Speed kills. (Spotlight).(baseball players)

These guys make the most use of their speed, whether they are at the plate, on the bases or in the field.

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Mariners Ichiro is the standard by which others are measured. When Johnny Damon, no slowpoke himself, raved about Devil Rays rookie Rocco Baldelli, it was Ichiro that he used as the measuring stick. Ichiro uses his speed in every aspect of the game, from covering ground in right field to slap-hitting his way to a .334 career average to stealing 96 bases in two-plus seasons. He had the most steals in the A.L. (87) in 2001 and 2002 combined. But a bit mysteriously, Ichiro's stolen base numbers have dropped since last year's All-Star Game, and his home run totals have increased. Usually a contact hitter, Ichiro often is on his way to first base before hitting the ball. He already has four homers--all against righthanders--after hitting just eight in 2001 and eight more in 2002. Still, he hits lefties better and is batting .425 against them this season. Few players disrupt a game as much as Ichiro, and few can hurt an opponent in so many ways. On defense, he has great range and would play center for all but a few teams.

2. Luis Castillo, 2B, Marlins. Castillo had confidence problems going into 2002, but those might have been solved after he hit safely in 35 consecutive games and led the N.L. in singles and stolen base. He slaps the ball around. helps explain why he led the league last year in ground ball-to-fly ball ratio. On defense, his range isn't awesome, but he has a strong arm and nimble feet.

3. Rocco Baldelli, CF, Devil Rays. Baldelli is the guy everybody is talking about. He might be higher on this list, but he's just a rookie. Red Sox manager Grady Little had seen Baldelli play all of two games before saying Baldelli will be a player who draws fans to games. "I think this guy is going to be a special player," Little told reporters. "He ...