The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Carlos Beltrán was the quintessential five-tool player, a switch-hitting center fielder who harnessed his physical talents and became a superstar. Aided by a high baseball IQ that was essentially his sixth tool, he spent 20 seasons in the majors, making nine All-Star teams, winning three Gold Gloves, helping five different franchises reach the playoffs, and putting together some of the most dominant stretches in postseason history once he got there. At the end of his career, he helped the Astros win a championship.

Drafted out of Puerto Rico by the Royals, Beltrán didn’t truly thrive until he was traded away. He spent the heart of his career in New York, first with the Mets — on what was at the time the largest free-agent contract in team history — and later the Yankees. He endured his ups and downs in the Big Apple and elsewhere, including his share of injuries. Had he not missed substantial portions of three seasons, he might well have reached 3,000 hits, but even as it is, he put up impressive, Cooperstown-caliber career numbers. Not only is he one of just eight players with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases, but he also owns the highest stolen base success rate (86.4%) of any player with at least 200 attempts.

Alas, two years after Beltrán’s career ended, he was identified as the player at the center of the biggest baseball scandal in a generation: the Astros’ illegal use of video replay to steal opponents’ signs in 2017 and ’18. He was “the godfather of the whole program” in the words of Tom Koch-Weser, the team’s director of advance information, and the only player identified in commissioner Rob Manfred’s January 2020 report. But between that report and additional reporting by the Wall Street Journal, it seems apparent that the whole team, including manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, was well aware of the system and didn’t stop him or his co-conspirators. In that light, it’s worth wondering about the easy narrative that has left Beltrán holding the bag; Hinch hardly had to break stride in getting another managerial job once his suspension ended. While Beltrán was not disciplined by the league, the fallout cost him his job as manager of the Mets before he could even oversee a game, and he has yet to get another opportunity.

Will Beltrán’s involvement in sign stealing cost him a berth in Cooperstown, the way allegations concerning performance-enhancing drugs have for a handful of players with otherwise Hallworthy numbers? At the very least it appears likely to keep him from getting elected this year. What remains to be seen is whether voters treat him like Rafael Palmeiro and banish him for a big mistake (a positive PED test) in the final season of an otherwise impressive career, or like Roberto Alomar and withhold the honor of first-ballot induction for an out-of-character incident (spitting at an umpire) before giving him his due. Read the rest of this entry »

Just three days ago, there was gnashing of teeth and rending of garments in the blue-and-orange tinted sectors of the New York metropolitan area. Jacob deGrom, light of the world, oppressor of batters, had taken the money and run to Texas. This was a black eye for the conspicuously moneyed regime of hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, who’d promised to do for the Mets what Gulf state sovereign wealth funds are doing for European soccer teams. Instead, he’d been outbid for the best pitcher in baseball, a homegrown superstar the likes of which the Mets hadn’t produced since… is it sacrilegious to say Tom Seaver?

Fear not, because the Mets have secured a hell of a fallback option. On Sunday night, former Met Carlos Baerga announced on Instagram — because sure, why not? “Carlos Baerga’s Instagram” is my favorite Bo Burnham song — that Justin Verlander was signing with the Mets for two years and $86.8 million, with a mutual option for a third year. On Monday morning, ESPN’s leading scoop man, Jeff Passan, reported substantially similar news: Verlander to New York for two years and $86 million, with a vesting option for 2025.

Depending on how you feel about Carlos Rodón, there are either two or three legitimate difference-making no. 1 starters in this year’s free-agent class. (And even a Rodón superfan such as myself will acknowledge that deGrom and Verlander are a step above.) The Mets lost one but gained another. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball’s Winter Meetings are in full swing! Now is time to make some trades. Now is the time to sign some free agents. You and I are going to put together a team. What should our team look like? Don’t worry. I’ve already decided for us.

In 2022, Mets batters got hit by 112 pitches, setting a new single-season major league record. Ever since they broke the record, I’ve been wondering how many HBP a team could rack up if they made it their sole mission. That’s our challenge.

