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Fastest Sprint Speed in MLB 2023
Source MLB StatcastSeason 2023 (archive)583 qualified hitters
Elly De La Cruz led MLB in sprint speed in 2023 at 30.5 ft/s. The top three were Elly De La Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr., Trea Turner, from Statcast data.
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Race Cruz to first base
Elly De La Cruz led 2023. Play a half-inning in our Statcast-driven sim with today's leaders: the same kind of numbers drive every card's rating.
What sprint speed measures
Sprint speed is Statcast's measurement of a player's feet-per-second on their fastest competitive runs of the season, typically drawn from the 2nd-gear portion of a sprint (peak speed, not acceleration). League average is around 27.0 ft/sec; elite burners clear 30. Because it's a physical-peak measurement, sprint speed is remarkably stable year-over-year until age-related decline sets in around 30. Runners need at least 10 competitive runs, MLB Statcast's default sprint-speed minimum.
Why sprint speed matters
Sprint speed is the best single proxy for range in the outfield, stolen-base ceiling, and infield-hit rate. Players topping this leaderboard are almost always premium defensive center fielders, shortstops, or base-stealing threats — the athletes who change games without swinging the bat.
This archive captures the 2023 season as it ended; for the live, nightly-updated leaderboard see Fastest Sprint Speed in MLB.
Questions
Who led MLB in sprint speed in 2023?
Elly De La Cruz led MLB in sprint speed in 2023 at 30.5 ft/s. The top three were Elly De La Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr., Trea Turner, based on Statcast data.
What is sprint speed in baseball?
Sprint speed is Statcast's measurement of a player's feet-per-second on their fastest competitive runs of the season, typically drawn from the 2nd-gear portion of a sprint (peak speed, not acceleration). League average is around 27.0 ft/sec; elite burners clear 30. Because it's a physical-peak measurement, sprint speed is remarkably stable year-over-year until age-related decline sets in around 30. Runners need at least 10 competitive runs, MLB Statcast's default sprint-speed minimum.