Student(s): Ronit Khromchenko, Sydney Parlett
Project: The Effects of Travel Distance on MLB Performance
Advisor(s): Luis Nunes Vicente
Abstract
Each Major League Baseball (MLB) team travels 40,000 to 50,000 miles annually across the regular season, post-season, and spring training. This research analyzes the relationship between travel logistics and team success. Utilizing ten years of Retrosheet game logs (2014–2023) cross-referenced with MLB stadium coordinates, we performed a series of statistical analyses to evaluate the impact of geographic demands.
To ensure a balanced comparison, we initially analyzed competitive subsets (Top 10 vs. Top 10 and Top 10 vs. Bottom 10 teams). While we found a slight positive correlation between away-team travel distance and home-team win percentage, these results were not statistically significant. Additionally, sensitivity analyses excluding short-distance travel (under 300, 600, and 900 miles) yielded weak negative correlations (r=−0.046 to −0.058), suggesting travel distance alone has a limited impact on performance. However, testing for “travel shock” revealed a distinct “U-shaped” adaptation curve: team performance drops by 7% during initial travel moves but recovers as teams adapt to prolonged road trips. Mode of transportation also proved critical; teams utilizing jet travel (trips >200 miles) outperformed those using regional bus travel by 2.3% (p=0.024). These results suggest that for elite athletes, travel modality and schedule stability are more vital to success than rest alone. This study provides a framework for optimizing professional and collegiate schedules to enhance athlete resilience and organizational performance.
About Ronit Khromchenko
Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering
Ronit Khromchenko is a sophomore studying Industrial and Systems Engineering at Lehigh University. She has been conducting research with Professor Luis Nunes Vicente and peer researcher Sydney Parlett since September 2025 through the Outreach Industrial and Systems Engineering program. Her research applies data-driven analysis to examine how travel schedules influence team performance in Major League Baseball. Ronit is a member of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Student Council and plays on the Division I Lehigh Women’s Tennis Team. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in optimization and data analytics within the pharmaceutical industry. Ronit grew up in Manalapan, New Jersey, and graduated from Communications High School in Wall, New Jersey.
About Sydney Parlett
Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering
Sydney Parlett is a senior Industrial and Systems Engineering student at Lehigh University with a minor in Political Science. Leveraging her perspective as a varsity softball student-athlete, Sydney’s research utilizes data-driven evidence to analyze the impact of logistical travel factors on professional baseball performance. In collaboration with peer researcher Ronit Khromchenko and faculty advisor Professor Luis Nunes Vicente, her work aims to optimize scheduling considerations for both professional and collegiate athletics. Beyond the field and the classroom, Sydney is a dedicated member of Lehigh’s Athletes in Action (CRU) and serves on the Executive Board of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). Upon graduation, she will continue employment at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Baltimore as an Associate Industrial Engineer. Sydney will also be marrying her high school sweetheart this June and plans on running her first half-marathon in September.