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. 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. Because stealing a base relies heavily on external conditions, exploiting a slow pitching delivery, a catcher with a poor pop-time, or an aggressive manager allows you to manufacture stolen bases from unheralded 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 July 17, 2026, this comprehensive blueprint highlights the trends, leaders, and targets to help you dominate the basepaths. Not much movement with the All-Star break, but let’s check in and then see who we want to stream for the upcoming week.

 

 

 

MLB Stolen Base Leaders as of July 17th, 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.

Obviously, with the All-Star break, there’s not much in the way of movement from last week’s MLB Stolen Base Report. We’re seeing other guys creep up the leaderboard like Randy Arozarena, Jackson Merrill and Jakob Marsee, but the guys everyone likely has their eyes on is Oneil Cruz who is due back from the injured list in early August. Maybe two or three weeks away? I’m sure some of these other guys will pass him, but expect an aggressive return. Perhaps targeting him in a trade is a wise move, especially if his owner needs to make something happen for his team now. 

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. Teams that sit at the top of the MLB stolen base report for total attempts show an organizational commitment to aggressive baserunning, which forces opponents into mistakes and inflates fantasy value.

Both Miami and Washington remained aggressive, but the team to really watch seemed to be the Padres who continue to push for manufacturing runs while their power players struggle to deliver the home runs. Cleveland and Pittsburgh (even though they lost Konnor Griffin) should also remain big players if you are looking to stream in speed. Brayan Rocchio and Jake Mangum continue to serve as strong streaming options. 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.

Don’t let the emergence of the Toronto Blue Jays here deceive you. Did their success rate jump up the leaderboard? Yes, but this is a team that ranks 27th in stolen base attempts, so while yes, they have been wildly efficient on the bases, there’s not much here for streaming purposes because their attempts are so few. Stick with the other teams up here as well as Cleveland, Miami and Pittsburgh. Even Boston and Seattle are better options for you. 

 

 

 

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:

If you haven’t checked out the daily stolen base prop article yet, you’ll see how often I target against each of these guys. Some definitely more than others, but keep in mind that their catchers play an equally 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, but both Spencer Arrighetti and Sean Burke have helped us increase our cash rate.

 

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

Evaluating the macro-level MLB stolen base trends reveals that overall league success rates remain near historical highs. Rule changes limiting pitcher disengagements and widening the bases have turned the running game into a calculable science. Teams are picking their spots with much higher precision.

For fantasy managers, these MLB stolen base trends mean that the overall baseline for the category has risen. You can no longer rely on 15 stolen bases from your roster to keep you afloat in rotisserie standings. Because efficiency is up across the league, managers are giving more role 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 July 20, 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:

  • Cleveland Guardians (vs Tampa Bay Rays): The Guardians have become one of the more aggressive teams on the bases and this match-up against the catching tandem of Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes has proved fruitful for several other teams in the past. Check the availability of players like Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio for the week.
  • Washington Nationals (vs. Houston Astros): The Nationals lead baseball in total stolen base attempts. They face an Astros pitching staff featuring Spencer Arrighetti and a catching deployment led by Yainer Diaz (23% CS%). Fantasy managers should immediately activate or stream secondary speed options like Jacob Young or Nasim Nunez, who is surprisingly under-owned across multiple platforms.
  • Cincinnati Reds (vs. Texas Rangers): The Reds remain highly aggressive on the basepaths. They draw a multi-game series against the Rangers, where catcher Jonah Heim has struggled with a low 13.5% caught-stealing rate. Look to slide depth options into your lineup to secure a weekly advantage.
  • Milwaukee Brewers (vs. Toronto Blue Jays): The Brewers run frequently and match up against a Blue Jays rotation featuring Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease, both of whom sit near the top of the league in stolen bases allowed. But that's probably more about their struggling backstops like Alejandro Kirk and his 14-percent caught-stealing rate. Milwaukee's mid-tier hitters are primed to exploit these slow deliveries all week long.