph higher than at second, and 10 mph than they are at first base. He played in 142 games in 2022, batting first in the lineup in all of them. Unless you're in a quirky league where defense counts, Melendez fills a scarce position with decent skills. His EV and HardHit% certainly showed no signs of slowing down, and he remains an on-base machine batting at the top of a fearsome lineup. "I don't try to do too much. His throwing arm used to be a relative weakness. Just beware that his numbers might look much closer to 2021 than 2022. USA TODAY Sports photo. Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. become a hit. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed 12 finisher hit .297. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. In 2020, Story averaged 82.3 mph as a Rockies shortstop -- a good-not-great number, slightly below average for shortstops. Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. Ted Kluszewski, who was the Reds' hitting coach when Geronimo arrived and helped Geronimo enjoy a moderate level of success at the plate, explained how impressive his throwing arm was: "(Geronimo) is like a center in basketballhe intimidates you. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones Mark. The Cardinals seem to regularly find an unheralded rookie who emerges as a key contributor, and in 2022 it was Donovan who started the year as the team's No. Steamer projections have him hitting another 40 and maybe crossing the century mark on runs and RBI if anyone aside from Shohei Ohtani shows up to play in L.A. His strikeout rate crept above 30% for the first time since his rookie year. Advanced arm strength, over-the-top arm action. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. 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. When you call Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth your teammates, you tend to get overlooked. The biggest plus Andrew Vaughn has going this season is that Tony La Russa won't be there to block his playing time. The former top prospect posted a 109 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored and 16 steals, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in right field in a 4.9-WAR season. Fantasy managers can draft him with confidence. "[Those throws are] something that I do all natural," Acua said at the time. ", 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. MLB Advanced Media, LP. An intimidating physical presence standing 6'5" and weighing 235 pounds, Dave Parker only exacerbated things by walking around the field with a shotgun. Seiya Suzuki arrived to MLB and kicked off his career in the States with a bang, hitting four HR and getting on base at a .398 clip. Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals/New York Yankees. Fantasy managers are scared because of injury risk or age, but Stanton is going to mash. Warm-up throws at 20-45feet Throws at 45 feet 2 sets / Rest 10 min between sets Warm-down throws Throw on . 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. 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. From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. I think his weakness, so far as he has any, is in his throwing arm. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Defense: Moves through the ball well, gets to the ball quick. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff 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. Fantasy managers can expect a course correction in 2023, somewhere in the vicinity of 30+ HR, 110+ RBI, and an elite .400+ OBP. 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. He hits in the middle of the order behind Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Nathaniel Lowe, all of whom like to get on base. Managers who don't grab an outfielder in the first two rounds will still have an ample supply of impact players Not that his arm is weak by any means but it is not his strongest point.". A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that Since there are three times as many outfielders as there are other positions on the diamond, it made sense to add an honorable mention list of 25 guys onto our top 25 list. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight Statcast Outfielder Jump Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com Outfielder Jump Leaderboard Current: Outfielder Jump 2022 Minimum Attempts (Q) Update Download CSV Jump is calculated only on plays that are Two Stars or harder, meaning with a 90% Catch Probability or lower. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. He finished his career with 109 assists, 61 of which came in a four-year period for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1984 through 1987. Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics. The volume just hasn't been there to truly be a fantasy stud. He is currently going in the 180s and has enough RBI upside to take a flier on him at that ADP. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from 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. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. Acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the trade that bought Joe Morgan to the Cincinnati Reds, Cesar Geronimo patrolled center field for the Big Red Machine with aplomb, taking home four Gold Glove awards. He hit 31 HR in 451 plate appearances with 78 RBI. With everyday playing time, 2023 could be a big year of growth for the 24-year-old. 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. Ari Bethea, Collierville (TN), 2025 Positional Profile: RHP/OF Body: 6-1, 192-pounds. 2 spot in the lineup between NL batting title winner Jeff McNeil and the one-two punch of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. A lifelong Dodger, Carl Furillo was a master at playing the tricky right field corner of Ebbets Field, becoming adept at fielding balls off of the 40-foot-high wall that loomed over him. Hes also No. He might be an empty batting average/OBP player, though, so don't expect much more than 15 HR if you pick him. To further test our theory, we took three players from the '60s and '70s who were known to have great arms and looked at their A-DP numbers. Furillo picked up the ball and fired a strike to Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges, beating Queen to the bag by two feet. + Allen Williams, LHP/OF, Cleveland Central, 2019 Ugly defensive metrics (-15 DRS, -17.7 UZR/150) and the fact that he was essentially a platoon player (57 PA vs. LHP) kept Pederson from ranking any higher, but he was a terrific bargain on a one-year, $6 million deal. These numbers and his BA/OBP should go up, assuming his BABIP recorrects somewhat closer to his .314 number. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Ruth carried his strong pitching arm into the outfield, where he threw out 204 runners over the course of his career. 