Is Trea Turner The Fastest Player In The MLB?
Trea Turner is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball (MLB). His remarkable speed and agility have helped him stand out in a sport that values speed and quickness. Turner's speed and base-stealing ability make him one of the most exciting players to watch in the game today, and he has established himself as one of the premier shortstops in the league.
Turner's speed has been evident from the moment he stepped onto an MLB field. In his rookie year with the Washington Nationals in 2015, he stole 27 bases in just 73 games. He continued to display his speed in the following seasons, earning league-leading totals in both 2018 and 2019. In 2022, his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he once again led the league with 27 stolen bases, while maintaining a .298 batting average and hitting 21 home runs.
Turner's true elite speed already gives him a skill that separates him from all the other top free agents in this year's class, and notably, the other top free-agent shortstops. He uses his speed not just on the basepaths, but also in the field, where he has made some spectacular plays at shortstop. His ability to get to balls that other players cannot has earned him a reputation as a defensive wizard.
With rule changes coming to MLB in 2023 that should encourage more stealing, the team that gets Turner will get an even bigger competitive advantage at the top of the lineup. Bigger bases that will reduce the distance between them, and limits on the number of pickoff throws will make it easier for base runners to steal. Turner's speed will be an even greater asset in this new environment, and he is likely to put up even more impressive numbers.
Turner's base-stealing ability is unmatched in the league. He is a hugely successful base stealer, with a 90% success rate on steal attempts in 2022. His ability to accelerate to an elite top speed even when just going base to base makes him extremely difficult to catch. On nearly a third of his stolen bases in 2022, he reached the elite 30-plus ft/sec speed threshold. He had twice as many steals at elite speed as anyone else. His average sprint speed on those "max-effort" steals was an even 30.0 ft/sec. He was the only base stealer to average elite speed on the top half of his runs.
Turner uses his speed to get a lot more hits, too. The stat sheet doesn't tell you that, but the Statcast data does. This season alone, Turner got 34 hits where he reached an elite 30-plus ft/sec sprint speed, over 1 1/2 times more than any other hitter. He is an elite power-speed threat, capable of hitting for average and power while also stealing bases and playing top-tier defense.
Overall, Trea Turner is a true superstar in the world of baseball. His speed and agility make him one of the most exciting players to watch, while his ability to hit for average and power, steal bases, and play top-tier defense make him one of the best all-around players in the game. It's no wonder that he is considered one of the premier shortstops in the league, and that he is highly sought-after by teams looking for an edge in the coming season.








