Building the Ultimate Five-Tool Player with Every MLB Roster

A baseball player's tools are talked about a lot during his time as an amateur player and while he's rising through the ranks as a minor league prospect. But once he arrives in the majors, it's rarely a talking point beyond the overuse of the "five-tool player" description.

With that in mind, we set out to identify the best tools on every MLB roster.

Here is a quick rundown of the five tools on which we'll be focusing:

• Hit Tool: A player's hit tool goes beyond simply looking at his batting average. Approach at the plate and on-base ability also factor into the hit-tool equation, along with a player's contact skills.

• Power Tool: The ability to hit the ball over the fence is the focus here. Beyond home run total, advanced metrics like hard-hit rate, exit velocity and barrel percentage are also useful gauges of a player's power.

• Speed Tool: A player can be fast and still be a terrible base-stealer, and a player can have middling speed and be an excellent base-stealer thanks to his instincts. We're looking beyond the stolen base total for the player with the best pure foot speed.

• Arm Tool: Whether it's a catcher, infielder or outfielder, we're simply looking for the non-pitcher on the roster with the strongest throwing arm.

• Defense Tool: Simply the best all-around defender on the team regardless of his position on the diamond.

Players were eligible to appear under multiple tools, but only players who have already made their MLB debut were considered for inclusion. Below each team's selections is a closer look at the toughest decision among the five tools.

Let's get to it!

Hit: Ketel Marte

Power: Christian Walker

Speed: Tim Locastro

Arm: Starling Marte

Defense: Nick Ahmed

Toughest Choice: Power

Eduardo Escobar (35 HR) and Ketel Marte (32 HR) were the D-backs team leaders in home runs last season, so it may seem a bit odd to see Christian Walker (29 HR) chosen as the best power hitter.

However, Walker was the team leader in average exit velocity (91.1 mph), hard-hit percentage (48.8%) and barrel percentage (8.1%) in 2019, so he gets the nod.

The 29-year-old hit 125 home runs in seven minor league seasons before finally getting his first shot at everyday playing time in the majors last year.

Hit: Freddie Freeman

Power: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Speed: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Arm: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Defense: Ozzie Albies

Toughest Choice: Defense

Ozzie Albies was a Gold Glove finalist last year, and he tallied 27 defensive runs saved (DRS) at second base in 2018 and 2019 combined, so there's little question he's a plus defender.

However, he's far from the only candidate on the Atlanta roster.

Center fielder Ender Inciarte is a three-time Gold Glove winner, and shortstop Dansby Swanson provides terrific defense of his own at the more demanding middle infield position. A strong case can be made for all three of those players, but Albies got the nod by the thinnest of margins.

Hit: Hanser Alberto

Power: Renato Nunez

Speed: Cedric Mullins

Arm: Pedro Severino

Defense: Jose Iglesias

Toughest Choice: Power

With Trey Mancini sidelined indefinitely, Renato Nunez would seem like the obvious choice for the top power hitter spot after he put together a 31-homer, 90 RBI season last year.

The distinction is his for the time being, but keep an eye on Rio Ruiz.

Ruiz has a significant advantage over Nunez in both average exit velocity (90.5 mph to 86.0 mph) and barrel percentage (18.8% to 7.4%) in the early going this season, slugging three home runs in 26 plate appearances.

Hit: Xander Bogaerts

Power: J.D. Martinez

Speed: Jose Peraza

Arm: Alex Verdugo

Defense: Jackie Bradley Jr.

Toughest Choice: Hit

Rafael Devers (.311, fifth), Xander Bogaerts (.309, seventh) and J.D. Martinez (.304, ninth) all finished in the top 10 in the American League in batting average last year, so there was no shortage of candidates for Boston in the hit tool category.

A slight edge goes to Bogaerts thanks to his overall approach at the plate.

The 27-year-old was one of just 13 players in 2019 with a walk rate over 10 percent (10.9%) and a strikeout rate below 20 percent (17.5%), and he is a .288 career hitter over parts of eight MLB seasons.

Hit: Anthony Rizzo

Power: Kyle Schwarber

Speed: Javier Baez

Arm: Jason Heyward

Defense: Javier Baez

Toughest Choice: Defense

Right fielder Jason Heyward is a five-time Gold Glove winner and one of the best defensive outfielders of his era. He would be an easy choice for the defense tool for almost any other team.

Javier Baez is simply on another level.

