Near the top of Florida's next crop of freshmen are two of South Florida's finest arms, right-hander Christian Rodriguez . 6. With the unique 2020 season behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the hot stove season. The precision is there (nine errors across nearly 1,140 innings last year), and so is the power and reaction time. 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. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. ESPN's Buster Olney leads the discussion of the latest news and notes around baseball with the game's top analysts. From first-time All-Star Andrew Kittredge (44 G, 1.41 ERA) to reclamation project Collin McHugh (27 G, 1.30 ERA) to 31-year-old rookie Louis Head (20 G, 3.16 ERA), they continue to plug and play better than any organization in baseball when it comes to building a bullpen. Ichiro has won a Gold Glove all 10 years that he has been in the major leagues. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. In an empty Fenway Park on Aug. 7, Verdugo had a big day -- two home runs, both over the Green Monster, for the left-handed-hitting Verdugo, and then he took a home run away from Travis Shaw in the ninth inning. For your basic .520/.647/1.160 slash line. Here are this years top fantasy outfielders, broken down into tiers. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. Before he retired in the middle the 2010 season, Junior was the active leader in outfield assists with 154. And I'm talking about strong arms, not merely accurate ones. He was snubbed as a Gold Glove finalist despite tallying 11 DRS with a 5.4 UZR/150 in right field while also holding his own when he shifted to center field down the stretch. The guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox 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. Myles Straw, Houston Astros/Cleveland Guardians. PART - Positioning, Balls hit in air, Range, and Throwing for Infielders; Range & Positioning on balls hit in air for Outfielders. His defensive abilities were rewarded as he received 10 Gold Gloves over the course of his career. with only his head and one arm free.The . Translation: Realmuto dominates the catcher throwing department. Ramirez is fourth among active outfielders with 129 career assists. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. 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. 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. . There's still a chance we'll see him in the Majors before the end of April, however, so he's someone to keep in mind in the latter half of fantasy drafts. 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. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. Statcast Leaders Baseball Savant Top Prospect Stats. The 24-year-old has a 131 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs and 76 RBI, and he has also made significant strides defensively at the hot corner. . The 27-year-old batted .308 last season, with a .534 slugging percentage. Of course, that required trading several core players, but given the fact that Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez were all rentals at last year's deadline, the Cubs made out phenomenally. Let's get right into it. I want my superplayer to own a cannon and have shown time and time again that he can be accurate with it. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. 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. He's hit .300 or better in five of the last seven seasons, and in the two he didn't, he batted .299 (in 2017) and was injury-ravaged in the other (2016). 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. That Betts is the best right fielder in the game is assumed. February 26, 2023. 2y Buster Olney. 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. He's not just an MVP-caliber hitter; he has one of the strongest outfield arms in the league. And yes, by the end of the World Series, he did find his best swing, enough to put a punctuation mark on the Dodgers' championship with an eighth-inning home run in Game 6. He had nine assists in 2022. . This prevented the Orioles from scoring that inning and the Pirates would go on to win the World Series. Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and runner-up in the MVP voting last year. 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. After missing much of the 2019 season and all of last year with a gruesome injury, Haniger finally returned to action, posting a 122 OPS+ with 39 home runs and 100 RBI for the upstart Mariners. Mookie Betts, Dodgers. He struggling terribly against off-speed pitches -- in 2018, Yelich batted .302 against breaking balls; last year, .191. Bez was responsible for five of the 31 tracked assists of at least 90 mph by infielders last season, the second most in MLB, and his average arm strength on max-effort throws (88.3 mph) was the third best among infielders. Which outfielder has the strongest arm 2021? Free shipping for many products! 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. According to Bill James' Baseball Abstract, Valentine had the best arm in baseball in the 1970's. Pete Crow-Armstrong named among top OF prospects in MLB 38M ago / by James Neveau Cubs hicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been turning heads with his skills both at the plate and on defense, and a new ranking lands him among the best outfield prospects in the game. Nate Eaton is making a case for sticking on . 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 Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. Thursday, it's outfielders -- the top 10 left fielders, center fielders and right fielders. 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. Honorable Mention:Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals. Base runners in the National League feared the arm of Roberto Clemente. 