It wasn’t too long ago that it was a delightful novelty when position players pitched. When Casper Wells came in from the outfield to chuck batting practice fastballs at the plate, it signified that the game had gone into a zone of silliness. Either the game was such a blowout there was nothing to be gained by taking it seriously, or it had gone on so long that both teams had run out of pitchers. In the latter case, that usually happened well after midnight, with all the slap-happy antics exhausted people tend to get up to.

But seeing a position player on the mound is no longer cause for giddiness and mirth. It’s almost commonplace; so much so that MLB had to institute a rule prohibiting position players from pitching in games where the score is closer than seven runs. Like a Foster the People song, the position player pitching got overexposed and lost its luster. What was once a reason to turn a game on is now a signal that you might as well turn it off.

Why are so many position players pitching nowadays? Well, there’s the serious answer, which has to do with bullpen construction and the proliferation of the max-effort relief pitcher. And then there’s the truth, which is that in baseball, unlike curling, it’s considered indecorous to concede a game you’re going to lose. That’s what the position player pitching usually means now: The game is out of reach, so let’s just get it over with, ideally with as little expenditure of time and effort as is practicable. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball Analytics Intern

Position Summary:
The Baseball Analytics Intern will assist Baseball Operations decision-making through the analysis and facilitation of baseball information. The specific day-to-day responsibilities of this position will vary depending on the baseball calendar, but will revolve around analyzing and troubleshooting baseball data. A competitive candidate will be an excellent communicator and possess an established foundation of analytical skills. The position will report to the Director of Analytics.

Essential Functions:

• Facilitate information and effectively communicate analytical products across departments.
• Expand upon Marlins analytical strategy by creating new applications and reports.
• Improve and refine existing processes for the Baseball Operations Department. 
• Perform ad-hoc research projects as requested.
• Present analysis and research results in a complete, concise, and engaging manner.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Strong work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to self-direct.
• Demonstrated baseball research, experience visualizing data, and/or strong technical acumen.
• Ability to communicate baseball analytics concepts to individuals with diverse baseball backgrounds, including coaches, scouts, and executives.
• Understanding of and passion for the game of baseball.
• High level of familiarity with the current state of baseball research.
• Ability to work extended hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays throughout February – October 2023

Suggested Education & Experience Guidelines:

•   Undergraduate or graduate degree in a field that emphasizes technical and analytical problem-solving skills, such as mathematics, computer science, engineering.
• Understanding of advanced forecasting techniques is strongly preferred.
• Meaningful work experience with Tableau, SQL Server, R, and/or Python is strongly preferred.
• Ability and desire to learn other programming languages as needed.
• Baseball/softball playing experience is a plus.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Professional Scouting Intern

Position Summary:
Support the Professional Scouting Department, Baseball Operations, and Professional Scouts by working closely with the Professional Scouting Assistant Director in creating & maintaining department systems & processes throughout the season. Responsibilities include but are not limited to those outlined below.

Essential Functions:

• Assist in the creation & maintenance of documents in preparation of Spring Training, including but not limited to information on roster status details. 
• Assist in the creation of & maintenance of documents regarding assignment coverage & assigned targets throughout the season.
• Assist in the creation & maintenance of the Professional Scouting Scout Scheduler.
• Assist in the creation & maintenance of documents in preparation of the Trade Deadline.
• Assist in the creation & maintenance of documents in preparation of Free Agency.
• Assist in tracking the timely completion of Professional Scouting Reports. 
• Review daily transactions and provide player acquisition recommendations. 
• Complete manual ad hoc data pulls.
• Write & execute SQL queries for ad hoc projects.
• Create & maintain updated player magnets. 
• Complete a weekly department update to be reviewed by the Professional Scouting Assistant Director. 
• Assist in planning & preparing for Professional Scouting Department meetings. 
• Provide additional technical support for Professional Scouts.
• Proactively provide insightful thoughts to improve department systems, initiatives, & processes including the completion of assigned or self-devised innovative research projects. 
• Maintain consistent & open communication with the Professional Scouting Assistant Director.
• Willing & able to assist outside of the Professional Scouting Department with ad hoc assignments and projects. 
• At the discretion of & assignment by the Professional Scouting Assistant Director, the Professional Scouting Intern will have the ability to attend Florida Complex League, Low A Southeast League, & Miami Marlins games & complete reports for development purposes. 
• Ability to work extended hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays throughout February – October 2023

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel 
• SQL/Tableau/R Preferred
• Trackman/Bats Familiarity

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Miami Marlins.

