Leody Taveras Has Speed To Spare
4 years agoTexas Rangers rookie outfielder Leody Taveras has elite speed. He ranks fifth on the sprint-speed leaderboard in the early going in 2021 with a sprint speed of 29.4 feet per second. He's only one spot below Byron Buxton on that list and is tied with him on runs that exceed the elite level of 30 feet per second with five each. Taveras entered the season with a 70 grade on his run tool, per MLB Pipeline. He also has a great arm, and the combination of his speed and great defense is what made him a borderline top-100 prospect. Taveras made a throw from center field on Opening Day that measured 97.3 mph, the third-hardest throw by an outfielder in 2021. If he can ever get the bat working -- he's slashing .111/.158/.111 -- the 22-year-old could be very dangerous. He does have two stolen bases, but he's struck out 16 times with just one walk to begin the season.
Source: MLB.com - Sam Dykstra
Source: MLB.com - Sam Dykstra