Baseball Pythagorean Theorem Vs. Win Percentage

How well does the Baseball Pythagorean Theorem work? Baseball teams that score more runs than runs allowed should win more games, right? (Mathletics 2022). Let’s see how well the theorem operates against actual win percentage throughout the 2021 LAD season.

Clayton Kershaw Pitches Over The Years

Run’s Allowed 2021 Season By the LA Dodgers

In July of 2021, the MLB instated the ban on foreign substance for pitchers (e.g. tar). A popular question among baseball enthusiasts was the its impact on pitching. So, what effect did the ban have on runs allowed for the LAD? A simple Anova test in the difference before and after the rule (p-value > .05) suggests there is no evidence that the run’s allowed by pitchers differed before or after the rule was implemented.