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Who Are the Top Baserunners in Baseball?
Posted by John Dewan on Dec 16th 2015
May 23, 2013
Carlos Beltran is in his 16th major league season overall. Over his career, he has been a major force on the diamond, compiling 67 Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball-Reference, the 131st-best such figure of all time. He has excelled in every facet of the game including hitting for average, hitting for power, defense and baserunning.
There is one area, however, where his excellence has become average, baserunning. Through 2008 he was one of the best baserunners in the game. However, a series of injuries beginning in 2009 have robbed him of his speed. Using the Bill James’ Baserunning Net Gain metric, the drop-off is dramatic:| Carlos Beltran Career Baserunning | ||
| Year | Team | Net Gain |
| 2002 | KC | 32 |
| 2003 | KC | 56 |
| 2004 | KC-Hou | 67 |
| 2005 | Mets | 35 |
| 2006 | Mets | 36 |
| 2007 | Mets | 32 |
| 2008 | Mets | 35 |
| 2009 | Mets | -3 |
| 2010 | Mets | 3 |
| 2011 | Mets-SF | 8 |
| 2012 | StL | 8 |
| 2013 | StL | -2 |
Before 2009, Beltran averaged more than 40 Baserunning Net Gain points per season. Last season, only six players—Mike Trout, Michael Bourn, Jarrod Dyson, Everth Cabrera, Desmond Jennings, and Jimmy Rollins—were able exceed the total Beltran averaged over a seven-year stretch.
Because of his lost speed, Beltran’s defense has become average as well. After saving an estimated 40 runs defensively for the Mets from 2008 through 2010, Beltran has cost his teams a total of four runs over the last 4+ years.
This year’s leaders in Baserunning Net Gain are:
| Best Baserunners through May 22, 2013 | |
| Player | Net Gain |
| Everth Cabrera | 22 |
| David Wright | 16 |
| Juan Pierre | 15 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 15 |
| Hunter Pence | 14 |
Included in his sizable lead in Baserunning Net Gain are Cabrera’s 18 stolen bases, the most in baseball, four more than the number-two men, Jean Segura and Nate McClouth.
On the other side of the ledger, here are this year’s base cloggers, many of whom are prototypical power hitters:
| Worst Baserunners through May 22, 2013 | |
| Player | Net Gain |
| Justin Smoak | -17 |
| Martin Prado | -15 |
| Allen Craig | -12 |
| Nelson Cruz | -12 |
| Albert Pujols | -10 |
| Chris Carter | -10 |
Note: Baserunning Net Gain is featured each year in the Bill James Handbook. It evaluates players based on their opportunities to advance on hits and avoid outs on the basepaths, including both stealing bases and advancing via hits and outs. You can think of this number as the number of extra bases gained or lost compared to the average player.