For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. Solid . Cedric Mullins stole 30+ bases for the second consecutive year in 2022, though the power disintegrated, lowering his home total to 16 from 30. Heres third basemen for 2021. 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. It's not natural. A shortstop in college, Cory Snyder made his mark in the major leagues as a power-hitting outfielder. 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. Nicknamed the "Reading Rifle," Furillo led all outfielders in assists in 1951 with 24, and he has 151 for his career. Suppose he continues to bat atop the Cleveland order and takes advantage of the new baserunning rules. It was his hardest throw in nearly three calendar years. 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. 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. 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. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. 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. Outfielder Jump. 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. Jesse Barfield was considered to have the best outfield arm in the '80s and he wasn't shy about reminding his opponents. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, Kaline finished his career with 170 career assists. At the end of the day, he is still Mike Trout, for better or worse. Those who did generally failed in their attempt to take an extra base, and Puckett finished his career gunning down 142 men on base. Not only is his arm incredibly strong, it's also accurate. 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. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. 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. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the 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 missed 52 games due to injury, and his BABIP was a career-low (by a lot) .227. 20. Defense: Moves through the ball well, gets to the ball quick. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Three times he registered 20 or more assists in a season. The Orioles seem dedicated to giving their prospects every opportunity to succeed, which boosts Mullins's value in the runs category. 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. Evans had six seasons of at least 10 assists, and the 157 he has for his career leaves him tied with Andre Dawson. pitch. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff 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. Its the chicken-and-the-egg question of our times. 3. The 31-year-old hits the ball hard, in the 90th percentile in HardHit% and maxEV, and his BB% is a stellar 13.1%. Week 1- First Day. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. 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. . How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Theres a lot of lobs and non-competitive throws. Outfielders can get a running start, preparing for a long throw. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. The 25-year-old hit .306/.406/.613 for a gaudy 187 OPS+ that trailed only Aaron Judge among all players, tallying 29 doubles, 37 home runs, 97 RBI and 95 runs scored in 135 games for a 6.8-WAR season. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. Compare that, for example, to the 211 such throws from shortstops, or the nearly 2,500 from right fielders (which almost certainly underestimates the truth in the early years). Not all was lost, though, as the 27-year-old showed off more of his speed, stealing 14 bases, which was only one less than his 2021 total. 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. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. 8 prospect in the game. A lot of 2023 draft boards will have Aaron Judge at the top of them, and there is no doubt he belongs there after his record-setting 2022. Not any more. games / 5. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. The left-handed outfielder had a rock solid 2022 season, holding a .281 batting average with 12 home runs while leading the South Atlantic League with 34 doubles joining Project Birmingham. A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. Traded shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox for pitcher Josh Taylor. 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 [!] He was unsuccessful, but the throw was tracked at 94.8 mph. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. 25. He falls into the "walk year" category, so he might outperform his projections. As Mookie Betts enters his age-30 season, there is some expected decline in a few areas (fly ball rate increased but led to a lower ground ball EV/BABIP). Van Slyke would finish his career with five Gold Gloves and 107 assists. His strikeout rate crept above 30% for the first time since his rookie year. Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst, who both played and managed against Roberto Clemente, gave Whiten's throwing arm the ultimate compliment: "As far as arm strength goes . He stole six bases in nine attempts, but his numbers declined from his best year in 2021. His 10.6 WAR led all of baseball, as did his ridiculous 211 OPS+ meaning he was more than twice as productive as the average hitter. You know what you're getting. 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. Bo Bichette, Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor, Corey . window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. 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. Some, though, might just not have had the opportunity elsewhere to show it. A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit (Catcher throwing arm data has been available for some time and may be found here.). OF-95 mph. He finished his career with one Gold Glove award and 117 assists, largely in part to the fact that nobody was crazy enough to try running on him after awhile. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. "Jarrett is a speedy, defensive outfielder with a good arm and high baseball IQ," Swillum said. Defensively, he is a great player. Jesse Barfield could always throw, and anyone who challenged his arm generally found themselves on the losing end of the battle. 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;. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images, Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an However, his .336 BABIP is unsustainable and will take a bite out of his batting average when it corrects. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. 