DAYTONA BEACH — Growing up, Kyle Henley knew he was fast. But “fast” came with a caveat.
“I’m from Alpharetta, Georgia,” Henley said. “It’s a little bit north of Atlanta. But my dad would always tell me I’m not Atlanta fast. I’m not like inner-city fast with those guys.”
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Then, they found out he was.
When Henley was 15, he attended a Perfect Game showcase and ran the quickest 60-yard dash in the nation for his age group at 6.47 seconds. A year later, he dropped it to 6.27.
“That was an eye-opener,” he said. “That’s when my career, it was like, ‘OK, let’s take this seriously.’”
Now 20 and in his first full season with the Daytona Tortugas, Henley leads the Florida State League in stolen bases. The center fielder racked up 31 steals through his first 57 games. No other FSL prospect registered more than 26.
“I genuinely believe I’m one of the fastest players in all of baseball,” Henley said.
Daytona Tortugas outfielder Kyle Henley (6) and teammates take the field against the St. Lucie Mets, Friday, June 13, 2025 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
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That’s not hyperbole or false confidence.
Using Catapult tracking data, Henley would boast the best feet-per-second mark in the major leagues this season. His 31.6 would place him above speedsters like Bobby Witt Jr. (30.4), Byron Buxton (30.2) and Trea Turner (29.9).
Henley also points out his top speed of 22.6 miles per hour would’ve led the NFL in 2024.
“But those boys got pads on,” he said.
Cincinnati Reds drafted Kyle Henley out of high school in 2023
Daytona Tortugas outfielder Kyle Henley (6) heads for first against the St. Lucie Mets, Friday, June 13, 2025 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Also a football and basketball player as a kid, Henley committed to the Georgia Tech baseball program while at Denmark High School but skipped college altogether when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
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He started swiping bags immediately.
After a four-game baptism in the Arizona Complex League in late 2023, he returned to that level to kick off 2024. In 53 games, he snatched 35 bases with a .280 batting average. He was caught only three times.
Henley ended the campaign with a four-game stint with the Tortugas. In their regular-season finale, he drew a walk-off walk.
To begin 2025, Henley came back to Daytona Beach and has hit .237 with 17 RBIs. He wants to improve his on-base percentage (.286) and cut down on his strikeouts. He’s fanned 95 times, which also leads the league.
But he’s refined his stolen-base approach with the help of Tortugas manager Willie Harris.
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“I remember in spring training every day, let’s say I’m in the dugout and there’s a runner on second,” Henley said. “(Harris) would look at me and say, ‘What’s this pitcher doing? Is he one-look, two-look?’ Every time, I would sit there and be blank because I wasn’t paying attention.
“Now, it’s ingrained in my head — what’s he doing? Now, I’m ultra focused if I’m in the dugout, on the field, even just watching. I have to make sure I’m on top of that because that’s the key of trying to be the best baserunner I can be.”
Kyle Henley’s process for stealing bases
Daytona Tortugas outfielder Kyle Henley (6) grabs the ball after a short hop against the St. Lucie Mets, Friday, June 13, 2025 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Henley possesses a constant green light.
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Daytona doesn’t need to give him the steal sign. If he wants to go, he can. If he notices something he can exploit, he should.
He strives for the same leadoff every time he gets on base. The Reds measured their ideal distances during spring training.
If the pitcher tries a pickoff move and it’s a close play, Henley may shorten his leadoff by a step. If he retreats back to the bag easily, he extends it an extra step.
He looks for tendencies to perfect his timing. How fast is this pitcher’s windup? Does he always take a deep breath right before lifting his leg? Does he glance down or twitch his hands a certain way? Those are Henley’s indicators, telling him when to run.
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Henley studies those details on film before games. If he hasn’t seen a pitcher on video, he’ll try to collect those mental notes from the dugout.
“I try to be smart about it because I have really good hitters behind me,” he said. “So if I’m on and I have an advantage and I see something, I’m always going to try to take it.”
When he knows he’s stealing, he said the game slows down. Everything gets quiet.
“Then, it’s like boom!” Henley said. “It’s a really cool feeling. I just take off.”
While sprinting to second or third base, he looks in to see what’s happening with the pitch — if it’s in the dirt, if the catcher corrals it cleanly, if the hitter swings.
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He slides feet-first at his coaches’ request. They want him to stay away from the injury risk of a headfirst slide if possible.
Henley’s been thrown out only twice this year. And, well, he doesn’t count one.
“The other time was a bad call,” he said with a smile, “but stuff like that happens.”
80 stolen bases feels attainable for Kyle Henley in 2025
After games, Henley will occasionally pick up his phone and see a text from a family member or friend.
Maybe it’s, “Hey, you’re in the lead.”
Or maybe it’s, “This person is catching up.”
That keeps him aware of the league’s stolen base standings. He tries not to seek out that info, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t keep track of his stats and set specific goals. This season, he aims to steal 70-75 bases.
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Eighty or more feels attainable.
“At the end of the day, if I do what I’m supposed to do, the numbers will be there at the end of the season,” Henley said. “I’m just going out there and playing my game, which is stealing bags.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Cincinnati Reds prospect Kyle Henley may be baseball’s fastest player