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Moneyball

Moneyball is a 2011 American biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller and based on Michael Lewis’s 2003 nonfiction book *Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Moneyball is a 2011 American biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller and based on Michael Lewis’s 2003 nonfiction book *Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*. It stars Brad Pitt as Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane and dramatizes the team’s use of sabermetrics and undervalued players to compete on a small budget.

Plot

The film depicts Billy Beane’s effort to compete against wealthier Major League Baseball teams by using statistical analysis and unconventional player evaluation. He and Peter Brand assemble a roster of overlooked players, causing tension with traditional baseball scouting.

Source material and adaptation

Moneyball is based on Michael Lewis’s nonfiction book *Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*, which examines the Oakland Athletics and the sabermetric approach associated with Beane and his colleagues. The screenplay was written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin.

Cast and production

Bennett Miller directed the film, which stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, and Chris Pratt. The film was released in 2011 as an American sports drama.

Legacy

The story popularized the term “Moneyball” as shorthand for data-driven baseball decision-making. It is widely associated with the broader influence of sabermetrics on baseball strategy.

Key facts

  • The film follows Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane as he tries to build a competitive baseball team with a limited payroll.
  • Its central idea is the use of sabermetrics, or baseball analytics, to identify undervalued players.
  • The film is adapted from Michael Lewis’s 2003 nonfiction book about the 2002 Oakland Athletics season.
  • Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, and Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand.
  • The story is presented as a sports drama and a character study about changing how success is measured.
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Canadian context

The film has been widely distributed and discussed in Canada as an example of data-driven decision-making in sport and business, and its title is commonly used in Canadian media as shorthand for analytics-first strategy.

Frequently asked questions

What is Moneyball about?
It is about Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics using baseball statistics to build a competitive team on a limited budget.
Is Moneyball a true story?
Yes. It is based on Michael Lewis’s nonfiction book about the Oakland Athletics and Billy Beane, though the film dramatizes events for storytelling.
Who wrote Moneyball?
The film’s screenplay was written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, and it is based on Michael Lewis’s book.
Who starred in Moneyball?
Brad Pitt starred as Billy Beane, with Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, and Chris Pratt also credited among the principal cast.
How accurate is Moneyball?
It is broadly based on real events, but like many films adapted from nonfiction, it compresses timelines and simplifies some details for dramatic effect.
What is the Moneyball theory?
The Moneyball theory is the use of sabermetrics and statistical analysis to find undervalued players, especially by focusing on measures like getting on base rather than traditional scouting judgments.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball_(film)
    Supports: Film details including release year, director, screenplay, cast, and plot summary.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball:_The_Art_of_Winning_an_Unfair_Game
    Supports: Book author, nonfiction basis, and sabermetric premise.
  3. NPR — https://www.npr.org/2011/09/23/140531204/moneyball-a-bad-news-bears-for-mbas
    Supports: Film description, cast, and explanation of the on-base percentage focus.
  4. Netflix — https://www.netflix.com/title/70201437
    Supports: Synopsis and principal cast.
  5. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moneyball
    Supports: Synopsis and relation to Michael Lewis’s book.