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. With many new faces around him, there is a chance he could drop down, which would harm his value. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 23. He should also get to move back to the infield and play 1B now that Jose Abreu is in Houston. 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. lob after catching the third out of an inning). pitch. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. Some, though, might just not have had the opportunity elsewhere to show it. He is an OF5 being drafted in the OF4 range because of the cliff the position drops off of in drafts. 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. 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. No player had a stronger arm in the 1990's than Vladimir Guerrero. Paul Goldschmidt, for example, is an MVP candidate this year, and a borderline Hall of Famer. A 12-time Gold Glove winner, 10-time All-Star and the 1966 National League MVP, Roberto Clemente was the prototype for a five-tool player. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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. You don't currently have any notifications, Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Colavito recorded double digit assists in eight of the 14 seasons in which he playedfive of which he played in 79 games or less due to injury. 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. He played at least 50 innings at six different positions and hit .281/.394/.379 with 27 extra-base hits and a 12.8 percent walk rate in 126 games, posting a 4.1-WAR season that earned him a third-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. You can see video of the play here (the actual play starts around the 40 second mark). Obviously. 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. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. Mullins didn't quite match the out-of-nowhere 30/30 season he put together in 2021, but he was still one of the game's better everyday center fielders. His xwOBA and xSLG are both near the 90th percentile, and he hit particularly well at Camden Yards in spite of the extended left field fence. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. Signed to a four-year, $78 million deal as part of the Mets' spending spree last offseason, Marte hit .292/.347/.468 with 45 extra-base hits, 18 steals and 3.8 WAR in 118 games. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). 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 . His arm recorded 195 assists over the course of his career and only adds to his case to be called the greatest of all time. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. Once the No. 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. 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. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle The 25-year-old hit .298/.373/.400 with more walks (62) than strikeouts (60) while adding 89 runs scored and 19 steals. 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. Buhner also played solid defense in right field and his cannon of a throwing arm gunned down 100 baserunners, including 48 from 1991 through the strike-shortened season of 1994. While the outfielders are chewing grass and staring at the girl behind the dugout, infielders have. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in 25. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as For example, lets take two somewhat similar plays. Julks was solid in 2021 but had a breakout season in 2022. That was by far the best throw I've ever seen in 10 or 11 seasons. 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. The 26-year-old and his new found power led the Astros system with 31 HR in 130 games, all coming in Triple-A. 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. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. thrown with. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was 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. Amed Rosario's numbers in 2022 looked quite similar to the ones from 2021. 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. Partly because of time missed due to injury, largely because of his reputation, people generally don't try to run when Ankiel has the ball in his hand, which would help to explain how someone with that strong of an arm has never reached double-digit assists in any season as an outfielder. Opponents quickly learned that they couldn't run on Geronimo and they stopped trying, which explains his 81 career assists, one of the lower totals of those on our list. 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. 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. Junior had 154 assists for his career, a number that would have been significantly higher were it not for the rash of injuries that he dealt with. He only played in 119 games due to a rare and persistent back injury that will require more rest days going forward, even when healthy. Click a bubble to see all the player's throws. In 2021, still at shortstop, that was down to 79.1 mph, largely believed to be related to a midseason elbow injury. In three seasons, he only has 924 plate appearances, and fantasy managers have been left to wonder what it would look like if he got 600 appearances in one season. To qualify for inclusion, a player simply had to have at least 200 plate appearances. He is near the bottom of the league in K%, Whiff%, BB%, and chase rate. window.". 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. Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. 2. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. Etc., etc., etc. What is not of concern are the 81 games he gets to play at Yankee Stadium this year and each one after until 2031, thanks to his 9-year, $360 million free-agent contract. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a I Suzuki 2. While his slugging percentage was down significantly, a lot of that can be attributed to working back from the injury. outfield. It can be used to evaluate outfielders on attempted assists, catchers on stolen base and pickoff throws, and infielders on throws across the diamond. The four-category stud is worth a first-round pick. Headlined by three MVPs, our list of the best corner outfielders is a who's who of top-tier talent in Major League Baseball. The charges would later be dropped. Not only is his arm incredibly strong, it's also accurate. An 18-time All-Star and the last man to win the American League Triple Crown, a feat he achieved in 1967, Carl Yastrzemski played excellent defense in left field and had a strong, accurate throwing arm. Upon his arrival in Detroit, Colavito's arm was so good that it pushed another member of this list, Al Kaline, to center field for the 1960 season. Corey Julks. Heres Astros outfielders, since 2020. 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. Steven Kwan put together a 5.5-WAR debut season with an old school game built on contact ability, speed and defense. 