In the Dodger tradition of speedsters like Jackie Robinson, Maury Wills, and Davey Lopes, there appears to be another one on the horizon. And if his Minor League numbers are any indication, he could eclipse all three when he hits the Majors.
LA Dodgers Prospect Kendall George Is Fastest Man In The Minors
Say hello to 20-year-old Kendall George, the 36th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft. In just three seasons, he’s established himself as the Minor Leagues’ fastest man. He’s also become one of the top base-stealing threats in all of baseball over the past 20 years.
After stealing 40 bases in just 98 games (a 75% rate) over the last two seasons with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga of the California League, the Humble, Texas native took his game to a different and historic level. Moving up to High-A Great Lakes of the Midwest League in 2025, the outfielder stole 100 bases for the Loons, becoming the fourth Minor League player since 2000 to record at least 100 stolen bases in a single season.
Kendall George Follows Chandler Simpson, Steals 100 Bases In Minors
He was only caught 25 times this season. Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson was the last Minor League player to reach 100 stolen bases. Simpson finished the season with 104 stolen bases in 110 games just a year ago. George’s exploits came as the Loons were making a run for the Midwest League playoffs. He swiped 43 bags in Great Lakes’ last 30 games dating back to August 1st, at least two in each of his past five games, and 15 total in those contests.
For some historical perspective, no one has ever stolen more bases in a five-game span in MLB history. According to Statspass, there have only been three instances in MLB history of a player stealing multiple bases in four consecutive games. George was a one-man gang in August alone, with 34 steals. The MLB record for steals in a month is 33, by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, in July 1983. George has stolen three or more bases in 15 games this season.
Henderson also holds the MLB record for that, at 12, also in 1983. Incredibly, there have only been 12 instances of three or more steals in a game across all of MLB in 2025 — down at High-A, George has 15 of those all by himself.
“I’ve learned you can’t really run recklessly,” George told MLB.com. “There is a technique that goes into it. Even though I am really fast and can get away with some things, this year, I’ve been really honing in on that technique.”
“I’m picking spots more effectively, selecting counts more accurately, and so on. Although it has improved, I believe there is still room for improvement. But the strides that I have made this year are kind of positive.”
George took a substantial step this season, improving his success rate to 80.8 percent in more than twice the number of attempts. All told, George was 100-for-125 in stolen base attempts this season. He needed only 111 games to crack the century mark and outran everybody else by at least 20 bases; the second-place finisher, White Sox prospect Jordan Sprinkle, finished with 80 steals.
At the plate, George batted .295 this season.
LA Dodgers Want To See More From George With The Bat
Ironically, there were some questions regarding his hitting early in his career. Early reports stated that he needed to improve his plate discipline and avoid losing concentration on routine plays.
Listed as Los Angeles’ 25th-ranked prospect, George scored 93 runs and drove in 34 with three homers on the year. While the lack of power is a concern for some in the organization, the fact that he has separated himself from the competition with his speed on the bags speaks volumes.
Speed has long been George’s signature tool. In September 2022, he swiped five bases and reached 10 times in 18 plate appearances at the 18-Under World Cup for Team USA. Before being picked by the Dodgers, he was considered the fastest player in the 2023 Draft
A contest on May 18th gives you a glimpse of the way George can take over a game. In a 9-1 win over Lake County, he went 2-for-3 with two walks and six stolen bases. He is one of just five Minor Leaguers since 2015 to swipe six bases in a game.
Marlins prospect Emaarion Boyd did it twice, including once in April without getting a hit — and no Major Leaguer has done it since 2009. It marked the second time in 2025 that George had reached safely four times.
After opening the game by beating out a single to third base, George stole his 14th base of the season. No player at the big league level has ever swiped seven bags in a single game, and George was close to accomplishing that feat but was picked off while trying to take third.
In the third, George walked and stole second. And then in the fifth, he took another base on balls and swiped second and third. In the bottom of the sixth, the 20-year-old center fielder grounded a single to left and then stole second and third again.
Kendall George almost Tied Billy Hamilton Midwest League Record 103 Steals In 2011
On the year, George finished just three stolen bases shy of tying a Midwest League record set by former MLB star Billy Hamilton, who swiped 103 stolen bases in 2011 for the Dayton Dragons. Hamilton also holds the minor league single-season record with 155 in 2012.
It’s the most steals by a Dodgers minor leaguer since Tom Goodwin stole 82 bases in 1990. The single-season stolen bases record in the Dodgers’ organization belongs to Alan Wiggins, who stole 120 bases in 1980 in Single-A. George’s feat marks the fifth-highest single-season total by a Minor Leaguer since 2005. Only three players since then have swiped 100 or more in the past 20 years: Hamilton (2011, ’12), Simpson (2024), and Delino DeShields Jr. (2012).
Comparatively, there have been eight 100+ stolen-base seasons in MLB history, the most recent being Vince Coleman’s 109 in 1987. Jose Reyes’ 78 steals in 2007 are the most in a season by a player this century. While he’s projected for a possible 2027 arrival in L.A, George could literally find himself reaching that goal sooner than later – one base at a time.
