You can make a case for a number of players to go first overall in 2021 drafts, but were giving Acua a slight edge over Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Heres the 23-year-olds per-162-game averages over the past two seasons: 45 homers, 37 steals, 105 RBIs and 139 runs with a .274/.374/.531 slash line. Need more power? It must be noted here that Tatis did have an issue with throwing miscues that drove down his overall defensive value. 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. 7. His 26 home runs trail only Salvador Perez among all backstops. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Amazingly, his arm was not the best part of his game defensively. Below you'll find the consensus rankings that eight of our MLB writers were involved in. The 26-year-old made notable strides at the plate in 2020, posting the best chase rate (14.1%, second lowest in MLB), walk rate (15.6%), hard-hit rate (43.2%) and barrel rate (12.5%) of his career. Translation: Realmuto dominates the catcher throwing department. Tabbed as the 58th-best outfield prospect nationally (D1Baseball). He . His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. 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 guy who seemed to be in complete control of his plate appearances in his dominant seasons suddenly looked incredibly confused. He also has a career-high 16 steals in 18 attempts and provides Gold Glove-caliber defense. A former Gold Glove winner in left field, he is a roughly average defender in center field. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead. Davis looking to get back on track this spring. The league may have changed the rules on shifting . Despite his 2020 postseason heroics, Arozarena entered the 2021 season with rookie eligibility, and he wound up leading all rookies with 4.1 WAR. His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. 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. ESPN's Buster Olney leads the discussion of the latest news and notes around baseball with the game's top analysts. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . His swing rate on all pitches dipped to 35% (in '20), which ranked 141st among 142 qualified hitters. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up The eight-time Gold Glove winner was finally inducted into Cooperstown in 2010. He also had one of the strongest arms that baseball has ever seen. 2023 MLB Top 30 Prospects; Rankings; Players; Draft; Store; . 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. The lefty bat can play both first base and outfield, and has even filled in a third base. 2. His contract and track record mean more is expected of him, but he was still a top-15 outfielder. Mervis' busy spring preparing him for Majors. 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). best outfield arms in mlb 2021 This is the best team in baseball. 14. 8 prospect in the game. In five-and-two-thirds career innings, Colavito only gave up one hit. Simply speaking, Mantiply has become the epitome of control. 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. 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. But with several intriguing free-agent outfielders available this winter, Chaim Bloom and Co. could look to add some depth at the position. What follows is a ranking of the Top 10 left fielders in baseball. His defensive metrics in center field (14 DRS, 12.1 UZR) helped him post a career-best 4.9 WAR season. This prevented the Orioles from scoring that inning and the Pirates would go on to win the World Series. but if he regresses to 2017 or 2021 levels no one should complain. Rob Neyer ranked him as our best right fielder in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups (pre-Bautista). Still two years away from arbitration, he will be a cornerstone player for the cost-conscious Rays. The best arms tend to have lower rates because they get run on less, though Clemente is barely in the top 70 all time and IIRC Vlad doesn't even crack the top 200 Though I guess my point agrees with you, he wasn't great but he wasn't awful 2 Buzzed27 San Francisco Giants 5 yr. ago Not sure what you're talking about exactly. 1 guy is pretty obvious, through the compilation of thought from folks around the industry. He hit .310/.383/.458 with 42 extra-base hits and 47 steals in 52 attempts to lead the majors. 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? In 2019, it was all about arm strength for Laureano. Cobb had 271 errors as an outfielder in his career. Bez was responsible for five of the 31 tracked assists of at least 90 mph by infielders last season, the second most in MLB, and his average arm strength on max-effort throws (88.3 mph) was the third best among infielders. Prior to a game in the 2004 ALDS versus the Yankees, Guerrero threw a ball 370 feet in warm-ups. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining . 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. 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. He has 19 homers in 63 postseason games, and only three players have more: Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). Each player was included in the rankings at the position where he played the most innings. has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. But despite all of that offensive imperfection, the lasting impression Betts left behind is that of the closest thing you can have to a perfect player in a sport filled with moments of failure. That notably excluded Mike Trout (146 PA). The 23-year-old is expected to return sometime during the first half of next season. The Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. It simply looks at outfield arm strength. 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). 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. Luis Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and he's set to take over in center. 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. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. Along with a .199 average and 213 strikeouts, he led the AL with 111 walks and had a solid .351 on-base percentage. Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense). 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. Mar 22, 2021. Bobby Abreu has had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in baseball in recent years. Below, we're focusing on fantasy baseball outfield sleepers. The home run he stole from Freddie Freeman in the NLCS, his leap perfectly timed. Rodriguez was a top 10 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 international prospects list for 2019-20 when the signing period opened up in July of 2019. . 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. Barfield threw out an astounding 162 runners during his 12 year career. According to Bill James' Baseball Abstract, Valentine had the best arm in baseball in the 1970's. Utley's UZR/150 has been at least 8.0 in nine of his 10 seasons as a regular in the big leagues. 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 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. Even at age 36, Ichiro was consistently able to throw out runners trying to take an extra base. At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. Minimum 800 innings 6. 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 . He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. The former Red Sox great and six-time Gold Glove winner is known for his arm. Walker was known for his abilities at the plate, but he also had a gun for an arm. 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. There just isn't another divisional outfield duo that comes very close. 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. It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. Free agency, trade talk, offseason news . . The 30-year-old is hitting .268/.333/.482 for a 105 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI. Kyle Schwarber, Washington Nationals/Boston Red Sox. Hitting with discipline is something you elect to do. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . In 2015, Marte had a 16-1 number (A-DP) as part of perhaps baseball's best fielding outfield. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. 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. 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. When he's locked in and at his best, they reported, he's consistently pulling the ball, driving it, and this is not what Betts was doing. Trout is about halfway through his career, maybe even further along than that. That seems almost impossible. The eight-time Gold Glove winner even managed to throw out 11 base runners from left field at age 39. 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. As in: This is the type of hitter I want to be; get out of my way.". Previous picks: DJ LeMahieu (hit), Aaron Judge (power), Ronald Acua Jr. (run), Matt Chapman (defense). 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. 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. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. He has never finished lower than third on the MLB pop time leaderboard since Statcast launched, and 2019 was his fastest season yet. Robert may have the higher ceiling of the two, but he also has the lower floor. those in the top 10 percent of a players sample. He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. There are undoubtedly better defensive trios than this group, but their top-tier offensive production earns them the nod for top outfield unit in 2021. 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. 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 fourth tier features OF3 candidates of every type. With free agency looming after the 2022 season, another performance like that would set him up for a huge payday next winter. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. His .366 career average is a major league record. He ultimately found his way back to Tampa Bay on a new one-year, $3 million deal that includes a 2022 club option. 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. Realmuto, C, PhilliesKey stat: 46.7 percent caught stealing rate in 2019. He looks ready for a huge breakout season, after another year of offensive maturation. Vote for who you think are the best MLB outfielders currently playing in the league today . Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. In the short 2020 season, he had more walks (49) than strikeouts (43). 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. On the back of plus-plus speed, Kiermaier shows off tremendous instincts for the position. From first-time All-Star Andrew Kittredge (44 G, 1.41 ERA) to reclamation project Collin McHugh (27 G, 1.30 ERA) to 31-year-old rookie Louis Head (20 G, 3.16 ERA), they continue to plug and play better than any organization in baseball when it comes to building a bullpen. The longtime utility man split his time between center field (93 games) and second base (47 games), and he posted a 107 OPS+ with 58 extra-base hits in a career-high 585 plate appearances. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. Share. 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. Stars and depth help the Dodgers dominate both NL competition and Best Tools voting. Now the #20 prospect in the Yankees' organization, Hardman posted a 109 wRC+ across High-A and Double-A last season with 22 HRs in 111 games, but his over 30% K% is alarming for his projectability long-term. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. He also slugged 38 home runs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. Bez was responsible for five of the 31 tracked assists of at least 90 mph by infielders last season, the second most in MLB, and his average arm strength on max-effort throws (88.3 mph) was the third best among infielders. We're focusing solely on 2021 production, so previous track record and future projections were not a factor. 9. Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, made his major league debut at age 18.

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