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MLB: The Top 15 Major League Baseball Base Stealers of All-Time

By Nicholas Ian Allen

June 8, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Yankees Ricky Henderson before the old timers game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
June 8, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Yankees Ricky Henderson before the old timers game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (3) runs after hitting am RBI ground rule double in the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (3) runs after hitting am RBI ground rule double in the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

14. player. 71. . Outfielder. Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, 2002-Present. Carl Crawford (Tie)

The first player on our list is one of just two active players to earn the honor: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford, who ranks 44th on the all-time list and 23rd among our qualifiers with 470 career steals through May 13, 2015.

470 Career SB

33.58 SB Per Season

81.6% Success Rate

47 SB Per 162 Games

54 Points

To date, Crawford has averaged 33.58 stolen bases per season (including the 15 games he’s played so far in 2015, in which he has yet to attempt a steal), and he has averaged 47 stolen bases per 162 games through his first 14 seasons in the big leagues. He also tied a Major League record with six steals in a game in 2003.

The biggest reason Crawford made the cut is his extreme efficiency. He currently ranks fourth on our list with an 81.6% success rate, which currently ranks 30th in Major League history.

Understandably, Crawford’s best seasons as a base stealer came as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. He led the American League in steals four times in Tampa and averaged 45.44 thefts per year with the club. Now 33 years old, Crawford doesn’t run nearly as much as he did early in his career. In fact, he has just 61 stolen bases combined in the six seasons since leaving the Rays after the 2010 season.

While Crawford could climb up this list in the future, it’s just as likely he will fall. As he’s aged, Crawford’s average steals per season have dwindled. Should his success rate drop as well, he could move towards the back of the pack among players in our database.

Next: Delino DeShields

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