We’ll be building our roster using Steamer projections for the 2023 season, and we’ll assemble a lineup with the goal of obliterating the Mets’ record. We’re going to get hit often and we’re going to get hit with style. To get us in the spirit of the enterprise, I’ve named our new team the Cooperstown Contusions. Before you ask, yes, our mascot will be an anthropomorphic bruise:

Read the rest of this entry »

Director, Data Engineering

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Director of Data Engineering to manage the Data Engineering Technology team at NY Mets. This role requires hands on experience in ingesting, processing, warehousing, and distributing both structured and unstructured sources of baseball data, although you will focus a lot more on mentoring the existing data engineering team on their projects. You will partner with the team in actively supporting users, and allocating/managing the workload for the entire team. You will be joining a global team (NY and Poland) of data engineering/support professionals to provide best in class end to end data engineering solutions and support to Baseball Operations, including but not limited to, the Analytics and Systems teams. You will also work with other groups (e.g., Business Intelligence) within the Mets organization, to identify and execute opportunities to leverage the existing data platform for their data needs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Build strong relationships with users across the organization and manage technical operations on a day-to-day basis
• Oversee the health of data platform both during and off-season – ensure production data sources are ingested, processed, and distributed to applications and users at set frequencies including real time in-game data
• Manage strategic projects e.g., deploying data quality solutions (e.g., scalable check framework, monitoring dashboard) to ensure accuracy, integrity, and proactive monitoring of information
• Drive vision and execution of new projects involving AI and ML
• Identify, trial and deploy new tools and technologies
• Be able to, if needed, design, code, test and roll out of new datasets, as well as enhancements and bug fixes for existing datasets
• Be able to troubleshoot, if needed, and communicate any data ingestion and/or quality issues to all stakeholders
• Support quantitative analysts in Baseball Analytics with productionization and maintenance of predictive models
• Lead the team to build and maintain Data Model and Data Domains to keep data clean, accurate and well organized
• Help maintain a data catalog for efficient data discovery
• Able to work a flexible schedule during baseball season to ensure in game support for users
• Coordinate with the IT and Infrastructure teams to ensure a robust cloud development and production environment
• Track and report on operating metrics
• Proactively manage cloud spend and continuously drive efficiencies

​Qualifications:

• BS degree in Computer Science or a related field
• 7+ years’ experience in data engineering and data operations/support roles managing production and mission critical data engineering pipelines and data applications
• Previous experience managing a team of data engineers
• Strong experience in Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Technical skills (Python, SQL, DBT, Linux) and hands on experience in working with ingesting, processing, and distributing large scale (both structured and unstructured) data sets  
• Experience building data structures and data pipelines in GCP using Dataflow
• Ability to provide prompt support and resolution of data issues, as well as define processes for execution to remove future issues 
• Experience in implementing scalable data quality solutions
• Strong knowledge of data engineering frameworks – Big Query, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, etc
• Working knowledge of infrastructure frameworks – Terraform, Cloud Build/CICD, Cloud Composer/Airflow, BitBucket/Git
• Ability to deliver superior customer experience through continuous process improvement
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work well in a collaborative and fast paced environment
• Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is a plus, but not required

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range:
$177,555.26 – $236,740.35

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Senior Software Engineer

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Senior Software Engineer. This engineer will help to lead a product development team in the building of mobile and web applications to enrich the Mets data ecosystem and inform decision-making within Baseball Operations. This position requires a strong background in mobile and web development. The ideal candidate would use lessons from personal experience to build scalable baseball solutions, mentor team members in software best practices, and architect new capabilities within Baseball Operations at the Mets. We are looking for strong engineering generalists who are excited to work on greenfield software projects and design scalable systems.

Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is a plus but is not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop exciting user-facing applications by designing, building, and deploying reliable, readable code for platforms within Baseball Operations
• Collaborate with a variety of internal stakeholders to validate designs and facilitate clean rollouts and deployments of new products
• Lend expertise to technical decision-making around the choices of technologies, platforms, and third-party partners
• Architect and oversee the rollout of backend APIs to facilitate scalable flow of baseball data
• Integrate with a variety of third-party APIs to enrich the New York Mets data ecosystem
• Work with data engineers to facilitate the easy collection and access of valuable baseball data
• Maintain and scale a broad collection of internal applications that enhance player development, scouting, and executive decision making
• Own green field projects with a high degree of technical control that extend the capabilities of the New York Met Baseball Operations organization

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field
• 6+ years of relevant work experience
• Strong proficiency in Javascript, including experience working with Node.js and React
• Experience building scalable system within cloud platforms, e.g. GCP, AWS
• Experience reviewing code and developing test suites for scalable technological systems
• Experience working with MySQL and other relational databases
• Experience with different API frameworks, including REST and GraphQL
• Familiarity with modern agile practices and development tools
• Ability to work collaboratively with designers, analysts, and other engineers
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Prior experience in baseball or biomechanics analysis is a plus
• Prior experience in mobile development (Objective-C, Java) is a plus

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range:
$133,179.00 – $177,572.00

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Junior Analyst, Major League Strategy

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Junior Analyst in Major League Strategy, within the Baseball Analytics Department. The Junior Analyst will analyze baseball data and video to contribute to the Mets’ Advance Scouting process. The Junior Analyst will deliver written scouting reports, answer ad-hoc questions related to game strategy, and contribute to the evolution of the Major League Strategy Department through report building, application building, and process development. This position requires a strong background in both scouting and data analytics, as well as the ability to communicate to both a technical and non-technical audience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist with the day-to-day operations of the Advance Scouting process of the New York Mets
• Deliver written scouting reports to the Major League coaching staff. Scouting areas include catcher defense, outfield defense, baserunning, control of the running game, defensive positioning, managerial strategy, and anything else that can help the Mets gain a competitive edge
• Build and maintain automated reports to translate the results of statistical models into actionable information for the Major League coaching staff and players
• Use data analysis to support and improve on-field strategy decisions
• Collaborate with Data Science, Baseball Systems, Performance, Pro-Personnel, and other groups within the Baseball Operations department to assist in other Analytics initiatives
• Keep the staff up to date on roster moves and transactions across the league
• Assist the coaching staff with administrative tasks such as lineup submission, team communications, and more
• Keep the Analysts in Major League Strategy up to date on all projects, and accept feedback from the Analysts on improving both scouting and analytics projects

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is required (equivalent, relevant work or playing experience may be considered in lieu of formal education if approved by management)
• Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball/softball is required, and prior experience working with coaches and players is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with modern baseball technology and research and their applications is required
• Proficiency in R, Python or similar is strongly preferred
• Proficiency in SQL or other modern database technologies is strongly preferred
• Proficiency in Spanish is a plus
• Strong communication skills
• Detail oriented and the ability to balance multiple projects
• Ability to work cooperatively with others, and to take control of large-scale projects with little or no daily oversight
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or holiday hours with willingness to adjust availability to the baseball schedule

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range:
$70,000 – $80,000

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Life Skills & Teacher Lead

Locations:
New York Mets Complex – Dominican Republic

Status: Full time

Summary:
The Life Skills and Teacher Lead position assists with the planning, development, and implementation of the overall goals of the Education and Life Skills programs and activities. In addition to performing the general duties, the lead serves as a resource, and a support person for the staff, players, teachers, coaches, and administrators. The lead takes on a leadership role in collaboration with other departments to ensure that the mission, vision, values, and culture of the New York Mets are embraced by the players and staff. The Life Skills and Teacher Lead position reports to the Education and Life Skills Manager.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Contributing to the Education and Life Skills programs leadership and management team
• Evaluating lesson plans and current teaching methods
• Assisting, guiding, and reviewing other teaching staff members
• Teach life skills, academics, Spanish, and English as a Second Languages content
• Tutor small groups and one-to-one
• Ensure that the workshops, events, and activities will provide the players with the necessary skills and tools to increase independence and help build capacity to maintain well-being
• Collaborating with other departments to contribute to the overall education improvement of the New York Mets Latino Minor League players and staff
• Establishing a supportive environment in which players and staff are encouraged to participate actively in the educational process
• Communicating with players, staff, administrators, and teachers regularly, both orally and in writing
• Ascertaining that players’ growth and achievement are consistent with their needs, interests cognitive, and academic skills
• Assessing players’ development and academic progress and collaborating with the leadership group in designing courses of study that meet their needs
• Monitor and evaluate all levels of the Education and Life Skills programs through methods including feedback surveys, focus groups, one on one interviews, etc.
• Be prepared to adapt the program delivery based on participant feedback, success rates, and attendance
• Preparing weekly and monthly reports on players’ progress and keeping anecdotal notes
• Supervising classrooms to ensure the program’s educational standards, quality, safety, and cleanliness are met.
• Ability to effectively perform job duties with minimum supervision
• Ability to work as a team member in a dynamic, complex environment, and organize time and workload effectively with demonstrated problem-solving ability
• Participate in staff development activities to improve job-related skills
• Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect players, equipment, materials, and facilities
• Assist in the selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials
• Other duties may be assigned

