Top-100 Prospect Chandler Simpson to Debut for Rays

It’s a prospect promotion palooza! Yesterday, Just Baseball’s no. 49 prospect Edgar Quero made his MLB debut for the White Sox. Tonight, our no. 42 prospect Luke Keaschall is expected to make his debut for the Twins. And it turns out, Keaschall won’t be the only top-100 prospect getting his first taste of MLB action this weekend.

This afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that they had selected Chandler Simpson’s contract from Triple-A Durham. To make room on the roster, they placed Richie Palacios on the 10-day IL with a right knee sprain and transferred Alex Faedo (shoulder) to the 60-day IL.

Simpson, a 24-year-old outfielder, was widely considered the fastest player in the minor leagues. Last season, he stole 104 bases in 110 games between High-A and Double-A. He will now get the chance to show off that speed at the highest level.

There is no doubt he will be a menace on the basepaths, but Simpson will also look to prove that he can use his elite speed to be a valuable defender in center field.

Chandler Simpson came in at No. 85 on Just Baseball’s preseason Top 100 Prospects list. For more on Simpson, check out what Aram Leighton had to say about the young speedster. You can also listen to his conversation with Aram and Jack McMullen on The Call Up podcast.

85. Chandler Simpson – OF – Tampa Bay Rays

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 215 | Bat/Throw: L/R | CB-B Round (70), 2022 (TB) | ETA: 2025

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
70/70	55/55	20/20	80/80	40/50	50

The fastest man in baseball, Simpson boasts elite contact rates and plenty of patience in the box, making him the ideal old-school leadoff man.

Hitting

A slap hitter with a fantastic feel for the barrel, Simpson shoots the ball all over the yard, smacking plenty of soft liners and ground balls he can beat out.

Contrary to most other hitters, Simpson’s ability to limit fly balls is an asset, as his 80-grade speed can turn even routine plays into hits. His elite contact skills stand out, rarely swinging and missing within the zone (94% in z-contact rate) while spoiling pitches outside of the zone with the best of them (82% o-contact rate).

With 20-grade power, Simpson is more likely to hit an inside-the-park homer than an over-the-fence shot, but he adds to his high batting average with good patience at the plate, drawing walks at a solid clip for a hitter that no pitcher wants to put on base. There are a lot of similarities to Juan Pierre offensively.

Defense/Speed

Simpson’s speed is one of the easiest 80 grades you’ll see handed out, forcing scouts to think back to Billy Hamilton for the most comparable runner. That speed has translated into stolen bases more than defensive value at this point, as Simpson’s actions in the outfield are shaky. He has the closing speed to recover and chew up plenty of ground, but his routes are indirect, struggling to track the ball with consistency.

Simpson has the potential to be the best base stealer in the game, swiping 104 bags in 110 games in 2024.

Outlook

Contact and speed will surely make Simpson a big leaguer, but to be the above-average regular in centerfield he can be, he will need to take a big step forward defensively in 2025.

There are few hitters–if any–who can make contact more consistently than Simpson with the speed to turn just about anything that isn’t caught in the air into a possible hit.

With Simpson’s below-average arm, it’s even more important to develop as a centerfielder, but he has enough offensive value to at least be an MLB regular if he slides over to left, albeit with more pressure on the bat to produce near-batting title numbers.