Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Speed strategy
The Kansas City Royals have turned their attention to speed and defense as they dive headlong into a rebuild, putting together quite possibly the fastest lineup in baseball.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Brett Phillips has always been the fastest player on his team, whether he was playing in Little League, starring at Seminole High School or climbing the rungs of the minor-league ladder.
When he looks around the Kansas City Royals’ clubhouse, though, the fleet-footed outfielder was left to ask a very sobering and sincere question: “What am I, the 10th fastest now?”
Not quite. But just about. You see, the Royals identified a market inefficiency a few years ago when it came to bullpen arms, stockpiling huge talents at low costs and effectively shortening games. The result was twofold: They won back-to-back American League pennants and the 2015 World Series, and every other team noticed what they had done and began to offer big contracts to premier relievers.
Unable to keep up with those escalating costs, the Royals turned their attention to speed and defense as they dive headlong into a rebuild. Now, they view stolen bases as grossly undervalued in an era of power hitters, and they have built quite possibly the fastest lineup in baseball.
Second baseman Whit Merrifield led the majors with 45 steals last season. Billy Hamilton, who signed with Kansas City as a free agent, was fifth with 34. Young shortstop Adalberto Mondesi had 32 steals despite getting just 275 at-bats after a midseason call-up.
That’s three of the top eight base stealers in the big leagues last season, and that doesn’t even factor in Phillips, free-agent signing Chris Owings, or speedsters Brian Goodwin and Terrance Gore.
“We felt we needed to improve, and speed and defense were two areas where we could improve,” said General Manager Dayton Moore, the architect of both the World Series title team and now the reboot. “It could make a difference. It could force teams to prepare for us. We could have an identity, a team that plays really, really hard, fundamentally sound, impactful defense and speed that cannot be defended. That was our mindset.”
It’s a mindset that runs counter to every trend in baseball.
There was a yearly average of more than 3,000 steals throughout the 1990s, even with a strike-shortened 1994 season. But the number has declined each of the past four seasons, and the 2,474 steals last year were a drop of nearly 800 from 2012 and the lowest total in a non-shortened season since 1973 — when there were six fewer teams.
Ricky Henderson stole 130 bases for Oakland in 1982. Lou Brock swiped 118 for St. Louis in 1974. Vince Coleman surpassed 100 for the Cardinals in three consecutive seasons from 19851987.
Only six teams surpassed 100 steals last season.
There are several reasons
for the abrupt downturn. Managers generally loathe the idea of running into an out on the basepaths, and fans dig the instant offense of home runs. Then there are advanced analytics that have changed the complexion of baseball, and that suggest a player must be successful on 75 percent of steals to balance the risk of making a precious out.
The Royals lavished Merrifield with a $16.25 million, four-year contract this offseason. They gave Hamilton $5.25 million for this year. And they traded for Phillips, landed Owings and suddenly have quite the 1,600-meter relay team.
“I’d probably weight them down. We’ve got some pretty athletic dudes,” said Royals pitcher Danny Duffy, quick to point out the benefits of that speed from an opposing perspective.
Pitchers have to be more wary of bunts. They have to be cognizant of holding guys on base. They have to know that anything in the gap could score a run from first, and that those fleet-footed speed freaks are willing to grab an extra bag whenever the opportunity arises.
In essence, they believe their speed will pay off.