Analytics haven’t broken baseball; they’ve exposed how the rules shape the game.
Episode Description
Wharton Professor and Moneyball co-host Cade Massey explains that analytics aren’t to blame for how baseball has changed — they’re simply optimizing within the rules of the game. If fans don’t like the results, he says, it’s the rules that need to change, not the data.
ABOUT THE EPISODE In this Wharton Moneyball episode, the hosts talk with acclaimed baseball author Jane Leavy about how analytics have reshaped the game, from strategy to storytelling. They discuss her new book Make Me Commissioner, exploring whether data-driven decisions have made baseball less exciting and what changes could restore its charm. Leavy shares her thoughts on pitching, fan engagement, and how the sport might find balance between tradition and technology.
ABOUT THE PODCAST Sports is a game of numbers. Wharton experts Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, Cade Massey, and Adi Wyner team up to tackle the world of sports, from current events to longstanding issues such as: What sports streaks are the most impressive? How do you rank the best players? Can athletes be compared across sports? The Moneyball podcast explains how decision-makers in the game can avoid the common mistakes and embrace the data. Episodes are recorded at the Wharton School.
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Brief Summary
Analytics is about optimization; change the rules if outcomes are unsatisfactory.
Key points
- Understanding Analytics. Analytics is about optimization, not blame. Change the rules to see different results.
