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The Los Angeles Angels have a speed demon in their farm system, and he’s just getting started.
Juan Cespedes is only 17, but he is already a record holder. Playing for the Angels’ Dominican Summer League team, Cespedes knocked in eight bases. Those are the most stolen bases ever recorded by a minor league player in a single game since at least 2005, according to MLB.com.
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A Los Angeles Angels hat and glove rests on a bench during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 1, 2023. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
Billy Hamilton stole seven bases in a major league game for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1894.
Cespedes started the game with a walk and was able to steal second, third and home. In his second plate appearance, he reached base on a throwing error. He stole second but couldn’t get past there. He stole second and third twice more after reaching base twice more later in the game.
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Los Angeles Angels bat, hat and sunglasses are shown during batting practice against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 20, 2024. (Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports)
He was replaced in the top of the seventh inning by Yelinson Betances.
Cespedes pitches out for the Angels team at the rookie level. He joined the Angels as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. He reportedly agreed to a deal with the team through the 2025-26 international signing period and received a $300,000 bonus.
He has appeared in 13 games for the Angels. He is hitting .395 with an OPS of .975. He has stolen 25 bases in 56 plate appearances and had only been caught stealing twice.
A detailed view of the Los Angeles Angels logo on a hat in the dugout during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix, Arizona on February 28, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Cespedes’ baserunning ability will certainly have the rest of the majors on notice if he continues his torrid pace.
