A's benefiting from Laureano's speed, savvy

Back when Rickey Henderson was crafting his Hall of Fame resume in the 1980s, his propensity to manufacture runs all by himself with his swift baserunning birthed his own personal stat from fans called "Rickey Runs." At this rate, Ramón Laureano might be on his way to creating his own "Ramón Runs" pretty soon.

Laureano’s speedy start to the 2021 campaign continued in Monday’s 9-5 win over the D-backs at Chase Field. The center fielder swiped two bases -- his second multi-stolen base effort of the season -- to bring his Major League-leading total to seven.

A three-run fifth inning for the A’s that featured a solo homer from Matt Chapman was ignited by Laureano’s ability to wreak havoc on the basepaths. Drawing a one-out walk, Laureano reached second base on a single by Jed Lowrie and immediately distracted D-backs starter Madison Bumgarner with his movements as he led off the bag. Attempting to pick off Laureano as he jolted towards third, Bumgarner fired an errant throw to Eduardo Escobar that sailed into left field. Laureano was credited with the steal and scored, upping Oakland’s lead to two runs.

Laureano’s second stolen base of the game came in the seventh after leading off the inning with a single.

“He’s probably our best player right now,” said A’s starter Chris Bassitt, who notched his first win of the year after holding Arizona to two runs across five innings. “He’s a high-energy guy and if you give him an inch of room, he’s going to take it. For him, it’s expected because that’s just the type of player he is. But it’s definitely fun to watch.”

Following Saturday’s win against the Astros, A’s manager Bob Melvin said he believed Laureano has a strong chance to become an All-Star this season. Turning in a 2-for-4 day on Monday that upped his team-leading batting average to .323 to go with his rapidly increasing stolen base numbers, Laureano is showing that he can impact the game in a multitude of ways.

“He brings defense. He brings power. He brings speed. He brings electric play. He’s just an exciting player,” Melvin said. “And he’s fearless. He’ll take off and do some things that most guys won’t. I think he’ll continue to get better and better.”

The uptick in Laureano’s baserunning prowess should come as no surprise based on his constant quest for tips from new A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus. Since the start of Spring Training, Laureano has approached Andrus -- who holds 305 career stolen bases under his belt in 13 Major League seasons -- on a near-daily basis for advice on how to improve that aspect of his game.

“He has helped me a lot with the confidence of stealing,” Laureano said after Saturday’s win over Houston. “He helps me just seeing little things. He tells me to just be free out there and trust my instincts.”

An example of Laureano’s ability to manufacture runs on his own was on full display against the Dodgers in a 4-3 win last Wednesday. He was hit by a pitch from Trevor Bauer, stole second on a Mitch Moreland strikeout, stole third and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Laureano is well on his way to surpassing his previous career-high stolen base mark of 13 in 2019, continuing to break the mold of the A’s traditionally shying away from attempting to steal bases over the years. He’s always had the ability in him, having stolen 43 bases in Houston’s Minor League system in 2016.

The impact Laureano brings on the field has been evident through these first eleven games. It’s probably no coincidence that the A’s offense struggled mightily without him, as a jammed left wrist sidelined him from April 3-5. During that stretch, the A’s went 0-3 and combined to score just six runs in 27 innings. In the eight games he’s played, Oakland is 4-4.

Laureano’s presence in the lineup also adds an extra dimension. He’s a spark plug, one that not only drives in runs with his bat, but also utilizes his legs to set the table for other run producers in the order like Lowrie, who continued his career resurgence on Monday by hitting behind Laureano in the three-hole and going 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBIs.

“It’s a different lineup with him in there,” Lowrie said. “He’s a big part of this lineup. A very dynamic player and a threat to do just about anything -- hit a homer, get on base and steal. He’s as dynamic as they come.”