Don’t even think about it — running on these guys is a bad idea. Here are MLB’s top five outfield arms of the 2025 season.
5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong might be the best defender in baseball. With lightning speed and sharp instincts, he tracks down just about everything hit in his direction. And though his ridiculous range means he doesn’t have to rely on his arm as much as others, it’s still a weapon.
An MVP candidate at just 23 years old, PCA owns a Statcast Arm Value of 3, tied for the fourth-best mark among qualified outfielders. His average throw velocity of 92.1 mph — with a max of 97.5 mph — ranks in the top 94th percentile of the majors.
4. Tyrone Taylor, New York Mets
While his bat has seriously regressed, Tyrone Taylor’s glove has done the opposite. The Mets outfielder now ranks as one of the best outfielders in baseball, boasting top-tier range, solid arm strength, and an Arm Value tied for second-best in the sport (4).
Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg led off from first base with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Mets on July 10. Then, with the team, Ramon Laureano punched a soft flare to center over a leaping Brett Baty — and Westburg went for third. Taylor scooped it cleanly and fired a one-hop dart to third that nailed Westburg for the first out of the inning.
3. Nolan Jones, Cleveland Guardians
Don’t test Nolan Jones’ arm — just ask Nolan Gorman. With two outs and a 9-6 lead in the top of the ninth on June 28, the Cardinals’ infielder laced a sharp liner that skipped twice before rebounding off the right field wall.
Jones fielded it off the wall, took one step in from the warning track, and fired a rocket that reached second base on the fly. The runner was out by a mile.
Back with the Guardians this season, Jones boasts the third-highest average throw velocity in MLB (96.4 mph), and his Arm Value (4) is tied for the second-best in the league.
2. Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
Seattle had runners on first and second when Jorge Polanco lifted a shallow blooper to left-center off Paul Skenes in the bottom of the first inning on July 6. JP Crawford rounded third and began chugging for home plate — but right behind him was Pirates center-fielder Oneil Cruz, who gathered and unleashed a 105.2 mph missile that one-hopped right into the catcher’s mitt and nabbed the runner at home.
It was the second-hardest outfield assist of the Statcast era (since 2015).
Cruz is equipped with the strongest arm in the game, leading the MLB with an average throw speed of 98.6 mph — over a full mile per hour faster than the next closest guy. His Arm Value, 3, ranks in the 97th percentile of the league.
1. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan doesn’t throw very hard. His average throw speed (87.0 mph) doesn’t even crack the top 100 in the MLB. And yet, he has the highest Arm Value (6) in the sport. How is that even possible?
Here’s how.
Cleveland held a 5-2 lead over Baltimore at the top of the seventh on July 22. Then-Orioles third baseman Ramon Urias led off the frame with a rocket down the left field line that one-hopped the wall. Playing the bounce perfectly was Kwan, who — all in one, fluid motion — gathered and sent it to second on a skip, beating the runner by a solid six feet.
Kwan might not have a cannon, but his elite quickness and pinpoint accuracy make him a nightmare for any runner chasing extra bases.
More about: MLB
