00:00All right, today we're going to talk about a part of the Mets game that might not grab headlines, but has been flat-out elite in 2025.
00:07Talking about base stealing. The Mets, they're not the fastest team in baseball, but they might be the smartest when it comes to taking that extra 90 feet.
00:14When you look at the raw stolen base numbers, the Mets, they aren't leading the league. They're middle of the pack.
00:20But when you zoom in on efficiency, oh, they are nearly untouchable.
00:24Only 15 outs on the base pass all season. That's pick-offs and caught stealing combined.
00:30That's the second fewest in baseball, right alongside the Tigers, teams like the Braves, Cardinals, and Dodgers.
00:36They have strong base running reputations. And the Mets, they're beating them in clean execution.
00:41So, how are they actually doing this? Well, it starts with a philosophy. Know when to go.
00:48This team isn't running to just run. They're picking their spots.
00:51They're studying pitchers, timing, anticipating pick-off moves, and they're using analytics to maximize success rate.
00:58One under-the-radar stat from Fangraphs has the Mets are among the slowest teams in terms of sprint speed,
01:04but they have the highest stolen base success rate at 88%.
01:09Antoine Richardson, the Mets' first base coach and base running coordinator, he deserves a ton of credit.
01:14He's implemented new timing drills and instinct-based reads, and it's paying off.
01:18It's not just the usual speedsters. Juan Soto, he's on pace for a career-high in steals.
01:23Guys like Brandon Nimmo and Brett Beatty, they are picking their spots, and guess what?
01:28They're making them count.
01:30Now, the big question is, can they keep this up? Short answer, yes.
01:34But with a caveat, this level of efficiency is sustainable if they continue to be disciplined.
01:39The moment they start getting greedy on the base pass, the success rate that we've seen could dip real fast.
01:45But because this strategy is rooted in smart baseball, not speed or volume, it's designed to last.
01:51It also becomes an X factor in October.
01:53In the postseason, every base counts.
01:55A well-timed steal? That could be the difference between moving on or going home.
01:59So, no, the Mets, they aren't setting base-stealing records.
02:03That's not what's happening.
02:04But they are turning base paths into a battlefield and winning almost every time that they engage.
02:09It's a nice weapon in the arsenal the Amazings might use to run towards postseason success.
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