Abstract

A new approach to the complex problem of objectively evaluating the edge of a professional baseball starting pitcher is proposed to avoid judgments resulting from subjective opinions. The method not only ameliorates the subjectivity of the topic but also provides the means to rank starting pitchers in Taiwan. Entropy and the Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are used to evaluate the edge of a starting pitcher. Entropy is a measure of uncertainty in the information formulated using probability theory. It indicates that a broad distribution represents more uncertainty than a sharply peaked one. TOPSIS is a practical and useful technique for the ranking and selection of a number of externally determined alternatives through distance measures. The data employed in this paper were obtained from the official website of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan.  Furthermore entropy is used to determine the objective weight for each pitch skill while TOPSIS is used to rank starting pitchers based on their pitching skill in the CPBL.  The results demonstrate our method to be both objective and efficient. The twelve starting pitchers can be evaluated given alternatives corresponding to each criterion and given a ranking. Results indicate that Christopher Lee Mason is ranked first among starting pitchers of the CPBL in the 2010 season.

Key words: Chinese Professional Baseball League, starting pitcher, entropy, TOPSIS.