The fastest player in baseball? Meet Rays prospect Chandler Simpson: “I love stealing bases’’
Tampa Bay Rays call up speedster Chandler Simpson, fastest man in baseball and stolen base phenom, aiming to prove elite speed and contact skills still matter.
“I want to prove that you can make it to the big leagues, succeed in the big leagues, and that speed plays.” That’s the message of Chandler Simpson, who was called up to the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays last week.
And boy is he quick. In fact many are saying he may be the current fastest man in baseball, and stolen bases are his thing.
He’s been timed at 3.9 seconds to first base off a swing, which is the fastest of the season so far. His bunt speed (typically faster than off a swing) hit 31.2 ft/second, quicker than elite speedsters such as Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals).
And he lives to steal bases.
“I love stealing bases,‘’ Simpson says. “It gets me real hyped because I know that when I get on, all eyes are on me. Everybody in the stadium, the pitcher, the catcher, the pitching coach, their manager, all of the fans in the stands, my manager, my teammates, they all know that I’m going to steal.”
But in order to steal, and hit the .355 he did last season, it’s not JUST about speed. As Rays GM Eric Neander says: “The speed is top of the scale, but it’s that bat-to-ball skill that is unique. He doesn’t chase. He puts the ball in play at an extremely high rate. He controls the strike zone.”
How did Simpson do last season?
Since being promoted to the majors on April 18, Simpson brings with him a staggering stat line: 104 stolen bases in 121 attempts across Double-A and Triple-A.
He’s the first player to steal 100 bases in a minor league season since 2012. Billy Hamilton nabbed 155 that year.
What about the rest of Simpson’s game?
So, Chandler Simpson is quick. But what about the rest of his game. Let’s just say he’s not a home run machine. In fact in his 1,119 visits to the plate in his three-year minor-league career he hit one home run. And it wasn’t a sky-high, blast it out the park smash. Against the Biloxi Shuckers, back in June 2024, he knocked a ball past third baseman Brock Wilken which ended up rolling all the way to the fence. But that gave him enough time to sprint round the bases and home.
He only managed one home run in his collegiate career too. That one did go over the fence, but only because, “the right fielder went up to catch it and it topped off his glove, and went over the fence. But, hey, it still counted,” said Simpson.
He’s also no slouch defensively, as Manny Machado saw back on April 26...
All in all, Chandler Simpson’s impact on the Tampa Bay Rays has been both immediate and electrifying.
Since his call-up, he’s maintained a .400 batting average, contributed crucial runs, and showcased his elite speed with multiple stolen bases.
He’s also brought with him a five-game winning streak for the Rays, underscoring his value to the team’s success. The expectation is that as the season progresses, Simpson’s unique skill set will continue to energize both the lineup and the fanbase, making him a player to watch in the coming months. Speed still counts.
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