Which Blue Jays could benefit from being more aggressive on the basepaths?

“It’s easier to steal bases now than ever.”

Those eight words, uttered by Trea Turner to The Athletic last May sum up the modern MLB perfectly.

While the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop was always speedy, he's taken his game to a new level lately, as he went 30-for-30 in stolen base attempts in 2023 and 19-for-23 in 2024. The biggest reason for that been the new rules MLB implemented in 2023 which made the bases bigger and limit the number of pickoffs per at-bat.

But if steal bases is easier than ever, why haven’t the Toronto Blue Jays taken advantage?

In 2022, Toronto was 21st in baseball with 67 steals as a team. Then the Blue Jays increased their total to 99 in 2023 thanks to the new rule changes... but still ranked in the bottom third of the league (22nd). Last year they were 27th in MLB with just 72 steals.

Stolen bases have become a way for teams to easily manufacture runs, especially if they're lacking in other areas. The Kansas City Royals scored 735 runs (13th) and stole 134 bases (11th) on their surpsing run to the postseason despite being just 20th in home runs.

And while the Blue Jays are expected to hit more home runs this season thanks to the addition of Anthony Santander, there are a couple of players who could help the Blue Jays by taking an extra bag more than they have in years prior.

Which Blue Jays could benefit from being more aggressive on the basepaths?

The first player who comes to mind is Daulton Varsho.

While Varsho's speed is always on display on defense, it hasn’t transferred to the basepaths. According to Baseball Savant, his sprint speed is ranked in the 80th percentile at 28.5 ft/sec, but he's stolen just 36 bases in three seasons with the Blue Jays.

He's hasn't been especially efficient when he has chosen to run either, as he has been caught stealing 15 times – a success rate of just 70 percent. He was 10-for-12 on steals last year after going 8-for-8 during spring training. It's clear that Varsho's legs are a weapon, and he's just 28 years old so he's got plenty of fuel left in the tank.

Bo Bichette is another Blue Jay who could also add more of a running element to his game. Bichette stole 25 bases in 2021 but has only complied 23 steals across the last three seasons combined. When Bichette was first called up in 2019, he had a sprint speed in the 83rd percentile (28.4 ft/sec) but that dropped to the 49th percentile last year (27.3 ft/sec).

That said, he was hampered by several lower body injuries that limited his ability to really get going. Bichette looks to be healthy this spring, which could result in being more active on the bases.

Lastly, there’s Andrés Giménez who will be playing in his first season as a Blue Jay after being acquired from Cleveland in the offseason.

A slick defender, Giménez is also a threat on run, as his average sprint speed of 28.9 ft/sec puts him in the 89th percentile and makes him the fastest Blue Jay.

Giménez has been an aggressive base runner throughout his career as evidenced by him recording back-to-back 30 steal seasons in 2023 and '24. He has the potential to go beyond that number this year.

He's also been an efficient base stealer in his career. He's recorded 99 career steals in 114 attempts for a success rate of 86 percent. While he’s reached the 30-steal plateau in back-to-back seasons, he’s never attempted more than 36 steals in a single year.

This year, Giménez should be even more aggressive, and, if he's able to keep with his career success rate stays the same, should swipe 40+ bases.

While the Blue Jays haven't been a team that's a threat on the base paths in recent years, these three Blue Jays could help turn the tide by being more aggressive.