re: Who thinks maybe JJ should consider

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The point of this analytics boom was never to get every single decision right. That’s impossible with any approach. They’re trying to get better over the long haul, if they even get 1% better long term because of it then it’s a success.

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It would be impossible to attribute a 1% marginal increase to basically anything. In my opinion you are basically highlighting the issues with analytics

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Care to guess the top 6 teams in wins in MLB for the last decade? Guess what? 5 of the 6 teams are the most heavy analytical leaning organizations in the league.

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But wouldn't they (MLB) have a much greater volume of data to inform their analytics than will be available on college players?

I think it would mess with hitters to have the middle infielders be in motion in-pitch.

not sure how exactly “heavy analytical leaning organizations” are defined,

Basically, quantify how much it cost you per win and still compete. Low payroll teams like the Brewers, Rays, and Guardians and still consistently make the playoffs or contend for a playoff spot. Or teams like the Astros or Dodgers before Covid whose whole team building identity is through the draft or trades, or the waiver wire looking for specific advanced metrics (Astros: Colin McHugh, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers…spin rate on their curveballs) in the players they draft or acquire through trades. Those are also going to be the teams who shift the most. Care to guess why? Because more often than not they’ll be right. The math says so……..if you need more proof MLB had to ban it because it was too effective.
Another thing analytics has done is make drafting players a lot less of a crapshoot. Now they can measure exit velocity, spin rate, arm angle, grips etc. A lot more early rounders are having success and early success at the MLB level…..the Astros literally used a high speed camera from NASA (it’s not the same one as they used to steal signs) to judge spin rate before any team in the MLB knew about it. That’s why they acquired Colin McHugh was because he elite spin rate on his curveball. That’s how they had so many good pitchers they picked up for cheap in trades or basically league minimum F.A. Or off the waiver wire. Colin McHugh, Charlie Morton, Dallas Keuchel, Frambar Valdez, Verlander had some of the best seasons of his career as an Astro, Lance McCullers before injuries. They turned Ryan Presley from an early round bust into an all star closer. I can go on and on about the Dodgers, Guardians, and Brewers pitching staffs as well. Guess what they were ALL built with? Home grown (drafted), journeyman FA, and players from trades they got for next to nothing…..using analytical data as a guide and looking for specific advanced metrics that are elite.

The Dodgers are what they are because they have the analytics that tell them who the best players are and they have the money to sign them when they become FA. Mitigating their risk of massive FA busts like they have done in the past. Short of a salary cap or the Dodgers going bankrupt, they will run baseball for the next decade or two.


Last thing…..Jeff Luhnow is the GM the cracked the baseball code. He literally hired rocket scientists to build the algorithms and judge talent, and use physics to unearth players everyone thought couldn’t hack it in the show. The Cardinals literally hacked the Astros scouting and prospect database (called Mission Control) because they were so far ahead of the curve.

In the simplest layman terms, analytics is just pattern recognition in numbers/data sets. It’s more information to make an informed and intelligent decision. Being ex military you learn you can never have enough data/info on your opponent or your own players. It’s all about putting your players in the best possible position to succeed while putting your opponent at a disadvantage.

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the shift

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Would work if we had pitchers that can locate pitches to their spot. Problem is we don’t even have pitchers that can locate the catcher much less the strike zone.

And we also tend to pitch away from the shift when we shift.

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Johnson should never shift! He simply doesn’t know how in the F it works

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I've read your post on here. Do you think Jay Johnson doesn't know how something works, yet you do?

So we shifted plenty last year and in 2023 and it worked plenty. The best teams in the sport are shifting tons this year, texas am included. Yet, we should stop? How do yall know their is not enough analytical data to backup these decisions? Im very critical at times of where and how lsu shifts, especially the outfield. But i also know they have a ton more data to work with than I.

that is completely a different discussion than shifting infielders in college baseball with throwers rather than pitchers.

Yes!!! WITHOUT THE SHIFT!