What Does SB Mean in Baseball?
Quick answer
SB is the scorebook abbreviation for a stolen base: a runner takes the next base during a pitch without the help of a hit, walk or error.
In this article
SB stands for "stolen base." A runner steals a base when he advances to the next base during a pitch without the help of a hit, walk, error, wild pitch or passed ball. In a box score, the SB column shows each player's steals, and CS shows times caught stealing.
How a steal works
- The runner takes a lead off his base.
- He reads the pitcher's move and breaks for the next base when the pitcher commits to home.
- The catcher throws to the base, and a middle infielder covers it. See who covers second base on a steal.
- If the runner beats the tag, it's a stolen base. If he's tagged out, it's caught stealing.
Most steals are of second base, because the catcher's throw is longest. Steals of third and home are rarer.
Scoring rules worth knowing
- Defensive indifference: if the defense makes no attempt to stop a runner, usually late in a lopsided game, no stolen base is credited.
- Double steals: if one runner is thrown out, the other doesn't get a steal on that play. See double steal.
- Wild pitches: a runner who advances only because of a wild pitch or passed ball isn't credited with a steal.
Stolen base records
| Record | Player | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Career | Rickey Henderson | 1,406 |
| Single season (modern era) | Rickey Henderson, 1982 | 130 |
Why steals came back
From the 1990s through the early 2020s, teams ran less because analytics showed failed steals were costly. That changed in 2023, when MLB added the pitch clock with a limit of two pickoff attempts per plate appearance and made the bases bigger. Steals jumped to their highest level in decades. Ronald Acuña Jr. stole 73 bases and hit 41 home runs that year, the first 40–70 season ever.
When to steal
A steal is worth it if the runner succeeds roughly 75 percent of the time or more. Good base stealers study the pitcher's move, get a good jump and slide efficiently. Teams often send a pinch runner late in games for exactly this reason.
Related terms
More definitions: baseball terms explained.
Frequently asked questions
What does SB mean in baseball?
SB stands for stolen base. A runner steals a base when he advances during a pitch without the help of a hit, walk, error, wild pitch or passed ball.
What is CS in baseball?
CS means caught stealing, when a runner is thrown out trying to steal. Stolen base percentage is SB divided by SB plus CS.
Who has the most stolen bases in MLB history?
Rickey Henderson, with 1,406 career stolen bases. He also stole 130 in 1982, the modern single-season record.
Why did stolen bases go up in MLB?
In 2023 MLB limited pickoff attempts with the pitch clock rules and made the bases slightly bigger, which shortened the distance between them. Steals jumped to their highest level in decades.
