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04-05 37	Top Tools: Top Tools: Best Speed, Baserunning, and Makeup by BP Prospect Staff
04-01 33	Top Tools: Best Pitches by BP Prospect Staff
03-21 53	Top Tools: Best Hit/Power by BP Prospect Staff
03-13 52	Top Tools: Glove by BP Prospect Staff
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April 5, 2013 5:00 am

Top Tools: Top Tools: Best Speed, Baserunning, and Makeup

BP Prospect Staff

The minor leagues' best burners, smartest runners, and makeup standouts.

Speed
Top Speed in the Minor Leagues: Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati Reds)

There are 80-grade runners and then there’s Billy Hamilton. Almost to a person, Hamilton was dubbed the fastest player the BP Prospect Team and industry scouts had seen in their careers. In his past two minor-leagues seasons, Hamilton has stolen 258 bases across three levels. In 2012 he broke a long-standing minor-league record and ended the season with 155 steals in just 132 games. As if the stolen base totals weren’t enough evidence of Hamilton’s blinding speed, scouts routinely report home-to-first times in the 3.40-3.45 second range; blowing the 20-80 scale out of the water. Hamilton is an elite runner in every respect. He gets up to top speed in just a few quick steps, sustains his speed well while running the bases and has shown good closing speed in the outfield. Hamilton’s speed is a game-changing tool that will carry him to the big leagues, and the second he steps on a big league field he will be the fastest player in the history of the game.

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