# Application of Machine Learning Models for Baseball Outcome Prediction
## 4 Discussion
This can be achieved by improving the plate discipline to increase walk opportunities, implementing more aggressive offensive strategies, and reducing passive bunt tactics. By effectively increasing plate appearances, teams can maximize their expected run contributions, thereby enhancing their chances of winning. These four metrics are considered highly significant, each with an importance level exceeding 5%. The wOBA is widely recognized as the best metric for evaluating a player's offensive performance. It accurately assigns linear weights to different offensive outcomes to determine their true value [32]. Among the factors influencing game outcomes, the wOBA accounts for 9.9%. Previous studies have suggested that the on-base percentage (OBP) is a critical determinant of scoring and winning, with its impact on runs being 2.33 times greater than the slugging percentage (SLG) [33]. However, OPS, which simply sums the OBP and SLG, fails to reflect the individual contributions of different offensive events. To address this issue, ref. [34] developed the wOBA by incorporating linear weights and league adjustment coefficients, ensuring that the statistic better captures the relative importance of different hitting outcomes. This metric effectively evaluates both slugging ability and on-base skills, making it a more comprehensive indicator of offensive performance. [PERSON]. [35] found that coaches should prioritize the wOBA as a core classification variable when assessing hitters. This statistic is not only a key characteristic of a hitter's contribution to team victories but also a reasonable indicator for organizations to evaluate a player's market value. To maximize the wOBA, hitters should focus on increasing the exit velocity, as research indicates that exit velocity provides a greater information gain than the launch angle. While the launch angle is relevant, exit velocity plays a more significant role in offensive success. Maintaining a high wOBA requires a combination of factors, such as increasing the exit velocity to improve contact quality, enhancing contact rates to reduce strikeouts, and avoiding slow baserunning that could limit extra-base hits, and minimizing swing-and-miss rates to ensure a consistent offensive output [36]. Another effective way to improve the wOBA is by increasing the number of plate appearances, which allows a player to accumulate more valuable offensive events and enhance their overall weighted on-base percentage. By integrating on-base and slugging percentages, the wOBA assigns the appropriate value to each type of hit and on-base event, making it a more precise measure of offensive production than the OBP alone. Previous research has demonstrated a strong positive correlation between the wOBA and team runs scored in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) [36]. Furthermore, ref. [37] found that teams with high-wOBA catchers, first basemen, second basemen, and left fieders were more likely to reach the postseason. This suggests that the wOBA is not only a key performance indicator but also a valuable metric for player selection and team-building strategies. The LOB% refers to the percentage of baserunners that a pitcher allows but successfully prevents from scoring, calculated as the ratio of stranded runners to total baserunners (excluding home runs). A pitcher who effectively limits runners left on base demonstrates the ability to escape high-pressure situations and prevent opponents from capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Teams with elite pitchers often force the opposing offense to leave runners stranded, increasing pressure on the attacking team and limiting their ability to score runs. Also, stranded runners' presence creates psychological pressure on the offensive team when they transition to defense, as they become more conscious of preventing further runs. Consequently, the LOB% is a crucial factor influencing game outcomes. A study on American college pitchers found that lower cognitive anxiety is associated with a higher PLOB% (pitcher's left on base percentage) [38].