The Philadelphia Phillies Are Winning Games on the Bases in 2022

The Philadelphia Phillies have subtly turned into one of the best baserunning teams in the sport, and their speed is helping them win ballgames.

The Philadelphia Phillies' baserunning has stayed under the radar much of the season. 

Heading into the year, it was the big bats that got all the attention. After all, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos came to Philadelphia to hit baseballs, not play small ball.

Over time, the starting pitching started to take focus as it become clear Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Ranger Suárez have what it takes to lead the team to success. More recently, the defense and the bullpen have been getting some much-deserved recognition too, as those are the areas in which the Phillies have shown the most improvement. 

With all those other components of the game stealing the spotlight, it's no wonder Philadelphia's baserunning hasn't gotten much attention. But that is an oversight, and it's time to correct it. Because this team's baserunning deserves to be talked about. 

Over the past few years, the Phillies haven't been known for their base stealing. From 2017 to 2021, they ranked 17th in the sport with 318 swiped bags. They stole bases efficiently (77% success rate), but not in high numbers. 

This year, however, Philadelphia is tied for third in baseball with 81 stolen bases. They've done so with an excellent 81.81% success rate. With 41 games still left to play, the Phillies are on pace to swipe 107 bags.

In this era of baseball, those are formidable numbers. The last time Philadelphia stole more than 81 bags in a season was 2016. The last time they stole more than 107 was in 2014 (and almost half of those were by one man – Ben Revere). 

To find the last year they finished among the top-five teams in stolen bases, one has to go all the way back to 2008. That was a pretty great year for Phillies baserunning (and Phillies baseball in general), with the likes of Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Jayson Werth at the top of the lineup, and with the talented Davey Lopes as baserunning coach.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins steals second base in 2008 / © Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

It makes sense the 2008 team was so great at baserunning. It's the kind of skill that wins championships. Every team needs to be able to hit and pitch to make the playoffs, but good baserunning can turn a good team into a great team. In the 2008 postseason, elite baserunning helped separate Philadelphia from the pack. 

All that to say, it is exciting to see the Phillies succeeding on the base paths once again. Not only do they rank third in stolen bases with an excellent success rate, but they are one of the best teams in baseball, according to the advanced baserunning metrics from FanGraphs. Philadelphia ranks fifth in Ultimate Base Running (UBR), third in weighted Stolen Base Runs (wSB), and sixth in Base Running (BsR). 

They are doing this as a team effort, which makes it all the more impressive. It's not just one or two incredible speedsters inflating the numbers. 

J.T. Realmuto leads the team with 15 stolen bases. Jean Segura is second with 11. They are the only players with double digit steals. But the Phillies have had eight different players swipe at least five bags this season, which leads the league. They have had 12 different players steal at least twice, which ranks fifth.

Among players on the active roster, only three have a below-average sprint speed (per Statcast): Rhys Hoskins, Kyle Schwarber, and Darick Hall, and even Hoskins and Hall are close to average for their positions. 

In addition to the players, a great deal of credit must go to baserunning coach Paco Figueroa. Back in May, he told Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that his goal was for Philadelphia to be "different from the other 29 teams." To achieve this, he instructs his players to focus on mindset rather than just technique. His approach seems to be working.

Baerunning coach Paco Figueroa has a conversation with Kyle Schwarber at first base / © John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies have no shortage of stars. They have two Cy Young-caliber starters at the top of the rotation, and a lineup that can punish opposing pitchers. In order to compete with the best of the best, however, they need to succeed at the margins too. 

That means shoring up the defense with acquisitions like Edmundo Sosa. It means discovering diamonds in the rough to pitch out of the bullpen like Andrew Bellatti. And it means finding ways to score extra runs with smart baserunning. 

Finding value at the margins is a strategy the Phillies have preached for years without much success. If they can keep it up this season, they'll be playing meaningful baseball come October for the first time in a long time. 

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