Who's the best base-stealer in the game?

In my opinion, there are really only 2 players in this discussion: Carl Crawford or Jacoby Ellsbury. Both guys are tremendous athletes with great speed, superb base-running instincts, and a fearlessness to lay it all on the line. More has been said about Crawford after his amazing start this season (20 SB in his first 29 games including 6 in one game), but Ellsbury's no slouch and he's coming off a 50 SB season of his own last year.

Ellsbury's been extremely consistent so far and has pulled within 1 SB of Crawford and the league lead. With both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox fighting for the Wild Card playoff spot, there should be ample opportunities for both players to showcase their skills. When every run counts, you can bet that both of them will be running every chance they get.

Now, when evaluating which guy is the better base-stealer, it's very easy to let the other stat categories sneak in to your thought process. If we were trying to determine which player is the better "overall" player, then it would have to be Crawford at least this season. The stats definitely back it up:

Crawford: 73 R, 12 HR, 55 RBI, 53 SB, .312 BA
Ellsbury: 63 R, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 52 SB, .297 BA

In every stat category, Crawford is ahead. But we're not deciding which player is the better "overall" player. We're trying to determine which player is the better pure base-stealer, and that I would say is Ellsbury. Out of 60 attempts he's only been caught 8 times, which is the lowest total of anyone in the Top 10 (Crawford has been caught 10 times), and he's only in his 2nd season at the Major League level. Stealing bases is about more than just being fast. You have to be smart and it shows in how few times he's been caught stealing.

Both players are great base-stealers, but I think the edge has to go to Ellsbury.

Fantasy Impact: In a stat category like SB's, even having a single guy like Crawford or Ellsbury is often enough to win the category any given week, and the best part is that neither guy is a slouch with the bat. Both of them can do damage, and they're major reasons why their respective teams are in the Wild Card race. Having a guy who can steal upwards of 60-70 bases in a season is one of the best investments you can make on the road to creating a championship-caliber fantasy team.