Baseball is a sport of decisions, from knowing what pitch to throw to determining how much to offer an aging star during contract negotiations. In recent decades, such choices are increasingly data-driven, but where does the info come from? Combining behavioral science and interviews with executives, managers, and players, Keith Law analyzes baseball's biggest decision-making successes and failures, looking at how gambles and calculated risks have shaped the sport. In the process, he explores questions that have long been debated, from whether throwing harder really increases a player's risk of serious injury to whether teams usually "overvalue" trade prospects.

"Law's take is as entertaining as it is informative. This intelligent and accessible work is a grand slam."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)