While Shohei Ohtani continues to dominate headlines in Los Angeles, it was a Dodgers prospect in High-A who made history Thursday night. Kendall George swiped his 100th base of the season, becoming just the fourth player since 2005 in the Minor Leagues to reach triple digits in stolen bases.
George, the Dodgers’ No. 25-ranked prospect, now joins an exclusive list that includes Billy Hamilton (155 in 2012, 103 in 2011), Chandler Simpson (104 in 2024), and Delino DeShields Jr. (101 in 2012). The accomplishment highlights both George’s elite speed and his knack for disrupting opposing defenses, skills rarely seen at this scale in today’s game.
But George isn’t just a one-dimensional burner. With the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate, he’s established himself as a consistent offensive threat, batting .297 in his minor league career while posting an impressive .405 on-base percentage. George has walked 84 times this year, giving him even more opportunities to put his speed to use.
If there’s one knock on George’s game, it’s power. Though he’s added at least 10 pounds of muscle since entering pro ball, he profiles more as a table-setter than a run producer. His skill set has drawn comparisons to former big leaguer Juan Pierre, a player who would have been a prized commodity 15–20 years ago when speed and contact were king. Still, even in today’s analytics-driven game, there remains real value in a player who can get on base and wreak havoc once there.
To put George’s season in perspective, Yankees infielder Jose Caballero currently leads the majors with 42 stolen bases, less than half of George’s total. It’s a remarkable gap in an era where stolen bases are no longer a central part of team strategy. Still, with MLB’s recent rule changes around larger bases and pickoff limits encouraging more activity on the basepaths, George’s speed could prove especially valuable at the highest level. Players like Tampa Bay Rays rookie Chandler Simpson, who share a similar contact-and-speed profile, demonstrate that this style of play still has a place in today’s game.
As the minor league season winds down, George has cemented himself as one of the Dodgers’ most intriguing prospects. His speed is game-changing, his plate discipline is advanced, and while questions remain about how his bat will play against upper-level pitching, he has forced his way into the conversation about the Dodgers’ future.