The Mets Could Swipe Some Base-Stealing Records

Again in late June, I wrote about one thing bizarre occurring in Flushing. Despite being gradual, and despite not being nice on the different components of baserunning, the Mets had been threatening to turn into essentially the most environment friendly base-stealing crew of all time.

Properly, precisely seven weeks later, the Mets are nonetheless gradual. In accordance with Statcast, they’ve obtained a mean dash pace of 27 ft per second, which places them in a five-way tie for the slowest crew in baseball. And they’re additionally nonetheless not good at taking the additional base: Statcast ranks them twentieth, whereas Baseball Prospectus has them at fifteenth. However in case you’ve been watching the Mets for the final couple months, very nicely that they will nonetheless steal bases.

This week, I took one other have a look at the numbers as a result of a reader named Kevin submitted a mailbag query about Juan Soto’s newfound proclivity for stealing bases. We’ll get to Soto a bit later, however let’s begin with the crew as an entire. I wrote that article on June 26. On the time, the Mets had 62 stolen bases, which ranked Eleventh within the majors, they usually’d been caught simply 10 occasions. That was lots of baseball in the past, so now looks as if a very good time to offer you an replace. The Mets have 93 stolen bases, the Eleventh-most swipes within the sport, they usually’ve been caught simply 10 occasions. They haven’t been caught since June 17! They’re 34 for his or her final 34!

I used to be targeted on the all-time document for achievement price after I wrote that first piece. I added caveats for the unfinished stat totals earlier in baseball historical past and about the way in which the disengagement rule has made stealing simpler, however nonetheless, the Mets had been difficult for the document. They had been at 86.1%, which put them in eighth place, simply forward of the Cubs. Anyway, that was 31 consecutive steals in the past. Let’s test again in on that leaderboard.

The Cubs have fallen off the tempo. They’ve picked up 32 extra steals, however they’ve additionally been thrown out seven occasions. The Mets now stand alone, and if we low cost the 2020 A’s, who tried simply 29 steals over a 60-game season, then these guys have a fairly vital lead on the 162-game season chief, the 2023 Mets. I’m certain they’d like to take these punks down as soon as and for all.

What do the 2025 Mets must do with the intention to obtain that document? They might simply cease stealing altogether, however that appears unlikely. In any case, they’re in a playoff race, and if there’s a base for them to swipe, they’re going to try to take it. Within the desk under, every row exhibits the attainable variety of occasions the Mets might get caught stealing, together with the variety of profitable steals they would want with the intention to keep their edge in success price. They’re at present on tempo for 126 steals and 14 failed makes an attempt.

The Mets might regress a bit and nonetheless keep forward of the 2023 model of themselves, however they’d just about must hold this present tempo with the intention to fend off the 2020 Athletics.

The excellent news is that the Mets produce other data to consider. In accordance with Stathead, their present 47-game streak with out getting caught stealing is the fifth longest in historical past. The 2021 Giants maintain the present document of 65 video games, although the Mets have extra steals now than the Giants did throughout their complete streak (26). With a view to tie them, the Mets might want to keep away from getting thrown out till September 2. Going one other 18 video games is definitely attainable, however that’s a very long time. The all-time document for consecutive stolen bases with out getting caught is far nearer.

It is a little bit tougher to analysis, however as finest as I can inform, the Mets are tied with the 2024 Cubs for the ninth-longest streak ever (or at the very least since 1969, when Stathead has full, correct play-by-play knowledge). With yet another steal, they’ll equal the mark set by their arch-nemeses, the 2023 Mets. The present document belongs to the 2013 Pink Sox, who ended the season with 39 straight profitable steals. If you wish to rely the postseason, then you possibly can credit score Boston with 44. In case you’re inclined to wrap round to the 2014 season however exclude the 2013 playoffs, then you possibly can credit score the Sox with 40. Regardless, 39 appears very a lot inside attain for this Mets crew, whose gamers by no means even appear to attract a throw once they steal.

It’s time to get again to Soto and revisit simply how the Mets are doing this. He’s already obtained 18 stolen bases, half once more as many as his earlier profession excessive of 12. In case you watch SNY, you might need seen that currently, Ron Darling has taken to saying, “I knew it,” when Soto takes off for second.

Darling is aware of Soto is stealing as a result of he’s taking massive strolling leads that make it straightforward for even somebody as gradual as he’s to swipe a bag. As soon as he will get out that far with out drawing any curiosity from the pitcher, it’s educational. It’s been 5 steals and greater than two weeks since a catcher even bothered attempting to throw Soto out.

