Bill James

Bill James transformed baseball through his work as a baseball writer and historian, introducing the concept of sabermetrics—the statistical analysis of baseball. This approach influenced the development of "Moneyball" and changed how teams evaluate players and strategies.

James, a Kansas City Royals fan, began formulating his sabermetric theories by challenging traditional statistics. He argued that batting average was an overrated metric and that on-base percentage, which includes both hits and walks, provided a more accurate measure of a player's value. This perspective contributed to the adoption of on-base plus slugging percentage as a key statistic, highlighting the value of players such as third baseman Darrell Evans, whose overall contributions surpassed those with higher batting averages.

James' annual "Baseball Abstract" books gained widespread attention, offering new methods for predicting team performance and influencing baseball analytics. His impact on the sport was recognized by Time Magazine, which included him in the Time 100 most influential people in the world.

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry hired James as Senior Adviser on Baseball Operations. In this role, James contributed to the development of "Carmine," a proprietary software system used by the Red Sox to evaluate players and trades. James' work continues to shape the fields of baseball analytics and sports data analysis.