This Week’s Blog Is Written By Jacob Martin, IAG Marketing Specialist
May 28, 2025

The Moneyball Era

With baseball season in full swing, it’s fun to see the community come out and support the hometown Brewers. There’s something for everyone when it comes to baseball. Some fans enjoy putting together a great tailgate, with the grill fired up, snacks on the table, and the kids playing catch in between the cars. For others, baseball is a great excuse to enjoy an ice-cold beverage on their backyard deck while listening on the radio in the beautiful summer weather. Then there is another category of fans, like myself, who obsess over the on-the-field product. I will pour over data like exit velocity, slugging percentage, and spin rate as a way to follow my team to the fullest extent.

Inspired by the award-winning film, Moneyball, baseball fans all around the world started to view the game differently than simply which hitter has the highest batting average or which pitcher leads their team in wins. There were new and better statistics to show who actually were the best players in Major League Baseball. It completely changed the game, every team in the league wanted to stay ahead of the curve and hired whole teams of analytics gurus.

The thinking is, baseball has such a large sample size with a high amount of at bats every year, that it would become easier to predict which players would be good and as a result, easier to predict which teams would win.

We are now 22 years removed from the 2003 Oakland Athletics that Moneyball was based on. Even with the incredible advances in statistics throughout MLB front offices, baseball is still as hard to predict as ever. There is a human element that spreadsheets still can’t quite predict. No matter how much data there is on a player, we do not know what the mental state of that player is game to game, or even pitch to pitch.

There will continue to be unpredictable parts to America’s pastime that result in the Washington Nationals winning the World Series as a Wild Card team in 2019, or the “Cinderella” matchup in the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Analytics and educated predictions can only get you so far, there will always be unknown and unexpected variables that come into play, which brings us to the stock market. Like the stock market, it’s good to be prepared and have all the data on your side. But just like baseball, unexpected circumstances can take a “sure thing” on paper and throw it a curveball.

It’s good to have experienced professionals like the IAG team here that use all the data at our disposal but also is able to put together individualized plans that can navigate through the unexpected.

If you or someone you know would like help planning their financial future, please reach out to us.

Quote of the week: Billy Beane: “The world is filled with smart people, but it’s the ones who are willing to work the hardest that will succeed.”

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IAG Wealth Partners, LLC, (IAG) a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

Stock investing includes risks, including fluctuating prices and loss of principal.​

Past performance is not guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and can’t be invested in directly. The modern design of the S&P 500 stock index was first launched in1957. Performance back to 1950 incorporates the performance of the predecessor index, the S&P 90.

Any opinions are those of IAG and not necessarily those of LPL Financial. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. This information is not intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

The economic forecasts set forth in this material may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.