Billy Hamilton is the fastest player in professional baseball and already making an impact on the Cincinnati Reds since being called up earlier this month.
Hamilton, a 23-year-old outfielder from Collins, Miss., is the minor-league record holder for most stolen bases in a season. Yes, he stole an absurd 155 bases last season (104 in High-A ball; 51 in Double-A).
Since being called up by the Reds on Sept. 2, Hamilton has gone 9-for-9 in stolen bases. The speedster went 4-for-4 on stolen bases Wednesday night against the Houston Astros, which also marked his first career start. Hamilton played center, batted ninth, and went 3-for-4 with two walks in his team’s 6-5 win in 13 innings.
Nobody ever wondered whether Hamilton would be able to successfully steal bases at the big league level; people only wondered whether he would get on base frequently enough to have the opportunity to steal. He proved on Wednesday that he can get on base. And between stealing on a darn pitch-out, and grabbing his first career stolen base of St. Louis Cardinals stud Yadier Molina, we’ve learned that not even big league catchers will be able to slow him down.
Hamilton is eligible for the Reds’ postseason roster and will be a factor in the playoffs.
