Thesis
The Economics of Player Development in Professional Baseball
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005267
Abstract
Professional baseball has a unique system of affiliated minor leagues that feed into the Major League rosters. In 2020 the number of low-level minor leagues was reduced, and the Amateur Draft shortened. This paper investigates the Major League value produced by developing players in the low minor leagues to determine the profitability of these affiliates. I summarize the history and evolution of minor league baseball and methods in which to evaluate player performance. Using an industry-standard Wins Above Replacement statistic, I create a model that values the future MLB production of players on a given minor league roster. To determine the viability of low minor leagues, I use historical roster data to estimate a break-even percentage of a player’s future Major League performance that must be attributable to their experience at a given minor league level. I use these metrics to argue for additional minor league affiliates because they suggest that profit-maximization of player development may not be attained by the current minor league structure.
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Details
- Title
- The Economics of Player Development in Professional Baseball
- Creators
- Dante Ludlow
- Contributors
- Jill J McCluskey (Advisor)Daniel J Bernardo (Committee Member)Wesley Blundell (Committee Member)Jeffrey Luckstead (Committee Member)Jason A Winfree (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Economic Sciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 55
- Identifiers
- 99901019234301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis