Sunday, March 04, 2007

Best Base Runners in Baseball

In my previous base running analysis, I concluded that Pudge Rodriguez was the best base runner on the Tigers in 2006. That is, he netted more bases by taking the extra base on hits and by advancing on ground outs, air outs, stolen bases and other plays than any player on the team last year. Who was the best base runner in the American League? According to the statistics in Table 1 below, it was Orlando Cabrera (40.1 bases gained above average) followed by Grady Sizemore (35.1) and Corey Patterson (33.7). The only Tigers in the top 25 were Ivan Rodriguez (ranking 18th) and Curtis Granderson (22nd).

The National League leaders are listed in Table 2 below. The top base runner in the NL and also in the Majors was Jimmy Rollins with 43.9 bases gained above average. Next in line were Jose Reyes (40.1) and Hanley Ramirez (39.5).


Table 1: American League Bases Gained Leaders in 2006

Player

Team

BG Hits

BGAA Hits

BG Ground

BGAA Ground

BG Air

BGAA Air

BG Other

BGAA Other

BG Total

BGAA Total

Cabrera

ANA

32.0

5.3

18.0

4.2

8.0

0.5

38.1

30.1

96.1

40.1

Sizemore

CLE

39.0

13.0

24.0

6.4

12.0

3.2

21.6

12.5

96.6

35.1

Patterson

BAL

23.0

8.7

11.0

2.2

0.0

-4.0

32.3

26.8

66.3

33.7

Figgins

ANA

36.0

13.7

11.0

-3.5

16.0

5.5

21.6

13.6

84.6

29.2

Crawford

TBA

17.0

0.5

10.0

-2.6

8.0

2.8

35.1

27.1

70.1

27.7

Teahen

KCA

22.0

7.0

5.0

-0.3

10.0

5.4

18.7

13.4

55.7

25.4

Suzuki

SEA

14.0

-12.4

26.0

2.7

11.0

-0.9

44.9

35.0

95.9

24.4

Damon

NYA

34.0

12.4

23.0

4.3

12.0

4.5

8.7

0.8

77.7

21.9

Lugo

TBA

11.0

1.8

13.0

2.3

7.0

3.4

16.8

13.0

47.8

20.5

Baldelli

TBA

12.0

3.6

15.0

5.8

1.0

-1.5

15.7

11.4

43.7

19.2

Roberts

BAL

28.0

12.2

14.0

-2.4

0.0

-7.5

23.4

16.0

65.4

18.3

DeJesus

KCA

34.0

12.4

17.0

0.6

10.0

4.3

7.8

1.0

68.8

18.3

Crisp

BOS

19.0

6.2

6.0

-0.9

3.0

-2.4

19.8

14.9

47.8

17.7

Ellis

OAK

22.0

7.3

6.0

-4.3

12.0

6.3

12.0

6.7

52.0

16.1

Jeter

NYA

18.0

-6.2

11.0

1.8

9.0

-0.0

28.6

18.2

66.6

13.8

Tyner

MIN

12.0

-0.1

13.0

4.2

5.0

2.3

9.4

6.2

39.4

12.6

McDonald

TOR

10.0

0.8

4.0

0.9

7.0

4.7

7.4

4.8

28.4

11.3

Rodriguez

DET

27.0

9.8

3.0

-3.9

9.0

3.8

7.8

1.3

46.8

10.9

Ford

MIN

16.0

4.6

6.0

0.7

0.0

-2.5

9.7

7.2

31.7

10.0

Grudzielanek

KCA

24.0

3.5

6.0

-0.9

14.0

8.1

6.1

-0.9

50.1

9.9

Hill

TOR

24.0

7.5

10.0

-0.7

7.0

1.6

9.1

1.4

50.1

9.8

Granderson

DET

27.0

3.9

24.0

3.8

10.0

0.4

8.9

1.6

69.9

9.6

Inglett

CLE

4.0

-0.4

4.0

0.9

2.0

1.2

10.7

7.9

20.7

9.6

Mauer

MIN

28.0

4.2

8.0

0.4

14.0

7.5

6.5

-2.5

56.5

9.6

Rios

TOR

19.0

7.3

4.0

-4.0

12.0

6.8

4.9

-0.9

39.9

9.2



Table 2: National League Bases Gained Leaders in 2006

Player

Team

BG Hits

BGAA Hits

BG Ground

BGAA Ground

BG Air

BGAA Air

BG Other

BGAA Other

BG Total

BGAA Total

Rollins

PHI

27.0

-1.9

29.0

11.0

15.0

5.4

37.8

29.5

108.8

43.9

Reyes

NYN

28.0

7.5

30.0

8.2

17.0

8.2

24.7

16.2

99.7

40.1

Ramirez

FLO

25.0

5.6

22.0

4.0

12.0

6.6

31.5

23.3

90.5

39.5

Barfield

SDN

28.0

12.2

35.0

16.3

2.0

-3.2

15.5

8.6

80.5

33.8

Duffy

PIT

18.0

4.4

13.0

3.4

7.0

4.1

23.1

19.1

61.1

31.1

Pierre

CHN

25.0

6.3

33.0

7.0

16.0

6.6

19.1

10.0

93.1

29.9

Utley

PHI

41.0

16.1

10.0

0.8

7.0

3.2

15.5

6.7

73.5

26.9

Taveras

HOU

42.0

20.8

20.0

5.1

6.0

-2.2

9.8

2.4

77.8

26.0

Roberts

SDN

22.0

1.1

16.0

3.8

7.0

-1.4

27.4

20.1

72.4

23.6

Abreu

PHI

13.0

5.3

6.0

1.4

8.0

4.4

18.5

12.3

45.5

23.4

Lopez

WAS/CIN

19.0

1.4

9.0

-0.6

12.0

5.1

26.1

17.3

66.1

23.2

Phillips

CIN

8.0

-0.8

10.0

2.0

3.0

-1.6

26.8

20.2

47.8

19.8

Gross

MIL

14.0

7.0

17.0

6.7

3.0

1.1

8.0

4.9

42.0

19.7

Wright

NYN

27.0

9.1

12.0

1.3

8.0

1.9

15.5

7.2

62.5

19.5

Beltran

NYN

22.0

4.4

9.0

0.6

12.0

5.5

15.8

8.2

58.8

18.7

McLouth

PIT

13.0

4.2

8.0

-1.2

11.0

7.2

10.7

7.9

42.7

18.1

Finley

SFN

22.0

6.2

9.0

-1.3

5.0

1.0

17.0

11.4

53.0

17.3

Wilson

SLN/HOU

19.0

5.8

14.0

4.1

6.0

0.8

11.5

5.6

50.5

16.3

Cameron

SDN

27.0

12.0

10.0

2.0

7.0

-0.1

9.7

2.1

53.7

15.9

Jones

ATL

20.0

6.1

16.0

5.7

8.0

2.6

8.7

1.2

52.7

15.5

Byrnes

ARI

22.0

5.5

7.0

-5.2

6.0

1.2

20.2

13.7

55.2

15.2

Kearns

WAS/CIN

25.0

7.8

13.0

1.5

11.0

4.3

8.8

1.3

57.8

14.9

Nunez

PHI

12.0

2.5

16.0

7.6

2.0

-0.3

9.0

4.7

39.0

14.5

Everett

HOU

16.0

3.9

28.0

12.0

8.0

3.8

0.2

-6.0

52.2

13.6

Furcal

LAN

30.0

5.8

25.0

5.5

2.0

-8.7

20.1

10.9

77.1

13.5


The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by
Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".

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