~~Why is it a joke that A-Rod has one of the ‘best infield arms’? He absolutely does, at least in strength.~~

Ask Larry Bowa.

But, FWIW, the minor staffs are more used to looking at skills and tools, rather than stats, and therefore are better suited to comment on the best in that area…whereas big league guys…well…think Joe Torre or Dusty Baker really do a lot of homework before answering these types of polls?
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Scouts are just as guilty as Torre & Baker (two “old school” managers) when it comes to falling back on their experiences (playing, coaching, managing, etc).

Why is it a joke that A-Rod has one of the ‘best infield arms’? He absolutely does, at least in strength.

But, FWIW, the minor staffs are more used to looking at skills and tools, rather than stats, and therefore are better suited to comment on the best in that area…whereas big league guys…well…think Joe Torre or Dusty Baker really do a lot of homework before answering these types of polls?

Because you’re dealing with the same set of people, making the same judgments using the same set of data.

Why?

“think the minor league ones are more “true” than the popular vote thing that happens at the MLB level.”
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I dunno, I would think they’d be the same.

“think the minor league ones are more “true” than the popular vote thing that happens at the MLB level. (See: Gold Glove Awards.)”

that doesnt make them perfect, either.

all of these “best of” lists are completely subjective, based on the point of view of those being questioned, what organization they come from, what prospects they see on a regular basis, etc.

its fun for conversation and baseball discussion, but these best of’s are like Rolling Stone saying that Nirvana’s Teen Spirit is the #1 Rock song of all time. good pick, and its a place to start, but debateable to say the least.

That’s why I ignored the big league rankings this year. FWIW, they had A-Rod has one of the best infield arms – which is a joke.

But, IIRC, these lists are complied via feedback from managers, scouts, etc. So, I think the minor league ones are more “true” than the popular vote thing that happens at the MLB level. (See: Gold Glove Awards.)