His 126 career assists include six consecutive seasons of 10 or more, from 1999 through 2004. In the bottom of the 10th inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 5, 1989, Jackson's arm made one of the great throws in the history of the game. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. How Fast Do Major League Infielders Throw? - Baseball Scouter Statcast Statistics Player Batting 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | All In order to account for that, outfielders receive the average of their top 10% hardest throws as a seasonal average. His slash line was an other-worldly .311/.425/.686 with an xwOBA of .463 and wRC+ of 207. 2. Cannons and Popguns Rating Outfield Arms - The Hardball Times Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". He played in 84 games last season, slashing .295/.358/.500 with 16 HR, 54 RBI, and 40 runs. 2023 Frisco Classic: Everything You Need To Know D1Baseball Fantasy managers can expect a course correction in 2023, somewhere in the vicinity of 30+ HR, 110+ RBI, and an elite .400+ OBP. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didn't result in an assist. 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. Baseball Savant. Flexibility, mechanics and total-body strength are key factors coaches and trainers stress in order to increase arm strength. 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. Top 10 Shortstop Prospects for Fantasy Baseball 2023 exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Taylor Ward's breakout in his fifth MLB season was interrupted by a nagging hamstring injury that cut into his ability to be a consistent fantasy asset. 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. 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. 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. That out of the way, lets ask some of the fun questions. 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. We can't blame the Pirates for Reynolds's increased K% (23.0) and decreased BB% (9.1%), but we certainly can put the onus on them for his putrid runs and RBI numbers. 15. It was his hardest throw in nearly three calendar years. Milwaukee Brewers Top 30 prospects list 2023 preseason - mlb.com These are available back to 2020, that being when Hawk-Eye was installed in all 30 stadiums as the hardware that powers Statcast. Had he only been able to stay healthy, we could be talking about the greatest player in the history of the gamebefore he got injured, there was no better player in the game. 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. 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. All rights reserved. The 30-year-old posted a 136 OPS+ with 40 doubles, 35 home runs, 82 RBI and an NL-leading 117 runs scored in 142 games. Arm Strength. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. Hard to believe he was that agile. 20. [My arm strength] is just something natural.". 12 finisher hit .297. window.". His primary downfall when it comes to fantasy value is his 58.6% ground ball rate, which limits his HR and RBI totals. + Allen Williams, LHP/OF, Cleveland Central, 2019 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. Aaron Judge put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in MLB history in 2022, setting the AL record with 62 home runs while making a legitimate run at the Triple Crown by hitting .311/.425/.686 with 131 RBI and 133 runs scored. 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. He may suffer some of the typical rookie issues, but all signs point to a quick adjustment and solid fantasy production. At the end of the day, he is still Mike Trout, for better or worse. 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. It's not natural. Arm strength is measured on "max effort" throws, or the average above a player's 90th percentile performance. If anyone needs a change of scenery in order to maximize his talent, Bryan Reynolds is that guy. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit 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. MLB average for right fielders is about 49 percent. 2 prospect in baseball when the season began, he lived up to the hype and then some by hitting .284/.345/.509 with 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 84 runs scored and 25 steals in 132 games. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. First, standing at home plate, he only needed three attempts to throw a ball over the center field wall, 410 feet away. In traditional 5x5 leagues, Garcia can provide value from the fifth round on. That doesn't happen without Furillo's play. MLB.com lists Ramon Laureano (average 94.8, top 100.1) and Cody Bellinger (101.1 top) as two outfielders with some of the best arms in the league. 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. 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. 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. and 32 degrees. one base to another, like Home To First. Outfielder Jump. Corbin Carroll mashed his way through the minor league system and arrived in Arizona for his debut in 2022. 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. 5 TanteUschi Proportional frame w/ well developed strength and athleticism. Arm: RH. Expect him to be one of the faces of baseball for the next decade-plus and a strong contender for the No. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). MLB players with the best arms - MLB.com 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Just beware that his numbers might look much closer to 2021 than 2022. In traditional 5x5 leagues, he can anchor any fantasy outfield you put him in. 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. Cedric Mullins stole 30+ bases for the second consecutive year in 2022, though the power disintegrated, lowering his home total to 16 from 30. 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). Suzuki struggled to adjust to the different levels of pitching, but he is a prime candidate for a bounceback season. 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. 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. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed 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. ), But the counterbalance to that is looking at a handful of infielders who have played on both sides of the bag just this season. His OBP was the second-lowest of his career at .323, but his xwOBA was .375, so hopefully, some improvement is in the cards for 2023. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a He once again tallied more walks (135) than strikeouts (96). OF Arms | FanGraphs Baseball on March 4, 2023. 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. . His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. Remembered more for hitting four home runs in one game than anything else, Mark Whiten's throwing arm was a weapon that he often tried to hide. 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. Prep Baseball Report > Mississippi > News 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. 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. Infielders have less time to throw shorter distances. Even with his torn UCL last season, he still slashed .286/.364/.514 and powered the Phillies to the World Series. It can be used to evaluate outfielders on attempted assists, catchers on stolen base and pickoff throws, and infielders on throws across the diamond. