Assists, while a somewhat useful statistic in gauging how strong someone's throwing arm is, doesn't tell the whole storyit's hard to throw someone out when they don't even try to run. 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. Once he had the ball in his hand, anyone who was still running on the bases was a candidate to be thrown out. 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. He led the league with 17 assists in 1982, and has 166 for his career. His 6.4 WAR marked the sixth time in nine MLB seasons that he's been a 6-WAR player, and he finished fifth in NL MVP voting, one spot behind teammate Freddie Freeman. In 118 games, he slashed .292/.347/.468, buoying the ratios for fantasy managers in roto leagues. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have Any infielder. Outfielder Jump. 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. At. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the 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. Were talking raw speed here, not accuracy. He's also had nearly 2,000 tracked throws since Statcast came online in 2015, and exactly one of them -- one! 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 . 1 spot on this list for years to come. The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. 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. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight 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. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. I Suzuki 2. Youd think measuring throwing arm strength would be easy. 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. 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. 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. The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. Seven of the first 15 players in MLB.com's player rankings are outfielders, including four of the top five. Etc., etc., etc. USA TODAY Sports photo. But in 1957, while playing for the Omaha Redbirds of the American Association, Gorbous made two ridiculous throws. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? If anyone needs a change of scenery in order to maximize his talent, Bryan Reynolds is that guy. 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. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. The Major League average Pop Time on steal attempts of second base is 2.0 seconds . If strikeouts count against you in your league, then you might want to stay clear of Adolis Garcia. leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team He batted third or fourth for most of 2022, but his skillset reads like a No. 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. 2 spot in the lineup between NL batting title winner Jeff McNeil and the one-two punch of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. But what goes unappreciated is the arm strength of baseball's workhorsesthe infielders. From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. (Catcher throwing arm data has been available for some time and may be found here.). 45-Foot Phase Activity Number ofThrows. 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. Hes also, so far as Statcast is concerned, the owner of the strongest throwing arm in baseball this season -- or at least thats what being atop the newly released arm strength leaderboards for position players, available publicly for the first time, would imply. 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. Steven Kwan was hard for fantasy managers to believe in last season, but he ended up being the 16th-ranked outfielder in 5x5 leagues when it was all said and done. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? MLB Advanced Media, LP. 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. Andre Dawson epitomized the tern "five tool player" for more than a decade before 12 knee surgeries and age began to take their toll. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. 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. His ratios were down across the board, but he improved his K% and BB% and suffered from some bad luck with BABIP. His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in In 2021, before he was injured, that went up to 88.2 mph. If you have the IL spots, his current ADP of around 130 makes sense. It's baffling why baserunners still try and advance on Jeff Francoeur. He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). Evans had six seasons of at least 10 assists, and the 157 he has for his career leaves him tied with Andre Dawson. Key West (2-0): The Conchs ended 2022 with a 22-7 record and were able to play with many of the . attempt. Youd be surprised at how complicated it gets. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that 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. 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. These are available back to 2020, that being when Hawk-Eye was installed in all 30 stadiums as the hardware that powers Statcast. With runners on the corners and one out, Cardinals shortstop Luis Alicea hit a shot hurtling towards Van Slyke in center fieldone that was certainly deep enough to allow Jose Oquendo to tag up from third base. Throughout the year, we released monthly updates to our position-by-position power rankings, selecting the top 10 players at each spot. Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. Or is it because players with weaker arms are less likely to be allowed to play the left side in the first place? At the end of his breakout season, Justin Dirden felt fatigued. 2022 Offensive Stats: 592 PA, .235 . Daulton Vasho has catcher eligibility, which is one of the primary draws to him being drafted in the 40-50 range. 6 yr. ago. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . as Active Spin. The steals are why he goes so early in drafts because it is certainly not his patience at the plate. Back in 2017, a then-19-year-old Ronald Acua Jr. appeared in Miami at the Futures Game. 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 once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96) while hitting .242/.401/.452 with 25 doubles, 27 home runs, 62 RBI and 93 runs scored. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". Bob Quinn, former president of the Boston Braves and Boston Red Sox, had this to say when asked about Bob Meusel: "Meusel's arm was the best I ever saw. ), Slice and dice them as you like. But its also clear that it doesn't work for other positions. Arm Strength. 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. 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. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the You know what you're getting. Heres third basemen for 2021. Mlb Outfield Arm Strength Rankings There is no definitive answer when it comes to ranking MLB outfielders by arm strength, but there are a few metrics that can be used to make an educated guess. Cobb's 392 outfield assists rank second all-time behind Speaker. 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. games / 5. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. Clemente has more outfield assists than anyone who played after 1930 (I believe this was the year where they made the rule that you were allowed to run instead of speed-walk on the basepaths). exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Hes also No. Byron Buxton staying healthy is the carrot dangling in front of fantasy managers every offseason. 1 / 20. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. 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. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. 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. With many new faces around him, there is a chance he could drop down, which would harm his value. However, his .336 BABIP is unsustainable and will take a bite out of his batting average when it corrects. 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. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. 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. It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man. pitch. Catch up on the Top 25 in 2022 series: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Shortstops, Third Basemen. It is difficult to predict what effect the new running rules will have on his SB total, but fantasy managers can safely count on 10-15 in this area. 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. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. His arm strength is middling, but he makes good throws nonetheless. The 31-year-old hits the ball hard, in the 90th percentile in HardHit% and maxEV, and his BB% is a stellar 13.1%. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. He played in 84 games last season, slashing .295/.358/.500 with 16 HR, 54 RBI, and 40 runs. 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. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. On Aug. 21, Giants veteran Evan Longoria had to do the exact same thing, to make a throw of 100 feet from third to first. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as 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. The biggest plus Andrew Vaughn has going this season is that Tony La Russa won't be there to block his playing time. The charges would later be dropped. A finger injury derailed his season, but he finished the year strong. He's barely a half-season into his career. and 32 degrees. 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. When he was 13 years old, Shoeless Joe Jackson began pitching on the baseball team of the textile mill in which he worked. Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics. 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 10-time Gold Glove winner, Kaline finished his career with 170 career assists. Michael Harris II played 43 games in Double-A last year before getting called up to the majors and proceeded to hit 19 HR, steal 20 bases, and slash .297/.339/.514 on his way to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. MLB Advanced Media, LP. 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. Advanced arm strength, over-the-top arm action. The bad news for Nick Castellanos was a 46-point drop in his batting average in 2022. In fact, if we look at the 16 fielders who had enough throws to qualify at both second base and shortstop this year, plus Story, and look at their comparisons on both sides of the bag every single one had a harder average throw from the left side than the right side, by an average of 5.3 mph. If you want to understand how it all works stay right here. His 195 career assists leave him tied with another member of our list who you may have heard of, Willie Mays. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have Here are the players who just missed the cut, listed alphabetically: Ronald Acua Jr., ATLMark Canha, NYMDylan Carlson, STLOscar Gonzalez, CLENick Gordon, MINTrent Grisham, SDLourdes Gurriel Jr., TORAustin Hays, BALTeoscar Hernndez, TORJake McCarthy, ARIChas McCormick, HOUChristopher Morel, CHCLars Nootbaar, STLJurickson Profar, SDLuis Robert, CWSAnthony Santander, BALMyles Straw, CLESeiya Suzuki, CHCMichael A. Taylor, KCTyrone Taylor, MILLane Thomas, WASTrayce Thompson, SD/LADAlex Verdugo, BOSMike Yastrzemski, SFChristian Yelich, MIL. 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.