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 2018 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. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

“A hard-charging third baseman” who “could have played shortstop with more range than Cal Ripken.” “A no-nonsense star.” “The perfect baseball player.” Scott Rolen did not lack for praise, particularly in the pages of Sports Illustrated at the height of his career. A masterful, athletic defender with the physical dimensions of a tight end (listed at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds), Rolen played with an all-out intensity, sacrificing his body in the name of stopping balls from getting through the left side of the infield. Many viewed him as the position’s best for his time, and he more than held his own with the bat as well, routinely accompanying his 25–30 homers a year with strong on-base percentages.

There was much to love about Rolen’s game, but particularly in Philadelphia, the city where he began his major league career and the one with a reputation for fraternal fondness, he found no shortage of critics — even in the Phillies organization. Despite winning 1997 NL Rookie of the Year honors and emerging as a foundation-type player, Rolen was blasted publicly by manager Larry Bowa and special assistant to the general manager Dallas Green. While ownership pinched pennies and waited for a new ballpark, fans booed and vilified him. Eventually, Rolen couldn’t wait to skip town, even when offered a deal that could have been worth as much as $140 million. Traded in mid-2002 to the Cardinals, he referred to St. Louis as “baseball heaven,” which only further enraged the Philly faithful.

In St. Louis, Rolen provided the missing piece of the puzzle, helping a team that hadn’t been to the World Series since 1987 make two trips in three years (2004 and ’06), with a championship in the latter. A private, introverted person who shunned endorsement deals, he didn’t have to shoulder the burden of being a franchise savior, but as the toll of his max-effort play caught up to him in the form of chronic shoulder and back woes, he clashed with manager Tony La Russa and again found himself looking for the exit. After a brief detour to Toronto, he landed in Cincinnati, where again he provided the missing piece, helping the Reds return to the postseason for the first time in 15 years. Read the rest of this entry »

Brewers Software Engineering Positions

What is Baseball Systems?

• Baseball Systems is the software backbone of Baseball Operations. We provide data and decision-making tools for analysts, coaches, and front office personnel to help win a World Series.
• Our department consists of a team of data engineers and a team of software engineers who work across all different aspects of Baseball Operations providing support and tools relevant to each group.
• We work directly with stakeholders in every department of Baseball Operations to ensure every project we work on drives value to the organization and helps us win more games on the field.
• We help drive technical innovation to find new ways to solve baseball problems

We are looking for someone who:

• loves baseball.
• has created web apps using HTML, CSS and Javascript frameworks
• has experience developing APIs in C# or other similar languages
• has worked with relational databases
• is familiar with Git version control software.

It’s not required, but would be awesome if you:

• have experience with one of the popular front-end Javascript frameworks. We use Angular.
• have experience building visualizations, including in D3, Plotly, or other frameworks
• are familiar with the Software development lifecycle and JIRA or other issue tracking technologies
• have an interest in sabermetrics and statistical modeling.

What will you do each day?

• Design and develop new features or maintain existing features in our internal web applications.
• Squash bugs quickly.
• Collaborate with Baseball Operations staff to plan new features and ensure requirements are met.
• Develop walk-throughs for non-technical users to familiarize them with new features.
• Watch baseball.

Why work for the Brewers?

• Be a part of a mature development environment with tools that won’t get in your way, including full Atlassian suite of tools, mature CI/CD pipelines, code reviews, and robust pull requests.
• Work with specific product teams to directly solve stakeholder issues on key baseball problems.
• Exceptional benefits including:
• health, vision, and dental coverage at VERY competitive rates.
• an enhanced 401k where the company contributes even if you don’t!
• free tickets to baseball games for your friends and family
• Virtual development opportunities for continued growth
• Free gym membership for local staff
• You’ll be working with some of the most innovative people in all of baseball.
• You are a good teammate and like working with other driven and caring teammates.
• Your office is in a baseball stadium!

Our Interview Process

• A 15-20 minute phone call to get to know each other and discuss the position in more detail.
• A tech screen to give us some insight into how you work.
• A few small panel interviews (including lunch) to provide opportunities to get to know the team better. You will also meet other members of Baseball Operations you’d be collaborating with.

Please apply at these links

Software Engineer – Scouting: click here.

Software Engineer – High Performance: click here.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Last 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, we’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. We’ll spend more time discussing players who we think need scouting updates or who we 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 our updated opinions, and may be subject to change during the offseason. New to our 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 we think the players are right now. Read the rest of this entry »

Intern – International Scouting Strategy (paid)

Summary: The Intern – International Scouting Strategy will be learning and assisting the Milwaukee Brewers player acquisition in the foreign amateur and professional spaces in an office-based role. This position will support the day-to-day functions of the International Scouting department and assist in the development of overall department strategy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned: Read the rest of this entry »

2023 Intern, Baseball Research & Development (R&D)

Location: Washington, DC

Summary:
The Washington Nationals are seeking multiple interns to join our Baseball Research & Development team for the 2023 season. As an intern, you’ll work on developing and applying your data science skills to baseball, performing research on baseball questions under the close mentorship of a team member of Baseball R&D. You’ll likely work on one project at a time, with plenty of time for model exploration and personal development. You’ll have the opportunity to work in a collaborative baseball front office daily at the stadium, watching baseball and engaging regularly with more senior members of our baseball operations group.

Internships are a key way for us to find future full-time members of our department, with many of our senior department members beginning as interns. While a pathway to a full-time position is not assured, many of our former interns have found full-time opportunities with the Nationals or other MLB clubs. While internships ideally span from Opening Day to November 1st, we’re open to candidates that may not be available for this entire period. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of my ongoing look at the candidates on the 2023 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. Originally written for the 2013 election at SI.com, it has been expanded and updated. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, use the tool above. An introduction to JAWS can be found here.

It took four position changes — from catcher to first base, then left field, right field, and finally center field — and parts of five major league seasons for the Braves to figure out where the 6-foot-4 Dale Murphy fit. Once they did, they had themselves a franchise centerpiece, a wholesome, milk-drinking superstar whom Sports Illustrated profiled for its July 4, 1983 cover story by proclaiming, “Murphy’s Law is Nice Guys Finish First.”

The title was a reference to the slugger helping the Braves to an NL West title the previous year, their lone playoff appearance during the 1970-90 stretch. “Here’s a guy who doesn’t drink, smoke, chew or cuss,” wrote SI’s Steve Wulf. “Here’s a guy who has time for everyone, a guy who’s slow to anger and eager to please, a guy whose agent’s name is Church. His favorite movie is Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. He’s a wonderful ballplayer.” Let the record show that Wulf did unearth some dirt on Murphy, noting that he once got a speeding ticket for doing 35 in a 25-mph zone… while running late to speak to a church group.

Murphy won the first of his back-to-back MVP awards in 1982 as well as the first of his five consecutive Gold Gloves, and made his second of seven All-Star teams. He would spend most of the 1980s as one of the game’s best players. Alas, knee problems turned him into a shadow of the player he once was while he was still in his early 30s, and he played his final game in the majors at age 37. Read the rest of this entry »

While the top of the celebrated free agent shortstop market has yet to roll into motion, the end of last week saw a flurry of action a little lower on the positional power rankings. The Yankees agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, locking up his final season of team control. And as Friday afternoon progressed, four other teams linked up for an exchange of shortstops. A shortswap, if you will.

Gio Urshela went from the Twins to the Angels for 19-year-old pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo, Kyle Farmer went from the Reds to the Twins for minor league pitcher Casey Legumina, and Kevin Newman went from the Pirates to the Reds for reliever Dauri Moreta.
Read the rest of this entry »

Nolan Jones might be ready to break out in Colorado, and turning 4 o’clock into 7 o’clock is how he would go about doing it. His time in Cleveland over — the Rockies acquired the rangy 6-foot-4 outfielder from the Guardians earlier this week in exchange for Juan Brito — Jones heads west with a swing that is, by his own admission, compact in the cage and too long in the batter’s box. Striking an effective balance between the two is an ongoing goal and a key to his future success.

“I’ve got really long levers, so I’m trying to simplify my moves and make them more efficient,” Jones told me earlier this summer. “Like anybody else, my moves become bigger in the game, and when your limbs are long, a two-inch move in the cage can become a six-inch move. My swings in the cage are those toned-down moves. I’m trying to be shorter to where, when they get bigger in the game, they’re right where I want them to be.”

Reaching his potential has been a frustrating endeavor for the 24-year-old. Selected in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Philadelphia’s Holy Ghost Preparatory School, Jones has ranked as Cleveland’s top prospect multiple times, and he was No. 51 in our Top 100 as recently as the spring of 2021. What has largely held him back is a penchant to swing-and-miss, a trait that accompanied him to the big leagues this season. Along with a .244/.309/.372 slash line over 94 plate appearances, the rookie had a 33% strikeout rate and a worst-on-the-club 71.6% Z-contact rate. Given the Guardians’ preference for hitters who can consistently put the ball in play, Jones no longer fitting into their plans comes as no surprise. Read the rest of this entry »

Fellows/Interns, Research & Development (Various Roles)

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Full-Time/Part-Time: Contingent
Shift: Various Shifts

The Pirates Research & Development Team

We are a growing team committed to discovering new competitive advantages for the Pittsburgh Pirates. We are collaborative with high levels of communication, mentorship, inclusion, and engagement in ideas. We believe a diversity of perspectives is crucial to delivering championship-caliber R&D, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply if they meet some of the requirements or to reach out if they have questions about their qualifications.

Our hiring process includes an initial call and two rounds of interviews. It may involve a questionnaire but does not require a take-home project.

Job Summary
The Pittsburgh Pirates are seeking multiple fellows and interns to join the team’s Research & Development group. There is a single application for all positions, but candidates can specify particular areas of interest.

