How Fast Is Chase d’Arnaud? The Video, Please!

by MarkInDallas on Jun 25, 2011 12:09 PM EDT

I have talked before about how fast Chase d’Arnaud is, but I think many people didn't quite believe it. Well, in his very first MLB game, d’Arnaud gave us at least two plays to watch and therefore time him to see just exactly how he compares to the other speedsters on the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata.

For reference, you may recall the videos I did last year of Tabata, and how he was surprisingly Cutch's equal flying down to first base. Here is one of those pieces:

Cutch vs. El Lagarto THROWDOWN ROUND 2 (via marklandson)

As if that wasn't surprising enough, check out d’Arnaud's speed that he showed last night to compare with our more established speedsters:

How Fast is Chase d’Arnaud? (via marklandson)

That’s right! I have never clocked McCutchen getting down to first base as quickly as Chase did in his very first game! Three seconds and 29 frames! He may have hit into a DP there, but he certainly impressed with his speed tool. let's hope he can make enough good contact like his triple yesterday for the Pirates to replace a minus in their lineup with a plus. The Pirates could have three of the fastest guys in MLB at the top of their lineup for years to come.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Comments

Good stuff. I like the way Chase wasn’t overly cautious on his triple. I probably would have stopped at second out of fear that I would get thrown out on my first major league hit.

by bolton on Jun 25, 2011 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

Not at ALL cautious...

you can see when they cut to him 1/2 way between first and second, he’s already made up his mind.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 25, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

And by the time the ball was in, he was already on 3B, smellin' the flowers .

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 25, 2011 12:32 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

He's good at bunting, too

Hurdle’s gotta love that.

by maguro on Jun 25, 2011 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

Great Stuff....

Wow… Did not know he had that kind of speed.

by Krid on Jun 25, 2011 12:41 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

He was only caught 3 times in 20 steal attempts at Indy this season…or 85%…and is at 83% for his entire career. Twice with more than 30 steals.

by Thunder on Jun 25, 2011 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Watch how fast he gets outta the box...

I think has above average speed, clearly, but his ability to get outta the box is insane.

by pantherboy on Jun 25, 2011 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

Yes

That is really the key to him getting to first base faster than Cutch. That quick first step ability is oh so important for a middle infielder as well!

by MarkInDallas on Jun 25, 2011 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Eh

I definitely think Chase has good speed that will be serviceable to the team, but to me, the play like almost beating out that double play ball was more of a rookie hustling his ass off in his debut then it was a burner on the base paths. I’m not saying he won’t be an asset to us with his speed, and I’m not saying that as his career goes on that were gonna see him begin to half ass it on ground balls, but I feel most guys when they’re called up give 111% on trying to beat out those ground balls as opposed to 110%.

by Zach Buccos on Jun 25, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

So, you are saying that Cutch has been dogging it to first base, since he isn't as fast as Chase when he was hustling?

by MarkInDallas on Jun 25, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

no, but

this one goes to eleven

by johnnycuff on Jun 25, 2011 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Still wondering how Winberley got ABs in ST

by bmcferren on Jun 25, 2011 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

This is impressive. Great analysis. I would never have thought he was faster than McCutchen. Just keeping adding speed to the lineup.. Great Post

Daniel Pietrusinski

by Dan Pietrusinski on Jun 25, 2011 1:43 PM EDT reply actions

I was thinking he’s more quicker than faster. Could one of you technical geniuses compare his tiple to the Sanders/McCutchen split screen triple that was up here a while back?

by crusty on Jun 25, 2011 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I already did if you watched the whole video above. In the Cutch/Sanders split screen video, Cutch was .2 seconds slower than Sanders (but of course Sanders is starting from the left handed batters box) and Chase was .2 seconds slower than Cutch.

by MarkInDallas on Jun 25, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Another great job with the vids and analysis, Mark.

パトリック

by patthatt on Jun 25, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Off subject, but don't know where else to put this right now

Check out this quote from the team site:

“Head out to PNC Park as right-hander Jeff Karstens, who is 1-0 with a 0.65 ERA in four starts this month, and the Pirates face the Red Sox tonight at 7:05 ET. "

I knew Karstens had been pitching really well but that’s insane

by GTrain on Jun 25, 2011 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

What's insane is he only has one win while pitching that well

by pantherboy on Jun 25, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

0.65 ERA is nowhere off-subject

"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"

by Elektrostal_Kid on Jun 25, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Hilarious El Lagarto

just watched the replay of last night, man this is sweet to be a pirate !

