Over the past two seasons, he has a .393 on-base percentage, and an OPS+ of 140. Sits in the Top Ten of draft. 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. Abreu's strong arm helped him win his only Gold Glove in 2005. Arozarena is coming off a postseason for the ages, on top of a strong finish in the regular season. With big-name, big-money free agents, there is usually a question of how the player will respond in big games, big moments. Best throwing arms in the 2022 postseason - mlb.com In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. 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. But with several intriguing free-agent outfielders available this winter, Chaim Bloom and Co. could look to add some depth at the position. The MLB Tonight panel breaks . That leaves the Cincinnati Reds as the pick. Before he retired in the middle the 2010 season, Junior was the active leader in outfield assists with 154. Tier 4: Jeff McNeil, Byron Buxton, Wil Myers, Alex Verdugo, Joey Gallo, Jorge Soler, Tommy Pham, Kyle Lewis, Ramn Laureano, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Brantley, Ian Happ, Dylan Moore, Eddie Rosario, Ryan Mountcastle, Dylan Carlson. He was forced to retire at age 30 as the result of a broken jaw which forced him to play with a facemask for a few years. 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. Jackson is known most for his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal and the fact that he was banned from baseball by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis following the 1920 season. The 31-year-old remains one of baseballs most imposing sluggers, but he has appeared in just 41 regular season games over the past two years. Bonds had a strong throwing arm even before he began to bulk up. My guess, after talking with folks who know him: Yelich was among the players affected by how dramatically the COVID-19 protocol changed processes. How Does Carlos Correa's Deal Impact Dansby Swanson's Market? Non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs at the start of last offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals. Chicago Cubs Top Prospects | Just Baseball Whitaker was ranked the #37 prospect by MLB. The Tampa Bay Rays began the offseason by declining their$4.5 million club option on catcher Mike Zunino, who logged a 50 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR in 118 games with the team in 2019 and 2020. 2021 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders ADP Analysis - Most Talented & Top There is no shortage of articles ranking MLB players by position, league, age, production or something else entirely. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2021 Topps Series One Baseball MONTE HARRISON Rookie Base #126 Miami Marlins RC at the best online prices at eBay! His shoulder first began giving him problems in 2021. Dave Roberts, Dodgers. If there is a player in this system who can make a Bryan Ramos-like jump in 2023, my money is on Mieses. Most everyone reading this article is probably asking themselves who Glenn Gorbous is. The 27-year-old batted .308 last season, with a .534 slugging percentage. Edmonds is currently third among active players in outfield assists with 131. Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield". Let's marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18. Mondesi has a tattoo of a cannon shooting out a baseball on his right arm. Mar 22, 2021. Similarly, Grisham has played fewer than 120 games in the Majors. . However, he was worth a staggering 4.5 WAR when he was on the field. There was a lot of debate during the truncated season why Yelich struggled so much -- and there's no disputing that his troubles were acute, something more than a slump. Red Sox. Top 60 All-Time Greatest Jays: #6 Jesse Barfield Mantle's pure strength can be seen was demonstrated by the fact that he hit some of the longest home runs in baseball history. Harper wraps up the first tier. The goal is to decide which team has the best catchers, infielders, outfielders, bench, starting pitchers and relief pitchers. Kelenic had a rough rookie year for. Nothing less should be expected from a man who was nicknamed "Muscles". 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. News. His .366 career average is a major league record. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. He's played at that level, and sometime this season, he'll surpass 1,000 runs for his career, and move beyond 1,500 hits. Best Outfield Arm. This week, MLB.com is tasking five reporters with building the ultimate five-tool Superman, by picking the best examples of each tool from the talented pool of current big leaguers. Trent Grisham, San Diego Padres Springer has been one of the most productive outfielders in the game over the past five years, and he has joined up with a Blue Jays team that averaged 5.03 runs per game in 2020. He might just be entering his throwing prime, making this the perfect time to claim his golden arm for my superplayer. Cobb is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players in the history of the game. The longtime utility man split his time between center field (93 games) and second base (47 games), and he posted a 107 OPS+ with 58 extra-base hits in a career-high 585 plate appearances. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . 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. One important stipulation: Each player could only be selected for one of the five tools. 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. Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. 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. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays. Starling Marte, Miami Marlins Potential Outfield Trade Targets For The New York Yankees - Forbes Listen. One evaluator said that Bellinger's swing is so unusual that he'll probably always struggle for consistency, for finding the feel he needs to be successful, and because of that, he'll probably have a lot of ups and downs. Jarren Duran Brings New Swing to Spring | FanGraphs Baseball He has also done a solid job handling the staff with a 3.87 ERA behind the plate. Verdugo batted .308 for the Red Sox, his energy sometimes feeling like life support for a franchise going through one of the worst seasons in its history. 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). Tier 2: Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert, Aaron Judge, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte, Whit Merrifield. 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. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. Mays' throwing arm deserves more recognition as he was he had the second strongest arm of any outfielder in the 1960s. As a 28-year-old rookie, Garcia posted a 101 OPS+ with 31 home runs, 90 RBI and 16 steals, and he was a surprise All-Star for the rebuilding Rangers. Statcast Outfielder Jump Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels definitely ranks in the top 10 outfielders, along with Mookie Betts and Charlie Blackmon. Homegrown players Steven Duggar and Austin Slater have also seen semi-regular time in the outfield, though Duggar was recently optioned to Triple-A now that Bryant can provide corner outfield depth as well. The tattoo was earned, as Mondesi had one of the strongest arms in baseball in the 1990s. It has been suggested that the Indians have been cursed after trading Colavito, a fan favorite, to the Detroit Tigers in 1960. 2021 Consensus Top-80 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings 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. What follows is a ranking of the Top 10 left fielders in baseball. Julio Rodriguez was the team's best player while former top prospect arms Logan Gilbert and George Kirby shined in Seattle's rotation. The 33-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free-agent market this winter. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. We're going to try something a little different. He immediately impressed both his manager and scouts with his impressive throwing arm. The 27-year-old became the first 30/30 player in Orioles history, hitting .291/.360/.518 with 37 doubles, 30 home runs and 30 steals while finishing fourth in the league in hits (175), sixth in total bases (312) and 10th in OPS+ (135). Vote for who you think are the best MLB outfielders currently playing in the league today . Seven of the first 15 players in MLB.com's player rankings are outfielders, including four of the top five. Barfield threw out an astounding 162 runners during his 12 year career. Standings. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. He hit .271 with a .349 on-base percentage, tallying 34 extra-base hits, 30 steals and 3.2 WAR, and he was also a Gold Glove finalist in center field. His contact rate was easily the worst of his career, and his swing rate was way down. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. "There are so many factors that go into it, and I don't want to speak for Soto, but there are certainly some habits you have to develop and reinforce when you are young. A 2021 20th-round pick . The 26-year-old got off to a slow start this year, but he caught fire in May and never looked back. The best arms tend to have lower rates because they get run on less, though Clemente is barely in the top 70 all time and IIRC Vlad doesn't even crack the top 200 Though I guess my point agrees with you, he wasn't great but he wasn't awful 2 Buzzed27 San Francisco Giants 5 yr. ago Not sure what you're talking about exactly. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. "It was as if we were playing for the playoffs," one impressed staffer said. Realmuto paced all full-time catchers (min. Sox On 35th's 2023 Pre-Season Top 30 White Sox Prospects: #1-15 2021 Best MLB Outfielders - Audacy At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best outfielders - ESPN.com Mantle earned one Gold Glove in his career and threw out 117 base runners from the outfield. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. He also had the two fastest-tracked infield assists to first base -- reaching 94 mph -- and was responsible for about half of the 92-plus mph assists from all infielders. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers/New York Yankees. After playing in just over 63 percent of the New York Yankees' games during the three-year stretch prior to this season, Aaron Judge finally stayed healthy and turned in an MVP-caliber campaign. . Along with a .199 average and 213 strikeouts, he led the AL with 111 walks and had a solid .351 on-base percentage. He made more consistent contact while maintaining his usual elite average exit velocity and hard-hit rate metrics. While the debate has raged on for years regarding if Jackson actually participated in fixing the World Series, there is little debate that he is one of the greatest players of all-time. Reynolds hit.302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 93 runs scored for a 146 OPS+ despite having little in the way of protection in a bad Pittsburgh lineup. There are currently 13 relief pitchers on the injured list for the Rays, including standout closer Nick Anderson and hard-throwing setup man Pete Fairbanks. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. He struggled in 2020, with his slugging percentage (.312) matching his on-base percentage. He batted just .169 against right-handed pitchers, with a .345 slugging percentage. The club also traded away Diego Castillo at the deadline in exchange for JT Chargois and Austin Shenton. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. They've helped to bridge the gap with veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria both missing significant time because of injuries. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . The league may have changed the rules on shifting . With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. But imagine him with this cannon attached to his shoulder. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. They've responded with an MLB-best 3.05 ERA. Ozuna, meanwhile, is back with the Braves after signing a four-year contract. All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball, Alonso says Aston 'living a dream,' eyes podium. 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. Which Outfield Position Has The Best Arm? - On Secret Hunt A good spring could get the 29-year-old on the 40-man roster. 2. 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. Even with all of those free passes and teams pitching around him, he still managed 20 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants. He has 19 homers in 63 postseason games, and only three players have more: Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). Something that jumped out to Giants staffers last year was Yastrzemski's fearlessness in two-strike counts: After the count reached no balls and two strikes, he hit .222; after the count was 1-2, his OPS was 1.033. MLB By Chris Novak on March 3, 2023. Each writer provided anywhere from 80-100+ outfielders so we could create our consensus top-80. You need to do it all to be an MVP these days. Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2022: Best sleepers, breakouts, busts from Luis Mieses OF (Prev. 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. That's why the model. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. 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. For a boost in the batting-average category, target McNeil, Verdugo or Brantley. The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the majors with a 2.90 starters' ERA, but injuries and off-the-field issues have thinned their rotation considerably. Share. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. 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) He is an OBP machine, a mini-Votto. The 29-year-old opted out of the final two years of his contract shortly after the World Series concluded. Judges 12.5 AB/HR rate ranks fourth among players with 50-plus homers since the beginning of 2017. Baseball's worst fielders at every position | Sporting News The guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones. Runners were afraid to take the extra base when these outfielders had the ball in their hands. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. 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. Who Are the Best Outfield Arms in MLB? - Stadium Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Outfield tiers for 2023 drafts Kolten Wong -- Best Defensive Second Baseman (NL) Francisco Lindor -- Best Defensive Shortstop (AL/NL) Bob Melvin -- Best Manager (AL) Below are the 2021 winners, followed by voting results. Andre Dawson had a cannon for an arm.