For her FiveThiryEight debut, Shakeia Taylor analysed Marcus Stroman’s pitching success based on the durags he wears:
Stroman came up with the Toronto Blue Jays and now pitches for the New York Mets. Though he isn’t the first or only MLB player to wear a durag, he might be the most consistent. He strolled to the mound wearing a durag tucked under his Blue Jays cap on June 1, 2019, and he has worn one for every start since.
After spending weeks marveling at the iconic fashion statement, I wondered about its effect on his game. Did Stroman and his team get different results when he wore a durag? The headwear has been criticized throughout the years; it’s been banned by both the NFL and the NBA. But what if … what if an athlete playing at the height of his sport while rocking a durag actually performed better?
Through videos and help from baseball analyst Jen Ramos, she found her answer… but rather than reveal it here, you can read Shakeia’s article on FiveThirtyEight.