"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"

by Elektrostal_Kid on Jun 25, 2011 2:07 PM EDT reply actions

I've always been more impressed with Cutch 1st to 3rd and 2nd to the plate than down the first base line.

D’Arnaud shows some excellent wheels which will make him more valuable in his early days with the Bucs as a sometimes IF starter/PH/PR, and we’ll take it from there next year.

パトリック

by patthatt on Jun 25, 2011 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

Speed Kills

I’d like to see how this lineup would work for a little while
1. Tabata LF
2. D’arnaud SS
3. Cutch CF
4. Walker 2B
5. Harrison 3B
6. Presley RF
7 Jones 1B
8. McHenry C

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

by pipesqueek on Jun 25, 2011 3:04 PM EDT reply actions

if we did go with those players, i would suggest batting Presley 2nd to break up those right handed bats... and harrison batting 5th? meh.

by white angus on Jun 25, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Jones at 7?

Facing a LHP?

"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"

by CAGGS on Jun 25, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Excellant Post Mark In Dallas

Thanks. I think we might get 7 stolen bases tonight off Wakefield if he’s off.

by primetime99 on Jun 25, 2011 3:29 PM EDT reply actions

Beep Beep!

by Cheap Beer on Jun 25, 2011 3:41 PM EDT reply actions

This isn't necessarily speed related and is more of a range question...

But I find it strange that when scouts are talking about infielders, it seems that no guy can ever “stick” at short. I mean this in general, but brought it up in regards to questions about Chase’s future position.

by NastyNate82 on Jun 25, 2011 3:48 PM EDT reply actions

It's a bit like CF that way

Unless you’re Willy Mays or Andruw Jones, you won’t stick at CF. And unless you’re Ozzie Smith (with Jeter’s bat), you won’t stick at SS.

Aside from lack of imagination (and recognition of the fact that at least 30 guys need to stick at SS every year), I think some of it is ass-covering: most MiLers won’t, in fact, stick (at SS or anywhere else), so you get to sound like a sage skeptic most of the time. And it’s not like anyone will really remember what you said in the few cases where you were wrong (scouting directors can get tied to really obvious failures, but individual scouts? Maybe their orgs, and a fraction of their peers, know. And neither group of people have an incentive to pin the blame).

by JRoth95 on Jun 25, 2011 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Never thought about it in relation to CF, but you're right

Its more annoying than anything else. As you said, SOMEONE has to play short. And you’re right…using the gold standard for other players, “well, he’s no Ozzie Smith,” is just ludicrous.

by NastyNate82 on Jun 26, 2011 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I keep trying to impress the ladies with my speed tool

but it doesn’t seem to work.

by JRoth95 on Jun 25, 2011 4:27 PM EDT reply actions

In case I can help...

Is that just trying to get to first, first to third, or trying to steal home?

by MarkInDallas on Jun 25, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

+1

by karreemofwheat on Jun 25, 2011 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

It's a marathon -

not a sprint, amigo…

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 25, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

depends on the girl cocktails...

depends on the girl.

#AllTheBuntsAreBad!

by Slick1 on Jun 25, 2011 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Undoubtedly.

However, since JRoth was indicating it was a prollem more than once, I’m gonna hafta go with Snyder over Cutch on this.

;-)

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 25, 2011 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Hah, ok...

yeah you’re right. Most girls generally don’t appreciate the “FIRST ONE DONE!!!!” technique.

#AllTheBuntsAreBad!

by Slick1 on Jun 25, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Amen,

Built for comfort, not built for speed.

Got everything you young girls need.*

*—Any young girls on here? No? Well, nevermind then.

by bucdaddy on Jun 29, 2011 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Great post

This is a great post and well timed. I think Chase might be quicker out of the box I don’t think he could go from 1st to 2nd like Cutch did on Padroia’s error. That was amazing.

Yinzers uber alles

by BostonBuc on Jun 26, 2011 7:33 AM EDT reply actions

Mark -

just so you know, this video is getting a SHITLOAD of attention – it’s almost viral Nearly 1600 hits on youtube.

sportsocracy

Video: How fast is Chase D’Arnaud? Evidently, just as fast as both Cutch and Tabata on the basepaths. via… http://tumblr.com/x0f36gb4q4 about 12 hours ago via Tumblr Retweeted by Steelreign69 and 1 other

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 26, 2011 9:02 AM EDT reply actions