Who were the best and worst Rockies baserunners in 2007?

Using a set of metrics I’ve developed and discussed in my column on Baseball Prospectus over the past couple of seasons we can answer that question fairly definitively. Below is a table that breaks down all the Rockies in 2007 into five metrics. Those are:

EqGAR - advancing on ground outs
EqSBR - stolen base attempts and pick-offs
EqAAR - advancing on fly balls
EqHAR - advancing on hits
EqOAR - other advancement including wild pitches, passed balls, and balks 

You can read more about each at BP in my articles or in the glossary but suffice it to say that the metrics are measured in terms of runs and are based on both the quality and quantity of opportunities the runner had in each of the five areas. A positive value indicates that the runner did better than he was expected based on the league average (or break-even percentage for stolen bases) while a negative number indicates he did more poorly.

Name                 Opps  EqGAR   Opps  EqSBR   Opps  EqAAR   Opps  EqHAR   Opps  EqOAR   Opps  EqBRR
Kazuo Matsui           22   -0.6     37    4.1     38   -1.3     40    2.6    265    1.5    402    6.4
Matt Holliday          30    0.0     15    0.5     66    1.4     59    2.3    457   -1.2    627    3.1
Jamey Carroll          14    0.1      8    0.0     17    0.2     28    2.7    159   -0.2    226    2.7
Clint Barmes            2    0.5      0    0.0      0    0.0      2    0.2     18    0.6     22    1.3
Cory Sullivan          10    0.1      2    0.4      7    0.4     16    0.2     98   -0.1    133    0.9
Willy Taveras          23   -1.1     44    0.6     39    1.5     33    0.3    268   -0.5    407    0.8
Omar Quintanilla        9    0.3      0    0.0      4    0.0      3    0.1     53    0.3     69    0.7
Yorvit Torrealba       30   -0.4      4    0.4     14   -1.0     32    1.6    209   -0.2    289    0.4
John Mabry              1    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      2    0.2     10    0.1     13    0.3
Troy Tulowitzki        32    0.6     13   -2.2     32   -0.5     46    2.4    334   -0.2    457    0.1
Seth Smith              4    0.0      0    0.0      1    0.1      0    0.0      8    0.0     13    0.1
Tim Harikkala           0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      1    0.0      1    0.0
Joe Koshansky           0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      2    0.0      2    0.0
Ramon Ortiz             0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      2    0.0      2    0.0
Elmer Dessens           0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      4    0.0      4    0.0
Geronimo Gil            0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      7    0.0      7    0.0
Ian Stewart             1    0.0      0    0.0      1    0.0      1    0.0     11    0.0     14    0.0
Taylor Buchholz         0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0     10    0.0     10    0.0
Josh Fogg               1   -0.1      0    0.0      1    0.2      4   -0.2     20   -0.1     26   -0.1
Ubaldo Jimenez          2   -0.1      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      4    0.0      6   -0.1
Rodrigo Lopez           1   -0.1      0    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      2    0.0      3   -0.1
Steve Finley            5    0.1      0    0.0      5    0.1      8   -0.5     45    0.0     63   -0.3
Ryan Spilborghs        21    0.2      6   -0.1     14    0.3     22   -0.6    139   -0.2    202   -0.3
Franklin Morales        1    0.0      0    0.0      1    0.0      1   -0.3      5    0.0      8   -0.4
Jeff Francis            7   -0.5      0    0.0      3    0.1      5   -0.1     27   -0.1     42   -0.6
Jeff Baker              9   -0.2      0    0.0      6   -1.0      6    0.1     69    0.1     90   -1.0
Aaron Cook              1    0.0      0    0.0      0    0.0      9   -1.0     32   -0.1     42   -1.1
Jason Hirsh             1    0.0      1   -0.6      2   -0.6      1   -0.2      7    0.1     12   -1.3
Chris Iannetta         15    0.1      1    0.3     10    0.0     12   -1.6    112   -0.2    150   -1.4
Garrett Atkins         23   -0.8      4    0.0     41   -0.5     46   -1.0    323    0.8    437   -1.6
Brad Hawpe             35    0.0      3   -1.9     31   -0.3     39   -1.8    289   -0.1    397   -4.1
Todd Helton            25   -0.5      2   -1.1     52    1.1     73   -4.5    409   -0.2    561   -5.2   

                      325   -2.5    140    0.3    385    0.3    488    0.8   3399    0.0   4737   -1.1

The departed Kaz Matsui and Jamey Carroll took two of the three top spots and overall the team was about average on the bases. Willy Taveras had a down year and has done better in the past to the tune of +8 or more runs in previous seasons.