mlb outfield arm strength rankings mlb outfield arm strength rankings

From 1956 until he retired in 1964, he only threw out 32, due largely in part to the injury. He just hasn't thrown enough to qualify yet from those spots, and when he does, he'll look like he has a considerably better arm than Goldschmidt which he does. Corey Julks. 12 finisher at outfield on the strength of a .291 average, 33 homers, 83 runs, 89 RBI, and 12 steals. To qualify for inclusion, a player simply had to have at least 200 plate appearances. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Any infielder. Bob Forsch, a teammate of his with the Cardinals, remembered Reggie's arm: "It was FUN being on the same team as he was. No one, I mean no one, runs on him.". Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Hendersons throw was clocked at 85.2 mph, and took 0.87 of a second to reach first base. one base to another, like Home To First. 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. On Sept. 14, Orioles rookie Gunnar Henderson had to make a 100-ft throw from third to first. primarily for the Cleveland Indians. 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. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. 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 deal to acquire him from the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2020 season in exchange for prospect Matthew Liberatore looks like a major win. His average arm strength on max-effort throws was 97.9 mph, making him the top right fielder -- the position with the strongest arms, with a league average of 90.5 mph. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. The immortal Vin Scully put it best: "Clemente could field the ball in New York, and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.". Despite his age and limited upper-minors experience, he didn't miss a beat in the majors, hitting .297/.339/.514 with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs scored and 20 steals in 22 attempts over 114 games. become a hit. 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. 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. Arm strength is measured on "max effort" throws, or the average above a player's 90th percentile performance. 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. 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. 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. 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. In 1985 alone, Barfield doubled up eight runners, to go with his 133 . 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. velocity and launch angle. From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. Owner of 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards, Griffey made impossible plays not only possible, but look nowhere near as difficult as they actually were. One of his most remarkable assists came in the top of the third inning of a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers on August 27, 1951. Some of them might just have weak arms, which is why they're at first base in the first place. The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. Youd think measuring throwing arm strength would be easy. It seems likely that one of Volpe or Peraza will shift over to third base or . Would anyone be surprised to see him reclaim the No. The 25-year-old posted a 128 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 25 steals in 29 attempts. 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. He has power to all fields, bats in the middle of a World Champion lineup, and will protect your ratios in traditional 5x5 leagues and those with advanced categories. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, Kaline finished his career with 170 career assists. He was named the MVP of the 1964 All-Star Game, best remembered for his three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Dick Radatz that gave the National League a 7-4 victory. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will After Ichiro, Francoeur has the best throwing arm in baseball today. 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. From 1998 through 2002, Bobby Abreu racked up 59 assists patrolling right field for the Philadelphia Phillies. 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. 25. Or is it because players with weaker arms are less likely to be allowed to play the left side in the first place? And he was smart as well as stronghe never threw to the wrong base and kept the double play in order, which, to a pitcher, is BIG.". 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. player has saved over his peers. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). Only in baseball can the son of a potato farmer who born and raised on Long Island become Boston's favorite son. Other bad news includes a Statcast page that is almost entirely blue, meaning he was ineffective in almost every meaningful statistical category during his first season in Philadelphia. 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. He is one of the best pure hitters in the game today, and the six-year, $115 million extension he signed in June already looks like an absolute steal for the Astros. 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. 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;. Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics. Default = Experts with most recent updates. The 28-year-old is capable of making a greater impact in half a season than most players can in a full 162 games, and he racked up 4.0 WAR and 44 extra-base hits in 92 games this year while earning his first All-Star selection. 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. Cobb's 392 outfield assists rank second all-time behind Speaker. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. He was unsuccessful, but the throw was tracked at 94.8 mph. Hardly the same, is it? Meanwhile, Boston's Bobby Dalbec currently shows up with a 74.8 average as a first baseman, but he's got plenty of throws north of 80 mph as a third baseman (and, once, a shortstop). But at the end of the day, fantasy managers are drafting him for his elite speed and ability to steal bases, a skill that may get even better depending on how the new baserunning rules play out. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. Buxton has essentially played one full season's worth of games over the past two years, posting a 150 OPS+ with 47 home runs and 8.5 WAR in 153 games since the start of 2021. This year, thats all the way up to 90.7 mph, which is about 75th percentile among outfielders. Key West (2-0): The Conchs ended 2022 with a 22-7 record and were able to play with many of the . 3) Players throw differently at different positions, right? Advanced arm strength, over-the-top arm action. In total, he made 10 throws of 95-plus mph last season and had three throws of 300 feet or more. His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. Its the chicken-and-the-egg question of our times. 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.". How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the The Orioles seem dedicated to giving their prospects every opportunity to succeed, which boosts Mullins's value in the runs category. 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. You can see video of the play here (the actual play starts around the 40 second mark). 