Stolen bases are up a bit after two weeks of the major league season, which is good news for fantasy baseball managers in roto formats. Let's see... we've got 12 steals for the Texas Rangers, nine for the Colorado Rockies and then we've got the Oakland Athletics with eight. No wait! That's Oakland outfielder Ramon Laureano with eight steals all by himself. What? One player has more stolen bases than 25 teams? Yes, that's correct. Laureano is very responsible for the early league uptick in this one category and that, in itself, is quite surprising as he only stole two bases (in just three attempts) last season.
Laureano always had the speed to be more relevant on the basepaths, and he did show this skill during his first two seasons. While most baseball fans know and love Laureano for his stellar center field defense, he did manage to steal 20 bases in 23 chances over his first two seasons, covering 657 plate appearances. As for last season, write it off for so many players. Laureano struggled, coincidentally after he challenged the Houston Astros dugout in an early August dustup. Today, he is running wild and we love it.
Take the ninth inning in Arizona on Tuesday, for example. Laureano singled to left field with one out, his team up 6-5, and with right-hander Yoan Lopez on the mound. The second pitch to Jed Lowrie was a slider and off Laureano went, easily safe at second. He scored on a Matt Chapman triple. Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters everyone knew Laureano would attempt a steal there, and still Arizona could not stop him. He praised his outfielder's energy and aggressiveness.
Shades of Rickey?
Laureano has praised new teammate Elvis Andrus, second (to Billy Hamilton) among active players in stolen bases, for helping his confidence and tactics on the bases. There seems to be no end in sight, so perhaps we have here a ... surprise 40-steal option? Rickey Henderson is the last Athletics player with eight steals in the team's first nine games of a season. For more perspective, the average team stole 30 bases in 60 games last season, or one per every other contest. Just 15 players stole nine or more bases. Laureano is not going to sail past 100 steals, but we can say with some accuracy that this is legit -- and few expected this display of aggressiveness.
Anyway, Laureano is universally rostered in ESPN standard leagues, a 14th-round choice on average, and one initially projected for 16 stolen bases. He is already halfway there before playing in even 10 games. I love it! Well, I would love it more if I had known this would happen and rostered him in more places. The Oakland lineup, with Laureano hitting second between Mark Canha and the corner infield Matts (Olson and Chapman) will be formidable, so invest if you still can.
Other stolen base options
There is no tangible update on Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, out with an oblique strain. Perhaps he makes his 2021 debut in April, perhaps not. Regardless of the timetable or your fantasy scoring format, keep him rostered. Mondesi is a flawed player for sure, but he is also the lone player projected for more than 40 stolen bases and great fun to watch.
Royals overachiever Whit Merrifield stole his second and third bases of the young season on Tuesday, which is good because I was beginning to worry a bit. Sure, it is early, but Merrifield is now 32 and history tells us most players not named Rickey Henderson see a sharp decline in speed in their 30s. I think the difference with Merrifield is that he debuted in the majors late, at 27. Perhaps his body will hold up better? It's all guesswork, but I like Merrifield more than most. I expect 25-plus steals.
Rockies leadoff hitter Garrett Hampson has stolen four bases in 11 games, though three of them came in one game against Arizona, so I would caution against extrapolating this pace. Hampson is a weak hitter -- a bench option with a career OPS on the wrong side of .700 versus both lefties and right-handers, and for both home and road games. At least he is consistent in that respect. At some point, the Rockies figure to play someone else. Add Hampson if you dare, but do not trade much for him.
Arizona Diamondbacks OF Tim Locastro, the pride of Ithaca, set a major league record this week by stealing his 29th base (without getting caught) to start his career. He did so in 157 games, but over a mere 393 PA. I have little doubt that Locastro, the current center field fill-in for injured Ketel Marte and an expert in getting hit by pitches, could steal 40 in a season with enough playing time, but why would a team play him that much? It is similar to Hampson's situation, though Locastro remains available in 92% of ESPN leagues. OK, so the Rockies and Diamondbacks are going nowhere, but play an actual prospect instead!
I am convinced that Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. can do just about anything he wants to do -- and that includes eclipsing both 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases.
My early impressions of Astros outfielder Myles Straw are actually quite positive. There is barely a lick of power there, but we chose him for the stolen bases and he is 3-for-3 so far. Straw boasts five walks versus four strikeouts, so unlike the greatly overmatched Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras, we could see a .330 OBP and 30 steals here. Taveras could be dispatched to the alternate site any day now. I missed on that one. He is not ready. With Straw, the Astros do not need him to slug better than .300. Just get on base, run a bit, and defend well. He can do this, and if you need steals, he is available in 86% of leagues. Go for it now before he is gone.
Baltimore Orioles OF Cedric Mullins boasts a .510 on-base percentage in 49 PA but has made only three stolen base attempts. What gives? Mullins enters Wednesday having drawn a walk in four consecutive games and we know he can run, so expect his stolen base total to rise quickly. It should, even as his OBP starts to crater -- which, unfortunately, it will.
Thank you to Minnesota Twins OF Max Kepler for his three stolen bases, matching his 2020 total and already halfway to tying a career high. Kepler does not hit for a high batting average, but we know he is capable of 30 home runs. Now we wonder if perhaps 15 steals comes along with it.
And now we come full circle with the Athletics and that noted teacher Mr. Andrus, who seems days away from losing his hold on a regular role (or perhaps any role at all). Andrus is hitting a sad .119 -- and this is not a case of hitting baseballs hard and into bad luck. He stole 31 bases in 2019, in his age-30 season, but now that seems worlds away. Do not roster Andrus for the steals.