UCI Experts On: Baseball Statistics
UCI Experts On: Baseball Statistics
- September 29, 2026
- UC Irvine economist Michael McBride breaks down what the box score misses about teamwork, contribution and fair credit
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Transcript:
“When a team scores a run in baseball, how much credit should each individual player actually receive?
I’m Michael McBride, professor of economics at UC Irvine and author of Game Theory, Machine Learning, and Production in Sports: The Fair-Credit Baseball Statistics.
For decades, baseball has relied on traditional stats like RBIs and runs scored - but these only tell part of the story. They often overlook the collaborative nature of the game.
My research applies the Shapley Value from game theory to fairly divide credit among players. By analyzing every possible way a play could unfold, we can calculate each player’s true contribution.
What we found is surprising: players who appear to have little impact may actually be essential contributors - while some celebrated performances don’t hold up under closer scrutiny.
This matters beyond baseball. In any team - whether in business, law, or sports - fair credit drives motivation, trust, and better outcomes.
Going forward, these tools can reshape how we evaluate performance, reward contributions, and even rethink fairness in collaborative systems everywhere.”
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