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GREENSBORO -- Ask John Raynor what the steal sign is on a given night and he probably couldn't tell you.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers left fielder doesn't know if he has seen the sign once all season.

But that hasn't stopped him from swiping a league-leading 54 bases -- four more than any other player in the South Atlantic League and just nine fewer than major league baseball's leader, Jose Reyes, who has played eight more games.

"He always has a green light," said Edwin Rodriguez, the Hoppers' manager. "He's got good instincts, good acceleration on the bases. By the second and third step he's already at full speed."

That first jump has made Raynor one of the most feared base runners in the league. He'll look to keep his motor running tonight when the Hoppers face the Northern Division-leading Hickory Crawdads in the opener of a six-game homestand.

Greensboro's leadoff hitter always was a threat on the base paths in high school and college, but it wasn't until he tacked an extra step onto his lead before his senior year at UNC Wilmington that Raynor really found his form.

"My junior year I stole 23," said Raynor, a Benson native. "Then in the offseason, I worked with one of my coaches on leads. It's gotten about a step farther, so instead of 10 feet out there, I'm probably 12 to 15 depending on the pitcher."

Raynor stole 42 bases in 63 games his senior season and tied for third in NCAA Division I. He was caught only four times.

His 87 percent success rate this year is evidence of his comfort level, even when he's 15 feet off the bag. In 62 attempts this season, Raynor has been thrown out only eight times.

"One of the big things about him is that the pitcher knows, the catcher knows, the manager knows, the fans know and he still goes and he makes it," said Anthony Iapoce, the Hoppers' hitting coach. "That's when you know you've got a great base-stealer on your hands.

"He's so confident out there that it's just cool to see. Sometimes I get caught up in it. I'm watching the pitcher, but I want to watch him just take off and run."

While Iapoce is fighting the urge to watch his pupil, Raynor is focused on the pitcher, waiting for the slightest opportunity to break for the bag.

"On a righty, I like to focus on the front foot," he said. "I think a lot of guys might focus on the back foot, but to me that already puts in my mind that I'm worried about getting picked off. So I try to stay focused on second base and the front foot. But I can still see the back foot out of my peripheral, so I know when to get back."

After stealing 21 bases in 52 games last summer with the New York-Penn League's Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers, Raynor has continued to hone his craft this season with Iapoce's help.

"One thing that (Iapoce) has been working on with him is picking his spots, knowing when to run," Rodriguez said. "If a certain pitch, a breaking ball or change-up, is coming and you know it's coming, that's a good time to run."

As his pitch selection has improved, Raynor continues to show little discretion when it comes to picking his victims. Eighteen of his steals this season have come off left-handers, who should have an advantage holding runners.

"I'm always looking to steal," Raynor said. "I like to go early, in any count. I like to get there as soon as possible to give the hitter the best chance to get me in before he gets deep in the count."

While Raynor's stolen base total is impressive, he has been just as good at crossing the plate. His league-leading run total of 109 is 20 more than second-place Chuck Caulfield (West Virginia), and his 228 total bases rank third in the league.

But Raynor's base-stealing ability has been a catalyst for the Hoppers. When he has stolen at least one base, Greensboro is 29-21. When he has failed to record a steal, the team is 37-40.

"He puts pressure on the defense," Iapoce said. "A lot of times he'll steal third, and they'll throw it into left field. The only times he's been thrown out this year have been when the pitcher didn't even pick up his leg. It takes a perfect pitch and throw to second to get him out."

With a .331 batting average, 28 doubles, 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and superb defense in left, Raynor is putting together one of the best seasons in the minors. Iapoce said could it could lead to player of the year recognition and a promotion, but Raynor refuses to get caught up thinking about where he'll be next year. He would rather keep up the pace the only way he knows how -- full steam ahead.

"It's nice to have a green light," he said, "because I don't have to look for it. I don't think I've been given the steal sign once all year because they know I'm going to go pretty much every time I get on."

Contact Matt Brooks at 373-7047 or mbrooks @news-record.com