Data Bits & Bites - Amanda Glazer, SDS Assistant Professor

Amanda Glazer is an assistant professor in the statistics and data science department. Prior to joining UT, she earned her PhD in statistics from UC Berkeley and worked as a baseball operation associate analyst for the San Francisco Giants. Her research focuses on developing causal inference and nonparametric methods, and associated software and tools, that address real scientific problems, with a particular focus on sports analytics. In Spring 2025, she developed a sports analytics course that she teaches each Fall.

Title: Beyond the Box Score: What Sports Analytics Can (And Can't) Tell Us

Abstract: Sports analytics has come a long way from basic box scores with counting stats. Now sports teams and researchers use real-time player-tracking data and complex predictive models to evaluate team strengths and weaknesses. In this talk, we’ll explore how data science powers sports decisions, from assessing tactical impacts to forecasting injury risks and biomechanics. We’ll also discuss edge cases, like Pete Crow-Armstrong’s "0% catch probability" play, to show why understanding model limits and clear communication matter just as much as the math itself.