Tampa Bay Rays Top Prospect Made History on Bases in 2024

With the calendar year of 2024 winding down, it's time to look back at some of the biggest accomplishments of the year.
Cotuit DH Chandler Simpson gets hold of a  Y-D pitch  for a single in 2022.
Cotuit DH Chandler Simpson gets hold of a Y-D pitch for a single in 2022. / Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the calendar year of 2024 winding down, it's time to take a look back at some of the biggest accomplishments of the year.

For the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the biggest organizational accomplishments was the pure dominance of top prospect Chandler Simpson.

From MiLB.com:

The No. 70 overall pick in the 2022 Draft became the first Minor Leaguer to eclipse the century mark in steals since 2012 with his performance at High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery. Unlike in 2023, when Simpson tied his friend Victor Scott II atop the MiLB leaderboard with 94 each, no one was all that close to him this year. Orioles No. 4 prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. finished second with 74. Simpson could put 110 in play if he spends another full season in the Minors in ‘25, but it’s likelier he ends up with Tampa Bay by then if this trend continues.

The 24-year-old Simpson is ranked the No. 4 overall prospect in the Rays organization, per MLB.com. In addition to his game-breaking speed, he also hit .355 in 110 games this year. He posted a .410 on-base percentage. He doesn't possess much in the way of power, having hit just one home run, but that speed should keep him around for years to come.

The Rays went 80-82 this season, finishing in fourth place in the American League East. They'll spend the 2025 season playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field because of damage sustained by Tropicana Field during Hurricane Milton this past October.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.


Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.