Tim Locastro Has Not Been Caught Stealing…Yet
Some may hear the name Tim Locastro and say: who’s that? Well, right now, Tim Locastro holds the MLB record for most consecutive stolen bases without being caught. He’s a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, made his first MLB appearance in 2017, and is currently 28-years-old with 28 straight successful stolen bases. For a guy who’s known for his speed and been around for four seasons, 28 stolen bases are not particularly notable. But not being caught once in 28 tries is so much more miraculous than it sounds. Typically, 20 stolen bases in a 162-game season are notable, but that usually takes an average baserunner between 26-30 attempts, assuming they have a 75% success rate. Mookie Betts is considered an elite baserunner, and he has an 83% success rate in his career, which is even more insane considering he has attempted 166 stolen bases in his career. Tim Locastro is 100% successful on stolen bases in an era of sabermetrics that discourages attempting stolen bases.
Torey Lovullo, the D-Backs manager, had high praise for Locastro after his stellar performance against the Cincinnati Reds yesterday. Locastro had four hits in five at-bats, including a stolen base and two runs scored. Coach Lovullo was pumping Locastro’s tires over his stellar speed and above-average performance so far in 2021
“He’s not just fast,” Lovullo said. “He’s a good baseball player who’s learned how to hit.”
Those words may not seem like much, but I’m sure it means a lot to a guy who was previously most well known for his speed and baserunning instincts. In today’s MLB, players need to be versatile on both offense and defense, which Locastro is still working towards.
Crazy Coincidence
Before Locastro, the previous record-holder for most consecutive successful stolen bases was Tim Raines, who is a Hall of Famer. Raines also happened to be Locastro’s first baserunning coach in the minors after Locastro was drafted by Toronto back in 2013. Locastro also had kind words for his former coach and former record-holder.
“I would say I really looked up to him, because as a base stealer, you’re trying to (learn) from one of the all-time legends. So being able to have him as one of my first coaches was really cool.”
Aside from setting records on the base path, Locastro is currently batting .303, with a .410 on base percentage and three stolen bases and counting. The Diamondbacks are sitting at the bottom of the NL West with the Rockies at 3-6 but things are looking up with the ascending career of Locastro in 2021.
