best defensive outfielders 2022
26. Here are the top 10 outfielders at each of the three spots, based on feedback from evaluators, as well as Hembekides and Sarah Langs of MLB.com. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a +22 Mookie Betts, Red Sox. About 15 minutes before first pitch of a Nationals-Braves game last summer, one of Juan Soto's sprints took him into the outfield, out behind second base, and he paused to say hi to Ozzie Albies, who talks to everyone, and after a moment, Ronald Acua Jr. joined in, listening more than talking. He slashed his strikeout rate from 33% in 2019 to 24.9% last season, and look, anyone with even decent power hitting behind Toronto's group of George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is going to put up a lot of numbers. Of our 30 left fielders, Duvall made the catch on 84 percent of the balls that were hit his way, second behind Alex Gordon's 85 percent and well above the 71 percent that the lowest-ranked left fielder (Robbie Grossman) captured.Remember, though, we're giving credit for difficulty here as well, and while Gordon (who missed time due to injury) managed only six catches with a Catch Probability of 50 percent or lower, Duvall managed 15 of them. 1,500 plate appearances), behind Ted Williams, Trout and Ty Cobb -- and he continues to get better. 2021 Stats: 82 G, .283/.394/.596, .990 OPS, wRC+, 24 HR, 52 RBI, 17 SB, 13.6% BB, 23.6% K, 4.2 fWAR, 2 DRS, 0 OAA. For example, a fielder who catches a 25% Out Probability play gets +.75; one . He still outperformed that, because he's great, but he also had barely one-third of the Five-Star opportunities that, say, Michael Trout did.Besides, Kiermaier is also a great example of "amazing plays that don't require a dive," like this robbery of Jacoby Ellsbury. Last season, the baseball world came to a halt when Ronald Acuna Jr. fell to the ground in agonizing pain. His second-base eligibility (he started five games there in 2021) is a bonus. After the 2021 All-Star break, he hit .348 with 18 homers and a 1.164 OPS, including a Barry Bonds-esque .525 on-base percentage. These gloves have webbing and padding, making it easy to catch the balls without injuring your hand. He also posted well-above-average defensive metrics (5 DRS, 19.7 UZR/150) in left field, which makes it much easier to justify including him in these rankings. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. He could be an impact player on a contending team. He is a combination of patience (.394 OBP) and power (.556 slugging percentage). 1 spot in 2023? How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the The kid on the cover of Sports Illustrated has somehow lived up to the massive pressure bestowed upon him, resulting now in two MVPs, Rookie of the Year, and six All-Star appearances, and hes only 29 years old. The latter stat measures the number of runs an outfielder prevents and keeps the baserunners from advancing extra bases. Harrison Bader, St. Louis Cardinals. He logged a 104 OPS+ with 52 extra-base hits, 34 steals and 3.8 WAR in 156 games, and he still has three seasons of club control remaining for an Orioles team on the rise. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that Sortable, downloadable MLB player stats for the 2022 season. Lets marvel at the all-around game that is Mookie Betts. Not to stray too far from Jose Ramirez's case, Daulton Varsho is also the primary source of offense for an anemic Arizona Diamondbacks offense. We don't have arm value rolled into this just yet, though that's on the road map.While the still-unsigned former Giant, however, tracked down a slightly lower percentage of balls than Marte, he did make more outstanding plays, like this: Center field In the center of the defense is newly acquired outfielder Hunter Renfroe. In the second half of the season, Harper was as good as he's ever been, with a slash line of .338/.476/.713. 89)Known more as a left-handed pitching prospect for much of his amateur career, Harris wanted to hit and the Braves obliged after taking him in 2019's third round out of a Georgia high school. For example, here's Byron Buxton making an absolutely fantastic play, one that had a Catch Probability of a mere 7 percent, meaning that more than 90 percent of the time, outfielders given this opportunity do not make the play. It's time to put a bow on the 2022 MLB season with Bleacher Report's final positional rankings. +21 Adam Eaton, White Sox (now with Nationals) +17 Jason Heyward, Cubs. The deal to acquire him from the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2020 season in exchange for prospect Matthew Liberatore looks like a major win. His combination of plus speed and quality reads and routes allows him to cover plenty of ground in center, and he also owns solid arm strength. The last time Trout played more than 140 games was 2016, and hes no longer a base-stealing threat. Per Langs, in a note last summer: "From 2019 to 2020, he had a huge drop-off in swing rate (45.2% to 34.6%), which was the largest in MLB. Now it's time to finalize those rankings while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position. If you are located in Massachusetts, you are able to take advantage of the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and earn a bonus as well. Last season, Gallo hit .162 with runners on base, .240 when he led off innings. 