Ryan Bliss Breaks Tacoma's Franchise Stolen Base Record

TACOMA, WA (August 14, 2026) — History has repeated itself for the second time in as many seasons in Tacoma, with a new stolen base leader. Last season, Samad Taylor broke Tacoma’s career franchise stolen base record, which had stood still for 45 years. Just one year later, Ryan Bliss has taken the crown.

Bliss, 26, set a new record with the 95th steal of his Rainiers career on Thursday night. In the club’s first 64 years of existence, only one player amassed 90 stolen bases with Tacoma: Dell Alston, who swiped 92 bags from 1978-80. Samad Taylor broke that record in 2025 with 94 career steals. He and Bliss set Pacific Coast League base paths on fire, each stealing 50 bases to lead the league in 2024, tied for the third-most steals in a single season in franchise history.

An original second round draft pick by Arizona in 2021 out of Auburn University, Bliss has four 30-steal seasons under his belt, the first coming in his first full professional season in 2022, when he took 31 bases with High-A Hillsboro in 2022, the fifth-most in the Northwest League.

He followed that up with a career-high 55 steals the following season in 2023, split between Double-A Amarillo, Triple-A Reno and Tacoma, following his trade to the Mariners organization on July 31, 2023, with Dominic Canzone for Paul Sewald. Bliss stole 20 bases in 24 attempts following the trade.

The 2024 season was already one for the record books. Bliss helped lead a Rainiers unit that broke the Pacific Coast League’s single-season stolen base record with 286 steals. Bliss and Taylor accounted for 50 each, two of just four players in franchise history to steal 50 bases in a single season.

Bliss dealt with injuries, sidelining him for most of the 2025 season. Bliss appeared in six games on Major League rehab with the Rainiers, picking up two steals.

After opening the season on the Mariners roster, Bliss was optioned to Tacoma on April 2. He set himself up to break the record when he tied his career-high with three stolen bases on August 8 at Las Vegas.

In the first inning on Thursday evening, Bliss worked a leadoff walk. He tried to swipe second, but the pitch was fouled away. After a Patrick Wisdom single, Bliss took off and stole third base, breaking the franchise record.

The record-setting steal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SqVfHWa0Wk

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) August 14, 2026

With 32 games remaining in the 2026 season, Bliss could very well become the first player in franchise history to steal 100 bases in a Rainiers uniform.