New rules mean more chances for runners to be aggressive
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Bryce Johnson bunted for a single and stole second and third, then Michael Conforto hit a flyball deep enough to allow Johnson to tag and easily score.
After the play, Conforto received high-fives from teammates in the San Francisco Giants dugout for his sacrifice fly and just had to speak up.
“That’s not my run,” Conforto told anyone within listening distance, “Bryce did all the work. That’s on him, that’s not on me.’ ”
Later, Conforto said, “I love the fact everyone’s giving me high-fives, but I just hit a lazy flyball. If Bryce hadn’t done what he did, I’m slamming my bat in the bat rack.”
Conforto wasn’t alone in noticing Johnson’s impact and heaping praise on the rookie outfielder. The Giants haven’t been known for their speed as a team in recent years. Thanks to Major League Baseball’s rule changes, they’re making a concerted effort in spring training at becoming more of a threat on the bases, even with players who aren’t particularly fast.
The Giants want to take advantage of the bigger bases and limited pickoff attempts by encouraging runners to turn it loose, to an extent.
“I think stolen bases will be up across the league,” manager Gabe Kapler said, “and I think we will be more aggressive in stealing bases ourselves.”
The Giants ranked 25th in the majors in stolen-base attempts last season. Thairo Estrada (21for-27), Austin Slater (12-for-13) and Luis Gonzalez (10-for-12) did most of the damage, combining for 52 of the team’s 80 attempts. Mike Yastrzemski was next on the list with six.
With the new bases measuring 18 inches by 18 inches, up from 15-by-15, it’s 4½ inches closer from first base to second. And with just two pickoff attempts allowed — if there’s no pickoff on the third attempt, it’s a balk — baserunners can be far more daring.
But these are the Giants, one of the slowest teams in the majors, largely a station-to-station outfit that hasn’t taken many chances unless it’s a good bet to succeed. Last season the Giants were last in the majors in average sprint speed at 28.2 feet per second, according to Statcast, which didn’t favorably rank them in home-to-first and home-to-second averages, either.
Most of the regulars have not been major threats on the bases, but the shorter distances could make a difference for them. The Giants didn’t run much last season, but they were among the most efficient base-stealing teams, succeeding at an 80% clip.
“I think the size of the bases matter,” Kapler said. “While they’re closer together, in theory that means defenders might be a little closer to the bases as well. I don’t know if it’s as simple as, ‘Well, they’re 4½ inches closer and, therefore, all of those bang-bang plays, the baserunner is going to be safe.’ But there might be a little to that, so I think teams are recognizing that.”
That includes the Giants, who know opponents will be aggressive as well, especially younger and more athletic teams such as the Diamondbacks.
“We’re spending a lot of time with our pitchers, infielders and catchers on how we’re going to control the running game,” Kapler said. “We have to look for new ways to control the running game because we feel the running game is going to be more significant across the league.”
For the Giants, smart baserunning will still be key. When to run, as well as how much to run. Not just when stealing bases, but when it makes sense to go first to third.
“I want to see better decisionmaking,” Kapler said. “I want to see less reliance on coaches and more instinctive understanding of when the appropriate time is to push the envelope.”
Estrada echoed Kapler’s sentiments, saying through an interpreter, “Last year, I might have been thrown out at second (on a close play), and this year I should be able to steal the base because it’s bigger, and there’s a limited amount of times the pitcher can throw over. However, you have to be smart. The game is going to dictate whether I steal more bases.”
A couple of younger players are energizing camp with their speed, efficiency and success, including Johnson, who played last season at Triple-A Sacramento, where the bigger bases were already in play as an experiment. He stole 31 bags and was caught just six times.
In one game, the opposing pitcher twice tried to pick off Johnson, who then was able to take a bigger lead and easily stole second, knowing a failed pickoff attempt would be called a balk.
“It’s still a learning curve,” Johnson said, “but I think it favors me.
“That’s my game. When I get on base, I’m looking for the next bag no matter what, as quickly as I can.”
Johnson is destined to open the season in Sacramento but could be called up if an outfielder is injured or if the Giants want better speed off the bench. This year, the Giants are entirely aware that’s likely to be more of a priority.