In fantasy baseball, categories like home runs and strikeouts require overwhelming raw talent that is hard to find on the waiver wire. However, stolen bases operate under a completely different set of rules and looking at raw speed isn’t enough. Garrett Mitchell is one of the fastest players in baseball but is only 12-for-18 on the basepaths. Meanwhile, Josh Naylor is the second slowest player in all of baseball and is 25-for-32 in steals (went 30-for-32 last season). It remains the most volatile and movable category in both rotisserie and head-to-head (H2H) leagues.

While elite, high-draft-capital speedsters provide a safe statistical floor, you do not have to rely solely on blockbuster trades to win the category. Instead, sharp managers use a weekly MLB stolen base report to stream speed. With base stealing relying on so many different factors; exploiting a slow pitching delivery, a catcher with a poor pop-time, or team strategy, you can add stolen bases to your team from some under-the-radar roster additions. 

The strategy requires anchoring your roster with proven speed while identifying the optimal windows to stream role players from your fantasy baseball waiver wire. Grounded in data up to August 30, 2026, this comprehensive blueprint highlights the trends, leaders, and targets to help you dominate the basepaths. Let’s dive into who are good stolen base options for the upcoming week. 

 

 

 

MLB Stolen Base Leaders as of August 30th, 2026

The elite tier of speed features players who possess a permanent green light regardless of the matchup. In rotisserie formats, these anchors keep you competitive, while in H2H leagues, they can single-handedly win you the category in any given week.

We had a little bit of movement on our stolen base leaderboard from last week’s MLB Stolen Base Report. Nasim Nunez remains on top, but Jazz has been cruising lately and is now up to 28 steals, only 2 shy of a career high for him despite being one of his worst seasons at the plate. Other than that, the leaderboard remains mostly the same names we have gotten used to that just continue to separate themselves from the pack. 

MLB Teams Attempting the Most Stolen Bases

To project future speed production, checking individual player talent is only half the battle; understanding managerial philosophy is just as critical. It doesn’t matter how fast a player is, if the team doesn’t like to run, they just won’t get the opportunity to get your steals. Teams that sit at the top of the MLB stolen base report for total attempts show an organizational commitment to aggressive baserunning, and at this point in the season if they have shown a commitment to run (or not run) that is unlikely to change. 

Miami holds at the top of this leaderboard, the fight for second place has gotten interesting with the Nationals, Brewers, Rays, and Yankees all within 3 attempts of each other, although the Nationals still have by far the best efficiency and lead the league with 146 steals. The stolen base rates have increased some across the league with the infusion of more speed and youth as the season goes on. You can check the match-ups against specific teams/catchers using our Daily Stolen Base Prop Finder as well as the daily stolen base prop article.

 

MLB Teams with the Highest Stolen Base Success Rate

High volume is excellent for counting stats, but poor efficiency can stall an offense and prompt a manager to turn off the green light. Fantasy managers must prioritize players on teams that maximize their opportunities. Efficient base running teams can be a great place to look for steals because they likely be more overlooked than the teams with high volume. 

The Washington Nationals remain at 6th place for efficiency which is impressive combined with being 2nd in attempts. The Toronto Blue Jays find their way onto this leaderboard but with only 68 steals it just doesn’t mean much because you can’t rely on them to run much. If you need some steals these teams that are in the playoff hunt could continue to be the more aggressive teams that try to push the envelope and win games any way they can. There could be more surprise stolen base assets across the league as we get into September call ups. 

 

 

 

Pitchers Allowing the Most Stolen Bases

Savvy fantasy managers understand that base runners frequently steal off the pitcher rather than the catcher. Tracking slow deliveries, high leg kicks, and subpar pickoff moves highlights the ideal matchups to exploit. These starting pitchers have surrendered the most stolen bases across the major leagues this season:

You can see how often these pitchers have been targeted in the daily stolen base prop article. Some more than others, but keep in mind that their catchers play an even more important role. Below you’ll see the best and worst of catchers but also take note of the pitchers’ talent levels. Targeting against pitchers like Burns, Ryan or Rasmussen can be difficult, simply because they don’t allow many baserunners so it can be hard to predict if players will get any opportunities to steal against them. This can also help you see teams to target that have multiple players up on this list like the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants. 

 

Catchers With the Best and Worst Caught-Stealing Percentage

When validating an individual MLB stolen base report, checking the defensive metrics behind the plate serves as your final layer of security. Statcast metrics illustrate a stark divide between elite defensive anchors and catchers struggling to limit opposing runners. Our new stolen base prop finder will reveal exactly who to target and who to avoid. (minimum of 10 SB attempts against):

Best Caught Stealing Percentage

Worst Caught Stealing Percentage

 

 

 

MLB Stolen Base Trends and Fantasy Implications

It doesn’t take a lot of digging to see that stolen bases are easier to come by than ever, with some of the highest stolen base success rates that we have ever seen. The rule changes of the pitch clock, limited pitcher disengagements, and widening the bases have made stealing bases easier than ever and with teams embracing analytics they have gotten much better at knowing when to run to keep their efficiency at an all-time high while still running more often.  

For fantasy managers this means stolen bases are easier to find than ever before, but this also means you need way more stolen bases than you used to. You can no longer rely on 15 stolen bases from your roster to keep you afloat in rotisserie standings. With efficiency up across the league, managers are giving more players the freedom to run if the matchup dictates it. This creates a perfect environment for streaming tier-two or tier-three speed options who sit on your league's waiver wire.

Top Teams to Target for SBs This Coming Week:

To gain an edge for the upcoming matchups beginning August 31, 2026, we look at the intersection of aggressive team tendencies and vulnerable opponent defense. Looking closely at the MLB stolen base report allows us to pinpoint the best teams to target for streaming speed:

  • Milwaukee Brewers (vs. Cincinnati Reds): The Reds remain a great team to steal on, and the Brewers keep running a lot. They get them to end this week which should give them plenty of chances to add to their stolen base total, and even the Cubs to start the week they should be able to steal plenty on as well. 
  • Washington Nationals (vs Atlanta Braves/Los Angeles Dodgers): The Nationals remain the best stolen base team in baseball where it almost doesn’t even matter what the matchups are. The Dodgers to end the week aren’t the easiest team to steal on, but also aren’t the hardest. The Braves to start the week is where the real opportunity to steal will be for them. 
  • San Diego Padres (vs Cincinnati Reds/New York Yankees) The Reds and Yankees line up for a great week for the Padres to keep running. They’ve remained a top running team in the league and the Reds and Yankees are two of the easier teams to run on which should give them ample opportunities to keep climbing up the stolen base leaderboard this week.