Who are the 10 fastest MLB players in the league right now?

Who are the 10 fastest MLB players in the league right now?

Kenneth Mwenda
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:19 PM

The fastest MLB players offer their teams a substantial benefit in baserunning and on the field. Each player on the field is critical to the success of their team. Everyone has the ability to contribute, from the nine batters in the batting order pencilled into the bullpen to the starting pitcher.

Who are the 10 fastest MLB players in the league right now?
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Glenn Otto (49) and catcher Jonah Heim (28) low five each other during a game against the New York Yankees on October 5, 2022 at Globe Life Field. Photo: Matthew Pearce
Source: Getty Images

In Major League Baseball, batters must run from first to second base. As a result, the fastest MLB players can sprint from one base to the next. This helps the teams to score more runs per inning and have a better chance of stealing bases.

Fastest MLB players right now

These are the fastest MLB players in 2022 who excel at running. Stealing bases would be an excellent indicator of this.

10. Berti Jon | 29.9

Fastest MLB players
Jon Berti of the Miami Marlins during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 01, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Patrick McDermott
Source: Getty Images

The 2021 season was a rollercoaster ride for utility man Jon Berti, which ended in a tragic crash. He was slow to get going in the first two months, then picked up steam with a fantastic June, but his season was cut short on July 23 when an 85 mph slider hit the back of his head.

9. Bryon Buxton | 30

Fastest MLB players of all time
Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins fields against the Texas Rangers on August 22, 2022 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo: Brace Hemmelgarn
Source: Getty Images

The sun is setting, but Byron Buxton is only getting started. The Twins' star centre fielder has recently gotten off to a hot start, proving he is one of the best players in baseball. But, as we have seen before, none of that matters if he cannot stay on the field.

Buxton is the most exciting player on the field when he is okay. His speed allows him to close down the centre field from gap to gap, climb walls to steal home runs, and circle the bases in less time than some batters take to adjust their batting gloves.

8. Leody Taveras | 30

Fastest MLB players to 100 home runs
Leody Taveras during the game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. Photo: Cooper Neill
Source: Getty Images

Taveras runs like the wind and has a developing power stroke, giving him 20/20 potential over the course of a season that most fantasy rosters could benefit from. He also has improved plate discipline and raw footspeed, which should help him post a solid BABIP, though his current mark of.426 is clearly unsustainable.

His club is delighted to have a member who can fly on the base paths. Taveras had 30 feet per second sprint speed in the 2021 season.

7. Roman Quinn | 30.4

Fastest MLB players in the league right now
Roman Quinn of the Tampa Bay Rays prepares for a pitch during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2022 in Baltimore. Photo:Mitchell Layton
Source: Getty Images

When fit, he has been one of the best pure speed threats for his entire professional career, and he has gotten even faster. He is running at 30.4 feet per second on average, up from 30.1 in 2019 and good for the best sprint speed in baseball.

Quinn was speaking to reporters about his speed when he reflected on his childhood idols. He is a big fan of Jimmy Rollins.

Quinn's chances of matching Rollins' career numbers as a base stealer are slim. However, he can wreak havoc on the basepaths in the same way that Rollins did in his prime. Both can leg out an infield hit, convert a single to a double or a double to a triple, and easily steal a base to set up a critical scoring opportunity.

6. Jorge Mateo | 30.4

Fastest MLB players right now
Jorge Mateo of the Baltimore Orioles fields against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 22, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: Patrick Smith
Source: Getty Images

Mateo is one of the fastest players in the MLB this season, with a sprint speed of 30.4 ft/sec. In his two-year career, he has stolen ten bases. He led the American League in stolen bases, he plays very solid, if not exceptional, defence, and his top-of-the-scale speed never falters.

5. Jose Siri | 30.4

Who is the fastest player in MLB right now
Jose Siri of the Tampa Bay Rays during the Wild Card Series game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, October 8, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Joe Sargent
Source: Getty Images

Jose Siri is the most recent player to break the 30 feet per second barrier in Major League Baseball. Jose was measured at 30.4 feet per second. It is even more incredible that he did it in his first year in the MLB.

