Yankees rookie Jorbit Vivas took responsibility for a costly baserunning mistake that contributed to a 7-3 loss against the Braves, highlighting the importance of awareness and decision-making on the base paths.
Jasson Dominguez's costly baserunning mistake in the seventh inning contributed to the Yankees' 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, overshadowing his productive night at the plate amid a slump, and prompting reflections on game awareness and future improvement.
Juan Soto's poor base running led to him being called out for passing Nimmo after a misjudged lineout, despite the ball being caught in the outfield, in a game where the Mets scored four runs in the inning.
Hall of Famer Scott Rolen's emphasis on aggressive base running during his time with the Cincinnati Reds continues to impact the team, as they currently lead the league in base running. Reds manager David Bell showed the team a clip of Rolen's press conference, where he spoke about the connection between base running and character. Rolen's approach to the game, focused on winning and doing the right thing, has resonated with the 2023 Reds and contributed to their success.
The Pittsburgh Pirates exemplified the new rules of MLB in their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with their base running acumen and willingness to engage it. The Pirates are tied with the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles for seventh in MLB in runs scored while being just 13th in home runs. They lead MLB in steals with 36 (in 43 attempts) and are second in the National League in run-scoring percentage. The Pirates' success in the run game is due to their ability to get on base and put the ball in play, making engaging base runners a lot easier.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have become one of the best base-stealing teams in baseball, with 25 steals on the season, the most in the National League. Manager Derek Shelton credits the team's success to the amount of study and training the players and staff have put into the skill of running. First base coach/baserunning coach Tarrik Brock and strength coach Terence Brannic have been praised for the team's improvement. Brock says the biggest rule to getting a good jump is to avoid putting any hard rules on runners at all.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez was benched in the middle of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays after making a base running mistake. Baez hit a ball off the left-field fence in his first at-bat but didn't run hard out of the batter's box, thinking it was a home run. He still made it to second base safely but was doubled off second base on the next play. Baez has struggled since signing a six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers last offseason, and there's a player option for the final four years of the deal this offseason.