The New York Mets were the fifth-best base-stealing team in MLB a year ago but lost the mastermind behind it all to the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves.
The importance of good baserunning is undermined by good hitting, pitching and defending. All four are important, but a good baserunning team will oftentimes have a better season than a team that isn’t good on the bases.
Although the New York Mets had an epic late-season collapse that saw them miss the playoffs in 2025, the team was one of the best baserunning teams in Major League Baseball. The Mets, led by superstar outfielder Juan Soto’s 38 stolen bases, were fifth in the league with 147 swiped bags, eight more than the next-best Boston Red Sox.
Soto, who isn’t known for his blazing speed, tied Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz for the most stolen bases in the National League. His career-high before last season was 12, which he achieved twice. So, how did Soto miraculously steal nearly 40 bases and almost become the seventh member of the elusive 40/40 club? With the help of former Mets first base coach Antoan Richardson.
Under the tutelage of Richardson, Soto became heavily invested in becoming a better baserunner. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, if you ask New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, he’d tell you anyone can be a good baserunner if they set their mind to it.
Well, it appeared Soto did that last season.
“Soto seemed to do that, swiping 38 bases while getting thrown out just four times; it's as if he carried the attention to detail he has had in his intense plate appearances onto the bases, with Richardson's guidance,” Olney wrote Friday.
Unfortunately for Soto and the Mets, Richardson left New York to join the division-rival Atlanta Braves in the offseason. New York gutted its coaching staff after the disappointing finish, but the Mets wanted Richardson back because of the impact he had on the team’s running game. The Braves gave a better offer and he accepted.
The Mets that remain from last season will surely hold onto the knowledge that Richardson offered, but the Braves will now get the same words of wisdom and attempt to become less reliant on hitting home runs.
Atlanta wasn’t a good baserunning team last year, and sure enough, the team finished 76-86 and missed the playoffs. Granted, a lot of factors play a role in that and baserunning isn’t the be-all and end-all but being 27th in stolen bases certainly didn’t help the Braves’ cause.
New Braves manager Walt Weiss admitted that no player likes to do baserunning drills, but his players had a pep in their step when doing them with Richardson this spring.
Losing Richardson hurts and seeing him join an NL East rival hurts even more, but new first base coach Gilbert Gomez led the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to a lot of stolen bases in 2025, so maybe the transition will be smooth.