best outfield arms in mlb 2021

The greatest player of this era turns 30 in 2021. 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. Most everyone reading this article is probably asking themselves who Glenn Gorbous is. This year, he barely edges out Pittsburgh's Neil Walker, who checks in at minus-12-2, for the . Its certainly not about skill, and combined with Simmons fundamentals and defensive savvy, look out. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. 20. Pitchers are on the other end of Soto's will, as well. Laureanos arm is best known for the throw mentioned above, which resulted in a double play after he caught a fly ball hit by Justin Upton at Angel Stadium. The corner outfield spots are going to be packed with talent in 2023. Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs): 96.7 mph 3. Whitaker was ranked the #37 prospect by MLB. At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). 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. RP - Joe Mantiply, ARI (2.5 BB%) Devin Wiles. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. In five-and-two-thirds career innings, Colavito only gave up one hit. It's possible that Merrifield will move back to the infield if Nicky Lopez struggles in his effort to establish himself as the Royals' second baseman. Tatis, of course, was a sensation in just about every way as a rookie in 2019, and his throwing ability was no exception. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. 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. His swing rate on all pitches dipped to 35% (in '20), which ranked 141st among 142 qualified hitters. MLB By Chris Novak on March 3, 2023. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . The writers involved are Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Dunbar, Ryan Kirksey, Nic Civale, Logan Kritzeck, and Matt Heckman. 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. There is no shortage of articles ranking MLB players by position, league, age, production or something else entirely. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. Ramirez is fourth among active outfielders with 129 career assists. The damage he did in the playoffs and World Series, against some of the best pitchers in the world, was absolutely staggering. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. Edmonds is currently third among active players in outfield assists with 131. His middling defense (-6 DRS, -4.8 UZR/150) and the time he missed kept him from ranking any higher. Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. 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. Amazingly, his arm was not the best part of his game defensively. Mike Trout was born on Aug. 7, 1991, and every so often, it's worth a few moments to consider the start to his career, to remind yourself that you are watching a historic peer of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth. Accuracy is considered, but arm strength is the big piece of this. With free agency looming after the 2022 season, another performance like that would set him up for a huge payday next winter. In his first 303 games in the big leagues, he has a .380 OBP and an .859 OPS. In total, he made 10 throws of 95-plus mph last season and had three throws of 300 feet or more. Williams loved to talk hitting, and through the last years of his life, he developed friendships with the likes of Tony Gwynn. Here are five options going much later in drafts than they should based on their . With the unique 2020 season behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the hot stove season. Bobby Abreu has had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in baseball in recent years. Aaron Judge, Yankees Castellanos and Blackmon, meanwhile, faded dramatically after blazing starts. 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. Steven Hajjar- Michigan prospect sophomore that fanned 24 of 87 batters faced and 3-0 record in four game. Stadium MLB insider Russell Dorsey breaks down who the top five outfield arms in MLB are. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. He led the National League in outfield assists twice in his career. Mantle earned one Gold Glove in his career and threw out 117 base runners from the outfield. You could argue that so long as his arm is healthy, there's none more valuable. With Merv Retterman on third base, Robinson knocked the ball more than 300 feet deep in center field. For reference, Bradley Zimmer has one of the best throwing arms on the big league roster and has always had a strong arm, considered to be plus (60) and maybe even double-plus (70). Unfortunately for Valentine, he was only able to play 10 seasons in the majors. Follow @RickWeinerBR Just Missed the Cut 1 of 42 Barry Bonds Shin-Soo Choo Mike Hershberger Andruw Jones. 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. 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Outfielders Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings for OF | FantasyPros 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Expert Consensus Ranking (32 of 36 Experts) - Feb 28, 2023 Pick. In per-game DRS among all MLB. A big part of any draft kit are the rankings, and we're continuing our staff consensus rankings for 2021 with our fantasy baseball outfield rankings. Kaline was known for his perfect throwing from and his ability to catch and throw. Here are the Cubs' 2023 Top 30 prospects. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. According to Bill James' Baseball Abstract, Valentine had the best arm in baseball in the 1970's. Translation: Realmuto dominates the catcher throwing department. Anyone paying attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 knew Bryan Reynolds was capable of the type of season he put together in 2021. 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. Non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs at the start of last offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals. Griffey's defensive abilities helped him win the first of his 10 consecutive Gold Gloves at age 20. It has been suggested that the Indians have been cursed after trading Colavito, a fan favorite, to the Detroit Tigers in 1960. The 27-year-old batted .308 last season, with a .534 slugging percentage. Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . The 27-year-old posted a 171 OPS+ with 42 extra-base hits in 254 plate appearances, and he had 10 DRS in 509.2 innings in center field. How Does Carlos Correa's Deal Impact Dansby Swanson's Market? 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. 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. A catch made high against the right field wall to take extra bases away from Ozuna. This is not unusual: Cal Ripken Jr. spent his whole career fighting for feel, winning two MVP awards but also posting seven seasons in which he batted in the .250s or lower. Tier 2: Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert, Aaron Judge, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte, Whit Merrifield. Best Outfield Arm. 25 attempts). 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. 1. In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. Barfield would consistently throw strikes from right field to home plate. He hit the walk-off home run in the NL Wild Card Game and had a three-homer game in Game 5 of the NLCS. He is widely seen as defensively challenged and although he is just 30, his future is clearly going to be at DH. 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. With the Astros first pick the 2021 draft, they took a prospect who fell right in their laps. The question that resonated at the end of October is about the best position player on the planet -- Betts, or Mike Trout? Buxton, Myers, Pham, Laureano, Moore and Carlson could be double-digit homer and steal guys. That's primal, natural. He tallied a career-high 42 doubles along with 35 home runs, 84 RBI and 101 runs scored in a 5.9 WAR season. 2023 MLB Top 30 Prospects; Rankings; Players; Draft; Store; . You need to do it all to be an MVP these days. Runners will not even try to advance extra bases when the ball is in Ichiro's hands. Guerrero has the second best arm of any player in baseball today. Similarly, Grisham has played fewer than 120 games in the Majors. There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. He has 19 homers in 63 postseason games, and only three players have more: Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. 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. Myles Straw, Houston Astros/Cleveland Guardians. He hit .328/.376/.624 with 31 doubles, 11 triples, 32 homers, 92 RBI, 108 runs and 36 steals across three . 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! PART - Positioning, Balls hit in air, Range, and Throwing for Infielders; Range & Positioning on balls hit in air for Outfielders. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. 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. Trent Grisham, San Diego Padres Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants. We're going to try something a little different. 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. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. 22). While Bo Jackson's greatest accomplishment might be the fact that he is the greatest video game character ever, it is not the only thing that Bo is known for. Craig Counsell, Brewers. The two-time Gold Glove winner had five seasons in which he had more than 10 assists. He also once again took home Gold Glove honors in a 6.3 WAR season. 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. There has been industry speculation that he was still dealing with the aftereffect of the fractured right kneecap he suffered at the end of the 2019 season. He was hitting .283/.394/.596 with 19 doubles, 24 home runs and 17 steals through 82 games at the time of the injury, good for a 3.6 WAR season. 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. Previous picks: Mookie Betts (hit), Joey Gallo (power), Christian Yelich (run), Harrison Bader (defense), Cody Bellinger, CF, DodgersKey stat: 101.1 mph max arm strength. He also had one of the strongest arms that baseball has ever seen. 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. 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. 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. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? The biggest surprise has been Austin Riley, who looked like the weak link after posting an 84 OPS+ in 503 plate appearances over his first two seasons. Through Williams's age 21 year -- two seasons -- he had 203 walks, 54 homers and an OPS of 1.041 in 293 games. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. The 28-year-old hit .305/.394/.556 for a 140 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 24 home runs and 71 RBI in 485 plate appearances, earning his first All-Star selection. Tier 5: Anthony Santander, Victor Robles, Clint Frazier, Max Kepler, Kyle Schwarber, Jesse Winker, Trey Mancini, Andrew McCutchen, Jarred Kelenic, AJ Pollock, Andrew Benintendi, Mark Canha, Chris Taylor, Nick Solak, Mitch Haniger, Aaron Hicks, Brandon Nimmo, Lorenzo Cain, Joc Pederson, Garrett Hampson. 