Maybe David Wright Should Stop Trying To Steal Bases

David Wright was caught stealing last night in the eighth inning of the Mets' 3-0 loss to the Reds. That makes nine caught stealings on the season. This wouldn't be a problem if he offset those failed attempts with -- let's say -- 30 successful attempts. But he doesn't have 30 stolen bases; he has 12. That's 12-for-21, a 57% success rate. Ouch, considering the National League average success rate is approximately 73% and the break-even rate is about the same, with some variation depending on the situation.

We know that stealing bases isn't very important for scoring runs, even in this depressing era when offense is down. The Marlins lead the National League in stolen bases and are dead last in runs-per-game. Success rate is paramount and it's something Wright has struggled with mightily this season. If he is determined to keep the running game in his offensive arsenal, then maybe it would be a good idea for him to reassess his approach, especially since it appears he's lost a step from his younger days. Study tape, consult the coaching staff (which might be giving him the steal sign), think about past seasons in which he enjoyed stolen base success. Do all those things big-leaguers do to get better. Unless he is doing those things already, at which point it's time for him to consider scaling back his aggressiveness on the basepaths.

That's all I've got. Love David Wright, hate when he is caught stealing. An out is a terrible thing to waste.