Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here. Have you seen Chandler Simpson run yet?
If not, here’s a tip: Don’t blink.
The Rays outfielder, who made his MLB debut on Saturday, is one of the sport’s most unique players. But any conversation about Simpson has to begin with his speed, because you can already posit that he is the fastest man in baseball.
Simpson has racked up 206 stolen bases in the Minors since the start of the 2023 season, including 104 last year. That made him the first Major or Minor League player since 2012 to reach the century mark in steals.
He’s got 80-grade speed only because the 20-to-80 scouting scale doesn’t go to 90. He can turn a simple ground ball to first base into a must-see highlight.
Take what happened during Sunday’s game against the Yankees as an example. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Yanks starter Max Fried had yet to allow a hit when Simpson hit a grounder toward first. Simpson bolted down the line at 30.7 feet per second -- 30.0 feet per second is considered elite -- and made it safely as first baseman Paul Goldschmidt couldn’t handle the ball.
The play was initially ruled an error, but before the bottom of the eighth inning -- and with Fried’s shot at a no-hitter still alive -- the official scorer changed the play to a hit because it was clear that Simpson was going to beat Fried to the base even if Goldschmidt fielded the ball cleanly.
“I knew I was going to be safe,” Simpson said about the play. "... I kind of looked at [Fried], knew I had some space, so I knew I was going to be [safe]."
Simply, Simpson knows he isn’t going to lose many foot races on the diamond. Opposing managers know it, too.
“Look, we’re not going to beat [Simpson] to the bag," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who agreed with the scoring change.
But it would be unfair to view Simpson as only a threat on the bases. He posted a .324 average through 250 games in the Minors, with more walks (107) than strikeouts (98). His natural feel for hitting and plus bat control led 17-year MLB veteran Marquis Grissom to label Simpson as “Little Tony Gwynn.”
Just don’t expect him to hit many homers. Simpson left the yard just once as a Minor Leaguer, and he has 20-grade power on that aforementioned 20-to-80 scale.
Simpson recorded his first stolen base in the big leagues on Sunday and said afterward that “hopefully there are more to come.” There are many stolen bases ahead for the 24-year-old. And don’t be surprised if he becomes the first MLB player to steal 100 bases in a season since Vince Coleman in 1987.
“I want to prove to everybody that my game plays,” Simpson said last week. “I know there’s some doubts, but I mean, I’ve proved it at every level. What’s one more?” -- Brian Murphy |
When MLB Pipeline prospect gurus Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo recently identified one player in each Minor League system who could become an impact callup at some point this season, Simpson was on the list. (So was Twins infielder/outfielder Luke Keaschall, who went 2-for-4 in his Major League debut on Friday at Atlanta.) In other words, our ever-watchful Pipeline team has its finger on the pulse.
Who else are they excited to see make the jump to The Show in the near future? We asked them. So read on (and subscribe to their newsletter while you’re at it). Callis’ pick: Roman Anthony (BOS No. 1 / MLB No. 2)
Why we're excited: The best position prospect in baseball is a complete offensive package, a plus hitter with plus-plus power and a keen sense of the strike zone. He mashed in Triple-A at the end of last season and he's doing it again, so let's see if he can make the same impact that Kristian Campbell already has.
Dykstra’s pick: Craig Yoho (MIL No. 18)
Why we’re excited: The Brewers have one of the game’s best changeups ready and waiting to replace Devin Williams. (OK, it’s not exactly the same pitch, but it’s close.) Yoho – an All-MiLB Prospect First Teamer in 2024 – hadn’t allowed an earned run over 9 2/3 innings in the Triple-A Nashville bullpen before he was called up to the Crew on Monday afternoon, according to a source. He’s thrown his upper-70s cambio (with 18 inches of run) over half the time, and if that isn’t enough, he has a sweeper that can break 20 inches the other way. Good luck to anyone trying to touch that.
Mayo’s pick: Bubba Chandler (PIT No. 1/ MLB No. 14)
Why we're excited: It's early, but he's averaging a touch over 98 mph on his fastball so far in Triple-A and hitting triple digits on the regular. And it's not just the heater. He's always had the nasty slider, but all of his secondary stuff is better, too, as he's mixing in his changeup and curve effectively. That's led to a 46-percent strikeout rate, and it's clear his stuff is ready to get big league hitters out right now. |
- Yankees @ Guardians (6:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): The big storyline here is a rematch of the 2024 ALCS, which was the seventh time these two teams have met in the playoffs. Though the stakes in this one won’t be quite so high (and the man who helped send them home last year no longer plays in the Bronx), the Guardians will have a chip on their shoulder and have been playing better baseball of late.
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- Phillies @ Mets (7:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Let’s stay with the 2024 postseason rewinds. The last time these two teams saw each other, a Francisco Lindor grand slam sealed a stunning NLDS victory and sent Citi Field into delirium. The Phillies return to the scene of that crime in an unfamiliar place – playing from behind in the NL East, where they sit two games back of the Mets. But this series can reverse that quickly, and for Philly, that starts tonight with veteran Aaron Nola on the hill.
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Have you ever seen Matt Strahm and Nicolas Cage in the same room together (in the National Archives or otherwise)? The Phillies reliever went viral for his doppelganger a few years ago, and over the weekend, he made headlines again for his “National Treasure”-inspired glove. Todd Zolecki has the full story of the mitt, which is brown and white with the Declaration of Independence printed on the back, and includes a few other subtle nods to an iconic movie heist. |
• Thomas Harding documented the moving story of Rockies prospect Zach Agnos sharing news of his big league callup with his grandfather, a former Minor League pitcher now in hospice care. • What's it like being the voice of an MLB star? Go behind the scenes in Maria Guardado's Q&A with Justin Han, interpreter for Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. • Paxton Schultz didn't know he was going to get called up when he drove across the Canadian border on Sunday. Hours later, he made his big league debut. Keegan Matheson tells the tale, including the MLB record Schultz set in the process. |
Can you guess today’s mystery player using clues like age, league, division, position and place of birth? You’ll have nine tries to get it right. Good luck! Play here >> |
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