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. So how do you rank a player who didn't have his first 2020 plate appearance until Aug. 30, but may have been the first- or second-best player in October, depending where you want to stack Corey Seager? Cedric Mullins hit .225/.290/.342 with seven home runs and 10 steals in 115 games scattered across his first three big league seasons. Dave Roberts, Dodgers. He hit .281 with an .800 OPS after the All-Star break, and he capped off the season by winning his first Gold Glove. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". The Venezuela native surged three levels in his age-18 season, showing off plus power and 70-grade speed on his way to becoming the No. 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. Of the 60 games Ozuna played last season, only 21 were in the outfield, so if you wanted to make the argument that he should be ranked among designated hitters, well, you'd have a good case. 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. Mays is in the discussion for the greatest player of all-time. The sport needs to have him back on the postseason stage in the next few years. The 21-year-old had 23 homers and 20 steals in the Minors in 2019, but thats the only full Minor League season hes played, and the left adductor muscle strain he suffered in his fourth Cactus League game spoiled any chance he had of cracking the Mariners Opening Day roster. 10. 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. 4 overall prospect. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that my fantasy baseball outfield rankings for 2021 will not be 100 percent right. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. Buxton, Taylor and Gallo are such great, award-winning fielders that it's easy to forget about Kepler, who would be the best defensive outfielder on many teams. MLB By Chris Novak on March 3, 2023. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. He looks ready for a huge breakout season, after another year of offensive maturation. His 26 home runs trail only Salvador Perez among all backstops. Hitting with discipline is something you elect to do. With the unique 2020 season behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the hot stove season. The home run he stole from Freddie Freeman in the NLCS, his leap perfectly timed. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. Mondesi has a tattoo of a cannon shooting out a baseball on his right arm. On top of his offensive production, he is also one of the game's best pitch framers, and the pitching staff has a 3.61 ERA when he's in the crouch. even despite missing a good chunk of 2021 . The goal is to decide which team has the best catchers, infielders, outfielders, bench, starting pitchers and relief pitchers. Let's marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. 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. The quick reaction and retreat and leap before taking extra bases away from Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the World Series. Catch up on the 2021 MLB Player Rankings series:Catchers,First Basemen,Second Basemen, Third Basemen,Shortstops. 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. That leaves the Cincinnati Reds as the pick. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. It's not all about arm strength, of course. He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. Jackie Bradley Jr., free agent The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . It's worth remembering that during the 2018-19 seasons, Pham had an on-base percentage of .368 and scored 179 runs in 282 games. O'Neill finished with a 150 OPS+ and 34 home runs while hitting alongside Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the middle of the lineup. March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. All of the sudden, the ball is at the base, and a runner who thought he had it made is out. Just like the regular-season rankings, players are ranked solely on the 2021 season. Most teams need to go at least six starters deep over the course of a season, and the Brew Crew also have three quality back-end starters behind their ace-caliber arms. Williams loved to talk hitting, and through the last years of his life, he developed friendships with the likes of Tony Gwynn. 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. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. 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. Despite his 2020 postseason heroics, Arozarena entered the 2021 season with rookie eligibility, and he wound up leading all rookies with 4.1 WAR. The 26-year-old finished the season as a 6.0 WAR player, earning a spot among the Gold Glove finalists in center field on top of his excellent offensive numbers. He could seemingly throw out any runner trying to pick up an extra base. Anyone paying attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 knew Bryan Reynolds was capable of the type of season he put together in 2021. Julio Rodriguez was the team's best player while former top prospect arms Logan Gilbert and George Kirby shined in Seattle's rotation. Then theres Stanton, who might be the biggest boom-or-bust pick in fantasy. 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. 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. Ramon Laureano, Oakland A's Ha-Seong Kim (Padres): 95.2 mph 4. . 14. Fantasy managers can still find some starting-caliber outfielders in this tier. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. Harper wraps up the first tier. The speedy Straw was an everyday player for the first time in 2021, first replacing George Springer in center field in Houston before the Astros traded him to Cleveland at the deadline. Even in his time in the minors, his swing-and-miss rate jumped up a few percentage points. Or his game-saving throw from center field to the plate against the Red Sox in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. 8. An intercostal strain limited Winker to only one game after Aug. 15. Baseball Savant. Realmuto, C, PhilliesKey stat: 46.7 percent caught stealing rate in 2019. He also quietly held his own in right field (3 DRS, 2.0 UZR/150) after posting negative defensive metrics in left field previously, and his 7.1 WAR led all outfielders and ranked fifth among all players in 2021. The 30-year-old is hitting .268/.333/.482 for a 105 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI. Adam Eaton, Chicago White Sox, Right field, 11, (14-3) Adam Eaton of the Chicago White Sox makes a run for it | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images. Frelick also climbed three levels in his first full season, and the 2021 first . Prior to a game in the 2004 ALDS versus the Yankees, Guerrero threw a ball 370 feet in warm-ups. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays In his first 303 games in the big leagues, he has a .380 OBP and an .859 OPS. He also had one of the strongest arms that baseball has ever seen. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18. Abreu's strong arm helped him win his only Gold Glove in 2005. Martinez, Charlie Blackmon, Teoscar Hernndez, Austin Meadows, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Previous picks: Jeff McNeil (hit), Gary Snchez (power), Tim Locastro (run), Victor Robles (defense), Javier Bez, SS, CubsKey stat: Five assists over 90 mph in 2019. Ramirez is fourth among active outfielders with 129 career assists. This is Just Baseball's staff consensus ranking of the top 15 corner outfielders in baseball. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. 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 league may have changed the rules on shifting . Edmonds is currently third among active players in outfield assists with 131. Since the start of 2019, all of Duran's time in the outfield has been played exclusively at center, a position probably best suited for his elite speed and average to below-average arm. 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. PART - Positioning, Balls hit in air, Range, and Throwing for Infielders; Range & Positioning on balls hit in air for Outfielders. 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. Now it's time to finalize those rankings while expanding the list out to the 25 best at each position on the diamond, which means each position is going to get its own article. Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense). During Wednesday night's game against the Athletics, Yankees outfield Aaron Hicks broke a Statcast record for the fastest ball thrown in recorded history with a 105.5 mph, 246 . 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. The former Red Sox great and six-time Gold Glove winner is known for his arm. With George Springer, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert all missing considerable time and Cody Bellinger struggling through a down year, the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers narrowly missed the cut for the title of MLB's best outfield unit in 2021. 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. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. Cobb is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players in the history of the game. The precision is there (nine errors across nearly 1,140 innings last year), and so is the power and reaction time. he Boston Red Sox outfield exceeded expectations in 2021. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. He also slugged 38 home runs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. In addition to a standard strength-training regimen for upper body and arm strength, outfielders can perform daily throwing drills, such as one-knee throwing and long tosses, to build their. 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. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. A 2021 20th-round pick . Jesse Barfield had an incredibly strong and an incredibly accurate throwing arm. The late-bloomer is controllable for two more seasons, and the Blue Jays could explore a long-term extension to make sure he sticks around as part of the offensive core that also includes Guerrero, Bo Bichette and George Springer. Larry Walker is considered one of the best Rockies ever in the team's short existence. The eight-time Gold Glove winner even managed to throw out 11 base runners from left field at age 39. has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. 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. 2021 Topps series 1,Rookie Monte Harrison #126 Miami marlins outfield baseball. Bellinger has made some spectacular throws, like his 268-foot laser from right field to third base to bail the Dodgers out of a late-inning bases-loaded jam against the Mets last May 27 (his second outfield assist of that game). Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and runner-up in the MVP voting last year. Evans was considered to have one of the greatest throwing arms in baseball in the 1970s. Those being Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Johnson, Jorge Montanez, David Mendelson . . The MLB Tonight panel breaks . Ramirez has never won a Gold Glove and he is thought of more for his offensive prowess than his defensive abilities. His arm was so powerful, that while pitching for his mill league, Jackson once broke a catchers arm and was subsequently moved to the outfield because no one wanted to catch for him. Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". In per-game DRS among all MLB. The so-called five-tool player is a special breed, as those who truly rate above average in each category are extremely rare. It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. 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. Other choices were more complicated, particularly by the question of who might be more suited to be ranked among the designated hitters. He also has a career-high 16 steals in 18 attempts and provides Gold Glove-caliber defense. He scored 15 runs in 18 postseason games, reminded everyone that he's the best baserunner in the game -- and then there was his defense, with layer upon layer of highlights. He also once again took home Gold Glove honors in a 6.3 WAR season. Robles struggled in 2020, but he had 17 homers, 28 steals, 65 RBIs and 86 runs in '19 and has no competition for playing time this season. 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. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. Tier 2: Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert, Aaron Judge, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte, Whit Merrifield. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? The Gators routinely welcome recruiting classes that rank among the top in the country, and the class of 2023 will be no exception. Minimum 800 innings 6. Bobby Abreu has had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in baseball in recent years. In 2015, Marte had a 16-1 number (A-DP) as part of perhaps baseball's best fielding outfield. Amazingly, his arm was not the best part of his game defensively. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 6 spot. Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. Aside from having a ton of playable depth, the Giants have also slugged an MLB-leading 14 pinch-hit home runs. But Bellinger is one of only three outfielders with a tracked throw over 101 mph last season -- Hunter Renfroe and Aristides Aquino are the others -- and that wasn't the first time he hit triple-digit velo on a throw from the outfield (he also did it once during the 2018 postseason). In a down year by his standards, Betts was still a 4.2 WAR player. In addition to the fact that he ran the fastest ever-recorded 40-meter time at the NFL combine (4.08 seconds), the two-sport star had one of the best arms in baseball history. Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman, 505 PA, .235/.309/.504, 56 XBH (31 HR), 76 RBI, 75 R, 4.3 WAR. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. He might just be entering his throwing prime, making this the perfect time to claim his golden arm for my superplayer. 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. 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. 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. Red Sox. Through all the excess options, it becomes even more important to find the top values and to not settle for "good enough" production. Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. It's partially controllable. Clemente's arm was not only powerful but it also featured laser-like precision.