Players are running wild on the bases, and other spring observations

Through play Sunday, teams were stealing bases at an 81.2% success rate compared to 72.9% last spring - a significant spike.

While teams have been running less often in recent years, effectiveness on the bases has improved, as MLB runners stole successfully at a 75% clip in each of the last three seasons, well above the historical average. In fact, when runners’ success rate hit 75.6% in 2021, it was the best rate since the 1940s. (There are only 10 seasons on record of teams stealing bases at 78% or better and each occurred before 1949.)

Triple-A saw a similar surge last season when the new rules were trialed there. Players stole 4,161 bases at a 78.5% success rate. In 2019, with no clock and smaller bases, there were 2,626 steals and a 69.6% success rate.

There will be more action - perhaps a lot more - in more condensed games this season.