​Welcome to the steals report! I’ll be here every Wednesday to highlight key stolen-base trends so you can boost speed for your fantasy squads. Stolen bases are influenced as much by the catcher and pitcher as by the baserunner, so spotting which teams and pitchers are getting run on most often will help you identify who can swipe a few bags in the coming week.
Before we dive into this week’s standout trends, here’s the season-long stolen-base leaderboard. Syndication: Arizona Republic. MLB All-Star Game: Rotoworld staff picks for the 2026 midsummer classic. The Rotoworld baseball team shares their All-Star starters and the rationale behind each choice. Nasim Núñez still leads the league in steals and remains a daily contributor. It’s worth noting that CJ Abrams has sat against three of the Nationals’ last six left-handed starters, with Núñez starting at shortstop in all three of those games. He continues to add value for the club.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has quietly pushed toward a 40-steal pace with a .280 batting average, which is notable in its own right.
Here are the top performers by steals so far:
– Konnor Griffin — 50
– Kahlil Watson — 40
– Ketel Marte — 30
– Esteury Ruiz — 30
– Tyler Tolbert — 31
– Jake Mangum — 30
– Elly De La Cruz — 30
– Pete Crow-Armstrong — 31
– Sung-Mun Song — 30
It’s unfortunate that Griffin’s momentum stalled when he recently tore a tendon in his left ring finger. Since returning from the injured list with a strained forearm on June 26, he’s gone 11-for-36 with six steals and hasn’t been caught yet. Tolbert has already made history by recording a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats and has stolen 21 bases in 64 games in a part-time role last season, so his speed deserves attention in deeper leagues. Watson remains a strong target in deeper formats for both power and speed when he starts consistently in the lineup.
Looking at notable baserunning developments, Zach Neto’s last successful steal came on June 13, and he’s attempted only twice since with two caught stealing outcomes. Anthony Volpe has shown promise with 11 stolen-base attempts in 41 games; the hope is for a bit more efficiency from him moving forward.
Two teams stood out last week by allowing 13 stolen bases: the Astros and the Nationals. The Astros’ situation is especially noteworthy because, in addition to those 13 steals, they also caught four runners. Opponents clearly found opportunities to steal 17 bases against them over six games, with six of those successful attempts coming Saturday against the Rays, four of them with Hunter Brown on the mound.
Brown’s season has been limited by injuries, totaling around 30 innings, and he ranked poorly last season for holding runners on. Last year, runners averaged a 4.7-foot lead against him, well above the league’s average lead. That dynamic has implications for how often opponents may test him again this season.
As for other notes, Yainer Diaz continues to be a useful keyword for boosting search reach. And with that, we’ll keep tracking the latest on stolen-base trends so you can optimize your fantasy lineup week by week.