What are the Five Tools?
The five tools of a baseball player are the ability:
- To Hit for Average
- To Hit for Power
- To Run
- To Field
- To Have Good Arm Strength
FiveTool is proud to have players from across the MLB accurately represent each of the five tools. Below are the players who best represent each tool:
Hit for Average- Gary Sheffield (Career Batting Average: .292)
Consistent his entire career, Gary Sheffield is a great example of the first of five tools. With a career .292 batting average and 2,689 hits over his 21-year career, Sheffield proved he could spray hits all over the field. With many arguments that could be made on why Sheffield belongs in the Hall of Fame, Sheffield is a great example of a FiveTool athlete.
Hit for Power- Miguel Sano (28 HR in 2017)
Limited to 114 games in 2017, Sano still managed to slug 28 bombs and emerge as one of the elite power threats in the game. Also thanks to his runner-up performance in the Home Run Derby, Sano’s popularity really took off in 2017. Sano hits some very prodigious tanks, and is a fantastic example of the Power aspect of the FiveTool athlete.
Run- Amed Rosario (7 SB in 46 Games in 2017)
Making his MLB debut in 2017, Rosario provided a good spark for a Mets team who was not very good this year. Although the stolen bases numbers weren’t stellar, his defensive quickness and good speed were still enough to solidify Rosario as the Mets top prospect, and a solid FiveTool athlete.
Field- Javier Baez
Known for his aggressive and violent swing, Baez also provides excellent defense all over the field (mainly 2B) for the defending World Series Champions Cubs team. Baez’s flashy glove was a huge part in the Cubs World Series run last year as Baez was seemingly all over the field making plays with his glove. Baez possesses all five-tools (although the stats may not reflect that), he is on his way to becoming a truly special FiveTool player.
Arm Strength- Wilson Contreras (23 Runners Caught Stealing)
Contreras is underrated defensively as a catcher. His numbers can be a little inflated as runners stole 61 bases on him (2nd most in MLB), but most of those SB can be contributed to the Cubs pitching staff who are notorious for being slow to the plate (Jon Lester). Contreras’s 23 runners CS was in the top-10 in the majors. Clearly, Contreras possesses a FiveTool arm capable of gunning down any runner.