1. Data Science Interns/Fellows: In this role, you will use your analytical and programming skills to conduct research, create models, and discover insights that impact all areas of Baseball Operations and R&D. You will learn how to demo your work to decision-makers and colleagues in a supportive environment. The ideal candidate is excited to deliver results on an impactful problem, applying strong quantitative skills to observational, tracking, and biomechanical data under the mentorship of the group’s analysts. Previous sports-specific research is not a requirement. Start dates are flexible.
2. Major League Strategy and Data Fellow: This role will investigate strategic and skill-development questions as requested by ML staff and R&D. The ideal candidate will have a quantitative background and the ability to code in at least one programming language. Experience with a collegiate team, pro team, or training facility is a plus but not a requirement. In this role, you will use existing tools and your ability to code to answer questions and proactively identify opportunities. You will write and disseminate notes on Pirates players, monitoring progress versus goals or other baselines. Excellent communication and organizational skills are required. Those who are solutions-oriented and driven to find competitive advantages at the Major League level are encouraged to apply! The anticipated start date is by March 2023.
3. Biomechanics Fellow: In this role, you will review and summarize biomechanical data collected across the organization. You will use strong written communication skills to alert cross-disciplinary groups to changes, opportunities, and other insights. You will also get hands-on experience working alongside coaches and other staff in training settings, as well as helping impact the organization’s future direction in the biomechanical space. The ideal candidate will possess both an academic foundation in sports biomechanics as well as experience in either a lab or in the field. The anticipated start date is by May 2023.
4. Amateur Analyst and International Amateur Analyst Fellows: In this role, you will code and implement solutions to analyze amateur players. You will flag interesting players and prepare information from a multitude of data sources for deeper discussion. The ideal candidate will bring attention to detail in executing on in-season process while also adding creativity and open-mindedness to our processes. You should have a foundation in a quantitative field with experience coding in at least one programming language. Experience with analyzing players, particularly amateur players, is a plus but not a requirement. Being bilingual is also a plus but not required. The anticipated start date for the domestic amateur position is by February 2023.

Responsibilities:

1. Analyze and interpret data, disseminating findings to stakeholders throughout the organization through a combination of written and verbal communication.
2. Develop and deploy models, reports, and other tools.
3. Answer questions from field staff and front-office personnel.
4. Collaborate regularly with the entire R&D team.
5. Think creatively!

The Pirates Why

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a storied franchise in Major League Baseball who are reinventing themselves on every level. Boldly and relentlessly pursuing excellence by:

• purposefully developing a player and people-centered culture;
• deeply connecting with our fans, partners, and colleagues;
• passionately creating lifetime memories for generations of families and friends; and
• meaningfully impacting our communities and the game of baseball.

At the Pirates, we believe in the power of a diverse workforce and strive to create an inclusive culture centered in Passion, Innovation, Respect, Accountability, Teamwork, Empathy, and Service.

Position Requirements:

Required:

1. Authorized to work lawfully in the United States.
2. Degree or demonstrated experience in a quantitative field such as mathematics, computer science, operations research, economics, statistics, physics, or data science.
3. Interest in developing a passion for sports analysis, and/or competitive drive to discover advantages for the Pirates.
4. Proficiency in at least one statistical programming language (e.g. R, Python).
5. Current college sophomore or above.

Desired:

1. At least a college junior (internship level) or senior/postgraduate (fellowship level).
2. Bayesian/Hierarchical modeling.
3. Optimization
4. Computer vision (e.g. Open CV)
5. Deep learning (e.g. TensorFlow)
6. Physics

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Mini trade alert! Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners sent outfielder Kyle Lewis to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for outfielder/catcher Cooper Hummel. That’s the entire exchange – no other players, no cash, just a one-for-one swap. It’s not terribly exciting, but its simplicity makes it easier to break down. Shall we?

Two years ago isn’t a lot, but considering all the ruckus that has occurred between then and now – and I’ll spare you the loathsome, often non-baseball-related details – it might as well be forever. That’s also when Lewis won American League Rookie of the Year. After a lengthy detour caused by persistent knee injuries, Lewis seemed on a sure path to becoming an integral part of an up-and-coming Mariners core. But the hardship continued into his sophomore season due to another tear to the same knee that had been bothering him for years; he played just 36 games in 2021. And if that wasn’t enough, the already battered Lewis, who began his 2022 on the injured list, was hit by a pitch a mere week after being called up in May. He recovered, but struggled immensely at the plate. Eventually, the Mariners sent him back down to Triple-A Tacoma, where he wrapped up a grueling season.

Laid in front of us are four fragmented seasons, including a cup of coffee in 2019, from which to evaluate Lewis. The truth is, it’s a tricky task. When samples are small and distant from one another, distinguishing the effects of injury from random variance and a possible decline in skill is about as productive as imagining “what could have been.” But from a projection system’s perspective, a short resume actually paints Lewis in a positive light. Steamer, for example, forecasts a .240/.323/.426 slashline and a 110 wRC+ for 2023, likely because of his recent minor league output and the fact that most of his major league experience comes from an award-winning rookie season. The ceiling of an everyday center fielder still exists, and a 116 wRC+ in Triple-A last season that wasn’t BABIP-driven is reason for optimism. Read the rest of this entry »