Red Sox Rankings: Top base stealers
A ranking of the top base runners in the majors has to include Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts.
Everyone loves getting something for nothing. Baseball is no exception. If you can get a free base why not go for it? The Boston Red Sox aren’t typically known for swiping bases, but so far this year they seem to be fond of stealing. Therefore the top-10 base stealers in the majors has to include Boston’s Mookie Betts. Here’s a run down on the top thieves in the major leagues.
Jose Altuve
Houston Astros, 2B
10 steals
Altuve has the most stolen bases in all of Major League Baseball. This should not be much of a surprise, considering Houston’s 25 year-old second baseman swiped a league-leading 38 bases last year and 56 the season before that. The native of Venezuela is good at more that stealing bases. He has made three appearances at the All-Star Game in addition to winning Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. In his six seasons in the majors, all spent with Houston, he has a career batting average of .305 and a .767 OPS.
Altuve gives Pedroia a run for his money in the height department. Baseball-Reference.com lists Jose as being 5’6”. Altuve stole two bases from the Red Sox on April 24. The key to keeping Altuve from committing this crime during the upcoming series May 12-15? Keeping him off first base seems to be the only solution. In 19 plate appearances verses Clay Buchholz he only has a .158 batting average. He has never gotten a hit off of Carson Smith in seven chances. He has, however, a much better average (.286) against David Price. Let’s hope that Price can figure out how to keep this thief under control.
Next: Burns and Villar
Billy Burns
Oakland Athletics, CF
8 steals
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Burns is currently tied with the next player on our list for the second most stolen bases in all of Major League Baseball. Though he is 26, he has only three seasons in the major leagues, all spent with Oakland. The center fielder from Georgia has a career batting average of .287 and a .708 OPS. Last season he stole an impressive 26 bases in 125 games and finished 5th in the Rookie of the Year race.
The Red Sox will be hosting Oakland May 9-11. Boston’s pitchers haven’t seen much of Burns. He has one hit in four plate appearances off of Price and one hit in three plate appearances off of both Buchholz and Rick Porcello.
Jonathan Villar
Milwaukee Brewers, SS
8 steals
In his first season in the National League, Villar has collected the most stolen bases in the league. The 22 year-old from the Dominican Republic is batting .264 with a .758 OPS. He has already stolen more bases this season than he did in 52 games last season. He was caught stealing twice last year and twice so far this season.
He has collected two hits in nine plate appearances against David Price. The Red Sox don’t face the Brewers in the regular season this year.
Next: Davis and Ellsbury
Rajai Davis
Cleveland Indians, LF
7 steals
Davis has stolen seven bases in 20 games this season. The 35 year-old from Connecticut has swiped a total of 329 bases so far in his 11 seasons in the major leagues. He started out in the National League, but has been in the AL for the last nine seasons. He has a career batting average of .269 and .704 OPS. He’s been caught stealing three times this season.
Davis stole a base off Matt Barnes and Blake Swihart during the second game of the season. He was also caught stealing in that game. The Red Sox host the Indians May 20-22. Will Davis steal again? That remains to be seen. He hits Price fairly well (.250 batting average), but only has a .188 average against Buchholz. He has three hits in only seven plate appearances versus Porcello.
Jacoby Ellsbury
New York Yankees, CF
7 steals
Ellsbury is speedy, as Red Sox fans may remember. He has taken seven bases so far this season, including home. The Oregon native has not yet been on the DL this season, but stole 21 bases in an injury shortened 2015 campaign. He has lead the league in stealing three season since his debut in 2007. He has not yet swiped a base against the Red Sox this season. He was caught stealing verses Henry Owens and Ryan Hanigan. The Red Sox head to the Bronx May 6-8.
Next: Betts, Gordon and Upton
Mookie Betts
Boston Red Sox, RF
6 steals
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Mookie has been making a name for himself in Boston. In his three seasons in the big leagues he has a .288 batting average. He has a league-leading 119 plate appearances so far this season. Red Sox fans enjoy rooting for the 23 year-old from Tennessee because he is fun to watch and because his name is fun to say (“Mooooooookie”). In 144 games last season he had a .987 fielding percentage.
Betts has stolen 6 bases in 114 at-bats this season. Heading into the series against the Yankees in the Bronx. Sox fans can’t help but wonder if they will see Mookie swiping any bases. He has collected three hits in 14 plate appearances off of Masahiro Tanaka. He didn’t steal any bases in the first series with the Yanks, though he did have three hits.
Dee Gordon
Miami Marlins, 2B
6 steals
Dee Gordon certainly hasn’t been in the news for stealing bases. He has, however, made some headlines due to much more nefarious activity. He was suspended for 80 games for performance enhancing drug violation.
He swiped six bases prior to his suspension, but it’ll be a while before he has the chance to pile up any more.
Melvin Upton Jr.
San Diego Padres, LF
6 steals
Upton has swiped six bags in 28 games. Last season he took just nine bases in 87 games. The Red Sox head to sunny San Diego for a series in September. Upton has not seen much of the Red Sox starters except Buchholz, who he has gotten eight hits off of in 32 chances.
Next: Escobar and Marte
Alcides Escobar
Kansas City Royals, SS
7 steals
Escobar is coming off a great season last year. In addition to his team winning the World Series, he himself won a Gold Glove and made his first All-Star Game appearance. The 29 year-old from Venezuela has a career batting average of .261 with a .640 OPS. He stole 17 bases last season and was caught in the act five times.
The Red Sox head to Kansas City May 16-18. Can they keep Escobar from stealing? It’s a possibility. He only has a .176 batting average verses Porcello. He has better luck against Buchholz, however. Escobar has racked up three hits in just ten plate appearances. The Sox will need to keep an eye on this speedy thief.
Next: Help on the way from Pawtucket?
Starling Marte
Pittsburgh Pirates, LF
7 steals
The 27 year-old native of the Dominican Republic has played all five of his seasons with the Pirates. He stole 30 bases last season and the season before that. He also earned a Gold Glove last season. Marte played an impressive 153 games and was only caught stealing 10 times. He has a career batting average of .285 with .790 OPS. The Red Sox won’t have to worry about Marte swiping any bases in the regular season this year because they don’t play the Pirates.