MLB Wild Card Hopefuls Turn to Speed Amid Power Shortage
Speed Wins
The Toronto Blue Jays front office was inadvertently placed in what appeared to be an impossible situation through the first half, and well into the third quarter, of the 2026 season. Sitting dead last in all of MLB, with an abysmal .680 OPS, and last in the American League in total home runs, it had become abundantly clear that the approach to hitting, and relying on reputation and performances from years past, were getting the team nowhere in terms of climbing the ladder in a gridlocked American League Wild Card race.
From the onset of the 2026 season, and in fact, even looking back to the magical run of 2025, there was always one troubling absence in terms of game-changing tools at manager John Schneider’s disposal — speed. Most notably on the basepaths. Not just intelligent baserunning, and the ability to read pitchers. Or taking off on first movement from first base when trying to steal against a left-handed pitcher. Those intangibles are always nice to have in the heat of the moment.
What had been missing from the Jays' lineup for some time was that starting, electric speed player with a sixty-yard dash time that checks in at sub-6.6 seconds. The guy who threatens a triple, and on occasion, an inside-the-park home run every time he hits a ball to the gap, or a fly ball drops from miscommunication in the opposition’s outfield.
Former Blue Jays' Speedsters Are Aging
George Springer fit that description early on in his career. While still bringing experience and leadership to a Jays club that hopes to play into October this season, the Jays' primary DH isn’t likely to light up the stopwatch with the same dazzling 6.6 or 6.7 times that he ran with ease as a first-round pick out of the University of Connecticut in 2011.
Myles Straw has served well as a fourth outfielder, and at one point early on in his career ran an insane 6.25 sixty. While that was over ten years ago, it remains one of the top recorded times in recent MLB history. Straw can still run, and fill in at any time defensively, but his .629 career .OPS will always stand in the way of him being an every day fixture in a big league lineup.
The new infusion of speed comes from Brett Bateman, who clocked a 6.8 at the Perfect Game showcase out of high school and continued to swipe bags throughout college at the University of Minnesota and in four seasons of minor league ball. Bateman has made a strong impression with his Blue Jays teammates and the massive Canadian fanbase.
Along with Charles McAdoo, who combines an ability to hit home runs with 6.7 speed, which he clocked in at San Jose State and at stops in the minor leagues, the Jays have suddenly added that new element to their offence that had been sorely missed. McAdoo, despite not yet having a stolen base at the MLB level, has 46 stolen bases across stops in Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
These two versatile players, with Bateman having the ability to play all three outfield positions and McAdoo possibly playing every infield position if called upon to do so, represent the model of the modern, impact player. They might lack in one area, but they excel in several, and one common denominator at the focal point of their elite athleticism is speed. Whether it is measured in terms of the 60-yard dash, straight down the line to first base at the drop of the bat, like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle used to be assessed, or the third, less common metric of first to third, speed has always been a game changer. At a time when uncertainty looms over the future of baseball as a business, speed remains somewhat of an undervalued, underpaid commodity in player valuation.
After looking at the list of players who clock in as the fastest in MLB today, measured mainly by the 60-yard dash, it becomes clear that the total ballplayer is the one who can instantly change a game's outcome with footspeed. He can hit a three-run home run during one at-bat, and then drag bunt his way to first and steal second on the next turn. The following list represents the best of the best in terms of footspeed, and it’s not difficult to see how valuable each player is to their team across virtually every facet of the game. They command respect, and much of that has to do with how much faster they are than everyone else.
Here are some verified Perfect Game 60-yard dash times, most of which were recorded during an evaluation process in front of college recruiters and MLB scouts:
MLB's Speed + Power Superstars
CJ Abrams - 6.29 seconds - then a PG record 60-yard dash
Corbin Carroll - 6.33
Bobby Witt Jr. - 6.40
Jackson Merrill - 6.6
Brett Bateman - 6.81
Others currently clock well within this group, including Abrams’ teammate and MLB stolen base leader Nasim Nunez, and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson, who strike fear in opposing defenses with their ability to turn otherwise routine ground balls into singles, and then threaten to score from first and put themselves into scoring
Elly De La Cruz
Then there is the electrifying Elly De La Cruz, who as a five-tool shortstop has light-tower power and what some may argue is the most explosive first step out of the box or from a lead at first base, where base coaches have to put the stop sign on well in advance if they hope to have him to slow down when running the bases. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs is also separating himself from the pack of young five-tool studs in the National League. PCA is said to have a 60-time in the 6.5 second range.
It’s not a secret formula.
Speed Wins Tight Ballgames
If one team has it and the other doesn’t, only immaculate pitching can keep these fleet-footed athletes from controlling the tempo of the game. In the tradition of the great baserunners from decades past, and in paying homage to greats such as Vince Coleman, Maury Wills, and, of course, Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson, speed is once again separating the contenders from the pretenders. In 2026, it’s not the home runs that will make the difference in the standings. It will be the team with the guys who can wreak havoc on the bases.