Below is an analysis of the prospects in the farm system of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scouting reports were compiled with information provided by industry sources as well as our own observations. This is the fifth year we’re delineating between two anticipated relief roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see in the “position” column below: MIRP for multi-inning relief pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning relief pitchers. The ETAs listed generally correspond to the year a player has to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Manual adjustments are made where they seem appropriate, but we use that as a rule of thumb.

A quick overview of what FV (Future Value) means can be found here. A much deeper overview can be found here.

All of the ranked prospects below also appear on The Board, a resource the site offers featuring sortable scouting information for every organization. It has more details (and updated TrackMan data from various sources) than this article and integrates every team’s list so readers can compare prospects across farm systems. It can be found here. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s just put the headline up right away. Luis Severino is now an Athletic:

BREAKING: Right-hander Luis Severino and the A’s are in agreement on a three-year, $67 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in the history of the A’s franchise. And even with the qualifying offer attached, Severino got well over market expectations.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2024

Now this is an interesting free agent signing. The A’s just signed the second-biggest deal of the offseason so far, and the largest in franchise history. They have one other player with a guaranteed contract on the team – and that’s lefty reliever T.J. McFarland, making $1.8 million in 2025. This is a sea change in terms of how the team operates, so let’s talk about why they did it and the ways it could succeed or fail.

First things first: The A’s could use some pitching. They were better than you’d think in 2024 – they won 19 more games than their dispiriting 2023 campaign. Three different A’s hitters – Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and JJ Bleday – eclipsed three wins above replacement, the first time that had happened since the team shipped out Matt Olson and Matt Chapman. All three of those guys are young and under team control for a while. Shea Langeliers and Zack Gelof both look like good everyday players. Jacob Wilson is an intriguing top prospect. If it weren’t for the overall John Fisher stink of the franchise, this lineup would feel mighty tantalizing.
Read the rest of this entry »

For the 21st 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 the next team up is the San Francisco Giants.

Batters

Well, the Giants have solved at least one problem: finding another Buster Posey. Not in the form of Joey Bart, as was the original intention for a few years, but rather in Patrick Bailey. Now, Bailey isn’t quite peak Posey, an unreasonable expectation to have of anyone, but he has become a legitimate star behind the plate. Bailey also doesn’t exhibit the same distribution of talent as Posey did, as Bailey is arguably the most valuable defensive player in baseball with just enough bat to make that drool-worthy. To make a reference that’s even too old for me, Bailey’s a bit like a reboot of The Six Million Dollar Man in which they had the technology to build the cyber-Platonic ideal of Austin Hedges.

Bailey isn’t the only high spot in the lineup. Matt Chapman, who it seems the projections were not too high on in 2024 after all, should have at least a few good years left in him, and the Giants are generally at least average-ish elsewhere. ZiPS is higher than the other systems on Tyler Fitzgerald, and both the computer and I are hoping to see what Jung Hoo Lee can do after injuries cost him the opportunity to make good on what was shaping up to be a middling-at-best debut in the US. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2025 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.

When it comes to a 6-foot-6 power pitcher with a weight on par with an NFL offensive lineman, everything can seem outsized. Such was the case with CC Sabathia, who reached the majors as a fireballing 20-year-old lefty, refined his craft, and shouldered significant workloads while evolving into one of the game’s true aces. Over the course of a 19-year career (2001–19) with Cleveland, the Brewers, and the Yankees, Sabathia helped his teams reach the playoffs 11 times, made six All-Star teams, won a Cy Young award and a World Series ring, signed a record-setting contract, and reached milestones that may be unattainable for those following in his considerable footsteps.

Such stature doesn’t make even the most large-hearted person invulnerable, however. While at the height of his considerable success, Sabathia carried a huge secret: alcoholism. As he later explained through his own accounts, interviews, and a 2021 HBO documentary, from the time he was 14 years old, Sabathia was prone to binge drinking. He used alcohol to dull the pain and anger caused by the absence of his father, who dropped out of his life while he was in high school, re-emerged early in his professional career, and died prematurely in 2003. The pressure of living up to his seven-year, $161 million contract with the Yankees only exacerbated his problem, particularly as wear-and-tear injuries sapped his performance. Finally, in October 2015, with the Yankees about to play in the AL Wild Card Game, Sabathia sought help, entering a rehabilitation program and soon going public with his alcoholism as a way of holding himself accountable. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a bit of a cliché that all-time great basketball players like to add an element to their game every offseason. You come back from summer vacation and Tim Duncan has a new post move or LeBron’s shooting three-pointers now. This truism informs something I like to ask baseball players during breakout seasons: Do you have an eye on the next thing you want to learn? Sometimes you get some banality about being more consistent, or just an outright “no,” but on occasion a pitcher will reveal a hitherto hidden desire to learn a palmball, so it’s worth asking.

