APPLICATION OF THE AHP METHOD IN SELECTING BASEBALL PITCHERS

Abstract

The use of scientific methods to determine performance results and analyze the effectiveness of sports players constitutes a powerful tool that can help coaches and teams make better decisions and adequately use available resources. Pitcher selection is a strategic decision that significantly influences the performance of a professional baseball team. In this study, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models were built to rank the performance of baseball pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There are three relevant aspects of this research. First, the models allow the evaluation of the overall performance of the pitcher, considering his skills and performance as a pitcher as well as his fielding and batting contributions. To evaluate the overall performance of a pitcher, well-known standard professional baseball statistics were used. Second, to highlight the flexibility of the model, four models were created according to the type of pitcher (starter or reliever) and the league in which he plays (American or National league). Finally, a distinctive feature of the models is their general scope. The experts were only required to determine the best criteria and subcriteria and the priorities of the hierarchical structure of the models, but they were not needed to rank the pitchers (alternatives). The models were applied to different emblematic MLB awards and the results produced by the models coincide with the pitchers who actually won the awards.