Stats prove Hamilton is baseball’s fastest player

Sprint speed metric shows just how fast Reds center fielder is

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Major League Baseball’s data proves what every Cincinnati Reds fan has long suspected: center fielder Billy Hamilton is the fastest baserunner in the game.

According to the latest numbers provided by MLB Statcast, Hamilton hit a top speed of 30.1 feet per second on the basepaths this season. Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton ranked second with a speed of 29.9.

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Statcast introduced the sprint speed metric in April. It answers the question: "How many feet per second did a player run in his fastest one-second window?"

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Jose Peraza (28.3) is the second-fastest Red. Scott Schebler ranked third among Reds (28.2).

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