How To Become An Elite Defensive Outfielder

In baseball, especially youth baseball, the outfield is the position where most coaches place a player they want to hide from the action so as to not cause a weakness for the team. As you progress through your baseball career you will find that becoming an elite defensive outfielder makes you invaluable to your team. Mookie Betts has made many heads turn over the past few years with his excellent play in Right Field, with many GM’s and scouts believing he can secure a contract of over $150M despite having average offensive numbers. Here are some key principles to becoming an elite defensive outfielder.

1. Run On Your Toes

 Run On Your Toes, Not Your Heels

This is a principle I cannot stress enough. If you are going to become an elite defensive outfielder there are plenty of times when you are going to need to get on your horse and go get a ball deep in the gap. As you run down a ball in the gap your coaches will teach you to always keep an eye on the ball as you track it into your glove. Many times when I was younger I would run a long way to get a fly ball and be right there to catch it only to have it deflect off the side of my glove. The problem was that I was running on my heels.

When you run on your heels, your eyes can’t stay steady and the ball tends to bounce in your vision. If you are landing on your heel right as the ball gets to your glove, the ball will bounce in your vision and increase the potential for a misplay.

Practice running on your toes when you go to get the ball in the gap or anytime you are running in general. This allows you to steadily track the ball into your glove. Players like Mike Trout, Alex Gordon, Mookie Betts and Adam Duvall are great at running on their toes and make it look like they are gliding to the ball.

2. Develop A Feared Arm

 Develop A Feared Arm

Every pregame fielding routine for an outfielder ends with the same throw; catch a fly ball and fire it home on a rope to catch a guy trying to tag from 3rd. When the opposing team is in the field, you are watching each outfielder to know which one you can try to take the extra base on and which one you know to hold up and not risk being thrown out.

Developing a feared arm takes more than just arm strength. Flexibility and conditioning play a major role as well. Every day you should be doing shoulder and elbow stretches and exercises so that your arm stays healthy. Long toss is your friend. Spend the extra 10-15 minutes warming up each day and extend your range and be sure that you are completely warmed up before trying to launch a ball from the wall.

Finally, your form is the most important part of developing a feared arm. A fast runner can leave no margin for error when you are trying to throw them out, so your form cannot waste any time. Always bust it to get in a great fielding position below the ball so that you can have your feet and shoulders in the right position. For ground balls, take a route that leads you straight through the ball to your target. It may look fancy to catch every ball with one hand by your ear on the run, but any time you can get in position under the ball it leaves the best chance for throwing the runner out.

Remember, a one hopper on a line that never gets above 10 feet off the ground is a better throw than a lob that gets there in the air.

4. Great Jumps on the Ball

 Great Jumps On The Ball Should Become 2nd Nature

Practice, practice, practice. Reading how a ball will react off the bat is not something you can learn from talking with teammates, coaches or professionals, it is something that can only be perfected by practicing. The best defensive outfielders in the game continuously get great jumps on any ball hit to them.

I wish there was some secret I could share with you here, but the fact of the matter is there isn’t. The only way you are going to get great jumps on the ball is by taking fly balls every chance you get. When other players are hanging out and shagging balls in batting practice, you should be in your position and treating each swing as a real at bat. The more real ‘off the bat’ looks you get will allow for you to more quickly recognize how the ball is going to fly.

4. Play Smart, Stay Focused

 Become The Smartest Player On The Field

Often you will hear people say the Shortstop is the captain of the defense. Derek Jeter himself went by the nickname ‘The Captain’. However I disagree, especially in regards to the Center Fielder. The outfielders have the best view of the entire field. They have the ability to recognize how a play is going to develop well before anyone else on the field. Take some time and study the game. When you watch a college or professional baseball game pay attention to how their decisions impact each play.

I played outfield for 13 years of my life. I’ve gone 5 straight games without ever having a ball hit to me so I realize that it may be easy to ‘zone out’ when you are in the outfield, but that will become your biggest enemy. Stay involved in the game. Help your infielders realize what is going on behind them or beside them outside of their peripheral vision. If you see a runner taking an extra base, let the cutoff man know. If you see a guy taking off from first base on a steal, yell and let the catcher know.

If you are always involved in the play and aware of what your responsibility is if the ball is hit to you, then I can guarantee you that you will see less and less mental mistakes which will lead yourself into a leadership role on the team.