Life In The Fast Lane

09/02/2010 4:31 AM -  Andrew Satriano

As the calendar has finally struck September, the most exciting time of the baseball season is upon us.  With about 30 games left for each team, pennant races will heat up in most of the six divisions.  In addition to the wonderful pitching and hitting that will need to happen for teams to reach the playoffs, stolen bases will become important down the stretch as well, as that extra run can truly make a difference. Let’s take a look at who needs to be picked up during this crucial time.

This first player may come as a shocker but with the way he is running, he should no longer be considered a surprise.  Padres outfielder Will Venable has been unbelievable this year, swiping 26 bags out of 30 attempts.  What’s more impressive is that he had just six steals in about the same amount of games last year, so his stock is definitely on the rise.  He has amassed only three steals in his last eight games, but his steals tend to come in bunches, so that’s nothing to be upset about.  More importantly, Venable routinely finds himself on base, so expect him to run when he’s on that first base bag.  Venable’s .227 batting average won’t help Rotisserie owners, but his respectable power and speed make him a very worthy pick this season and for the future.

Less of a trendy pick again but one who will become more known because of the great season he is having is Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs.  The last 14 games for him have been very kind, as he has stolen six bases, giving him 24 on the year.  Combined with his rookie campaign last season, Stubbs has stolen 34 bases out of 42 attempts.  It’s great to see a young player using his speed to his advantage, but he has also made strides at the dish, knocking out 15 homers.  The bottom feeders of the league in Pittsburgh and Houston loom around the corner for the Reds and half of Stubbs’ career steals total have been against teams in the division so look for him to run, especially against these teams.  Last September, Stubbs also had seven of his 10 steals so if he is available, now would be the time to nab him.

Assuming all the big dogs are taken, Cliff Pennington of the Athletics would be another solid sleeper to make room for.  The A’s are not typically defined as a team that steals bases, but they have been doing a lot of that this year with Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp and Pennington.  Pennington himself has never been much of a runner, but his 23 steals give him a great chance to reach 30 this year and make him a guy to watch out for on the base paths.  He has gone through some slumps in August, so he is happy to put that month behind him, although he has achieved three steals at the end of the month.  The A’s will also play 16 of their next 22 games at home after their current series with the Yankees concludes and that is where Pennington has done most of his running, so he will definitely be on the move in the next three weeks.  His offense has not been there this year which could help his availability, so with that being said, pick him up immediately.

Of course, not everyone has had an easy go at stealing bases recently.  Carlos Gomez of the Brewers knows this feeling very well, as he is finding it increasingly difficult to swipe bags.  Once regarded as the fastest man in baseball, Gomez has not lived up to his hype this year, managed just 11 thefts including just one since the middle of July.  Part of the reason for his low steals total is because of his stints on the disabled list for various injuries as well as the many times he has been benched for his inconsistencies.  Since his return last week, Gomez has had just eight at-bats in five games, which is not nearly enough in that time span for a guy who likes to run.  Gomez’ hitting is suspect and he has not used his speed the way he should when healthy, so there is not really much to be happy about with the way he has performed this season.  He finds most of his value in NL-only Rotisserie leagues but that is only when he is stealing bases, so don’t bother making a play for him.

A once prominent base stealer, Carlos Beltran of the Mets has not done much of anything, including running, since his injury last season.  The problems with his knee have kept him out until the middle of July this year which is why he only has one steal, but the same thing occurred last year which explains why he only had 11 steals.  Beltran is one of the most successful base stealers in the history of the game with a success rate of 88%, but it’s clear his surgically repaired knee has hindered his running game.  With just four hits in his last 27 at-bats, his inability to get on base is becoming a serious problem.  Needless to say, there is no room for him on any roster in need of thefts.  The best thing to hope for with Beltran is that he will be able to recover nicely over the offseason to solidify his position next season.

Finally, another Mets outfielder – Angel Pagan this time – has recently experienced difficulties making his way around the bases via the steal.  On the year, Pagan has successfully stolen 32 bags which is good for second best in the league and a personal high for him.  In his last 10 games, he has swiped two bases and his playing time will be limited because of his battles with tendinitis.  Pagan’s production has decreased lately, as has his batting average and on-base percentage since the beginning of last month, so that is not an encouraging sign for Pagan owners or for those who have drawn recent interest in him.  The Mets will be facing a lot of good teams in the coming weeks so even if he does return soon, don’t look for him to run wild.  Because of his injuries and slumps, he should be dropped in most Rotisserie leagues.

That’ll do it for this week.  Tune in again next week.