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. The steals are why he goes so early in drafts because it is certainly not his patience at the plate. The 27-year-old struck out 156 times in 586 at-bats while drawing only 46 free passes; if you believe it, these were improved numbers from 2021. primarily for the Cleveland Indians. Once the No. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the OF-95 mph. MLB Power Rankings: Vladimir Guerrero and the 12 Deadliest Outfield Heres what his 43rd-hardest throw looks like its clearly one hes putting effort into. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an But its also clear that it doesn't work for other positions. Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. Astros' Justin Dirden Tests New Body At Big League Camp In three seasons, he only has 924 plate appearances, and fantasy managers have been left to wonder what it would look like if he got 600 appearances in one season. 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. 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 [!] Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the orderthis is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2022. 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. The speedy Reynolds headed full steam towards third as Jackson played the ball on the warning track. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. Obviously. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . 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. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was He will . The immortal Vin Scully put it best: "Clemente could field the ball in New York, and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.". 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. MLB Advanced Media, LP. games / 5. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the Byron Buxton staying healthy is the carrot dangling in front of fantasy managers every offseason. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Reports also surfaced that he had turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington, and soon, the HR Derby winner headed to San Diego with expectations as big as the contract he turned down. However, he can be a mid-round source of stolen bases either way. An All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time, Happ hit .271/.342/.440 for a 119 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored and 4.4 WAR in 158 games. Baseball is largely played in terms of feet and seconds, and they all add up quickly. He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. The volume just hasn't been there to truly be a fantasy stud. produces a result. 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. 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. Brett Phillips brings energy; Tucker Davidson impresses - mlb.com Road to the Show Q&A - MLB 12 Wiki Guide - IGN His 149 OPS+ ranked eighth among all qualified hitters and trailed only Aaron Judge (211) and Yordan lvarez (187) among outfielders. Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. 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. 23. Defensively, he is a great player. A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit 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. 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. The charges would later be dropped. (For this, well just look at throws on fielded balls, not outfield relays or double play pivots.). Critics may say that Judge often gets his assists from in-close because Yankee Stadium's right field is so small. 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. Outfielders can get a running start, preparing for a long throw. 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. A three-time All-Star, Andy Van Slyke was one of the more underrated players in baseball during his career. Phelps would only play poorly in parts of two seasons in the Bronx. 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. He still has a microscopic walk rate, but he also took four points off his K%. A shortstop in college, Cory Snyder made his mark in the major leagues as a power-hitting outfielder. 25 attempts). To get past that, the averages work like this. Ten MLB breakout predictions for 2023: Jim Bowden's hitters and Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. Prep Baseball Report > Missouri > News 25. 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. One of the most well-rounded players in the sport, Kyle Tucker continued his rise as a bona fide superstar for the Houston Astros in 2022. When he makes contact, Arozarena's elite maxEV will allow good things to happen. Phillies 2022 preview: The outfield bomb squad | PhillyVoice He finished his career with 89 assists in 877 games played, which means that, on average, Snyder threw out a runner every 10 games. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones Mark. (He has 14 harder throws from the right side, though obviously in far more opportunities. Jake McCarthy is a vessel for stolen bases in the later rounds of drafts. outfield. He is currently going in the 180s and has enough RBI upside to take a flier on him at that ADP. That's an average of like 5000 fewer innings than the people ahead of him on the list. Pop Time to 2B: 1.6 sec to 2.5 sec Pop Time to 3B: 1.2 sec to 2.5 sec Exchange: .4 sec to 1.3 sec Statcast Year to Year Stats | baseballsavant.com 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. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. window.". Not only was it probably the better part of 300 feet, it was dead on line and in the air the whole way.". He should also get to move back to the infield and play 1B now that Jose Abreu is in Houston. window.". His sophomore campaign should be a boon to fantasy teams, and he will come at a discount. Julks was solid in 2021 but had a breakout season in 2022. Oscar Gonzalez does not take walks. 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. If you have the IL spots, his current ADP of around 130 makes sense. 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. A seven-time All-Star who won only one Gold Glove award, Reggie Smith had one of the great throwing arms of the 1970's. Remembered more for his involvement in the Black Sox Scandal and alleged throwing of the 1919 World Series, Jackson routinely picked off baserunners from the outfield, racking up 183 career assists, including 90 in a three-year span from 1911 through 1913. 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. 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. His ratios were down across the board, but he improved his K% and BB% and suffered from some bad luck with BABIP. Acua maxed out at 101.5 mph this season, and on Aug. 13, he had a 99.1 mph outfield assist, throwing out Joey Wendle trying to stretch a single into a double from the right-field 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. 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. 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. Here are Justin Leger's top 20 outfielders for the upcoming season. Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018.