Run, runners facing Gregg Zaun, run!

So here we are, just about half way through the season in the middle of Fantasy Week 13, and you’ve been doing your homework by reading Burning up the Bases every week. You’ve picked up all of the base burners that you could get your hands on, and maybe even made up some ground on your league mates in the stolen base category. Heck, maybe you are even in the lead in the category in your league. However, we are only half way home, and there is another 13 whole weeks to go in the fantasy baseball season; more than ample time to lose any lead you may have, and more than enough time to catch up and gain points if you are not in the lead.

If you were to go to your waive wire today, would you be able to find any players there who could make a real impact on the stolen base category. My guess would be that most, if not all of the top thieves are long gone. Which begs the question; Just how do you catch your league mates if you find yourself short on steals, with no difference making thieves available? Here at Burning up the Bases, we usually concentrate on the runners in giving our advice and making recommendations. Today, we are going to take a look at the other end of the stolen base equation; what teams give up the most stolen bases? If you can’t get your hands on guys who steal a lot, then the next best thing is to grab guys who steal when they can, and play them when they are facing teams that “give away” stolen bases like promotional items at a convention.

The average stolen bases allowed by teams in either league is exactly the same at 48.The average percentage of base stealers caught by teams is 27.5 % for both leagues as well. There are 12 teams that allow more than the average amount of steals, six each in the AL and NL, so we will look at them by league for those of you playing a mono-league fantasy game.

In the American League, the six teams that have given up the most steals are the White Sox (72), Orioles (69), Yankees (60), Red Sox (55), Angels (55), and Rangers (55). It probably isn’t too surprising that all of those teams also have the lowest percentages of base runners caught stealing. However, there are a few items that should be mentioned separately here; The Toronto Blue Jays have allowed just the average amount of stolen bases this season (48), but have one of the lowest percentages of base stealers caught at 25%. The only reason Toronto is not among the top six (yet) is because Gregg Zaun has spent considerable time on the Disabled List. He was one of last season’s worst catchers in terms of steals allowed (73) and percentage of base stealers caught (15.1%). Zaun is off the DL now, and it is just a matter of time before the Blue Jays crack the top six.

A second special mention in the AL has to go to the Chicago White Sox and their catchers A.J Pierzynski and Toby Hall. Between the two of them, they manage to throw out just 17% of attempted base stealers, by far the worst ratio in the AL.

The next special mention in the AL is the Kansas City Royals’ John Buck, who has one of the lowest percentages of runners caught stealing in baseball at 11.5%. It’s a wonder that more players don’t steal of off Buck, who has given up 23 of the 29 steals surrendered by the Royals. It is possible runners are scared off by the Royals overall caught stealing ratio, which is bolstered by backup catcher Miguel Olivo’s 60% (9-for-15) rate.

The Rangers are currently in a three-way tie on our list, but I expect that to change, and not for the better either. Gerald Laird just went on the DL for a while, so Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be taking over full-time behind the dish. Laird is one of the better catchers at throwing out runners, with a caught stealing rate of 30% this season. But Saltalamacchia is one of the worst, with a rate of just 16.7% thrown out. This is something to keep in mind when the players on your fantasy team are facing the Rangers.

Over in the National League, one team that is in its own stratosphere in terms of steals allowed heads the six teams that have allowed the most steals. The San Diego Padres have allowed 101 stolen bases this season, and are on pace to shatter their last season total of 189 steals allowed. Following the Padres are the Nationals (64), Phillies (60), Marlins (57), Braves (56), and Rockies (56).

There are a few teams that deserve special mention here as well. The Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Astros, Giants, and Reds have all given up fewer than the average amount of steals (48); however, all five of those teams have also caught a relatively low percentage of base stealers. The reasons for that are not clear, although I suspect it may have to do with the pitchers involved with those teams.

To summarize what we have discussed here, we have identified 12 teams, six in each league, that either give up higher amounts of steals, catch lower percentages of attempted base stealers. In some cases, teams are doubly bad and commit both sins of the diamond. When you make your fantasy lineup, whether it is daily or weekly, make certain your base stealers are active if they are facing these teams. Also, go to the waiver wire and grab one or more of the marginal base stealers that are facing these teams, as they have a far better chance of being successful under the circumstances. You can even “stream” base stealers, just as you would with pitchers. Naturally, that strategy won’t work in leagues with limits on the number of transactions or waiver pickups.

By the way, if you are too lazy to check the schedules to see what teams are facing the stolen base allowed leaders, I have the perfect solution for you. Every week, I publish a column here on Sports Grumblings with a whole section dedicated to just that – a list of teams whose base stealers should be active because of the teams they are facing. The column is called Leading Off, and it appears every Sunday morning. The base stealing section is always on page 2 and usually has a snarky title like “Need for Speed” or something like that. In other words, every week I do what this article is telling you to do, so tune in to Leading Off every Sunday, and you will dominate your league in stolen bases!

That’s all for me, and this week’s edition of Burning up the Bases. Shake it easy.