The stolen base is back — and so is baseball

Published September 4, 2025 11:50pm ET



Josh Naylor weighs 235 pounds and runs with a sprint speed of 24.5 feet per second, ranking 532nd out of 546 measured MLB players. He’s built like a beer-league softball cleanup hitter, the kind of stocky first baseman who looks like he should be managing a car dealership, not stealing bases. And yet, in his first month after being acquired by the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline, this absolute unit swiped 11 bases, putting him on par with speedsters such as Elly De La Cruz and Jarren Duran. In his first 14 games with Seattle, Naylor stole more bases than he had in any full season of his career. He hasn’t been caught stealing since April.

This is what baseball looks like after you fix what was ailing it.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.