Mallex Smith steals every base, a breakdown
What Happened
In a three-run game in the bottom of the eighth, the Tampa Bay Rays' Mallex Smith reached first on a full-count walk against the Texas Rangers. Smith, a burner having a brutal offensive year at the plate, then proceeded to swipe second, third and home on the same trip around the bases. The throws to catch him ranged from rainbow-arc weak to nonexistent, and a rookie pitcher's pickoff attempt handed him home plate. Jomboy walks through why walking Smith in that spot was a gift, and how each base was practically free.
Why This Matters
Walking Mallex Smith in a tight, late game is the kind of decision that ages badly in real time. Smith entered with a .176 average and a .252 OBP, so giving him a free pass meant putting your fastest weakness on base instead of making him earn it. Once he's on, the math changes completely. The Rangers catcher's throws lacked carry, and the scouting report on Smith was public: he loves to steal home, and he loves to do it on the pickoff play. A rookie pitcher threw the pickoff anyway and watched Smith jog in. Smith finished 2019 with 46 steals over two clubs, leading the AL in caught stealing too, but on this night he was simply faster than everyone's arm and decision-making.
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Key Moments
Who / What Is Involved
Players: Mallex Smith. Teams: Rays.
Key Terms Mentioned
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentthree-run game in the bottom of the
eighth-inning Malik Smith is up there's
one out and he walks him with a full
count which is impressively not smart
because on the year Malik Smith has a
252 on-base percentage a 176 batting
average he has 12 steals and 13 walks up
to this point and you just walk that
dude and this is your catcher 25 stolen
bases and only three caught stealing
this season not really having a good run
so Malik Smith is standing on first
getting his ken griffey jr. on gotta do
what you got to do and the first pitch
and he's off and that is a pretty brutal
throw a lot of air underneath that throw
a little bit of rainbow everyone knows
this and these easily safe that's the
scouting report so now he's got to worry
about him don't steal 30 well I'm gonna
steal third buddy oh no you better not
steal third well I'm probably gonna
steal third don't steal third well I'm
probably gonna steal clear it as soon as
you don't do what you keep doing and
yeah here we go I'm off and Mathis guns
him down but he's having her up here
throwing runners out and that was easy
as it gets
oh yeah that's used to be better at this
infield in because this run is so
important in fields in but they walk
Hanna ger and if you've ever looked at
my Twitter you would have the scouting
report that Malik Smith has played two
full seasons the mo beam has been thrown
out trying to steal home four times dude
loves to steal home and he loves to do
it on this pickoff play so don't throw a
pick off whatever you do young bird the
rookie pitcher don't throw no you threw
the pickoff you had to know safe stole
second stole third stole home Dee
Gordon's loving it happy as can be
laughing his ass off
what an idiot come on you can't let him
do that
Oh yep easy easy get out it had to get a
little dirty it was fun I mean does it
get any easier than that checking his
chains okay he's all good that's good
and that was only three of his four
stolen bases on the day