Rays Recall Lightning Fast Rookie Outfielder Chandler Simpson

Simpson leads the majors in the fastest times from home plate to first base at 3.97 seconds. Additionally, he is No. 9 in sprint speed at 29.8 feet per second.

Rays right fielder Jake Mangum joins Simpson with one of the quickest times from home plate to first base with a time of 4.10 seconds, the fifth best in the league.

Simpson, 24, earned recognition when the Rays called him up earlier than expected — the third week of the season — following a series of injuries with Tampa Bay outfielder. Immediately, Simpson displayed his ability as an ultra-aggressive base runner with a relentless motor and elite speed. In just 35 games played, Simpson is top-10 in stolen bases with 19. His teammate, Jose Caballero, leads the league with 29.

At the end of May, the Rays optioned Simpson back to Triple-A to reinstate Mangum from the 10-day injured list. In 16 games in June with Durham, Simpson is hitting .333 with 11 stolen bases.

Simpson also has 19 stolen bases with Durham, putting him in a three-way tie with Nashville's Jared Oliva and Anthony Seigler for seventh-most in Triple-A.

The Rays selected Simpson with the 70th pick in the competitive balance B round of the 2022 MLB Draft. A native of Atlanta, Ga., Simpson played college baseball at UAB and Georgia Tech. In his final season with the Yellow Jackets, Simpson was named First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and Second-Team All-American.