The Dodgers have not had a history of stealing bases in recent memory. Despite having a prolific base stealer as their manager in Dave Roberts, it’s just never been a part of their style of play. That sort of represents the broad change happening around Major League Baseball.
The Dodgers stole just 45 bases back in 2016, the first year of Dave Roberts’ management tenure. Howie Kendrick led the team that year with 10 bags swiped. Yes, the 32-year-old aging second baseman, Howie Kendrick.
But when the Dodgers got Mookie Betts, their game seemed to evolve.