As the manager of the Mets’ Dominican Summer League team in 2010, White Sox coach Jose Leger was looking for a way to keep his players engaged on the bases. He tried appealing to their competitive nature, devising a points system to determine the best baserunner on the team each month of the season, with a prize going to the winner.
“I thought about bringing it up here,” said Leger, in his first season as a major-league coach. “I cleared that with our skipper, Will [Venable]. So I brought it up in spring training. I told the guys that these are what we’re going to be looking for on the bases, and so far they’ve been paying attention to it.”
That they have. The resurgent Sox have been aggressive on the basepaths, going from first to third on a hit and taking the extra base. And those players who succeed are rewarded with points from Leger, who tracks their progress on a chart displayed in the clubhouse. At last check, Miguel Vargas was in the lead, with Tristan Peters close behind.
The winner each month gets their baserunning exploits compiled in a video that the team watches, plus a T-shirt with an image that says “Speed demon,” created by Vargas’ mother.
Leger, who’s also the first-base and outfield coach, awards the most points (three) for the most difficult tasks, such as hustling for a double or displaying smart baserunning. For example, on Monday, Braden Montgomery pulled the ball down the line and kicked it into high gear rounding first, challenging Guardians right fielder Petey Halpin. He just beat the throw to second.
“That’s a hustle double right there, and you get more points because it takes effort, but it also takes a little bit of courage to push the envelope,” Leger said. “When you talk about heads-up baserunning, it’s as simple as staying in a rundown long enough between third and home to allow the batter/runner to advance an extra base.”
Those types of plays help runners who aren’t the fastest earn points. On Tuesday, Colson Montgomery earned two points for a dirt-ball read. From first, he saw a pitch in the dirt hit Guardians catcher Austin Hedges’ chest protector and immediately took off. The ball ended up rolling far enough away for anyone to advance, but Montgomery’s reaction earned him points.
“By paying attention to the details,” Leger said. “Yeah, the ball ended up rolling like a good 15 feet away, but if he doesn’t react on time. … So sometimes more than speed is just a mindset of how am I going to get to the next base. There’s definitely ways to impact the offense by running the bases right, and being fast is not a requirement.”
Baserunning hasn’t been left out of the analytics craze. Leger uses computer-generated measurements to help baserunners get better leads and turn corners efficiently.
“How quickly are they reacting once the ball is put in play?” he said. “How quick is your first step, your lead distance, your secondary lead, which is how far you’re getting down [the baseline] when the ball is entering the strike zone. We even measure, are you faster by making a big arch before hitting the next bag, or is a narrow turn more beneficial for you?”
Leger said the players have bought into the Sox’ aggressive mindset because the coaches are backing it up with numbers.
“One thing we brought up in spring training is that the average success rate in the big leagues going first to third is 97%,” he said. “So just challenge those outfielders because it’s going to take a good, clean transfer and a great throw to get you out.”
How has Vargas become the Sox’ best baserunner?
“He’s fearless,” Leger said. “Every time he hits the ball, his first step out of the box is outstanding. He’s trying to go full speed all the time. He’s looking at how can I advance to the next base. It’s a mentality.”
Sox’ baserunning scoring
| Points | Plays |
| 1 | Infield hit, stolen base |
| 2 | Dirt-ball read, break up double play, 1st to 3rd, 1st to home |
| 3 | Hustle double, heads-up baserunning |
On deck
ROYALS AT SOX
Friday: TBA vs. TBA, 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Saturday: Michael Wacha (5-5, 3.48 ERA) vs. Davis Martin (9-3, 3.18), 3:10 p.m., CHSN, The U, 1000-AM.
Sunday: Luinder Avila (3-3, 5.06) vs. Anthony Kay (6-2, 4.24), 1:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.