What to make of SF Giants aggressiveness on bases in Brewers series?

The SF Giants were shockingly aggressive on the bases against the Milwaukee Brewers, swiping six bases in seven chances. You may not believe this, but that same Brewers club has allowed the fewest stolen bases this year at 43.

Yes, the Giants' aggressiveness on the bases represented nearly 15 percent of the stolen bases allowed by the Brewers in 2026. Plus, Milwaukee has the highest caught stealing rate at 37 percent.

The Brewers have two competent receivers behind the plate in William Contreras and Gary Sánchez.
Sánchez does not excel in framing or blocking, but he has a quick pop time and a strong arm.

That is often only one piece of the puzzle. The Brewers' pitching staff is one of the better units at managing the running game. According to Baseball Savant, they are fifth in baseball with 15 Net Bases Prevented. They are a good team for a lot of reasons, but one reason is that they are winning around the margins on the bases.

SF Giants have been remarkably efficient on the bases over the past month

So, it was surprising to see one of the least aggressive teams in the Giants stealing as many bags as they did in the three-game series against Milwaukee. Plus, they were efficient at doing it.

Heliot Ramos was the only runner to get thrown out on an attempted stolen base. It marked the first caught stealing the Giants have had since the end of June. They went 18 straight stolen base attempts without getting thrown out. On the surface, that sounds like a good mark, and it is! However, it is also a sign that they could afford to be more aggressive on the bases.

The Giants have not been known for their base-stealing prowess in recent years. Oftentimes, they have been near the bottom in steals. They struggle to get even one player to reach double-digit steals in any season. Luis Arráez is the only player to reach that mark so far. Casey Schmitt was at nine steals before sustaining what is expected to be a season-ending knee injury.

Oddly enough, the Giants have tallied at least three steals in a game just twice this season. Both games came against the Brewers earlier this week. The same team that is more effective at managing the running game than any team in baseball.

Overall, the Giants have 46 steals in 59 opportunities. That 78.0 percent success rate is robust and a sign that they should continue to be aggressive.

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