For Hobbyists & Makers · Pythagorean Expectation
Pythagorean Expectation for a high jump
Built for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker. Simulate a high jump live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Pythagorean ExpectationLive
wins from points
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Bill James discovered that a team's win percentage tracks the ratio of points scored to points allowed, raised to a sport-specific exponent — the Pythagorean expectation. It predicts records better than actual wins early in a season, exposing teams that are lucky or unlucky and due to regress. The exponent varies from ~1.8 in baseball to ~14 in basketball.
Data Inspector
Expected win %53.2%
Projected wins86 of 162
Exponent1.83
Governing equation
Reading this result: A near-even scoring ratio lands close to .500 (53.2%); with an exponent of 1.83, Baseball win % swings sharply once the ratio tilts.
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for hobbyists & makers?
- Yes — this version of "Pythagorean Expectation for a high jump" is framed for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.