Qualifications:

Education
MaEd in Higher Education, Linguistics, Neurolinguistics, Cognitive Neuroscience, or TESOL
BA/BS in Education or School Psychology

Personal and Professional

• Bilingual: Spanish C1-Native Level, English: C2- Native Level
• Demonstrate professionalism
• High integrity
• Outstanding customer service, communication, and organizational skills
• Growth mindset
• Detail-oriented, Data-driven, Task on time, Action-oriented attitude
• Innovative, Inventive, and creative
• Humility, resourcefulness, and truthfulness

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Amateur Scouting

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:
Seeking two individuals to support the Amateur Scouting Department in the day-to-day operations, research projects, and administration tasks. This is an entry-level position that is looking to be filled immediately and will end in late- November. This is a fixed-term position that will run through the 2023 Minor League season.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Process daily scout video from our amateur scouts.
• Input, map, and/or tag any Trackman data and stats in our database/website.
• In-depth research projects from either your own ideas or directed from the department.
• Opportunity to write evaluations and reports on upcoming draftees.
• Weekly meetings that will require important notetaking.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience with SQL
• Proficiency in either R or Python is a plus; but not required
• Familiarity with baseball specific data (i.e., Trackman, blast motion, k-vest) and knowledge of current baseball research.
• Prior playing or knowledge in baseball/softball is a plus; but not required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or holiday hours with willingness to adjust availability to the baseball schedule.
• Strong verbal communication and collaborative skills.
• Spanish speaking skills is a plus; but not required

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential

Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Baseball Systems

Locations:
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York
Maimonides Park – Brooklyn, New York
NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Status: Full time

Core Objectives:
The New York Mets Baseball Systems Associates will be responsible for the oversight of video, technology, and administrative needs at our different Minor League affiliates. This is a fixed-term position that will run through the 2023 Minor League season.

Elective Paths:
This position will also provide each associate the opportunity to choose from our different career development programs integrated within Coaching, Scouting, and Analytics. With consideration to everyone’s area of interest, this initiative will foster the development of specialized skillsets for each individual.

Regarding the selection of the elective paths, the supervisor will consider several factors when determining the path in which the associate will be most impactful. Once the supervisor and associate agree on a topic, objectives for a long-term project will be created. The associate will then collaborate with leaders from relevant branches of Baseball Operations throughout the season to complete their assigned project.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Assist players and coaching staff with accessing all video and data needs.
• Operate stadium Hawk-Eye system to be sure data is being collected accurately.
• Manage the setup and operation of all baseball technology to be sure data is being collected as accurately as possible.
• Utilize proprietary software to processes both data and video for games and any early work requests including batting practice, bullpens or individual work.
• Compile advanced scouting reports to be utilized prior to each series.
• Assist front office staff with administrative needs, including meal money distribution, hotel reservations and rooming lists.
• Travel with the team on all road trips, while being responsible for all technology equipment on the road.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred
• Strong communication, organization skills, mentality, and eagerness to learn.
• Knowledge of baseball technologies such as Hawk-Eye, TrackMan, Blast Motion, etc.
• Strong knowledge pertaining to information technology including proficiencies with Excel and other Microsoft Office software.
• Experience with video editing software, such as Premiere, Photoshop and Illustrator is a plus.
• Spanish speaking skills is a plus
• SQL/Analytical experience is a plus
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or holiday hours.

