If you blink, you might miss them — and no, we’re not referring to the NASCAR race cars that bring excitement to Bristol Motor Speedway. Instead, we’re highlighting the fastest players in Major League Baseball, several of whom will showcase their speed at the Speedway Classic on Saturday.
There are various ways to gauge a player’s speed, from counting stolen bases to timing a 90-foot sprint. This analysis focuses on sprint speed as defined by Baseball Savant. Let’s dive in.
Honorable Mention: Elly De La Cruz, Reds
Don’t overlook Elly De La Cruz as one of the fastest players at the Speedway Classic. Since making his debut in 2023, De La Cruz has stolen more bases than anyone else (131) and is currently tied for fifth in stolen bases this season with 29. In 2024, he led the majors with 67 stolen bases. Impressively, his sprint speed ranks in the 91st percentile at 29.1 feet per second, and two years ago, he was among the top three in this stat.
Witt always comes up in conversations about MLB’s speediest players. Since debuting in 2022, he’s tied for second with 31 triples and leads with 137 stolen bases over that period. This season, Witt boasts a top sprint speed of 30.3 feet per second and an initial burst over 4.14 seconds, epitomizing a true five-tool player.
Trea Turner, despite playing 11 seasons and being 32 years old, remains one of MLB’s fastest. He ranks third among active players with 304 stolen bases, trailing Starling Marte who holds 359. Turner has led the National League in stolen bases twice and remains consistently near the top.
Byron Buxton’s career has been limited by injuries, missing over 900 games, but when he’s on the field, his speed is undeniable. His 60-yard dash times range from 6.4 to 6.6 seconds. Buxton has stolen 110 bases, being caught only 12 times in his career.
Victor Scott II quickly proved he’s fast in his first full MLB season. He ranked fourth in the National League with 26 stolen bases, getting caught just twice, and recorded one of his first home runs on April 13.
The Phillies show up strong on the list with Speedster Rojas, who is among five MLB players this season with sprint speeds over 30 feet per second and has stolen 30 bases so far.
Simpson, in just 62 games, is already third in his league with 32 stolen bases. His speed is electric and he’s notable for a home-to-first time of 3.95 seconds — the only player under four seconds in that metric. Simpson ranks sixth in sprint speed this season at 29.9 and is close to joining the 30-feet-per-second club.
Although White might not be the Braves speedster you expected, he clocks a sprint speed of 29.9 feet per second, faster than teammates Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Corbin Carroll excels in triples, leading MLB with 39 since his 2022 debut, and ranking eighth in stolen bases with 104 during that span. In the 2024 season, Carroll completed the base sprint in 14.30 seconds — one of the fastest times recorded by Statcast. His first-step speed of 4.12 seconds places him just outside the top ten with a 29.7 sprint speed this year.
Pena might not be known as a base-stealing threat, but his sprint speed ranks at 29.6 feet per second, putting him in the 97th percentile of MLB players. Since debuting in 2022, he has consistently been among the top ten in sprint speed each season.
Armstrong has elevated his game this year and is now considered an MVP candidate, aided by his elite speed. He ranks in the top ten across all baserunning categories and his 29 stolen bases place him fifth in the majors. Armstrong also ran the bases for an inside-the-park home run in a blazing 14.10 seconds during the 2024 season.
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Fan Take: Baseball fans should be excited by the incredible speed these players bring to the game, adding thrilling moments on the basepaths and in the field. As sprint speed becomes a more recognized measure of athleticism, it highlights how the game is evolving with speed and agility becoming just as vital as power and pitching.
