The fastest players in MLB

Carroll is the favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year as a five-tool prospect with blazing speed. He had the fastest average sprint speed in 2022 (30.7 feet/second), stealing 33 bases between the minors and Arizona.

Thompson gave Texas quite a boost on the basepaths when he was promoted late last season, swiping 18 bases in 55 games. That gave the speedster 67 steals for the year after an excellent minor league campaign, and he’s looking to add to his total in 2023.

Witt Jr. finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting last year with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and his 30.4 feet/second sprint speed was evidence of his elite baserunning. The young superstar has a chance to add to his totals, especially with the new MLB rules.

A minor league veteran, Siri was acquired by the Rays late last season in part due to his great baserunning and defense. He had 14 steals in 104 games last year and stole 10 bases this spring.

Turner is a superstar known for his all-around game, but his speed is a big part. He’s led his league in steals twice and shown excellent efficiency in the process. Turner had 27 steals with the Dodgers last season, and is now adding speed to the Phils lineup after signing an 11-year, $300 million contract.

Milwaukee promoted Mitchell late last season, and he stole eight bases in his first 28 games. That capped off quite an efficient year after swiping 17 bases in 18 attempts in the minors. He remains the team’s starting center fielder in 2023.

Locastro has fulfilled the role as baserunning specialist for most of his MLB career. He’s an outstanding 39-for-44 in stolen base attempts over seven seasons, and averaged 30.1 feet/second with the Yanks last season.

Speed and defense are Mateo’s calling cards. He led the AL with 35 steals last season and is off to another fast start this year for the O’s. As a minor leaguer, Mateo once swiped 82 bases in a season.

McCarthy made a big impression in his breakout 2022 season, with 23 steals in only 99 games while also performing well at the plate. He’s looking to build on that output this season.

Cruz’s physical tools are almost unfair, as a 6-foot-7 shortstop with elite bat speed and running speed. He hit .233-17-54 with 10 steals in only 87 games last season, and has a good shot to build on those totals this season.

Ruiz was the centerpiece of Oakland’s return in the Sean Murphy trade, coming off from Milwaukee in the three-way deal. He appeared in only 17 games last season but is coming off a breakout year in the minors, hitting .332-16-65 with 85 stolen bases.

O’Neill is known for his muscular physique as the son of a former worldclass bodybuilder, and has shown off both elite power and speed. He has 29 total stolen bases over the last two seasons, in addition to his 48 home runs.

Rodriguez was the clear AL Rookie of the Year last season, also winning a Silver Slugger after hitting .284-28-75 with 25 stolen bases. His elite speed shouldn’t be a forgotten part of his game, averaging 29.8 feet/second on the basepaths.

Eaton made his MLB debut last season as he continues to find his footing in the majors. He had 11 steals in 44 games and also swiped 23 bases in the minors in 2022.

It’s easy to see why Detroit wanted to acquire Vierling from Philadelphia in the offseason given the outfielder’s athleticism. He had only seven steals in part-time duty last season but has stolen as many as 22 bases in a single season in the minors.

Berti has been a nuisance on the basepaths for much of his career, and he led the NL with 41 steals last season despite playing only 102 games. He’s continuing to contribute this season as a utilityman.

Rosario is a key table setter near the top of Cleveland’s batting order, stealing 18 bases in 22 attempts last season. His career high is 24 steals with the Mets in 2018.

Taveras has been a threat on the basepaths since he was promoted in 2020, with 29 steals over three seasons. He looks to regain his momentum after an early-season IL stint in 2023.

Sosa hasn’t played enough in his MLB career to wreak much havoc on the basepaths, but he is capable. He had 11 steals over parts of five seasons.

Azocar contributed well as a backup outfielder last season, though he struggled stealing bases with only five successful attempts in 11 tries. He did have 32 steals in the minors in 2021.

Harris took the league by storm after his call-up last season, winning NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .297-19-64 with 20 steals in 114 games and contributing elite defense. The uber-athletic center fielder could add to those totals this season at age 22.

Thomas hasn’t been much of a threat to steal bases during his career, though Washington has used him in the leadoff spot at times because of his speed. He had eight steals as a regular last season, but averaged 29.4 feet/second as a runner.

Pena made his presence felt in his rookie season for the Astros, replacing Carlos Correa. He hit .253-22-63 with 11 steals during the regular season, followed by ALCS and World Series MVP Awards. The shortstop has more potential as a base stealer, as he showed with 20 steals in 2019 in the minors.

Trout is one of the game’s true superstars, with almost endless hardware on his mantle that includes three AL MVPs. He also led the AL in steals in 2012 and has over 200 steals for his career. While he still has elite speed, Trout has been more reserved on the basepaths in recent seasons as the Angels try to keep him healthy. He had only one stolen base attempt last season.

Thomas was Arizona’s forgotten outfielder behind Jake McCarthy and Corbin Carroll last season, but he still showed off elite wheels. He’s swiped double-digit bases three times in the minors but had only four steals in 113 games with Arizona last year.