Fellow, Amateur Scouting

Department: Amateur Scouting
Employment Type: Full – Time
FLSA Classification: Exempt

Primary Purpose:
The Guardians Fellowship program is designed to accelerate the pace of development and impact for people interested in working for our organization. Fellowship roles are focused on solving complex challenges and developing new approaches, tools, and techniques to meaningfully drive the organization forward.

The Cleveland Guardians are seeking Fellows to join their Amateur Scouting department. Each Fellow will work collaboratively with the amateur scouting staff. Fellows will operate as an extension of the front office staff and be a resource for scouts and Baseball Operations. Fellows will be expected to manage the collection of multiple data streams on amateur players to prepare the organization for acquisition opportunities.

The ideal candidate will be curious, creative, open-minded, and excited to work in a collaborative and rapidly changing environment. The candidate will be able to clearly communicate with others, build trusting relationships, and execute the organization’s vision through passion, resourcefulness, curiosity, and strategic thinking. They will take the initiative to perform research that advances the Guardians’ procedures and philosophies, especially related to the Major League Baseball draft.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Understand and apply organizational philosophies to all phases of the scouting and information-gathering processes.
• Assist scouting staff with the organization and execution of the scouting process through robust data collection.
• Assist scouting staff with various administrative and information-gathering tasks, such as database management
• Operate bat/ball tracking technology and other sports science technology.
• Manage video collection process from all player assessment opportunities, including but not limited to games, workouts, and events.
• Manage the corresponding data and video submission process.
• Provide holistic player assessments.
• Assist scouting staff with player workouts.

Requirements:
The Cleveland Guardians are committed to developing and maintaining an environment that embraces all forms of diversity to enrich our core values, enhance our competitive position, strengthen our impact within our community, and foster a greater sense of belonging for our employees. In this spirit, we know studies have shown that people from historically underserved groups – including women, people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and understand that candidates may bring certain skills and experiences to the role that are not listed within this job description, but that would add tremendous value to our organization. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications described.

• Bachelor’s degree or prior professional experience
• Demonstrated passion for at least one of scouting, baseball analytics, sports science, hitting or pitching analysis and/or biomechanics, strength and conditioning, motor learning, or other baseball or softball related field.

Preferred Experience:

While we are looking for candidates who bring a variety of skill sets, successful fellows possessed some of the following skills:

• Working knowledge of advanced baseball statistics and publicly available research.
• Demonstrated experience with a database language such as SQL.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to communicate in Spanish is a plus but not necessary.

Standard Requirements:

• Represents the Cleveland Guardians in a positive manner to the scouting community, players, coaches, and the general public.
• Reads, speaks, comprehends, and communicates English effectively across all mediums.
• This position will require travel to games, workouts, and events across the country.
• Ability to develop and maintain successful working relationships with members in all departments of the organization.
• Ability to act according to organizational values in pursuit of excellence at all times.
• Ability to work with diverse populations and have a demonstrated commitment to social justice.
• Ability to walk, sit, or stand for an entire shift.
• Ability to work extended days and hours, including holidays and weekends.
• Ability to move throughout all areas and levels of a ballpark.
• Ability to work in a diverse and changing environment.
• Occasional physical activity such as lifting and carrying equipment up to 25 lbs.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Cleveland Guardians.

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.

Organizational Intern, Major League Strategy

Position: Organizational Intern, Major League Strategy
Reports to: Manager, Major League Hitting Strategy & Analysis
Department: Baseball Development
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Position Overview:
The primary role of this position is to aid in the day-to-day production of material to enhance the strategy and preparedness of our Major League coaching staff and players. This position will be responsible for integrating critical thought with organizational research and resources to provide high quality information to members of our Major League staff.

