There are the power hitters and power pitchers in baseball. There are also the contact hitters and defenders who make diving plays every day. One thing nobody really breaks down is the speedsters. Whether they are speedy outfielders or players that are just on the base paths, they are still some of the best speedsters. In this article we break down the top ten speedsters.
Top Ten Speedsters
- Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki played the 2014 season with the New York Yankees. Primarily used as a utility outfielder, Ichiro got quite a few chances to play right and center field when Jacoby Ellsbury or Carlos Beltran got injured. In 143 games, Ichiro stole 15 bases. Earlier in his career Ichiro won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves thanks to his amazing fielding.
- Lorenzo Cain
Lorenzo Cain is the speedy center fielder of the Kansas City Royals. In the 2014 postseason, Lorenzo robbed many batters of hits with his diving plays. Along with that, he stole a base every now and then. During the regular season in 2014, he stole 28 bases. His speedy skills would earn him the 2014 ALDS MVP award.
- Carl Crawford
Not having the speed he used to have, Carl can still light up the base paths. He used to be able to steal 50-60 stolen bases a season. This left fielder used to have some power in him, too. Back in 2010, Crawford hit a career high 19 home runs. In 2014, Carl Crawford stole 23 bases in 105 games.
- Brett Gardner
Brett Gardner is the star studded left fielder of the New York Yankees. In 2014, Brett had a breakout year in power numbers. In 148 games, Brett socked a career high 17 home runs. Those power numbers didn’t stop him for stealing. He also stole 21 bases that year. In 2011 he tied the league lead in stolen bases with 49.
- Jarrod Dyson
Jarrod Dyson was a big part of the Kansas City Royals run in 2014. He helped them win the Wild Card Game with his speed. During the regular season, Dyson stole 36 bags. That one stolen base would be the only one during the 2014 Postseason.
5. Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby Ellsbury used to be a Red Sox but in the offseason of 2013, he signed a huge contract with the New York Yankees. In his first year with the Bronx Bombers, Jacoby stole 39 bases in 44 attempts. In back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009, Jacoby really proved to be the speedster he really is. In 2008 he stole 50 bases in 61 attempts and in ’09 he stole 70 bases in 82 attempts. He also has one World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2007.
- Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve is the second baseman for the Houston Astros. He broke the Astros’ all time record for hits in a single season with 225. He also stole 56 bases that year, too. On top of that, he was one of the defensive second basemen in the game and had a .341 batting average.
3. Mike Trout
Maybe the best in baseball ranks number 3 on the top ten speedster list. Although his stolen base numbers have dramatically declined over the years, he still shows off his speed in the outfield. Mike Trout robs home runs on a daily basis making it look it easy. It takes speed to get to the wall. He also makes diving catches courtesy of his speed. He also has his skills at the plate which gets him on base for stolen base opportunities. The past three years Mike Trout has lead the American League in runs. In his brief 4 year career (as of 2014), Trout scored 373 times, has 26 triples, and has 102 stolen bases. He won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2014 after finishing up behind Miguel Cabrera for the previous couple of years. He also led the American League in stolen bases in 2012 with 49.
2. Billy Hamilton
Billy Hamilton is the speedy young center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. Billy made his debut in the Majors in 2013 as a 23 year old rookie. He even stole four bases in one game! In the 13 games he played in, he averaged a stolen base per night. In 2014, it was his time to shine. He was an official rookie. In his first full season, Billy stole 56 bases! The bad thing is he got caught stealing 23 times. Besides that, Billy got driven in 72 times thanks to the rest of the Reds lineup. He would be a candidate for the rookie of the year award.
All of these players are fast but aren’t speedy enough to catch the number one speedster on this list. He is very aggressive on the base paths and most of the time slides in safe. He helped his team in lots of ways. Without further ado, the number one speedster in all of baseball is…
1. Dee Gordon
Dee Gordon has proven to be the best speedster in baseball the past couple of years. This young superstar was with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 but was traded to the Miami Marlins in the offseason of that year. In 2014, Dee Gordon led all of MLB in stolen bases in 2014. His total stolen base number was an outstanding 64. He was caught stealing 19 times in search for 83 stolen bags on the year. The young second baseman was great at turning two with the shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Dee Gordon was in 84 double plays at 144 games at second base. He only got 12 errors on the year. He all did this in 148 games. Gordon also scored 92 times in 2014, too. The 2014 season brought Dee’s career stolen base total to 130. As you can see, Dee Gordon is the best speedster in the game we call baseball.
Acknowledgments
All the statistical numbers are courtesy of ESPN’s wide selection of stats. I found both fielding and batting stats off of this wonderful website.
ESPN.COM