Minor League Baseball

Tampa Bay Rays' Electric Prospect Shines in Triple-A Debut

Chandler Simpson, perhaps the fastest runner in baseball, racked up three hits for the Durham Bulls on Opening Night.
Brady Farkas|
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (96) steals second be during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Charlotte Sports Park on March 15.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (96) steals second be during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Charlotte Sports Park on March 15. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays' top prospect Chandler Simpson had a great Triple-A Opening Night on Friday, lifting the Durham Bulls to a 9-2 win over the Norfolk Tides.

The Tides are an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Simpson, perhaps the fastest runner in professional baseball, went 3-for-6 at the plate, flashing his speed and his contact tool all over the ballpark.

The 24-year-old out of Georgia Tech was the No. 70 pick in the draft back in 2022. He's a career .327 hitter in the minor leagues and is on the verge of a major league call-up later this season. Simpson has never played above Double-A (until Friday), so the organization likely wants him to get some more seasoning before calling him up, but with Josh Lowe now battling an injury at the major-league level, some are wondering if the Rays might give him a look now.

He is the No. 7 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline.

He stole 104 bases a season ago. The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

At worst, he’ll reach the Majors and be must-see TV anytime he’s on base. If he puts it all together, he could be a high-average hitter with unmatched basestealing ability and an impactful defender at a premium position.

He is playing center field after previously playing second base in college.

On the other side of the contest, Baltimore Orioles star Gunnar Henderson began his rehab assignment as he works back from an intercostal strain. He went 1-for-3.

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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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