The two-year, $14 million contract Hernandez signed with Boston ended up being one of the best bargains of the 2020-21 free-agent market. Up next is the 22-year-old Soto, whose production over his first three seasons has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. C His contact rate was easily the worst of his career, and his swing rate was way down. For Springer, that box is checked indelibly. He was also a terrific defender in right field (11 DRS), and he proved capable of handling center field in a pinch. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . Yelich and Bellinger, the National League MVP Award winners in 2018 and '19, respectively, turned in disappointing campaigns a season ago, but were expecting big things from both in '21. 2. This year, he barely edges out Pittsburgh's Neil Walker, who checks in at minus-12-2, for the . Teel is an excellent athlete with a strong arm, and has a good swing with excellent hand acceleration, but he had some bad BABIP luck last year and hit just .276/.402/.439, a drop from his strong . Abreu's strong arm helped him win his only Gold Glove in 2005. Utley's UZR/150 has been at least 8.0 in nine of his 10 seasons as a regular in the big leagues. O'Neill won a Gold Glove last season, but he hit only .173 with a 70 OPS+ and 0.9 WAR in 50 games, tallying just 12 extra-base hits in 157 plate appearances. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays. The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. (Worth noting: Second on that list was DJ LeMahieu, who had a 92.9% in-zone contact rate, then Anthony Rendon and Tommy La Stella tied at 91.2% each.)". He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. 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. PART - Positioning, Balls hit in air, Range, and Throwing for Infielders; Range & Positioning on balls hit in air for Outfielders. In Trout's only three games in the postseason, as the Angels were swept by the Royals in a 2014 division series, he went 1-for-12 with a solo home run and three walks. 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. As a matter of fact, the consensus top two outfielders Mike Trout and Mookie Betts also are considered the two best overall players in MLB. Mejia, 25, is hitting .263/.323/.429 with 20 extra-base hits, and he has thrown out 32 percent of base stealers on the year. The identity of the No. Which outfielder has the strongest arm 2021? Joey Votto travels with Ted Williams' book "The Science of Hitting" and has built a Hall of Fame rsum based on a lot of the principles that Williams espoused -- like not doing the pitcher a favor by chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and runner-up in the MVP voting last year. Edmonds is currently third among active players in outfield assists with 131. His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants. He struggled in 2020, with his slugging percentage (.312) matching his on-base percentage. Fingers crossed that the 2021 MLB season will begin on time -- and that we get to see some live baseball at the ballpark this year. . Laureanos arm is best known for the throw mentioned above, which resulted in a double play after he caught a fly ball hit by Justin Upton at Angel Stadium. Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. The quick reaction and retreat and leap before taking extra bases away from Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the World Series. Rob Neyer ranked him as our best right fielder in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups (pre-Bautista). March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. The biggest surprise has been Austin Riley, who looked like the weak link after posting an 84 OPS+ in 503 plate appearances over his first two seasons. A 2021 20th-round pick . $0.99 Having to play the field regularly could hinder his production, but the fact that he led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs while hitting .338/.431/.636 last season cant be ignored. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). Dylan Carlson, Cardinals (TOP 250 Rank: 11) Key Fantasy Skill (s): Power, OBP Roadblock: Tyler O'Neill, Lane Thomas (Threat Level: MEDIUM) ETA: 2021 Need to Know: Carlson had a rough MLB. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. Fantasy managers can still find some starting-caliber outfielders in this tier. LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract, Previewing the 2023 college baseball season: Teams and players to watch, key storylines, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live', Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021, Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021, Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best teams, Free agency, trade talk, offseason news , Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty". Bill James had him as the 67th best right fielder in major league history and said he had. Few players have joined an organization under more challenging circumstances than Verdugo faced when he went to the Red Sox. The damage he did in the playoffs and World Series, against some of the best pitchers in the world, was absolutely staggering. Sometimes he looked like he was guessing wrong over and over and over, with the befuddlement covering his face as he walked away from the plate. No other infielder came close to matching his average arm strength on Statcast-measured throws. The Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. He also led the field with an average pop time of just 1.88 seconds on throws from home to second, and recorded eight of the 10 fastest caught stealing throws across MLB. Bellinger could be a great pick for any tool -- hit, power, speed, glove or arm. His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. Nate Eaton is making a case for sticking on . Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. But his range of skills at this stage of his baseball life is so extraordinary -- the defense, the baserunning -- that Bellinger is still a great player even when he's not swinging great. Gallo, Soler, Lewis, Yastrzemski, Happ, Rosario and Mountcastle can provide it. An intercostal strain limited Winker to only one game after Aug. 15. The sport needs to have him back on the postseason stage in the next few years. Ken Griffey Jr. may have been the greatest player in baseball history had injuries not plagued him during his career. 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. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants. Two seasons into his 13-year deal with the Phillies, his production has been excellent -- a .385 on-base percentage, an OPS+ of 134, 139 runs in 215 games. Hard-throwing top prospect Aaron Ashby has also made three spot starts, and he could make a major impact as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen down the stretch. The 28-year-old hit .305/.394/.556 for a 140 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 24 home runs and 71 RBI in 485 plate appearances, earning his first All-Star selection. Steven Hajjar- Michigan prospect sophomore that fanned 24 of 87 batters faced and 3-0 record in four game. One of the most exciting defensive plays in baseball occurs when there is going to be a play at the plate. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's . Arozarena is coming off a postseason for the ages, on top of a strong finish in the regular season. with only his head and one arm free.The . If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. Sits in the Top Ten of draft. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. Here are five options going much later in drafts than they should based on their . You might not realize just how strong his arm is, though, because the focus tends to be on his hitting first, then his running, then his defense. He immediately impressed both his manager and scouts with his impressive throwing arm. Lagares easily has the most rARM per 1,000 innings over the last three seasons. In per-game DRS among all MLB. Barfield threw out an astounding 162 runners during his 12 year career. Nearly every player on this list has been an All-Star, and all the rest have a chance to make their first Midsummer Classic this season. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 assists. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Monday's games. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball, Alonso says Aston 'living a dream,' eyes podium. While a member of the Indians minor league team in San Diego, he once threw a ball from home plate and it landed 436 feet away, deep over the center field fence. MLB By Chris Novak on March 3, 2023. The corner outfield duo of Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker both rank among the MLB leaders in a number of offensive categories: Joining them isTyler Naquin, who earned a spot on the MLB roster on a minor league contract and is earning $1.5 million on a one-year deal. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . Clemente is tied with Willie Mays for the the most Gold Gloves for an outfielder with 12. I want my superplayer to own a cannon and have shown time and time again that he can be accurate with it. He also improved dramatically on defense, recording +2 Outs Above Average after finishing at -13 in just 53 games in the field in 2019, so his glove is no longer a reason to keep him out of the lineup. Between a breakout 2021 campaign and 2022, the journeyman reliever dropped his strong 9.6% walk rate to a miniscule 2.5%, good for best in the league. Reels. Ha-Seong Kim (Padres): 95.2 mph 4. His 5.7 WAR was second on the AL West champions roster, behind only Carlos Correa. 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. Colavito is another player on this list who has a legendary arm. Tagged: 2023 MLB Draft, MLB Draft, Dylan Crews, Jacob Gonzalez, Max Clark, Brock Wilken, Walker Jenkins, Christian Little, Patrick Reilly, Dylan Cupp, Thomas White, Enrique Bradfield, Tanner Witt, Jaxon Wiggins, Teddy McGraw, Carson Montgomery, TJ Nichols, Drew Bowser, Jackson Baumeister, Will Sanders, Blake Mitchell, Tre' Morgan, Tommy Troy, With the unique 2020 season behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the hot stove season. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". In order to qualify for the leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team games / 5. Tier 2: Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert, Aaron Judge, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte, Whit Merrifield. Kyle Schwarber, Washington Nationals/Boston Red Sox. fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft in right-handed . But Verdugo ingratiated himself with teammates and staff with his passion and play, and he seemed to earn the early respect of socially distant Red Sox fans. The Milwaukee Brewers aren't far behind with a 3.11 ERA, and they have a trio of bona fide aces atop the staff that have helped lead them to the top of the NL Central standings. Red Sox. All of what you need to know about Meusel's arm was said by Bob Quinn, former president of both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. Backup catcher Curt Casali (180 PA, 97 OPS+, 5 HR, 23 RBI) has also been solid at the plate, and the pitching staff has a fantastic 2.63 ERA with him in the crouch. 2y Buster Olney. He hit .281 with an .800 OPS after the All-Star break, and he capped off the season by winning his first Gold Glove. Dave Roberts, Dodgers. Youth. Jordan Wicks- from Kansas State at 6'2 and 220lbs he is 2-0 in 2021 and went 3-0 last year. 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. Colavito's arm was so strong that both the Indians and Yankees let him pitch at one point. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. He could seemingly throw out any runner trying to pick up an extra base. 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. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. "There's a nuance to disciplined hitting that needs to become a habit. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. Cobb is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players in the history of the game. The third tier is filled with enticing players, but its also rife with uncertainty. Martinez, Charlie Blackmon, Teoscar Hernndez, Austin Meadows, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Free agency, trade talk, offseason news . Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021. The former Red Sox great and six-time Gold Glove winner is known for his arm. All of the sudden, the ball is at the base, and a runner who thought he had it made is out. Before he retired in the middle the 2010 season, Junior was the active leader in outfield assists with 154. Some of Mookie Betts' former teammates watched him go through the postseason last year and believed he really was out of sorts at the plate. Hernandez was signed as a super-utility . . However, he was also a 4.2 WAR player at the time of the trade. The 24-year-old led the team in OPS+ (147) while hitting .294/.359/.557 with 37 doubles, 30 home runs, 92 RBI and 14 steals in what was essentially his first full season in the majors, aside from last year's shortened slate. While one of Ramirez's most memorable moments in the field occurred when he walked into the Green Monster mid-game, it should also been noted that Ramirez has also showcased his arm in front of that very same wall. Guerrero has the second best arm of any player in baseball today. Listen. Honorable Mentions: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants. Harper wraps up the first tier. 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. 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. For your basic .520/.647/1.160 slash line. He compiled 157 outfield assists in his 20 major league seasons. Mookie Betts, Dodgers. It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. Cobb's 392 outfield assists are second all-time. It's partially controllable. Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . Through Soto's age 21 season, he has played 313 regular-season games -- two full seasons, basically -- and has 228 walks, 69 homers among 146 extra-base hits, and an OPS of .972. He is an OBP machine, a mini-Votto. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. The 26-year-old made notable strides at the plate in 2020, posting the best chase rate (14.1%, second lowest in MLB), walk rate (15.6%), hard-hit rate (43.2%) and barrel rate (12.5%) of his career. Shortstops with the highest max arm strength, 2022 1. He . As a rookie, he hit .314/.377/.503 with 37 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and rack up 4.2 WAR. ESPN's Paul Hembekides sent this along: "I think his issues in 2020 stem from a lack of confidence -- he just stopped swinging. 6 player in the Razzball Player Rater, despite playing just 130 games; give him Vladimir Guerrero's 161 games and he would've topped him for the No. With three more home runs from Albies, the 2021 Braves will become only the second team in MLB history to have all four primary infielders tally 25 home runs, per ESPN Stats & Information's Jared Berson, joining the 2008 Florida Marlins. He has never finished lower than third on the MLB pop time leaderboard since Statcast launched, and 2019 was his fastest season yet. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. March 1, 2023. 4. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones. Minimum 800 innings 6. 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. Gorbous is the answer to the trivia question: "Who has the longest throw in baseball history"? Let's get right into it. Meusel is another player on this list gaining recognition from Bill James as having the strongest outfield arm in the majors during his playing years (1920s). It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. He's clearly taken pride in his plate discipline from an early age and been rewarded with performance and -- I would also guess -- supportive coaching. The 26-year-old had 32 doubles, 20 home runs, 20 steals and 94 runs scored, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in left field. Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? You need to do it all to be an MVP these days. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen,. And I'm talking about strong arms, not merely accurate ones. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. . Dawson racked up 157 outfield assists in his 21 major league seasons. Didi Gregorius (free agent): 94.7 mph 7. . He is widely seen as defensively challenged and although he is just 30, his future is clearly going to be at DH. The home run he stole from Freddie Freeman in the NLCS, his leap perfectly timed. The future of Florida's pitching staff is incredibly bright. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. Or his 92 mph rocket from right to nail Stephen Strasburg at first base and preserve a Hyun-Jin Ryu no-hit bid on May 12. Vote for who you think are the best MLB outfielders currently playing in the league today . He entered spring training far from assured of a spot on the Baltimore Orioles' Opening Day roster, but he won the starting center field job and went on to have the biggest breakout season of 2021. 0:00 / 11:29 MLB Best Outfield Throws || MLB 2021 Season (Supercut) Punchouts 18.6K subscribers 96K views 1 year ago Some of the best throws from the 2021 MLB season! Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. He ultimately found his way back to Tampa Bay on a new one-year, $3 million deal that includes a 2022 club option. He hit the walk-off home run in the NL Wild Card Game and had a three-homer game in Game 5 of the NLCS. The club also traded away Diego Castillo at the deadline in exchange for JT Chargois and Austin Shenton. . Past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order. Rodriguez was a top 10 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 international prospects list for 2019-20 when the signing period opened up in July of 2019. . Starling Marte, Miami Marlins For reference, Bradley Zimmer has one of the best throwing arms on the big league roster and has always had a strong arm, considered to be plus (60) and maybe even double-plus (70). Despite his great arm, Gorbous only managed to play three seasons in the major leagues. Rather than ranking individual players, we set out to name the best multi-player units in baseball. Mays had 195 career outfield assists and he won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves.