Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong circles the bases in 14 seconds for an inside-the-field home run

If Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong puts the ball in play, opposing defenders must either get an out or make sure the ball gets back into the infield quickly. Otherwise, the sprinter might score.

That’s what happened Friday night in the game against the Miami Marlins. Crow-Armstrong led off the third inning and threw a first-pitch fastball to right field. Marlins right fielder Jesús Sánchez ran from the gap between right and center and tried to catch the ball, but missed.

The ball bounced off the warning track, ricocheted off the wall and came back into the field, rolling toward center field. And Crow-Armstrong took off running while Sánchez relayed the ball to the infield.

By the time the catcher got the throw, Crow-Armstrong was already near third base. And as a throw was made from short right field to home plate, the second-year major leaguer was already sliding toward a score. Catcher Nick Fortes had no chance of getting a throw. Crow-Armstrong hit an inside-the-field home run and circled the bases in 14 seconds.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.comCrow-Armstrong covered the distance between the bases in 14.08 seconds, to be exact. It’s the fastest time a runner has covered between the bases this season and the fastest time a Cubs player has covered between the bases since Statcast began tracking player movements and abilities in 2015.

Maybe Tyreek Hill should challenge Crow-Armstrong to a race instead of Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles. Or if millions of dollars are on the line, the Cubs outfielder might consider proposing a competition with Lyles.

Surprisingly, the Crow-Armstrong sequence around the bases was third fastest in MLB since Statcast started tracking this data, according to LangsMinnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton covered the bases in 13.85 seconds on August 18, 2017. Buxton also passed Crow-Armstrong on October 2, 2016, returning home in 14.05 seconds.

Organizing a race between multiple players around the bases would probably be a logistical nightmare. But wouldn’t it be a fascinating competition to watch during MLB All-Star Weekend?