The Toronto Blue Jays' heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the 2025 World Series hinged on a split-second baserunning error. Isiah Kiner-Falefa's out at third base by an inch against the Dodgers became a symbol of baseball's broader baserunning crisis. Despite Kiner-Falefa's explanation that he followed organizational policy, the play exposed a league-wide failure. Players today possess superior speed and strength, yet baserunning is executed more poorly than in decades past, largely due to analytical over-reliance on minimizing risks like double plays and pickoffs.

Former manager Joe Maddon highlighted that analytics discourage aggressive baserunning, while Hall of Famer Paul Molitor argued that winning the World Series demands instinct over caution. The Blue Jays' own struggles, finishing last in the majors for 'holds' – a metric tracking extra bases gained – underscore the systemic issue. Mike Roberts, a veteran baserunning coach hired by Toronto, teaches barefoot drills to improve feel and reaction, emphasizing that movement should start before the pitcher's motion.

His methods, though unconventional, aim to reclaim the instinctive edge once fundamental to the game.