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Who are the top base-stealing teams of 2009? June 29, 2009 As we near the season's midpoint, the Tampa Bay Rays are on an historic pace:
| Top Five Teams, Stolen Bases (through June 28th)
|
| Season |
Team
| Stolen Bases
| Caught Stealing
| Percentage
|
| 2009 |
Tampa Bay Rays |
118 |
25
| 82.5%
|
| 2009 |
Los Angeles Angels |
76 |
24
| 76.0%
|
| 2009 |
New York Mets |
73 |
21
| 77.7%
|
| 2009 |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
65 |
23
| 73.9% |
| 2009 |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
62 |
18
| 77.5% |
The Rays led the majors last season with 142 stolen bases. This year, led by Carl Crawford (39) and B.J. Upton (28), the 2009 Rays have stolen 118 bases in just 77 games and should easily blow by last season's total. In fact, the Rays are on pace to steal 262 bases, which would be the highest mark since the 1986 Cardinals. Here are the top stolen base team totals since the mound was lowered in 1969:
| Season |
Team
| Stolen Bases
| Caught Stealing
| Percentage
|
| 1976 |
Oakland Athletics |
341 |
123
| 73.5% |
| 1985 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
314 |
96
| 76.6%
|
| 1986 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
262 |
78
| 77.1%
|
| 1977 |
Pittsburgh Pirates |
260 |
120
| 68.4% |
| 1992 |
Milwaukee Brewers |
256 |
115
| 69.0% |
Compared to these other teams, the Rays are stealing bases at a very high success rate (82.5%). But even more remarkable is the fact that there are three other American League teams with a higher percentage so far this season. Here are the most efficient teams since 1969:
| Season |
Team
| Stolen Bases
| Caught Stealing
| Percentage
|
| 2007 |
Philadelphia Phillies |
138 |
19
| 87.9% |
| 2009 |
New York Yankees* |
59 |
10
| 85.5%
|
| 2009 |
Texas Rangers* |
60 |
11
| 84.5%
|
| 2008 |
Philadelphia Phillies |
136 |
25
| 84.5% |
| 1994 |
Baltimore Orioles |
69 |
13
| 84.1% |
| 2009 |
Kansas City Royals* |
39 |
8
| 83.0% |
| 2009 |
Tampa Bay Rays* |
118 |
25
| 82.5%
|
| 1995 |
Toronto Blue Jays |
75 |
16
| 82.4%
|
| 1975 |
Cincinnati Reds
|
168 |
36
| 82.4% |
| 2004 |
New York Mets |
107 |
23
| 82.3%
|
*through June 28th, 2009
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