3 overall player, followed by Trout, who continues to deliver at the plate year after year and remains among fantasys top five players despite his decline on the bases (one steal in 2020). Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". Despite his defensive limitations, he should be able to find a more lucrative deal this winter. The organization's top four prospects, including all three Top 100 representatives, play the outfield, headlined by 2022 breakout star Jackson Chourio. The double play he executed, reaching down to glove a looper in front of him and throwing toward home, with Marcell Ozuna eventually called out for leaving too soon. 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. The man known as El Mago (The Magician) is blessed with many gifts and would have been a fine pick for the fielding tool, but lets focus on his rocket for a right arm. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. 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 . His strong defensive play definitely helped make up for the fact that he had a low OPS. Here are five options going much later in drafts than they should based on their . An intercostal strain limited Winker to only one game after Aug. 15. It's possible Ozuna will sign with an NL team and play left field most of the time. How could a man who nicknamed his right arm "El Canon" not make this list? Braves manager Brian Snitker mentioned during the playoffs that he liked to hear Ozuna predicting to teammates in the dugout the pitch sequencing he was about to see -- and a lot of the time, Snitker said, Ozuna would be exactly right. These guys. Even though Meusel played just 11 seasons, he still recorded 157 outfield assists. The 23-year-old is expected to return sometime during the first half of next season. In the third season of his massive 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, there was no question that Bryce Harper lived up to his salary. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that my fantasy baseball outfield rankings for 2021 will not be 100 percent right. 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. Youth. The identity of the No. Despite his great arm, Gorbous only managed to play three seasons in the major leagues. In Game 6 of the 1971 World Series, Clemente showed off this arm on a fly ball hit by Frank Robinson. Since there are three times as many outfielders as there are other positions on the diamond, it made sense to tack an honorable mention list of 25 guys onto our top 25 list. September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. 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. Hot Stove Tracker Starting Lineups Transactions . 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. 5. Share. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up The San Francisco Giants have had 16 different players tally at least 100 plate appearances this season, and that group does not count prized deadline pickup Kris Bryant. 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. Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Part I: Hit toolPart II: Power toolPart III: Run toolPart IV: Fielding tool. Past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order. Realmuto paced all full-time catchers (min. Great teams are composed of . Free agency, trade talk, offseason news . . It has been suggested that the Indians have been cursed after trading Colavito, a fan favorite, to the Detroit Tigers in 1960. He hit .264/.367/.487 with 29 doubles, 23 home runs and 10 steals, which, coupled with his usual standout defense in right field, was enough for him to finish fourth in WAR on a stacked Dodgers roster. February 13, 2023. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. 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. All three of those guys could finish in the top 10 in NL Cy Young voting, but the staff goes deeper than that trio. With free agency looming after the 2022 season, another performance like that would set him up for a huge payday next winter. Slowed by a variety of injuries in 2020, Bryant returned healthy and productive this year. Among players with at least 200 plate appearances last season, the 23-year-old had the fourth-highest chase rate, the third-highest whiff rate and the sixth-highest strikeout rate, making him a high-risk, high-reward pick in the early rounds. 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. The sport needs to have him back on the postseason stage in the next few years. Here's everything we know, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies, From bubble struggles to NCAA seed improvement, why these final weekend games matter, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth. A.J. he Boston Red Sox outfield exceeded expectations in 2021. Then theres Stanton, who might be the biggest boom-or-bust pick in fantasy. Even at age 36, Ichiro was consistently able to throw out runners trying to take an extra base. The regimented preparation that had worked for Yelich in the past was simply not available to him, and he may have suffered for it. Bellinger could be a great pick for any tool -- hit, power, speed, glove or arm. The ultra-versatile Taylor was an All-Star for the first time in 2021, posting a 110 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 20 home runs, 73 RBI, 92 runs scored and 13 steals in 148 games. 1 guy is pretty obvious, through the compilation of thought from folks around the industry. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. 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. This year, he barely edges out Pittsburgh's Neil Walker, who checks in at minus-12-2, for the . There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. 