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. It's understandable that fantasy managers who drafted him thinking they secured a 30/30 guy were disappointed at the end of the season. Hes also No. Furillo picked up the ball and fired a strike to Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges, beating Queen to the bag by two feet. A .230/.305/.388 career hitter in 534 plate appearances entering the 2022 season, Ward was one of the year's biggest surprises. Baseball may never see another player as smooth at the "catch-and-throw" than Al Kaline. 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 its also clear that it doesn't work for other positions. In 1978, Cromartie and Valentine led the league in outfield assists with 24 apiece. 5) Wait, is Mike Trout actually improving at yet another thing? 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. . 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. But it is best to exercise some caution and ensure you have outfield depth if you plan to roster him. Only in baseball can the son of a potato farmer who born and raised on Long Island become Boston's favorite son. Etc., etc., etc. 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. In a down season by his own lofty standards, Juan Soto was still one of the most productive offensive players in the game. 25. Rojas is the club's fourth-ranked prospect, and with a bit of fine-tuning. His 126 career assists include six consecutive seasons of 10 or more, from 1999 through 2004. 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). Jake McCarthy is a vessel for stolen bases in the later rounds of drafts. If you want to understand how it all works stay right here. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. Between natural talent and growing up with his uncleformer New York Mets ace Dwight Goodenteaching him how to pitch, Gary Sheffield was destined to have a cannon for an arm. With that, he became just the second player in Astros history with a 30-homer, 25-steal season, joining Hall of Famer first baseman Jeff Bagwell who did it twice. Its hard to think its entirely about Storys move to the right side. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight In 2021, still at shortstop, that was down to 79.1 mph, largely believed to be related to a midseason elbow injury. Run: 7.10 runner in the 60. When Michael Harris II made his MLB debut on May 28, 2022, he was just a few months past his 21st birthday and had played just 43 games at the Double-A level, jumping over Triple-A entirely. The tools are all there: Robert has good speed, reduced his strikeout rate in 2022, and his expected slash numbers will be helpful to fantasy squads. 2. 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. play. Heres Astros outfielders, since 2020. become a hit. Starling Marte had a good 2022 season, but injuries prevented him from being a truly great fantasy asset. (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. attempt. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". He's barely a half-season into his career. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). On Saturday . Honestly, he doesn't take many pitches, period, as he sits in the first percentile in chase rate. Speaker refused, worked like a maniac to rehab the arm, and not only went on to become a Hall of Fame player and one of the greatest center fielders to ever play the game, but to have one of the best throwing arms that the game has ever seen. The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. 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. 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. 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. 14. Its that the demands of different positions are, well, different. If you want to get to the fun stuff -- the leaderboards, and fun questions about them -- feel free to skip to the part about Oneil Cruz. Going back to 2015, he has two of the three hardest throws ever tracked by an infielder. An intimidating physical presence standing 6'5" and weighing 235 pounds, Dave Parker only exacerbated things by walking around the field with a shotgun. Which is a great lead-in to our next question . Baltimore Orioles. This year, thats all the way up to 90.7 mph, which is about 75th percentile among outfielders. His career high came last year in Washington, recording nine. From 1998 through 2002, Bobby Abreu racked up 59 assists patrolling right field for the Philadelphia Phillies. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. The 25-year-old set a new career high in 2022 in games played and still didn't crack 100, finishing at 98 with a variety of ailments and injuries derailing any sort of rhythm he could get. 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. Really, unless you are playing in a stolen base premium league, Alvarez offers little downside heading into 2023. White Sox first baseman Jos Abreu has about the same number of tracked throws as Rodrguez does. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team Some of them might just have weak arms, which is why they're at first base in the first place. When you measure a pitchers average fastball velocity, its simple. Heres what his 43rd-hardest throw looks like. Or is it because players with weaker arms are less likely to be allowed to play the left side in the first place? Let's dive into the top 25 outfielders of the 2022 season. 3) Players throw differently at different positions, right? The biggest plus Andrew Vaughn has going this season is that Tony La Russa won't be there to block his playing time. 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. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. it's a tough call between Clemente and Whiten.". The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in ), But the counterbalance to that is looking at a handful of infielders who have played on both sides of the bag just this season. Athletically built at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, the right-handed hitter barreled ball after ball with an average EV of 94.7 and top of 100.6 mph, while hitting the sweet spot at a 71 percent clip. The charges would later be dropped. 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. There is hope that the White Sox have realized that Eloy Jimenez is a designated hitter and will deploy him as such in an effort to keep the 26-year-old healthy. 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. Not only is he still a very good hitter at the age of 38, but when Ichiro throws the ball from right field it still comes out of his hand like a laser beam. It will be very important to keep track of where Happ is batting in the revamped Cubs lineup. 