Rox Pile
Fansided

Colorado Rockies: This team is a weird bunch historically

By Noah Yingling

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 26: Manager Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies looks on as he walks back to the dugout against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the fifth inning at AT&T Park on June 26, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 26: Manager Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies looks on as he walks back to the dugout against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the fifth inning at AT&T Park on June 26, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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DENVER – MAY 15: Conor Jackson #16 of the Arizona Diamondbacks is congratulated for his two run home run off of Jason Hirsh of the Colorado Rockies by teammate Chris Young #24 who scored on the play to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 sixth inning lead on May 15, 2007 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER – MAY 15: Conor Jackson #16 of the Arizona Diamondbacks is congratulated for his two run home run off of Jason Hirsh of the Colorado Rockies by teammate Chris Young #24 who scored on the play to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 sixth inning lead on May 15, 2007 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

The 2007 Diamondbacks were the last playoff team with a negative run differential and they won the NL West that year and, as you probably remember, the Rockies sneaked into the playoffs with the then one Wild Card spot after an eleven game winning streak in September and having to play a game 163 against the San Diego Padres.

Before game 163, the Rockies and Padres were only game back of the D’Backs for the division as each of them were 89-73 and the D’Backs went 90-72.

The D’backs had a run differential of -22. For comparison, the Rockies run differential was +102.

If you look at the team on Baseball Reference (you can right here), you’ll see that they really aren’t anything special. They didn’t have a regular position player with an OPS+ of 109 (shared by first baseman Conor Jackson and future Rockie Mark Reynolds). Their actual leader in OPS+ was pitcher Micah Owings, who had 4 homers, 15 RBI, and a .333/.349/.683 slash line in 64 plate appearances.

On the pitching front, they main thing they had going for them was 47 saves by Jose Valverde.

The Rockies had the last laugh, though, as the D’backs were swept by the Rockies in the NLCS.

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