Each team tries to solve their problems before the deadline for changes, but there are cases where the player gets to exactly what the club needed. The acquisition of the Dominican Starling Mart by the Athletics is one such case. Mars brings offense and good defense in the gardens, yes, but that unique aspect he has brought to Oakland is speed and excellence running the bases.
Mars has been a great addition to the team and part of what makes it so obvious is the dynamic nature of their game.
These are the reasons why the Quisque sprinter was the perfect piece for the Athletics.
As of July 28, the day before the debut of Mars, the Athletics had stolen just 43 bases this season, 16tos in the Major Leagues. Speed was not a shocking factor in their matches. Or at least not in a positive or remarkable way.
Speed in the bases doesn’t always match a team’s success – the Parents lead the Majors in steals this campaign, but the Royals are second and the Marlins, Mars ’former team, are third – but it always adds a additional dimension when one gets bogged down and changes the way rivals play against your club.
Therefore, the Athletics took care to improve a part of their offensive that was not being particularly prevalent, leading to Mars.
Since making his Oakland debut on July 29, the Athletics have stolen 20 bases, the third-highest amount in the Grand Tent behind the Royals (21) and Indians (19). Mars has 12 of those scams, two more than anyone else in that span – with Whit Merrifield in second place with nine – and five more than anyone else on the list. Mars’ 12 stolen bases already have him tied for the lead in the Athletics in 2021, just behind compatriot Ramon Laureano (12). And Mars has played just 18 duels for Oakland so far.
When Mars gives a single or negotiates a ball base, the expectation that runs if the opportunity presents itself is always present. This immediately puts the other team on alert, changing the tone of any Athletics rally. And he’s been on base frequently, getting hits in 16 of the 18 games he’s played with Oakland so far.
It’s worth noting that the Athletics needed both speed and a good base runner. It’s important to be fast, but that doesn’t automatically translate into effective thief. This is a different skill. As of July 28, the Athletics were 14ths of MLB in a base run metric known as BSR in FanGraphs. Now? In addition to being third in thefts since the 29th, they are also third in this metric. Mars leads the two leagues in BSR with 8.0, ahead of Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. (7.2) and Nicky López (6.5).
Speaking of the importance of speed, Mars ’average sprint speed is 28.4 feet per second, well above the MLB average of 27 feet / sec and the best of all Athletics. In addition, Mars has 19 Bolts (runs at 30 feet / sec or more) this season. The rest of the Oakland players have a single Bolt (Matt Chapman). Running efficiency bases and speed, as we said above, have given them an extra level to this Atlético offense.
Mars has not only changed the face of the Athletics lineup, but has also achieved notable historic marks. His 11 stolen bases tied him with Dave Collins (1985) with the most in his first 17 lifetime matches with the club. And unlike Collins, Mars has yet to be made out stealing. He is 12-12 since reaching the Athletics and is tied with the fourth-longest streak of his kind to begin his stay at the club since the American League began keeping stolen base records in 1920, from agreement with the Elias Sports Bureau. At 12, he overtook Eric Patterson (2008-2009). Ahead of him on the list are Craig Gentry, aged 16 in 2014, Jimmy Sexton, aged 18 in 1981-82 and Mitchell Page, aged 26 in 1977.
After his first 15 games in Oakland, Mars had 11 stolen bases and 11 pushes, becoming the first player since towed runs became an official statistic in 1920 with at least 11 BR and 11 CI after his first 15 matches with any team. No Athletic player had those numbers in any 15-game span since Rickey Henderson in 1989.