The quote, 'I don't know how hard he hit it but it was a fucking not a legit hit,' by Red Sox pitcher Josh Winckowski reflects a deep frustration with modern baseball discussions.
With the wealth of data now available, fans and analysts can quantify player performance, but there's a growing divide between enjoyment of the integral game and the overwhelming focus on metrics.
The use of expected outcome models, like expected batting average, helps teams evaluate players, but has also led to a simplistic attribution of 'luck' to batted balls that aren't hard hits.
As statistics proliferate, the narratives surrounding baseball have shifted; a player’s success can become reduced to mathematical values, overshadowing the human aspects of the sport.
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