Mookie. He hit .281 with an .800 OPS after the All-Star break, and he capped off the season by winning his first Gold Glove. 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. 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. Clemente's arm was not only powerful but it also featured laser-like precision. 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. Only 30 MLB hitters had a lower rate of soft contact than Jimenez -- Fernando Tatis Jr., Corey Seager, Anthony Rendon and Freddie Freeman were among those ranked ahead of him. Luis Mieses OF (Prev. It's partially controllable. He could seemingly throw out any runner trying to pick up an extra base. He threw a ball 445 feet and 10 inches in 1957 while he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A team. He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. 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. Few players have joined an organization under more challenging circumstances than Verdugo faced when he went to the Red Sox. He hit .310/.383/.458 with 42 extra-base hits and 47 steals in 52 attempts to lead the majors. Steven Duggar-OF-San Francisco Giants-Bats Left-Age 27 It might be tough to pry Duggar from the winning Giants, but he is a very good defensive center fielder with speed. And I'm talking about strong arms, not merely accurate ones. Through Williams's age 21 year -- two seasons -- he had 203 walks, 54 homers and an OPS of 1.041 in 293 games. On the other hand, the league still hasn't had a chance to develop a counterattack against the right-handed-hitting masher. 1 guy is pretty obvious, through the compilation of thought from folks around the industry. 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. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . At 321 feet, it was the longest on-the-fly throw for an outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015). He also improved dramatically on defense, recording +2 Outs Above Average after finishing at -13 in just 53 games in the field in 2019, so his glove is no longer a reason to keep him out of the lineup. The 29-year-old proved that performance was sustainable over a full season this year, logging a 133 OPS+ while hitting .296/.346/.524 with 29 doubles, 32 home runs and 116 RBI. He even threw a ball 100.8 mph on April 21, though it didnt result in an assist. Lagares easily has the most rARM per 1,000 innings over the last three seasons. From Jimenez's first season to his second, his wRC+ jumped from 116 to 141. PART - Positioning, Balls hit in air, Range, and Throwing for Infielders; Range & Positioning on balls hit in air for Outfielders. 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. Past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that my fantasy baseball outfield rankings for 2021 will not be 100 percent right. He earned a starting nod in the All-Star Game, and he deserves a ton of credit for the job he did protecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the cleanup spot in the Toronto lineup. Jackson is known most for his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal and the fact that he was banned from baseball by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis following the 1920 season. His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. The 27-year-old also has a perfect 99 reaction time rating, 86 arm strength, and 81 arm accuracy. Andre Dawson had a cannon for an arm. He made more consistent contact while maintaining his usual elite average exit velocity and hard-hit rate metrics. As a rookie, he hit .314/.377/.503 with 37 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and rack up 4.2 WAR. The veteran has been a productive fantasy bat for several years, but his 2020 slash line (.322/.412/.515) was well above his performance from 2017-19 (.257/.363/.492). Other good MLB outfielders right now include Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, J. D. Martinez, and Aaron Judge. The regimented preparation that had worked for Yelich in the past was simply not available to him, and he may have suffered for it. 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. His middling defense (-6 DRS, -4.8 UZR/150) and the time he missed kept him from ranking any higher. 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. . 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. The corner outfield spots are going to be packed with talent in 2023. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. 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. Speaker also holds the unique record for most unassisted double plays by an outfielder with six. He also had the two fastest-tracked infield assists to first base -- reaching 94 mph -- and was responsible for about half of the 92-plus mph assists from all infielders. Those are absurd numbers to maintain for a full week, let alone half of a season. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. 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. 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. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. Julio Rodriguez was the team's best player while former top prospect arms Logan Gilbert and George Kirby shined in Seattle's rotation. Judges 12.5 AB/HR rate ranks fourth among players with 50-plus homers since the beginning of 2017. Williams loved to talk hitting, and through the last years of his life, he developed friendships with the likes of Tony Gwynn. 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. Best Outfield Arm. The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the majors with a 2.90 starters' ERA, but injuries and off-the-field issues have thinned their rotation considerably. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. 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. But imagine him with this cannon attached to his shoulder. These guys. The 30-year-old is hitting .268/.333/.482 for a 105 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. 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. Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense). Top Outfield Defense in the Minor Leagues: Kevin Kiermaier ( Tampa Bay Rays) Though Kiermaier wasn't the unanimous winner in this category, his defense earned universal praise across the scouting community. Need more power? In a down year by his standards, Betts was still a 4.2 WAR player. Realmuto, C, PhilliesKey stat: 46.7 percent caught stealing rate in 2019. But given his offensive production and impact at the top of the lineup, that's more than enough to make him an extremely valuable all-around player. 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. But Verdugo ingratiated himself with teammates and staff with his passion and play, and he seemed to earn the early respect of socially distant Red Sox fans. 5. But that seemed to be more about a rookie being overly aggressive than anything else. Mays had 195 career outfield assists and he won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves. In the 60-game season, Bellinger hit .239 and was moved down in the lineup to the No. But the Rays also added some competition for the starting role in former top prospect Francisco Mejia, whom they acquiredin the Blake Snell blockbuster. Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Monday's games. 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. That seems almost impossible. For a boost in the batting-average category, target McNeil, Verdugo or Brantley. He is, by any measure, the best outfielder and player of his generation. Previous picks: DJ LeMahieu (hit), Aaron Judge (power), Ronald Acua Jr. (run), Matt Chapman (defense). Dawson racked up 157 outfield assists in his 21 major league seasons. 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. March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. 20. Let's get right into it. Edmonds is currently third among active players in outfield assists with 131. 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. Reynolds hit.302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 93 runs scored for a 146 OPS+ despite having little in the way of protection in a bad Pittsburgh lineup. However, Mays is more well-known for "The Catch" than for his arm. Guerrero has the second best arm of any player in baseball today. 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. "I'll take a guess that there hasn't been enough impetus for young players to be patient only until recently. The greatest player of this era turns 30 in 2021. He batted just .169 against right-handed pitchers, with a .345 slugging percentage. He was ranked the 40th-best free agent this offseason, per Giants Baseball Insider's rankings. Even at age 36, Ichiro was consistently able to throw out runners trying to take an extra base. Despite his great arm, Gorbous only managed to play three seasons in the major leagues. He led the National League in outfield assists twice in his career. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. All three of those guys could finish in the top 10 in NL Cy Young voting, but the staff goes deeper than that trio. 6 player in the Razzball Player Rater, despite playing just 130 games; give him Vladimir Guerrero's 161 games and he would've topped him for the No. 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. 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. 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) "There's a nuance to disciplined hitting that needs to become a habit. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. The well-rounded Betts is our second-ranked outfielder and No. 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. Here are this years top fantasy outfielders, broken down into tiers. 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. Accuracy matters, too. Base runners in the National League feared the arm of Roberto Clemente. The 28-year-old hit .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs, 106 runs and an .899 OPS the last time we saw him. Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays. The goal is to decide which team has the best catchers, infielders, outfielders, bench, starting pitchers and relief pitchers. 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. 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. 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. He homered 12 times in a 10-game stretch at the end of June, but he missed most of July with a hamstring strain. The club also traded away Diego Castillo at the deadline in exchange for JT Chargois and Austin Shenton. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers; Eddie Rosario, free agent; Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox; Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers; Clint Frazier, New York Yankees. However, he was also a 4.2 WAR player at the time of the trade. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Between a breakout 2021 campaign and 2022, the journeyman reliever dropped his strong 9.6% walk rate to a miniscule 2.5%, good for best in the league. Here are the Cubs' 2023 Top 30 prospects. In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. Through Soto's age 21 season, he has played 313 regular-season games -- two full seasons, basically -- and has 228 walks, 69 homers among 146 extra-base hits, and an OPS of .972. Yelich is 29 years old. 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. In the short 2020 season, he had more walks (49) than strikeouts (43). Baseball Savant. Despite playing only eight seasons, Jackson managed to rack up 49 assists. We're going to try something a little different. 1. This tier includes a number of power-speed options, led by Tucker and Robert, who both went 30/30 in the Minors in 2019 and continued to contribute on multiple fronts in '20. 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. In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. Ozuna, meanwhile, is back with the Braves after signing a four-year contract. 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. 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). Fantasy managers can still find some starting-caliber outfielders in this tier. Here are the players who just missed the cut, listed alphabetically: 25. The quick reaction and retreat and leap before taking extra bases away from Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the World Series. Bobby Abreu has had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in baseball in recent years. Seven of the first 15 players in MLB.com's player rankings are outfielders, including four of the top five. 2021 Topps series 1,Rookie Monte Harrison #126 Miami marlins outfield baseball. The eight-time Gold Glove winner was finally inducted into Cooperstown in 2010. Below you'll find the consensus rankings that eight of our MLB writers were involved in. In a Houston Astros lineup loaded with star power, Kyle Tucker was arguably the team's most productive hitter in 2021. 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. Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs): 96.7 mph 3. Despite his defensive limitations, he should be able to find a more lucrative deal this winter. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". 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. Let's marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. Brewers: The Crew has the Central's best outfield, led by Christian Yelich in right field and Lorenzo Cain in center. Even though Meusel played just 11 seasons, he still recorded 157 outfield assists. 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. The 27-year-old batted .308 last season, with a .534 slugging percentage. The 27-year-old already has career-highs in OPS+ (109), hits (126), doubles (29), home runs (25) and RBI (75). Still two years away from arbitration, he will be a cornerstone player for the cost-conscious Rays. The Gators routinely welcome recruiting classes that rank among the top in the country, and the class of 2023 will be no exception. His defensive abilities were rewarded as he received 10 Gold Gloves over the course of his career.
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