SEATTLE — Andrelton Simmons was rated the National League's best defensive shortstop and Craig Kimbrel its best reliever in Baseball America's annual Best Tools survey of major league managers.
Simmons was also rated as having the NL’s best infield arm, and Kimbrel was judged to have the league’s best slider and second-best fastball, behind Reds closer Aroldis Chapman.
Braves pitcher Julio Teheran’s curveball was rated third in the NL behind the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, and Teheran was judged to have the NL’s second-best pickoff move behind Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
Freddie Freeman was rated the third-best defensive first baseman, behind Washington’s Adam LaRoche and Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt, and the Braves’ Fredi Gonzalez was rated as the league’s third-best manager, after the Giants’ Bruce Bochy and Cardinals’ Mike Matheny.
Somewhat surprsingly, Jason Heyward didn’t make the NL list of best defensive outfielders or outfield arms, as judged by the managers. Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Gomez and Gerado Parra were rated the NL’s top three defensive outfielders, and Yasiel Puig, Parra and Carlos Gonzalez were judged to have the best outfield arms.
