Slingshots, Leather, Lumber, and the 2016 Season in Major League Baseball

Thomas M. Fullerton, Jr., James T. Peach

Abstract


An econometric analysis of the 2016 Major League Baseball season is conducted with respect to regular season victories.  Results obtained confirm many results documented in prior studies, albeit with parameter heterogeneity.   The importance of solid team pitching, defense, and offense is corroborated.  Salary disparities are found to be inversely correlated with wins, as are injuries.  Surprisingly, league affiliation is not found to favor American League teams in 2016 inter-league contests.  History provides good insights to what occurs on the field, but the patterns of previous seasons are not always duplicated.  Indeed, parameter heterogeneity argues against pooling sample data from multiple seasons.

Keywords


Major League Baseball; Team Performance

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References


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