3 Speedsters Who Will Get Biggest Boost From New Rules

Bigger bases. Maximum two disengagements for pitchers on the mound. The new rules are expected to significantly boost stolen base rates and numbers this season. 

The distance between first and second base is 4 ½ inches shorter than in the past, and pitchers can only attempt two pick-offs per at-bat. After that, if they're unsuccessful, it's considered a balk. 

These three speedsters are not only among the top five in sprint speed in MLB, but also three of most likely to get a big boost to their stolen base numbers. 

Trea Turner

Ok, this one doesn't take a "baseball savant" to figure out. Turner has been among the league leaders in base stealing every season of his career, swiping 230 bases in his eight-year career. But for a guy with a green light who has ranked Top 5 in sprint speed in seven of his eight seasons, it's not unreasonable to expect him to take full advantage of the new rules in his first year in Philadelphia.

Bobby Witt Jr. 

The young phenom burst onto the scene last season with the Kansas City Royals swiping 30 bags to go along with his 20 homers. And ranking 4th in the majors in sprint speed, there's no reason to expect the 22-year-old to slow down now. 

Corbin Carroll

The No. 2 prospect in all of baseball heading into the 2023 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks felt strongly enough about Carroll's tool-kit to give him an eight-year, $100M contract with only 32 major league games under his belt. 

And of the top skills in that tool-kit is his MLB-leading sprint speed. He was tops last season among all players at 30.7 feet per second. He stole 31 bases in 36 attempts at Double-A and Triple-A last season in 93 games.

Photo: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports