In fantasy baseball, standard categories like home runs, batting average, and ERA often feel like stubborn boulders that require massive roster overhauls to move. However, stolen bases are a fluid, hyper-dynamic resource that can completely reshape a matchup or a standing in a matter of days. Whether you are battling in a season-long rotisserie format or fighting a weekly war in a head-to-head league, speed is uniquely responsive to active management and should always warrant your attention on the fantasy baseball waiver wire.

While you can always execute major trades to acquire high-profile, everyday base-stealers, the true path to fantasy dominance lies in the art of the waiver-wire stream. Speed on the basepaths is not a vacuum; it is an equation based on context. If you know which managers give their runners a permanent green light, which starting pitchers take ages to deliver a baseball, and which catchers struggle with sluggish pop-times, you can manufacture categories on demand. By tracking daily metrics, sharp fantasy managers turn the weekly schedule into a personalized cheat sheet. This comprehensive MLB stolen base report breaks down the numbers across Major League Baseball through games to pinpoint exactly how you can maximize this crucial category.

 

 

 

MLB Stolen Base Leaders as of June 27th, 2026

The top of the individual leaderboard features a mix of elite cornerstone studs and specialized speed merchants. Tracking these MLB stolen base leaders helps gauge the baseline production required to stay competitive in rotisserie categories. According to official player tracking, the current league leaders are:

A bit of movement from last week’s MLB Stolen Base Report, but nothing we weren’t already expecting. Nunez and Witt have been battling back and forth for the league lead, but no steals from Witt this week due to a Grade-1 MCL sprain has left him falling behind. There is no IL stint scheduled, so look for him to start rising towards the top, once again. Chisholm was expected to make a move with both Ramirez and Cruz injured, but keep an eye this week on a few other names as Randy Arozarena, Fernando Tatis and Chandler Simpson are all tied with 19 steals while Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jakob Marsee are tied at 18 steals apiece.

 

MLB Teams Attempting the Most Stolen Bases

Team philosophy dictates opportunity, and certain managers consistently flash the green light. When executing a weekly streaming strategy, look to players on teams with high cumulative attempts (stolen bases plus caught stealing) to maximize your chances:

The Yankees and Padres were the most aggressive on the bases over the past week with both teams posting double-digit steals and attempts.  The Yankees took advantage of facing catchers from the Cincinnati Reds (18.4% CS rate) and Detroit Tigers (24.2% CS rate) while the Padres did yeoman’s work against the Atlanta Braves (14.1% CS) and Texas Rangers (20.8% CS). And neither team did it with just one guy. You saw multiple players aggressive on the bases, so when you’re searching for MLB stolen base leaders on the waiver wire, targeting the lower thirds of these specific lineups can yield cheap bags simply due to organizational philosophy. 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

Volume is valuable, but high-efficiency teams preserve win probability and boost individual player value. Evaluating efficiency alongside overall MLB stolen base trends allows fantasy managers to identify which lineups maximize their opportunities without running into careless outs.

Here's another angle for you to take with regard to augmenting your stolen base total. They don't need to be the biggest burners, but if a team has strong efficiency on the bases, they can prove to be a massive help to your roster. Of course, you want to take a close look at the numbers as the Texas Rangers may be one of the more efficient teams on the bases, their attempts are dramatically lower than the rest while teams like the Phillies and Cubs continue to climb in both success rate as well as attempts. Keep a watchful eye on the Pirates this week. Even though Oneil Cruz is out for an extended period of time, they just activated Konnor Griffin from the IL. He had 14 stolen bases with a 93.3-percent success rate and a near30-sprint speed. I expect him to pick up right where he left off.

 

Pitchers Allowing the Most Stolen Bases

Elite base stealers get their best jumps off slow pitching deliveries, not weak catcher arms. If a pitcher has a slow time-to-plate or fails to mix up his hold times, runners will easily secure a large jump. When mapping out your weekly lineups, check the MLB stolen base report to see if your speed options match up against these five vulnerable pitchers:

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 catcher plays 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 Andrew Abbott have helped boost our cash rate, as has Valdez.

 

 

 

Catchers With the Best and Worst Caught-Stealing Percentage

While pitchers dictate the initial jump, a catcher's pop-time and arm strength determine close plays at the bag. Statcast tracking shows a stark contrast between elite defensive anchors and backstops that runners routinely exploit. 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 modern MLB stolen base trends reveals that the running game is highly structured. Teams no longer run on vibes; analytics departments pinpoint weaknesses before the first pitch is even thrown. For fantasy managers, this means stolen bases are entirely predictable.

In a head-to-head league, a savvy manager can scan upcoming pitching rotations and completely swing a category by picking up a high-efficiency bench player who faces a slow-delivering lefty or a backup catcher. In rotisserie leagues, understanding MLB stolen base trends prevents panic-trading your core power hitters for speed. Instead, look at the upcoming schedule to construct an optimized rotation of speed streamers that can gradually pick up 15 to 20 incremental bags over a month, moving you up three or four spots in the league standings without destroying your home run column.

 

Top Teams to Target for SBs This Coming Week:

For the upcoming weekly fantasy matchups beginning June 29, 2026, sharp managers should optimize their active rosters around specific target teams that are primed to run wild based on their upcoming opponents.

Miami Marlins (Matchup: at Colorado Rockies)

  • The Aggressiveness Context: The Marlins lead Major League Baseball with 88 total stolen bases and have an organizational philosophy that offers a permanent green light.
  • The Matchup Edge: The Marlins head to Coors Field to face the Colorado Rockies. Colorado's primary catching deployment features Brett Sullivan, who is currently letting opposing base runners convert at a massive clip, carrying a poor 12% caught-stealing rate.
  • Players to Target: Start everyday spark plug Jakob Marsee with confidence, and look to the waiver wire for depth speed threats like Connor Norby or Heriberto Hernandez.

Milwaukee Brewers (Matchup: vs. Cincinnati Reds)

  • The Aggressiveness Context: Milwaukee ranks fifth in the majors with 77 stolen bases. They feature highly efficient base-runners who excel at exploiting slow pitching deliveries.
  • The Matchup Edge: They enter the week with a highly favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Reds, a pitching staff featuring the vulnerable Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns, caught stealing at low rates behind Tyler Stephenson.
  • Players to Target: Cooper Pratt is a stellar middle-infield choice for elite speed, while outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick serve as top-tier streaming options.

Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins

  • The Aggressiveness Context: Both teams are worth a look against each other for all the reasons we like, from pitchers with slow deliveries to catchers with slow pop-times. Victor Caratini and Yainer Diaz are fantastic catchers to target against
  • The Matchup Edge: Houston's starting rotation includes Spencer Arrighetti, who has allowed 14 stolen bases this season. When Arrighetti pitches to catcher Yanner Diaz (who holds a poor 14% caught-stealing rate), the running lane is completely wide open. As for the Twins, they frequently start catcher Victor Caratini—a defensive liability currently sitting at a mere 9% caught-stealing rate on 33 attempts.
  • Players to Target: Scan your waiver wire for any versatile top-of-the-order Astros or Twins bats or platoon outfielders who show high sprint speeds to capitalize on this specific, catcher-vulnerable weekly schedule. Names like Jeremy Pena, Luke Keaschall and Austin Martin should all be involved.