MLB Stolen Base Leaders 2025

What this chart shows. The ten players who stole the most bases in the 2025 regular season. José Caballero led the majors with 49, five more than Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays and José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians, who both stole 44. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, Juan Soto of the New York Mets and Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates tied on 38.

How the data is collected. The counts are taken from MLB's official Stats API, one season line per player. Caballero stole 34 bases for the Rays and 15 for the New York Yankees after a trade, which is why Wikipedia's American League leader table lists him under both clubs. Its figures agree with the API: 49 for Caballero, and 38 for Cruz and Soto at the top of the National League.

Background. MLB's glossary defines a stolen base as a runner taking a base he is not entitled to, usually while the pitch is thrown, but also during a pickoff attempt or as the catcher returns the ball. The official scorer must judge that the runner was trying to steal. No steal is credited when a runner advances on an error, or when the defense lets him go late in a game, which is ruled defensive indifference. Since the 2023 rule changes, a pitcher may disengage from the rubber, by a pickoff attempt or a step-off, only twice per plate appearance.

Limits. The chart counts successes and ignores failures: Caballero was caught stealing 11 times and Simpson 12, while Ramírez was caught 7 times in 51 attempts. MLB's glossary argues that a runner who succeeds only half the time does his team a disservice. Playing time also differs: Simpson played 109 games.