The 27-year-old piled up a staggering 26 DRS at shortstop last season. With his quick-twitch athleticism, impressive first step and strong throwing arm, he has elite defensive skills across the board and the ability to be a standout at multiple positions.

Hit: Jose Abreu

Power: Eloy Jimenez

Speed: Luis Robert

Arm: Leury Garcia

Defense: Adam Engel

Toughest Choice: Hit

Shortstop Tim Anderson hit .335 last season to win the AL batting title, and third baseman Yoan Moncada batted .315 during a breakout offensive season. However, both players still have work to do on their overall approach.

Anderson walked just 15 times at a middling 2.9 percent clip last year, while Moncada struck out 154 times at a 27.5 percent rate.

That brings us to Jose Abreu. The slugging first baseman has averaged 30 home runs and 102 RBI in his six full MLB seasons, but he is also a career .293 hitter with a 19.9 percent strikeout rate, making him the most well-rounded hitter on the team.

Hit: Joey Votto

Power: Nick Castellanos

Speed: Nick Senzel

Arm: Tucker Barnhart

Defense: Freddy Galvis

Toughest Choice: Power

Aristides Aquino launched 19 home runs in 225 plate appearances as a rookie last season, and Eugenio Suarez finished second in the National League with a career-high 49 home runs.

However, newcomer Nick Castellanos has taken his game to another level since he was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline last year.

His 22 home runs since Aug. 1 of last year are tied with Jorge Soler (KC) and Aaron Judge (NYY) for the MLB lead, and he's launched six long balls in his first 43 plate appearances in a Reds uniform.

Hit: Jose Ramirez

Power: Franmil Reyes

Speed: Greg Allen

Arm: Tyler Naquin

Defense: Francisco Lindor

Toughest Choice: Hit

Shortstop Francisco Lindor hit .284 last season and showed his usual elite contact skills with a 7.0 percent walk rate and 15.0 percent strikeout rate.

He would be a fine choice for the hit tool category, but Jose Ramirez is one of the best pure hitters in baseball when everything is clicking at the plate.

Over the past three seasons, he's hit .283/.365/.542 with nearly as many walks (210) as strikeouts (223), and he batted .327 with a .365 on-base percentage in 178 plate appearances after the All-Star break last year.

Hit: Charlie Blackmon

Power: Trevor Story

Speed: Garrett Hampson

Arm: Nolan Arenado

Defense: Nolan Arenado

Toughest Choice: Power

Nolan Arenado has averaged 40 home runs over the last five seasons, and his 199 total home runs trail only Nelson Cruz (204) during that span.

So why wasn't he the choice in the power category?

Take a look at how his advanced metrics in 2019 compared to teammate Trevor Story:

• Arenado: 89.4 mph exit velocity, 37.6 percent hard-hit rate
• Story: 91.0 mph exit velocity, 46.0 percent hard-hit rate

With 72 home runs the past two seasons, Story has comparable power production numbers, and the advanced metrics suggest he hits the ball harder and hits it hard more often than Arenado.

Hit: Miguel Cabrera

Power: C.J. Cron

Speed: Victor Reyes

Arm: Jake Rogers

Defense: Niko Goodrum

Toughest Choice: Defense

While Niko Goodrum is not a true standout defender at any one position, he is one of the most versatile players in the game today.

The 28-year-old played everywhere on the diamond beside pitcher and catcher last season and posted a positive DEF metric, according to FanGraphs.

Center fielder JaCoby Jones also received serious consideration thanks to an impressive 23 DRS in the outfield during the 2018 season, but his defensive metrics took a steep downturn in 2019.

Hit: Michael Brantley

Power: Yordan Alvarez

Speed: Myles Straw

Arm: Carlos Correa

Defense: Carlos Correa

Toughest Choice: Hit

Jose Altuve seems like an easy answer in the hit category for the Houston Astros, and Alex Bregman also deserves serious consideration after hitting .296 with more walks (119) than strikeouts (83) last year.

So why Michael Brantley?

The 33-year-old has one of the sweetest swings in baseball, and he used it to hit .311 while putting the ball in play on 81.6 percent of his plate appearances. His 23.9 percent line-drive rate was the highest on the Astros, and his 4.0 percent swinging-strike rate was the second-lowest in all of baseball.

Hit: Whit Merrifield

Power: Jorge Soler

Speed: Adalberto Mondesi

Arm: Brett Phillips

Defense: Alex Gordon

Toughest Choice: Defense

Is Alex Gordon still an elite defensive player?

The 36-year-old certainly has the reputation as a seven-time Gold Glove winner in left field, and he has taken home that hardware in each of the last three seasons.

His two DRS and 3.1 UZR/150 last season represented a downturn from his peak metrics, but he's still one of the best in the business at his position. Up-and-comer Adalberto Mondesi has the tools to be an elite defensive player, but for now, the throne still belongs to Gordon in Kansas City.

Hit: Mike Trout

Power: Mike Trout

Speed: Mike Trout

Arm: Andrelton Simmons

Defense: Andrelton Simmons

Toughest Choice: Hit

Mike Trout is the best baseball player on the planet and a dynamic force offensively thanks to his disciplined approach and electric bat speed.

Still, David Fletcher has to at least be mentioned in the hit tool category.

The 26-year-old hit .290 last season and was one of just two players—Hanser Alberto of the Baltimore Orioles was the other—with a strikeout rate (9.8 percent) and walk rate (8.4 percent) both below 10 percent. Add in his 3.2 percent swinging-strike rate, which was the lowest among all qualified hitters, and it's clear he possesses an elite hit tool.

Still, he's no Trout, who, for the record, had the eighth-lowest swinging-strike rate (6.5 percent) to go along with all his other impressive offensive numbers.

Hit: Mookie Betts

Power: Cody Bellinger

Speed: Cody Bellinger

Arm: Mookie Betts

Defense: Mookie Betts

Toughest Choice: Defense

At first glance, Cody Bellinger under the speed category might stand out as strange. He's not necessarily a base-stealing threat, but he ranked 65th in the majors in sprint speed last year and was tops among Los Angeles Dodgers regulars, so he fits the bill.

Instead, it was the defense category that was the toughest call.

Cody Bellinger made a seamless transition from first base to the outfield last year, winning a Gold Glove in right field while also playing a solid center field when called upon. Mookie Betts still gets the nod with his four Gold Gloves and 117 career DRS, but it's closer than you might think.

Hit: Miguel Rojas

Power: Jesus Aguilar

Speed: Jon Berti

Arm: Brian Anderson

Defense: Brian Anderson

Toughest Choice: Speed

Jonathan Villar ranks second in the majors with 160 stolen bases over the past four years, including 40 steals in 49 attempts with the Baltimore Orioles last season.

But in terms of pure speed, Jon Berti is the fastest player on the roster:

• Villar: 27.9 ft/s sprint speed
• Berti: 29.8 ft/s sprint speed

Berti swiped 17 bases in 73 games as a rookie last season.

Hit: Christian Yelich

Power: Christian Yelich

Speed: Ben Gamel

Arm: Orlando Arcia

Defense: Lorenzo Cain

Toughest Choice: Power

Christian Yelich hit a career-high 36 home runs in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, and he raised the bar again last season with a 44-homer campaign.

So why was this the toughest choice?

Rising star Keston Hiura had a staggering 50.0 percent hard-hit rate as a rookie last season, tied for ninth among players with at least 200 batted-ball events, and he slugged 19 home runs in 84 games.

The 24-year-old has not done enough to overtake Yelich to this point, but he's one to watch in the power game.

Hit: Luis Arraez

Power: Nelson Cruz

Speed: Byron Buxton

Arm: Eddie Rosario

Defense: Byron Buxton

Toughest Choice: Power

The Twins hit an MLB-record 307 home runs as a team last season, so there is no shortage of power hitting on their roster.

Miguel Sano has huge raw power, Mitch Garver went deep 31 times in 359 plate appearances, Max Kepler is a player on the rise coming off a 36-homer season, and newcomer Josh Donaldson launched 37 long balls in a bounce-back 2019 season with the Atlanta Braves.

In the end, there's no ignoring the consistency of Nelson Cruz. The 40-year-old has averaged 41 home runs over the past six seasons, and the advanced metrics back up his standing as one of the game's most prolific power hitters.

Hit: Jeff McNeil

Power: Pete Alonso

Speed: Billy Hamilton

Arm: Andres Gimenez

Defense: Jake Marisnick

Toughest Choice: Arm

Most of the tough choices were a case of two players being good candidates to fill the spot. In the case of best arm on the New York Mets roster, it was difficult to find one viable option.

Three years ago, Yoenis Cespedes would have been an easy choice, but his days as an outfielder might be behind him after he exclusively DH'd before opting out of the 2020 season.

By default, we'll go with rookie Andres Gimenez, who was promoted to the majors on the strength of his defense. He has the arm strength to make all the throws at shortstop and third base.

Hit: DJ LeMahieu

Power: Giancarlo Stanton

Speed: Tyler Wade

Arm: Aaron Hicks

Defense: Aaron Judge

Toughest Choice: Power

Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge?

There's really no wrong answer here, and both players are squarely in the conversation of biggest power threat in baseball.

Both players are finally healthy and productive right now, so the 2020 metrics were used as the tiebreaker:

• Stanton: 97th percentile exit velocity, 98th percentile hard-hit, 97th percentile barrel rate
• Judge: 99th percentile exit velocity, 92nd percentile hard-hit, 94th percentile barrel rate

Advantage, Stanton.

Hit: Marcus Semien

Power: Matt Olson

Speed: Ramon Laureano

Arm: Ramon Laureano

Defense: Matt Chapman

Toughest Choice: Arm

In May, we put together a fun build-your-own five-tool player article using $15, and Matt Chapman ($5) and Ramon Laureano ($4) were the two top throwing arm choices.

Unfortunately, we can only pick one here as well since they're teammates.

Matt Chapman makes some truly astounding throws from the hot corner, but the strongest outfield arm in baseball trumps the strongest infield arm in baseball in terms of pure arm strength.

Really, you can't go wrong with either guy.

Hit: Jean Segura

Power: Bryce Harper

Speed: Roman Quinn

Arm: Bryce Harper

Defense: J.T. Realmuto

Toughest Choice: Hit

Andrew McCutchen still had one of the best combinations of hit tool and plate discipline in the game as recently as the 2018 season.

However, the 33-year-old has something to prove after missing the bulk of last season with a torn ACL and then starting the 2020 season with a 1-for-14 showing at the plate.

Meanwhile, Jean Segura ranks among the MLB leaders in hits (699, seventh) and batting average (.301, 12th) among players with at least 1,500 plate appearances over the past four seasons. His 11.8 percent strikeout rate in 2019 is a further proof of his plus hit tool.

Hit: Bryan Reynolds

Power: Josh Bell

Speed: Jarrod Dyson

Arm: Jose Osuna

Defense: Adam Frazier

Toughest Choice: Hit

Bryan Reynolds hit .314 with a .377 on-base percentage in 546 plate appearances as a rookie, and his hit tool was viewed as a strength throughout his time in the minors.

An inflated .387 BABIP last season gives some reason for pause, but he's a talented hitter with terrific bat-to-ball skills and a patient enough approach to make the necessary adjustments as his luck levels off.

Second baseman Adam Frazier hit .278 with a 6.6 percent walk rate and 12.3 percent strikeout rate last year. His ability to consistently put the ball in play and also hit with some extra-base power garnered serious consideration as well.

Hit: Tommy Pham

Power: Manny Machado

Speed: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Arm: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Defense: Austin Hedges

Toughest Choice: Arm

Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the most dynamic players in baseball on both sides of the ball, and a rocket arm that unleashes throws north of 90 mph from the shortstop position is part of his impressive package of tools.

He was the choice for the arm category, but only by the slimmest of margins over catcher Francisco Mejia.

The 24-year-old was given a 70-grade in arm strength in his final appearance on the MLB.com prospect list in 2017, and his 89 mph max-effort throw average led all catchers in 2019. Despite that, he threw out only 17 percent of base-stealers, which ultimately led to Tatis being the choice.

Hit: Donovan Solano

Power: Alex Dickerson

Speed: Steven Duggar

Arm: Austin Slater

Defense: Mike Yastrzemski

Toughest Choice: Defense

Mike Yastrzemski was one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 season, hitting .272/.334/.518 with 22 doubles and 21 home runs in 411 plate appearances as a 28-year-old rookie.

His defense did not receive as much fanfare as his out-of-nowhere offensive production, but he also quietly tallied seven DRS with a 9.6 UZR/150 in right field, with another one DRS in 30 innings in center field.

The Giants saw enough to make him the regular center fielder this season following the non-tender of Kevin Pillar, and so far he has a 1.4 UZR/150 in 89 innings. With a strong arm, good range and excellent instincts, he's a surprise choice for the title of top defender on a roster filled with aging former Gold Glove winners.

Hit: J.P. Crawford

Power: Kyle Lewis

Speed: Mallex Smith

Arm: J.P. Crawford

Defense: Evan White

Toughest Choice: Power

Daniel Vogelbach has a ton of raw power, and he slugged 30 home runs to earn a spot on the AL All-Star team last year. However, he hit just .162 with nine home runs in 217 plate appearances during the second half, and he has now been relegated to a part-time role.

There are some bright red flags beneath the surface of Kyle Lewis' impressive start to the 2020 season, including a 36.5 percent strikeout rate and an absurd .577 BABIP.

His power is for real, though, and it has been since his days at Mercer University when he homered 20 times in 61 games as a junior before going No. 11 overall in the 2016 draft. He's going to strike out a ton and his average is going to crash back to earth, but he's a legitimate 30-homer threat with the raw power to hit some tape measure blasts.

Hit: Yadier Molina

Power: Paul Goldschmidt

Speed: Tommy Edman

Arm: Tyler O'Neill

Defense: Kolten Wong

Toughest Choice: Hit

Yadier Molina is one of the best situational hitters in baseball, he can take a pitch the other way to right field, and he hardly ever strikes out.

In fact, over the course of his 17-year career, he has never struck out more than 74 times in a season, and he has a 10.2 percent strikeout rate in 7,673 career plate appearances.

His plodding speed hurts his BABIP, and he hasn't hit over .300 since 2016, but in terms of pure hitting ability, few players in the game have the bat control and contact skills of the St. Louis Cardinals veteran backstop.

If he can return to form in 2020, Paul Goldschmidt could easily reclaim his place as one of baseball's most well-rounded hitters. For now, the hit tool category goes to Molina.

Hit: Yandy Diaz

Power: Hunter Renfroe

Speed: Manuel Margot

Arm: Hunter Renfroe

Defense: Kevin Kiermaier

Toughest Choice: Hit

On the surface, Yandy Diaz may seem like an odd choice for the best hit tool.

The 28-year-old hit .267 in 347 plate appearances last season, and that was his first MLB campaign with more than 200 trips to the plate.

However, with a 10.1 percent walk rate and 17.6 percent strikeout rate, he demonstrated an advanced approach at the plate. And there's room for positive regression after he posted a .288 BABIP, despite ranking in the top 10 percent in the league with a 91.7 mph average exit velocity.

With Tommy Pham now in San Diego and ballyhooed prospect Wander Franco not yet MLB-ready, Diaz gets the nod for the best hit tool on the Tampa Bay roster.

Hit: Shin-Soo Choo

Power: Joey Gallo

Speed: Nick Solak

Arm: Joey Gallo

Defense: Joey Gallo

Toughest Choice: Defense

Joey Gallo has made a name for himself with his mammoth raw power, and he's always had a strong throwing arm dating back to hitting 98 mph off the mound as a two-way high school prospect.

However, his development into a Gold Glove-caliber defender in the outfield has gone under the radar.

In 555.1 innings in the grass last season, he tallied five DRS and 9.7 UZR/150 while splitting his time between left field and center field. He had eight outfield assists in just 72 games. Now he's settled in as the everyday right fielder, where his cannon arm and good range make him the best defensive player on the roster.

Sorry, Jeff Mathis.

Hit: Bo Bichette

Power: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Speed: Derek Fisher

Arm: Teoscar Hernandez

Defense: Danny Jansen

Toughest Choice: Hit

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a chance to develop the best hit tool in baseball. That said, it's Bo Bichette who has shown more of a knack for putting the bat on the ball to this point in their respective careers.

Bichette, 22, hit .311 with 29 extra-base hits in 212 plate appearances last season, posting a respectable 23.6 percent strikeout rate.

He hit .321/.380/.515 in 1,445 plate appearances in the minors, and there could be a few batting titles in his future before all is said and done.

Hit: Juan Soto

Power: Juan Soto

Speed: Trea Turner

Arm: Victor Robles

Defense: Victor Robles

Toughest Choice: Speed

Similar to the Aaron Judge vs. Giancarlo Stanton debate in the power category for the Yankees, there's really no wrong answer for the fastest player on the Washington Nationals roster between Trea Turner and Victor Robles.

Here's a look at the metrics:

• Trea Turner: 30.4 ft/s spring speed, 35 SB
• Victor Robles: 29.3 ft/s sprint speed, 28 SB

The numbers don't lie.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant. Stats accurate through Tuesday's games.