Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. The four-category stud is worth a first-round pick. 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. Week 1- First Day. Top Tools: Arm Strength - Baseball Prospectus He doesn't make a lot of loud contact at the plate . A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a 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. Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. He still has a microscopic walk rate, but he also took four points off his K%. 9. become a hit. His EV and HardHit% certainly showed no signs of slowing down, and he remains an on-base machine batting at the top of a fearsome lineup. This year, thats all the way up to 90.7 mph, which is about 75th percentile among outfielders. Top 10 Shortstop Prospects for Fantasy Baseball 2023 In 2020, his average on competitive throws was 86.6 mph, an almost exactly-average number. Some of them might just have weak arms, which is why they're at first base in the first place. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . 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) . His slash line declined to .263/.327/.445, though that average is misleading as his expected was .234. In traditional 5x5 leagues, he can anchor any fantasy outfield you put him in. 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. 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. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the Kyle Schwarber strikes out at such a large clip (29.9 K%) that it is easy to miss his dominance in other fantasy categories. Oscar Gonzalez does not take walks. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out To get past that, the averages work like this. [My arm strength] is just something natural.". 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. and 32 degrees. Outs Above Average Leaderboard Current: Outs Above Average Outs Above Average (OAA) is the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, making it a range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them. Etc., etc., etc. However, he took it to another level Friday night when he unleashed a pair of critical outfield assists. 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. The Arkansas commit is an explosive athlete that burned a 6.62 in the 60-yard dash, then showcased a sizzler of an arm, 90 mph across the infield and 95 . Once he had the ball in his hand, anyone who was still running on the bases was a candidate to be thrown out. 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 [!] (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. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. At the end of his breakout season, Justin Dirden felt fatigued. For example, lets take two somewhat similar plays. Byron Buxton staying healthy is the carrot dangling in front of fantasy managers every offseason. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that Where do you draft the superstar who will only play half the season at most? produces a result. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Early 2023 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings: Top 30 offers an abundance of power-speed bats, but also risk You may think a top 30 only scratches the surface, but outfield thins quickly How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from While "The Catch" is unquestionably one of the great plays in the history of the game, the part of the play that is often overlooked is the throw that Willie Mays made immediately following it. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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.". 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 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. I think his weakness, so far as he has any, is in his throwing arm. High effort on throws, accurate. 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 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. ", 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. Fantasy managers can deal with those considering he is above the 90th percentile in Avg EV, Max EV, HardHit%, barrel%, outs above avg, and sprint speed. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff velocity and launch angle. . Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. Paul Goldschmidt, for example, is an MVP candidate this year, and a borderline Hall of Famer. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we still had markakis in RF, but this is surprising. Mike Trout is finally a 5-tool player. + Allen Williams, LHP/OF, Cleveland Central, 2019 Arm strength is measured on "max effort" throws, or the average above a player's 90th percentile performance. Back in 2017, a then-19-year-old Ronald Acua Jr. appeared in Miami at the Futures Game. It's understandable that fantasy managers who drafted him thinking they secured a 30/30 guy were disappointed at the end of the season. 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. It gets you from Point A to Point B more quickly. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. 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. 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. 6) Do first basemen really ever have to throw hard? In 1978, Cromartie and Valentine led the league in outfield assists with 24 apiece. I thought he (Van Slyke) had no chance, to be honest with you," said Pirates manager Jim Leyland after the game. Non-first base infielders get the average of the top 5% of their throws. In 2022, thats down again, to 76 mph. Remember though that depth of. When he was 13 years old, Shoeless Joe Jackson began pitching on the baseball team of the textile mill in which he worked. In that case, he is a perfect complement to whatever three true outcome player you draft for power. 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. USA TODAY Sports photo. Only in baseball can the son of a potato farmer who born and raised on Long Island become Boston's favorite son. 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. 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. 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). 2022 Stats: 117 G, .261 BA/.374 OBP/.394 SLG, 19 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 8 SB. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". While Game 6 of the 1975 World Series is best remembered for Carlton Fisk's dramatic, game-winning and series-extending home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, Evans was responsible for turning a double play in the top of the 11th inning that made Fisk's heroics possible. Ranking the Top 25 Outfielders of the 2022 MLB Season 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. 1 spot in 2023? 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. Top 15 MLB Corner Outfielders for 2023 | Just Baseball How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. A two-time gold glove winner, Mondesi's career high for assists didn't come until 2001 with the Toronto Blue Jays, when he threw out 18 baserunners from right field. Some, though, might just not have had the opportunity elsewhere to show it. The 29-year-old hit .