5) Wait, is Mike Trout actually improving at yet another thing? Arm Strength. Baseball is largely played in terms of feet and seconds, and they all add up quickly. While Game 6 of the 1975 World Series is best remembered for Carlton Fisk's dramatic, game-winning and series-extending home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, Evans was responsible for turning a double play in the top of the 11th inning that made Fisk's heroics possible. In traditional 5x5 leagues, he can anchor any fantasy outfield you put him in. 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. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Greene played well in center field, finishing in the 71st percentile in Outs Above Average, 67th percentile in arm strength and 75th percentile in outfielder jump, according to Statcast. We can't blame the Pirates for Reynolds's increased K% (23.0) and decreased BB% (9.1%), but we certainly can put the onus on them for his putrid runs and RBI numbers. Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. The 27-year-old is miscast as a center fielder (-14 DRS, -3.2 UZR/150) and that undercut his overall value a bit. Hendersons throw was clocked at 85.2 mph, and took 0.87 of a second to reach first base. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". The 30-year-old posted a 126 OPS+ with 29 home runs and 72 RBI, and he had 11 outfield assists in a career-high 2.7-WAR season. 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. Each player was only included at the position where he played the most innings. Buhner merely went on to hit more than 300 home runs and become one of the most beloved Mariners of all-time. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an There is a lot of value to be had here. 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. Some forget that before he was saving baseball with his bat, Babe Ruth was a heck of a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. All rights reserved. Showcasing the Arm Younger players rarely have the opportunity to play in stadiums where statcast tracks their every move. Strength is only one aspect of what makes a great throwing arm. 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. Of note, he increased his stolen bases, and this trend could continue in 2023 with the new baserunning rules. one base to another, like Home To First. That's the case with Bob Meusel, who was actually a slightly below-average fielder for his time. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. . Mike Trout may have had the quietest 40-homer season in 2022. 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. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. 5 TanteUschi with a 90% Catch Probability or lower. 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. It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man. 15. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. 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. The steals are why he goes so early in drafts because it is certainly not his patience at the plate. 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. His career high came last year in Washington, recording nine. Rojas is the club's fourth-ranked prospect, and with a bit of fine-tuning. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have Byron Buxton staying healthy is the carrot dangling in front of fantasy managers every offseason. 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. 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. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. Nicknamed "Muscles," Mantle's throws were both accurate and strong. Dave Winfield's throwing arm was so powerful that simply warming up in the outfield was a dangerous proposition. With the score tied at three and Harold Reynolds on first, Seattle catcher Scott Bradley hit a double to left. From 1986 through 1991, Snyder led the league in assists with a total of 61. Its the chicken-and-the-egg question of our times. Really, unless you are playing in a stolen base premium league, Alvarez offers little downside heading into 2023. 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. Baseball Savant. A mainstay in Boston for nearly 20 years, Dwight Evans is the owner of eight Gold Glove awards and one of the best throwing arms of the 70's and 80's. He's barely a half-season into his career. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year heading into the 2022 season, Arozarena enjoyed his second straight 20/20 season, hitting .263/.327/.445 for a 124 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 20 home runs, 89 RBI and 32 steals. player has saved over his peers. 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. The open event saw prospects from across the state of Mississippi perform in front of several college coaches, and the Prep Baseball Report Mississippi scouting staff. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. Yes, of course. It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man.". 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. We dont have Statcast from the early days of his career, of course, but we do have articles from way back in 2014 titled Trout working hard to improve arm strength. In 2019, the L.A. Times detailed the work hed put into improving that relative weakness. Week 1- First Day. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement 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. The best outfield arm of the 80's, Barfield led the league in outfield assists five times, including three years straight from 1985 through 1987. 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? There is a lot to love about O'Neill in fantasy formats, but there is a lot to question as well. As MLB.com Tom's Tango has detailed, when looking at players who have played multiple positions, outfielders consistently throw about 3 mph higher than themselves at shortstop and third, 7 mph higher than at second, and 10 mph than they are at first base. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . Beyond the gaudy numbers, he was the one consistent in a Yankees lineup that dealt with injuries and under performance, and he did it all while also playing a career-high 632.2 innings in center field. This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. 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.". The past two seasons, Phillips has amassed 21 outs above average while patrolling center and right field (seventh-most among outfielders last season with 11). Pittsburgh Pirates coach Rich Donnelly explains: ""He eggs you on. Some players have power, whereas Yordan Alvarez has POWER. newly released arm strength leaderboards for position players, when Hawk-Eye was installed in all 30 stadiums, look at their comparisons on both sides of the bag. and 32 degrees. velocity and launch angle. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away.