Nobody has embodied this drive for self-improvement like Shohei Ohtani. The man who already does everything showed up at the start of 2024 and decided to turn his plus running speed from a curiosity into a weapon. Shotime had previously topped out in the 20-steal range, and usually with pretty ugly success rates. In 2022, he needed 20 attempts to swipe just 11 bags; that year, he also stole the George Springer Trophy for Most Mystifyingly Bad Basestealer for a Fast Guy. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball Operations Associate Analyst

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: Arizona
Status: Part-Time; Non-Exempt
Duration: February 2025 – October 2025

Position Summary:
This individual will provide analytics and technology support serving staff both remote and on-site while helping to implement key organizational initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess technical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide statistic analysis and quantitative research to support Player Development staff.
• Execute Minor League pre- and post-game reporting needs.
• Conduct research for ad-hoc requests from coaches & staff.
• Utilize technology and information to assess player strength sand areas of development.
• Ensure data upload and ingestion quality for Minor League Affiliate ball-tracking files.
• Support data collection needs, including but not limited to operating technologies like Trackman Portable, Blast, Rapsodo, Trackman.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Understanding of current baseball analytics topics.
• Strong communication and attention to detail.
• Experience with Excel and SQL, R, or Python.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus.

At the Giants, we believe we put our best work forward when our employees bring together ideas that are diverse in thought. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.

All employment applications are reviewed upon receipt.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Francisco Giants.

Direct links to applications (please see job details below):

2025 Baseball Analytics Summer Intern
2025 Baseball Systems Summer Intern
2025 Baseball Operations Summer Intern

2025 Baseball Analytics Summer Intern

Location: Boston, MA, United States

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
Baseball Analytics supports the decision-making processes throughout Baseball Operations, including Player Valuation, Player Development and Major League Strategic Information. Core responsibilities include predictive modeling, long-term research, report creation, and delivering the output of one’s work in a clear and digestible manner.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Red Sox are seeking a Baseball Analytics Intern for the team’s Baseball Analytics department for a portion of the 2025 summer period. The role will support all areas of Baseball Operations while working closely with Director of Baseball Analytics, and our team of analysts. This is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, intellectually curious environment and to impact player evaluation, acquisition, development and strategic decision making. This internship is for current college or graduate students pursuing a degree in an analytical field such as statistics, predictive analytics, data science, engineering, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, computer vision, or operations research.

This internship will run for 11 weeks. It will begin in May 2025 and end in August 2025.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Statistical modeling and quantitative analysis of a variety of data sources, for the purpose of player evaluation, strategic decision-making, decision analysis, etc.
• Effectively present analyses through the use of written reports and data visualization to disseminate insights to members of the Baseball Operations leadership.
• Maintain working expertise of leading-edge analytics, including publicly available research and novel statistical approaches, in order to recommend new or emerging techniques, technologies, models, and algorithms.
• Other projects and related duties as directed by the Director, Baseball Analytics, and other members of Baseball Operations leadership.

COMPETENCIES:

• Aptitude for and ability to apply academic or applied experience in a quantitative field such as statistics, predictive analytics, data science, engineering, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, computer vision, and/or operations research.
• Understanding of modern statistical and machine learning methods and a proficiency with popular data science languages and libraries. 
• Practical understanding of how to approach research questions to drive actionable insights. 

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Pursing or recently completed a Bachelor’s or advanced degree in an analytical field such as statistics, predictive analytics, data science, engineering, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, computer vision, or operations research.
• Proficiency with modern database technologies including SQL.
• Demonstrated experience with programming languages (e.g., R, Python).
• Exposure to probabilistic programming languages (e.g., Stan, PyMC3).
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical ideas to non-technical audiences using data visualization.
• Attention to detail while also having the ability to work quickly and balance multiple priorities.
• Other programming and database skills are a plus.

In addition to the above requirements, all roles within Baseball Operations are expected to effectively demonstrate our universal competencies related to problem solving, teamwork, clarity of communication, and time management, along with embodying our culture of honesty, humility, relentlessness, and commitment to DEIB.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

2025 Baseball Systems Summer Intern

Location: Boston, MA, United States

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
Members of the Baseball Systems Team at the Boston Red Sox are focused on designing, building, and refining the software and data pipelines used within Baseball Operations. These tools and applications are an integral part of the decision-making process, are directly integrated in the workflows of all departments within Baseball Operations, and provide an efficient, consistent, and accessible experience when interacting with our internal data sources and applications.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Baseball Systems Summer Intern will be a contributing member of the baseball operations software development team and is responsible for the design and development of software solutions. This individual must have the ability to learn quickly and iterate toward good solutions. Asking questions, taking initiative, being persistent, and paying attention to details are all important qualities for this internship. This internship is for current college or graduate students pursuing a degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or another similar field of study.

This internship will run for 11 weeks and is located in-person in Boston, MA. It will begin in May, 2025 and end in August, 2025. We will hire two interns: one in Software Development, and one in Data Engineering.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create leading-edge baseball solutions together with the software development team and others on new and existing baseball systems.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of the software architecture and embrace a software engineering mindset.
• Actively participate with other software developers in design reviews, code reviews, and other best practices.
• Identify and implement creative solutions for technical challenges.

COMPETENCIES:

• Aptitude and ability to apply academic or applied experience in software development or data engineering related field.
• An understanding of front-end development and web applications.
• Ability to pick up quickly and think both creatively and critically to solve problems.
• A basic understanding of contemporary baseball and/or sports analysis and development practices.
• A team-player that collaborates effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Some experience with JavaScript, Typescript, Python, C/C++, C#, or other programming languages.
• Some experience with SQL and database design.
• Some experience with design and documentation, testing and debugging, code reviews, and source control.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Comfortable using communication tools such as Slack and Trello.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Excellent time management skills.

In addition to the above requirements, all roles within Baseball Operations are expected to effectively demonstrate our universal competencies related to problem solving, teamwork, clarity of communication, and time management, along with embodying our culture of honesty, humility, relentlessness, and commitment to DEIB.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

2025 Baseball Operations Summer Intern

Location: Boston, MA, United States

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
The Operations group within Baseball Operations is focused on strategic planning, long-term initiatives, player valuation, talent acquisition and administrative management and logistics for the Major and Minor League rosters. We support and collaborate with multiple departments within Baseball Operations, utilizing efficient processes that contribute to informed decision making and long-term departmental growth.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Baseball Operations Intern will contribute to various facets of the operations domain, contributing to both daily function and longer-term growth of the department while enhancing expertise and building a strong foundation across the broader baseball operations infrastructure. The intern will support day-to-day processes and projects within the operations domain, including supporting the chief of staff and leadership, baseball strategy, baseball initiatives and both major and minor league operations, while also contributing to department wide initiatives and projects.

This internship will run for 11 weeks and is located in-person in Boston, MA. It will begin in May, 2025 and end in August, 2025.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist with day-to-day baseball operations including administrative duties, strategic initiatives, content development, logistical management and research.
• Prepare and maintain information and materials for key front office decision making and operation.
• Support content generation for leadership decision making and communication.
• Provide strategic and logistical support for important baseball events such as the MLB Draft and Trade Deadline.
• Operate and train critical player tracking and player development technology.
• Conduct market research relevant to emerging projects for baseball strategy and initiatives groups.
• Creatively pursue ways to improve operations processes and generate ideas for future team projects.
• Develop core baseball operations competencies through hands-on experience, education and mentorship. 

COMPETENCIES:

• Identify, analyze, and solve problems in a process-oriented manner thinking critically and strategically.
• Work effectively with others and communicate in a structured and organized manner.
• Decipher between tasks based on their urgency and focus on the highest leverage priorities.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of modern baseball metrics and contemporary player development practices.
• Apply a baseline understanding of key metrics and methodologies in day-to-day responsibilities.
• Aptitude for player analysis/evaluation and a knowledge of baseball markets and ecosystem across acquisition spaces.
• Ability to develop proficiency with cutting-edge technology within and outside of baseball.
• High level of attention to detail and proactivity in relation to our processes and organizational workflows.
• Ability to interact with analytics and predictive models to support department requests, conduct research, and apply to decision making.
• Commitment to personal and professional growth with the humility to learn and adapt.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to multitask in stressful situations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with SQL, R, Python is a plus, not required.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus, but not required.
• Current undergrad or graduate student entering their final year of studies is preferred, but open to all applicants.

In addition to the above requirements, all roles within Baseball Operations are expected to effectively demonstrate our universal competencies related to problem solving, teamwork, clarity of communication, and time management, along with embodying our culture of honesty, humility, relentlessness, and commitment to DEIB.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Boston Red Sox.

Nick Yorke went from the Boston Red Sox to the Pittsburgh Pirates at this past summer’s trade deadline in exchange for Quinn Priester. Some months earlier he’d gone back to the approach that made him a first-round pick in 2020, and from there a productive hitter in his first full professional season. The adjustment was needed. While Yorke remained a promising prospect in 2022 — a campaign compromised by injuries — and again in 2023, his productivity was less than what was expected, and certainly less than what he’d hoped for.

The changes Yorke made this year proved a panacea. After getting off to a so-so start in cold-weather Portland, Maine, he swung a hot bat after being promoted to Triple-A Worcester, and from there at Indianapolis following the trade. Over 344 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors, the 22-year-old infielder/outfielder slashed .333/.420/.498 with 25 doubles, eight home runs, and a 143 wRC+. Moreover, he stuck out at a lower rate than he did in a season-plus at the Double-A level. Upon getting called up in mid-September, Yorke went 8-for-37 with a pair of home runs and an 82 wRC+ in 42 plate appearances across 11 major league games.

Yorke sat down at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park during the final week of the regular season to discuss his successful turnaround this year.

———

David Laurila: We first talked hitting in April 2021 as you were beginning your first season of pro ball. How would you compare now to then?

Nick Yorke: “I would say pretty different while being the same at the same time. I felt — especially that first year when I was 19 — that I was doing really well approach-wise. I was driving the ball the other way. I feel like I kind of got away from that the past couple of years.”

Laurila: How and why did you get away from your old approach? Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2025 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.

It’s no secret that we’re in the midst of a lean period for starting pitchers getting elected to the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot. Since the elections of 300-game winners Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson in 2014 and ’15, just four starters have gained entry via the writers, two of them alongside the Big Unit in the latter year (Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz) and two more in ’19 (Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina). From a demographic standpoint, Halladay is the only starter born after 1971.

It’s quite possible the writers won’t elect another starter born in that shag-carpeted decade unless voters come around on Andy Pettitte (b. 1972) or Mark Buehrle (b. 1979), a pair of southpaws who cleared the 200-win mark during their exceptional careers, producing some big moments and playing significant roles on championship-winning teams. Yet neither of them ever won a Cy Young award, created much black ink, or dominated in the ways that we expect Hall-caliber hurlers to do. Neither makes much of a dent when it comes to JAWS, where they respectively rank 93rd and 91st via the traditional version, about 14 points below the standard, or tied for 80th and 78th in the workload-adjusted version (S-JAWS). Neither has gotten far in their time on the ballot, and both lost ground during the last cycle. Pettitte maxed out at 17% in 2023, his fifth year of eligibility, but slipped to 13.5% in his sixth, while Buehrle, who peaked at 11% in his ’21 debut, fell from 10.8% to 8.3%. Nobody with shares that low at either juncture has been elected by the writers, with Larry Walker (10.2% in year four, 15.5% in year six) accounting for the biggest comeback in both cases but still needing the full 10 years, capped by a 22-point jump in his final one. Read the rest of this entry »

For the 21st 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 the next team up is the Los Angeles Angeles.

Batters

For the first month of the offseason, the Angels have been one of the most active teams, acquiring Jorge Soler and the apparently-still-in-baseball Scott Kingery in trades, claiming Ryan Noda off waivers, and signing Travis d’Arnaud, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks, and Kevin Newman in free agency. Doing this tightens up the team’s secondary talent and adds to its depth.

The larger question is what the Angels actually intend to do with these moves. These are the types of things that should have been done back in the days when they had a healthy Mike Trout or were getting 8-10 wins a year from Shohei Ohtani. From 2018 to 2023, all the Angels had to do to contend was build a 75-win team around Trout and Ohtani, something they never succeeded at doing. Now, it looks like they have that 75-win team, except Ohtani isn’t around anymore and Trout is aging and injury prone. (ZiPS is projecting Trout to have around 300 plate appearances in 2025.) Read the rest of this entry »