CHICAGO– July 10, 2019 – With the MLB All-Star break in full swing, STATS, the revolutionary leader in sports AI, used proprietary AI-generated data and algorithms to reveal its own mid-season Silver Slugger Awards. Using STATS’ unique Run Value Added (RVA) methodology for evaluating the quality of a batter’s action on each pitch, STATS created a roster of the league’s best sluggers.
STATS’ RVA uses expected-result values for counts, pitch locations and advanced pitch information to dissect every pitch that is thrown and measure how the average major league hitter would react through AI and data. Results are then compared to the actual result to give a fair and even RVA ranking for each hitter.
“Essentially, we are quantifying some of the knowledge that broadcasters and analysts talk about on TV,” STATS AI Data Analyst Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads said. “You’ve probably heard the color commentator say, ‘that’s a really tough pitch to handle.’ We can now back that up with data to show just how tough it was. The data is context-neutral and reflects the difference between ballparks. For example, a right-handed hitter at bat in Colorado would be expected to have traditional stats that look a full 10% better than a right-handed hitter playing in Washington. STATS RVA reflects those differences.”
STATS’ mid-season Silver Sluggers include:
| LEAGUE | POSITION | PLAYER | TEAM | RVA |
| AL | C | Gary Sanchez | NYY | 17 |
| AL | 1B | Carlos Santana | CLE | 21.7 |
| AL | 2B | Yoan Moncada | CWS | 15.3 |
| AL | 3B | Matt Chapman | OAK | 17.8 |
| AL | SS | Xander Bogaerts | BOS | 19.9 |
| AL | OF | Mike Trout | LAA | 43.9 |
| AL | OF | Mookie Betts | BOS | 23.9 |
| AL | OF | Joey Gallo | TEX | 21.9 |
| AL | DH | J.D. Martinez | BOS | 24 |
| NL | C | Yasmani Grandal | MIL | 12.2 |
| NL | 1B | Josh Bell | PIT | 25.8 |
| NL | 2B | Howie Kendrick | WAS | 21.4 |
| NL | 3B | Anthony Rendon | WAS | 35.5 |
| NL | SS | Dansby Swanson | ATL | 19.8 |
| NL | OF | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 41.4 |
| NL | OF | Christian Yelich | MIL | 31 |
| NL | OF | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | 24.5 |
Throughout the All-Star week, STATS is sharing proprietary data and algorithms to shed light on this year’s defining players and the work that STATS provides for teams, media and broadcasts on a daily basis throughout the season. On Monday, STATS Advanced Heat Maps were used to evaluate All-Star starters, with a deeper breakdown of George Springer, Willson Contreras and Mike Trout. Yesterday, STATS took to Twitter (@StatsBySTATS) to share a STATS Advanced Heat Map for any player requested. Today, STATS is sharing advanced analytics for a number of players, examining metrics like Discipline+, Contact+, BIP+ and RVAA+. Finally, on Friday, STATS will share a recap of Insights – exciting tidbits that were shared with customers and fans throughout the All-Star Game.
STATS data and AI solutions support broadcast, media and team performance solutions throughout the MLB season. For more information visit: https://www.stats.com/.