The biggest downside is that he most likely does not have OF eligibility in your league, so make sure your UTIL slot is free for him. 20. -- came in above 72 mph. He's also had nearly 2,000 tracked throws since Statcast came online in 2015, and exactly one of them -- one! xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle 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. Phelps would only play poorly in parts of two seasons in the Bronx. MLB Advanced Media, LP. These should correct to be nearer to his baseline, in which case fantasy managers are drafting a 30/20 guy with high on-base skills who bats smack in the middle of what is, essentially, an All-Star team. In 2022, thats down again, to 76 mph. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a as Active Spin. His K% (25.9) and BB% (7.1) need improvement, but at age 22, he has plenty of time to work on these numbers. It's baffling why baserunners still try and advance on Jeff Francoeur. 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. Teammate Bob Meusel had a better arm than the Babe, but Ruth wasn't far behind. Known primarily as a right fielder, a position he played for 1,283 games, Dawson patrolled center for the Montreal Expos in more than 1,000 games as well. 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 range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a Seven times in his 23-year-career Yaz won a Gold Glove, and seven times he led outfielders in assists, including a career-high 19 in 1964. His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. one base to another, like Home To First. 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. But in 1957, while playing for the Omaha Redbirds of the American Association, Gorbous made two ridiculous throws. Harris should be a 20/20 guy for the foreseeable future, and he is surrounded in the lineup by guys who will boost his counting stats. I thought he (Van Slyke) had no chance, to be honest with you," said Pirates manager Jim Leyland after the game. He stole six bases in nine attempts, but his numbers declined from his best year in 2021. Daulton Vasho has catcher eligibility, which is one of the primary draws to him being drafted in the 40-50 range. 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. It's understandable that fantasy managers who drafted him thinking they secured a 30/30 guy were disappointed at the end of the season. lob after catching the third out of an inning). Before last season, the fantasy community almost unanimously labeled him a second-year bust, but the 29-year-old responded by improving his slash line across the board. 23. Exit Velocity & Barrels Leaderboard Current: Exit Velocity & Barrels A table displaying leaders in Statcast metrics such as Sweet Spot % (SwSp%), Barrels, Exit Velocity (EV), Batted Ball Distance (DST), Projected Home Run Distance (HR-DST), Launch Angle (LA) and Batted Ball Events (BBE) . 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. You dont want to average all of those together, because so much of it just doesnt matter, and theres not exactly a rulebook definition for was trying. For Rodrguez, for example, he has over 430 tracked throws, but nearly 80% of them are under 80 mph. Cedric Mullins stole 30+ bases for the second consecutive year in 2022, though the power disintegrated, lowering his home total to 16 from 30. 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. At. Indeed, the 25-year-old came back in late April, immediately began stealing bases, and rewarded fantasy managers who used a high draft pick on him. High effort on throws, accurate. His fastball was thrown so hard that he broke a catcher's arm with it, and when nobody else would catch him, they moved him to the outfield. 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. With the score tied at three and Harold Reynolds on first, Seattle catcher Scott Bradley hit a double to left. However, he can be a mid-round source of stolen bases either way. Its hard to think its entirely about Storys move to the right side. With the injury-prone label fading after back-to-back healthy seasons, teams can feel a bit more comfortable signing him to a long-term deal this winter, and he hits the open market for the first time as one of the highest profile players in the history of MLB free agency. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle 2022 Offensive Stats: 592 PA, .235 . Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. thrown with. With the addition of Xander Bogaerts, the return of Fernando Tatis, Jr., and the presence of Manny Machado, this is a real-life team you want multiple pieces of in fantasy. (And even that one, a force out at home plate, came back in 2015.). The strength of the club lies in its outfield with seniors Ethan Beal and Benjamin Jurenko back. become a hit. It only took two years for the American League to learn that you can't run on Kirby Puckett, a 10-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove award winner. velocity and launch angle. Expect him to be one of the faces of baseball for the next decade-plus and a strong contender for the No. His 10 hardest non-relay/pivot throws on the right side of the infield average 75.7 mph, maxing out at 78.2 mph. Its been well over a year since his last 80 mph+ throw, much of which he spent at shortstop; Arizonas Ketel Marte, comparatively, has six such throws just this month. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Even with his torn UCL last season, he still slashed .286/.364/.514 and powered the Phillies to the World Series. It will be very important to keep track of where Happ is batting in the revamped Cubs lineup. To get past that, the averages work like this. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement His 10 hardest throws of the season are as an outfielder, and his 20 hardest throws are at positions other than second base. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from 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. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Remember though that depth of. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the In 2019, for example, Austin Meadows was the No. Were talking raw speed here, not accuracy. and 32 degrees. Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. His first two throws fell just short. 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. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. After accumulating 35 assists in his first two seasons, baserunners simply chose not to try and advance when Puckett had the ball in his hand. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. When healthy, he was productive atop the Toronto lineup, smacking 25 HR, scoring 89 runs, driving in 76, and even stole 14 bases for good measure. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. 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. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. 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. Or is it because players with weaker arms are less likely to be allowed to play the left side in the first place? Critics may say that Judge often gets his assists from in-close because Yankee Stadium's right field is so small. 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. It was not his best all-around season by any stretch of the imagination, due in large part to the significant time he spent watching from the sidelines, but it was still good enough for a top-five ranking on this list. . It's not natural. BY Justin Leger -. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". Since the demands of each position grouping are different, the averages and qualifiers are different as well. 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. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we still had markakis in RF, but this is surprising. He is currently going in the 180s and has enough RBI upside to take a flier on him at that ADP. With a seasoned Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in front of him, Santander will fill your power categories in the tenth round or so. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. 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. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. The 29-year-old posted a 113 OPS+ with 66 extra-base hits, 101 RBI and 25 steals, while making modest improvements to his walk rate (5.1 to 6.1 percent) and strikeout rate (31.2 to 27.9 percent) in a 3.5-WAR campaign. 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. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Bo Bichette, Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor, Corey . Hes also No. 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. 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 bad news for Nick Castellanos was a 46-point drop in his batting average in 2022. The 26-year-old and his new found power led the Astros system with 31 HR in 130 games, all coming in Triple-A. He led the league with 17 assists in 1982, and has 166 for his career. 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. He famously broke the A.L. 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. 1 / 20. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw. Really, unless you are playing in a stolen base premium league, Alvarez offers little downside heading into 2023. The 21-year-old earned an All-Star selection, won Silver Slugger honors, finished seventh in AL MVP voting, and easily took home the AL Rookie of the Year Award. 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. Another year, another pile of accolades for Mookie Betts who won his fifth Silver Slugger, sixth Gold Glove and made his sixth trip to the All-Star Game in the third season of a 12-year, $365 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let them. 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. Rojas is the club's fourth-ranked prospect, and with a bit of fine-tuning. Therein lies the problem, of course. pitch. On Sept. 27, 1988, in front of less than 9,000 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Pirates had a 3-2 lead over the Cardinals heading into the ninth inning. He was unsuccessful, but the throw was tracked at 94.8 mph. 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. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. 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. Van Slyke would finish his career with five Gold Gloves and 107 assists. Run: 7.10 runner in the 60. Mike Trout missed 30 games at midseason with a back issue and still finished eighth in AL MVP voting while taking home his eighth Silver Slugger Award. Headlined by three MVPs, our list of the best corner outfielders is a who's who of top-tier talent in Major League Baseball. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. All rights reserved. . More often than not, your eyes will not be deceived by what is displayed on a throw. This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. 2. In 2020, Story averaged 82.3 mph as a Rockies shortstop -- a good-not-great number, slightly below average for shortstops. "[Those throws are] something that I do all natural," Acua said at the time. Current: 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. Key West (2-0): The Conchs ended 2022 with a 22-7 record and were able to play with many of the . The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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. attempt. A lot of his fantasy worth is tied up in whether or not he continues to bat at the top of the lineup. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. Daulton Varsho - 4.6 fWAR. Some of them might just have weak arms, which is why they're at first base in the first place. 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. Nicknamed "The Hawk" for his ability to track down any fly ball that came his way, Dawson's right arm should have required a permit to travel between Canada and the United States. Who would have guessed an under-the-radar rookie who didn't crack Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list and ranked as the No. 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. The shortstop position has become one of the deepest and most talented positions in fantasy baseball over the last decade. Meet Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom the Mets selected with their first pick. 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. 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. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 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. 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. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the 25 attempts). 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. The 2015 first-round pick hit .281/.360/.473 for a 135 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs, 65 RBI and 3.7 WAR in 135 games, and he now looks like a core piece of the lineup alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will His slash line was an other-worldly .311/.425/.686 with an xwOBA of .463 and wRC+ of 207. 3. A shortstop in college, Cory Snyder made his mark in the major leagues as a power-hitting outfielder. 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. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. 1 spot in 2023? Traded outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins for pitchers Steven Cruz and Evan Zisk. 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. On Saturday . He finished his career with 109 assists, 61 of which came in a four-year period for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1984 through 1987. OF-95 mph. 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. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. 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. 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. If you want to understand how it all works stay right here.