Caught Stealing

Caught stealing (CS) occurs when a baserunner attempts to steal a base but is retired by a fielder's throw before reaching safely. The runner is out, the play ends, and no other runners advance unless forced.

How It Is Recorded

In the scorebook, caught stealing is recorded as CS next to the runner's name. It counts as an out against the team's offensive inning and eliminates the runner from the bases. The pitcher is credited with the strikeout, walk, or whatever plate appearance was in progress, the caught stealing is a separate event on the basepaths.

Impact on Statistics

For the baserunner:

• Counts as a caught stealing (CS) in their season stats
• Used to calculate stolen base percentage: SB / (SB + CS)
• A commonly cited break-even point is approximately 70-75% success rate, below this, the caught stealings cost more runs than the steals gain

For the catcher:

• The catcher is credited with throwing out the runner
• Pop time (the elapsed time from pitch reaching the mitt to throw reaching the base) is the primary performance metric

When Caught Stealing Hurts Most

Being caught stealing at third base with no outs or one out is generally considered one of the most damaging baserunning mistakes. The runner was already in scoring position on second and removed themselves from an advantageous situation. Similarly, being caught with the cleanup hitter coming to bat can kill a big inning before it starts.

Coaching Baserunning Decisions

The decision to steal should be based on:

• The runner's lead and first-step quickness
• The catcher's pop time and arm strength
• The pitcher's delivery time and pickoff tendencies
• The game situation (score, inning, outs, who is batting)

Encouraging runners to steal in situations where they are unlikely to succeed, just to "create havoc", often costs more runs than it creates. Teaching players to read these factors and make smart go/no-go decisions is a core component of baserunning education.