Lessons From Baseball To Business

In many ways, managing a baseball team resembles running a business. Baseball teams rely on consistent productivity both on the pitching mound and in the batter’s box during the course of a season, much like business units depend on meeting sales quotas and company objectives throughout the fiscal year. Statistics are recorded and used to measure performance in baseball, just as various financial statements provide progress reports for companies. In business, profit margins are a performance metric that gauges the extent to which businesses are making money, similar to how the number of games a baseball team leads its division by determines its standing.

On the field, the parallels between baseball and business continue. For instance, after signing a free-agent center fielder, key performance indicators (KPIs), such as batting average, may be used to evaluate the player’s productivity, indicating an early return on investment from the contractual commitment. Along similar lines, the total income generated by sales associates helps determine their contributions to the bottom line for a company.

Both in baseball and business, those in management roles make leadership decisions that impact their teams’ futures. From the dugout, strategic leadership decisions are continuously made, such as in-game tactics to get on base or to get opposing players out, while business leaders often focus on short-term liquidity and long-term market share growth. In each domain, the ability to manage and lead is a prerequisite. What are some similarities and differences between management and leadership?

Management Roles Require Leadership Actions

The terms leadership and management are often used interchangeably; however, there are important distinctions between the two. On a macro level, leaders create a vision for an organization, define its purpose, establish a mission statement, develop a strategic plan, evaluate market needs, foster commitment, and inspire others. Managers, in contrast, are frequently regarded as productivity experts who nurture the organizational structure, establish systems and processes, fulfill the mission statement, uphold quality standards, develop talent, organize teams, and plan budgets. Effective leaders possess certain managerial skills, while productive managers demonstrate a range of leadership abilities.

In baseball, field managers are the equivalent of head coaches, responsible for overseeing all on-field team strategy, lineup selection, instruction, and training. As an MLB field manager, leading a baseball team through a 162-game regular season, along with a potentially deep playoff run, is a marathon, not a sprint. An MLB season lasts nearly seven months, including spring training. Building team cohesion, maintaining morale, and fostering a strong culture throughout the season are essential for achieving success. Field managers guide their teams through the highs and lows of the season, making difficult decisions that serve the best interests of the team.

Similar to field managers, managing directors of business units in the corporate world focus on day-to-day operations, supervise employees, streamline workflow processes, and ensure operational efficiency. They must also motivate their teams, hold employees accountable, build confidence, and act decisively. In other words, at various points of their job tenures, both baseball field managers and corporate managing directors must demonstrate leadership skills in their daily interactions.

Although the general manager of an MLB franchise constructs team rosters, executes player transactions, and makes critical personnel decisions, the field manager engages directly with players, fosters relationships, and cultivates team culture in the clubhouse. In a corporate setting, business executives may develop strategic plans, oversee operations, and manage resources; however, they are not always aware of the company’s needs at the ground level, as a managing director would be.

Like in any team sport, leaders of business teams must be able to identify and develop talent, while providing sound mentoring. This is also the case with MLB field managers, who identify player strengths and place them in positions where they can be most effectively utilized. In his recent book, published in February 2025 and titled “Hurdle-isms: Wit and Wisdom from a Lifetime in Baseball,” former Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle emphasizes the importance of embracing strengths, learning from failures, setting high standards, and promoting appreciation for others. He also encourages leaders to model the behaviors they hope to instill in others, pointing out that leadership involves more than mere lip service.

There are several effective field managers leading MLB franchises today. One of the most decorated is Bruce Bochy, who has led three different teams to the World Series, winning a total of four titles with two organizations. In a recent conversation with Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning news, Bochy displayed his passion for the game of baseball and for leading players to victory. “I do this because I love it. I come to the ballpark every day trying to figure out how to win.”

After being named the 2024 National League Manager of the Year, Pat Murphy has continued his success this season with the Milwaukee Brewers. In November, Brewers GM Matt Arnold spoke about Murphy’s value as a leader: “He’s thoughtful and conscientious about what the players need. He knows when to push them and he knows when to give them a hug,” according to MLB.com.

Dave Roberts of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers has the highest winning percentage among current MLB managers. He is also considered by many to be an effective leader in a managerial role. In a 2024 interview with David Meltzer, co-founder of Sports One Marketing, Roberts emphasized the importance of character in leadership. He stated, “When you’re talking about life, sports, talent—there’s going to be adversity, and your character is going to show through.”

Leadership Involves Both Simple and Complex Decisions

MLB field managers regularly make simple choices that can significantly influence their team’s short-term and long-term success. These decisions range from situational choices, such as advancing runners, to long-term strategies, like managing pitch counts. Both analytics and experience aid field managers with their decision making. For example, data indicate that hitters generally perform better against pitchers who throw with the opposite hand. Therefore, deciding to remove a starting pitcher after five or six innings to bring in a left-handed reliever to face a left-handed batter in the middle of the lineup can be one of these challenging decisions.

MLB field managers face intense scrutiny when results are unfavorable and must accept the consequences of their decisions—whether the newly inserted pitcher gets the batter out, walks the batter, or allows a home run. Business managers must make decisions ranging from simple tasks, such as ordering office supplies, to more complex matters like company layoffs. They also face criticism, often from consumers dissatisfied with various company changes, including product usage and unethical practices.

At their core, both baseball and business entail problem solving, teamwork, managing people, and long-term planning. Like leaders, individuals who serve in managerial positions must possess vision and foresight at times, along with effective communication skills. While there are distinctions between leadership and management competencies, each role and its associated actions complement the other.