Responsibilities:
Breakdown of responsibilities may vary depending on the background and strengths of the candidate. We hope to develop the selected individual based on their goals and how they can best help The Phillies. Previous responsibilities covered by this role and areas you might be able to make an impact include:

• Pre-series advance reports covering all aspects of opposing players
• Research and analysis to guide player development at major league and minor league levels 
• Production and formatting of information cards that drive in-game strategy 
• Participation in group discussions to innovate and optimize internal processes
• Ad hoc projects to support major league coaches, Baseball Development and Baseball Operations

Required Qualifications:

• Careful attention to detail and strong problem-solving aptitude
• Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong foundational knowledge in modern baseball analysis and evaluation
• Ability to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a team setting
• Must be able to work flexible hours to include holidays, weekends, and evenings as needed
• Must be based in or willing to relocate to Philadelphia for the duration of the 2023 season

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fluency in Spanish is a plus
• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python is a plus

You will be required to answer the following question along with the submission of your application:
Who is the best defender in Major League Baseball? Explain your reasoning. Please limit your response to 300 words.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Baseball Video & Technology Associate – 2023 Season (Multiple Locations)

Title: Baseball Video & Technology Associate
Reports to: Manager, Minor League Video & Technology
Status: Full-Time, Seasonal
Locations:

• Lehigh Valley, PA
• Reading, PA
• Jersey Shore, NJ
• Clearwater, FL
  Please Note – Housing will be provided by The Phillies for this role for all locations

Position Overview:
Oversee the daily video, sports technology, and advance scouting operations at assigned minor league affiliate. Duties will include, but not be limited to: filming and logging home and road games, as well as assisting in daily instructional film/data review sessions with coaches, players, and staff. In addition, the P.D. Associate will be responsible for maintaining all sports technology equipment including setup, logging, and uploading all data each day.

Essential Duties:

• Open and oversee operations of affiliate video room on a daily basis
• Be able to operate, troubleshoot, and support IP and high speed video cameras, computer networks, and network hard drives
• Film and accurately log all home and road games using BATS video system
• Film and capture data for bullpens, batting practices, and workouts based on requests by Phillies coaches and staff
• Be able to accurately and efficiently set up and run various sports technology equipment, including but not limited to: bat sensors, motion capture tools, and ball flight tracking technology
• Assist with daily data and video review sessions between Phillies coaching staff and players
• Provide regular status reports to Minor League Video Coordinator and other Player Development staff in Philadelphia and Clearwater
• Assist with various Player Development, Integrative Baseball Performance, and Player Information initiatives as needed
• On-field skills such as throwing BP is a plus

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or currently enrolled college student
• Must be detail oriented and well organized
• Must have the ability to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Must be able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office personnel and medical/training staff
• Must be able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays
• Must be a team player with strong oral and written communication skills
• Must be active, quick-thinking, and a good technology troubleshooter
• Previous experience working with BATS video system and/or sports technology is preferred
• Previous experience working in baseball is preferred
• Must be based in or willing to relocate for the duration of the 2023 season (approximately February through up to end of September) to one of the following locations:
  • Lehigh Valley, PA
  • Reading, PA
  • Jersey Shore, NJ
  • Clearwater, FL

Physical Demands and Working Conditions
Must be able to stand and walk in hot conditions for long periods of time

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Philadelphia Phillies.

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 »

If the BABIP gods change their minds, the Red Sox are the first in line. Last week, they inked left-handed reliever Joely Rodríguez, formerly of the Mets, to an incentive-laden, one-year contract with a team option for 2024. If he pitches like his peripheral numbers indicate he can, the signing should prove fruitful for Boston.

Rodríguez will make a base salary of $1.5 million in 2023, with a chance to earn an additional $2.25 million in incentives. He’ll receive a $50,000 bonus if he pitches in 30 games and an extra $50,000 each for reaching the 40-, 50-, 60-, and 70-game plateaus. On top of that, he’ll earn a bigger bonus the longer he remains on the active roster — an extra $500,000 each for logging 30, 60, 90, and 120 days.

Barring a significant injury or complete meltdown, Rodríguez should easily reach 120 days of service time in 2023. In other words, that $2 million bonus is practically money in his pocket. On the other hand, the games-pitched incentive is less of a guarantee. Rodríguez pitched 50-plus games in both of the past two seasons but has yet to cross the 60-game threshold in his MLB career. He has gotten close, however, and 2023 could be the year it finally happens. With the Red Sox, not only will he find himself a little higher up on the bullpen depth chart, but there will also be more relief opportunities to go around, as Boston’s starting rotation is unlikely to pitch quite as deep into games as New York’s. All that to say, he can reasonably expect to earn the $50,000 bonus for pitching 30, 40, and 50 games, and he might pocket another $50,000 for reaching the 60-game plateau; 70 games still seems a little out of reach.

