SABR 54: Nazarian, Hildebrandt win 2026 convention presentation awards
Levon Nazarian has won the 2026 Doug Pappas Award for the best oral research presentation and Chuck Hildebrandt has won the SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for the best poster presentation at SABR 54 in Cleveland.
Nazarian, a Professor of Radiology and Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, won the Pappas Award for his presentation, “Stress Ultrasound of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament of the Elbow: Can We Predict Who Will Need Tommy John Surgery?,” which he delivered Saturday, August 1 during SABR 54 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.
Nazarian’s abstract is posted below:
Nazarian explores the growing epidemic of Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) elbow injuries among pitchers and how stress ultrasound offers a game-changing alternative to traditional MRI. While MRIs can miss crucial stability issues because they can’t image the elbow in motion, ultrasound allows physicians to observe the UCL during a simulated throwing motion. Drawing on 18 years of screening minor league pitchers during spring training, Nazarian explains how this real-time imaging can detect injuries before they become symptomatic. By implementing specific rehab measures based on these early findings, teams can help pitchers avoid Tommy John surgery and stay on the field.
The Doug Pappas Award was originally established as the USA Today Sports Weekly Award in 1992 and renamed in 2004 to honor the late baseball researcher.
Hildebrandt won the SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for his poster, “Nepo Babies: Father-Son Duos Throughout Major League History.” His abstract is posted below:
Ever notice how it seems like every time you watch a game, there’s yet another player who’s the son of a former big leaguer? In an era of high-visibility professions, we have come to call those following in their parents’ footsteps “nepo babies,” and baseball certainly has its share of those. Hildebrandt’s poster explores the phenomenon of nepo babies in baseball: who they are, how common the phenomenon has been throughout history, and why the game has become more “family-oriented” today than ever before. You will also learn, among other things, the story of the first-ever nepo baby in baseball; who are generally better, the fathers or the sons; who the best and worst father-son combinations have been throughout history; who was the “most nepo” nepo baby of all time (it’s probably not who you think it is), and more. You will also thrill to the inaugural (and probably final) all-time Nepo Baby All-Star Team.
Click here to download a high-resolution image of Hildebrandt’s poster presentation (PDF)
The SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award was previously known as the USA Today Sports Weekly Award; it was first presented in 1990 as the John W. Cox Award.
Honorable mention for the oral presentation was:
- Rob Fitts, “Behind the Scenes at a Japanese Ballpark”
Honorable mention for the poster presentation was:
-
Adam Darowski and Von Spalding, “The Road to 400 Wins Runs Through Cleveland”
For more coverage of SABR 54, visit SABR.org/convention.
Originally published: August 1, 2026. Last Updated: August 4, 2026.