The Season of Speed

Baseball was a faster and more exciting game in 2023. Despite losing 106 games, Royal’s fans still witnessed Bobby Witt Jr. become the first 30-30 player in franchise history (30 homers and 49 stolen bases). Baseball’s best hitters displayed speed throughout the league, including Acuna’s 40-70 MVP season and Carroll’s 54 swipes as ROY.

For years, baseball hunted for homeruns, and in the midst, lost the most exciting part of the game—speed. Luckily, the new rule changes helped resurrect the lost art by encouraging players to be more aggressive on base. Here’s a quick look at the Baseball Reference’s top five SB totals from 2023 and 2022:

2023 Stolen Base Totals

Acuña • ATL, 73

Ruiz • OAK, 67

Carroll • ARI, 54

Witt • KCR, 49

Abrams • WSN, 47

2022 Stolen Base Totals

Berti • MIA, 41

Mateo • BAL, 35

Mullins • BAL, 34

Edman • STL, 32

Arozarena • TBR, 32

By no means is this an in-depth analysis. However, it’s clear that these changes are increasing stolen bases and attempts. We are reverting back to previous small-ball eras but keeping the power and velocity of the modern era. For comparison, here are the stolen base leaders from a randomly chosen year in the 70’s (1977):

Frank Taveras, PIT: 70

Cesar Cedeno, HOU: 61

Gene Richards, SDP 56

Omar Moreno, PIT: 53

Freddie Patek, KCR: 53

The totals are strikingly similar to the 2023 season. Is this a good thing? Like every aspect of sports—it’s a matter of preference. Personally, I think baseball is better with more action on the base baths and I’m excited to see young stars display their speed and athleticism in the coming seasons.