After the deal’s first year, the Red Sox have a team option for $4.25 million (with another $250,000 in games-pitched incentives). If they choose not to exercise the option, Rodríguez receives a $500,000 buyout. In short, the deal is for a minimum of one year and $2 million, with a maximum potential of two years and $8.25 million. Read the rest of this entry »

The White Sox dipped into the free-agent pool this week with their first significant move of the offseason, agreeing to terms with righty Mike Clevinger on a reported one-year, $12 million deal. For the soon-to-be-32 Clevinger, it represents an opportunity to reestablish himself as a reliable mid-rotation starter after struggling to do so with San Diego in his return from his second Tommy John surgery in 2022. For the White Sox, it means adding a relative unknown with some upside to a talented and extremely right-handed rotation featuring 2022 AL Cy Young finalist Dylan Cease, a pair of veterans in the possible last years of their contracts in Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, and a 26-year-old Michael Kopech, who is trying to stay healthy for a full season himself after an early-career Tommy John surgery of his own.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise this early in the offseason, with much of the starting pitcher market yet to be sorted out. The reported $12 million value of the contract is a chunk of change higher than both our crowdsourcing and Ben Clemens predicted at $8 and $9 million, respectively. There’s a lot of starting pitching out there in November, including a handful of veterans coming off strong years that might be available for a one-year contract at or around $12 million. Corey Kluber contributed a productive season in Tampa this year, as did Michael Wacha in Boston, though he may require a second year of commitment. Andrew Heaney has generated enough buzz early that he might push that budget, but he’s available. Johnny Cueto was the second most valuable pitcher on these very same White Sox, with 2.4 WAR over 158.1 IP, but at age 36 would likely come at a similarly reasonable rate. So why did Chicago instead jump the market for Clevinger? Read the rest of this entry »

For the 18th consecutive season, the ZiPS projection system is unleashing a full set of prognostications. For more information on the ZiPS projections, please consult this year’s introduction and MLB’s glossary entry. The team order is selected by lot, and today’s team is the Chicago White Sox.

Batters

Imagine you’ve just built your dream home. You had an architect come up with a custom design that you absolutely loved. You hand selected the building materials, from the hardwood floors to the Spanish tiles in the roof. You’re ready to move into your endgame house! But wait, almost forgot, you have to furnish the house too, huh? OK, let’s head down to Crazy Joe’s Discount Furniture and find four dining room chairs without cigarette burns. The maroon couch behind the abandoned Caldor next to the bowling alley that still uses a sign from 1973 looks nice. I’m sure the smell will come out of that Craigslist mattress, and it’s not like you need all of the springs.

The White Sox did so many things well while building up the team, but they face-planted as soon as it was time to compete. Once the fun began, the discipline in the team’s decision-making disappeared. Want the 1980s manager for no reason? Sure! Need to solve the problem of two of your best young bats both essentially being designated hitters? Split the difference and have neither of them be the DH! Surely all that money you were going to use to sign Manny Machado will go towards other budgetary needs? Nope? Well, you’ve got Leury Garcia. Read the rest of this entry »

The Astros capped off a dominant postseason run with a World Series title that showed off a well-rounded and star-studded organization. They won with great starting pitching, great relief pitching, powerful hitting, and excellent defense. This wasn’t a case of a few guys getting hot and carrying a moribund offense, or a heroic member of the rotation piling up innings that no one counted on. The team stacked with good players up and down the roster simply deployed them as expected, and got a parade for its trouble.

It’s funny, in that context, to note that one of the best offenses in baseball had a clear hole at first base. Yuli Gurriel, the longtime incumbent at the position, had an abysmal year, compiling a .242/.288/.360 batting line that represented his second-worst performance in the majors (and his second poor showing in three years). The Astros scored runs at a gaudy clip despite his decline, but they didn’t bury their heads in the sand about Gurriel; they traded for Trey Mancini at the deadline to shore up their first-base options.

Bad news: Mancini wasn’t very good either. He and Gurriel combined to rack up -1.4 WAR with Houston. Yeesh. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Astros were using unheralded rookie David Hensley as a right-handed DH in lieu of Mancini. It worked well enough to win, but it was a strange look for a team already punting on offense at catcher. Read the rest of this entry »