Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Hitting It Out Of The Park: How Major League Baseball Changed The Game By Not Changing Anything At All, Kyle Sorgi

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will examine the integration of baseball into American culture and statistics’ involvement in that process. This paper will paint a clear picture of the emergence and acceptance of analytics in baseball through a gradual transformation of the style of play spanning the past few decades in the form of increased strikeouts, homeruns, and extra-base hits. Furthermore, this paper will explore the polarizing implications of analytical baseball on and off the field. One of the main questions that this paper will explore is whether or not MLB can go too far with its statistic-minded initiative (if it …