Post by Captain America on Jan 16, 2014 21:50:10 GMT -5
I originally wanted to do a top 10, but there were a few too many worthy candidates, so I just decided to do a top 15 instead. For these ranks, I put the following factors into consideration:
- Career Steals
- Average Steals per Season (Rounded up if .1 or higher)
- Top Single Seasons for Steals
- Career Stealing Success Rates
I wanted to keep this ranking just with steals and not other factors, such as OBP and runs scored, among other things. Here we go!
Honorable Mention: Curtis Goodwin (1996-)
Career Steals: 418 (119 CS; 77.8% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 8th
Average Steals per Season: 42
Most Steals in a Season: 65 (2001)
Who? Curtis Goodwin has rarely been an everyday player. In fact, he's never even been that good of a player. But one thing he has done all this time is steal bases. Goodwin's two best steals seasons were in 1997 with the Reds (64) and 2001 with the Rockies (65). He barely missed the top 15, but should at least be acknowledged based on longevity and for relishing in his role on every team he has played on.
15. Endy A. Chavez (2001-)
Career Steals: 360 (92 CS; 79.6% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 21st
Average Steals per Season: 60
Most Steals in a Season: 79 (2003)
Starting it off is Play's Endy A Chavez. Chavez has been one of the most dynamic leadoff hitters around for the past six seasons. He has stolen a lot of bases and has been successful in nearly four out of every five attempts. Chavez's best season for steals was in 2003, when he stole a career high 79 bases. He then stole 64 in 2004 and currently is tied for the lead in the NL with 59 steals thus far in 2005. Chavez has a bright future ahead of him that should be full with hundreds, if not thousands more steals.
14. Endy Chavez (2000-)
Career Steals: 302 (77 CS; 79.7% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 25th
Average Steals per Season: 61
Most Steals in a Season: 84 (2004)
Can't have one Endy without the other, right? The Mets' Endy Chavez has been a very solid leadoff hitter for them for the past 4+ seasons. His steals numbers are marginally better than his Cubs' counterpart, hence the higher rank. This Endy coming off an 84-steal season in 2004, has averaged over 60 steals per season and has been successful in just about four out of every five attempts. The success rate for Chavez isn't the very best, but still very solid overall. Definitely one of the main up-and-coming young base-stealers to watch. He should be much higher on this list in the future.
13. Vladimir Guerrero (1997-)
Career Steals: 388 (122 CS; 76.1% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 17th
Average Steals per Season: 49
Most Steals in a Season: 77 (2002)
Vladimir Guerrero has quickly become one of the most dynamic position players around. One element of his game is stealing bases. Guerrero has averaged almost 50 steals per season and reached a career high of 77 in 2002. He currently has 38 stolen bases for the current season and should be able to reach at least 55-60 stolen bases by season's end. Will very likely be higher in this list down the road.
12. Kenny Lofton (1996-2003)
Career Steals: 383 (134 CS; 74.1% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): Tied for 10th
Average Steals per Season: 48
Most Steals in a Season: 70 (1997)
When BBSBL began, Kenny Lofton was one of the top base stealers in the game and one of the best in the AL for sure. Lofton sorta gets screwed over because he was already 29 by 1996, so only the final seven of his long career are accounted for. Nonetheless, Lofton still remains among the top 10 in career steals, although was only successful in nearly three of every four attempts. He was consistent, but did not have any ridiculous steals numbers during his BBSBL years. He spent 2004 in the minors, so that was obviously not included.
11. Eric Young Sr. (1996-2002)
Career Steals: 383 (133 CS; 74.2% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): Tied for 10th
Average Steals per Season: 55
Most Steals in a Season: 106 (1998; Single Season Record)
Eric Young had the same number of career BBSBL stolen bases as Kenny Lofton. His success rate was almost identical as well. So how did get Young rank ahead of Lofton. There are two reasons why.
First, Young only spent seven seasons in the majors after 1996, compared to Lofton, who spent an additional season in the majors. As a result, Young's career steals average was notably higher. The other and more significant reason was Young's remarkable 1998 season that included a single season record 106 steals. Over 100 steals in a season is just insane! That's a Rickey Henderson-like number. Sure, Coors Field may have helped Young have a .369 OBP that season, but Young was just awesome on the bases and was the leadoff catalyst for the Rockies from 1996-1999. A late injury in 1999 prevented Young from possibly stealing over 100 bases in back-to-back seasons.
