Next SF Giants coaching staff will need to get more value out of roster in critical area

If you have watched the SF Giants in recent seasons, then you likely know by now that they just do not steal bases at a high volume. The incoming coaching staff should prioritize getting more value out of the roster on the bases.

Next SF Giants coaching staff will need to get more value out of roster in critical area

The Giants finished with 68 stolen bases in 2025. Only the Detroit Tigers had fewer steals at 61. At a 73.9 percent success rate, the Giants also had one of the lowest success rates in baseball. The league average rate is 77.7 percent.

The success rate should serve as a barometer for how aggressive a team can be on the bases. If they are not successful in at least 75 percent of attempts, then they should be relatively conservative. Perhaps, the Giants made the right call in having the second fewest stolen bases attempts at 92.

Nevertheless, this is a problem that is not going away. The Giants have capable baserunners, but it has not been prioritized in recent seasons and they have not been coached up to be more aggressive on the bases.

The Giants only had two players reach double-digit steals in 2025. Willy Adames led the way with 12 steals, followed by Jung Hoo Lee with 10 steals.

While Adames led the team in steals, he did take a notable step back compared to 2024. In his final season with the Milwaukee Brewers, he stole 21 bases in 25 opportunities. This is not to place blame on the Giants' shortstop for the lack of baserunning, but to highlight the contrast in performance with two different organizations.

Matt Chapman set a career-high with 15 steals in 2024. He only stole nine bags this season. Some of this could be a function of spending time on the injured list.

Lee has the speed to steal more bases, but that just has not materialized yet. Chapman, Adames, and Lee all graded out as having above-average speed in 2025. Christian Koss and Tyler Fitzgerald also graded out highly in that category.

No one is going to confuse the Giants with the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals, who stole 314 bases while winning 101 games, but San Francisco needs to change something up next season.

It starts with coaching. It is hard to ignore the success that certain players had on the bases this year. Juan Soto is a well below-average runner, but he stole 38 bases in 42 chances this year. That is more than half of the steals the Giants recorded as a team. It is also no surprise that his first base coach, Antoan Richardson, is well-regarded in that role and was very skilled at that part of the game during his minor league career.

Josh Naylor is another well below-average runner, but had 30 steals in 32 opportunities this year. These cases highlight that it takes more than just speed to be successful on the bases. Part of that can be taught, but it also needs to be prioritized by the coaching staff and front office.

That part has been missing from the Giants in recent years. Whatever led to Soto and Naylor recording career-highs in steals this year needs to be studied and understood by the Giants' front office and future coaching staff. They need more of that acumen in the organization. Upskilling this area of the game would put more pressure on the defense and opposing pitchers.