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. Buck Showalter, Mets. He racked up 4.7 WAR despite missing 35 games early in the season with a fractured rib. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. Mookie. Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Despite playing only eight seasons, Jackson managed to rack up 49 assists. Realmuto, C, PhilliesKey stat: 46.7 percent caught stealing rate in 2019. 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. The identity of the No. 1 guy is pretty obvious, through the compilation of thought from folks around the industry. They've helped to bridge the gap with veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria both missing significant time because of injuries. 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. In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. Through all the excess options, it becomes even more important to find the top values and to not settle for "good enough" production. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". 4 overall prospect. That seems almost impossible. Cobb did have some trouble with his arm however. Look no further than Realmuto, the class of defenders behind home plate and the quickest gun in the Major Leagues. 14. A good spring could get the 29-year-old on the 40-man roster. 6. 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. 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. Tagged: 2023 MLB Draft, MLB Draft, Dylan Crews, Jacob Gonzalez, Max Clark, Brock Wilken, Walker Jenkins, Christian Little, Patrick Reilly, Dylan Cupp, Thomas White, Enrique Bradfield, Tanner Witt, Jaxon Wiggins, Teddy McGraw, Carson Montgomery, TJ Nichols, Drew Bowser, Jackson Baumeister, Will Sanders, Blake Mitchell, Tre' Morgan, Tommy Troy, Honorable Mention:Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals. 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. Once regarded as injury-prone, the 28-year-old has missed only 10 games over the past three years combined, averaging 36 homers, 107 RBIs, 105 runs and 16 steals per 162 games in that span. 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. 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. February 24, 2023. Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants. At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. . 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 26-year-old got off to a slow start this year, but he caught fire in May and never looked back. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. Need more power? Nothing less should be expected from a man who was nicknamed "Muscles". Speaker is the MLB record holder for most career outfield assists with 449. Tier 1: Ronald Acua Jr., Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper. Yelich and Bellinger, the National League MVP Award winners in 2018 and '19, respectively, turned in disappointing campaigns a season ago, but were expecting big things from both in '21. That Betts is the best right fielder in the game is assumed. Adj ER Saved - Our metric for catcher value in staff handling (similar to Catcher ERA but with important adjustments) 4. The well-rounded Betts is our second-ranked outfielder and No. Wil Myers, San Diego Padres; Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros; Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies; Nicholas Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds, Buster Olney's top 10s for 2021: Ranking MLB's best outfielders, NBA investigating after Morant shows gun in video, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Edey leads Wooden finalists; Bama's Miller off list, Chase Elliott out indefinitely after tibia surgery, Jays' Guerrero to miss WBC with inflamed knee, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Ledecky sees 9-year win streak in U.S. snapped, Inside the long-awaited return of Jon Jones and his quest for heavyweight glory, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. 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. ESPN's Buster Olney leads the discussion of the latest news and notes around baseball with the game's top analysts. 8. . "It was as if we were playing for the playoffs," one impressed staffer said. The fourth tier features OF3 candidates of every type. Mays' throwing arm deserves more recognition as he was he had the second strongest arm of any outfielder in the 1960s. Below you'll find the consensus rankings that eight of our MLB writers were involved in. 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. It's partially controllable. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. The tattoo was earned, as Mondesi had one of the strongest arms in baseball in the 1990s. Red Sox. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays. In the short 2020 season, he had more walks (49) than strikeouts (43). Welcome to Bleacher Report's final positional rankings of the 2021 MLB season! C The Gators routinely welcome recruiting classes that rank among the top in the country, and the class of 2023 will be no exception. He led the NL in home runs, RBIs and total bases last season, thriving with runners in scoring position: in those moments, Ozuna batted .364, with a .444 on-base percentage and a .623 slugging percentage. After fielding the fly ball, Clemente unleashed a rocket that cause Retterman to retreat back to third base. Like with many of the other top outfielders on this list, runners knew not to try for extra bases when the ball was anywhere near Barfield's hands. This is a pretty straight forward category. Ichiro has the strongest and most powerful arm of any outfielder in the major leagues today. After a slow start, reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman is once posting elite numbers. In order to qualify for the leaderboard, a player must have more Two-Star opportunities than team games / 5. As the anchor of the Dodgers' package for Betts, Verdugo was the centerpiece in perhaps the most unpopular Boston baseball deal since Babe Ruth was shipped off to the Yankees, and he joined the Red Sox with a well-publicized reputation as a less-than-ideal teammate. . Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays. Sometimes he looked like he was guessing wrong over and over and over, with the befuddlement covering his face as he walked away from the plate. He might just be entering his throwing prime, making this the perfect time to claim his golden arm for my superplayer. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. 17. The so-called five-tool player is a special breed, as those who truly rate above average in each category are extremely rare. The regimented preparation that had worked for Yelich in the past was simply not available to him, and he may have suffered for it. That duo has started all but one game behind the dish for the Rays this year and posted the following combined stat line in the process: Zunino, 30, was an All-Star for the first time this year. Texas Rangers outfield arms: The Outliers Some of these players were considered to have the best throwing arms on the Texas Rangers, but statistically, they failed to crack the top 10.. However, he was also a 4.2 WAR player at the time of the trade. Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021. 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). The 33-year-old hit .307 with runners in scoring position, and he had a .937 OPS in 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. More MLB videos How Does Carlos Correa Fit on the Giants? Mervis' busy spring preparing him for Majors. 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. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. The club also traded away Diego Castillo at the deadline in exchange for JT Chargois and Austin Shenton. His career OPS is 1.000, exactly. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. 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. Outfielder Jump Leaderboard Current: Outfielder Jump 2022 Minimum Attempts (Q) Update Download CSV Jump is calculated only on plays that are Two Stars or harder, meaning with a 90% Catch Probability or lower. Rob Neyer ranked him as our best right fielder in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups (pre-Bautista). 6 spot. This is Just Baseball's staff consensus ranking of the top 15 corner outfielders in baseball. He threw a ball 445 feet and 10 inches in 1957 while he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A team. Clemente is tied with Willie Mays for the the most Gold Gloves for an outfielder with 12. The 24-year-old hit .251 with 10 homers, 10 steals and 42 runs in 59 games for the Padres last year. The Giants acquired him at the trade deadline, and he is poised to cash in as a free agent this offseason. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. Near the top of Florida's next crop of freshmen are two of South Florida's finest arms, right-hander Christian Rodriguez . Fingers crossed that the 2021 MLB season will begin on time -- and that we get to see some live baseball at the ballpark this year. MLB fans were up in arms on Friday afternoon because of an absurd shift used during a Spring Training game. Jordan Wicks- from Kansas State at 6'2 and 220lbs he is 2-0 in 2021 and went 3-0 last year. Here are this years top fantasy outfielders, broken down into tiers. 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. 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. The 27-year-old also has a perfect 99 reaction time rating, 86 arm strength, and 81 arm accuracy. T. Alex Verdugo, Kik Hernandez, and Hunter Renfroe were Boston's primary outfielders last season. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. The 31-year-old is hitting .337/.413/.543 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI in 74 games since the beginning of June, and his 3.5 WAR on the year ranks fifth among all first basemen. Scouts have long graded position players on five tools that are central to success in the game: hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing. 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. 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. His contact rate was easily the worst of his career, and his swing rate was way down. A former Gold Glove winner in left field, he is a roughly average defender in center field. 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. Ramirez has never won a Gold Glove and he is thought of more for his offensive prowess than his defensive abilities. He batted just .169 against right-handed pitchers, with a .345 slugging percentage. All of the sudden, the ball is at the base, and a runner who thought he had it made is out. Share. He's not just an MVP-caliber hitter; he has one of the strongest outfield arms in the league. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . Vote for who you think are the best MLB outfielders currently playing in the league today . His 26 home runs trail only Salvador Perez among all backstops. Bonds had a strong throwing arm even before he began to bulk up.

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