Young will probably fall lower on this list in the future. Another hitter on this list even fell one steal short of tying his single season record and time will tell whether it ever gets broken. Regardless, Young will always be remembered as one, if not the best base stealer within the first five seasons of BBSBL history.
10. Rafael Furcal (1999-)
Career Steals: 441 (169 CS; 72.3% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 7th
Average Steals per Season: 63
Most Steals in a Season: 73 (2002)
Despite being just 27, Rafael Furcal is already among the best all-time greats at stealing bases. He has averaged 63 steals per season, has stolen over 60 bases in each of the past five seasons and currently has 48 steals in 2005 thus far. The fact that he is already seventh in career steals show the kind of full career potential Furcal will have. There's a very good chance he could be in the top three or even number one by the time he eventually retires. Certainly someone to pay attention to for many seasons to come.
9. Luis Castillo (1997-)
Career Steals: 501 (190 CS; 72.5% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 4th
Average Steals per Season: 56
Most Steals in a Season: 72 (2004)
Unlike Nomar, Luis Castillo made the top 10 for stealing a ton of bases, despite not being successful all the time. Nonetheless, he still has the fourth most career steals of anyone thus far and is coming off a career high 72 steals in 2004. With 38 thus far in 2005, he probably won't set a new career high again, but at 29, Castillo still has a lot of years left and plenty more bases to steal. If only he could be smarter on the bases, he would have been higher on this list.
8. Juan Pierre (2000-)
Career Steals: 413 (116 CS; 78.1% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 15th
Average Steals per Season: 69
Most Steals in a Season: 89 (2000)
Oh look another current Cub! Juan Pierre is yet another young base-stealer that has thrived for the past 5+ seasons. He has bounced around from the Marlins to the Mets, and now to the Cubs, but he has been one of the most notable base stealers around already. Pierre's 89 stolen bases in 2000 are the most ever in a rookie season and tied for sixth all time in a single season. He only had 43 steals in 2001, but has stolen over 70 bases in each of the past three seasons. Pierre isn't as high as some of the other guys in career steals, despite currently being only 27, but the fact that he has averaged nearly 70 steals per season, been quite efficient in his attempts and had the 89-steal season in his rookie year was all enough to put him this high.
Pierre is currently tied with teammate Endy A Chavez for the NL lead in stolen bases this season and could possibly set a career high this season as well at the pace he is at. Look for him to go way up on this list in the future.
7. Eric Chavez (2000-)
Career Steals: 383 (90 CS; 81.0% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 16th
Average Steals per Season: 64
Most Steals in a Season: 87 (2000)
I have no clue how I originally missed the third of the Chavez's, but Eric has actually been the best of the three. 50+ steals in each of his first five seasons. An 81% success rate. 87 steals in his rookie season, which is the second most to only former teammate Juan Pierre. He's averaged 64 steals per season and has done it with a lot of success. With 38 steals through early August of 2005, he should get to above 50 for the sixth consecutive season and the sky is certainly the limit for his full career potential.
6. Jason Varitek (1997-)
Career Steals: 480 (116 CS; 80.5% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 6th
Average Steals per Season: 54
Most Steals in a Season: 74 (2000)
How Varitek became such a base-stealer here is still amazing in itself, but he's been stealing a lot of bases since his debut in 1997. Varitek ranked sixth in career steals at the end of 2004. He is already close to 500 career steals, has been successful in over 80% of attempts, and has stolen 48 or more bases in all but one season thus far. He is definitely one of the most efficient veteran base stealers around. With 51 steals already this season, he is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. He is 33 though, so he probably only has 4-5 more seasons left in him most likely. As a result, he probably won't stay in the top 10 for too much longer.
