SPM Research Featured at MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Rodney Paul, professor of sport management, and SPM students Matt Filippi, Greg Ackerman, and Zack Albright co-authored a research paper that will be presented at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Feb. 28-Mar. 1 in Boston. Their research paper, “The Effects of Atmospheric Conditions on Pitchers,” studied the impact of air density on pitch selection and pitcher performance. It was one of sixteen papers selected (8 for presentation and 8 for posters) from more than 300 submissions worldwide. Matt Filippi, president of the Baseball Statistics Club, will represent the group at the conference.

Student members of SU’s Baseball Statistics Club were involved in the research project’s data collection process including: Andrew Sagarin, Justin Mattingly, Marcus Shelmidine, James DiDonato, Colby Conetta, Curt Baylor, Greg Terruso, Jeremy Losak, Zack Potter, Matt Russo, Matt Romansky, Sam Friedman, and Justin Moritz.

This paper originated from a detailed data set on baseball from an earlier study Prof. Paul collaborated on with co-authors Andrew Weinbach (Coastal Carolina University) and Jeff Gurney (University of South Carolina). The student researches used that data set as a starting point, and the Falk College’s Baseball Statistics Club added data on individual pitchers and the pitches they throw for each game (PitchF/X data). From there, the group tested the impact of air density on pitch selection and performance compared to expectations, wrote the paper showing the results, and submitted it in a competitive process for publication at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference.

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Research Paper Competition brings exciting and innovative insight and changes the way sports are analyzed. With submissions on topics ranging from the spelling bee to rugby, basketball, and more, the conference represent the largest forum for groundbreaking research in sports. Last year’s top papers were featured on Numbers Never Lie, mentioned and re-run in publications across the world (including TIME, ESPN the Magazine, and The New York Times), and captured the attention of representatives from numerous professional sports teams. The conference is prominently featured on the current issue of ESPN the Magazine (“The Analytics Issue”).