Every year fans ask what teams need to make the playoffs or win a championship. Some clubs spend large amounts on star players and still fall short, and other clubs with smaller payrolls try to develop prospects instead.
Mark Williams, a finance expert at Boston University, wanted to study how budget affects team performance. He worked with graduate students and a BU alumnus to build MLB Toolbox. They analyzed regular-season data and ranked teams by spending efficiency, total wins, and wins above replacement (WAR). WAR is a common metric that estimates a player’s overall value.
The MLB Toolbox website lets users compare teams and players, examine contract value, and build sample rosters under payroll limits. Williams says the goal is to make front-office decisions more transparent to fans.
Difficult words
- playoff — a final competition after the regular seasonplayoffs
- payroll — the total money a team pays playerspayrolls
- prospect — a young player with future potentialprospects
- finance — the study or management of money
- efficiency — how well something uses its resources
- roster — a list of players on a teamrosters
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you rather have a team that spends a lot or a team that develops young players? Why?
- Which MLB Toolbox feature would you use first: compare teams, check contracts, or build a roster? Explain.
- How can knowing a player's value help fans understand team choices?
