Bae Ji-Hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates) should give up the stolen base title.
The way things are going. Starling Marte (35, New York Mets) stole his 15th base of the season on Sunday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s tied for second in the National League in stolen bases with Corbin Carroll (23, Arizona Diamondbacks). It’s a surge of five steals in his last 11 games.
Marte is a 35-year-old veteran. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012 and played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, and Oakland Athletics before signing a four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets ahead of the 2022 season.
In 52 games this season, he’s batting .243 with 44 hits in 181 at-bats, two home runs, 16 doubles, 21 RBI, 16 runs scored, and a .621 OPS. His power numbers aren’t great, but his ability to steal bases is. His .312 on-base percentage is below his career average of .344, but once he gets on base, he runs and he lives.
He’s no stranger to Korean Major League Baseball fans, having played alongside Jung-ho Kang in Pittsburgh. This season’s stolen base race is a battle of young players. At 35 years old, Marte is past his prime, and the key will be how well he manages his physical fitness. He has 330 career stolen bases. He”s not a player to be ignored.
With 15 stolen bases, Bae Bae-hwan, who didn’t play today, dropped one spot to fourth in the National League in stolen bases. He’s being chased by the likes of Nico Hounsou (Chicago Cubs, 14), Tyro Estrada (San Francisco Giants, 13), and Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers, 12). Jayson Chisome Jr. (Miami Marlins), who has been on the shelf recently due to injury, is still tied for fifth.
The National League stolen base race is dominated by monster outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves, 23 steals), who boasts a $124 million contract. Acuna was on a steady pace with 13 steals in April and 10 in May. He has a generous eight-run lead over Carroll and Marte, who are tied for second. He is five behind Esteemed Ruiz (Oakland Athletics, 28 steals) for first place in the majors. 메이저놀이터
Acuna leads the National League in every offensive category except home runs and RBIs this season. Earlier in the day, MLB.com published a major June prediction, saying that Acuna would steal 20 bases in June alone. That means he’ll hit 40 before the All-Star break.
It may seem far-fetched, but Acuna’s performance this season has been nothing short of incredible. It’s a remarkable pace given the favorable conditions for running baseball this year, including the introduction of pitch clocks, larger bases, and limited balls in play and defensive shifts. Already, MLB.com has projected Acuna to be on pace for 35 homers and 87 steals this year, making him the first player in the majors to hit 30-60.