Johnny Gomes brings plenty of speed to his game, especially in August and September, his best stealing months over the course of his career.

I am behind in the stolen base category in two leagues this season, mainly because I counted on Eric Byrnes in both as one of my elite thieves. I knew Byrnes wouldn’t steal 50 bases again, and I would have been ecstatic for half of that. Oddly enough, I also had Rafael Furcal in both leagues, and the loss of both of them really did me in. As the season chugs along into the last two months, I need to step up the pace of the stolen bases my teams are getting if I am to contend in either league.

The easiest way to accomplish the task is to make a deal to acquire some speed, offering help in perhaps one of the power categories where I have some depth. But when nobody will make a deal, you need to pursue stolen bases by other means. One way to chase stolen bases is to analyze which teams are stealing bases now, make note of what teams are they stealing against, check for when they are playing them again and look for some hidden opportunities. Allow me to explain.

During the month of July, the Colorado Rockies lead MLB in stolen bases with 25. Many of their 25 steals were tallied by Willy Taveras (10) and Matt Holliday (5), and we all know you’re not likely to pry them away cheaply. But Ian Stewart bagged three of those bases, and he could easily be sitting on your waiver wire. Clint Barmes grabbed two of those steals, he is likely available too. The Rockies did most of the stealing over the last month against the Padres, Brewers, Marlins, and Reds. They play each and every one of those teams again in August, making Barmes and Stewart good targets for those chasing steals.

The Giants have also been among the leaders in stolen bases over the last month with 24. The team leaders in steals in that time have been Randy Winn (8) and Fred Lewis (6), both of whom are around on many waiver wires. Other players to consider are Eugenio Velez and Emmanuel Burriss, both of whom have decent wheels and are getting some playing time. The Giants have done a lot of their stealing against the Cubs, Dodgers, Brewers, and Nationals. Although they only face the Dodgers among those teams in August, they also face the Padres, Reds and Brewers whom the Rockies abused on the basepaths, as we’ve already seen. You can bet that the Giants will have scouted their opponents and know those teams can be run on.

The New York Mets are doing their fair share of running with 21 stolen bases in the past month. Their superstars have done the vase majority of the running, led by Jose Reyes (6), Carlos Beltran (5), and David Wright (5). But Endy Chavez has also pitched in on the base paths over the past month with a pair of steals. The Phillies, Rockies, and Reds have been the most common steal targets for the Mets over the past month, and they will play Philadelphia again in August, along with the Padres, Marlins, and Nationals, some of the usual suspects when it comes to teams to steal upon. Chavez is almost certainly available on the waiver wire, and he is someone to target for steals in August.

The next team on our list of base stealing leaders in July is the Phillies. As usual, several of their studs are the team leaders in steals, namely Jimmy Rollins (9), Chase Utley, (3), and Shane Victorino (5). But an opportunity exists in the form of Jayson Werth, who has bagged three steals in the past month, and 11 on the season. Werth will give you some stolen bases, along with some power (14 home runs), all while hitting for a decent average (.272); all of which makes him an excellent target for steals, almost guaranteed to be on the waiver wire. The Phillies have taken their base liberties against the Cardinals, Braves, Mets, and Marlins in July. They are scheduled to play against all of them except the Braves in August, along the Padres and Nationals from our usual suspects list. There should be plenty of stealing by the Phils in August, and Werth should be good for at least a few of them.

To summarize a bit, we have identified four teams that led MLB in steals during July, and found at least one player on each who should be out there on the waiver wire. We looked at the teams they stole against more often during July and figured out if they are playing them again in August. By now, you should have a good idea of how you can do this for yourself over the next two months to catch up to your leaguemates in the stolen base category. But I’m not going to stop there. Here are a few more players that can help you with steals over the last two months.

Joe Inglett – Toronto Blue Jays – Inglett has five steals on the season, three of them during the past month. Lately he’s been getting regular playing time and is eligible as a middle infielder and outfielder, making him easy to plug into your line up. He hits for a decent average (.285) and gets on base at a .346 clip, so he should get plenty of opportunities to steal bases. The Jays play the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, during August; all teams that cough up stolen bases rather easily. Inglett should be good for a few more steals down the stretch.

Johnny Gomes – Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays are leading all of MLB in steals for the season. Not surprising since they have some of the fastest players in the game. While their studs are not going to be available, one player who very likely is on your waiver wire is Johnny Gomes. Gomes has gotten three of his eight steals of the season over the last month. His batting average is in the tank this season at just .191, but August and September have been his best hitting months, and also his best stolen base months over the course of his career. The Rays play some of the easiest teams to steal on during August, with the Orioles, Rangers, White Sox, and Mariners all on the schedule.

Rickie Weeks – Milwaukee Brewers – Weeks has four steals in the last month, and is running more of late as he fights for playing time against Ray Durham. The Brewers have games scheduled against the Reds, Padres, Pirates, and Nationals during August, so Weeks should have ample opportunity to run during August. Weeks was dropped in a lot of leagues when the Brewers traded for Durham, so he is probably sitting on the waiver wire in your league. Consider plugging Weeks in at second base if you need steals.

Esteban German – Kansas City Royals – German has four of his six steals on the season during the past month, and is getting regular playing time lately because of all the injuries the Royals have endured lately. He is on a hot streak at the plate also; making him worth a flier if you are looking for steals. German has mad wheels, should get some opportunities over the next month, and has multi-positional eligibility.

That’s all for this week’s edition of Burning Up the Bases. The Statistocrat should be back next week.