John Baker Director - Coaching and Player Development | Official Website
John Baker Director - Coaching and Player Development | Official Website
The five-tool player is the golden ideal of a baseball player: the player who can do everything. The classic five tools—contact hitting, power, speed, glove, and arm—have been around for decades. While rare, five-tool superstars have existed in every MLB era, from Willie Mays to Ken Griffey Jr. to Mookie Betts.
Using Statcast data, we identify five of the best baseball players in the world with elite individual skills to combine them into one super-five-tool player. This hypothetical exercise aims to create the ultimate five-tool star for Major League Baseball in 2024.
**Contact: Luis Arraez**
Key stats: .318 xBA, 7.2% whiff rate, 4.9% K%
Arraez ranks at the top of the Majors in both swing-and-miss rate (7.1%) and strikeout rate (4.8%). "Arraez misses on only one out of every 14 swings," illustrating his exceptional bat-to-ball skill. He also leads MLB with a 43.1% squared-up rate and ranks third among MLB regulars with a 41.8% launch angle sweet-spot rate.
**Power: Aaron Judge**
Key stats: .745 xSLG, 88 barrels, 26 no-doubter HR
Judge exemplifies light-tower power as he leads MLB with 49 home runs and has an expected slugging percentage of .748. "He has an expected slugging percentage of .748," highlighting his prowess.
**Speed: Elly De La Cruz**
Key stats: 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed, 67 bolts
De La Cruz has stolen nearly 2½ times more bases than Bobby Witt Jr., making him a key component for speed in our five-tool player creation.
**Glove: Bobby Witt Jr.**
Key stats: +16 Outs Above Average (OAA), +12 Fielding Run Value
Witt's fielding progression has been remarkable, from -11 OAA in 2022 to +16 OAA in 2024. His range at shortstop has become truly elite.
**Arm: Oneil Cruz**
Key stats: 95.7 mph avg arm strength, 98.6 mph max arm strength
Cruz boasts the top arm strength of any infielder in the Majors this season, averaging 95.7 mph on his competitive throws.
The final five-tool superstar would be composed of Luis Arraez's contact ability, Aaron Judge's power, Elly De La Cruz's speed, Bobby Witt Jr.'s glove, and Oneil Cruz's arm.
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