BA1530 COURSE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

2019-20

Report On

(THE BASEBALL DATA ANALYSIS )

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Submitted to:

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By:

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INTRODUCTION:

Sports fan and researchers are always keen to identify the statistical comparison of Baseball
players. Baseball sports game consisted on 9 peoples and two teams however, every player’s
performance is contribute a vital role either a player is related to a fielding team, offensive team
or pitcher all should have to perform by their best (Coleman et al. 1982). In all of them offensive
performance of baseball player and his team is most important which focus on the single goal of
scoring runs. Furthermore, in early decades the ancient people were measured the Offensive
performance by BA (Betting Average) which means that as much as a player construct hits the
more and more he can get runs for his teams. In earlier, other than BA several statistics have
been invented to measure the offensive performance in Baseball and every statistics has a strong
purpose behind it. For instance, if any player has a strong hitter and the other player has an
average so the comparison between both of them will be the meaningless that is why each
player’s offensive performance can be measured individually. Similarly, a study on predicting
offensive performance of Baseball players stated that Hitter’s ability can be increased by
resistance exercises and it helps him to develop a large force as well as make him better
performer among all of others (Goldberger, 1982)

The Purpose of this paper is to measure the offensive performance of each player through
various data analysis for the year of 2017 and 2018. This analysis report compare the results of
2017 Baseball match with 2018 and identify that either the team and the player’s offensive
performance has decrease in 2018 as compare to 2017. Moreover, try to explore and identify the
league leader by thoroughly analyzing of 2017 & 2018 in OPS, Batting average and On-base
percentage. Beside this, try to find the answer that which measure is most powerful to determine
the all-star team in respect of OPS or Average batting measures. Finally, this report will
concluded regarding the implementation of information system which will help to analysis
automatically through various information channels. (Bailey, 2019)

Purpose of the Analysis

This analysis section will help to understand the offensive performance of each baseball season
through the analysis report computed on excel sheet with the help of given data related to the
matches played in the year of 2017 and 2018 respectively and also we try to answer all of the

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questions after this analysis. However, An analysis report to measured offensive performance
can be conducted through various statistics but this report only based on Player’s Age, Total
Base, Batting Average, Slugging%, On base% and OPS, which shows the overall offensive
performance of each player and whole team as well, this can be calculated through given data in
excel sheet such as AB, BB, PA, IB, 2B, 3B & H. (Bailey, 2013)

Data Analysis

In this research paper, researcher keen to know the offensive performance of the year 2018
compare to the past year of 2017. For that purpose below table.1 can help to answer regarding
the measurement of offensive performance in this year.

Table: 1 Year to Year Offensive Performance

Avg Plate Avg Total Average Average

As already defined above that the offensive performance can be measured through Avg Plate and
Avg total base so, this results exhibit that Average plate in 2017 was 376 but increase in 2018 to
387 but the Average total base reduce by 2 and Average Batting also reduce by 0.008. Moreover
Average OPS shows also decreasing by 0.026 and Average Strike out increased by 3, which is
negatively impact on Offensive performance. Basis of the above analysis, researcher can clearly
state that the Offensive performance of 2018 has been reduced as compare to the previous year
of 2017.

Another interest of researcher is that to identify the league leader among the players in the match
of 2017 and 2018. For that purpose, some results has been drawn after analysis of the available
data which is mentioned below in table.2

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Table: 2
2017 2018
Name Value Name Value
Batting Avg altuvjo01 0.346 voitlu01 0.346
On Base % abreujo02 0.452 troutmi01 0.454
OPS martijd02 1.109 voitlu01 1.091

Results exhibit that Altuvjo01 has the highest record in Batting Avg of 0.346 and abreujo02 has
highest on base % which is 0.452 and martijd02 has OPS of 1.109 in 2017, all of these players
has recorded highest values in this match. Similarly, voitlu01 is a league leader in 2018 who
makes 0.346 in batting Avg and 1.091 in OPS. Likewise, troutmi01 makes highest value of 0.454
on base %.in this match. (Dierenfeld, 2012)

Moreover, researcher wanted to explore the best measures for offensive performance among both
of the measures in OPS and Batting Average. It must be explore since it has some confusion
regarding modern and traditional viewers that which tool has highly powerful to measure
offensive performance. For that purpose, below table.3 has clearly shows the highest OPS with
the player name and the other side exhibit the Maximum Batting Average value of each player.
In table.3 among the entire player, ramsoswi01, voitlu01 & machama01 have Max OPS and Max
Batting Average, which clearly state that in both of measures all of the three players make
highest value so, both of the measures are robust in that case. Apart from that, other players have
highest Batting Average but not Max OPS which means that both of measures for the other
players work differently. (Courneya, 1991)

Table: 3
Max
Max
Name Team Position Name Team Position Batting
OPS
Avg
ramoswi01 Rays Catcher 0.834 ramoswi01 Rays Catcher 0.297
Yankee Yankee
voitlu01 s First Base 1.091 voitlu01 s First Base 0.333
troutmi01 Angels Outfielder 1.082 phamth01 Rays Outfielder 0.343
Red Second Red Second
bettsmo01 Sox Base 1.075 bettsmo01 Sox Base 0.346
machama0 Orioles Shortstop 0.996 machama0 Orioles Shortstop 0.315

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 1 1
Third Third
arenano01 Rockies Base 0.935 turneju01 Dodgers Base 0.312
PIVOT TABLE ANALYSIS:

Evaluation of offensive performances:

The calculated data presents the sample of 201 players ranging from age 22 to 29 whereas the
comparative average results mentioned for the year 2017 and 2018 provided the results for the
comparison of their percentages. The OPS is calculated for the team and the individuals whereas
the offensive measure has been established for the calculated data. The grand total average of the
OPS resulted in with 0.723, if we compare the performances of the players based on their age it
shows that that after the age of 26 the average OPS performance of the player start to decline at
the age 27 while the peak average OPS is observed at younger age of 22 in the year 2017 and the
number of respondents in the provided data sample lies in the age of 28 with total 53 players,
however the result of 2018 shows the grand total average OPS figure of 0.742 which has
incremental affects in comparison with the previous year here the data of higher number of
players were recorded at the age of 27 and 29 jointly and the performance measure shows the
higher OPS average was observed at the age of 22 i.e. 0.805, if we talk about the comparison
based on the age of the player the higher average OPS was recorded at the age of 22 in both
years the discussed comparison are on the basis of individual players whereas the comparison of
teams data is also calculated on the spread sheets, likewise the comparison of 30 teams with 201
players in 2017 and 189 players in 2018 provide the skills of the teams and their players in the
percentages of slugging and the numbers also represent the capability of players to hit the ball
with the power and to reach on base depending on their age, furthermore the data shows with the
increasing age of the players their OPS and OS skills are towards declining phase, the age of 27
in the game of baseball is considered as the peak age of the players where they are considered as
most important part of the team based on their skills and experience, the outcomes of the data are
used to rank the player according to their hitting skills and slugging skills based on their age.
(Lavier, 2009)

Comparison of Teams Batting averages:

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Total number of teams for the data count is 30 and the comparison result for the year 2017 and
2018 shows the improvement skills of the teams, the calculation and the statistical analysis of
data represent that number of teams who improved pertaining to their batting averages are 22 out
of 30 teams whereas the each team descriptive report represent the critical analysis of the
difference in their performance compared to the base year data. Total of 8 teams were there who
did not meet the criteria for improvement and they fall in the category of loss instead of
improved. With the help of pivot table analysis it was revealed that Mariners has the higher
tendency to improve their batting averages over the two years compared to other teams their
improvement numbers were 0.03 while Rays along with other teams failed to improve their
batting average throughout the time period they recorded the lowest numbers in the data with -
0.018, Moreover the other part of the calculation involved the individual players data statistics
with taking the sample of four teams which were Astros, Rockies, Yankees and Reds with the
data of year 2017 and 2018 if we interpret the results of the team Astros for the year 2017 it was
observed that the player altuvjo01 has the higher average of his team players with the average
OPS of 0.952 and in comparison of the team Rockies player Blackch02 recorded higher batting
average of 0.331 among his team mates in 2017, and in comparison of both teams average data
the cumulative average OPS of Astros is 8.477 whereas the overall average of Rockies was
observed at 2.926, further in the year 2018 the interpretation of teams Yankees and Reds shows
the result that the player of Yankees named voitlu01 has the higher average among its teams
mates with the average OPS of 1.091 however his average is also on the higher side if we
compare his average with the average of altuvjo01 in 2017, the Reds batting average total was
recorded at 2.748 and the topper among all having higher batting average with greater
capabilities was gennesc01 having the average of 0.310 while comparing his average with the
team Rockies of year 2017 Blackch02 was in leading position with the average of 0.331 the
overall scenario conclude with the performance measure of the 30 teams and their initiate
towards the improvement of their team capabilities. (Meletakos, 2011)

CONCLUSION:
On the conclusion note of the report the statistical tools are initiated to measure the performance
of the baseball teams and their players, the available data of total of 30 teams and their individual
players shows their efforts in numbers to maintain the skills and efficiency required by them in
the field however the report also present the view in which data analysis provided the results of

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the age factor of the players the offensive performances and the slugging capabilities of the
players are observed whereas the tendency to get better each days required the continuous
performance measure by the management of the team, the results also provided the individual
performances who aid team to improve by striving to improve their individual performances. The
batting averages and the OS of the team were used to justify the team leader and the group
leader, the performance measure is also used to rank the team according to their development
and their player’s progress. The present data was for the league of baseball play and the plans
and procedures are mentioned on the basis of which data was analyzed. The other aspect which
could be a part of report because other than data analysis and statistical tools graphical
representation is also considered as an effective performance measure using the average
tendency of the variables. (Elitzur, 2020)

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REFERENCES:

1. Goldberger, A. S., & Cain, G. G. (1982). The causal analysis of cognitive outcomes in
the Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore report. Sociology of education, 55(2), 103-122.
2. Bailey, C. A., Sato, K., & Hornsby, W. G. (2013, September). Predicting offensive
performance in collegiate baseball players using isometric force production
characteristics. In ISBS-Conference Proceedings Archive.
3. Laviers, K., Sukthankar, G., Aha, D. W., Molineaux, M., & Darken, C. (2009, October).
Improving Offensive Performance Through Opponent Modeling. In AIIDE.
4. Meletakos, P., Vagenas, G., & Bayios, I. (2011). A multivariate assessment of offensive
performance indicators in Men’s Handball: Trends and differences in the World
Championships. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 11(2), 284-294.
5. Courneya, K. S., & Chelladurai, P. (1991). A Model of Performance Measures in
Baseball. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 13(1).
6. Dierenfeld, H., & Merceron, A. (2012). Learning analytics with excel pivot tables.
7. Bailey, R. L. (2019). Modernizing Major League Baseball: Using Fan Identification to
Assess Rule Change Preferences (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University).
8. Elitzur, R. (2020). Data analytics effects in major league baseball. Omega, 90, 102001.