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Brooklyn Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Minor League Analytics (Affiliates)

Locations:
Maimonides Park – Brooklyn, New York
New York Mets Complex – Dominican Republic
NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking Minor League Associate in Baseball Analytics. Each Analyst will be assigned to one of the Mets’ minor league sites (AAA Syracuse, AA Binghamton, High-A Brooklyn, Low-A Port St. Lucie, Complex in Port St. Lucie, Dominican Republic Academy). Candidates are welcome to apply to only certain sites, so long as they clarify during interviews which one(s) they would be willing to go to. The Analyst will spend the full year traveling with their respective club, from Spring Training through the end of the season.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Drive the direction of Player Plans by working with the Player Development & Performance departments to choose the right individual development focus and find ways to measure progress
• Work with members of Player Development, including coordinators and the coaching staff, to help the affiliate prepare for games and to help the players develop their skills
• Work with the other affiliate analysts to help improve each other’s understanding of the game and our minor league players, especially as players transfer from one affiliate to another
• Interpret data and model-based results on internal reports and websites to help coaches use the information to work with their players
• Modify existing codebase and develop new automated reports to be used by coaches and players before games
• Develop a strong understanding of the various types of technology that are used throughout Player Development
• Provide feedback to the rest of Baseball Analytics and Baseball Systems on reports, models, and tools that relate to Player Development
• As time permits, analysts will be assigned additional coding and/or statistical modeling projects relating to Player Development
• Additional ad hoc requests from Baseball Analytics and Player Development in line with these job responsibilities

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field or equivalent experience
• Firm understanding of modern baseball technology
• Basic proficiency in R, Python, or similar, as well as proficiency in SQL
• Strong communication skills
• Fluency in Spanish is a strong plus
• Statistical modeling experience is a plus
• Ability to work cooperatively with others
• Willingness to travel with a minor league team throughout the duration of the season, which includes working nights, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the team’s schedule

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Minor League Analytics (Citi Field)

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:

The New York Mets are seeking an Associate Analyst in Baseball Analytics. This position is based at Citi Field with the option of remote work available. The Associate Analyst would be in-person at Spring Training with occasional travel to the Mets’ minor league sites (AAA Syracuse, AA Binghamton, High-A Brooklyn, Low-A Port St. Lucie, Complex in Port St. Lucie, Dominican Republic Academy).

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Perform thorough research analysis on Mets players to help Player Development build and maintain individual Player Plans
• Execute short-term research on topics pertaining to Player Development
• Modify existing codebase and develop new automated reports to be used by coaches and players before games
• Interpret and integrate data and model-based results from internal reports and websites to help coaches use the information to work with their players
• Ad hoc requests from Baseball Analytics and Player Development in line with these job responsibilities
• Develop a strong understanding of the various types of technology that are used throughout Player Development
• Provide feedback to the rest of Baseball Analytics and Baseball Systems on reports, models, and tools that relate to Player Development
• Work with the other affiliate analysts to help improve each other’s coding abilities and quantitative abilities
• As time permits, analysts will be assigned additional coding and/or statistical modeling projects relating to Player Development

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field or equivalent experience
• Firm understanding of modern baseball technology
• Basic proficiency in R, Python, or similar, as well as proficiency in SQL
• Strong communication skills
• Statistical modeling experience is a strong plus
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus
• Ability to work cooperatively with others
• Willingness to travel with a minor league team throughout the season, which includes working nights, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the team’s schedule

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Video Operations

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:

The New York Mets are seeking an Associate, Video Operations, in the Baseball Analytics department. The Associate should be an individual with a passion for baseball and video technology. The Associate will help our major league coaching staff better prepare our players to face upcoming opponents, and to improve their own quality of play. This is an entry-level position which will run from March 2023 through the end of the 2023 major league season.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Help provide specific video content to major league coaches, players, and members of the front office.
• Edit video in real time as the game is occurring, for use after the game by people in the clubhouse.
• Help prepare videos for use in player advance meetings before each series and game.
• Assist with maintaining computer equipment necessary for the performance of job functions.
• Ensure that the Mets are abiding by all MLB rules relating to the use of video.
• Assist the Manager and Senior Coordinator of Video Operations in a variety of ad hoc tasks relating to baseball video and data.