5. Nomar Garciaparra (1997-)
Career Steals: 405 (53 CS; 88.4% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 13th
Average Steals per Season: 45
Most Steals in a Season: 56 (2003)
Nomar Garciaparra has been one of the best contact and doubles hitters in BBSBL since his debut in 1997. But another important element to his game is his speed. Nomar recently surpassed 400 career steals. But he isn't the top 10 just for the number of steals he has had, but more importantly for how smart he has been on the bases. That is why he is so high on this list. Nomar has been successful in over 88% of all stolen base attempts, which is remarkable. In other words, he won't amaze anyone with a boat load of steals, but most likely, he will be successful when he tries. The success percentage is simply amazing and that has to be recognized for sure. Nomar is 32 now but is still putting up similar base-stealing numbers and has yet to even show signs of slowing down.
4. Larry Walker (1996-)
Career Steals: 481 (97 CS; 83.2% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 5th
Average Steals per Season: 49
Most Steals in a Season: 86 (1999)
Larry Walker has been one of the BBSBL living legends since the beginning. He is best known for his hitting and power, but his speed has made him that much better of a player overall. After some TIB's before 1998, Walker's speed took off. He stole 62 bases in his career season in 1998 before breaking his career high again with 86 steals in 1999, which is currently tenth most for a single season. Since then, Walker has moved on to the Marlins and Orioles, but has stolen over 30 bases in every season from 2000 on and 50 or more in three of those seasons. Walker's career steals average isn't the greatest, but like Varitek and Nomar, his success percentage certainly helped him get all the way up here, as do his career totals and single season career high.
3. Ray Durham (1996-)
Career Steals: 526 (161 CS; 76.5% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 3rd
Average Steals per Season: 53
Most Steals in a Season: 70 (2001)
This is where the cream of the crop gets separated from the cream of the crop. Ray Durham has been one of the best base stealers ever. He has the third most career steals, a decent success rate, has stolen 50 or more bases in a season in six years and set a career high with 70 steals in 2001. And despite hitting more home runs now than he did when he was younger, he has still managed to go 30/30 in each of the past two seasons. With 24 home runs and 29 steals already in 2005, he should certainly be able to get there for a third consecutive season. He will probably be in the top five for at least another five seasons or so.
2. Chuck Knoblauch (1996-)
Career Steals: 628 (178 CS; 77.9% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 1st
Average Steals per Season: 63
Most Steals in a Season: 88 (1996)
One of the BBSBL living legends for base stealing is Chuck Knoblauch. Despite currently being 37 and in the final years of his career, Knoblauch is still among the current top base stealing threats. Knoblauch has the most career steals of anyone, has been successful in over 75% of attempts and has averaged 63 steals per season. There isn't much more you could ask for him to do, especially at his age. In his lone BBSBL season with the Twins, he set a career high with 88 steals. He was also caught 34 times that year, but 88 steals in a season is still sick.
Knoblauch originally looked he would be number one here, but there was another guy that I thought was even more deserving.
1. Ichiro Suzuki (1997-)
Career Steals: 616 (178 CS; 75.4% Success)
Career Stolen Base Rank (Following 2004 Season): 2nd
Average Steals per Season: 69
Most Steals in a Season: 105 (2004)
Yup. As good as Knoblauch's career resume has been, Ichiro's has been that much better. From 1997-2000, he was a very good base stealer, but did not become the best base stealer in the game until 2001. Ichiro has stolen over 90 bases in each of the past four seasons, including a career best 105 steals in 2004, which was one short of tying Eric Young's single season record. As a result, Ichiro now has the second, third, fourth and fifth most stolen bases in a single season. That is just amazing. He hasn't always been the most successful with all his attempts and actually has been caught stealing most times than anyone else in BBSBL history, but the steals numbers simply speak for themselves. Four seasons of 90+ steals is just awesome.
For as consistent as Knoblauch has been, I couldn't put him above Ichiro. Ichiro probably won't get to 90 steals for a fifth straight, being that he only has 33 for the season, but at 30, he still has plenty of years left in him and should soon enough become the career record holder for a long time.
How different could this list look five seasons from now? Ten seasons from now? This in particular could look completely different and probably will. Stolen bases are one of the most fun stats to follow and I can't wait to see what this ranking will look like in the future.
More career top 10 lists coming soon! Stay tuned.
