Georgia Tech's Chandler Simpson Selected 70th Overall by Tampa Bay Rays

Georgia Tech infielder Chandler Simpson is going to one of the MLB's best farm systems

Jackson Caudell | Jul 18, 2022

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Tampa Bay Rays

It took until late Sunday night, but Georgia Tech infielder Chandler Simpson was drafted at 70th overall last night by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have been known to draft and develop their prospects at a high rate, so this is a good landing spot for Simpson to go and develop further as a player.

Simpson led the nation in batting average this past season and was one of the best leadoff men in the country. I think he will be in the minors for a few years but could be in the same role when he makes the MLB. I think Simpson is also flexible enough to move around positions to find where he fits best, which was one thing that I think made him an appealing option as a prospect.

While most players are going to show improvement from year to year, the leap that Simpson took in 2022 was astounding to watch. He improved his average to .433, which led the nation, he hit for a 1.023 OPS and drove in 25 runners. He was consistent in getting on base as the leadoff man and then letting Kevin Parada or first baseman Andrew Jenkins do the rest.

Another strength of Simpson's is his ability to steal bases. He had 24 stolen bases during the 2021 season at UAB, which led the team, and this past season, he had 27 stolen bases for Georgia Tech. He is good at getting on base and advancing once he is.

However, Simpson is clearly not a perfect prospect. He does lack arm strength to make throws and is not a very powerful hitter. Neither of those things is likely to improve significantly enough either, which could make his upside limited.

Simpson had a great season and is surely going to make the best of his opportunity with the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Published Jul 18, 2022

JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell