New York Mets Rumors: Yoenis Cespedes Leads Arms Race Among MLB Outfielders [PHOTOS, VIDEOS]

This time of year, many players are praised for what they do with their bats and gloves, but one thing is often somewhat overlooked among outfielders -- their arms.

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Having an outfielder with a cannon for an arm is the sort of intangible that not every team gets to boast. Having a gun is good for two reasons; teams are skeptical to try to advance extra bases if they're threatened by the ability of the fielder to throw them out, and when they do try it, more often times than not, they end up regretting it.

With that in mind, here's a look at the five best outfield arms in baseball. If you disagree with any of our picks, sound off in the comments below. To view this post in slideshow form CLICK START at the top right of this page, and don't forget to check out the graph at the bottom of the article.

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5) Jose Bautista

The Blue Jays right fielder had a night to remember in his team's game against the Yankees on Tuesday. With the Yankees up 3-2 in the top of the ninth, Bautista threw out Chris Young at the plate, which at the time was very important as Toronto tied the game in the bottom of the frame. It was the second time the outfielder played hero in the contest, as he threw Dustin Ackley out when he tried to advance from first to third two innings earlier. The Blue Jays lost the game, but plays like those kept them in the important AL East matchup.

4) Bryce Harper

The Nationals phenom has an absolute cannon, and he's shown it off plenty of times in the past. Harper is a plus-3 in rARM, a metric that measures outfield runs save above average. The favorite to win the National League MVP has nine outfield assists thus far this season.

3) Alex Gordon

The Royals four-time gold glove outfielder has an rARM rating of 41 in his career, more than anyone else on this list, and his career-high came in 2011 when he notched 13.

2) Yasiel Puig

The Dodgers star hasn't spent a lot of time in the lineup this season and remains sidelined with a balky hamstring that has plagued him throughout the campaign, but there's no denying how good of arm he has. The Cuban defector has only played in 77 games this season, but he's still notched an rARM rating of 2.

1) Yoenis Cespedes

Since coming to the Mets, Cespedes hasn't gotten a chance to show off his gun very often, but trust us, it's unbelievable and probably the best in baseball. Most fans have lauded Cespedes for his .289 average and 17 homers since joining New York, but he's just waiting to drop some jaws with his arm. Cespedes has a 5 rARM rating this season, though none have come with the Mets (likely due to no one testing it). His career-high for the metric came in 2014 when he rated 14 and he has a 27 ranking for his career.

Best Outfield Arms In Baseball:

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