Fielding Ratings

Fielding Ratings determine a fielder's skills, abilities, and the outcomes they experience when playing in the field. Here's a breakdown of each rating:

Range (RA)

  • Range measures a player's ability to cover ground on the field.
  • Fielders with high RA get to more batted balls, resulting in more potential outs.
  • For example, a centerfielder with great range catches more fly balls compared to a lesser centerfielder.
  • Range is particularly valuable in positions up the middle like shortstop, second base, and center field.

Notable players with high Range include Willie Mays and Ozzie Smith.

Glove (GL)

  • Glove refers to a player's ability to field the ball cleanly and make fewer errors.
  • Fielders with a good glove have "soft hands" and are more reliable in handling the ball.
  • Interestingly, high Range and low Glove can lead to more balls in play but potentially more errors
  • Glove impacts fielding the ball, transferring it cleanly to the throwing hand, and making accurate throws to the desired base.

Famous players with high Glove include Brooks Robinson and Ryne Sandberg.

Arm (AR)

  • Arm represents a player's throwing ability in terms of strength, distance, and accuracy.
  • In the outfield, a strong arm affects the frequency and success rate of runners attempting to tag up and take extra bases.
  • For infielders, it can impact the success rate of double plays.
  • Catchers require a good arm to throw out baserunners attempting to steal.
  • AR can also contribute to errors, although the majority of errors are influenced by the Glove rating.

Notable players with high Arm include Dave Winfield and Ivan Rodriguez

Related Links

Batting Ratings
Pitching Ratings
Other Ratings
Playing Out of Position