mlb outfield arm strength rankings
A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit 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;. His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. His 10 hardest non-relay/pivot throws on the right side of the infield average 75.7 mph, maxing out at 78.2 mph. 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. 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. In order to qualify for the -- came in above 72 mph. MLB Power Rankings: Vladimir Guerrero and the 12 Deadliest Outfield Arms Josh Benjamin January 30, 2011 If there's one weapon every baseball team has, it's an outfielder with a cannon for. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second 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. A three-time All-Star, Andy Van Slyke was one of the more underrated players in baseball during his career. 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. 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. 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. Steven Kwan put together a 5.5-WAR debut season with an old school game built on contact ability, speed and defense. Heres Astros outfielders, since 2020. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). 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. Few rookies in recent memory have had a greater impact on the culture of their team than Julio Rodrguez, who played a pivotal role in helping the Seattle Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since Ichiro Suzuki's rookie season in 2001. 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. One of the greatest players that the game has ever seen, Ty Cobb needs no introduction. In a down season by his own lofty standards, Juan Soto was still one of the most productive offensive players in the game. Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". Tris Speaker, one of Cobb's contemporaries, had this to say about Cobb in 1917: "As an outfielder Ty Cobb is unusually good. When you walk around calling yourself "El Caon" (translation: the cannon) and you tell Maryann Hudson of the LA Times, "I don't know why they keep running on methey know I'm going to throw them out"only a month into your rookie seasonyou'd better be able to back that up in the field. Rojas is the club's fourth-ranked prospect, and with a bit of fine-tuning. The 28-year-old has recorded no less than 11 assists in each of his seven seasons, and not only is his throwing arm powerful, but it's deadly accurate, as we can see in the video. 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. Mike Trout may have had the quietest 40-homer season in 2022. Catch up on the Top 25 in 2022 series: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Shortstops, Third Basemen. He is near the bottom of the league in K%, Whiff%, BB%, and chase rate. 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. become a hit. Consistent at the plate as well as in the field, Van Slyke spent his formative years patrolling the middle of the outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates, between Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second pitch. 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 Sept. 14, Orioles rookie Gunnar Henderson had to make a 100-ft throw from third to first. Ad - content continues below. attempt. From 1949 through 1956, Snider threw out 82 baserunners. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. For example, lets take two somewhat similar plays. 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. You know what you're getting. But theres also this, that Story has 195 tracked throws of at least 80 mph in his career -- he even topped 90 a few times early on -- but its happened only once since the 2021 All-Star break. He may suffer some of the typical rookie issues, but all signs point to a quick adjustment and solid fantasy production. Kyle Schwarber strikes out at such a large clip (29.9 K%) that it is easy to miss his dominance in other fantasy categories. 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. 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. In 118 games, he slashed .292/.347/.468, buoying the ratios for fantasy managers in roto leagues. But Callison also threw out 175 over the course of his career, including a four-year stretch from 1962 through 1965 when he racked up 90 assists, leading the league each season. If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff 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. Its not that his arm suddenly got weaker on the right side of the infield, of course. 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. He leads all active outfielders in career assists with 134. . outfield. Paul Goldschmidt, for example, is an MVP candidate this year, and a borderline Hall of Famer. He still has a microscopic walk rate, but he also took four points off his K%. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. Here we go. Expect him to be one of the faces of baseball for the next decade-plus and a strong contender for the No. 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. 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. thrown with. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. 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. Outfielder Jump. 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. 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. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. player has saved over his peers. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). 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. Now it's time to finalize those rankings while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. 13-ranked prospect. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the Laureano is looking to bounce back after a rough 2020 season in which he hit just .213 with a .704 OPS. 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.". and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. 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. The volume just hasn't been there to truly be a fantasy stud. A finger injury derailed his season, but he finished the year strong. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. 1 spot on this list for years to come. The talent is enormous but now, at age 33, the injury concerns continue to grow as well. 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. "Jarrett is a speedy, defensive outfielder with a good arm and high baseball IQ," Swillum said. But it is best to exercise some caution and ensure you have outfield depth if you plan to roster him. In traditional 5x5 leagues, Garcia can provide value from the fifth round on. 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. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Traded shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox for pitcher Josh Taylor. Jesse Barfield was considered to have the best outfield arm in the '80s and he wasn't shy about reminding his opponents. 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 is a pure contact hitter who gets on base and isn't afraid to run (19-for-24 in SB attempts). Take Tommy Edman, who has moved back and forth between both spots. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". Those who did generally failed in their attempt to take an extra base, and Puckett finished his career gunning down 142 men on base. Bob Forsch, a teammate of his with the Cardinals, remembered Reggie's arm: "It was FUN being on the same team as he was. From 1956 until he retired in 1964, he only threw out 32, due largely in part to the injury. The 28-year-old is too talented to leave on the board, so fantasy managers can draft him and send a quick wish into the universe that he plays basically anywhere else in 2023. The immortal Vin Scully put it best: "Clemente could field the ball in New York, and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.". 3) Players throw differently at different positions, right? 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. Tris Speaker recorded no less than 12 assists from the outfield in 20 of the 22 years that he played, including three seasons with 30 or more and 12 seasons with at least 20, giving him a record that will likely never be broken449 career assists for an outfielder. 5) Wait, is Mike Trout actually improving at yet another thing? 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. 20. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. No one, I mean no one, runs on him.". and 32 degrees. It's understandable that fantasy managers who drafted him thinking they secured a 30/30 guy were disappointed at the end of the season. Home Run record with 62, scoring 133 runs, driving in 131, and stealing 16 bases to boot. It is difficult to project significant development in outfielders' arm strength, but with a player with Buxton's athleticism, anything is possible. ), Slice and dice them as you like. Run: 7.10 runner in the 60. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . Soto is worth every penny of a top draft pick. 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. Known primarily for his throwing arm, Glenn Wilson threw out 38 runners between 1985 and 1986, leading the league in assists each season. With a seasoned Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in front of him, Santander will fill your power categories in the tenth round or so. Mike Trout unleashed a throw from center field Monday night at Dodger Stadium that looked more . If you want to understand how it all works stay right here. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. attempt. A seven-time All-Star who won only one Gold Glove award, Reggie Smith had one of the great throwing arms of the 1970's. M.J. Melendez debuted and appeared in 129 games in 2022, showing off his patience and power to the tune of 18 HR and a 12.4% BB rate. 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. It's worth watching in Spring Training, and if he routinely bats behind Jose Ramirez, drop him in your rankings a bit as the counting stats will be affected. His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Julio Rodriguez led the 2022 youth movement throughout MLB, skipping Triple-A to win Rookie of the Year with 29 of 30 first-place votes and electrifying the crowd at the HR Derby in July. His sophomore campaign should be a boon to fantasy teams, and he will come at a discount. With 305 total bases he was one of just 12 players to break the 300 mark during the 2022 season, joining Aaron Judge (391) as the only outfielders on that exclusive list. Hardly the same, is it? His ratios were down across the board, but he improved his K% and BB% and suffered from some bad luck with BABIP. velocity and launch angle. 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. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 2 prospect in baseball when the season began, he lived up to the hype and then some by hitting .284/.345/.509 with 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 84 runs scored and 25 steals in 132 games. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. 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. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult. 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. 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. 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. Some forget that before he was saving baseball with his bat, Babe Ruth was a heck of a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. "He was a leader offensively and defensively for us. More often than not, your eyes will not be deceived by what is displayed on a throw. He's barely a half-season into his career. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. 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. 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. 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. He doesn't make a lot of loud contact at the plate . able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. It's a risky proposition, but the payoff could be incredible. become a hit. That was by far the best throw I've ever seen in 10 or 11 seasons. He led the league with 17 assists in 1982, and has 166 for his career. You can see video of the play here (the actual play starts around the 40 second mark). 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. Baseball may never see another player as smooth at the "catch-and-throw" than Al Kaline. 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. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. Some, though, might just not have had the opportunity elsewhere to show it. Let's freeze the play to show you exactly what we mean: If you check out the pop time leaderboards, the gap between absolute best and dead last is just 0.28 seconds. 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. Showcasing the Arm Younger players rarely have the opportunity to play in stadiums where statcast tracks their every move. Its that the demands of different positions are, well, different. 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. 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. Current: Another outfield prospect the Cardinals traded away before he broke out, Garca had a 31-homer rookie season in 2021, but he was a more well-rounded offensive player this season. Since the demands of each position grouping are different, the averages and qualifiers are different as well. 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 first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. All rights reserved. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. When you call Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth your teammates, you tend to get overlooked. Its the chicken-and-the-egg question of our times. 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. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. The 25-year-old posted a 128 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 25 steals in 29 attempts. I Suzuki 2. A shortstop in college, Cory Snyder made his mark in the major leagues as a power-hitting outfielder. as Active Spin. Over a 17-year career that was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and Colorado Rockies, Walker picked up 154 assists, including eight seasons with 10 or more. . player has saved over his peers. The Orioles seem dedicated to giving their prospects every opportunity to succeed, which boosts Mullins's value in the runs category. 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. leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team A three-time All-Star, Johnny Callison terrorized baserunners from right field for more than a decade. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle
mlb outfield arm strength rankings