Mariners midseason pickup Victor Robles delivering in another massive way for Seattle

Speed plays. It always will, and it finds a way to have an impact in every sport. It doesn't matter if it's football, basketball, or baseball, speed finds a way to make an impact on the game. When you add that to a player who can play defense and get on base at a consistent clip? It makes for a dangerous player, and one that any team would be happy to have.

That's what the Mariners have gotten from Victor Robles ever since he joined them this season after being let go from the Nationals. He's doing it with exceptional reads and jumps though, not in pure speed. He actually ranks 231st out of 553 players in sprint speed this season but has still turned that into exceptional baserunning. It did catch me off guard that his sprint speed was that low because he has been a menace on the bases.

Victor Robles is one of the best base stealers in baseball

Since joining the Mariners on June 5th, Victor Robles has stolen 25 bases. That's a pretty impressive number, and sits as the 5th-most in baseball since that date. What's more impressive is the fact that he has done it on 25 attempts. That's right, Robles hasn't been caught yet trying to steal a base since joining the Mariners. Also, yes, I know that this likely jinxes him, but it's worth pointing out how impressive it is.

It's not even the most impressive stat about him stealing bases. Well, maybe it is, but it's what he has done over the last 30 days that caught my attention. Over that time, Robles actually leads all of baseball in steals with 11. That's incredibly impressive, and he continues to swipe them when the team needs them the most. Against the Rangers, he hit a double and would steal third, giving the Mariners a great chance to win the game, which they would end up doing.

Robles has been a saving grace for an offense that has otherwise been struggling, continuing to provide and keep the team from completely drowning. It's enough that with only a handful of series left in the season, Robles and the Mariners still have a chance to make the playoffs, and it's in large part to his thievery on the bases.