In each 2023 and 2024, Statcast had Soto was value eight bases worse than a mean runner, simply on basestealing. This 12 months, he’s 4 bases higher than common. He nonetheless grades out badly by way of taking the additional base. He’s slower than ever. He’s simply magically nice at stealing rapidly. In different phrases, he sounds rather a lot like the remainder of the crew. This isn’t only a Soto factor. It is a Mets factor.

Cedric Mullins offers an important instance. He’s an completed basestealer who has swiped at the very least 30 luggage in three completely different seasons. He was 14-for-18 with the Orioles earlier than being traded to the Mets on the deadline, however not a lot of these 14 steals regarded like this:

“I don’t know what Mullins was doing as an Oriole,” stated Gary Cohen after the play, “however the two steals he’s gotten for the Mets, he’s gotten these enormous jumps, the way in which it appears that evidently each Met basestealer does.” In these 18 makes an attempt as an Oriole, Mullins’ common place when the pitcher launched the ball was 24.3 ft away from the bottom. With the Mets, his common place is 27.9 ft away from the bottom. He has but to attract a throw. Once they’re making an attempt a steal, Mets baserunners are a mean of 13.4 ft from the bottom on launch. Statcast has numbers going again to 2016, and that’s the very best mark any crew has put up in 10 years. Once they’re not stealing, they common 11.2 ft, which ranks 279th out of 300. This enormous distinction signifies that the Mets know once they’re going to go. I received’t make you sit by it once more, however please know that, simply as I did again in June, I might simply pull collectively one other massive, lengthy supercut of current Mets stolen bases the place the catcher doesn’t hassle throwing and the announcer is saying, “What an enormous lead,” proper earlier than the pitch.

The crew is absolutely doing its homework relating to pitcher tendencies. There’s no approach for us to know, however I think about it is a group effort, with analysts crunching the numbers on when pitchers do and don’t throw over, and coaches and video room personnel crushing tape to choose up on tells and tendencies. The general public face of all this preparation is first base coach and operating sport coordinator Antoan Richardson. You might need seen that the digital camera discovered him after Mullins’ most up-to-date steal within the clip above.

Then once more, possibly I’m flawed. Perhaps it’s not a gaggle effort. Requested a number of weeks in the past whether or not stealing extra bases was some extent of emphasis this season, supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated, “Not likely.” He continued, “I feel it’s simply a part of the personnel, the conditions. Received to offer credit score to Antoan Richardson together with his preparation, after which credit score to the gamers. They’re shopping for in and executing the sport plan. We’re not attempting any tougher, the scenario presents itself and we’re going to take benefit.”

Whether or not or not this all comes right down to Richardson, he undoubtedly deserves lots of credit score. Right here’s one in all Soto’s current steals, off Logan Allen of the Guardians. Allen is left-handed, and he’s wonderful at holding runners on. Statcast ranks him sixteenth out of all pitchers – that’s the 96th percentile – with 5 stolen bases prevented. (Nevertheless, he solely ranks within the eightieth percentile amongst Logans, as he trails Logan Webb however leads Logan Evans, Logan Henderson, and Logan Gilbert.) Right here’s the steal:

Soto doesn’t have a humongous lead. He’s happening the primary transfer right here. Just a few fast reminders: Allen is tough to steal off of, Soto is gradual as grime, that is the primary inning, the Mets have already got a lead, and stealing second solely will increase run expectancy by 0.1 runs and win chance by 1%. This isn’t actually a scenario the place you go until you’re optimistic you may make it. Why is Soto optimistic he could make it? I believe it’s as a result of he’s obtained assist. Let’s zoom in on Richardson. Please ignore the truth that we’re additionally zoomed in on Allen’s now-gigantic butt within the foreground.

Richardson is repeating one thing proper up till he sees that Allen is about to make his first transfer. After watching one million occasions and attempting to learn his lips, my finest guess is that he’s saying, “Keep, keep, keep.” That’s, as quickly as he stops saying, “keep,” Soto is meant to interrupt for second. That’s solely a guess, however no matter he’s saying, it’s clear he’s speaking one thing pressing to the participant who’s about to steal. Richardson undoubtedly doesn’t do that each time, however at the very least on the sector, he usually seems to be just like the brains of the operation.

In much less succesful arms, these enormous strolling leads and early breaks are harmful. They make it very easy to get picked off. We normally consider them as a high-risk, high-reward tactic, however the Mets appear to have eliminated all the danger. They’re not stealing all that usually, as a result of they’re solely stealing once they’re certain the pitcher received’t step off or throw over. Perhaps there’s some luck combined in with all this preparation, however they’re in vary of three data now, and it’s anybody’s guess once they lastly get caught once more.