Qualifications:

• Experience with video-editing software.
• Familiarity with baseball is a strong plus.
• Detail oriented and organized with ability to balance multiple projects.
• Strong verbal communication and collaborative skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or holiday hours with willingness to adjust availability to the baseball schedule.

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Intern, Baseball Analytics

Locations:
Citi Field – Queens, New York

Status: Full time

Summary:

The New York Mets are seeking an intern in Baseball Analytics. The Associate Analyst will join the department for 2-3 months in the summer, during which time they will be assigned one primary statistical project to work on under the guidance of a full-time analyst. At the end of the summer, the associate analyst will be tasked with presenting the project to both technical and non-technical audiences. Additional ad hoc projects may be assigned as well. Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Build a statistical model to answer a baseball-related question
• Present model outputs in an effective way, both for technical and non-technical audiences
• Communicate well with both the Director and Manager of Baseball Analytics as well as other Baseball Operations personnel to understand the parameters of the research project
• Other ad hoc projects as needed

Qualifications:

• Must have completed at least two years of college, with a preference for candidates majoring in a quantitative field
• Strong background in a wide variety of statistical techniques
• Strong proficiency in R, Python, or similar, as well as strong proficiency in SQL
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work cooperatively with others, and a willingness to learn from the other members of the department

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range: $18/hr

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the New York Mets.

Affiliate Development Coach

Locations:
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York
NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Development Coach at the Minor League affiliate level. The primary responsibility of this role will be to work in conjunction with the affiliate coaching staff and analyst to produce individualized player plans for each Minor League player. We expect these roles to grow into the next generation of coaches and leadership with the Mets.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Partner with the hitting, pitching, and bench coach at each affiliate to provide productive environments for players to reach their goals
• Bridge sub-departments within Player Development to further a more interdisciplinary approach to player plans
• Work with affiliate staff to integrate principles of skill acquisition into daily practices
• Participate in structured learning opportunities directly related to furthering the New York Mets’ understanding within the field of skill acquisition and motor learning
• Assist the Baseball Systems department in the process of data collection, specifically surrounding the intention and contextualization of practice data
• Propose and help execute novel player development research projects that will build long-term competitive advantages for the Mets
• Dedicated core competency training throughout the year – specifically in the domains of each sub-department of Player Development

Qualifications:

• Experience within a professional, collegiate or facility setting in one of the following areas:
• Hitting/Pitching/Fielding development, Strength & Conditioning, Analytics, Sports Science, or Biomechanics
• Understanding of, and ability to operate, general baseball technology used by the Mets within their player development process
• Ability to throw batting practice, hit fungoes, and generally facilitate a baseball practice
• Disposition to actively communicate across different disciplines within Player Development
• Mindset/desire to learn, especially from those on their own affiliate staff
• Spanish fluency OR a desire to learn basic components of the language

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Affiliate Hitting Coach, Player Development

Location:
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida

Summary:

The New York Mets are seeking a Hitting Coach at the Minor League affiliate level. The primary responsibility of this role will be to serve the development of the affiliate’s hitters. Specifically, the affiliate Hitting Coach will be tasked with monitoring, executing, and communicating each player’s individual player plan alongside the organizational hitting philosophy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• In conjunction with the Hitting Coordinator and the entirety of the department, design daily practice plans that provide productive environments for each hitter’s development 
• Utilize all relevant information/data across Player Development sub-departments in order to best inform each hitter’s individualized plan 
• Utilize the available tools and technology to create efficient feedback loops for each hitter in conjunction with the Baseball Systems and Baseball Analytics departments 
• In conjunction with the Hitting Coordinator and the entirety of the department, ensure that each hitter is receiving work in environments focused on their primary deficiencies 
• Facilitate the creation of each day’s schedule to ensure the appropriate time is given for each hitter’s on and off-field needs 

Qualifications:

•  Experience working with hitters in a professional organization, a collegiate organization, or a facility setting 
• Fluency and ability to utilize relevant data streams provided by the Mets 
• Ability to throw batting practice, hit fungoes, and generally facilitate a baseball practice 
• Disposition to actively communicate across different disciplines within Player Development 
• Mindset/desire to learn, especially from those on their own affiliate staff 
• Spanish fluency OR a desire to learn basic components of the language  

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Affiliate Manager, Player Development

Locations:
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
New York Mets Complex – Dominican Republic
NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York
NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Manager at the Minor League affiliate level. The primary responsibility of this role will be to create the daily lineup and schedule of the affiliated team in conjunction with the Front Office. In particular, they will be responsible for facilitating a winning environment for the minor league players at their affiliate.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Create lineups and daily schedules in conjunction with Front Office
• Engage the players and staff of the affiliate daily by emphasizing the fundamentals of the Mets organization in the Minor Leagues
• Utilize all available/relevant information across Player Development sub-departments to drive development with each player
• Facilitate innovation within the affiliate staff as it relates to practice design, feedback loops, and constraints, particularly by adapting the schedule to the needs of players and staff
• Create a monthly report on the state of the clubhouse, with particular attention paid to individual players’ health and well-being

Qualifications:

• Experience within a professional organization as an on-field coach
• Mindset to challenge conventional baseball norms
• Strong understanding of workload management and the ability to integrate that into scheduling
• Ability to throw batting practice, hit fungoes, and generally facilitate a baseball practice
• Disposition to actively communicate across different disciplines within Player Development
• Strong command of pre-game and in-game tactics and strategies
• Mindset/desire to learn, especially from those on their own affiliate staff – Spanish fluency OR a desire to learn basic components of the language

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Affiliate Pitching Coach, Player Development

Locations:
Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York
NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Pitching Coach at the Minor League affiliate level. The primary responsibility of this role will be to serve the development of the affiliate’s pitchers. Specifically, the affiliate Pitching Coach will be tasked with monitoring, executing, and communicating on each pitcher’s individual player plan alongside the organizational pitching philosophy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• In conjunction with the Pitching Director and the entirety of the department, design daily practice plans that provide productive environments for each pitcher’s development 
• Utilize all relevant information/data across Player Development sub-departments in order to best inform each pitcher’s individualized plan 
• Utilize the available tools and technology to create efficient feedback loops for each pitcher in conjunction with the Baseball Systems and Baseball Analytics departments 
• In conjunction with the Pitching Director and the entirety of the department, ensure that proper throwing workload guidelines are adhered to, both in practice and game settings 
• Facilitate the creation of each day’s schedule to ensure the appropriate time is given for each pitcher’s on and off-field needs 

Qualifications:

•  Experience working with pitchers in a professional organization, a collegiate organization, or a facility setting 
• Fluency and ability to utilize relevant data streams provided by the Mets 
• Ability to throw batting practice, hit fungoes, and generally facilitate a baseball practice 
• Disposition to actively communicate across different disciplines within Player Development 
• Mindset/desire to learn, especially from those on their own affiliate staff 
• Spanish fluency OR a desire to learn basic components of the language  

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the New York Mets.

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Originally written for the 2016 election at SI.com, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Billy Wagner was the ultimate underdog. Undersized and from both a broken home and an impoverished rural background, he channeled his frustrations into throwing incredibly hard — with his left hand, despite being a natural righty, for he broke his right arm twice as a child. Scouts overlooked him because he wasn’t anywhere close to six feet tall, but they couldn’t disregard his dominance over collegiate hitters using a mid-90s fastball. The Astros made him a first-round pick, and once he was converted to a relief role, his velocity went even higher.

