Expect Rockies to be bolder on the basepaths in 2025

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Take a cursory glance at the Rockies¡¯ roster, and you will see a team that has plenty of speed.

Brenton Doyle, Nolan Jones, Ezequiel Tovar and Sam Hilliard, to name a few, all ranked above the 70th percentile in sprint speed last year. But in 2024, the Rockies ranked 25th in the Majors in stolen bases (85). Since ¡®22, they are 28th, ahead of only the Giants and the Twins.

This year, manager Bud Black would like to see his team be more aggressive on the basepaths. He believes -- as do his players -- that the club has the personnel to make it happen.

¡°I think all of us individually know that,¡± said Doyle, who led Colorado with 30 steals last year. ¡°Having a good number of stolen bases at the end of the year should be a big goal for all of us and should help us win more games.

¡°I think there's a lot of guys that have been a little bit passive on the basepaths that can be a little bit more aggressive. And that's kind of the conversation ¡­ just being good teammates to each other and knowing that there's more potential in each other.¡±

Doyle, an emerging leader in the Rockies¡¯ clubhouse, has spoken with teammates about stealing more. ¡°I always try to push them,¡± he said. ¡°¡®I expect so-and-so amount of bases out of you this year.¡¯¡±

One potential source of increased stolen-base production this year is Jones, who logged 20 steals in his stellar rookie season in 2023. Last year, Jones had five stolen bases as he battled back and knee injuries and struggled with consistency at the plate, posting a .641 OPS in 79 games.

As a corner outfielder, Jones feels that he has a built-in advantage as a base stealer. Unlike the Doyles of the world, teams sometimes forget about him -- just as they did at times last year with first baseman Michael Toglia. Toglia finished second on the club behind Doyle with 10 steals in 2024.

¡°We want everybody dialed in and on point to take advantage of those opponents,¡± Black said. ¡°Everybody does their homework on certain pitcher-catcher combinations around the league or the opponent -- catchers¡¯ arm strength, all that. But during the course of the game, a pitcher can get a little bit lax, and you've got to be able to take advantage of it.¡±

Other Rockies who could contribute to the club¡¯s base-stealing efforts include speedy young outfielder Jordan Beck and veteran infielder Thairo Estrada, whom the team signed as a free agent in January.

While Estrada had only two steals in 96 games with the Giants in 2024, he had 20-plus stolen bases in each of the two seasons prior. Estrada, who ranked in the 70th percentile in sprint speed last year, is hoping to put his speed to use more in ¡®25.

¡°Without a doubt,¡± Estrada said via team interpreter Edwin Perez. ¡°I think what's worked for me in baseball and kind of been my calling card is being intense, being aggressive on the bases.¡±

While the notion of stealing more sounds good, it can cause more harm than good if not executed well. The Rockies will still need to pick their spots.

¡°The game has to sort of dictate what you do,¡± Black said. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be close in the score or have a lead. If you're behind a few runs, running yourself into an out or running yourself out of an inning can be detrimental. But if there's an overlying philosophy of always putting pressure on the opponent, from the first pitch of the game to the first baserunner we have, that is felt by the opponent. That's what we want to get to.¡±

For Black, being bolder on the bases is not limited to stealing. It also includes going first to third, taking more aggressive leads and getting good breaks on soft line drives that drop in the outfield. The Rockies will look to do all of that more often in 2025.