On-base percentage was empirically undervalued before 2002, but after Moneyball was published the market corrected the inefficiency through competition—by some accounts OBP became overvalued—forcing Beane to seek new arbitrage opportunities such as superior measurement of defensive ability.

factualpending

Speaker

Michael Lewis

Evidence Quote

there's a article in a recent journal of economic perspectives I think it was called that that that did ask this question was was a before money ball was published with on-base percentage undervalued and what's happened to it since

Source

Michael Lewis on the Hidden Economics of Baseball and Football 1/29/2007EconTalk
Created: 6/17/2026, 12:12:19 AM

My Notes

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