He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2012. However, he made his MLB debut for the Houston Astros almost a decade later.

He currently has a.304 batting average. In 2021, he scored ten runs and drove in 9. In addition, he hit four home runs in his 21 games.

4. Derek Hill | 30.5

The fastest baseball players ever
Derek Hill during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers on May 29, 2022 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Scott W. Grau
Source: Getty Images

Derek is most notable for his exceptional speed. He can run the 60-yard dash in under 6.4 seconds, giving him tremendous range in centre field and allowing him to be a disruptive force on the bases.

Hill's tools were immediately apparent in pro ball, as he quickly amassed a lengthy highlight reel full of spectacular catches in centre field and stole 36 bases in his first 100 games. At 30.5 feet per second, he has the third-fastest sprint speed among major leaguers.

3. Eli White | 30.5

The fastest MLB players right now
Eli White of the Texas Rangers plays against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of game two of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on June 07, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Ron Schwane
Source: Getty Images

Eli White is one of the top ten fastest MLB players for the 2021-2022 season. In 2021, he clocked a sprint speed of 30.5 feet/second, making him one of the game's fastest players.

It is one of the reasons the Rangers use him as both a leadoff and a No. 9 hitter. That may sound strange, but his speed benefits the Rangers in both positions in the order.

Another reason the Rangers are likely to play through his inevitable slumps at the plate is his speed. He is one of the fastest players in MLB history.

2. Trea Turner | 30.7

The fastest MLB players of all time
Trea Turner during the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on October 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Ronald Martinez
Source: Getty Images

Trea Turner is one of the MLB's fastest players right now. Turner is currently a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, joining in 2021. He however made his major league debut with the Washington Nationals in 2015.

He has a.303 batting average and 103 home runs in his illustrious career. He also has 334 RBI and has stolen 203 bases.

In 2019, he was a member of the World Series-winning team. In addition, he was the stolen base leader in 2018 and 2021.

He completed the cycle in 2017, 2019, and 2021. In 2021, he was named to the All-Star game for the first time, after hitting 107 runs with a.328 average, 28 home runs, and 32 stolen bases.

1. Tim Locastro | 30.7

Who are the 10 fastest MLB players in the league right now?
Tim Locastro of the New York Yankees during a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium on April 24, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Photo: Elsa
Source: Getty Images

Locastro is wheeling around the bases for the New York Yankees, who (hello, Dodgers, Rays, White Sox, Astros, A's, Mariners, Braves, Brewers, Giants, and more teams per MLB's standings) are also vying for a title. He is currently the fastest player in MLB. You all know he is a big deal, the fastest player in the game. Because of his speed, his cleats are already in the Hall of Fame.

Who are the fastest MLB players to 100 home runs?

Who are the fastest MLB players to 100 home runs?
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets during a game against San Diego Padres at Citi Field on October 08, 2022 in New York City. Photo: Elsa
Source: Getty Images

There have been 12 players in American League/National League history who have hit 100 home runs in fewer than 400 career games, with Mets slugger Pete Alonso becoming the most recent addition to that club on Sept. 7, 2021, in his 347th career game. Here are the players who have hit 100 career home runs in the fewest number of games.

Player name

Number of games to hit 100 home runs

Ryan Howard

325

Pete Alonso

347

Gary Sanchez

355

Aaron Judge

371

Ralph Kiner

376

Joey Gallo

377

Ronald Acuña Jr.

378

Chuck Klein

390

Bob Horner

390

Mark McGwire

393

Joe DiMaggio

395

Eddie Mathews

397

There are several reasons why fast players are important in MLB. The first goal is to win, and the second is to increase the likelihood of stealing bases. As a result, batters are constantly striving to improve their speed because fast batters are more valuable.

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Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.