Last year, I did the all-time defense team and I really enjoyed the idea of those guys running around, covering ground, and making every defensive play together. That team, which featured Andruw Jones in center in his prime, would have been the dream of any starting pitcher who likes his ERA. It’s time to revisit something a bit like that, but with a twist. I want to field a very good defensive team, except with active players, and with very little concern about their speed or glove work. What follows is the assemblage of the best throwing arms at their respective positions in the major leagues right now.
Catcher: Yadier Molina. This one is easy. Molina is a difference maker behind the dish and consistently throws out the highest percentage of would-be base stealers in the game. His snap throw to first is second to none as is the respect that he’s afforded for his prowess behind the plate.
1st Base: Chris Davis. Davis set to work at becoming a household name this season by collecting 16 RBI in his first four games, but much of baseball found out about the big first baseman last year when he threw two scoreless innings against the Red Sox in that famous 17 inning affair. He touched 91 off the mound that night and is the Oriole’s relay man on throws from Right Field, an honor usually given to the second baseman. Honorable Mention here to Adam LaRoche who was considered by many to be a better pitching prospect coming out of college and who’s father was a Big League “pitcher” back in the day.
2nd Base: Robinson Cano. Throwing arm is not all about arm strength. Up the middle it is about being able to throw from every different arm angle imaginable and doing it with flair. Cano makes everything look ridiculously easy, but watching him throw across his body, sidearm, from behind the second base bag while making a stupid good play to make up for Jeter’s lack of range at shortstop reveals his arm strength. It’s a touch unfair how good Cano is at baseball.
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons. Simmons is the best defensive shortstop in baseball. He also has the best arm. Scouts used to rave about the cannon attached to Rafael Furcal’s right arm, but Simmons’ smooth motion belies its hose-y-ness. Simmons closed games for his community college, touching 98 mph off the bump. Many scouts foresaw a future closer, but the Braves saw a shortstop and the throwing arm that helps to make him the best defender in baseball.
3rd Base: Adrian Beltre. Beltre gets this mostly because he’s the best in the bigs at planting his feet and just uncorking one. He’s superbly fluid when he needs to be and is able to play relaxed, realizing his arm helps cover any misplayed balls at the hot corner.
Left Field: Tentatively Bryce Harper. My biggest complaint with MLB The Show ’13 is that the throwing arms of the outfielders are laughable. The guys make throws from the outfield wall to homeplate on a line, routinely. Still, if the game is any indication, and I like to think that the folks at EA did their homework, Harper has a stupid good throwing arm. In the game, he’s a monster. I just checked… he’s a monster in real life too. Shout out to Alex Gordon for leading Left Fielders in assists for the past three years with 40.
Center Field: Rick Ankiel. He’s a former pitcher, blah blah blah. He can do this. And this. And this. Ankiel’s problem is thate can hit only one pitch, but he hits that pitch 400 feet.
Right Field: Jeff Francouer. Taking a look at the outfield assist numbers over the past three years, tells you who has the best arms. When one guy leads that list by a bunch, it tells you definitively who has the best throwing arm. Francouer appears to have taken over the best right field throwing arm crown. Congrats Jeff. Now get on base.
Designated Hitter: Travis Hafner. You go tell him he doesn’t have the best arm.
So it turns out that my All-Throwing Arms team happens to have some offensive potential. For fun, I made my lineup of these guys.
- Andrelton Simmons
- Bryce Harper
- Robinson Cano
- Adrian Beltre
- Chris Davis
- Yadier Molina
- Travis Hafner
- Rick Ankiel
- Jeff Francouer
-Sean Morash
Stat of the Day: It’s a 5.5 hour drive from Poughkeepsie, NY to Rochester, NY.
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