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBI and 102 runs scored as the table-setter atop the Mets' lineup, and he once again played a roughly league-average center field. 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. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the He only played in 119 games due to a rare and persistent back injury that will require more rest days going forward, even when healthy. He's barely a half-season into his career. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Therein lies the problem, of course. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. OF-95 mph. . That's the case with Bob Meusel, who was actually a slightly below-average fielder for his time. 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. This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. 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. Judge is the guy if fantasy managers want to shore up their slugging early. Julks was solid in 2021 but had a breakout season in 2022. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. produces a result. Laureano is looking to bounce back after a rough 2020 season in which he hit just .213 with a .704 OPS. You can see video of the play here (the actual play starts around the 40 second mark). 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. A shortstop and pitcher in high school, Sheffield played both positions on the left side of the infield until 1994his seventh in the majorswhen he moved to the outfield. 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. Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. Known primarily for his throwing arm, Glenn Wilson threw out 38 runners between 1985 and 1986, leading the league in assists each season. Critics may say that Judge often gets his assists from in-close because Yankee Stadium's right field is so small. 20. 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. 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. His K% (25.9) and BB% (7.1) need improvement, but at age 22, he has plenty of time to work on these numbers. He was one of only two qualified hitters with a strikeout rate below 10 percent, and he also won Gold Glove honors thanks to his brilliant defensive metrics (21 DRS, 8.4 UZR/150) in left field. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from 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. He falls into the "walk year" category, so he might outperform his projections. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff His career high came last year in Washington, recording nine. With the Montreal Expos, Valentine was part of a young, talented outfield that included Warren Cromartie and Andre Dawson. 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. 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. 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). Hard to believe he was that agile. 23. 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. The biggest plus Andrew Vaughn has going this season is that Tony La Russa won't be there to block his playing time. attempt. From 2000 through 2004, Edmonds tallied at least 10 assists a season, and he finished with 131 for his career. He stole six bases in nine attempts, but his numbers declined from his best year in 2021. 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. (And even that one, a force out at home plate, came back in 2015.). 1 spot on this list for years to come. Let's dive into the top 25 outfielders of the 2022 season. MLB strongest throwing arm 2022 The steals are why he goes so early in drafts because it is certainly not his patience at the plate. 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. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to Ten MLB breakout predictions for 2023: Jim Bowden's hitters and 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. Just beware that his numbers might look much closer to 2021 than 2022. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. Once the No. The strength of the club lies in its outfield with seniors Ethan Beal and Benjamin Jurenko back. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. 45-Foot Phase Activity Number ofThrows. Or is it because players with weaker arms are less likely to be allowed to play the left side in the first place? 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. After Ichiro, Francoeur has the best throwing arm in baseball today. 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. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason If you have the IL spots, his current ADP of around 130 makes sense. Trout might be the best player to ever live when all is said and done, but for years, he was never really a five-tool player because his throwing arm wasnt really a strength. In early September, he tried to throw out Jose Altuve, who was tagging up on a sacrifice fly. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. 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. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an 15. 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. As for Vlad, well he only had 13,000 innings. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight 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. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. The first of which registered. Of note, he increased his stolen bases, and this trend could continue in 2023 with the new baserunning rules. 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. 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. Brett Phillips brings energy; Tucker Davidson impresses - mlb.com His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. His homers fell from 31 to 27 as a result, but he increased his runs and RBI by 11 each, and he stole 25 bases to boot. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. 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. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. A prototypical right fielder with plus power and a strong throwing arm, Renfroe was productive once again playing for his fourth team in as many years. attempt. The No. He is projected as a 15/15 outfielder and worth a look in the double-digit rounds. Van Slyke would finish his career with five Gold Gloves and 107 assists. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. Statcast Year to Year Stats | baseballsavant.com 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. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff Dave Winfield's throwing arm was so powerful that simply warming up in the outfield was a dangerous proposition. 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. He filled up the stat sheet with 22 doubles, 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 89 runs scored and 14 steals while playing his usual solid defender in center field in a 4.0-WAR campaign.