Who is the fastest MLB player right now? As Major League Baseball introduces new rules to increase the number of runs scored and stolen bases, the fastest players in MLB have an opportunity to shine in 2024.
By expanding the bases and reducing the number of pickoff attempts, we should see a dramatic increase in stolen bases this season. While there was an average of 0.51 steals per game last season, that average hasn't eclipsed 0.6 since 2012. Furthermore, the last 50-steal season happened in 2017.
That figures to change this season. Larger bases and more opportunities to steal will unleash the fastest players in baseball. For the likes of Elly De La Cruz , Byron Buxton Bobby Witt Jr . and so many others, this season will be their time to shine in what could become the start of a new era for baseball.
Below, we'll look at the current data from Baseball Savant's Sprint Speed for the fastest MLB players right now.
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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr is the fastest MLB player right now. Witt leads MLB in average Sprint Speed (30.3) and he has the second-fastest Home-to-First time (4.11 seconds) in baseball this year.
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Here are the fastest MLB players right now based on data from Baseball Savant 's Spring Speed (ft per second).
Bobby Witt Jr, Kansas City Royals –30.3 Sprint Speed
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins –30.1 Sprint Speed
Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals –30.0 Sprint Speed
Trea Turner , Philadelphia Phillies –29.9 Sprint Speed
Brandon Lockridge , San Diego Padres –29.9 Sprint Speed
Eli White , Atlanta Braves –29.9 Sprint Speed
Blake Dunn , Cincinnati Reds –29.7 Sprint Speed
Nasim Nuńez, Washington Nationals –29.6 Sprint Speed
Derek Hill , Miami Marlins –29.5 Sprint Speed
Jeremy Peńa, Houston Astros –29.5 Sprint Speed
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Here are the fastest home plate to first base times in baseball this season, data courtesy Baseball Savant.
Jake Mangum , Tampa Bay Rays –4.09 seconds
Bobby Witt Jr, Kansas City Royals –4.11 seconds
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins –4.12 seconds
Garrett Mitchell , Milwaukee Brewers –4.13 seconds
Brandon Lockridge, San Diego Padres –4.13 seconds
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Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder O'Neil Cruz and Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are tied with 12 stolen bases this season as of April 29.
Oneil Cruz , Pittsburgh Pirates –12 steals
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs –12 steals
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds –11 steals
Luis Robert Jr. , Chicago White Sox –10 steals
Jarren Duran , Boston Red Sox –9 steals
Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals –9 steals.
Note: We update the MLB steals leaders once per week. Stats entering play on Tuesday, April 29.
Below you can find a list of the top 10 MLB stolen base leaders by year. We'll add additional years throughout the 2025 MLB season.
Elly De La Cruz, Reds –67 steals
Shohei Ohtani , Dodgers –59 steals
Brice Turang , Brewers –50 steals
Jose Caballero, Rays –44 steals
Jose Ramirez, Guardians –41 steals
Jazz Chisholm Jr , Yankees –40 steals
Maikel Garcia , Royals –37 steals
Corbin Carroll , Diamondbacks –35 steals
Jarren Duran, Red Sox –34 steals
Victor Robles , Mariners –34 steals
Ronald Acuña Jr , Braves –73 steals
Esteury Ruiz , Athletics –67 steals
Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks –54 steals
Bobby Witt Jr, Royals –49 steals
CJ Abrams , Nationals –47 steals
Nico Hoerner , Cubs –43 steals
Ha-seong Kim , Padres –38 steals
Julio Rodriguez , Mariners –37 steals
Elly De La Cruz, Reds –35 steals
Willi Castro , Twins –33 steals
Jose Reyes (2007) –78 steals
Ronald Acuña Jr (2023) –73 steals
Scott Podsednik (2004) –70 steals
Jacoby Ellsbury (2009) –70 steals
Willy Taveras (2008) –68 steals
Juan Pierre (2010) –68 steals
Esteury Ruiz (2023) –67 steals
Elly De La Cruz (2024) –67 steals
Juan Pierre (2003) –65 steals
Jose Reyes (2006) –64 steals
Dee Gordon (2014)– 64 steals
Juan Pierre (2006) –64 steals
Chone Figgins (2005) –62 steals
Jonathan Villar (2016) –62 steals
Michael Bourn (2009) –61 steals
Michael Bourn (2011) –61 steals
Jose Reyes (2005) –60 steals
Carl Crawford (2009) –60 steals
Dee Gordon (2017) –60 steals
Carl Crawford (2004) –59 steals
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Here are the fastest MLB players in 2024.
Bobby Witt Jr, Kansas City Royals –30.4 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals –30.2 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Johan Rojas , Philadelphia Phillies –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Johan Rohas, Philadelphia Phillies –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs –30.0 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Tyler Fitzgerald , San Francisco Giants –30.0 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Jose Siri , Tampa Bay Rays –29.9 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Jorge Mateo , Baltimore Orioles –29.9 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Wyatt Langford , Texas Rangers –29.8 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Jonny DeLuca , Tampa Bay Rays –29.9 ft/sec Sprint Speed
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Here are the fastest players in baseball based on Baseball Savant's Sprint Speed data.
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds –30.5 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Dairon Blanco, Kansas City Royals –30.4 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals –30.4 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Bubba Thompson , Texas Rangers –30.3 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies –30.3 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
José Azocar, San Diego Padres –30.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Jake McCarthy , Arizona Diamondbacks –30.0 ft/sec Sprint Speed
Blake Perkins , Milwaukee Brewers –30.0 ft/sec Sprint Speed
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Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz led baseball in steals last season with 67 stolen bases in 160 games played, becoming the second player in the last two years to steal at least 60 bases.
Atlanta Braves outfield Ronald Acuna stole 70 bases in the 2023 MLB season. Acuna is the first MLB player to steal 70 bases in a season since Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009.
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Baseball Savant's StatCast uses Sprint Speed as its measure for foot speed, defining it as the "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second window" on a single play. It also uses a stat called 'Bolt', which measures any run above 30 ft. per second. Here's a breakdown of the fastest players in MLB last season by Sprint Speed.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks– 30.7 mph Sprint Speed
Bobby Witt Jr, Kansas City Royals –30.4 mph Sprint Speed
Jose Siri, Tampa Bay Rays –30.4 mph Sprint Speed
Bubba Thompson, Texas Rangers –30.4 mph Sprint Speed
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies –30.3 mph Sprint Speed
Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers –30.2 mph Sprint Speed
Jake McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks –30.1 mph Sprint Speed
Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles –30.1 mph Sprint Speed
Eli White, Atlanta Braves –30.1 mph Sprint Speed
Wynton Bernard , Colorado Rockies –30.1 mph Sprint Speed
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