TEMPE, Ariz. — Perhaps nobody on a baseball field is more aware of the outfielders’ arms than a third base coach, which is why Phil Nevin is so familiar with what Hunter Renfroe can do.
The Angels manager has been a big league third base coach in a division with Renfroe in three different seasons, along with two seasons at Triple-A.
“He made me look bad,” Nevin said, recalling one particular throw that Renfroe made against Nevin’s New York Yankees when he was with the Boston Red Sox. “He’s got a game-changing arm. You’ve got to be very careful. … I’m excited to see it on my side this time.”
Renfroe has 28 outfield assists over the past three seasons, the most in the majors.
“It’s like the traditional arm you thought of when you thought of right fielders growing up,” said Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who had Renfroe last season. “He really likes to throw. He enjoys it. He likes the impact on a game that throwing out a runner can have. I think he takes pride in it.”
Although Renfroe has also hit at least 25 homers in each of his five full major league seasons, he said the thrill of throwing out a runner on the bases is right there with hitting a homer.
“Throwing someone out, whether it’s the third out of an inning or a big inning, that’s pretty exciting,” Renfroe said. “The fans love it. It’s intense … I love it.”
Renfroe in fact has one “walk-off throw” on his resume.
Renfroe was with the Red Sox in September 2021 when they were clinging to a one-run lead in a key divisional game against the Tampa Bay Rays. With two outs in the ninth, Joey Wendle hit a liner into center field. The ball got past center fielder Danny Santana. Renfroe was backing him up, and he fired the ball on one hop to third as Wendle went for a triple. Renfroe nailed him, ending the game.
“That definitely gave us a little bump,” Renfroe said of the momentum the Red Sox gained from winning that game in that fashion.
That was…
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