Here’s your chance to vote for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards winners.

The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year. Nominations were solicited by representatives from SABR, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and Sports Info Solutions.

To read any of the finalists, click on the link below. Scroll down to cast your vote.

Contemporary Baseball Analysis

• Ben Clemens, “What If The Fences Were All The Same Distance Away?” FanGraphs, August 23, 2024
• Zach Crizer, “Does The Search For A Starting Pitcher Now Start in the Bullpen?” Opta Analyst, April 25, 2024
• Mario Delgado Genzor, “Luis Castillo And The Pronator’s Triangle,” Baseball Prospectus, January 5, 2024
• Hannah Keyser, “The DH Is Universal, But Good DHs Are Rare,” The Ringer, March 29, 2024
• Kiri Oler, “The Search For The Most Predictable Pitcher,” FanGraphs, September 3, 2024

Contemporary Baseball Commentary

• R.J. Anderson, “Public Ownership Works For Some Of The World’s Best Sports Teams — Is There A Future For The Idea In America?” CBS Sports, June 12, 2024
• Michael Baumann, “Did Sabermetrics Ruin The MVP Conversation?” FanGraphs, November 13, 2024
• Michael Rosen, “Can Data Sharing Solve The Pitcher Injury Epidemic?” FanGraphs, September 30, 2024
• David Roth, “The More Random The Pitcher, The Better The No-Hitter,” Defector, April 5, 2024
• Richard Staff, “The Minor League Shrink And The Growing Gap Between Triple-A And The Bigs,” Defector, August 27, 2024

Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary

• Steven Goldman, “Addiction,” Baseball Prospectus, November 7, 2024
• Donna L. Halper, “April 28, 1924: Birmingham Black Barons Make Negro National League Debut With Win Over Cuban Stars,” SABR Games Project, March 27, 2024
• Jay Jaffe, “The Day Negro Leagues Statistics Met The Major League Record Books,” FanGraphs, May 30, 2024
• Justin Klugh, “Every Streak Is A Part Of History,” Baseball Prospectus, July 11, 2024
• Mike Petriello, “Did Ted Williams’ ‘Red Seat’ Home Run Really Go 502 Feet?” MLB.com, April 26, 2024

John Dewan Defensive Analysis Award

• Russell A. Carleton, “Doubling Down,” Baseball Prospectus, June 5, 2024
• Patrick Dubuque, “Does Catcher Framing Bounce Back?” Baseball Prospectus, June 14, 2024
• Mark Simon, “Crown The Royals Pitchers No. 1 In Defensive Runs Saved,” Sports Info Solutions, September 11, 2024

Voting will be open through 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, February 14, 2025.

Mobile or Safari users, click here to access the survey

Results will be announced and presented at the SABR Analytics Conference, March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more or register for the conference at SABR.org/analytics.

Here’s your chance to vote for the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards winners.

The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year. Nominations were solicited by representatives from SABR, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and Sports Info Solutions.

To read any of the finalists, click on the link below. Scroll down to cast your vote.

Contemporary Baseball Analysis

• R.J. Anderson, “Why Baseball’s Next Unionization Effort Could Come From MLB Front Offices,” CBS Sports, May 1, 2023
• David J. Gordon, “Balancing Starter and Bullpen Workloads in a Seven-Game Postseason Series,” SABR Baseball Research Journal, Fall 2023
• Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer, “How the Not-So-Subtle Art of Chucking it Right Down the Middle is Helping MLB Pitchers Get Ahead,” Yahoo! Sports, April 4, 2023
• Eric Longenhagen, “Let’s Get Small: Hundreds of Minor Leaguers Have Shrunk,” FanGraphs, September 29, 2023
• Robert Orr, “Quantifying the Corey Seager Approach,” Baseball Prospectus, November 8, 2023

Contemporary Baseball Commentary

• Michael Baumann, “I Was Supposed to Write About Elly De La Cruz Today,” FanGraphs, June 16, 2023
• Michael Clair, “In the Mountains of the World’s Most Remote Country, Baseball Takes Hold,” MLB.com, August 3, 2023
• Evan Drellich, “MLB’s Billionaire Owners Leaning on Public for Wave of New Ballparks,” The Athletic, September 12, 2023
• Esteban Rivera, “Shohei Ohtani’s Deal With New Balance Has Immense Potential,” FanGraphs, March 13, 2023
• Ginny Searle, “The Wrong Lessons Learned,” Baseball Prospectus, June 16, 2023

Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary

• Russell A. Carleton, “Is WAR Still Stuck in the 20th Century?” Baseball Prospectus, February 8, 2023
• Stephen Dame, “Softball and Swastikas: The Riot at Toronto’s Christie Pits,” SABR Baseball Research Journal, Fall 2023
• Patrick Dubuque, “The Other Aging Curve,” Baseball Prospectus, January 31, 2023
• Sam Miller, “Based On A True Story: The Game’s Most Preposterous Fun Fact,” Pebble Hunting, June 6, 2023
• Dayn Perry, “Old Yankee Stadium’s Rise And Fall: Complete Story of ‘The House That Ruth Built’ 100 Years After Its Opening,” CBS Sports, April 18, 2023

John Dewan Defensive Analytics Award

• Robert Arthur, “The End of the Shift Helped Left-Handed Line Drive Hitters the Most,” Baseball Prospectus, November 7, 2023
• Alex Eisert, “Breaking Down the Kansas Kids’ Gold Glove Snub,” FanGraphs, October 31, 2023
• Jonathan Judge, “Introducing RDA,” Baseball Prospectus, February 8, 2023
• Rob Mains, “Fielding, It Turns Out, Does Slump,” Baseball Prospectus, August 29, 2023
• Mark Simon, “What Has 20 Years of Defensive Runs Saved Data Meant to Baseball?” Sports Info Solutions, February 7, 2023

Voting will be open through 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, February 9, 2024.

Mobile or Safari users, click here to access the survey

Results will be announced and presented at the SABR Analytics Conference, March 8-10, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more or register for the conference at SABR.org/analytics.

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for six potential free agents and Lance Lynn; the Dodgers declined his $18 million club option earlier today. This group includes players with a mix of options or opt-outs. Realistically, not all of these guys will hit the open market. But what if they do? Won’t you be glad to have guessed their new contracts? Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for six potential free agents and Whit Merrifield; both he and the Blue Jays declined their side of a mutual option yesterday. This group includes players with a mix of options or opt-outs. Realistically, not all of these guys will hit the open market. But what if they do? Won’t you be glad to have guessed their new contracts? Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for 11 of this year’s free agents — in this case, a group of relievers. Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for nine of this year’s free agents — in this case, another group of starting pitchers. Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for eight of this year’s free agents — in this case, another group of starting pitchers. Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for eight of this year’s free agents — in this case, a group of starting pitchers. Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent.

Below are ballots for four of this year’s free agents — in this case, an exciting group of player who have previously played in NPB and the KBO. Read the rest of this entry »

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent seasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating a contract crowdsourcing project, with the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowd to better understand and project the 2023-24 free agent market.

In recent years, we’ve added a few features to these ballots based on reader feedback. You now have the option to indicate that a player will only receive a minor-league contract, or won’t receive one at all. If there is a player option, team option, or opt out in a player’s contract, you’ll be able to indicate whether you think he will remain with his current team or become a free agent. Numbers are prorated to full season where noted. The projected WAR figures are from the first cut of the 2024 Steamer600 projections.

Below are ballots for eight of this year’s free agents — in this case, another group of outfielders. Read the rest of this entry »