The stolen base has made a comeback in professional baseball.

With new rules that include larger bases, limited pickoffs by pitchers and a pitch clock, it has given a huge green light to the fastest players in the game – a chance to showcase a skill that was revolutionized by Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson before seeing a demise in recent years.

The speed revival couldn’t come at a better time for Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder Chandler Simpson. One of the games fastest players who is constantly mastering his craft, Simpson has become a must-see attraction – a base stealer who can wreak havoc on a nightly basis.

After sharing the stolen base title with good friend and fellow Atlanta native Victor Scott II last season, Simpson has picked up where he left off – continuing to emerge as one of the biggest base stealing threats in baseball.

Entering Friday’s game against Brooklyn, Simpson has 30 stolen bases in 29 games – tied with Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz for the most in all of professional baseball and six ahead of any other minor leaguer.

It’s just another step in Simpson’s journey to take his speed to the ultimate pinnacle – a big league roster.

“I’m just using my God-given ability to impact the game however I can,” Simpson said. “I know that my legs are my game. It’s my gift and it’s what I can do to impact a game and take over a game – make things happen and cause havoc on the base paths for the defense and pitchers and get RBIs for the guys hitting behind me.”

Simpson said from the time he began playing baseball, he always knew speed was his game and that his job was to be the table setter. While he never ran competitive track, Simpson studied track stars Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin, watching how they run, get out of the blocks and get to top speed as fast as possible.

He studied his peers – including De La Cruz, Billy Hamilton, Dee Gordon, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr. – while also studying opposing pitchers and catchers to see where he can get an edge.

“I work on it a lot mentally, just watching videos … picking up what they do in the big leagues to see how I can fine-tune it to my strength down here,” Simpson said. “I do my homework on the pitchers. We have a meeting before every game and there is a baserunning segment in there. It’s a lot of video and a lot of homework.”

But perhaps his best resource is Scott. The outfielder in the St. Louis Cardinals system was locked in a friendly battle with Simpson throughout 2023 on who could steal the most bases.

The duo trained together in the offseason prior, working to get ready for what would be the first full season of professional baseball for both players. Those workouts cemented the friendship and the rivalry.

“We are always in friendly competition together,” Simpson said. “Whatever it is – bowling or whatever. Heading into the season, we knew we wanted to steal a lot of bags. During the season, we would text every so often – every day – to see where we were at. He got off to a big lead and was kind of getting on me telling me to keep up. I kind of got him and I was talking trash, so we were just going back and forth. It was great to be a part of.”

Scott appeared to have it locked down when he stole his 95th base the final week of his season, but a scoring change after the regular season dropped Scott down to 94 steals – and tied with Chandler.

“I saw he got 95 and then he called me and was like, ‘Chan, they took one of my stolen bases away,’ ” Simpson said. “I was kind of like this fake sympathy thing, but on the inside I was smiling because I don’t like to be beat. Tying was cool.”

Simpson picked up where he left off on opening night, stealing four bases in the Hot Rods’ win. He said the new rules have opened up the game on the base paths and really played to his strength.

“People used to pick off six pitches in a row and no consequences,” Simpson said. “They pick off a seventh time and you try to go and they pick you off, but now it is a little cat and mouse game. Once you give up two, then the third one I’m basically getting off and trying to go. Now when I get on first, the job is not over. You have to still think about me at first, second and third.”

Simpson’s speed can’t be utilized unless he gets on base. He’s seen a dramatic improvement at the plate, hitting .365 with a .434 on base percentage – both significant improvements from last season when he hit .293 with a .373 on base percentage.

“That has to come before stealing bases because I have to get on first,” Simpson said. “Just knowing what my strengths are – hitting line drives, keeping the ball on the ground, hitting the ball to the left side and the middle of the field, seeing pitches and drawing walks. Having tough ABs and being tough to strike out and things like that. Being a tough out and always making it the priority to get on base so I can take my bags and score runs.”

Simpson added he is excited to be considered part of the revival of the art of the stolen base in baseball.

“It’s beautiful to see that speed is coming back, that people like myself and Vic can be newfound pioneers of the speed game,” Simpson said. “Just leading a new generation of players to come back to speed and stolen bases with the new rules, show people that it isn’t only about hitting home runs and lift the ball. We can run around and cause havoc that way too.”

Simpson is hopeful he can continue his growth and eventually find his way to a major league roster. Scott beat him to the punch in that department, making the Cardinals’ opening day roster and appearing in 20 games before being optioned back to Triple A Memphis late last month.

“It’s all motivation and it’s all love,” Simpson said. “When he made it up there, I was super happy for him. That’s my brother. I know it is a goal we both set when I first met him in 2021, so I was super happy for him. I watch every game and give him motivation, telling him to keep going and that I was proud of him.

“It’s a driving force for me. It makes me more hungry.”

BG manager Rafael Valenzuela said the sky’s the limit for Simpson.

“That’s a special player,” Valenzuela said. “You don’t get to see those guys very often. As a staff, we are just trying to enjoy every single day that we get because we never know when we are going to lose him. He’s one of those guys that comes around once every 10 years. I think the last guy that was kind of as electric as him was Billy Hamilton. I played against him and it wasn’t fun. Every ground ball that was hit to you you had to get rid of it because he was putting pressure on you.

“(Simpson) is the kind of guy that you never know, you might see him on a Double A roster soon. If the Rays make a postseason run you might see him on the big league team because he can run, he can steal bases and he can get on base.”{&end}