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The 2023 season used to be the Yr of the Desire in MLB. With any success, 2024 will bring a ways more stolen scandalous fireworks round the league.
A lot of avid gamers have already taken earnings of the brand new ideas encouraging stolen bases, with NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. main the payment alongside with his historic 41-homer, 73-draw shut season. Nonetheless there are various other avid gamers who we must concept swipe more baggage in 2024.
Some are superstars who would possibly well well maybe submit an Acuña-kind season if they’re a ways more aggressive scandalous-stealing this yr. Some are young up-and-comers whose stolen scandalous totals we must concept explode over a full season. All are avid gamers who can originate a difference on the basepaths.
Listed below are 10 avid gamers who must scoot more this season.
Turner used to be most attention-grabbing in 2023. Too most attention-grabbing. The Phillies speedster went 30-for-30 stealing bases — making him the principal participant in MLB history to have a 30-draw shut season with out ever being caught. That’s an exceptional feat … Nonetheless it surely furthermore would possibly well well maybe expose us that Turner shall be a ways more aggressive swiping baggage in 2024.
See, you do no longer must be most attention-grabbing to originate stealing bases price it. You truly simplest must efficiently draw shut the scandalous more love three-quarters of the time. If Turner, who has appropriate kind elite bustle (his 30.3 ft/sec scamper bustle final season used to be high 5 in the Majors, as fashioned), pushed the envelope a ways more, he would possibly well well maybe with out complications lead the Majors in steals. He’s led his league sooner than, with 43 in 2018 and 32 in 2021. He would possibly well well maybe blow previous these numbers if he predominant to.
Volpe’s scandalous-stealing used to be one in all the highlights of his rookie season in the Bronx. The 22-yr-venerable shortstop posted a 20-20 season, ending with 21 dwelling runs and 24 stolen bases, and that is no longer even shut to the numbers he would possibly well well maybe put up once he faucets into the instruments that made him a high prospect.
Within the Minors in 2022, Volpe stole 50 bases. He would possibly well well maybe carry out that in the Majors, too, if he can draw shut the next steps as a hitter and get on scandalous more customarily in 2024. Volpe is a tidy scandalous-stealer who used to succeed 83% of the time as a rookie, combining his appropriate kind bustle (28.4 ft/sec) with the Yankees’ “momentum lead” scandalous-stealing methodology where the runner takes a hop-step as the pitcher begins his offer sooner than taking off.
The reigning AL Rookie of the Yr is famous first for his bat, nevertheless Henderson furthermore has the high-pause bustle to accomplice with his slugging. He had 28 dwelling runs and 10 stolen bases in 2023, and or no longer it is a ways clear-slice to concept the 22-yr-venerable rising star pushing for the 30-30 membership if he decides to scoot more customarily in 2024.
Henderson had an moderate scamper bustle of 28.8 ft/sec final season (MLB moderate is 27 ft/sec), and he had nine “bolts,” or individual runs at an elite 30-plus ft/sec scamper bustle. Even as you add his Minor League totals from 2021-22 to what he’s done in the Majors, Henderson has stolen 49 bases and been caught simplest nine occasions across the final three seasons, a success payment shut to 85%.
The Rangers’ breakout postseason star on their World Sequence scoot, and MLB’s No. 8 overall prospect, has the instrument dwelling to be an all-round star. That entails his bustle. Carter averaged a approach-elite 29.6 ft/sec scamper bustle in his debut season, with 19 bolts in precisely 40 video games between the humble season and playoffs.
He’s already shown he’s in a scheme to remodel that bustle into successful steals. Carter stole three bases with out being caught in the humble season, then three more with out being caught in the playoffs. The 21-yr-venerable is at the second projected for 17 homers and 15 steals in 2024, nevertheless if he’s as appropriate vogue of a hitter as he seems to be and takes earnings of his bustle over a full season, Carter would possibly well well maybe with out complications reach the 20-20 membership or larger.
Lawlar is in the equal boat as Carter — a high prospect who debuted down the stretch in 2023 and flashed game-altering bustle — nevertheless for the group Carter and the Rangers defeated in the World Sequence. Lawlar is furthermore 21 and ranked MLB’s No. 10 prospect, and his raw bustle used to be even sooner than Carter.
Lawlar averaged an elite 30.0 ft/sec scamper bustle, hanging him amongst the 10 quickest avid gamers in the Majors, and reached that elite 30-plus ft/sec threshold on nine of his 13 competitive runs. He did no longer draw shut a lot after his callup, nevertheless in the Minors, Lawlar had 36 steals in 2023 and 39 in 2022. That’s the form of season he would possibly well well maybe put together at the astronomical league stage if he will get a full-season shot with the NL pennant winners in 2024.
Let’s get one more toolsy young prospect on the board. Winn can also very nicely be greatest known for his ridiculous arm energy at shortstop, where he can touch 100 mph as an infielder, nevertheless this little one is rapid, too.
The 21-yr-venerable, who debuted final August, averaged a 29.2 ft/sec scamper bustle and recorded 12 bolts at 30-plus ft/sec. Nonetheless Winn simplest stole two bases. Yet he has high-tier bustle and a 40-draw shut season in the Minors below his belt. Which diagram there would possibly be plenty more in there, appropriate love with Lawlar. Especially if Winn wins the Cardinals’ beginning shortstop job entering 2024 love he’s expected to.
Now not each person ran rampant final season. Swanson is a vogue of avid gamers. His stolen scandalous total used to be truly lower in half from 2022 with the Braves, when he had 18 steals, to 2023 with the Cubs, when he simplest had nine.
The Cubs shortstop is no longer going to attract shut 70 love Acuña, nevertheless he’s rapid (28.4 ft/sec scamper bustle, nine bolts) and with out a doubt in a position to stealing. He’s furthermore supposed to be one in all the sparks of the Cubs offense. Especially if Cody Bellinger (20 steals) leaves in free agency, Swanson would possibly well well maybe abet take up just among the scandalous-stealing slack, nevertheless even though Belli returns, Swanson’s baserunning is a precious asset, and he would possibly well well maybe lean into it a ways more on the stolen scandalous facet.
The Dodgers’ stolen scandalous chief in 2023 used to be Freddie Freeman, which is a pretty fun truth, nevertheless likely furthermore diagram just among the youthful, sooner Dodgers shall be working a little of more. Outman is a high candidate. (Mookie Betts seems love he’d be one, too, since he simplest stole 14 bases final yr … Nonetheless he furthermore seems love he wants to attract shut just among the weight off his legs, as evidenced by his switch from appropriate kind field to second scandalous, so we’re no longer going to demand he return to his 30-draw shut days.)
Outman, Los Angeles’ 26-yr-venerable center fielder, has very appropriate kind bustle (28.9 ft/sec scamper bustle, seven bolts), showed appropriate kind scandalous-stealing acumen as a rookie (16 steals, simplest three caught stealings) and is a appropriate kind sufficient hitter (112 OPS+) that he must be on scandalous with alternatives to scoot. Outman’s vitality-bustle combo (23 homers alongside with his 16 steals) pushed him to a third-narrate Rookie of the Yr enact. With a little of more working, he’s in the 20-20 membership.
Suwinski is after all the Outman of the NL Central: a lefty-swinging, vitality-bustle outfielder who had a breakout 2023.
The 25-yr-venerable completed the season with 26 dwelling runs, 13 stolen bases and a 115 OPS+. Deal with Outman, Suwinski has very appropriate kind bustle (28.6 ft/sec scamper bustle, two bolts) and is a highly successful scandalous-stealer (simplest two caught stealings). He furthermore has 20-20 membership doubtless or larger.
Carroll would no longer need to scoot more. He had 54 steals final season (plus 5 more right by diagram of Arizona’s pennant scoot). Nonetheless if he wants to scoot more, the dynamic young celeb would possibly well well maybe draw shut love Rickey Henderson.
MLB.com’s Mike Petriello neutral recently made the case for why Carroll is the No. 1 participant who would possibly well well maybe enviornment Rickey’s single-season stolen scandalous anecdote. The 23-yr-venerable has high-of-the-scale bustle (30.1 ft/sec scamper bustle, 133 bolts), high-of-the-scale scandalous-stealing skill (he used to be 54-for-59, a 92% success payment), he’s a gigantic hitter who will get on scandalous, and he’s section of an offense that advantages plenty from his skill to attract shut the further scandalous at the tip of the present.
So toddle, we must concept Carroll scoot a ways more in 2024. Who wouldn’t must concept him hotfoot stolen scandalous history?
