Baseball and math

​In baseball, money matters. Teams with the largest budgets sign the brightest stars. So, what happens if your team doesn’t have the budget?

Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, helped his team reach the playoffs for four consecutive years on a tiny budget. They were the first team to win 20 straight games in the American League in over 100 years. He was so successful that Hollywood came calling, and Brad Pitt played Billy Bean’s character in Moneyball.

How did Beane do it?

Beane relied on advance stats and looked for undervalued players. While everyone else was chasing players that hit home runs, he chased players that got on base. He looked for market inefficiencies. 

You aren’t running a baseball team, but you are part of a team at work. How might you look for market inefficiencies to increase your team’s talent?

Hint, half the population is undervalued. 

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell