With all of the talk over the last few years about robo umps, one of the least discussed repercussions of having an automated strike zone is the elimination of catcher framing. In my opinion, framing is one of the most interesting, yet unappreciated aspects of baseball. Not only can framing have a huge impact on a pitching staff, but it also provides a way for catchers to add value to themselves if they struggle at the plate.
So, as a college student studying Data Science, when I was thinking of baseball-related projects to work on in my free time, catcher framing was one of the first things that came to mind.