Selected by the Rays in the second round (70th overall) of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech…ranked as having the Best Speed among collegiate players available in the draft by Baseball America...Transferred to Georgia Tech for his 2022 sophomore campaign…hit .433 (88-for-203) in 47 games, leading all NCAA Division I hitters in average…became the first Yellow Jacket to hit .400 since Mark Teixeira (.419) in 2000 and was a thousandth of a pct. point shy of tying Jay Payton’s program record of .434 from 1994 (min. 200 AB)…earned first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors…played 12 games with the Cape Cod League’s Cotuit Kettleers following the season, batting .455 (20-for-44)...Spent his first two collegiate seasons (2020-21) at the University of Alabama-Birmingham… named to the Conference USA all-freshman team in 2021.…following that season, played for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in the Northwoods League, pacing the circuit in steals (55) while ranking third in average (.377)...Graduated from Pius X Catholic High School in Georgia...Chandler recalls hitting one over-the-fence home run at Pius X (Ga.) High School…Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, who grew up playing against Chandler in Little Leagues since the two were six years old, witnessed the homer and recalls Chandler running the bases so fast that teammates had to tell him to slow down...His mother, Edye, was the assistant principal at Pius X while Chandler attended the school and is now the principal…his father, Ralph, is the superintendent of the school district… grades were always important to Chandler, who maintained a 3.7 GPA throughout high school and college…he says his mother got him out of detentions on a few occasions...Chandler enjoys collaborating on rap music with a group of Atlanta-area friends that includes Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler and Nationals pitching prospect Marquis Grissom Jr. …last year, he was featured on Victor’s song “Oxygen,” which is available on Spotify…Chandler has several tracks of his own, but prefers to keep them private…his favorite rappers are Gunna, Young Thug and Lil Baby...Chandler is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. …several of his cousins and uncles as well as his father are also members… after recording his first Major League hit, a double, he “threw up the hooks” in the direction of the Rays dugout, a hand gesture that represents the fraternity…other notable athletes who are members include NBA legends Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal…Chandler had his jersey and the lineup card from his MLB debut framed and gave the ball from his first hit to his parents...To maximize his strengths, Chandler has studied video of talented hitters like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs and Luis Arraez, and stolen base kings Vince Coleman, Billy Hamilton and Kenny Lofton… he has also examined tapes of sprinters such as Olympians Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, Michael Johnson to find mechanics he can incorporate...This offseason, Chandler was a special guest at Built Different Baseball Camp, a youth clinic hosted by Built Different, a brand co-founded by teammate Richie Palacios.
2025
Tied for second in the majors with 44 SB despite appearing in only 109 games in his first Major League season…selected from Triple-A Durham April 18 and debuted April 19 vs. NYY…optioned to Durham May 30 and was recalled June 24, remaining on the major league roster through the end of the season...Named co-recipient of the Rays Outstanding Rookie Award by the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA along with Jake Mangum...Min. 400 PA, was the first MLB rookie with more stolen bases than strikeouts (44SB/43SO) since SEA Ichiro Suzuki (56 SB/53 SO) in 2001…became the sixth AL rookie to accomplish the feat and the first Ray, regardless of rookie status...Made 103 starts, including 51 in center field, 48 in left field, two at designated hitter and one in right field…committed only one error in 202 total chances (.995 FLD%) and recorded five outfield assists...Ranked among MLB rookie leaders in stolen bases (first, 44), hits (T-third, 122) and runs scored (12th, 53)…was also third in average (min. 400 AB) behind ATH Jacob Wilson (.311) and teammate Jake Mangum (.296)...His 44 SB were the most by a rookie in franchise history and tied José Caballero (2024) and B.J. Upton (2008) for the most by any Ray other than Carl Crawford, who recorded seven seasons above the mark (last: 47 SB in 2010)...Collected 122 hits, tied with Evan Longoria (2008) for third most by a Rays rookie since 2008 behind Joey Wendle (146) in 2018 and Randy Arozarena (145) in 2021…according to Stats Perform, his 32 multi-hit games were seventh most by a rookie in franchise history and the most since Wendle (39) in 2018...His .295 (122-for-414) average was third best by a rookie in Rays history (min. 300AB), trailing Joey Wendle (.300) in 2018 and teammate Jake Mangum (.296) in 2025...Joined Carl Crawford (6x, last: 2010) and Mallex Smith (2018) as the only Rays to hit .295 or better while swiping 40 SB or more…his 414 AB were the most by a Rays rookie since Randy Arozarena (529) in 2021 and ninth most by a rookie in club history...His 9.8 percent strikeout rate was fifth lowest in the majors and the best by a Rays hitter since John Jaso (9.7%) in 2010 (min. 400PA)…finished with an 11.5 percent whiff rate, also fifth in the Majors and the second-lowest mark by a Rays hitter in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) to Jeff Keppinger (8.4%) in 2012...Recorded 79 of his 122 hits (64.8%) against fastballs…his 6.0 pct. whiff rate vs. fastballs ranked second in the AL behind CLE Steven Kwan (5.5%) and was the third-best mark by a Ray in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008), trailing both Eric Sogard (3.9%) in 2019 and Jeff Keppinger (5.2%) in 2012 (min. 300 swings)...Batted leadoff in 67 games, most by any rookie in the Majors and third most in franchise history for a rookie behind Akinori Iwamura (101) in 2007 and Randy Winn (74) in 1998...Hit .293 (22-for-75) with RISP, including .324 (12-for-37) with RISP and two outs…also hit .403 (27-for-67) on the first pitch and .407 (26-for-93) when ahead in the count...His .269 (47-for-175) average in two-strike counts was second in the AL (min. 150 AB) behind TOR Alejandro Kirk (.270) and third in franchise history to Jason Bartlett (.277) in 2009 and Toby Hall (.274) in 2005...Went 32-for-107 (.299) vs. LHP—among AL left-handed hitters, only NYY Cody Bellinger (.353) had a higher average (min. 100 AB)…was the second-highest mark by an AL left-handed-hitting rookie since 2020, trailing DET Riley Greene (.303) in 2022...Hit .302 (73-for-242) in 63 road games, becoming the seventh Rays rookie to hit .300 or better away from home (min. 100 AB)…the 73 road hits were fourth most by a Tampa Bay rookie behind Delmon Young (99) in 2007, Rocco Baldelli (93) in 2003 and Joey Wendle (91) in 2018...According to Baseball Savant, his 3.97 second home-to-first time paced the majors…despite appearing in only 109 games, ranked third in the majors with 89 “bolts”, defined as any run where a player’s sprint speed is at least 30.0 ft. per second during the fastest one-second window of the run…only PHI Trea Turner (117) and KC Bobby Witt Jr. (101) had more...Hit above .275 in every calendar month of the season, highlighted by a .310 (26-for-84) July...On April 19 vs. NYY, became the first player in franchise history to start in the leadoff spot in his major league debut…joined SF Jung Ho Lee (March 28, 2024 at SD) as the only players in the majors since 2019 to bat leadoff and start in center field in their Major League debuts…tallied his first career hit and RBI with a run-scoring double in the ninth to spark a four-run comeback in a 10-8, extra-inning victory...Hit safely in eight straight games after joining the Rays (April 19-27), the fifth-longest career-opening streak by a Ray and longest since Akinori Iwamura hit safely in his first nine games in 2007…batted .400 (12-for-30) with one 2B, three RBI and five R during the streak....Swiped an MLB-leading 16 stolen bases in May, most by any Major Leaguer during a calendar month all season…marked the third-most steals in a month in Rays history, trailing Carl Crawford in May 2009 (21) and August 2003 (17)...On May 11 vs. MIL, roped a pair of doubles off Chad Patrick for his first career multi-extra-base-hit game…marked the start of an 11-game hitting streak (May 11-26), longest by a Rays rookie since Randy Arozarena (11 games) from Aug. 2-19, 2021…hit .372 (16-for-43) with three 2B and six RBI during the streak...On May 13 at TOR, hit a game-tying single in the ninth inning off Jeff Hoffman, setting the stage for Junior Caminero’s go-ahead grand slam two batters later…represented his only game-tying/ go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning or later all season...On May 29 at HOU, swiped a pair of stolen bases in the fourth inning and added another in the 7th, becoming the 13th Ray to record a three-steal game (22x), first since José Caballero on Aug. 18, 2024 vs. AZ (3)…was the first Tampa Bay player to turn the trick on the road since Johnny Damon on Sept. 16, 2011 at BOS (3)…became the fifth Rays rookie with three SB, first since Desmond Jennings on Aug. 20, 2011 vs. SEA (3)...Between June 24–July 7, went 45 consecutive plate appearances without striking out, the second-longest streak by a Rays rookie behind Randy Winn (59) from July 16–Aug. 4, 1998...Recorded an 18-game hitting streak from June 25–July 19, the longest by a rookie in Rays history and tied for the fourth longest by any player…hit an AL-best .394 (26-for-66) with four XBH, four BB and four SO during the streak…hit safely in each of his final 15 games leading into the All-Star break, the longest such streak in franchise history, breaking Carl Crawford’s record (11 games, 2x, 2005-06)...On June 26 at KC, recorded his first career triple...On June 28 at BAL, registered his first career outfield assist, throwing out Jackson Holliday attempting to stretch a single into a double in the third frame of an 11-3 win...On July 22 vs. CWS, matched a career high with three SB…paired with May 29 at HOU, became the first rookie in Rays history with multiple three-steal games in a season…his third theft was his 30th of the season in his 58th career game, making him the sixth-fastest player since 1901 to reach the mark...On Aug. 11 at ATH, went 3-for-3 with a walk and a steal, becoming the seventh Rays nine-hole hitter to reach base four times or more and steal a base in the same game, first since Jason Bartlett on July 24, 2010 at CLE (2-for-4, two HBP, SB)....On Aug. 15 at SF, hit a game-tying, two-run single in the 4th inning, securing his first career multi-RBI game, as part of a 3-for-5 effort...On Sept. 11 at CWS, collected a career-high four hits, all singles, becoming the fifth Rays rookie (6x) with a four-hit game out of the leadoff spot, first since Randy Arozarena on Aug. 17, 2021 vs. BAL…also swiped his 40th stolen base in his 96th career game, tied for 15th-fastest by any player since 1901 and the fastest since OAK Esteury Ruiz turned the trick in his 91st game on June 21, 2023 at CLE...On Sept. 18 at TOR, recorded his second straight three-hit effort to raise his average to .301… joined Rocco Baldelli (.306) as the only Rays to hit .300 or better through their first 100 career games with an at-bat…marked his ninth and final three-hit game, tied with ATH Nick Kurtz for third most among MLB rookies at the conclusion of the season behind ATH Jacob Wilson (16) and teammate Jake Mangum (10).
2024
Hit .355/.410/.397 (160-for-451) with 14 2B, one 3B, one HR, 29 RBI, 44 BB, 43 SO and 104 SB in 110 games between Class-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery…named Baserunner of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department for the second straight season…selected to the 2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game…led all of Minor League Baseball in batting average, steals and hits… became the first minor leaguer to swipe 100 bags or more in a season since Billy Hamilton (103SB) and Delino DeShields (101SB) in 2012…his 160 hits were the most by a Tampa Bay farmhand since Andrew Toles’ 169 hits for Bowling Green in 2013…recorded a 20-game hitting streak with Montgomery from June 6-July 3, tied for the fourth-longest run by any player in the Minors in 2024…became the 16th minor leaguer in Rays history to hit safely in at least 20 straight games, including the first since Mike Brosseau’s 20-game run with Triple-A Durham from May 10-June 1, 2019…selected to Team USA’s 2024 WBSC Premier12 roster…ranked by Baseball America as the Rays No. 6 prospect following the season…the publication tabbed him the Best Hitter for Average and Fastest Baserunner in the Rays organization, while naming him the Best Baserunner in the South Atlantic League in its Best Tools survey…the survey also tabbed him as the Best Baserunner, Fastest Baserunner and having the Best Strike-Zone Judgment in the Southern League.
2023
Hit .293/.373/.345 (130-for-443) with 13 2B, five 3B, 31 RBI and 94 SB in 115 games between Class-A Carolina and Bowling Green…named Baserunner of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department…recorded 94 steals on 109 attempts (86.2%), tied for most among all minor leaguers and tied for the fourth most by any minor leaguer since at least 2005…ranked by Baseball America as the Rays No. 19 prospect following the season, while also tabbing him as the Fastest Baserunner and having the Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the organization…the publication also tabbed him the Best Baserunner, the Fastest Baserunner and the Most Exciting Player in the Carolina League in its Best Tools survey.
2022
Made his professional debut with the FCL Rays, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with three 2B, six BB and eight SB across eight games.
