Overview
The Akahoshi stolen base score is a way of rating base stealing that takes a player's stolen bases and subtracts twice the number of times he was caught stealing, giving a single whole number for the value a runner added on the bases. The idea is credited to Norihiro Akahoshi, who won the Central League stolen base title five years in a row with the Hanshin Tigers and is said to have put it this way: "even if you succeed 100 times, if you fail 50 times the value is zero." A successful steal moves the runner up one base, while a failed attempt adds an out and erases the runner, so the loss is larger than the gain. That is why each time caught stealing is counted as two stolen bases taken away. It is not an official statistic or an award, but it uses only the official stolen base and caught stealing totals, so anyone can work it out from a player's season line. Its strength is that it puts frequent runners and selective, reliable runners on the same scale.
How It Differs from the Stolen Base Title and Success Rate
There are three common ways to judge base stealing: the stolen base title counts volume, the success rate measures reliability, and the Akahoshi score combines the two.
| Measure | What it counts | How failures are treated | Who tends to rank high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stolen base title | Stolen bases | Ignored | Runners who go often, even with some failures |
| Success rate | Stolen bases ÷ (stolen bases + caught stealing) | Included in the ratio | Runners who rarely fail, even with few attempts |
| Akahoshi score | Stolen bases minus twice the caught stealing | Each one subtracts two stolen bases | Runners who go often and rarely fail |
The stolen base title is decided by volume alone, so a player who runs a lot can lead even with many failures. The success rate shows reliability, but a player who goes 2 for 2 gets 100%, and the number of attempts does not count. Because the Akahoshi score folds volume and reliability into one number, its order can differ from the order of stolen bases. As of the end of the 2026 season, the leader across all 12 NPB clubs was Yukihiro Iwata of the Yakult Swallows at 23 (39 stolen bases, 8 caught stealing), followed by Ukyo Shuto of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at 20 (30 stolen bases, 5 caught stealing).
How to Calculate and Read It
The calculation is simply the number of stolen bases minus twice the number of times caught stealing. For example, a player with 30 stolen bases and 5 caught stealing loses 10, twice the 5, from 30 and ends up at 20. The score is exactly zero when stolen bases are exactly twice the caught stealing total, which is a success rate of two in three (about 67%). Below that rate the score turns negative, meaning the runner cost his team more outs and scoring chances than he gained by running. The higher the success rate and the more attempts, the larger the score. Keep two points in mind when reading it. First, chances to steal depend on how often a player reaches base, so part-time players and pinch runners tend to post small values. Second, subtracting twice the caught stealing is a rule of thumb chosen for simplicity, and it does not reflect how the value of a steal changes with the score or the number of outs. When comparing players in mid-season, look at the number of attempts as well so you do not overrate someone who has simply not been caught yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where does the name come from?
It is named after Norihiro Akahoshi, who won the stolen base title five times with the Hanshin Tigers. In Japanese it is called Akahoshi-shiki tōrui.
Q. Why is the order different from the stolen base title race?
The title is decided by stolen bases alone, while the Akahoshi score takes away two stolen bases for every time caught stealing. A player with many steals but many failures drops, and a player with fewer steals but few failures rises.
Q. Can the score be negative?
Yes. When twice the caught stealing total is larger than the number of stolen bases, that is, when the success rate is below two in three, the score is negative. It shows that the outs the runner made cost more than the bases he gained. Also note that the fewer attempts a player has, the more a single failure moves his score.