SB success rate is up … and it could set a new record
The basestealers are operating. And catchers have not been in a position to cease them.
MLB’s new guidelines for 2023 have been purported to encourage stolen bases. And per week into the common season, steals are manner up in comparison with final yr — and stolen-base proportion is the very best it is ever been.
Here’s how stolen bases search for the primary week of 2023 (Opening Day by means of Wednesday) vs. the primary week of 2022:
2022 (87 video games): 61 SB on 89 makes an attempt (68.5% success price)
2023 (91 video games): 124 SB on 154 makes an attempt (80.5% success price)
2022 (87 video games): 0.70 SB per sport, 1.02 SB makes an attempt per sport
2023 (91 video games): 1.36 SB per sport, 1.69 SB makes an attempt per sport
Early on, profitable steals per sport are at a stage not seen for the reason that Nineteen Nineties. Here’s a have a look at the frequency of stolen base makes an attempt and profitable steals throughout the first week of the MLB season by means of latest historical past, going again in five-year intervals.
SB/sport and SB att/sport, first week of season
2023: 1.36 SB/sport, 1.69 SB att/sport
2022: 0.70 SB/sport, 1.02 SB att/sport
2017: 1.12 SB/sport, 1.55 SB att/sport
2012: 1.10 SB/sport, 1.66 SB att/sport
2007: 1.17 SB/sport, 1.61 SB att/sport
2002: 1.07 SB/sport, 1.61 SB att/sport
1997: 1.66 SB/sport, 2.35 SB att/sport
1992: 1.74 SB/sport, 2.59 SB att/sport
The 80.5% stolen base effectivity additionally particularly stands out.
If runners maintain efficiently stealing on the identical price they’re proper now, MLB will see a record-setting season in stolen base effectivity in 2023. It can be the primary time that the league stolen-base proportion eclipsed 80%.
Highest league SB success price, single seasons
2023: 80.5% (by means of first week)
2021: 75.7%
2022: 75.4%
2020: 75.2%
2007: 74.4%
2012: 74.0%
Not everyone seems to be operating extra typically — as an entire throughout the Major Leagues, stolen base makes an attempt are extra according to the place they have been for a lot of the 2000s (earlier than the latest dip) than the steal-happy days of the ’80s and ’90s. But the groups and gamers that are operating, are operating so much.
The Orioles (11) and Guardians (10) have already reached double-digit stolen bases. Last yr, by means of the opening week of the season, the Royals and Mets led all groups in stolen bases … with 5 every.
It’s been a top-heavy league for base stealing in that respect. The eight groups with probably the most stolen bases — the Orioles, Guardians, D-backs, Yankees, Pirates, Astros, Mets and Mariners — have extra steals between them (64) than the opposite 22 groups mixed (60).
The particular person league leaders in steals for the primary week of 2023 have as many stolen bases because the main groups did after the primary week of 2022. The Yankees’ Gleyber Torres and the Guardians’ Myles Straw every have 5 stolen bases to tempo the Majors, with the Orioles’ Jorge Mateo and Cedric Mullins proper behind them with 4.
Those 4 are amongst 21 gamers which have a number of steals already this yr. There are eight gamers with three steals or extra.
At this identical time final yr, solely seven gamers had a number of steals. Luis Robert Jr. and Straw (4 every) have been the one gamers with greater than two.
There have been items of stolen-base historical past made, too.
Players with a SB in first 3 MLB video games
Anthony Volpe, 2023
Billy Hamilton, 2013
Pat Howell, 1992
Ray Lankford, 1990
Fritz Maisel, 1913
Meanwhile, the Orioles stole 5 bases in every of their first two video games of 2023. They’re the one workforce on file to open a season with back-to-back video games of 5 or extra steals, and the one membership with 10 steals in its first two video games.
