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Michael Lewis in Moneyball described the success of Baseball analytics in Oakland "A". The recent MIT Sloan Sports analytics conference drew over 1,000 people and was an indicator that Sports analytics are hot.
The previous KDnuggets Poll asked:
Sports analytics are hot right now, but how useful and valid are they?
The opinion was split:
- 40% thought Sports analytics are very useful - teams with better Sports analytics significantly increase their chances to win
- 39% thought Sports analytics are moderately useful
Sports analytics merely increase the likelihood of (yet do not guarantee) making a more educated, more informed decision. Undervalued obscure analyses (i.e. on base percentage in Lewis' "Moneyball") may or may not lead to rare insight or ultimately grant a competitive advantage.
Here are full results of KDnuggets Poll:
Sports analytics are hot right now, but how useful and valid are they?