sabermetrics
noun
sa·ber·met·rics
ˌsā-bər-ˈme-triks 
plural in form but singular in construction
: detailed statistical analysis of baseball data (as for the purposes of evaluating player performance and developing playing strategies)
Baseball has always been a game of statistics, but sabermetrics posits that traditional measures like batting average and runs batted in are of limited use in predicting whether a player can actually help win ball games.—
William C. Symonds
William C. Symonds
sabermetric
adjective
Sabermetric studies have shown that a team's record in close games isn't necessarily connected to its overall quality—sometimes the performance can be summed up as luck.
—John Heyman
John Heyman
sabermetrically
adverb
"… it's a different method of approaching the game sabermetrically and numerically."
—Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon
sabermetrician
noun
plural sabermetricians
In part, these changes are being brought about by the increasing influence of a creative new breed of statisticians, members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). These sabermetricians, as they call themselves, have been manipulating the raw data of baseball—hits, runs, outs, errors—in ways that cast new light on the game on the field.
—Joe Klein
Joe Klein
Examples of sabermetrics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Dodgers fire President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, whose reliance on sabermetrics during his eight-year tenure has resulted in a grand total of one World Series championship despite one of the biggest payrolls in the game.
—Gustavo Arellanocolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2022
The sabermetrics guys in the glass offices call the shots now.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2022
For years sabermetrics has said the sac-bunt is not a good strategy.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 16 July 2022
Of course, analytics and sabermetrics used well can create mojo, 'surprise' wins can be the residue of design.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Oct. 2021
Beane’s solution is to build a lineup using sabermetrics, appraising players according to their stats rather than gut instinct.
—Jess Bergman, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2021
Using sabermetrics rather than a vote of managers and coaches, the awards recognize the top defenders at their positions as well as an overall best defensive player as well as the top defensive team in baseball.
—Joe Noga, cleveland, 5 Oct. 2021
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Gustavo Arellanocolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2022
The sabermetrics guys in the glass offices call the shots now.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2022
For years sabermetrics has said the sac-bunt is not a good strategy.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 16 July 2022
Of course, analytics and sabermetrics used well can create mojo, 'surprise' wins can be the residue of design.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Oct. 2021
Beane’s solution is to build a lineup using sabermetrics, appraising players according to their stats rather than gut instinct.
—Jess Bergman, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2021
Using sabermetrics rather than a vote of managers and coaches, the awards recognize the top defenders at their positions as well as an overall best defensive player as well as the top defensive team in baseball.
—Joe Noga, cleveland, 5 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Sabermetrics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sabermetrics. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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