Those being Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Johnson, Jorge Montanez, David Mendelson . His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. . 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. The outfield will be the foundation of many fantasy teams in 2021. 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. Major League Baseball is loaded with talent in 2021, and the outfield is where you'll find some of the game's biggest stars. 5. Myles Straw, Houston Astros/Cleveland Guardians. 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 has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining . 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. He hit .328/.376/.624 with 31 doubles, 11 triples, 32 homers, 92 RBI, 108 runs and 36 steals across three . Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. 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. The 30-year-old showed a less patient approach at the plate, which resulted in a middling .318 on-base percentage, but his power production is enough to earn him a spot here. This will likely be the most questioned name on this list. He has also done a solid job handling the staff with a 3.87 ERA behind the plate. Runners were afraid to take the extra base when these outfielders had the ball in their hands. Thursday, it's outfielders -- the top 10 left fielders, center fielders and right fielders. 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. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. I texted Votto that I thought Williams would've loved to watch the Nationals' Juan Soto, who might be the closest replica to Williams, with his remarkable plate discipline and power. You need to do it all to be an MVP these days. Managers who don't grab an outfielder in the first two rounds will still have an ample supply of impact players News. 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. 22). Or his 92 mph rocket from right to nail Stephen Strasburg at first base and preserve a Hyun-Jin Ryu no-hit bid on May 12. On the other hand, the league still hasn't had a chance to develop a counterattack against the right-handed-hitting masher. 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. However, the slugger has missed nearly a full seasons worth of games (142) over the past three years due to an assortment of injuries, which is something for fantasy managers to keep in mind. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. Buxton, Myers, Pham, Laureano, Moore and Carlson could be double-digit homer and steal guys. Prior to a game in the 2004 ALDS versus the Yankees, Guerrero threw a ball 370 feet in warm-ups. 15 throws) with an average arm strength of 88.4 mph on max-effort throws -- a.k.a. Carl Furillo's right arm earned him the nickname, "The Reading Rifle". After fielding the fly ball, Clemente unleashed a rocket that cause Retterman to retreat back to third base. The guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. Then theres Stanton, who might be the biggest boom-or-bust pick in fantasy. 7. 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. Mookie. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? He also slugged 38 home runs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. The 26-year-old had 32 doubles, 20 home runs, 20 steals and 94 runs scored, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in left field. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs, Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets; Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners; Aaron Hicks, New York Yankees; Victor Robles, Washington Nationals; Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Look no further than Realmuto, the class of defenders behind home plate and the quickest gun in the Major Leagues. Trout is about halfway through his career, maybe even further along than that. Through Williams's age 21 year -- two seasons -- he had 203 walks, 54 homers and an OPS of 1.041 in 293 games. Welcome to Bleacher Report's final positional rankings of the 2021 MLB season! In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. His throwing abilities were recognized by Bill James, as Guerrero was noted to have the best arm of the 1990s. he Boston Red Sox outfield exceeded expectations in 2021. Colavito is another player on this list who has a legendary arm. 2y Buster Olney. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. 6 spot. 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. Mar 22, 2021. February 26, 2023. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. Other good MLB outfielders right now include Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, J. D. Martinez, and Aaron Judge. He has 19 homers in 63 postseason games, and only three players have more: Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. 8. 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. 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. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. 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. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. The towering right fielder posted a 149 OPS+ with 39 home runs and a career-low 25.0 percent strikeout rate. He went three rounds without hitting a home run, and had one extra-base hit in the seven-game National League Championship Series against the Braves. One important stipulation: Each player could only be selected for one of the five tools. 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. Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers; Eddie Rosario, free agent; Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox; Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers; Clint Frazier, New York Yankees. 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 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. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. Still two years away from arbitration, he will be a cornerstone player for the cost-conscious Rays. Furillo also has the distinction of having needed just one more hit in his career to have a .300 average, while he instead finished at .299. He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. Jesse Barfield had an incredibly strong and an incredibly accurate throwing arm. Juan Soto hit .348/.525/.639 after the All-Star break. The third tier is filled with enticing players, but its also rife with uncertainty. The identity of the No. His .366 career average is a major league record. 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 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. 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. 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. The fourth tier features OF3 candidates of every type. It's not like swinging hard and hitting a ball 115 mph. 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. There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 assists. That notably excluded Mike Trout (146 PA). But for now, it's not wholly clear whether the universal DH will be adopted for the 2021 season, despite the fact that both MLB and the Players Association want it. Hard-throwing top prospect Aaron Ashby has also made three spot starts, and he could make a major impact as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen down the stretch. Didi Gregorius (free agent): 94.7 mph 7. But at the least, we know the potential is there. Stadium MLB insider Russell Dorsey breaks down who the top five outfield arms in MLB are. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade .