Royals among few clubs banking on speed this season

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 Royals’ clubhouse, though, the f leet-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 the big leagues last season, and doesn’t even factor in Phillips, freeagent 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,” he explained. “It could force teams to prepare for us. We could have an identity, a team that plays really, really hard, fundamentally sound, im- pactful defense and speed that cannot be defended. That was our mindset.”

It’s a mindset that runs counter to every trend in baseball.

The 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 1986-88.

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 game has changed to the point where, for me, the game is a little boring,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You can have the debates on the shift — I don’t like the shift. It takes away offense. It takes away singles. Singles are dwindling in our game. Guys are more focused on raring back and swinging as hard as they can to hit home runs. That results in higher strikeouts and more home runs.

“But I like strategy in the game. I like singles,” Yost said. “I don’t care if you bunt. I don’t care if you walk. I like runners moving. I like to put runners in motion. I like stealing.”

He’s not the only one, either.

The Mariners acquired Dee Gordon in a trade with the Marlins and Mallex Smith in a trade with the Rays, giving them two leading base-stealers. Nationals skipper Dave Martinez said recently that speedy outfielder Trea Turner has the green light whenever he’s on base.

“We let the reins go,” Martinez said.