One of many quickest gamers in baseball is headed to the most important leagues.
The Rays promoted outfielder Chandler Simpson from Triple-A Durham on Friday forward of their 1-0 loss to the Yankees.
Simpson acquired the call-up after utility participant Richie Palacios went on the injured listing with a proper knee sprain.
The 24-year-old stole 104 bases throughout Tampa Bay’s Excessive-A and Double-A associates final season.
He additionally led the entire minor leagues with a .355 batting common.
Simpson was drafted by the Rays within the second spherical of the 2022 MLB Draft and has since risen to the group’s No. 7-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline.
Throughout his tenure within the minor leagues, Simpson has stolen 224 bases in 250 video games, for an 86.5 p.c success charge.
People round Main League Baseball have famous Simpson’s distinctive model of play, as his pace and bat-to-ball expertise resemble gamers from earlier generations.
Former MLB outfielder Marquis Grissom created the nickname “Little Tony Gwynn” for Simpson, saying that the Georgia native’s play model is much like the Corridor of Fame.
“I would buy a ticket to watch him play,” Rays outfield and baserunning coordinator Jared Sandberg instructed The Athletic. “I just wouldn’t miss the first four pitches because he might already be in the dugout with a run on the scoreboard.”
Previous to being known as as much as the massive leagues, Simpson was hitting .301 with eight stolen bases in 17 video games with Durham.
He actually turned eyes when he bought an infield single after hitting a ball on to the primary baseman earlier in April.
“I think, in theory, that he adds an element to any lineup with how fast he is, his contact ability,” Rays supervisor Kevin Money stated Friday afternoon, per MLB.com.
“I think he’s going to get an opportunity here, a little bit of a runway. We’ll see. I don’t know if it’ll be a short stint, long stint.”
