Sabermetrics is the study of advanced baseball statistics. And who better to study that than Syracuse University Sport Analytics students? The student-led club formed during the Spring 2013 semester with Sport Analytics professor Dr. Rodney Paul as its faculty advisor. The club conducts in-depth discussions about baseball statistics and sabermetrics. Members take part in a fantasy baseball league and guest speakers are brought in on a variety of topics throughout the year.
In Spring 2020, for the sixth straight year, Syracuse University Sabermetrics Club members participated in the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics’ Spring Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Due to COVID-19, the students did not travel in March 2020 to Phoenix, Arizona, but instead presented virtually from SU’s campus. The competition is for undergraduate and graduate students from universities across the country to compete against each other by researching and presenting on a baseball analytics topic.
Four SU teams competed in 2020, with two teams winning their respective divisions. Students on SU’s winning teams were: Steven DiMaria, Hughston Preston, Ben Ayers, Joey Deaton and Cameron Mitchell; as well as Joe Pickering, Sean Kenney, Brendan McKeown, Cooper Shawver and Drake Mills.
Their assignment was to analyze the factors that contribute to a starting pitcher’s effectiveness when navigating a lineup for the third time in a game. Teams made their presentations by using programs such as R, Excel, and Tableau. They virtually presented their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges that included executives from Major League Baseball.
With the help of gifts from Falk College donors Jeff and Andrea Lomasky and Andrew Berlin, 20 Syracuse University sport analytics students competed at this prestigious event. The students are guided in their research during the academic year by Dr. Rodney Paul and sport analytics assistant professor Dr. Jeremy Losak. Read more about the 2020 SABR event.
In Spring 2019, Club members Charles “CB” Garrett IV ’19, Cody Barbuto ’19 and Kyle Liotta ’20 published a research paper in conjunction with Dr. Paul on how minor league baseball player Tim Tebow affected attendance for teams during the 2017 season. The paper, titled “Celebrity Attraction in the Minors: The Case of Tim Tebow,” was published in the Journal of Economics and Finance. Tebow played for the Syracuse Mets during the 2019 season.
Since 2015, SU SABR club members have competed in the prestigious SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition at NYU, and winning best presentation in 2017. Students are given a topic and then given five days to collect data, create a model, and prepare a 30-minute presentation on the topic to be given in New York City in front of Major League Baseball executives. In Fall 2019, the teams were asked to project performances for Major League Baseball players Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso, or Luis Severino and Noah Syndergaard, over the next five seasons. Students also had to predict the likelihood that one player will outperform the other.
“We are very proud of the way our students compete at these events,” Paul said. “It’s a terrific way for them to showcase their research in front of industry professionals as well as gain experience outside of the classroom.”
The Club has also had its research (“The Effects of Atmospheric Conditions on Pitchers”) published in ESPN The Magazine.
“Having a Sabermetrics club at Syracuse is important as it allows for students to study in-depth advanced baseball statistics to create a better understanding of the game and of player value,” Paul said. “Students will learn the origins and uses of sabermetric statistics and then discuss and debate their usage. The goal of the club is to inform and encourage the use of advanced baseball statistics for a variety of uses in the industry.”
The club hears from numerous guest speakers throughout the year via in-person visits or virtual presentations, including TJ Barra, senior data quality analyst for Major League Baseball; Max Vogel-Freedman, analyst of player development and international scouting for the New York Mets; Justin Perline, quantitative analyst for the Pittsburgh Pirates; Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline; and Jesus Lantigua, coordinator of Dominican Republic scouting for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Officers for the 2020-2021 academic year are Steven DiMaria, president; Brendan McKeown, vice president; Hughston Preston, director of research; Brianne Quinlan, director of outreach; and Seth Warner, fiscal agent. The Club meets weekly on campus during the academic year. Email Dr. Paul at rpaul01@syr.edu or DiMaria at sdimaria@syr.edu for more information.
SABR Case Comp Winning Teams
The team of Steven DiMaria, Hughston Preston, Ben Ayers, Joey Deaton, and Cameron Mitchell (left to right in picture on left) won their room while presenting remotely in the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in March 2020.
The team of Joe Pickering, Sean Kenney, Brendan McKeown, Cooper Shawver, and Drake Mills (left to right in picture on left) won their room while presenting remotely in the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in March 2020.
The team of Gareth Jobling, Dylan Blechner, Nick Schloop, Colby Olsen, and Kyle Liotta (left to right in picture on left) won their room at the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in Phoenix, Arizona in March 2019.
The team of Joey Deaton, Will Dalton, Josh Horwitz, Brandon Pollock, and Dante Giugliano (left to right in picture on left) won their room at the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in Phoenix, Arizona in March 2019.
The team of Luke Scheetz, CB Garrett, Zak Koeppel, Justin Perline, and Trevor Olofson (left to right in picture on left) won their room at the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition at New York University in New York City in November 2017.