Shortstops with the highest max arm strength, 2022 1. For Springer, that box is checked indelibly. In addition to a standard strength-training regimen for upper body and arm strength, outfielders can perform daily throwing drills, such as one-knee throwing and long tosses, to build their. Base runners in the National League feared the arm of Roberto Clemente. Anyone paying attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 knew Bryan Reynolds was capable of the type of season he put together in 2021. In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. Ramirez has never won a Gold Glove and he is thought of more for his offensive prowess than his defensive abilities. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. Jesse Barfield had an incredibly strong and an incredibly accurate throwing arm. One of the tougher players to slot on this list, Buxton played in only 61 games while missing time with a hip strain and fractured hand. But the best of the best can fire lasers directly at their targets, from any position. The guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. Infielder Tyler Hardman also finds himself in the top 30, but unlike Fitts, he wasn't even ranked ahead of the 2022 season. The corner outfield spots are going to be packed with talent in 2023. Dawson racked up 157 outfield assists in his 21 major league seasons. Non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs at the start of last offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals. He hit .310/.383/.458 with 42 extra-base hits and 47 steals in 52 attempts to lead the majors. There has been industry speculation that he was still dealing with the aftereffect of the fractured right kneecap he suffered at the end of the 2019 season. Through Williams's age 21 year -- two seasons -- he had 203 walks, 54 homers and an OPS of 1.041 in 293 games. Shortstop Dansby Swanson is hitting .322/.372/.594 with 10 home runs in 36 games since the All-Star break. In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. Martinez started cold and never recovered last season, and Meadows was never right after dealing with COVID-19 in July. He played more games in the outfield (93) than he did at his natural position of third base (55), and he posted a 124 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 25 home runs and 73 RBI in a 3.3 WAR season. However, he was worth a staggering 4.5 WAR when he was on the field. Here are five options going much later in drafts than they should based on their . With Charlie Morton and Blake Snell both departing during the offseason and Tyler Glasnow lost to Tommy John surgery, more pressure has fallen on the relief corps to prop up the pitching staff. He had such a good showing last year that as some rival executives kick around the idea of a possible Toronto match in a Francisco Lindor trade, they think Gurriel could anchor the package of players going from the Jays to Cleveland. Bobby Abreu has had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in baseball in recent years. Harper wraps up the first tier. From Jimenez's first season to his second, his wRC+ jumped from 116 to 141. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. The former Red Sox great and six-time Gold Glove winner is known for his arm. Honorable Mention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants. February 13, 2023. With the Astros first pick the 2021 draft, they took a prospect who fell right in their laps. He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. One important stipulation: Each player could only be selected for one of the five tools. Colavito is another player on this list who has a legendary arm. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. Evans was considered to have one of the greatest throwing arms in baseball in the 1970s. Bellinger has made some spectacular throws, like his 268-foot laser from right field to third base to bail the Dodgers out of a late-inning bases-loaded jam against the Mets last May 27 (his second outfield assist of that game). Julio Rodriguez was the team's best player while former top prospect arms Logan Gilbert and George Kirby shined in Seattle's rotation. He racked up 4.7 WAR despite missing 35 games early in the season with a fractured rib. Despite his defensive limitations, he should be able to find a more lucrative deal this winter. When he's locked in and at his best, they reported, he's consistently pulling the ball, driving it, and this is not what Betts was doing. More MLB videos How Does Carlos Correa Fit on the Giants? 6 spot. After a slow start, reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman is once posting elite numbers. That's primal, natural. The 33-year-old hit .307 with runners in scoring position, and he had a .937 OPS in 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. He went three rounds without hitting a home run, and had one extra-base hit in the seven-game National League Championship Series against the Braves. He also played a solid defensive center field in a 5.7 WAR season. That's why the model. Below, we're focusing on fantasy baseball outfield sleepers. He had nine assists in 2022. . After a terrific finish to the 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs, Nick Castellanos signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds in free agency. Steven Hajjar- Michigan prospect sophomore that fanned 24 of 87 batters faced and 3-0 record in four game. This is a pretty straight forward category. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). It's worth remembering that during the 2018-19 seasons, Pham had an on-base percentage of .368 and scored 179 runs in 282 games. Thursday, it's outfielders -- the top 10 left fielders, center fielders and right fielders. Ramirez is fourth among active outfielders with 129 career assists. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up The 29-year-old opted out of the final two years of his contract shortly after the World Series concluded. 2021:Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection as an outfielder Started 58 of 59 games played in centerfield Batted .262 (53-for-202) with nine home runs and 33 RBI Scored 35 runs and walked 26 times Swiped 9 of 13 bases (69.2 percent) Best Outfield Arm. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? He homered 12 times in a 10-game stretch at the end of June, but he missed most of July with a hamstring strain. Let's get right into it. Starling Marte made a unique bit of history in 2021, becoming the first player in MLB history with at least 20 stolen bases in both leagues in the same season. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. Second baseman Ozzie Albies has been one of the most productive players at the position since his first full season in 2018, and this season is no different. In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . Take a look at this strikeout from his MLB debut season in 2021: At the moment Drew Rasmussen releases this fastball, Duran's hands are moving up and back, his leg is elevated, and he has a whole lot of movement to execute to catch up with the 98-mph pitch. The 26-year-old finished the season as a 6.0 WAR player, earning a spot among the Gold Glove finalists in center field on top of his excellent offensive numbers. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. The damage he did in the playoffs and World Series, against some of the best pitchers in the world, was absolutely staggering. Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide, The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. They've helped to bridge the gap with veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria both missing significant time because of injuries. The two-time Gold Glove winner had five seasons in which he had more than 10 assists. Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays Whitaker was ranked the #37 prospect by MLB. We are simply looking for which team has the most productive unit this season. While Bo Jackson's greatest accomplishment might be the fact that he is the greatest video game character ever, it is not the only thing that Bo is known for. . Jordan Wicks- from Kansas State at 6'2 and 220lbs he is 2-0 in 2021 and went 3-0 last year. Kimbrel still has explosive stuff with a fastball that sits comfortably in the high-90s and a wipeout curveball that generated a staggering 59.3 percent whiff rate in 2021. The top 10 right fielders, based on input from folks around baseball: From Sarah Langs of MLB.com, about Betts: "He ended the year with a 93.3% contact rate on in-zone pitches, which led all hitters with at least 250 swings at in-zone pitches. The MLB Tonight panel breaks . Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs): 96.7 mph 3. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. For your basic .520/.647/1.160 slash line. Mervis' busy spring preparing him for Majors. Despite missing almost all of September with a hairline fracture in his left thumb, Bez tied for third in Defensive Runs Saved (26) and placed second among all players in Outs Above Average (+19). ESPN's Paul Hembekides sent this along: "I think his issues in 2020 stem from a lack of confidence -- he just stopped swinging. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. After fielding the fly ball, Clemente unleashed a rocket that cause Retterman to retreat back to third base. There are undoubtedly better defensive trios than this group, but their top-tier offensive production earns them the nod for top outfield unit in 2021. Even with all of those free passes and teams pitching around him, he still managed 20 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. However, Mays is more well-known for "The Catch" than for his arm. The 29-year-old proved that performance was sustainable over a full season this year, logging a 133 OPS+ while hitting .296/.346/.524 with 29 doubles, 32 home runs and 116 RBI. Soto has created a mountain of crazy numbers already, but here's one of my favorites: When he led off an inning in 2020 -- when pitchers might've been most likely to challenge him -- Soto went 13-for-25, with four doubles, four homers, eight walks, one hit by pitch and one strikeout. The 24-year-old hit .251 with 10 homers, 10 steals and 42 runs in 59 games for the Padres last year. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead. Steven Duggar-OF-San Francisco Giants-Bats Left-Age 27 It might be tough to pry Duggar from the winning Giants, but he is a very good defensive center fielder with speed. You can't go wrong taking him in the top five, either. Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. Scouts have long graded position players on five tools that are central to success in the game: hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. The aisle of youth had two of the best young arms in Cuba but Raisel Iglesias and Yoan Lopez now represent two of the best Cuban arms in the Majors. But given his offensive production and impact at the top of the lineup, that's more than enough to make him an extremely valuable all-around player. He struggling terribly against off-speed pitches -- in 2018, Yelich batted .302 against breaking balls; last year, .191. Past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order. Starling Marte, Miami Marlins Kyle Schwarber, Washington Nationals/Boston Red Sox. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. Ichiro has won a Gold Glove all 10 years that he has been in the major leagues. You can make a case for a number of players to go first overall in 2021 drafts, but were giving Acua a slight edge over Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Heres the 23-year-olds per-162-game averages over the past two seasons: 45 homers, 37 steals, 105 RBIs and 139 runs with a .274/.374/.531 slash line. He had just 18 swings and misses at in-zone pitches in the entire regular season. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. Yelich is 29 years old. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs, Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets; Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners; Aaron Hicks, New York Yankees; Victor Robles, Washington Nationals; Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins. Edmonds had phenomenal range while he was younger, and there are many instances in which he scaled the outfield wall to retrieve would-be home runs. Slowed by a variety of injuries in 2020, Bryant returned healthy and productive this year. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . The 33-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free-agent market this winter. For a boost in the batting-average category, target McNeil, Verdugo or Brantley. Amazingly, his arm was not the best part of his game defensively. 2. But with several intriguing free-agent outfielders available this winter, Chaim Bloom and Co. could look to add some depth at the position.