Wharton Moneyball

Eric Bradlow, Cade Massey, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner explore how advanced analytics are influencing modern sports—from reshaping baseball’s Gold Glove selections to refining NFL power rankings and playoff projections—while dissecting how the new 12-team College Football Playoff format heightens uncertainty and reshapes championship probabilities.

Dean Oliver, ESPN sports analyst, joins Adi Wyner, Shane Jensen, and Cade Massey to explore Victor Wembanyama’s game-changing impact on defense, the development curve of elite rookies, and how analytics are influencing strategy across the NBA—from the Spurs’ ceiling to the Lakers’ evolving dynamics and the rise of data-driven player evaluation. Cade, Adi, and Shane also unpack the analytics behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series dominance, the Carolina Panthers’ surprising success, and NFL trade logic.

Bill Connelly, ESPN staff writer and author, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, and Shane Jensen to discuss his innovative “Chaos Superfecta” approach, the growing role of uncertainty in college football analytics, and how factors like NIL, transfers, and conference realignment are transforming the game’s competitive balance. Plus, Eric and Shane analyze one of the longest World Series games in history, discuss Shohei Ohtani’s extraordinary two-way performance and his place among baseball’s all-time greats, and reflect on how today’s game and analytics are redefining greatness across sports.

Jane Leavy, known for her bestselling biographies of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Sandy Koufax, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner to discuss her latest book Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It, sharing her insights on how analytics have altered the sport’s rhythm, storytelling, and fan experience—and what reforms could restore baseball’s enduring appeal.

Wharton's Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner debate Bill Belichick’s legacy in the post-Brady era, explore how analytics have reshaped baseball strategy, and speak with Dan Szymborski—Senior Writer at FanGraphs and creator of the ZiPS projection system—about forecasting player performance and team success in today’s evolving sports landscape. They also analyze the remarkable victory of 204th-ranked tennis player Valentin Vacherot in a Masters 1000 tournament, using insights from sports analytics and probability theory to uncover what his unexpected win reveals about talent, randomness, and ranking systems.

Daniel Beringer, Global Head of Technology and Innovation and Global Sponsorships at SAP, and Chris Foster, Vice President of Digital Business Development at the NHL, join Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner to discuss how their decade-long partnership leverages analytics, AI, and real-time data to enhance coaching decisions, streamline front-office management, and advance sustainability initiatives across the league. Plus, Cade, Eric, Shane, and Adi break down an eventful week in sports—from a penalty-filled Panthers-Lightning preseason game to unpredictable MLB playoff outcomes and the emergence of young NFL quarterbacks.

James Smoliga, Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Director of Research for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Tufts University School of Medicine, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner to discuss the quest for a women’s sub-four-minute mile, the influence of super shoes and other technologies, and how marketing, science, and athletic performance intersect on the world stage. Cade, Eric, Shane, and Adi also dive into the evolving playoff structures in Major League Baseball, the statistical weight of home-field advantage, and current storylines in the NFL and college football, blending analytics with real-time sports narratives. Plus, in an overtime interview, Cade and Eric speak with Joseph LaMagna, analyst at Fried Egg Golf, about the Ryder Cup, including the role of pairings, course setup, crowd behavior, and the contrasting approaches of Team USA and Team Europe in leveraging data and preparation.

Annanya Raghavan, Sports Trends Fanalyst on the Google Trends team, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, and Shane Jensen to share how search data is used to understand and highlight fan engagement, with a particular focus on the WNBA’s growing popularity and the broader role of analytics in capturing cultural moments in sports. David Dase, Head of the Southeast Region and Global Co-Head of the Sports Franchise in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, joins the show to discuss how the firm is shaping the future of sports as an asset class, from financing teams and arenas to investing in sports-adjacent businesses, highlighting market growth, institutional capital trends, and the increasing importance of brand and fan engagement. Then Cade, Eric and Shane examine the upcoming introduction of automated strike zone challenges in baseball, the game theory behind late-game NFL decisions, and Andrew Percival’s data-driven college football rankings, offering a wide-ranging conversation on how analytics and strategy are reshaping modern sports.

Kevin Cole, creator of Unexpected Points and former PFF analyst, joins Cade Massey, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner to share insights on how advanced models reveal hidden truths about NFL teams, quarterbacks, and coaching decisions, offering a sharper perspective on what early-season performance really means. Cade, Shane, and Adi also discuss how predictive models sometimes miss unique advantages like the Eagles’ “tush push,” why metrics such as EPA per play may misrepresent team value, and how player evaluation in baseball—including Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh—challenges conventional measures of MVP worth.