Compare Henderson, Brock, Raines, Wills, Coleman, and Leflore in the top attributes needed to be an MLB base stealer.
Here’s a concise, attribute-by-attribute comparison of Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, Tim Raines, Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, and Ron LeFlore as base stealers, focusing on what actually makes a great MLB thief: raw speed, jumps/reading pitchers, success rate, aggressiveness/volume, and overall offensive value.
Key context
- Career steals (MLB): Henderson 1,406; Brock 938; Raines 808; Coleman 752; Wills 586; LeFlore 455.
- Henderson is the all‑time leader and the only player with 1,000+ steals.
- Henderson’s success rate is around 81%, and he was even more efficient stealing third than second.
Attribute overview table
How they stack up in the main base‑stealing traits (relative grades within this group):
| | | | | |
| Rickey Henderson | Elite | Elite | Very high | Extreme | Elite leadoff profile (OBP, walks, runs) |
| Lou Brock | Very high | Good | Moderate | Very high | Very good overall hitter |
| Tim Raines | Very high | Elite | Elite | High | Excellent OBP / run creator |
| Maury Wills | Very high | Very good | Good | Extreme (esp. 1962) | OBP decent, value heavily in steals |
| Vince Coleman | Elite | Good | Good–very good | Extreme (mid‑80s Cards) | Limited bat, steals were primary value |
| Ron LeFlore | Very high | Average–good | Moderate–good | High | Good hitter in peak years |
1. Raw speed
- Henderson, Coleman, and LeFlore were the pure burners, with Coleman probably the straight‑line fastest in his peak years.
- Brock, Raines, and Wills were also extremely fast, but their edge came as much from technique and guts as from pure sprint speed.
- In terms of “if everybody knew he was running and it was a dead sprint,” Coleman and LeFlore might rival or surpass Henderson; however, Rickey’s combination of speed plus power and durability makes his speed more valuable over time.
2. Reading pitchers and jumps
This is where the true art of stealing shows up.
- Henderson: Exceptional at reading moves, varying his leads, and picking counts; he famously said he focused on getting a big lead to make steals as much about his jump as his speed.
- Raines: Often regarded as the most efficient technician; his timing and pitch reading made him incredibly tough to throw out despite slightly fewer attempts than Henderson.
- Wills: Transformed the running game in the early 1960s; his entire offensive value was tied to his ability to get great jumps, especially in 1962 when he stole 104 bases and changed how teams defended the running game.
- Brock: Very good instincts, but more “green light all the time” than ultra‑selective; teams knew he was going, yet he still piled up big totals.
- Coleman: Relied more on pure speed and pressure; jumps were good, but he sometimes ran in less‑than‑ideal spots because his speed forgave small mistakes.
- LeFlore: Read pitchers well enough to post big totals, but compared to Henderson/Raines/Wills, he’s a touch behind on pure craft.
If your priority is “who could read pitchers and manufacture the best jumps,” Henderson and Raines sit at the top, with Wills close behind.
3. Success rate and efficiency
- Henderson succeeded on about 80–81% of his steal attempts overall, including over 80% stealing second and an even higher rate stealing third.
- Raines is legendary for his efficiency; among high‑volume base stealers (300+ attempts), he ranks near the very top in success rate.
- Brock’s success rate, while good, is notably lower than Henderson’s and Raines’s; he made up for it with sheer volume and impact at the time.
- Wills and Coleman: high totals with good but not Henderson/Raines‑level efficiency; their aggression occasionally cost outs but also shaped how opponents pitched and defended.
- LeFlore: Respectable efficiency, but again not at the Henderson/Raines standard; his value came more from his peak bursts of stealing than long‑term elite efficiency.
For modern run‑expectancy thinking (where 75%+ is usually the break‑even), Henderson and especially Raines were the most “economically” valuable base stealers.
4. Aggressiveness and volume
- Henderson: By far the largest combination of attempts and total steals; he tried to steal roughly a third of the time when he had a chance at second, and he uniquely attacked third base, stealing it 235 times with excellent success.
- Brock: Prior era’s version of all‑out aggression; broke the all‑time record before Rickey and routinely led the league in steals.
- Wills: In 1962, he blew past long‑standing records with 104 steals, more than doubling the previous modern mark and forcing opponents to redesign their approach to holding runners.
- Coleman: Three straight seasons of 100+ steals in the mid‑1980s; like Henderson and Wills, he was always looking to go once he reached first.
- Raines: High volume but somewhat more selective than Henderson/Coleman; his game emphasized efficiency plus impact.
- LeFlore: Strong totals and aggressive within his shorter peak window, but not in the same career‑length volume tier.
If the attribute you care about is “willingness to run all the time and force the issue,” Henderson, Wills, and Coleman are the most extreme.
5. Overall offensive value while stealing
Stealing is most valuable when paired with getting on base and creating runs.
- Henderson: Walk machine and run‑scoring engine; he drew more walks than any other player, scored more runs than anyone, and converted his steals into enormous run value at the top of the lineup.
- Raines: High OBP, extra‑base power, and elite efficiency on the bases; his steals came in the context of being one of the best all‑around leadoff hitters of his era.
- Brock: Good hitter and key offensive catalyst; his steals amplified a strong but more conventional offensive profile.
- Wills: Much more dependent on steals for value; when he wasn’t getting on and running, he didn’t offer as much with the bat.
- Coleman: Prototype of the “specialist” base stealer; the running was his main offensive contribution, as he walked less and hit for limited power.
- LeFlore: Productive hitter at his peak with good averages and some pop; his speed added a second dimension but didn’t reach the all‑time value tier of Henderson/Raines.
In terms of complete base‑stealing package (getting on base, choosing good spots, and stealing efficiently at high volume), Henderson and Raines clearly separate from the others.
Putting it together by “top attributes”
If we isolate the
key traits needed to be a top MLB base stealer and rank this group within each trait:
- Raw top‑end speed: 1) Coleman, 2) Henderson, 3) LeFlore, 4) Raines, 5) Wills, 6) Brock
- Reading pitchers / jumps: 1) Henderson, 2) Raines, 3) Wills, 4) Brock, 5) Coleman, 6) LeFlore
- Success rate / efficiency: 1) Raines, 2) Henderson, 3) Wills, 4) Coleman, 5) LeFlore, 6) Brock
- Aggressiveness / volume: 1) Henderson, 2) Brock, 3) Coleman, 4) Wills, 5) Raines, 6) LeFlore
- Overall offensive value with steals: 1) Henderson, 2) Raines, 3) Brock, 4) LeFlore, 5) Wills, 6) Coleman
Illustrative takeaway:
- If you need one perfectly chosen steal in a critical spot, you might lean Raines or Henderson because of efficiency and reads.
- If you want someone who will completely distort how the defense plays over a season, Henderson (with Wills and Coleman in their peaks) is the model.
