Wharton Moneyball

Hosted by The Wharton School

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Episodes

628

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Sports is a game of numbers. Wharton experts Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, Cade Massey, and Adi Wyner team up to tackle the world of sports, from current events to longstanding issues such as: What sports streaks are the most impressive? How do you rank the best players? Can athletes be compared across sports? Moneyball explains how decision-makers in the game can avoid the common mistakes and embrace the data. Episodes are recorded at the Wharton School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 recent

August 12, 20261 hr 9 min

The NFL's Biggest 2026 Questions

Which NFL teams are the numbers backing before the 2026 season begins?Aaron Schatz, National NFL Analyst at ESPN and Chief Analytics Officer at FTN Fantasy, explains why the Houston Texans stand out in the AFC and why the Seattle Seahawks project as one of the league's strongest teams. He breaks down the Rams' Super Bowl outlook, the Bills' defense, the Eagles' path through the NFC East, and the teams that could surprise or regress.Schatz also explores how DVOA-based forecasts account for quarterback performance, coaching changes, injuries, schedules, and the balance of offense, defense, and special teams. Plus, why even the best projections leave plenty of room for the chaos of an NFL season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 5, 20261 hr 2 min

Why Pitch Counts Are Failing Baseball

What if baseball’s most trusted pitching limit is more habit than science? Travis Sawchik, baseball analytics writer and author of Big Data Baseball and The MVP Machine, breaks down why pitch counts can miss the real stress on a pitcher’s arm, how workload units and acute-to-chronic ratios offer a better view of fatigue, and why teams may need to rethink how they build pitching capacity.The conversation also covers MLB trade deadline strategy, the Dodgers’ title odds, the Brewers’ risk calculus, when teams should chase variance instead of average gains, Baker Mayfield’s recent production compared with Patrick Mahomes, the Ravens’ coaching changes, Saquon Barkley’s workload, and college football playoff storylines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 29, 20261 hr 2 min

Can the Sixers’ New Superteam Work?

Can the Philadelphia 76ers turn a roster featuring LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe into a championship team?Basketball analytics pioneer and ESPN data scientist Dean Oliver joins the Wharton Moneyball team to examine how Philadelphia might distribute possessions among so many high-usage players, whether LeBron can succeed as a point forward, and who should control the ball in critical late-game situations. The conversation also explores three-point shooting, defensive concerns, and why analytics can measure player performance more easily than it can predict chemistry and fit.Plus, the hosts discuss the enduring appeal of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the arrival of corporate jersey sponsorships in college football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 22, 20261 hr 0 min

How Constraints Shape Creativity and Athletic Development

The right limits can lead to better ideas and better performance.David Epstein, bestselling author of The Sports Gene, Range, and Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, joins Wharton Moneyball to explore how constraints can strengthen creativity, focus, and decision-making.Epstein discusses the value of tight briefs and rapid prototypes, why first ideas are not always the best ideas, and why young athletes may benefit from playing multiple sports before specializing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 15, 20261 hr 1 min

Breaking Down Randomness, Win Probability, and Competitive Balance Across Sports

If the best team does not always win, how much of sports success comes down to skill, strategy, or randomness?Eric Eager, Vice President of Football Analytics for the Carolina Panthers, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to examine the role of unpredictability in sports. The conversation explores whether the Home Run Derby is more revealing than it appears, how tournament design influences results, and why major competitions can feel random even when familiar contenders ultimately advance.The discussion also covers World Cup win probabilities, the importance of superstar players, NHL contracts and salary caps, the disappearance of 200-game winners in baseball, and whether momentum can explain the changing performance of elite golfers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 8, 202657 min

Rethinking How We Measure Soccer Performance

What if one of soccer’s most important analytics metrics is missing some of the most dangerous moments in a match?Recorded live with students from the Wharton Moneyball Academy, Jonathan Pipping, Ph.D. student and member of the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative Research Team, explains the limitations of expected goals and the development of XG+, a new approach that accounts for both the probability of a shot being taken and the likelihood of it becoming a goal. He discusses how player tracking data can reveal opportunities that traditional XG misses, why creating shooting opportunities may be more predictive than finishing ability, and how advanced metrics could help teams better evaluate player performance and transfer value. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 1, 20261 hr 7 min

Breaking Down the World Cup with Soccer Analytics Insights

Ravi Ramineni, Head of Analytics for the LA Galaxy, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to break down the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, discuss how analytics shapes player evaluation and front-office decision-making, predict the tournament's favorites and dark horses, and is followed by conversations on Serena Williams' Wimbledon return, and notable MLB trends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 17, 202650 min

What Unexpected Champions Teach Us About Sports

Neil Paine, sports data journalist and former FiveThirtyEight contributor, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to discuss the New York Knicks’ surprising title run, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup victory, the role of luck and player interactions in team success, and what early World Cup results reveal about the limits and strengths of sports analytics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 10, 20261 hr 2 min

Breaking Down the Biggest World Cup Ever

Ryan O'Hanlon, ESPN staff writer, author of Net Gains, and Syracuse University instructor, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to analyze the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, assess the favorites and dark horses, evaluate the outlook for the U.S. Men's National Team, and explain how analytics-driven innovations such as set pieces and long throw-ins are transforming soccer, before Cade Massey, Adi Wyner, and Shane Jensen discuss the spread of analytics across sports, playoff unpredictability, tournament design, and the evolving impact of NIL on college athletics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 3, 20261 hr 3 min

Measuring Skill, Luck, and Competitive Balance in Sports

Greg Bond, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Americas at Man Group, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to discuss research on skill, luck, competitive depth, and predictive analytics across professional sports leagues, while Cade Massey, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner break down the NHL Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals, NCAA championships, and innovative coaching strategies reshaping modern competition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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