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. produces a result. He is projected as a 15/15 outfielder and worth a look in the double-digit rounds. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. 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. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have He finished his career with 89 assists in 877 games played, which means that, on average, Snyder threw out a runner every 10 games. 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. There is a lot of value to be had here. It's baffling why baserunners still try and advance on Jeff Francoeur. . He's also had nearly 2,000 tracked throws since Statcast came online in 2015, and exactly one of them -- one! 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. He is not projected to be quite as much of a disaster in 2023 - his HR total should creep back above 20 instead of 13 - but a 20/70/70/5 guy with a .260 batting average and low OBP isn't someone you have to reach for in a draft. 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. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have . outfield. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. At the time his throw slapped into first baseman Ryan Mountcastle's glove, Longoria's throw was still 15 feet away from his own first baseman, Wilmer Flores. His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Flexibility, mechanics and total-body strength are key factors coaches and trainers stress in order to increase arm strength. I Suzuki 2. Who can?". Remember though that depth of. However, he took it to another level Friday night when he unleashed a pair of critical outfield assists. become a hit. 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. Kaline was a master of putting himself in perfect position when a ball was hit in his direction where he would make the catch and fire the ball back into the infield in one, fluid motion. Pittsburgh Pirates coach Rich Donnelly explains: ""He eggs you on. 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. The Major League average Pop Time on steal attempts of second base is 2.0 seconds . 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. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second 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. The four-category stud is worth a first-round pick. In 2019, for example, Austin Meadows was the No. Five years later, Acua is a three-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year Award winner, and a World Series winner. His baseball career almost ended in 1905 when he enrolled at Fort Worth Polytechnic Institute. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. 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. 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. If anyone needs a change of scenery in order to maximize his talent, Bryan Reynolds is that guy. 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. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to Arguably the greatest athlete in the history of the game, Bo Jackson made impossible plays on a routine basis and his cannon of a right arm kept runners at bay. Fantasy managers just need to decide if they can ride out the 0-for-4 streaks. Glen Gorbous might actually have the greatest throwing arm in the history of the world, but because his incredible feats were primarily accomplished outside of game action, he finds himself closer to the bottom of the list. play. 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. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. one base to another, like Home To First. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a Van Slyke unleashed a throw to Pirates catcher Mike LaValliere that arrived in time to nail Oquendo, who was blocked from the plate by LaValliere's left leg long enough for the catcher to apply the tag. He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. 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. 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 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. become a hit. These are available back to 2020, that being when Hawk-Eye was installed in all 30 stadiums as the hardware that powers Statcast. Unless you're in a quirky league where defense counts, Melendez fills a scarce position with decent skills. It's useful for me because it allows me to see who the fans consider to be the best throwing outfielders. 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. He leads all active outfielders in career assists with 134. Today, the Prep Baseball Report Mississippi scouting staff takes a deeper look at outfield performances from the June event. (And even that one, a force out at home plate, came back in 2015.). 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. Just look at the 2022 averages on competitive throws from those positions. The strength of the club lies in its outfield with seniors Ethan Beal and Benjamin Jurenko back. 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. 1 spot on this list for years to come. Ruth carried his strong pitching arm into the outfield, where he threw out 204 runners over the course of his career. 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. pitch. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in 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. Still, his elite on-base skills continue to increase his value in fantasy leagues, especially considering that he bats leadoff in one of the most explosive lineups in baseball. "He was a leader offensively and defensively for us. 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. Dave Winfield's throwing arm was so powerful that simply warming up in the outfield was a dangerous proposition. 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). The No. Baseball is largely played in terms of feet and seconds, and they all add up quickly. Even with his torn UCL last season, he still slashed .286/.364/.514 and powered the Phillies to the World Series. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in I think his weakness, so far as he has any, is in his throwing arm. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the In order to qualify for the 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. 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. 12 finisher hit .297. More often than not, your eyes will not be deceived by what is displayed on a throw. 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.