Thanks to outstanding lower-body strength, coordination, and extraordinary range of motion, the 5-foot-10 Wagner was able to reach 100 mph with consistency — 159 times in 2003, according to The Bill James Handbook. Using a hard slider learned from teammate Brad Lidge, he kept blowing the ball by hitters into his late 30s to such an extent that he owns the record for the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher with at least 800 innings. He was still dominant when he walked away from the game following the 2010 season, fresh off posting a career-best ERA. Read the rest of this entry »

Computer Vision Analyst, Baseball Analytics

Location: Citi Field – Queens, New York
Status: Full time

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Computer Vision Analyst in the Baseball Analytics Department. The Analyst will contribute to multiple areas of Baseball Operations, working closely with the Data Science group with a focus on Computer Vision- and Machine Learning-related projects. All candidates must demonstrate strong educational background and/or work experience in computer vision or related analytics fields, but prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Drive the development of computer vision systems to create new datasets that support the needs of various departments within Baseball Operations
• Build statistical models to analyze data derived from CV processes
• Advise other analysts on projects that could benefit from machine learning expertise
• Interpret data and report conclusions drawn from their analyses
• Present model outputs in an effective way, both for technical and non-technical audiences
• Evaluate and recommend new or emerging modeling techniques and baseball technologies
• Communicate well with both the Director of Baseball Analytics and other Baseball Operations personnel to understand the parameters of any particular research project

Qualifications:

• BS, Masters, or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field
• Experience in computer vision, image and video analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning
• Strong proficiency in R, Python, or similar, as well as strong proficiency in SQL
• Basic knowledge of data engineering and front-end development is a plus, for the purpose of communicating with those departments
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work cooperatively with others, and to take control of large-scale projects with little or no daily oversight
• Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is a plus, but is not required

The above information is intended to describe the general nature, type, and level of work to be performed. The information is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The individual selected may perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The New York Mets recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and value the unique qualities individuals of various backgrounds and experiences can offer to the Organization. Our continued success depends heavily on the quality of our workforce. The Organization is committed to providing employees with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Salary Range:
$97,416.11 – $129,888.15

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the New York Mets.

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Originally written for the 2014 election at SI.com, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Jeff Kent took a long time to find a home. Drafted by the Blue Jays in 1989, he passed through the hands of three teams that didn’t quite realize the value of what they had. Not until a trade to the Giants in November 1996 — prior to his age-29 season — did he really settle in. Once he did, he established himself as a standout complement to Barry Bonds, helping the Giants become perennial contenders and spending more than a decade as a middle-of-the-lineup force.

Despite his late-arriving stardom and a prickly personality that sometimes rubbed teammates and media the wrong way, Kent earned All-Star honors five times, won an MVP award, and helped four different franchises reach the playoffs a total of seven times. His resumé gives him a claim as the best-hitting second baseman of the post-1960 expansion era — not an iron-clad one, but not one that’s easily dismissed. For starters, he holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351. That’s 74 more than Ryne Sandberg, 85 more than Joe Morgan, and 86 more than Rogers Hornsby — all Hall of Famers, and in Hornsby’s case, one from before the expansion era (note that I’m not counting homers hit while playing other positions). Among players with at least 7,000 plate appearances in their career who spent at least half their time at second base, only Hornsby (.577) has a higher slugging percentage than Kent’s .500. From that latter set, only Hornsby (1.010) and another pre-expansion Hall of Famer, Charlie Gehringer (.884), have a higher OPS than Kent (.855). Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday’s 40-man roster deadline led to the usual squall of transaction activity, with teams turning over portions of their rosters in an effort to make room for the incoming crop of young rookies. Often, teams with an overflow of viable big leaguers will try to get back what they can for some of those players via trade, but because we’re talking about guys straddling the line between major league viability and Triple-A, those trades tend not to be big enough to warrant an entire post. Over the next few days, I’ll endeavor to cover and analyze the moves made by each team, division by division. Readers can view this as the start of list season, as the players covered in this miniseries tend to be prospects who will get big league time in the next year. I’ll spend more time discussing players who I think need scouting updates or who I haven’t written about in the past. If you want additional detail on some of the more famous names you find below, pop over to The Board for a more thorough report.

The Future Value grades littered throughout these posts may be different than those on the 2022 in-season prospect lists on The Board to reflect my updated opinions, and may be subject to change during the offseason. New to my thinking on this subject and wondering what the FVs mean? Here’s a quick rundown. Note that because we’re talking about close-to-the-majors prospects across this entire exercise, the time and risk component is less present here and these FVs are what I think the players are right now. Read the rest of this entry »