2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28,. . The Orioles seem dedicated to giving their prospects every opportunity to succeed, which boosts Mullins's value in the runs category. It's baffling why baserunners still try and advance on Jeff Francoeur. Current: Steamer projections have him hitting another 40 and maybe crossing the century mark on runs and RBI if anyone aside from Shohei Ohtani shows up to play in L.A. His slash line was an other-worldly .311/.425/.686 with an xwOBA of .463 and wRC+ of 207. thrown with. I thought he (Van Slyke) had no chance, to be honest with you," said Pirates manager Jim Leyland after the game. On the left side, its higher: 81.5 mph on average, maxing out at 84.9 mph. Daulton Varsho - 4.6 fWAR. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies. Signed pitcher Zack Greinke to a one-year, $8.5 million contract. Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. An 18-time All-Star and the last man to win the American League Triple Crown, a feat he achieved in 1967, Carl Yastrzemski played excellent defense in left field and had a strong, accurate throwing arm. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle He played in 84 games last season, slashing .295/.358/.500 with 16 HR, 54 RBI, and 40 runs. Buhner also played solid defense in right field and his cannon of a throwing arm gunned down 100 baserunners, including 48 from 1991 through the strike-shortened season of 1994. Its sort of like pitching; all things being equal, youd much rather throw 100 mph than 90 mph, but it also might not matter so much if you cant throw strikes. Youd be surprised at how complicated it gets. Known primarily as a right fielder, a position he played for 1,283 games, Dawson patrolled center for the Montreal Expos in more than 1,000 games as well. If he returns to 2021 form, he can be a five-category contributor, but he comes with plenty of risk in 2023. It was his hardest throw in nearly three calendar years. So the answer here might really be more than one answer, in that infielders who spend times on both sides of second base seem to throw harder from the left side, and Story might best be served as a second baseman going forward. Seven times in his 23-year-career Yaz won a Gold Glove, and seven times he led outfielders in assists, including a career-high 19 in 1964. ), But the counterbalance to that is looking at a handful of infielders who have played on both sides of the bag just this season. In 2021, before he was injured, that went up to 88.2 mph. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed His arm was so impressive that Expos manager Dick Williams is said to have compared it to Roberto Clemente's, a bold statement to say the least. 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). . All rights reserved. While his slugging percentage was down significantly, a lot of that can be attributed to working back from the injury. 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. It's not natural. MLB Advanced Media, LP. That doesn't happen without Furillo's play. A three-time All-Star, Johnny Callison terrorized baserunners from right field for more than a decade. An All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time, Happ hit .271/.342/.440 for a 119 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored and 4.4 WAR in 158 games. One of the most well-rounded players in the sport, Kyle Tucker continued his rise as a bona fide superstar for the Houston Astros in 2022. His throwing abilities were recognized by Bill James, as Guerrero was noted to have the best arm of the 1990s. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. In 2019, 24 players hit 30 home runs or more who qualified at outfield. In 2020, his average on competitive throws was 86.6 mph, an almost exactly-average number. 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. The 21-year old has also shown the speed, instincts, and arm strength that project him as a center fielder long-term. He filled up the stat sheet with 22 doubles, 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 89 runs scored and 14 steals while playing his usual solid defender in center field in a 4.0-WAR campaign. From 1956 until he retired in 1964, he only threw out 32, due largely in part to the injury. Being a former pitcher who routinely hit the upper 90's will certainly leave you with a powerful throwing arm, but some of the throws that Rick Ankiel has made from the outfield have been ridiculous. Long toss is the commonly mentioned method to strengthening a baseball . Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst, who both played and managed against Roberto Clemente, gave Whiten's throwing arm the ultimate compliment: "As far as arm strength goes . (He has 14 harder throws from the right side, though obviously in far more opportunities. It was not his best all-around season by any stretch of the imagination, due in large part to the significant time he spent watching from the sidelines, but it was still good enough for a top-five ranking on this list. Clemente has more outfield assists than anyone who played after 1930 (I believe this was the year where they made the rule that you were allowed to run instead of speed-walk on the basepaths). 3) Players throw differently at different positions, right? It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man. Sure but mostly on relays home from the outfield, or sometimes on double play attempts. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. The No. Not only is he still a very good hitter at the age of 38, but when Ichiro throws the ball from right field it still comes out of his hand like a laser beam. leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team Unless you're in a quirky league where defense counts, Melendez fills a scarce position with decent skills. Which is a great lead-in to our next question 4) Do second basemen have weaker arms than shortstops because they dont need to throw as far? 23. Outfielders get the average of the top 10% of their throws. 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. In 1985 alone, Barfield doubled up eight runners, to go with his 133 . The first of which registered. Schwarber batted leadoff for the vast majority of the season, but the acquisition of Trea Turner will most likely move him down in the order. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. Zerby, a sophomore outfielder, hit .365 with 8 runs batted in and 8 stolen bases. The 28-year-old is too talented to leave on the board, so fantasy managers can draft him and send a quick wish into the universe that he plays basically anywhere else in 2023. His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. 1) Oneil Cruz has to be the hardest-throwing shortstop, right? pitch. one base to another, like Home To First. 25. Some, obviously, but its not everything. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. 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. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in USA TODAY Sports photo. To further test our theory, we took three players from the '60s and '70s who were known to have great arms and looked at their A-DP numbers. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a Van Slyke unleashed a throw to Pirates catcher Mike LaValliere that arrived in time to nail Oquendo, who was blocked from the plate by LaValliere's left leg long enough for the catcher to apply the tag. Andre Dawson epitomized the tern "five tool player" for more than a decade before 12 knee surgeries and age began to take their toll. He batted third or fourth for most of 2022, but his skillset reads like a No. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the He finished his career with 89 assists in 877 games played, which means that, on average, Snyder threw out a runner every 10 games. "I don't try to do too much. The Coors effect isn't going to bring the 31-year-old back near his prime, but he should put up better numbers in 2023 and recently stated he would be ready to go for Spring Training. Reports also surfaced that he had turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington, and soon, the HR Derby winner headed to San Diego with expectations as big as the contract he turned down. Who can?". Its an important one, too. Defense: Moves through the ball well, gets to the ball quick. 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. Seiya Suzuki arrived to MLB and kicked off his career in the States with a bang, hitting four HR and getting on base at a .398 clip. In 2022, thats down again, to 76 mph. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. become a hit. The 25-year-old hit .306/.406/.613 for a gaudy 187 OPS+ that trailed only Aaron Judge among all players, tallying 29 doubles, 37 home runs, 97 RBI and 95 runs scored in 135 games for a 6.8-WAR season. . player has saved over his peers. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from on March 4, 2023. Ronald Acuna Jr. appeared in 119 games last year, a significantly higher number than the original projection of a July return from his torn ACL injury. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. It gets you from Point A to Point B more quickly. 2. level 2. He hits the ball with great power, ranking in the 92nd percentile in maxEV. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. The Cubs surprisingly held onto him at the trade deadline despite significant interest, and he now enters a contract year looking to build off his breakout performance. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Acua maxed out at 101.5 mph this season, and on Aug. 13, he had a 99.1 mph outfield assist, throwing out Joey Wendle trying to stretch a single into a double from the right-field 2. become a hit. Ruth carried his strong pitching arm into the outfield, where he threw out 204 runners over the course of his career. Week 1- First Day. Any infielder. Statcast Statistics Player Batting 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | All In regards to the two plays in the video, former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus had this to say about the second one: "I didn't think there was a play, to be perfectly honest. Fantasy managers dream each spring of a full season of this production, and if he manages to get to 500 plate appearances, he could be a steal at his current ADP of 78. A lot of things went wrong for Giancarlo Stanton in 2022. The respect that his arm commands explains why he has only 97 career assists, a relatively low number for a man with such a powerful weapon at his disposal. Judge has shown off his rocket arm many times in the past. The Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Blue Jays in the offseason; Rogers Centre should support another 25-HR, 15-SB season and he could see a bump in runs and RBI with the better lineup around him. Colavito recorded double digit assists in eight of the 14 seasons in which he playedfive of which he played in 79 games or less due to injury. 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. Take Boston second baseman Trevor Story, who had been a very good shortstop with Colorado, and may yet be again if Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts chooses to opt out this winter and depart. Traded shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox for pitcher Josh Taylor. Honestly, he doesn't take many pitches, period, as he sits in the first percentile in chase rate. Mar 22, 2021. Fantasy managers can draft him with confidence. He is a pure contact hitter who gets on base and isn't afraid to run (19-for-24 in SB attempts). Let them. Yordan lvarez actually played more games at designated hitter (77) than he did in the outfield (56), but since there are not enough everyday DHs for us to do a top 25 list for that position, he's being included here alongside the rest of the league's best outfielders. Raul Mondesi did just that, compiling 112 assists over his 13-year playing career, including 53 between 1994 and 1997 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then again, Hendersons throw got there about 11% faster. The 27-year-old is miscast as a center fielder (-14 DRS, -3.2 UZR/150) and that undercut his overall value a bit. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Interval Throwing Program for Outfield / PositionPlayers. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Its not that his arm suddenly got weaker on the right side of the infield, of course. Three times he registered 20 or more assists in a season. USA TODAY Sports photo. It's possible they leave him in the 2-slot, especially until Bryce Harper returns, in which case he will continue to score runs and increase his RBI total. play. Statcast position player arm strength metrics are available beginning with the 2020 season. Van Slyke would finish his career with five Gold Gloves and 107 assists. With the Montreal Expos, Valentine was part of a young, talented outfield that included Warren Cromartie and Andre Dawson. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. Acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the trade that bought Joe Morgan to the Cincinnati Reds, Cesar Geronimo patrolled center field for the Big Red Machine with aplomb, taking home four Gold Glove awards. [My arm strength] is just something natural.". raw numbers and as a measurement against average. To get past that, the averages work like this. As Mookie Betts enters his age-30 season, there is some expected decline in a few areas (fly ball rate increased but led to a lower ground ball EV/BABIP). Corbin Carroll mashed his way through the minor league system and arrived in Arizona for his debut in 2022. Ken Griffey Jr. is one player you look at and bemoan "Had he only been able to stay healthy". How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Evans had six seasons of at least 10 assists, and the 157 he has for his career leaves him tied with Andre Dawson. It's a risky proposition, but the payoff could be incredible. As Reynolds was rounding third, Jackson unleashed a throw that not only reached Royals catcher Bob Boone on the fly, but in plenty of time to stop Reynolds from scoring the winning run. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the one base to another, like Home To First. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Default = Experts with most recent updates. 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. 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. Hard to believe he was that agile. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Fantasy managers just need to decide if they can ride out the 0-for-4 streaks.