"Moneyball", 2011
How Sabermetrics Has Changed Baseball
1. Increased Strikeouts & Walks – Players now focus on home runs and walks rather than contact hitting, leading to fewer balls in play.
2. Defensive Shifts – Teams position defenders based on data, reducing the number of traditional base hits.
3. Openers & Bullpen Games – Starting pitchers are used less, with relievers taking on a bigger role, changing the rhythm of the game.
4. Fewer Stolen Bases & Small Ball – Analytics often discourage stolen bases and bunts since they’re statistically inefficient.
Why Some Say It’s Ruining the Game
Less Action: More strikeouts and fewer balls in play make the game feel slower and less exciting.
Homogenized Strategy: Every team is using the same analytics-driven approach, reducing stylistic differences.
Devaluing Traditional Skills: Contact hitters, base stealers, and finesse pitchers are less valued than in the past.
Longer Games: Increased pitching changes and deep counts have contributed to longer game times.
It goes to show that any sport built around play from a "stop" position where one team is in full control of the ball (this would include baseball, football, and basketball) has a tendency to become boring as hell because it becomes increasingly easy to analyze it to death.
I’m not that fine tuned. My disinterest is sports wide along with most entertainment these days. If I was still gung ho about baseball none of that would matter but other issues have made all spectator sports flatline for me.
They just need to move all the fences back 20ish feet.
Or tire pitchers that stick in the 80s. Slower pitches don’t go as far when hit.