A modern advanced analytic approach to cost and performance loss analysis of ulnar collateral ligament surgery to Major League Baseball teams

UCL injuries that require surgery impose an increasingly significant financial burden on MLB teams, leading to the loss of $1.26 billion dollars in salary paid out to injured players and likely over $3 billion worth of performance value lost to injury to teams over 10 years. Players also struggle to provide the same value in fWAR as they did prior to injury. This study shows that investing in UCL prevention and recovery efforts can potentially save teams, players, and local communities millions of dollars.