Detroit Tigers: Top base runner in first half of 2017 season will surprise you

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus doesn’t have many speed options at his disposal given the team’s sluggers. That being said, we here at MCB looked for Detroit’s best base runner in the first half.

Detroit Tigers fans haven’t seen many base-stealing threats over the years. This is largely due to Detroit’s roster makeup, which is generally one of a slugging, station-to-station team.

Generally, the Tigers have one or two players who can be a legitimate threat on the base paths. At the turn of the decade, that was Austin Jackson and—for a spell—Quintin Berry.

After Jackson and Berry, the likes of Anthony Gose and Rajai Davis have all filled the role of speed merchant in Detroit’s lineup.

Cameron Maybin played the part last year, but he was flipped to Anaheim in the offseason, creating a need.

Initially, JaCoby Jones looked like a potential replacement.

The athletic center fielder showed well at the plate in 51 Spring Training at-bats, adding three stolen bases in the process.

This was nothing new for Jones, who notched a 0.7 BsR in just 13 games for Detroit down the stretch in 2016.

However, Jones’ hitting wasn’t at the same level as his base running and defense. As such he’s spent the majority of the season in Triple-A Toledo.

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With Jones out of the picture, the search for the Detroit Tigers best base runner becomes a bit trickier as the team doesn’t exactly employ a speed merchant in the mold of Berry or Davis.

Additionally, just three Tigers have more than a single stolen base this season.

On that note, we return to BsR to provide a more accurate look at Detroit’s base runners.

BsR

Here’s how FanGraphs describes their metric:

“Base Running (BsR) is FanGraphs’ all encompassing base running statistic that turns stolen bases, caught stealings, and other base running plays (taking extra bases, being thrown out on the bases, etc) into runs above and below average. It is a combination of Weighted Stolen Base Runs (wSB), Weighted Grounded Into Double Play Runs (wGDP), and Ultimate Base Running (UBR)…BsR serves as the base running component of Wins Above Replacement.”

The Detroit Tigers and BsR

On the season, eight different Tigers players are in the negative where BsR is concerned, which take them out of the running.

Perhaps the most surprising player among the eight is Andrew Romine. Romine, who is often utilized as a pinch-runner, ranks last with a -4.5 number.

Also checking in with negative BsR numbers are Victor Martinez (-4.3), Miguel Cabrera (-3.2), Dixon Machado (-2.5), Alex Avila (-2.1), J.D. Martinez (-1.4), Nicholas Castellanos (-1.2) and Justin Upton (-0.3).

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Tyler Collins turned in a -0.4 number, but considering he’s off both the active and 40-man rosters takes him out of consideration.

Jose Iglesias is the only non-pitcher to check in with a 0.0 in the category.

While it isn’t the most encouraging stat for a player who—per Baseball Savant covers the most feet per second among Detroit base runners in 2017—it isn’t in the negatives, so there’s that.

Moving up the leaderboard in terms of players on the active roster finds Mikie Mahtook with a 0.2 number, and Alex Presley with a 1.3 stat.

Unsurprisingly, Ian Kinsler is second among active players with a 1.5 BsR.

In a similar vein to Romine finishing last in BsR in the first half, Detroit’s leader in BsR is equally surprising.

And the top Detroit Tigers base runner is…

That would be James McCann, who is the leader in the clubhouse—literally—with a 1.8 number.

McCann’s BsR doesn’t exactly stack up well with the rest of the league. Billy Hamilton paces the Majors with an 8.7.

By comparison, Rockies have seven different play with a BsR over 1.8.

The Diamondbacks have five, the Rangers have four and so do the Rays.

That doesn’t exactly paint the Tigers in the best light. However, it does show just how much of a slugging team they are.

Moving forward, look for Alex Presley to overtake McCann with time. Should the outfielder stick on the roster over the course of the season, he should outpace McCann.

Presley has already taken three stolen bases in just 63 plate appearances this season.

What’s more, he’s registered positive metrics in wSB (0.6), wGDP (0.3) and UBR (0.4)  in limited playing time.

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Statistically speaking, James McCann is the Detroit Tigers best base runner right now. Over the course of the second half of 2017, expect Alex Presley to take the title away from him.