In 2018, one of the biggest issues for New York Mets pitcher Steven Matz when he stepped on the mound was how easy it was to steal a bag against him. Typically, you’ll find lefties have an easier time at keeping runners honest. This wasn’t the case for Matz.
Matz allowed 28 stolen bases against him in 2018. It was a big raise from the previous high of 20 allowed back in 2016—the only other year in his career at the time with 20+ starts.
Heading into 2019, I fully expected Matz to be the victim of stolen bases at a similar rate.