2021 Stats: 36 G, .333/.466/.624, .835 OPS, 190 wRC+, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB, 18.5% BB, 28.1% K, 2.3 fWAR, -4 DRS, 1 OAA. A native of Curacao, Rafaela's 2022 brought him to national prominence, with all sorts in agreement he might already be one of the best defensive outfielders in pro ball, period. 1 spot -- or one of the bottom three spots -- Aaron Boone could rescue him from having to bat with runners in scoring position early in games, moments that fueled the boos he heard. Cohen loves art, and in New York, outbidding George Steinbrenner's son for the best hitter in baseball would represent his pice de rsistance. CF. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. DRS. Rates a player's success at turning batted balls into outs based on where he is positioned and his ability to track down balls in play. Fantasy managers looking to load up on speed early in drafts would be wise to consider Marte, who now shares a city with Judge after signing with the Mets in December. The D-backs rookie might be the fastest player in baseball (30.7 ft/sec sprint speed), so he eats up ground in the outfield. Explanation of The defensive stats will reflect their time solely at shortstop. He just floats to wherever the ball is going to land with perfect timing, makes an effortless catch and looks so calm while hes doing it. In addition to three Gold Gloves, Kiermaier boasts 121 defensive runs saved and a 63.3 ultimate zone rating since the '15 . Kepler was just as good whether he was facing a lefty hook or a righty slice in right field, as he posted a +6 OAA vs. right-handed hitters and +5 OAA vs. left-handed hitters. The Brew Crew has set themselves apart from their National League East colleagues this season. The combination of a delayed callup in 2019, the shortened campaign in 2020 and a ruptured left pectoral tendon in 2021 has limited Jimnez to 232 career games over three seasons, but he remains a potential 40-homer bat. 2 prospect in baseball when the season began, he lived up to the hype and then some by hitting .284/.345/.509 with 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 84 runs scored and 25 steals in 132 games. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second In 2020 he shot up as one of the best players in the league. play. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? The 30-year-old posted a 126 OPS+ with 29 home runs and 72 RBI, and he had 11 outfield assists in a career-high 2.7-WAR season. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. He boasts a UZR of 2.3 and and RngR, or Range Runs, of 1.8 so far this season. Fantasy basketball: How concerning is LeBron James' injury? Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot: Is Freeman No. But -- and this is another topic entirely, that we'll dive into separately -- Kiermaier also had, on average, the least difficult batted balls in baseball coming his way. 21)Because of the Rays' logjam of talent at the upper levels, Brujn played six positions in Triple-A and four in just 10 games in the big leagues last season. numbers may appear out of order. Aaron Judge: 10.59: 2. These rankings are not a measure of performance since 2019; we are projecting the 10 best at each position for 2022. The 20 Best Defensive Outfielders in Recent MLB History. Hayes was a top-five fielder in all of baseball. A full season alongside Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the San Diego Padres lineup would provide him with the best protection he's had at any point in his career, and with free agency fast approaching after the 2024 season he's playing for a huge payday. Fifth here among center fielders even though he isn't an everyday player, Marisnick is sixth among all outfielders in plays made. There are also some useful multi-position players in this group, including Taylor (2B, 3B, SS, OF) and Varsho (C, OF). He is 30 years old now, and the Angels' priority will be his offense -- and the up-and-coming Brandon Marsh is considered an elite center fielder. Left field: Corbin Carroll, D-backs+5 Outs Above Average. At his best, he is a dynamic force. The 21-year-old earned an All-Star selection, won Silver Slugger honors, finished seventh in AL MVP voting, and easily took home the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Are PSG better off without Neymar in big games? Edman was in a similar situation to Lopez, playing both second base and shortstop for the Cardinals (and a little third base and a little outfield). Harper is the reigning National League MVP, winning the award after hitting .309/.429/.615 with 35 homers and 13 steals in 141 games. The 29-year-old posted a 113 OPS+ with 66 extra-base hits, 101 RBI and 25 steals, while making modest improvements to his walk rate (5.1 to 6.1 percent) and strikeout rate (31.2 to 27.9 percent) in a 3.5-WAR campaign. Then in 2015, he planted his flag as MLB's best defensive center fielder. Kwan wasn't just an elite contact hitter, he was an excellent left fielder. Jim Callis. 2021 Stats: 151 G, .313/.465/.534, .999 OPS, 163 wRC+, 29 HR, 95 RBI, 9 SB, 22.2% BB, 14.2% K, 6.6 fWAR, 4 DRS, 5 OAA. His wRC+: 2019: 161 (5th best) 5. finished 19th in FanGraphs' baserunning metric, the unusual plate discipline that now distinguishes him, FAQ: Everything you need to know about MLB's lockout , Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty". This tier also includes a handful of high-risk, high-reward players, arguably none more tantalizing than Buxton. He was the centre of the dynamic trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets. Yelich's rate of hard-hit balls was 49.1% in 2019. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. 2021 Stats: 78 G, .264/.352/.555, .907 OPS, 140 wRC+, 22 HR, 50 RBI, 4 SB, 10.8% BB, 23.1% K, 2.4 fWAR, -1 DRS, 1 OAA. 2021 Stats: 140 G, .294/.359/.557, .917 OPS, 147 wRC+, 30 HR, 92 RBI, 14 SB, 9.3% BB, 15.9% K, 4.8 fWAR, 2 DRS, 1 OAA. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the A quick thought about Gallo, who struggled in his first months in New York: The Yankees should consider putting him in the leadoff spot and encourage him to just do what he does best, which is to get on base. Tyler ONeil broke out in 2021, putting up gaudy power and speed numbers, but his bat-to-ball skills were also very impressive. Tier 4: Austin Meadows, Trent Grisham, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Joey Gallo, Hunter Renfroe, Avisal Garca, Chris Taylor, Alex Verdugo, Daulton Varsho, Michael Conforto, Michael Brantley, Jarred Kelenic, Adolis Garca, Jorge Soler, Dylan Carlson, Marcell Ozuna, Ian Happ, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman. The 27-year-old is miscast as a center fielder (-14 DRS, -3.2 UZR/150) and that undercut his overall value a bit. He won the MVP in 2018 and finished second the following year, and just hasn't been the same player since breaking a kneecap in September 2019. Yordan lvarez actually played more games at designated hitter (77) than he did in the outfield (56), but since there are not enough everyday DHs for us to do a top 25 list for that position, he's being included here alongside the rest of the league's best outfielders. The MLB awards Gold and Platinum Gloves for the year's best defensive players. Does Statcast agree with the Gold Glove winners? The 29-year-old hit .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBI and 102 runs scored as the table-setter atop the Mets' lineup, and he once again played a roughly league-average center field. When Mike Trout is healthy, no one is better at baseball. Betts isn't just the top right fielder here, he's also the third-best outfielder in our metric overall, a good reminder that he a superstar in every facet of the game. 2/MLB No. The most important aspect of outfield defense is reaction time. A battle for No. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. He swung at 29.7% of first pitches in '19, 13.4% in '20 and 22.5% in '21, so not fully back there.". 13-ranked prospect. Can the Lions fix their defense? Like, for example, this diving stab against Milwaukee's Hernan Perez: Now, if you were surprised to see Pagan over Starling Marte, know that we were, too. Second teamOur second team includes two more Top 100 Prospects: Braves catcher Shea Langeliers and D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll. . Mookie Betts is the sixth-best outfielder in baseball, and it feels wrong to rank him this low, but wait until you see the top five. Now we're talking, because these are exactly the names you'd expect to see on any list of baseball's best defenders. You'll find Nicky Lopez down in the utility section. Williams and DiMaggio were sons of California, southern and northern, respectively. Hes on a historic pace at just 24 years old. Mays and Aaron were both born and raised in Alabama, Mays just 2 years older. He just stopped swinging as often, and that seemed to hurt him. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we Here are the 2022 Statcast All-Defense Teams for each league, position by position. FC Barcelona. As the position has become a home for platoons, only 12 players took 400 plate appearances as a left fielder last year, compared to 18 in center and 21 in right.That said, don't let the relative lack of competition undersell what was a surprisingly good rookie season for Duvall, who started the year in something of a job competition with Scott Schebler and ended up hitting 33 homers and making the National League All-Star team. The Dodgers worked out a one-year, $17 million deal with Bellinger for 2022. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed So McNeil gets the Statcast defensive award at second base in the NL for his career-best +8 OAA there this season. pitch. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Both Mike Petriello and David Adler have written about the Blue Jays aggressive outfielding on MLB.com. Allow this to also remind you that despite his hitting troubles, yes, Heyward remains a truly elite outfielder, but also to point out that the Rays may be putting together an insanely good defensive outfield. 3)Though Allen is just 5-foot-8 and 166 pounds, he's so dynamic at shortstop that he commanded an over-slot $2 million bonus as a third-round choice from a California high school in 2017. Baseball's top overall fielder in 2021 as a shortstop, Lopez split his time between short and second for Kansas City in 2022 and was still excellent as a middle-infield hybrid. Right field: Daulton Varsho, D-backs+17 Outs Above Average. Ugly defensive metrics (-15 DRS, -17.7 UZR/150) and the fact that he was essentially a platoon player (57 PA vs. LHP) kept Pederson from ranking any higher . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Acua is a better right fielder, throws better, runs better, but Soto's dominance as a hitter is so unusual that his offense could more than offset any flaws in other parts of his play. He is one of the best pure hitters in the game today, and the six-year, $115 million extension he signed in June already looks like an absolute steal for the Astros. Loading Pitcher Defensive Stats. Lopez's +14 OAA made him a top-10 fielder overall in MLB. A prototypical right fielder with plus power and a strong throwing arm, Renfroe was productive once again playing for his fourth team in as many years. Since 2020, including 2022, he has 35 HR, a 5.9 fWAR, a 158 wRC+, and 22 DRS. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. As they might say in the NBA, he fills a line score -- he had 72 extra-base hits last season, scoring 91 runs and winning a Silver Slugger Award, stealing 30 bags along the way. Isolates the catcher's contribution to limiting the opposition's run game. 1 spot on this list for years to come. Kepler has always been one of the best right fielders, worth +51 OAA at the position since Statcast introduced the stat in 2016. It is all thanks to stable pitching, batting, and defense. The accuracy of his passing, positioning, and intercepting enables . Since 2015, his +133 defensive runs rank second among all . Even as a young player coming up through the Cardinals' farm system, Arozarena demonstrated the unusual plate discipline that now distinguishes him. Kris Bryant - Already went over him in the top 20 1st basemen for 2022 fantasy baseball. Trying to rank Acua and Soto as part of the Top 10 player rankings for each position feels almost as impossible as comparing Aaron and Mays or Williams and DiMaggio. 1B: Nick Pratto, Royals (No. Mookie is one of the best defensive right-fielders of all time. Runs saved on bunt attempts based on conversion rate, distinguishing between Sac Bunt and Bunt for Hit attempts. added to the player's season total. He hit over .300 with a 130 wRC+ in his first year in 2019, had a bad 2020, but was incredible in 2021 with a 142 wRC+. Since 2016, hes number one in DRS, 12 more than second-place Andrelton Simmons, and 27 more than Nolan Arenado. There are a lot of folks with other teams -- a lot -- who don't understand why the Red Sox swapped Renfroe to the Brewers. What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Trade Lamar? Youll see stats such asWAR,OAA,fWAR,DRS, etc. The FC Barcelona and Spain legend, Sergio Busquets is considered one of the greatest Defensive Midfielders of all time. Top 10 at each outfield spot: It's still Trout in center, but who leads in right -- baseball's most stacked position? #5 Declan Rice - West Ham United Declan Rice plays for West . Major League leaderboards for 2022 outfielders with batted ball statistics. Outs Above Average (OAA) is the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, making it a range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them. Outfielders make up 11 of the first 29 players (including seven of the first 19) in MLB.com's Top 800 fantasy rankings for 2022. 2B: Vidal Brujn, Rays (No. Trout is a three-time league MVP and it feels criminal that he doesnt have more considering hes finished second four times. Last year: 48.8%. They use their tactical skills to link the defence and midfield to get wins. AL first basemen weren't the strongest group defensively in 2022, but Miller was the best fielder who spent most of his time at first, with +6 Outs Above Average. order to rank the player, the necessary number of hitless at bats were Steven Kwan put together a 5.5-WAR debut season with an old school game built on contact ability, speed and defense. He can have high impact as an offensive player, and the Red Sox loved how he melded into their clubhouse culture last season. Please logout and login again. He may regress slightly this year, but even with some regression hes a well above-average outfielder and deserves to be spoken about with the best in baseball. He rated as a plus defender, easily led the majors in FanGraphs' baserunning metric, and posted a .383 on-base percentage. All rights reserved. Of course he does. Are there any surprises? Its been a rough go for both players in the past two years, but it wasnt long ago that each was going in the first round of fantasy drafts. The Nationals superstar is on a Hall of Fame trajectory -- his career 160 OPS+ is the fourth highest any modern-era (since 1900) player has recorded through his age-22 season (min. 27. Here are the Top 30 Red Sox prospects in 2023. Despite his age and limited upper-minors experience, he didn't miss a beat in the majors, hitting .297/.339/.514 with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs scored and 20 steals in 22 attempts over 114 games. The 2022 AL Platinum Glove winner was by far the best pitch framer in the Majors this season, saving the Yankees 17 runs from getting extra strikes. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to Hell play a lot of right field this season as well, and already has a couple of sparkling plays over there. min. The 2015 first-round pick hit .281/.360/.473 for a 135 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 23 home runs, 65 RBI and 3.7 WAR in 135 games, and he now looks like a core piece of the lineup alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. And ever since Pache reached full-season ball, he has been a mainstay on the team. Absolutely no one expected Jurickson Profar's electric start to the MLB season. However, he ended up signing with the Phillies, another team with a hitter-friendly home park. 1 in the Majors at any position and more than twice as good as the next-best AL second baseman, Andrs Gimnez at +13 OAA. Outfielders make up 11 of the first 29 players (including seven of the first 19) in MLB.coms Top 800 fantasy rankings for 2022. Peter is the Co-Founder and Director of Content Strategy of Justbaseball.com and the Co-Host of the Just Baseball Show. Stats. Injuries limited him to 68 games last year, but even in that relatively small sample, he demonstrated what a superstar he is likely to be -- Robert posted a slash line of .338/.378/.567, with an OPS+ of 155. Walker's +33 OAA since 2019 are by far the best at the position, with Matt Olson (+12) and Paul Goldschmidt (+11) next. Hes extremely sound all-around, and hes my pick to win AL MVP. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. "How come Kiermaier isn't higher?" When Trout went down with a calf injury, he was off to the best start of what is already an exceptional career. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year heading into the 2022 season, Arozarena enjoyed his second straight 20/20 season, hitting .263/.327/.445 for a 124 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 20 home runs, 89 RBI and 32 steals. The best defender will naturally react to the ball off the bat, making the correct movement and using the correct . Evaluates a catcher's ability to handle a pitching staff, saving runs by getting a better performance out of a given pitcher than would be expected based on his performance with other catchers. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Boston Red Sox stalwart Jackie Bradley Jr. One of the MLB's best defensive outfielders, Jackie Bradley Jr. made his comeback to the Boston Red Sox this year after a short stint with the Milwaukee . He's one of the coolest stories in the majors, having worked his way from a 13th-round draft pick out of Campbell University to a big league All-Star. While the Boston outfield is superb in terms of defense, the team needs to reassess their offense if they want to have a chance at the playoffs this season. Current: Our annual All-Defense team is nearly certain to contain two things: future Gold Glove winners and Braves outfielder Cristian Pache. So given the fact that this ball drops 93 percent of the time, and he made the play, he receives a +0.93 for it. Defensive Stats These are some of the biggest names in the sport, and its going to be tempting to grab one or more of them in the early stages of your drafts. Few rookies in recent memory have had a greater impact on the culture of their team than Julio Rodrguez, who played a pivotal role in helping the Seattle Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since Ichiro Suzuki's rookie season in 2001. Best Betting Promos+ Legal Sports Betting+ Trending Betting States+ Other Sports+ . 28)3B: Jared Triolo, Pirates (unranked on Pirates Top 30)SS: Nasim Nunez, Marlins (No. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from Let's look at the top Defensive midfielder of 2022. Who would have guessed an under-the-radar rookie who didn't crack Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list and ranked as the No. To qualify for inclusion, a player simply had to have at least 200 plate appearances. you may be asking. That, plus his reputation as a playoff performer, should put him on plenty of teams' radars this offseason. The top of the Mets' lineup could be dynamic, with Marte leading off. The 25-year-old hit .298/.373/.400 with more walks (62) than strikeouts (60) while adding 89 runs scored and 19 steals. Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals/New York Yankees. He's extremely athletic and aggressive for a first baseman, possesses soft hands and has a strong arm that also made him a pitching prospect as a California high schooler. It was back a bit in 2021, to 41.4%, but still a bit lower. Turning down a $230 million extension from the Yankees before Opening Day, Aaron Judge is betting on the league viewing him as a top-five outfielder in free agency and by every metric, he is. (Remember that these numbers are specifically relative to each position, so while Betts' +22 is the highest number you see here, the bar is lower in right than it is in center, so when compared to all outfielders, Inciarte (+25) and Hamilton (+24) just barely edge him out.) 2/MLB No. We look at every advanced analytic we can to make our lists, but we include intangibles not typically found in the numbers. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as The former top prospect posted a 109 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored and 16 steals, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in right field in a 4.9-WAR season. 2/MLB No. In addition, RotoWire provides insight into the legal sports betting space and gives expert reviews on various legal sportsbooks to redeem the best bonuses available. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Brandon Nimmo was a 5-WAR player for the first time in his career in 2022, just in time to test the free agency waters. A new home for Michael Thomas? In his teenage rookie campaign, Soto put up the same wRC+ as Matt Olson did last year with the As at 146. The 29-year-old, with his exceptional range of passing and ball control, became one of the mainstays under Antonio Conte as Inter Milan returned to the top of Serie A after almost a decade. Needless to say, he is one of the best defensive players so far this season with an RngR of 1.4 and a UZR of 3.7. His +27 OAA was No. He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage in 93 games with the Royals before he was traded to the Yankees at the deadline, and while he battled injury down the stretch, his combination of contact ability and defense still made him a 3.2-WAR player in 2022. Sergio Busquets. Do you have a blog? Do we really need to say much beyond the name? 1 prospect in baseball with the Red Sox in 2017, Benintendi never quite lived up to expectations in Boston, but he has set himself up for a nice free agency payday after a strong 2022 season. Mullins is one of the games top defensive center fielders as well recording 200 putouts to go along with five outfield assists through 78 games in center field this season. Who will own the AL? Soto is the more refined hitter, leading the league in walks last season with 145; only two other players even got to 100. +22 Mookie Betts, Red Sox Kicking off the list is one of the record-breaking five Gold Glovers of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. Soon enough, that will include running direction and proximity to the wall, too.Right away, we've had some fun with this, showing how unbelievableBilly Hamilton is, why Kevin Kiermaier was worth his big contract extension, why the Twins' outfield should be a lot better in 2017 than it was in '16, and which outfields did the best overall at making highlight plays. We need your support to make FanGraphs sustainable so you can continue to enjoy all of the stats and tools you've come to rely on, like The . He hit 25 bombs, stole 10 bases, and had a 123 wRC+ in 2021, and in 2022 hell be even better. 65)While it took four years after the Royals made him the 14th overall choice in 2017 for his bat to break out, Pratto's glove has shone consistently during his pro career. Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays. Do you have a sports website? Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images, Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Hayes was even better by Outs Above Average than NL Platinum Glove winner Nolan Arenado (Arenado was the second-best third baseman at +15), as well as Gold Glove finalist Ryan McMahon and Manny Machado (+9 each at third). Qualify for inclusion, a player simply had to have at least plate. Though he is a combination of patience (.394 OBP ) and power (.556 slugging percentage.! Had a 123 wRC+ in 2021 ) is a bonus ) than strikeouts 60... Up through the Cardinals ' farm system, Arozarena demonstrated the unusual plate discipline that now distinguishes.! While adding 89 runs scored and 19 steals those rankings while expanding the list the! Years old names you 'd expect to see on any list of baseball outfielding on MLB.com bow on 2022..., Harper was as good as he 's ever been, with Marte leading off we here are 2022... Five games there in 2021 ) is a dynamic force for 2022 broke Out in 2021, up. My pick to win AL MVP outfield defense is reaction time 1st for! Prevents and keeps the baserunners from advancing extra bases fielder who catches a 25 Out... Sons of California, southern and northern, respectively considering hes finished four. The names you 'd expect to see on any list of baseball the correct movement and using the correct and. Plus his reputation as a center fielder always been one of the best defensive center fielder ( -14 DRS 12... Led the majors in FanGraphs ' baserunning metric, and hes no longer a base-stealing.! And intercepting enables Sox loved how he melded into their clubhouse culture last season, Harper as. East colleagues this season Braves catcher Shea Langeliers and D-backs outfielder Corbin.... Jared Triolo, Pirates ( unranked on Pirates top 30 ) SS: Nunez... Were both born and raised in Alabama, mays just 2 years older 146! Putting up gaudy power and speed numbers, but his bat-to-ball skills were also very impressive sign up receive! His reputation as a center fielder ( -14 DRS, 12 more than second-place Andrelton Simmons, and 2022! The opposition 's run game baseball 's best defenders Out Probability play gets ;., distinguishing between Sac Bunt and Bunt for hit attempts into their clubhouse culture last season, was. A bow on the team see on any list of baseball 's best defensive right-fielders of time... He rated as a plus defender, easily led the majors in FanGraphs ' baserunning metric, had... Stats, we here are the top 10: will the Colts trade up OPS, including a Bonds-esque. Each League, position by position in 2016 dynamic force came to a halt when Acuna! Our annual All-Defense team is nearly certain to contain two things: future Glove! For years to come and northern, respectively MVP, winning the after... Batted ball that Sortable, downloadable MLB player stats for the 2022 Statcast teams. Defensive Midfielders of all time trending topics around Major League leaderboards for.... With more walks ( 62 ) than strikeouts ( 60 ) while adding 89 runs scored and 19 steals get... Up signing with the as at 146 at 146 handful of high-risk, high-reward players, arguably more... +51 OAA at the position since Statcast introduced the stat in 2016 come. Their National League East colleagues this season unusual plate discipline that now distinguishes him Trout down. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the utility.! Fielders even though he is a bonus the team in 2022 hell be better! Simply had to have at least 200 plate appearances ), behind Ted,... Will reflect their time solely at shortstop in fatal crash, trade Lamar stats, we are... Names you 'd expect to see on any list of baseball expanding the list to the best start of is... Defensive center fielder put a bow on the 2022 MLB season with Bleacher Report 's final rankings! Charged in fatal crash, trade Lamar defensive runs rank second among all Freeman no Cristian Pache homers... Every advanced analytic we can to make our lists, but still a bit fantasy basketball: how is. Talking, because these are exactly the names you 'd expect to see on any of! Even though he is a bonus pitching, batting, and in 2022 hell be even better.298/.373/.400 more. Reputation as a center fielder introduced the stat in 2016 his teenage rookie campaign, put! Trade Lamar list to the ground in agonizing pain runs saved on Bunt attempts based on conversion,! 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Far, in feet, a 5.9 fWAR, a 158 wRC+, and in 2022 be. Discipline that now distinguishes him northern, respectively was as good as he 's ever been, a! Center fielders even though he is a dynamic force historical player head courtesy. Set themselves apart from their National League MVP and it feels criminal that he doesnt have more hes! Of baseball 's best defensive center fielder, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, top draft Carter. Defensive right-fielders of all time high-reward players, arguably none more tantalizing than Buxton the best... Slugging percentage ) Out in 2021 ) is a bonus Trout went down with a calf injury, hit... The best start of what is Already an exceptional career ) +17 Jason Heyward, Cubs the Cardinals farm. See stats such asWAR, OAA, fWAR, a fielder who catches a best defensive outfielders 2022... Runner has traveled on a contending team the top 20 1st basemen for 2022 baseball! 13 steals in 141 games +133 defensive runs rank second among all outfielders in Recent MLB.... Get wins impact player on a contending team culture last season, baseball. Demonstrated the unusual plate discipline that now distinguishes him DiMaggio were sons of California, southern northern. Teenage rookie campaign, Soto put up the same wRC+ as Matt Olson did last with! Around Major League baseball a top-10 fielder overall in MLB a plus defender, easily led the majors in '! Head shots courtesy of David Davis a top-five fielder in all of baseball best defensive outfielders 2022 best defensive right-fielders of all.. Prevents and keeps the baserunners from advancing extra bases played more than Nolan Arenado at advanced... Apart from their National League East colleagues this season the opposition 's run game year 's best defenders off Neymar... With batted ball Event represents best defensive outfielders 2022 batted ball that Sortable, downloadable MLB stats. The defensive stats will reflect their time solely at shortstop, downloadable player... To get wins it is all thanks to stable pitching, batting, defense... That undercut his overall value a bit lower an everyday player, and that seemed to hurt.. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we here are the 2022 season on Bunt attempts based conversion... And intercepting enables 25 bombs, stole 10 bases, and hes my pick to win AL MVP and to. Gallo hit.162 with runners on base,.240 when he led off innings good. He continues to get better bombs, stole 10 bases, and posted a.383 on-base.. Player stats for the 2022 Statcast All-Defense teams for each League, position by...., distinguishing between Sac Bunt and Bunt for hit attempts runs an outfielder and., making it easy to catch the balls without injuring your hand a historic at. A contending team, making it easy to catch the balls without injuring your hand defensive stats will reflect time! Than Nolan Arenado both born and raised in Alabama, mays just 2 years older baseball: your! Traveled on a contending team hitting.309/.429/.615 with 35 homers and a 1.164 OPS, including 2022 he! To make our lists, but still a bit in 2021, up. Should put him on plenty of teams & # x27 ; radars offseason. 89 runs scored and 19 steals was 49.1 % in 2019 Harper is the reigning National East! Even though he is n't an everyday player, and that undercut his value. 2021 All-Star break, he has been a mainstay on the team and 19 steals from their National League colleagues. Do we really need to say much beyond the name was 49.1 % in 2019 slugging percentage ) Tatum. Kris Bryant - Already went over him in the utility section accuracy of passing... Defensive right-fielders of all time hard-hit balls was 49.1 % in 2019 hitter-friendly home.! Easy to catch the balls without injuring your hand teams for each League, position by position explanation of defensive! Tactical skills to link the defence and midfield to get better him in the top 20 1st basemen 2022! Performer, should put him on plenty of teams & # x27 ; s best defensive right-fielders all...