What is SB in Baseball?
Stolen Bases · Batting
A stolen base (SB) is credited to a baserunner who successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering to home plate, without the benefit of a hit, walk, error, or passed ball. The attempt is recorded as either a stolen base or a caught stealing (CS). Stolen bases are the most direct measure of a player's speed and baserunning aggressiveness.
Formula
SB = Total successful steal attempts; Success Rate = SB ÷ (SB + CS)
A player who attempts 50 steals and succeeds on 40 has an 80% success rate (40 ÷ 50 = 0.80), which is considered efficient. Below 65–70%, the caught stealings cost the offense more runs than the successful steals create.
Benchmarks
| Level | SB |
|---|---|
| Legendary (season) | 70+ |
| Elite (season) | 50–69 |
| Excellent (season) | 30–49 |
| Good (season) | 15–29 |
| Hall of Fame (career) | 400+ |
ALL-TIME CAREER SB LEADERS
| Rank | Player | SB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rickey Henderson | 1406 |
| 2 | Lou Brock | 938 |
| 3 | Billy Hamilton | 914 |
| 4 | Ty Cobb | 896 |
| 5 | Tim Raines | 808 |
| 6 | Vince Coleman | 752 |
| 7 | Arlie Latham | 742 |
| 8 | Eddie Collins | 741 |
| 9 | Max Carey | 738 |
| 10 | Honus Wagner | 723 |
BEST SINGLE-SEASON SB IN MLB HISTORY
| Rank | Player | Year | Team | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hugh Nicol | 1887 | CN2 | 138 |
| 2 | Rickey Henderson | 1982 | OAK | 130 |
| 3 | Arlie Latham | 1887 | SL4 | 129 |
| 4 | Lou Brock | 1974 | STL | 118 |
| 5 | Charlie Comiskey | 1887 | SL4 | 117 |
| 6 | Billy Hamilton | 1889 | KC2 | 111 |
| 7 | Billy Hamilton | 1891 | PHI | 111 |
| 8 | John Ward | 1887 | NY1 | 111 |
| 9 | Vince Coleman | 1985 | STL | 110 |
| 10 | Vince Coleman | 1987 | STL | 109 |
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Stolen bases were far more common in baseball's early decades. The Dead Ball Era (1900–1919) featured teams built around speed and manufacturing runs one base at a time. Ty Cobb stole 897 bases (later retroactively amended) in an era when baserunning was the primary offensive weapon.
Rickey Henderson is the greatest basestealer in baseball history, with 1,406 career stolen bases — more than any other player by a wide margin. Henderson also holds the single-season record with 130 stolen bases in 1982 for the Oakland Athletics.
The advent of the lively ball in the 1920s and the home run era shifted offensive strategy away from stolen bases. Lou Brock and Maury Wills revived the stolen base's prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, leading the Dodgers and Cardinals to use speed as a primary weapon.
In the modern era, front offices increasingly use analytics to determine when stealing is worth the risk. The break-even success rate of roughly 73–75% means many teams have de-emphasized stolen bases. The 2023 rule changes — including larger bases and limits on pickoff attempts — led to a surge in stolen base attempts across the league.
ERA COMPARISON: HOW THE LEAGUE AVERAGE HAS SHIFTED
Stolen base rates have swung dramatically across eras, from the aggressive Dead Ball Era to the power-focused Steroid Era and back up after 2023 rule changes.
| Era | Years | Avg SB/Team/Season |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Ball Era | 1900–1919 | 192 |
| Live Ball Era | 1920–1941 | 77 |
| Post-WWII Era | 1942–1960 | 53 |
| Year of the Pitcher | 1961–1968 | 67 |
| Expansion Era | 1969–1988 | 111 |
| Steroid Era | 1989–2005 | 108 |
| Post-Steroid Era | 2006–2019 | 92 |
| Modern Era | 2020–2024 | 97 |
Average stolen bases per team per 162-game season. The 2023 rule changes (larger bases, pitch clock, pickoff limits) drove a sharp increase in steal attempts. Computed from Lahman historical MLB data.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is SB in baseball?
A stolen base (SB) is credited to a baserunner who successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering to home plate, without the benefit of a hit, walk, error, or passed ball. The attempt is recorded as either a stolen base or a caught stealing (CS). Stolen bases are the most direct measure of a player's speed and baserunning aggressiveness.
How is SB calculated?
Stolen bases are a simple counting statistic — each successful steal attempt adds one to a player's total. Success rate (SB%) calculates how often a player succeeds when they attempt to steal. Break-even success rate is approximately 70–75%; below that threshold, stolen base attempts cost more runs than they create.
What is a good SB in baseball?
In the modern era, 30+ stolen bases in a season is excellent; 50+ is elite; 70+ is legendary. Career totals above 400 are exceptional. Success rate above 80% is elite; 75% is average; below 65% means the player is likely hurting their team by running. Note that stolen base attempts have declined significantly in recent decades as teams prioritize not making outs.
Who has the most career stolen bases in MLB history?
Rickey Henderson holds the all-time career stolen base record with 1,406, nearly 500 more than second-place Lou Brock (938). Henderson also set the single-season record with 130 stolen bases in 1982. Tim Raines (808), Ty Cobb (897), and Vince Coleman (752) are among the other all-time leaders.
What is a good stolen base success rate?
Analytics research shows that a baserunner needs to succeed on roughly 73–75% of steal attempts for stolen bases to be a net positive for the offense. Below that threshold, the outs made on caught stealings cost more runs than the successful steals create. Elite baserunners like Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines both exceeded 80% success rates over their careers.
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