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Sensorimotor abilities predict on-field performance in professional baseball.

ABSTRACT: Baseball players must be able to see and react in an instant, yet it is hotly debated whether superior performance is associated with superior sensorimotor abilities. In this study, we compare sensorimotor abilities, measured through 8 psychomotor tasks comprising the Nike Sensory Station assessment battery, and game statistics in a sample of 252 professional baseball players to evaluate the links between sensorimotor skills and on-field performance. For this purpose, we develop a series of Bayesian hierarchical latent variable models enabling us to compare statistics across professional baseball leagues. Within this framework, we find that sensorimotor abilities are significant predictors of on-base percentage, walk rate and strikeout rate, accounting for age, position, and league. We find no such relationship for either slugging percentage or fielder-independent pitching. The pattern of results suggests performance contributions from both visual-sensory and visual-motor abilities and indicates that sensorimotor screenings may be useful for player scouting.

SUBMITTER: Burris K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5758703 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sensorimotor abilities predict on-field performance in professional baseball.

Burris Kyle K Vittetoe Kelly K Ramger Benjamin B Suresh Sunith S Tokdar Surya T ST Reiter Jerome P JP Appelbaum L Gregory LG

Scientific reports 20180108 1

Baseball players must be able to see and react in an instant, yet it is hotly debated whether superior performance is associated with superior sensorimotor abilities. In this study, we compare sensorimotor abilities, measured through 8 psychomotor tasks comprising the Nike Sensory Station assessment battery, and game statistics in a sample of 252 professional baseball players to evaluate the links between sensorimotor skills and on-field performance. For this purpose, we develop a series of Baye ...[more]

PMID: 29311675

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Project description:ImportanceStudies of American-style football players have suggested lower overall mortality rates compared with general populations, but with possibly increased neurodegenerative mortality. However, comparisons with general populations can introduce bias. This study compared mortality between US National Football League (NFL) and US Major League Baseball (MLB) players, a more appropriate comparison group of professional athletes.ObjectiveTo compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality between NFL and MLB players.Design, setting, and participantsIn this retrospective cohort study, the setting was US mortality from January 1, 1979, through December 31, 2013. The dates of analysis were January 2016 to April 2019. Participants were 3419 NFL and 2708 MLB players with at least 5 playing seasons.ExposuresParticipation in the NFL compared with the MLB.Main outcomes and measuresVital status and causes of death from the National Death Index from 1979 through 2013 were obtained. Cox proportional hazards regression models using age as the timescale were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs to examine all-cause and cause-specific mortality among NFL players compared with MLB players, adjusted for race and decade of birth.ResultsBy the end of follow-up, there were 517 deaths (mean [SD] age, 59.6 [13.2] years) in the NFL cohort and 431 deaths (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.3] years) in the MLB cohort. Cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions, respectively, were noted as underlying or contributing causes in 498 and 39 deaths in the NFL and 225 and 16 deaths in the MLB. Compared with MLB players, NFL players had significantly elevated rates of all-cause (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.44), cardiovascular disease (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.03-2.84), and neurodegenerative disease (HR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.64-5.45) mortality. Comparing hypothetical populations of 1000 NFL and 1000 MLB players followed up to age 75 years, there would be an excess 21 all-cause deaths among NFL players, as well as 77 and 11 more deaths with underlying or contributing causes that included cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions, respectively.Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that NFL players had elevated all-cause, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative mortality rates compared with MLB players, although the absolute number of excess neurodegenerative deaths was still small. Factors that vary across these sports (eg, body habitus and head trauma) as opposed to those common across sports (eg, physical activity) could underlie the differences.

Project description:Purpose To evaluate and describe the differences in characteristics between the Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers with greater workload and career longevity in terms of innings pitched (IP) and performance-matched controls who have not experienced similar length careers. Methods Using publicly available data, we identified the top 100 MLB pitchers in terms of career IP. Controls were matched to the top 100 pitchers by draft year and round. Pitchers with fewer than 400 IP were excluded. Demographic information, performance statistics, and injury history were reviewed. Logistic regression analysis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare data. Results Compared with controls, the top 100 pitchers in terms of IP were drafted at a younger age (19.35 vs 19.83, P < .001) and in later rounds (6.16 vs 2.45, P < .001). They made their MLB debut at a younger age (21.77 vs 23.12, P < .001). They also pitched fewer innings before debut (470.59 vs 632.07, P = .007), were older at their first (30.72 vs 27.50 years, P < .001) and second (32.42 vs 29.43 years, P < .001) designations to the injured list (IL), and had a significantly longer time from debut to first (3063.50 vs 1565.59 days, P < .001) and second (3712.10 vs 2202.03 days, P < .001) IL trips. The top 100 pitchers were 7.45 times less likely to have made a trip to the IL within 8 seasons from their debut and were 4.04 times more likely to be younger than 24 years at their major league debut. Conclusions Pitchers with the greatest number of IP in their MLB careers were significantly younger when drafted and when they made their major league debut, although this age difference is likely clinically insignificant. Pitchers who were drafted or debuted at a later age accumulate more pre-debut innings and this may contribute to fewer total IP in the MLB. Similarly, later trips to the injured list and longer duration from debut to first or second trip to the IL, but not total IL trips, are predictive of longer careers compared to age and draft class matched controls. Level of Evidence III, retrospective cohort study.

Dataset Information

Sensorimotor abilities predict on-field performance in professional baseball.

Publications

Sensorimotor abilities predict on-field performance in professional baseball.

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