Last season was a record setting year. The Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees shattered the previous team high with respect to home runs. More long balls were swatted in 2019 than any season in MLB history.
Lost in the shuffle was the decline in steals. With sluggers knocking the ball out of the yard at a historical clip, the running game waned. In fact, last year was the first season since 1972 to average fewer than one steal per game. That isn't one steal per team, per game, that's both teams combined.
While the dearth of steals was barely discussed in the mainstream media, astute fantasy players were aware of the trend. With fewer stolen bases populating the category in rotisserie scoring, it required fewer bags to gain standings points. Those in daily leagues sagely played matchups, looking to activate their stolen base contributors while facing batteries less adept at controlling the running game.
