Baseball's Smartest Teams Are Winning Differently
Episode Description
ABOUT THE EPISODE The teams finding an edge in baseball are not always the ones spending the most.
Mike Petriello, Major League Baseball's Director of Stats and Research, explores how the Milwaukee Brewers and other analytically driven clubs build winning advantages through Statcast data, player development, plate discipline, and smarter hitter-pitcher matchups. He also breaks down Shohei Ohtani's timing issues, the value of swing-path data, and how technology is reshaping postseason preparation.
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? Moneyball Highlights 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
Mike Petriello discusses baseball analytics, focusing on Shohei Otani, the Brewers' strategies, and the role of technology in the game.
Key points
- Introducing Mike Petriello. A longtime MLB employee and analytics communicator joins the show.
- Shohei Otani's Struggles. Mike discusses the underlying data behind Otani's performance issues.
- Brewers' Unique Strategy. Mike explains how the Brewers stand out in their approach to analytics and gameplay.
- The Art of Batting Patience. A discussion on the Brewers' low swing rate and its impact on winning games.
- Dodgers' Aging Roster. Analyzing the Dodgers' performance and age as a potential disadvantage in the playoffs.
- Analytics in Action. The success of teams like the Rays and Brewers showcases the power of analytics in baseball.
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Episode highlights
- Introducing Mike PetrielloA longtime MLB employee and analytics communicator joins the show.“We're delighted to have you, Mike.”1:19Oct 14, 2026
- Shohei Otani's StrugglesMike discusses the underlying data behind Otani's performance issues.“His timing is all sorts of messed up.”6:17Oct 14, 2026
- Brewers' Unique StrategyMike explains how the Brewers stand out in their approach to analytics and gameplay.“It's just finding a different way to win.”8:29Oct 14, 2026
- The Art of Batting PatienceA discussion on the Brewers' low swing rate and its impact on winning games.“That's a great example of using data to say, Hey, this is going to help us win games.”17:50Oct 14, 2026
- Dodgers' Aging RosterAnalyzing the Dodgers' performance and age as a potential disadvantage in the playoffs.“I think the Dodgers are kind of old, to be honest.”20:59Oct 14, 2026
- Analytics in ActionThe success of teams like the Rays and Brewers showcases the power of analytics in baseball.“Isn't this a victory for analytics?”29:50Oct 14, 2026
- Eagles' Unprecedented LossesThe Eagles have lost two consecutive games despite having over a 95% win probability.“They've lost two consecutive games where they had over a 95% win probability.”32:26Oct 14, 2026
- Coaching Decisions Under FireScrutiny on coaching decisions as Eagles struggle with game management and play calling.“Clearly they deserve a lot of heat for this last game.”32:35Oct 14, 2026
