When it comes to making the best baseball decisions, we want to make sure we are using the best possible information at hand to make these decisions. The good news is, in today’s game, we have access to new technologies that can derive different metrics that we were unable to measure in the past. We can also take this data and create more accurate statistics and measurements of performance that can help everyone improve better than ever before.
In the past, we may have believed that the player with the highest batting average was the best hitter in the league. However, with Baseball Analytics, we now have more comprehensive metrics to truly understand who the best players in the game may be, and WHY.
That’s where analytics comes in. Analytics are just “advanced” pieces of information. They usually stem from either data or statistics, which can’t be measured with the human eye, but can be computationally determined.
Analytics might sound like an “intimidating” word if you’re not familiar with it, but the concept is more simple than you think! We use analytics to provide ourselves with additional information because it helps us make better decisions!
In baseball, we can use advanced statistics, such as xwOBA or wRC+, to determine who had a better season instead of just looking at who recorded the most hits. We can also use radar technology to measure precisely how much a curveball breaks and how consistently we execute the pitch. These are examples of how analytics are used within the game today.
Summary
Overall, when we combine what we see on the field with analytics, we’re maximizing the amount of information we have to put ourselves in the best position to succeed and ultimately make better decisions. That is Baseball Analytics.
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