2. Phelps would only play poorly in parts of two seasons in the Bronx. The Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Blue Jays in the offseason; Rogers Centre should support another 25-HR, 15-SB season and he could see a bump in runs and RBI with the better lineup around him. lob after catching the third out of an inning). He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. Daulton Vasho has catcher eligibility, which is one of the primary draws to him being drafted in the 40-50 range. Heres what his 43rd-hardest throw looks like. one base to another, like Home To First. Since the demands of each position grouping are different, the averages and qualifiers are different as well. Playing for the Cleveland Indians minor league team in the Pacific Coast League in 1956, Colavito threw a ball from home plate 436 feet, watching it land well beyond the centerfield wall. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a By Geoff Pontes. In stints with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers, Smith threw out 127 runners from the outfield, spending significant time in both center field and right field. 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. Exit Velocity & Barrels. Proportional frame w/ well developed strength and athleticism. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. 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. He had the hardest-hit ball of the evening, but he also showed off his arm, uncorking a pair of throws -- each tracked at over 95 mph. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? 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. 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. What Gonzalez weirdly does well is make contact, as his K% is 20, and he deploys this skill in the enviable position of batting directly behind Jose Ramirez. Kyle Schwarber strikes out at such a large clip (29.9 K%) that it is easy to miss his dominance in other fantasy categories. -- came in above 72 mph. Nicknamed "Muscles," Mantle's throws were both accurate and strong. 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. 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. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit ), Slice and dice them as you like. The Coors effect isn't going to bring the 31-year-old back near his prime, but he should put up better numbers in 2023 and recently stated he would be ready to go for Spring Training. 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. Warm-up throws at 20-45feet Throws at 45 feet Warm-down throws 1 set only / Rest the next day. 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. 14. 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. One of the great centerfielders of all-time, Duke Snider would land higher on this list if not for suffering an injury to his arm that robbed him of much of the power behind his throws. Here are Justin Leger's top 20 outfielders for the upcoming season. 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. 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. 1 prospect in baseball with the Red Sox in 2017, Benintendi never quite lived up to expectations in Boston, but he has set himself up for a nice free agency payday after a strong 2022 season. 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. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Of note, he increased his stolen bases, and this trend could continue in 2023 with the new baserunning rules. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. In Game 6 of the 1971 World Series (the throw can be seen in the video around the 1:20 mark), Clemente unleashed a throw from deep in the right field corner towards third base, trying to nail the runner. thrown with. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed He should also get to move back to the infield and play 1B now that Jose Abreu is in Houston. However, he can be a mid-round source of stolen bases either way. ", 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. Meet Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom the Mets selected with their first pick. Once he had the ball in his hand, anyone who was still running on the bases was a candidate to be thrown out. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the . He was big guy, very strong, very muscular. More often than not, your eyes will not be deceived by what is displayed on a throw. . 2022 Offensive Stats: 592 PA, .235 . Baseball may never see another player as smooth at the "catch-and-throw" than Al Kaline. . 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. 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. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a Vaughn has underestimated power and maintains a good batting average. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, opponents learned very quickly that the explosive throws he had a reputation for making in Japan were very much a reality, and they generally wouldn't even think about running when Ichiro had the ball in his hand. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. thrown with. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. 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. 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. Then during a throwing competition where competitors were given a six-step running start, Gorbous launched a ball 445 feet and 10 inches from the right field corner to left field, setting a world record that stands to this day. Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Honestly, he doesn't take many pitches, period, as he sits in the first percentile in chase rate. The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. Jump is calculated only on plays that are Two Stars or harder, meaning 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. 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. While his slugging percentage was down significantly, a lot of that can be attributed to working back from the injury. 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). His arm strength is middling, but he makes good throws nonetheless. 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. Current: A three-time All-Star, Johnny Callison terrorized baserunners from right field for more than a decade. 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. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. The fact that Dave Roberts might deploy him enough at 2B to give him that eligibility is just icing. Click a bubble to see all the player's throws. 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 26-year-old and his new found power led the Astros system with 31 HR in 130 games, all coming in Triple-A. pitch. There is a lot to love about O'Neill in fantasy formats, but there is a lot to question as well. 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. One of the greatest players that the game has ever seen, Ty Cobb needs no introduction. For as powerful as Winfield's arm was, it wasn't the most accurate, as Yankees manager Billy Martin opined after the seagull incident: "They say he hit the gull on purpose, They wouldn't say that if they'd seen the throws he'd been making all year. He is above the 90th percentile in all of the power categories and sprint speed, and when he is on the field, he is a dynamic player who contributes mightily to fantasy teams. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed 15. Critics may say that Judge often gets his assists from in-close because Yankee Stadium's right field is so small. Defensively, he is a great player. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists.