When we define "Wing Players" at The Launch Angle, we are discussing First Base, Third Base, Leftfield, and Rightfield. In essence, all the players that are corner players. In analyzing who the best wing players are, we look at overall offense and defense. In this power surge era, we just don't focus on offense; defensive metrics play a pivotal role in our analysis. Below are our choices for the best Wing Players in baseball:
First Base: Matt Olson (Oakland)
Third Base: Nolan Arenado (Colorado)
Leftfield: Juan Soto (Washington)
Rightfield: Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles)
Olson: We acknowledge that it was a toss-up between Olson and Alonso, but we went Olson, because of the defense, and he was a top ten offensive player in some respects. In 2019, Olson ranked 7th in OPS (0.896), 8th in wOBA (0.368), and tied for 5th in wRC+ (134) amongst First Basemen. Regarding defense, he is elite. He was 1st in DRS (+13), 3rd in RZR (0.829), and 1st in UZR (6.6). While there are other players at Olson's position that have a higher ceiling offensively, Olson still had reputable numbers, coupled with tremendous defensive metrics.
Arenado: While some argue that his offensive numbers are inflated because he plays in Colorado, he is an elite offensive and defensive player. Amongst Third Basemen, Arenado ranked 3rd in OPS (0.962), 3rd in wOBA (0.392), and 8th in wRC+ (128). On defense, he tied for 3rd in DRS (+8), 1st in RZR (0.780), and 2nd in UZR (10.3). He also has won the 2nd most Platinum Glove awards (3), behind only Yadier Molina (4).
Soto: While his defensive numbers are not the greatest at his position, Soto's offense in 2019 was outstanding. Amongst leftfielders, he ranked 1st in OPS (0.949), 1st in wOBA (0.394), and 2nd in wRC+ (142). On defense, Soto was not as impressive, but still reputable; he tied for 3rd in DRS (+1), 1st in RZR (0.924), and 6th in UZR (-0.7). Although his defensive numbers were not as spectacular, with 2020 being his third season, we project that he improve and continue with his offensive prowess.
Bellinger: Winner of the NL MVP award in 2019, Bellinger is a tremendous offensive nd defensive player at his position, and very few can challenge him. Amongst his position, he finished 2nd in OPS (1.035), 2nd in wOBA (0.415), and 2nd in wRC+ (162). Aside from the offensive output, Bellinger is a premium, plus defender in rightfield. He finished 1st in DRS (+19), 5th in RZR (0.917), and 3rd in UZR (9.5). Bellinger's bat, combined with his glove, there are very few rightfielders that you can argue are better than he is right now in Major League Baseball.
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