⚾️【A Century of Evolution in MLB Tactical Styles】From "Small Ball Advancement" to the "Data Revolution"!

① 1900s-1910s "Dead Ball Era"

⚾️ Tactical Core: Small Ball Strategy

Home runs were extremely rare (HR < 0.5%), relying on sacrifice bunts ✋ to advance runners

Base-stealing frenzy: teams averaged over 3 stolen bases per game‼️ (Ty Cobb’s record of 892 stolen bases)

Defense-first: "Iron Glove" fielding (error rate > 5%)

② 1920s "Babe Ruth Revolution"

A game-changing shift: Home runs became a weapon!

Ball redesign in 1920 → HRs increased tenfold (Ruth’s 54 HRs in one season surpassed entire team records)

Decline of small ball: sacrifice bunts decreased by 40%⬇️

"Swing for the Fences" philosophy: power pull hitting became mainstream

③ 1950s-1980s "Golden Balance Era"

✨ Tactical integration: power + speed + strategy

Base-stealing revival: Ricky Henderson’s 1306 steals (scientific lead-offs)

Pitcher specialization: emergence of the closer role (Rollie Fingers, saves king)

Platoon Effect: strategic substitutions (vs left-handed pitchers OPS difference > .100)

④ 1990s-2010s "Steroid Era & Moneyball"

Power hitting surge: HRs up 37% from 1996-2001 (McGwire/Sosa 70 HR seasons)

Data revolution: "Moneyball" theory overturned tradition!

→ OBP over batting average (Billy Beane built teams around On-Base Percentage)

→ Defensive shifts increased sharply (usage > 30% in 2016)

⑤ 2010s-Present "Strikeout/Fly Ball Revolution (TTO Era)"

Data maximization: Three True Outcomes (HR/BB/K) dominate!

Batter strategy: increased launch angle (2015-2022 HRs +58%)

Pitcher evolution: average fastball speed 98mph+ with slider usage at 35% (deGrm model)

Defensive revolution: extreme defensive shifts > 50% usage (banned in 2023❗)

Future Trends

✅ Universal DH adoption (National League implemented in 2022)

✅ Pitch Clock⏱️ for pitchers (cutting game time by 30 minutes in 2023)

✅ AI real-time data: pitching advice + optimized base running paths (Statcast 4.0)

⚡️In a nutshell:

"From ‘Manufacturing Runs’ to ‘Waiting for Home Runs’ — MLB completed a century-long tactical transformation!"