Minor League Baseball

Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson Makes History of Last Six Years This Weekend with Speed

Chandler Simpson, perhaps the best runner in baseball, at any level, continues to put his speed on display for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
Brady Farkas|
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Chandler Simpson (96) poses for a photo during media day on Feb. 17.
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Chandler Simpson (96) poses for a photo during media day on Feb. 17. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays

SUNDAY, 1:30 p.m. ET: Simpson actually made professional baseball history of the last half-decade with this performance on the bases, per MiLB.com:

And it's not just Simpson's peak speed that's impressive. He became the only player in the Minors this season that Statcast measured to reach first in less than 4.10 seconds multiple times -- and he did so three times. Previously, nobody has ever done so three times in the Minors since measurement began in 2021, and the last person to do so in the Majors is Miami's Magneuris Sierra on Sept. 21, 2019 (four times).

SATURDAY A.M.: Tampa Bay Rays prospect Chandler Simpson continues to show off his incredible speed whenever he gets the chance.

Check out this play from Friday night's Durham Bulls game, where Simpson beats out a routine ground ball to first base.

Simpson, 24, is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. He was the No. 70 overall pick in the MLB Draft back in 2022 and is predicted to make his major league debut this season. Armed with elite contact skills and his blazing speed, he's one of the more dynamic prospects in the minors right now. He stole a whopping 104 bases a season ago across High-A and Double-A. He's now at Triple-A, hitting .321 in the early going for Durham. He has four stolen bases in six games.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

There will always be concerns about Simpson’s lack of power, especially as he faces tougher pitching in the upper levels. But he’s put on some muscle in pro ball to improve his bat speed, strength and endurance, and he led all full-season Minor Leaguers with a .355 average in ’24. That’s partly a result of his speed, of course, as even a high-enough chopper -- much less a well-placed bunt -- can easily turn into an infield hit. But it’s also a product of his feel for the strike zone and ability to make contact, as he had more walks (44) than strikeouts (43) in High-A and Double-A last year. Plus, his top-of-the-scale speed effectively allows him to turn his walks and singles into doubles or triples.

The Bulls will continue their series with the Sugarland Space Cowboys on Saturday. At the big-league level, the Rays will play the Texas Rangers at 7:05 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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