The Konerko: The Stat You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Want

I’m going to indicate you a brief video compilation I made. Can you determine what these seven baserunning performs from the 2024 season have in frequent?

Admittedly, there’s a purple herring amongst these video clips. One in every of them focuses on Bobby Witt Jr. stealing third base, however what I actually needed to focus on was Vinnie Pasquantino stealing second behind him. Right here’s a greater angle than what’s accessible on MLB Movie Room:

Does that assist you determine the frequent thread? Don’t really feel dangerous in the event you nonetheless can’t put your finger on it. That’s type of what I’m banking on. Let me spell it out a bit extra clearly. Excluding Witt, these are the seven gamers you simply watched steal (or try to steal) a base:

There have been 129 gamers who certified for the batting title in 2024. In different phrases, we are able to say 129 place gamers performed a “full season” (or shut sufficient) this previous 12 months. Of that group, 126 made an effort to steal no less than one base. The seven gamers you’re are the members of that group who solely tried one stolen base in a full season of alternatives.

I had some reservations about utilizing plate appearances because the taking part in time threshold for a baserunning statistic, so I additionally got here up with a fast various utilizing Baseball Reference’s stolen base alternatives (SBO). I calculated the ratio of stolen base alternatives to plate appearances in 2024. The league averaged one SBO each 2.78 PA. So if 502 PA depend as “a full season of alternatives” on the plate, let’s say that 181 SBO make for a full season of alternatives on the bases. Finally, nonetheless, I acquired the identical seven gamers utilizing SBO to set the edge for qualification. That additionally means this group had the seven lowest (non-zero) stolen base try charges within the league:

I discover it fascinating to think about the psychological course of that might lead a significant league participant to steal simply as soon as in a 162-game season. What modified in that one second to persuade him to aim one thing he hadn’t tried earlier than? And if he thought he was quick sufficient to attempt stealing as soon as, what stopped him from making an attempt once more? After all, there are going to be occasions when psychology has nothing to do with it. Generally the celebs align completely to create a perfect stolen base alternative for even the Yasmani Grandals of the sport. However that’s fairly fascinating too. Whether or not the motivation is intrinsic or extrinsic, it’s enjoyable to consider how individuals come to selections they so not often make.

To that finish, I used to be fairly happy with the variability of the seven stolen base makes an attempt within the video above. It’s not only a repetitive sequence of double steals, or performs that actually ought to have been categorised as wild pitches/handed balls, or baserunners profiting from the weakest-armed catchers, or steals that basically boil all the way down to defensive indifference. A few of them are very typical wanting stolen bases. With none context, may you could have guessed you have been watching each a type of gamers attempt one thing they wouldn’t attempt once more all 12 months?

Brendan Rodgers, for instance, might need been out by a number of ft if Marcus Semien hadn’t flubbed this catch. Even so, it’s arduous to consider Rodgers simply tried his first ever stolen base six seasons and 352 video games into his massive league profession. It seems so… abnormal:

With that stated, it’s not as if this assortment of performs is with out its entertaining moments. Removed from it. It’s inconceivable to not share in Tyler Stephenson’s pleasure as he grins at his teammates and subtly pumps his fist after stealing second with no throw:

Fittingly, he additionally held up his index finger and appeared to say, “That’s one!”

Equally charming was Witt pointing over at Pasquantino to acknowledge his associate in crime after a profitable double steal. It’s much more lovable with a bit little bit of backstory. Pasquantino’s solely different profession stolen base additionally has a enjoyable connection to Witt; the bag itself is now within the Corridor of Fame. Not lengthy earlier than Pasquantino earned his first steal (again in 2022), Witt stole the identical bag for his thirtieth, changing into the second participant in main league historical past with 30-plus steals, 30-plus doubles, and 20-plus residence runs in his rookie season. Presumably, Pasquantino is very happy to run on Witt’s coattails – and possibly he even acquired to maintain the bag this time round. Listed here are each of his profession stolen bases:

My favourite a part of Adley Rutschman’s stolen base was how lengthy it took Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz to comprehend Rutschman was stealing. His response was so delayed that I really feel the necessity to make clear this wasn’t a delayed steal. In Ruiz’s protection, he was the one catcher who needed to deal with a stolen base try from Rutschman all season. Sadly, the numbers don’t care concerning the ingredient of shock. In line with Baseball Savant’s Caught Stealing Above Common metric, this was Ruiz’s greatest failure of the 12 months (-0.76 CSAA).

I did my greatest to line up two totally different angles of the play so you’ll be able to actually see how lengthy Ruiz took to answer the sudden menace on the bases. You may as well see Rutschman watching his fellow backstop for the very same cause:

Jorge Soler’s stolen base is a good instance of the whole lot coming collectively completely to present the slugger a possibility to run. Austin Barnes was catching for the Dodgers that day as a substitute of Will Smith. Smith was the very best throwing catcher within the league this previous 12 months; Barnes was one of many worst. One batter earlier, Blake Treinen had changed Alex Vesia on the mound. Treinen has been considerably worse than Vesia at controlling the operating recreation over the previous a number of years. Furthermore, Treinen’s pitches have been coming in a bit slower than standard that day. His common sweeper in 2024 clocked in at 83.9 mph; the sweeper Soler ran on was a tick and a half slower.

It was additionally an amazing second within the recreation for Soler to take a threat. There have been two outs within the eighth inning of a tied ballgame. The subsequent hitter due up, Heliot Ramos, was mired in a post-All-Star Recreation hunch and had poor platoon splits towards right-handed pitching. Soler’s stolen base put him in scoring place for a red-hot Tyler Fitzgerald. He elevated San Francisco’s win chance by +0.27. His awkward slide into second base tells you the whole lot it’s good to find out about how not often he does this, however he definitely picked second to present it a go:

As for Marcell Ozuna, I simply preserve questioning what on earth compelled him to steal a base for the primary time in 385 video games. He went 12-for-14 on stolen base makes an attempt in 2019 with the Cardinals. Then, from 2020-23 with the Braves, he swiped simply two baggage in three makes an attempt – all of which got here throughout the identical two-week span in mid-Could 2022. He didn’t steal one other base (and even attempt) till the ultimate week of the 2024 season.

What was it about this specific state of affairs that satisfied him he was able to attempt once more? He was already in scoring place, and the Braves have been already up by two within the backside of the eighth. The hard-throwing Carlos Hernández gave him the stink eye proper earlier than tossing his pitch. Salvador Perez, whereas not the very best at catching would-be baserunners, is definitely no slouch in that division. He simply may have nabbed Ozuna if his throw hadn’t are available in about 10 ft greater than the place it wanted to be. Maybe the one factor working in Ozuna’s favor was Perez’s pure shock, nevertheless it seems that was all he wanted:

I’ve largely gone via these performs in chronological order, however you may discover I passed over the one failed try of the bunch. That’s as a result of I merely needed to save essentially the most entertaining instance for final. Josh Bell’s TOOTBLAN between first and second base is the one certainly one of these makes an attempt you’ll be able to watch and say with confidence, “Yeah, that appears like a man who hasn’t stolen a base in nearly six years.”

One in every of two issues occurred right here. Both Bell was planning to get in a rundown within the hopes that Joc Pederson would have time to sneak residence from third base, or he initially thought he may efficiently steal second, then realized the Marlins had him useless to rights, and tried to salvage the play by giving Pederson an opportunity to scramble residence. Regardless, it was a poor choice. If Bell ever thought he’d be protected, it was a dreadful miscalculation. And if he thought he may convey the run residence, it was a dreadful miscalculation.

For one factor, why would the Diamondbacks wish to sacrifice an out for a run so early within the recreation, particularly once they’re already within the lead? And in the event that they’re ever going to attempt such a play, why attempt it with Bell (ninth percentile dash velocity) on first and Pederson (twelfth percentile dash velocity) on third? Pederson was nonetheless a number of steps away from crossing residence when Xavier Edwards tagged out Bell to finish the inning:

Bell’s baserunning was so poor that he didn’t even give himself the prospect to get right into a pickle. As a substitute, it was a rundown in essentially the most literal sense: Edwards ran him down. Bell was so gradual on the pivot that he appeared like Wile E. Coyote after he’s already run off a cliff however earlier than gravity units in:

Bell couldn’t even achieve an inch of floor within the time between his choice to vary course and the second Edwards caught the ball and commenced chasing him down:

As soon as he began operating again, nonetheless, Bell appeared extra just like the sloth from Zootopia. He was so gradual getting again to first that Edwards by no means needed to contemplate throwing the ball. As a substitute, he held onto it, stored a watch on Pederson at third base, and caught as much as Bell in lower than three seconds. All Bell may do was a last-ditch dying drop to purchase himself a while earlier than Edwards utilized the tag. “Cease, drop, and roll” may preserve you protected in a fireplace, however not on the basepaths.

Impressed by Davy Andrews and the Kutina Membership, I made a decision to call this publish after the participant who greatest exemplified the values of “solely trying one stolen base per certified season” all through his profession. Utilizing the usual threshold for qualification, I discovered eight gamers who completed the feat no less than 4 occasions. One in every of them, Bell, remains to be lively and nonetheless has time to climb up the leaderboard; I’d must dedicate a future publish to his baserunning antics alone. For now, although, one man sits on the prime with eight such seasons, three greater than anybody else. It’s Paul Konerko:

Whereas Konerko retired the 12 months earlier than Statcast started measuring dash velocity, he was well known as one of many slowest runners within the recreation. Nonetheless, he made an effort to steal no less than as soon as (and by no means greater than twice) in 11 of his 18 main league seasons. He retired with 9 stolen bases in 13 makes an attempt. So I hereby dub a professional season during which a participant solely makes an attempt one stolen base a “Konerko.” Congratulations to all who completed the feat in 2024. Could you all proceed to run yearly!