Tampa Bay Rays Top Prospect Continues to Turn Heads with Game-Changing Speed

Chandler Simpson, who stole 104 bases in the minor leagues last season, has jaw-dropping speed that continues to dazzle in the Grapefruit League.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (96) singles against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Charlotte Sports Park on Feb 25. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Rays top prospect Chandler Simpson is continuing to turn heads inside Grapefruit League play because of his game-breaking speed.

The following comes from an MLB Pipeline article about his sprint speed.

Simpson had 104 stolen bases in the Minors last season, and now we have some tracking data on his elite speed. Simpson beat out an infield single in his first Spring Training game with a 4.05-second home-to-first time and a top sprint speed of 30.8 feet per second. A sprint speed of 30 ft/sec or faster is the threshold for elite MLB speed, and Chandler's 30.8 ft/sec is as high a sprint speed as has been recorded by any runner in 2025 Spring Training. He also had a stolen base with a 29.9 ft/sec sprint speed in the same game.

Jac Caglianone 435 ft homer 💪
Bryce Eldridge 450 ft homer 🤯
Chandler Simpson 30.8 ft/sec sprint speed ⚡️

These prospects are lighting up Statcast during spring play: https://t.co/Ox1sulRxOV pic.twitter.com/TSEIdPERHM

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 2, 2025

We recently learned that former World Series champion outfielder Marquis Grissom calls Simpson "little Tony Gwynn" because of his ability to make consistent contact as well.

The 24-year-old Simpson is currently ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in the Rays organization, per MLB.com. In addition to his game-breaking speed and his 104 steals, he also hit .355 in 110 games last year. He posted a .410 on-base percentage. He doesn't possess much in the way of power, having hit just one home run in his professional career, but that speed and his ability to make contact should keep him around for years to come.

MLB.com projects him to make his major league debut at some point this season.

Related MiLB Stories

BYE, BYE BASALLO: Sam Basallo, who is a top-15 prospect in the sport, hit a massive home run for the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. CLICK HERE:

GETTING A SHOT: Kristian Campbell, a top-10 prospect in the sport, is reportedly getting every chance to earn the starting second base job for the Boston Red Sox. CLICK HERE:

JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are making some fun organizational history in 2025. CLICK HERE: