A Numbers Game: How Analytics are Affecting Decision-Making in Professional Baseball

Abstract

The game of baseball has been based on numbers since the first professional game was played. The game has evolved as the use of statistics has evolved and vice versa. At this point in the baseball’s progression, analytics and numbers are affecting every decision that is made, whether it is on the field or in the front office. This is not a concept that can be depicted using numbers. To better get at this concept, and to use skills taught at SUNY Brockport, journalism would be the best way to fully understand how teams use analytics and what impact those numbers have on the game. Journalism allows for the human element of things to be more pronounced. It is a form of writing that puts the subject first and takes the writer out of play. Due to this, having professionals to give their input on the topic allows experts their opportunity to say exactly how things happen. It takes guess work out of play and lets the story be told by someone who lives it out on a day-to-day basis.