The stolen base, serving as a crucial weapon, made a comeback as teams that were previously fixated on hitting home runs started recognizing the importance of speed once again. However, the decision to increase the size of the bases before the 2023 season was primarily aimed at reducing collisions in Major League Baseball.
As each runner made progress, pitchers and catchers throughout MLB experienced an increase in their stress levels, but Rickey Henderson had no reason to begin worrying about giving up his all-time stolen base records.
Tim Raines and Billy Hamilton, known as the best base stealers in baseball history, are joined by other Hall of Famers such as Ty Cobb, Lou Brock, and Rickey Henderson. As we explore seasons and teams, it becomes evident that there are plenty of base thieves who have made their mark on the game.
Baseball’s Career Stolen Base Record
On May 1, 1991, the flamboyant sensation of the Oakland Athletics didn’t hesitate to make it clear that if you were unaware, Henderson is the current holder of the record for the highest number of stolen bases in the entirety of history.
“However, at present, I am the supreme of all time,” he informed the audience at the Oakland Coliseum following his surpassing of Brock’s historical record. “Lou Brock epitomized exceptional base thievery.”
Rickey Henderson, an iconic figure, declared himself as the person who stole a whopping 1,406 bases throughout his 25 seasons. However, it is important to note that his record of 938 stolen bases is far more than any other player in history.
The Man of Steal stands solitary in baseball history as the Hall-of-Famer Henderson, who achieved a favorable outcome on 80.8% of his 1,741 career endeavors.
Single-Season Stolen Base Record
Since the merger of the American and National leagues in 1901, Henderson surpasses Brock’s 118 in 1974 to hold the major league single-season stolen base record with 130 in 1982.
Throughout his awe-inspiring campaign, Henderson had numerous thefts in 34 distinct matches, including three instances with four steals.
The St. Louis Cardinals had three seasons with players other than Vince Coleman in ’87 and ’85. The Philadelphia Phillies had Vince Coleman in ’91 and 1890, and the Kansas City Cowboys had Billy Hamilton in 1889. In a span of four consecutive seasons, Henderson reached triple-digit stolen bases three times. This achievement marked the second time in Henderson’s three-season span, from 1980 to ’82 and ’83, that he reached triple-digit stolen bases.
Notably, the modern rules for recording stolen bases were not fully implemented until 1898, considering that 12 out of the 20 seasons included 100+ stolen bases, indicating particularly high totals before the turn of the 20th century.
According to contemporary regulations, a portion of Nichol’s overall count would be disregarded. Nonetheless, Hugh Nichol, a player in the outfield who successfully stole 138 bases in a mere 125 games for the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1887, surpassed Henderson in this aspect.
Most Stolen Bases in a Game
On September 11, 1912, Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia Athletics had a lot of fun setting a single-game major league record for stolen bases with six against the Detroit Tigers.
In a match, Otis Nixon of the Atlanta Braves (1991), Eric Young of the Colorado Rockies (1996), and Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays (2009) also entered the history books with six thefts. Collins’ six successful steals were not equaled for 79 years, and he still stands as the sole player to achieve this feat in multiple games.
Interestingly, none of the four players went on to become the stolen base leader in the major league during their MLB-record season.
Most Team Stolen Bases in a Game
On September 28, 1911, the New York Highlanders dominated the St. Louis Browns, securing an 18-12 victory and accumulating an impressive 15 stolen bases. Throughout the season, the Highlanders managed to achieve a remarkable total of 269 steals, even though both teams made six mistakes and only managed to gather 13 hits.
Between 1901-14, 23 of the top 25 single seasons in stolen bases took place, ranking that still 23rd on the all-time list.
Most Team Stolen Bases in a Season
In the 1887 season, the St. Louis Browns had the lowest number of steals with a total of 75, followed by the Philadelphia Athletics (89), Cincinnati Red Stockings (117), Baltimore Orioles (129), and the Philadelphia Athletics (476). Charlie Comiskey, Arlie Latham, and Curt Welch were the top stealers for the Browns with 75 steals each.
The 1976 Oakland Athletics had the second-highest number of base runners who successfully stole bases with a total of 341. Among all teams since 1901, the 1911 New York Giants achieved the highest record with a total of 347 stolen bases.
In the 1890 season, when 25 different teams combined to play a total of 1,608 games, the average number of stolen bases per game was nearly 4.3. However, there were no seasons in which the teams collectively had more stolen bases.
At 6.0, the much-higher per-game average had the second-highest season, when 16 teams combined for 6,345 steals over 1,058 games in 1887.
From 1901 onwards, the 1914 season witnessed the highest number of stolen bases across the entire league (4,573).
Stolen Base Records in MLB Postseason History
Kenny Lofton often saved his best legs for the biggest stage in baseball. In the postseason, he stole 34 bases, which is a major league record. He slipped past Henderson, with one stolen base ahead, in a game against the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS for Cleveland. Additionally, he had a slightly better success rate in postseason steals, ranging from 84.6% to 87.2%.
Furthermore, Henderson (1989, Oakland Athletics) and Lofton (1995, Cleveland Indians) collectively possess the accomplishment of holding the record for the highest number of stolen bases in a solitary postseason in Major League Baseball, with 11 steals each.
Omar Vizquel, with a total of 23 stolen bases, is positioned as the third highest base stealer in postseason history. Following closely behind are Roberto Alomar and Davey Lopes, both tied for fourth place with 20 stolen bases each.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who finished as runners-up in the 2008 World Series, established a record for stolen bases with a total of 24.