Nats' stolen base rate declining; Cordero hired to coach at Youth Academy

The Nationals’ offensive identity this season was established early in April. Knowing they weren’t likely to hit for much power, they decided their best chance at scoring runs was to get on base and then use their speed abilities to get around the bases as quickly as possible.

Two months later, the Nats lead the majors with 95 stolen bases, with four individuals already in double digits and three others with eight steals.

But they’re also getting thrown out a decent amount, especially in recent games. The Nationals have been caught stealing 24 times in total, third-most in the majors. And they’ve been caught 10 times in their last 14 games, a particularly rough stretch that has at times cost them.

That drop in success rate, from 85 percent through their first 47 games to 64 percent during these last 14 games, coincides with the team’s scoring output dropping from 4.1 runs to 3.8 runs per game. Manager Davey Martinez sees a correlation.

“I think we’re trying to push the envelope a little too much because we’re not scoring any runs, and that happens because as a team we start pressing and trying to make things happen,” he said. “I think we’ll get back to (stealing successfully) as soon as our guys start swinging the bats better. The success rate will definitely go up.”

It also hasn’t helped that one of the team’s best baserunners hasn’t been getting on base and giving himself chances to run. CJ Abrams, who set a club record with 47 steals last year, is 0-for-2 over the last month, surely a byproduct of his .217 on-base percentage during that lengthy stretch.

At the same time, some lesser-accomplished runners are getting thrown out more than they should. Jesse Winker, who stole three total bases during his first 610 big league games, already has 11 this season since joining the Nationals, but he’s been thrown out four times in the last two weeks. Nick Senzel, the only position player on the team who hasn’t stolen a base yet this season, has been picked off twice in the last week.

“There are certain situations where we have to be a little smarter, for sure,” Martinez said. “The other day, we knew that (the Mets’ Luis) Torrens – when he catches – has a pretty good arm. And the (pitcher) is pretty quick to the plate. So that’s probably not a good time to steal. We’ve just got to understand when to run and when not to run.”

* The Nationals announced the hiring of Chad Cordero as a coach at their Youth Academy, officially bringing the former All-Star closer back to the organization in a full-time capacity.

Cordero, whose 113 saves from 2005-07 remain the most in club history, has coached in the minors, college and high school since retiring but was confined to the West Coast the entire time. He had been looking to move back to the East Coast and was thrilled to get the offer from the Nats to work at the Youth Academy, which over the last decade has offered baseball, academic and wellness instruction thousands of D.C. children.

“I am so excited to return to Washington, D.C., a truly special place that holds some of my fondest memories both on and off the field,” Cordero, 42, said. “It feels like coming home.”