Baseball fans rejoice, we are just one day away from MLB Opening Day! A brand new season is among us but before we get started, let's see who could potentially be the strikeout leader for this season. With that said, let's take a look at our MLB Odds series for our 2023 regular season stolen base leader prediction and pick.
It was the unlikeliest player who led the majors in stolen bases for 2022 with Miami's third baseman, Jon Berti. He will be looking to repeat the year at the top but he has a ton of competition ahead of him for 2023. Let's take a look at the odds and who will be the next stolen base leader for the 2023 season.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: 2023 Stolen Base Leader
Ronald Acuna Jr.: +500
Esteury Ruiz: +700
Cedric Mullens: +1100
Adalberto Mondesi: +1100
Trea Turner: +1100
Why Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Win
What Ronald Acuna Jr. was able to do after reconstructed ACL injury was remarkable. He was able to steal 29 bases on the year in just 119 games. He may have seemed a bit slower than usual after the reconstructive injury but that is far is the past at this point.
He is now fully healthy with absolutely no problems when he is running. If he attempted to steal 40 bases in just 119 games you can expect many more opportunities in a full season. Being how young and how aggressive he is on the basepaths there is a good chance he can reign supreme this year.
Why Esteury Diaz Could Win
Esteury Diaz had blazing speed in the minors. He stole a whopping 85 bags in 99 attempts in just 114 games. There's little chance that he is sent almost 100 times to steal a base but he still could have plenty of opportunities to rack up a ton of steals in his first full season in the majors.
Being as the Oakland Athletics are essentially a rebuilding franchise at this point, they will want to see what they have from their young 24-year-old outfielder. They might not win a whole lot of games but their lone bright spot might just be Esteury Diaz this season.
Why Cedric Mullins Could Win
Cedric Mullins has been one of the bright spots for the Baltimore Orioles. He has bounced around from minors to majors on multiple occasions but over the last two years he has shown he belongs in the major leagues.
He was able to swipe 34 bases last year and really made an impact offensively for the Orioles. He may have not a great batting average in 2022 but the way he was able to get on base (even bunting) he made it hard on opposing defenses. Things could certainly pick up if that batting average can get back to where it was in 2021 which would give him even more opportunities this upcoming season.
Why Adalberto Mondesi Could Win
When talking about stolen bases Adalberto Mondesi will always be in the talks. He led the majors in stolen bases back in the Covid era of baseball in 2020 with 24. Since that season has yet to eclipse 100 games played due to health concerns each year.
This year he will be coming back from ACL injury that cost him most of last year but if he is anything like he was prior to injury he will certainly be at the top of the leaders by year's end. He was also traded to the Red Sox who were one of the worst teams in the majors with only 52 stolen bases. Seeing as they will make sure that will change this year that means plenty of opportunities for Mondesi.
Why Trea Turner Could Win
When talking about Trea Turner it's always about his well-rounded skillset. He has been in the top two in hits in each of the last two seasons and while we believe he will be atop of that list again he can also be atop of the stolen base leaders as well.
He has exceptional speed as he has fifth fastest sprint speed in all of the majors with 30.3 feet per second average. Turner can turn most singles into doubles and really stretch the defense of all opposing teams. Being as how Turner would be on the basepaths a lot this year and with his current odds, he could really be a great value pick.
Final 2023 Stolen Base Leader Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a fun race to watch between these five speed demons. I am going out on a limb here and taking the value on Trea Turner with a new team in Philadelphia. I expect him to get on base a ton and where he has stolen base percentage of 85%, I think he could certainly get the job done.
Final 2023 Stolen Base Leader Prediction & Pick: Trea Turner +1100
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