MLB Advanced Analytics: Pitching Batteries To Target For Steals
Published: Sep 19, 2019
In these final weeks of the 2019 fantasy baseball season, we’re squeezing all the juice we can from our lineups in every counting category. One category that tends to be the most tightly clustered is stolen bases. Below are the worst pitching batteries at preventing steals. Get yourself a couple rabbits and target teams like the Mets to ring out another standings point or two.
Here are the 25 worst catchers in SBs yielded along with caught stealing stats.
Name | Team | SB | CS | CS% | Inn | SB/Inn |
NYM | 88 | 16 | 15.4% | 972.1 | 0.09 | |
MIL | 67 | 27 | 28.7% | 1040.2 | 0.06 | |
SEA | 55 | 13 | 19.1% | 770.2 | 0.07 | |
- - - | 52 | 18 | 25.7% | 651 | 0.08 | |
TEX | 50 | 10 | 16.7% | 651.1 | 0.08 | |
SFG | 50 | 24 | 32.4% | 805 | 0.06 | |
OAK | 50 | 24 | 32.4% | 797 | 0.06 | |
PHI | 48 | 43 | 47.3% | 1115.1 | 0.04 | |
HOU | 45 | 12 | 21.1% | 921 | 0.05 | |
WSN | 45 | 5 | 10.0% | 615.1 | 0.07 | |
PIT | 42 | 14 | 25.0% | 692.1 | 0.06 | |
BAL | 41 | 12 | 22.6% | 701.2 | 0.06 | |
CIN | 40 | 11 | 21.6% | 718.1 | 0.06 | |
TOR | 40 | 18 | 31.0% | 820.2 | 0.05 | |
COL | 39 | 22 | 36.1% | 857.2 | 0.05 | |
WSN | 38 | 18 | 32.1% | 715 | 0.05 | |
ATL | 37 | 9 | 19.6% | 647 | 0.06 | |
CHW | 37 | 17 | 31.5% | 860.1 | 0.04 | |
ATL | 36 | 7 | 16.3% | 653 | 0.06 | |
CHC | 36 | 14 | 28.0% | 756.2 | 0.05 | |
DET | 36 | 16 | 30.8% | 484.1 | 0.07 | |
BOS | 35 | 19 | 35.2% | 875 | 0.04 | |
DET | 35 | 13 | 27.1% | 467 | 0.07 | |
CIN | 33 | 9 | 21.4% | 476.1 | 0.07 | |
NYY | 32 | 11 | 25.6% | 731.2 | 0.04 |
The Mets could care less about giving up steals. The irony is that Wilson Ramos is a decent catcher defensively. Between team attitude and pitcher approach, he’s hung out to dry most days.
Omar Narváez of Seattle and Jeff Mathis of Texas are the next biggest targets on the list. Teams attack them without much to fear from their arms.
Josh Phegley is a good catcher to target when you can catch him starting. It’s a crowded catcher’s room in Oakland right now.
JT Realmuto is a boss at cutting down runners. Stay away even with your aggressive runners.
Here are the 25 worst pitchers in SBs yielded.
Name | Team | SB | Inn | SB/Inn |
NYM | 38 | 185.2 | 0.21 | |
CHC | 23 | 170.1 | 0.14 | |
NYM | 21 | 190 | 0.11 | |
BAL | 18 | 72.1 | 0.25 | |
WSN | 16 | 196 | 0.08 | |
ATL | 15 | 172.1 | 0.09 | |
NYY | 14 | 63.2 | 0.22 | |
SFG | 14 | 195.2 | 0.07 | |
CIN | 14 | 170.1 | 0.08 | |
DET | 14 | 137 | 0.10 | |
LAD | 13 | 59 | 0.22 | |
COL | 13 | 42.1 | 0.31 | |
OAK | 13 | 171.2 | 0.08 | |
- - - | 13 | 105.2 | 0.12 | |
- - - | 13 | 206 | 0.06 | |
HOU | 13 | 64 | 0.20 | |
KCR | 13 | 175.1 | 0.07 | |
- - - | 13 | 97.2 | 0.13 | |
SFG | 12 | 175.1 | 0.07 | |
WSN | 12 | 154 | 0.08 | |
PHI | 12 | 135.2 | 0.09 | |
MIN | 12 | 188.1 | 0.06 | |
CHW | 12 | 172 | 0.07 | |
MIA | 12 | 184.1 | 0.07 | |
CHC | 11 | 137.2 | 0.08 |
And we see where the Mets issues stem from. They brought up their hard throwers to not care about base runners and now they’re stuck.
The Nationals aren’t far behind with a couple of names on the list as well in Strasburg and Sanchez
Sometimes relievers take the approach of ignoring base runners and focusing solely on the batter at hand. Wade Davis and Miguel Castro are the worst offenders.
Yu Darvish must have worked on holding runners with Jon Lester in the offseason. He’s bad enough at it to be on the Mets.
Player News
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MLB has suspended Nationals RHP Jorge López three games and manager Davey Martinez one game after Wednesday night’s benches-clearing fight against the Pirates.
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Brent Rooker is starting in left field and batting fourth for the Athletics on Thursday.
That noise you hear is the footsteps of top prospect Nick Kurtz nearing the major league roster. With Kurtz crushing the ball in Triple-A, the Athletics are trying to make room in the lineup, and Rooker being able to play the outfield regularly would allow Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom to trade off between 1B and DH. You should be stashing Kurtz in your leagues if he’s still available.
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Benintendi wound up spending the minimum amount of time on the IL with his adductor strain. He will return to a .290/.333/.484 slash line with two home runs and six RBI in nine games. He remains on the deep league fantasy radar despite playing for the White Sox.
White Sox optioned OF Greg Jones to Triple-A Charlotte.
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