Faculty Sponsor(s)
Jeff Summers
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Subject Area
Economics
Description
Speculating about which pitcher will win the Cy Young Award has long been a pastime of baseball fans. In this paper, we identify which metrics affect a pitcher’s chances of winning the Cy Young Award, and the marginal effect of each metric. Our results were found using an ordinary least squares regression with a data set containing all pitchers in the American league who received at least one vote for the Cy Young award between 1970 - 2009. Our results show that voters favor pitchers with a high number of wins and a strong strikeout rate. Starting pitchers are also heavily favored over relieving pitchers.
Recommended Citation
Henry, John G. and Nelson, Colin S., "Separating the Good from the Great: Predicting Votes for the Cy Young Award" (2015). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event. Submission 85.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2015/all/85
Separating the Good from the Great: Predicting Votes for the Cy Young Award
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Speculating about which pitcher will win the Cy Young Award has long been a pastime of baseball fans. In this paper, we identify which metrics affect a pitcher’s chances of winning the Cy Young Award, and the marginal effect of each metric. Our results were found using an ordinary least squares regression with a data set containing all pitchers in the American league who received at least one vote for the Cy Young award between 1970 - 2009. Our results show that voters favor pitchers with a high number of wins and a strong strikeout rate. Starting pitchers are also heavily favored over relieving pitchers.
