#Shortstops: Stealing the show

In the last decade, few perfected the stolen base better than Billy Hamilton, the speedster from Taylorsville, Miss.

Hamilton was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft and made his major league debut on Sept. 3, 2013 against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the seventh inning, Hamilton beat out a strong throw from Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to swipe second for the first stolen base of his career. He would cross home later that inning, scoring the game’s only run on a Todd Frazier double and pushing the Reds to a 1-0 victory over their division rivals.

“That’s my job, stealing in important situations,” said Hamilton after the game, referring to his key role as a base stealer. “This was a really big situation, a pennant race.”

Entering the 2014 season, Hamilton would be considered one of baseball’s top-rated center fielders in the game. Fangraphs.com gave Hamilton a defensive rating of 10.6, whereas the next best center fielder was Jackie Bradley Jr. at 6.8. Clearly, Hamilton’s talent has been heavily utilized throughout his career, as he has consistently found jobs with teams including the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.

An important milestone in Hamilton’s career occurred on Aug. 5, 2020, when the New York Mets took on their division rival Washington Nationals. Hamilton proudly donned a pair of spiked shoes as he achieved a remarkable milestone in his baseball career. It was his very first game with the New York Mets, and during that game he successfully stole his 300th base, marking an extraordinary achievement.