Today, the Prep Baseball Report Mississippi scouting staff takes a deeper look at outfield performances from the June event. If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. He finished his career with 109 assists, 61 of which came in a four-year period for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1984 through 1987. 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. 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. The 2015 first-round pick hit .281/.360/.473 for a 135 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs, 65 RBI and 3.7 WAR in 135 games, and he now looks like a core piece of the lineup alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Click a bubble to see all the player's throws. 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. Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield. and 32 degrees. Longoria, who at nearly 37 years old has the weakest qualified third base arm (75 mph), got his off at 76.6 mph and it took his throw 0.97 of a second to get to first. as Active Spin. Long toss is the commonly mentioned method to strengthening a baseball . His 10 hardest throws of the season are as an outfielder, and his 20 hardest throws are at positions other than second base. with a 90% Catch Probability or lower. become a hit. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Bob Forsch, a teammate of his with the Cardinals, remembered Reggie's arm: "It was FUN being on the same team as he was. Defensively, he is a great player. games / 5. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight On the home-to-first leaderboards, the same gap -- between truly elite speed and a catcher with bad knees -- is all of 1.23 seconds. 10 Players With The Strongest Arms In MLB | Tbones Baseball The reigning AL Rookie of the Year heading into the 2022 season, Arozarena enjoyed his second straight 20/20 season, hitting .263/.327/.445 for a 124 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 20 home runs, 89 RBI and 32 steals. He played in 142 games in 2022, batting first in the lineup in all of them. The Frisco Classic is one of college baseball's premier early-season tournaments year-in and year-out, and this year's field is strong as usual, headlined by 2021 national champion Mississippi State and 2022 national runner-up Oklahoma. Soto is worth every penny of a top draft pick. 1 / 20. 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. At the time his throw slapped into first baseman Ryan Mountcastle's glove, Longoria's throw was still 15 feet away from his own first baseman, Wilmer Flores. Ten MLB breakout predictions for 2023: Jim Bowden's hitters and 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. These should correct to be nearer to his baseline, in which case fantasy managers are drafting a 30/20 guy with high on-base skills who bats smack in the middle of what is, essentially, an All-Star team. lob after catching the third out of an inning). exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Jump is calculated only on plays that are Two Stars or harder, meaning What is not of concern are the 81 games he gets to play at Yankee Stadium this year and each one after until 2031, thanks to his 9-year, $360 million free-agent contract. However, his .336 BABIP is unsustainable and will take a bite out of his batting average when it corrects. His xwOBA and xSLG are both near the 90th percentile, and he hit particularly well at Camden Yards in spite of the extended left field fence. The definitive power rankings on the strength of the outfield, where we (no, I don't play anymore but old habits die hard) talk to ourselves and it's totally accepted as the norm. In 2021, still at shortstop, that was down to 79.1 mph, largely believed to be related to a midseason elbow injury. 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. The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. The steals are why he goes so early in drafts because it is certainly not his patience at the plate. No player had a stronger arm in the 1990's than Vladimir Guerrero. Van Slyke would finish his career with five Gold Gloves and 107 assists. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. It gets you from Point A to Point B more quickly. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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. 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. 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. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. MLB: The 40 Best Outfield Arms in Baseball History 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. Partly because of time missed due to injury, largely because of his reputation, people generally don't try to run when Ankiel has the ball in his hand, which would help to explain how someone with that strong of an arm has never reached double-digit assists in any season as an outfielder. He played in 84 games last season, slashing .295/.358/.500 with 16 HR, 54 RBI, and 40 runs. 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 If you can stomach the idea of spending a high-round draft pick on an injury risk with a high ceiling, Robert could be a steal. a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the That "throwing hard" is rarely a demand of the position is somewhat reflected in the leaderboards, which has many first basemen near the bottom. The 28-year-old has recorded no less than 11 assists in each of his seven seasons, and not only is his throwing arm powerful, but it's deadly accurate, as we can see in the video. 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. Who can?". He falls into the "walk year" category, so he might outperform his projections. 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. Only a starter in four of the 11 seasons he played, Whiten ended his career with 77 assists, an impressive number when you figure that he was often a pinch-hitter or late-inning replacement. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Signed to a four-year, $78 million deal as part of the Mets' spending spree last offseason, Marte hit .292/.347/.468 with 45 extra-base hits, 18 steals and 3.8 WAR in 118 games. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle What Gonzalez weirdly does well is make contact, as his K% is 20, and he deploys this skill in the enviable position of batting directly behind Jose Ramirez. 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. Worst OF Arms (for regular, starting outfielders) in MLB history? One of his most remarkable assists came in the top of the third inning of a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers on August 27, 1951. 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. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. play. On Sept. 27, 1988, in front of less than 9,000 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Pirates had a 3-2 lead over the Cardinals heading into the ninth inning. Just look at the 2022 averages on competitive throws from those positions. -- came in above 72 mph. 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. . Which is a great lead-in to our next question . 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. Baltimore Orioles. He is projected as a 15/15 outfielder and worth a look in the double-digit rounds. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. 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. (Catcher throwing arm data has been available for some time and may be found here.). At the end of the day, he is still Mike Trout, for better or worse. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, opponents learned very quickly that the explosive throws he had a reputation for making in Japan were very much a reality, and they generally wouldn't even think about running when Ichiro had the ball in his hand. Let's dive into the top 25 outfielders of the 2022 season. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be "Jarrett is a speedy, defensive outfielder with a good arm and high baseball IQ," Swillum said. But Callison also threw out 175 over the course of his career, including a four-year stretch from 1962 through 1965 when he racked up 90 assists, leading the league each season. There is a lot to love about O'Neill in fantasy formats, but there is a lot to question as well. I thought he (Van Slyke) had no chance, to be honest with you," said Pirates manager Jim Leyland after the game. His sophomore campaign should be a boon to fantasy teams, and he will come at a discount. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. He's barely a half-season into his career. In a down season by his own lofty standards, Juan Soto was still one of the most productive offensive players in the game. window.". 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. Right here, at the Baseball Savant leaderboards, as well as on appropriate player pages. When healthy, he was productive atop the Toronto lineup, smacking 25 HR, scoring 89 runs, driving in 76, and even stole 14 bases for good measure. He may suffer some of the typical rookie issues, but all signs point to a quick adjustment and solid fantasy production. The 25-year-old posted a 128 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 25 steals in 29 attempts. Arm Strength (ARM) | Glossary | MLB.com Anything below 88mph is considered 0. Would anyone be surprised to see him reclaim the No. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. He hits in the middle of the order behind Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Nathaniel Lowe, all of whom like to get on base. 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. Its been well over a year since his last 80 mph+ throw, much of which he spent at shortstop; Arizonas Ketel Marte, comparatively, has six such throws just this month. Youd be surprised at how complicated it gets. 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. Outfield Throwing Program - Outfield Throwing Program Use a gathering Mays fired the ball back into the infieldby his own admission, he had no idea where the ball was goingbut it stopped Al Rosen from advancing to second base and, more importantly, stopped Larry Doby from scoring, forcing him back to third base. Between natural talent and growing up with his uncleformer New York Mets ace Dwight Goodenteaching him how to pitch, Gary Sheffield was destined to have a cannon for an arm. Strength is only one aspect of what makes a great throwing arm. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. 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. Given that there is no rulebook definition of "a throw where the player is trying hard," and many non-competitive lobs are captured, we have elected to take the average of the top portion of a player's throws. 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. ", 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. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from It will be very important to keep track of where Happ is batting in the revamped Cubs lineup. 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. 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. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. ), But the counterbalance to that is looking at a handful of infielders who have played on both sides of the bag just this season. Nicknamed "Muscles," Mantle's throws were both accurate and strong. Each player was only included at the position where he played the most innings. 5) Wait, is Mike Trout actually improving at yet another thing? This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. 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. 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. Brett Phillips brings energy; Tucker Davidson impresses - mlb.com The stolen bases are most likely gone forever, but he could pair nicely with a speed guy from Round 1. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . 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). The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. Early 2023 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings: Top 30 offers an Showcasing the Arm Younger players rarely have the opportunity to play in stadiums where statcast tracks their every move. 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. 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. Lin features another true 70-grade arm that plays at that level in games and fits well in right field. Were talking raw speed here, not accuracy. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. Statcast Statistics Player Batting 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | All The four-category stud is worth a first-round pick. He was big guy, very strong, very muscular. You dont want to average all of those together, because so much of it just doesnt matter, and theres not exactly a rulebook definition for was trying. For Rodrguez, for example, he has over 430 tracked throws, but nearly 80% of them are under 80 mph. He stole six bases in nine attempts, but his numbers declined from his best year in 2021. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Arm Strength (ARM) Definition Arm Strength is defined as the maximum velocity of any throw made by a fielder -- with the max velocity always being at the release point, due to physics. When you measure a pitchers average fastball velocity, its simple. His arm strength is middling, but he makes good throws nonetheless. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Dave Winfield's throwing arm was so powerful that simply warming up in the outfield was a dangerous proposition. Few rookies in recent memory have had a greater impact on the culture of their team than Julio Rodrguez, who played a pivotal role in helping the Seattle Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since Ichiro Suzuki's rookie season in 2001. The past two seasons, Phillips has amassed 21 outs above average while patrolling center and right field (seventh-most among outfielders last season with 11). He hit 11 homers, stole 18 bases, and slashed .283/.312/.403 in 153 games. MLB Power Rankings: A look at the best outfields in baseball with the Hard to believe he was that agile. You don't currently have any notifications, Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Up to you. 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. Anthony Santander answered the fantasy world's questions regarding his power by hitting 33 HR with 89 RBI and 78 runs in a Baltimore lineup that should be much improved in 2023. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw.". For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. 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. 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. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 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. The 30-year-old posted a 126 OPS+ with 29 home runs and 72 RBI, and he had 11 outfield assists in a career-high 2.7-WAR season. outfield. Based on three separate categories (Release, Strength and Accuracy) here are the owners of the top outfield in 2005 according to the fans: Top-Ranked Outfield Arms, Fans' Scouting Report 1. 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 2020, Story averaged 82.3 mph as a Rockies shortstop -- a good-not-great number, slightly below average for shortstops. In 2019, for example, Austin Meadows was the No. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. it's a tough call between Clemente and Whiten.". 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.