The Tigers’ baserunning issue is bigger than a simple green light.
Detroit’s 58 steals last season only told part of the story. The club also finished tied for 22nd in the majors at minus-four Baserunning Runs, a reminder that speed alone didn’t translate into enough value once runners were on base. That gap is why the team’s next fix has to go beyond telling young players to be more aggressive.
An Oct. 25 discussion about the coaching staff brought Billy Boyer’s possible role back into focus, but the reporting did not say he was fired or replaced. Boyer’s future is still its own personnel question. What the Tigers need to sort out first is how they want the entire baserunning operation to work.
That means looking at more than stolen-base attempts. Detroit has to study the plays that never show up in a steal column: a runner judging a ball in the outfield, deciding whether to take the extra base from first to second, or knowing when to hold at third. Those choices matter because the right decision depends on the runner, the defender and the game situation.
The Tigers should be using a fuller review than a raw attempt count. A team can run more and still make poor decisions.
It can also pass on a risky play that would have had little payoff anyway. The real question is whether the club is taking smart chances or giving away outs.
Max Clark’s first Major League look is one reason to think about how Detroit can better use its athleticism. But that potential won’t turn into better baserunning on its own. It takes instruction, repetition and a clear process.
That process should include how runners read the defense, how they communicate with coaches and how they react when a play changes in real time. Those are teachable skills, and they can be worked on before the game even starts.
The Tigers also need the coaching structure to be clear. The reported addition of Martin Maldonado adds another layer to the conversation, but it does not answer every question about who handles what. Players do best when preparation, in-game communication and the postgame review all point in the same direction.
So the next step for Detroit is straightforward: define the responsibilities, then measure the results through advancement decisions, avoidable outs and the chances players actually convert. A bigger stolen-base total by itself won’t be enough. The Tigers have young players with room to grow, and the best use of that athleticism will come from giving them better decisions, not just more speed.
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