Document Type
Thesis
First Faculty Advisor
Jim Bishop
Second Faculty Advisor
Janice Dexter-Ganek
Keywords
baseball; pitchers; performance; regression analysis
Publisher
Bryant University
Abstract
In Major League Baseball (MLB) , the use of starting pitchers has faced major scrutiny. This study aims to discuss the declining role of starting pitchers in MLB and analyze how this affects team success during the regular season. Recent literature and statistics reveal that starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings and have lower pitch counts over the last two decades than in previous years. Attributing to this declining role are extreme spikes in the number of Tommy John (UCLR) surgeries, newly added rule changes, and the introduction of new philosophical approaches. Data from the 2024 regular season regarding starting pitchers is recorded to track these factors. Then, a series of regression analyses is performed using the team’s success as the dependent variable to determine if a relationship exists.
Comments
This research paper was conducted based on statistics from the 2024 MLB season for the use of baseball fans.