MLB

MLB Stolen Base Leader Odds: Acuna, De La Cruz Set to Battle It Out

Riley Thomas
Riley Thomas_riley8
MLB Stolen Base Leader Odds: Acuna, De La Cruz Set to Battle It Out

The 2024 MLB season is well over a month into play, which has given us a good look at contenders for various awards. This includes which player will lead the league in stolen bases.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds, the stolen base leader is gearing up to be a two-horse race between two stars from the National League. Let's dive into the odds and highlight which player could pull off the feat.

Stolen Bases Leader Odds

Regular Season Stolen Bases Leader 2024
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
Elly De La Cruz-210
Ronald Acuna Jr.+390
Jarren Duran+3000
CJ Abrams+3000
Bobby Witt Jr.+3000
Brice Turang+3000
Jacob Young+3000
View Full Table

Elly De La Cruz (-210)

This is something most of us saw coming after Elly De La Cruz flashed his freakish speed during his rookie season. Pair his blazing wheels with an aggressive mentality on the base paths and you have a certified bag swiper.

After totaling 35 steals in 2023 (ninth-most), De La Cruz is on the path to lead the league in stolen bases. He currently has 19 bag swipes, which is the most in MLB, and he's on pace for 88 steals.

Keep in mind we just saw Ronald Acuna Jr. total the most steals in a season (73) since Jose Reyes in 2007. No one has reached 80 steals in a season since Rickey Henderson logged 93 in 1988.

Without much surprise, De La Cruz is in the 99th percentile with a 29.9 feet per second (Ft/s). This is the fourth-highest mark in baseball, and he led the category last season at 30.5.

The Cincinnati Reds seem to have their superstar in Elly. He has the chance to have the best season on the base paths in over 35 years.

Ronald Acuna Jr. (+390)

Last season's stolen base leader -- Acuna Jr. -- is still in the race. He is tied for the second-most bag swipes in baseball at 14. This is on pace for about 69 steals.

This is nothing to sneeze at as 69 steals would be the second-most since 2007 (second behind Acuna's mark in 2023). The Atlanta Braves' superstar doesn't have the same jaw-dropping speed as Elly, but he's savvy on the bases.

Acuna is in the 69th percentile of sprint speed -- over 2.0 Ft/s behind De La Cruz. Still, the four-time All-Star has consistently proven he is electric in the steals department. Acuna is still a name worth watching in the stolen base race.

Longshots

Behind De La Cruz and Acuna, there's a big drop off in the odds for stolen base leader. Jose Caballero and Brice Turang are tied with Acuna for the second-most steals in the MLB. Caballero doesn't even have a line available for stolen bases, and Turang is +3000 and totaled only 26 stolen bags in 2023.

Esteury Ruiz, Corbin Carroll, Bobby Witt Jr., and C.J. Abrams all finished in the top five with the most stolen bases last year. However, all of these players are longshots to lead in stolen bases: Ruiz (+5500), Carroll (+5000), Witt (+3000), and Abrams (+3000). This is even with Witt carrying the third-most steals at 13.

This race seems to be clear-cut. The stolen base leader will likely come down to De La Cruz and Acuna. Will the reigning stolen base leader cut into Elly's lead in the coming months?


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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.