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. Walker was known for his abilities at the plate, but he also had a gun for an arm. With the Astros first pick the 2021 draft, they took a prospect who fell right in their laps. In a Houston Astros lineup loaded with star power, Kyle Tucker was arguably the team's most productive hitter in 2021. 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. 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. 4. What follows is a ranking of the Top 10 left fielders in baseball. Accuracy matters, too. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. The top 10 center fielders, based on input from folks under the MLB umbrella: Another historical comp for Trout, unfortunately, is the link that is developing with Ted Williams: their paucity of postseason opportunity. . The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. 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. Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers/New York Yankees. After bouncing around the infield over his first five seasons, Bez settled in as the Cubs starting shortstop last year and was one of the best defensive players in all of baseball. His shoulder first began giving him problems in 2021. Despite only having played 15 seasons, Abreu is second on the active list for outfield assists with 132. The league may have changed the rules on shifting . 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. If you don't have coaching that can support that, then the player needs to be very stubborn with his thinking, which, in my opinion, requires a strong independence. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. best outfield arms in mlb 2021 This is the best team in baseball. After years of teasing his immense raw power potential in the minors and sporadically in the big leagues, Tyler O'Neill finally put together his long-awaited breakout season. Those being Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Johnson, Jorge Montanez, David Mendelson . He has 19 homers in 63 postseason games, and only three players have more: Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). Jackie Bradley Jr., free agent The writers involved are Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Dunbar, Ryan Kirksey, Nic Civale, Logan Kritzeck, and Matt Heckman. He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. 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. 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". Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. Listen. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants. Crow-Armstrong soaking in first Spring Training with Cubs. Red Sox. Colavito's arm was so strong that both the Indians and Yankees let him pitch at one point. Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. Barfield would consistently throw strikes from right field to home plate. The 29-year-old opted out of the final two years of his contract shortly after the World Series concluded. Barfield threw out an astounding 162 runners during his 12 year career. Even with all of those free passes and teams pitching around him, he still managed 20 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. There are many questions surrounding Barry Bonds' arms, but none of them are about his ability to throw a baseball. Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. That seems almost impossible. Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series:Catchers,First Basemen,Second Basemen, Third Basemen,Shortstops. In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. While his .286 on-base percentage and 31.2 percent strikeout rate leave something to be desired, he was a stellar defender (16 DRS, 11.8 UZR/150) to go along with his power production in a 3.8 WAR season. 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. Guerrero has the second best arm of any player in baseball today. Oneil Cruz (Pirates): 97.9 mph 2. Harper hit .338/.476/.713 with 20 home runs after the All-Star break, doing his part to help a Phillies team that tried in vain to chase down a postseason berth. This is Just Baseball's staff consensus ranking of the top 15 corner outfielders in baseball. Throughout the history of baseball, there have been some outfielders that have had cannons for arms. After back-to-back 20-plus-homer seasons in 2018 and 2019, Teoscar Hernandez showcased a more well-rounded offensive game last year, hitting .289/.340/.579 for a 146 OPS+ in 50 games to finish 11th in AL MVP voting and win a Silver Slugger Award. Mookie Betts is the sixth-best outfielder in baseball, and it feels wrong to rank him this low, but wait until you see the top five. Managers who dont grab an outfielder in the first two rounds will still have an ample supply of impact players to choose from after that. Starling Marte, Miami Marlins Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman, 505 PA, .235/.309/.504, 56 XBH (31 HR), 76 RBI, 75 R, 4.3 WAR. Nothing less should be expected from a man who was nicknamed "Muscles". It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. Accuracy is considered, but arm strength is the big piece of this. Steven Hajjar- Michigan prospect sophomore that fanned 24 of 87 batters faced and 3-0 record in four game. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. For Springer, that box is checked indelibly. 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. Wilmer Flores (358 PA, 102 OPS+, 15 HR, 44 RBI), LaMonte Wade Jr. (249 PA, 123 OPS+, 16 HR, 41 RBI) and Darin Ruf (230 PA, 151 OPS+, 14 HR, 33 RBI)have all been extremely productive in utility roles. He compiled 157 outfield assists in his 20 major league seasons. 3. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead.