You are allowed to be sad. You do not have to be psyched about watching two gigantic legacy franchises smash everything in their paths and then start smashing each other in the Godzilla vs. King Kong World Series. You can be bummed that both of the obvious favorites made the World Series even though you also would have been bummed if some undeserving Wild Card team had sneaked in. Anyone who expects you to be rational in your rooting interests is being completely unreasonable. This a matchup designed specifically for fans of hegemony. You do not have to be good. You are allowed to cheer for Team Asteroid.

That said, there’s still a lot to be excited about in this matchup. The World Series offers itself to your imagination. I doubt that there’s one person reading this who doesn’t enjoy watching Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, or Freddie Freeman play baseball, who doesn’t thrill at the thought of seeing them on the biggest stage the game has to offer. It’s just inconceivable that a baseball fan could be so hopelessly lost.

Judge hit 58 home runs this season. He led baseball with a 218 wRC+. That’s the seventh-best qualified offensive season since 1900. The only players who have topped it: Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. Judge is blasting his way onto Mount Rushmore in front of our eyes. Ohtani’s 181 wRC+ ranked second. While rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, he put up the first 50-50 season in history. When you combine his offense and baserunning, Ohtani was worth 80.7 runs this season, the 35th-highest total ever. Over 11 postseason games, he has a .434 on-base percentage with 10 RBI and 12 runs scored, and somehow his offensive line is worse than it was during the regular season. Soto was right behind Ohtani at 180. In seven big-league seasons, he’s never once been as low as 40% better than average at the plate, and he is still getting better. Read the rest of this entry »

Andrés Muñoz has been one of baseball’s best relievers over the past three seasons. During that span, the Seattle Mariners right-hander has a 2.49 ERA, a 2.68 FIP, and a 34.7% strikeout rate over 176 games, comprising 173 1/3 innings. Acquired from the San Diego Padres as part of a seven-player trade in August 2020, Muñoz missed the entirety of that year and all but the final game of the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 2.12 ERA and 22 saves in the just-completed campaign, both career bests.

Muñoz’s M.O. on the mound is power. Per Statcast, his four-seamer averaged 98.4 mph this season, while his two-seamer averaged 97.5 mph and his slider 87.6 mph. The velocity — but not his overall effectiveness — was actually down from the previous two years. In 2023, Muñoz’s four-seamer averaged 99.2 mph, and in 2022 it averaged 100.2 mph. His slider is his most-thrown pitch, and its speed has also ticked down a tad, although not to his detriment. With a caveat that his slider wasn’t always sharp this season, it elicited a .138 BAA, a .191 wOBA, and a 48.5% whiff rate.

The 25-year-old native of Los Mochis, Mexico sat down to talk about his repertoire and approach at Fenway Park earlier this year.

———

David Laurila: The last time we talked, you told me that you’re a bit of pitching nerd. To what extent?

Andrés Muñoz: “Yes. We have all this information, but I don’t want to put it all in my head. I try to make it simple. At the same time, I want to know where to attack the hitters. Where are their weaknesses? I use that. Like everybody, I like to have the information, but by the time I am on the mound, I’m not thinking about all the information. I’m thinking more about, ‘OK, where am I supposed to throw the pitch?’ I feel like that is the best thing for me, to have a plan for every hitter.”

Laurila: What about your pitch profiles and how you can optimize them? I assume you pay attention to that when you’re not on a game mound. Read the rest of this entry »

Travis Ice and I have begun early work on the Los Angeles Angels and Sacramento Athletics prospect lists, and because both franchises’ prospects are on the Mesa Solar Sox roster, I spent most of last week seeing whatever game they were playing.

At this point in the Fall League, the leaders in games played have laced up their spikes only eight or nine times. Anything you’ve read about this year’s AFL so far has encompassed just two weeks of part-time play for any given player. Remember this is a hitter-friendly league for a number of both developmental and environmental reasons, and that triple slash lines in this league are not a reliable proxy for talent.

Tre’ Morgan, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

Offensive standards at first base are quite high, and even though the collective performance of this year’s group was down relative to recent norms (by kind of a lot), it’s still a position from which we expect good players and prospects to provide impact power. Morgan has been a relevant prospect since high school, but a relative lack of power has tended to cap his projection into more of a part-time first base/outfield role.

During the 2024 regular season it looked like Morgan was more often taking max-effort swings and selling out for power. He reached Double-A and slugged .483 across three levels, but his middling raw strength and opposite-field tendency as a hitter (plus elevated chase rates relative to his career norms) suggested this was maybe not the best approach for him. In the Fall League, Morgan has been more balanced, really taking enormous hacks only in favorable counts. He’s still stinging the ball in a way that indicates he’ll be a doubles machine, and he seems less vulnerable to fastballs up and away than he did during the summer. We don’t have a way of truly knowing how Morgan will handle elevated big league fastballs until he faces them, but a more balanced, contact-oriented style of hitting is going to give him a much better chance of covering the top of the zone and being a more complete hitter. (An aside: Watch A’s prospect Denzel Clarke go first-to-third at the video’s 1:55 mark.)

I think the absolute ceiling for his production looks something like Brandon Belt’s or Daniel Murphy’s pre-Juiced Ball era statline. More likely Morgan’s output will look something like Ji Man Choi’s or LaMonte Wade Jr.’s. Morgan is not a guy who is going to hit 20 homers per year, but a heady, well-rounded offensive skillset coupled with his excellent, profile-seasoning first base defense make him better than the 40 FV grade player I evaluated him as during the year. He is making a case to be elevated into the back of this offseason’s Top 100 list.

Caleb Durbin, UTIL, New York Yankees

I gave Durbin short shrift last year even after his .353/.456/.588 line in the 2023 Fall League. He had a good 2024 at Triple-A Scranton, including a strong second half after he returned from a fractured wrist. Durbin is short — really short, he’s 5-foot-6 — but he’s not small; he’s built like a little tank. His compact, stocky build helps keep his swing short and consistently on time to pull the baseball. His quality of contact in 2024 was commensurate with a guy who slugs under .400 at the big league level, but he was dealing with an injury that typically impacts contact quality for a while after recovery.

Perhaps most importantly, Durbin looks fine at both second and third base and has also been playing all over the outfield. Defensive versatility might be his key to being rostered consistently. Durbin ran a jailbreak 4.10 for me last week, but his home-to-first times have been close to 4.4 seconds on normal swings. That’s not blazing and slower than what’s typical of a decent center fielder, but any kind of outfield viability would help the former Division-III standout become an improbable big leaguer. Durbin has played sparingly in center field during his career, and it’s going to be very difficult to evaluate him there this Fall League unless he starts getting reps there every day, which I think is unlikely. It’s more of a thing to watch develop into next spring.

Kemp Alderman, OF, Miami Marlins

Alderman, a 2023 second round pick out of Ole Miss who had some of the best exit velocities in that draft class, is currently leading the AFL with six home runs. He hit one on Friday at a whopping 119.5 mph. It went out on a line, ricocheting off the side of the batter’s eye, which you can see in this frame:

Friday, Marlins outfielder Kemp Alderman hit a homer that left Salt River Fields in a real hurry, at 119.5 mph. pic.twitter.com/HBvj2F0oud

— FanGraphs Prospects (@FG_Prospects) October 22, 2024

Like Durbin, Alderman missed time in 2024 with a broken hand. It’s good to see Alderman hitting with elite peak power coming off of this particular injury, but I’d advise everyone to pump the breaks on his overall prospectdom at this time. He loads his hands so deep, high, and late that I worry he’ll struggle against better velocity as he climbs the minors. Though Alderman’s regular-season strikeout rates don’t raise alarm, I don’t think 30-ish games at each A-ball level is a meaningful sample, especially for a draft pick out of an SEC school. It’s fine to be hopeful that I’m wrong or that Alderman will make necessary adjustments once better stuff starts beating him, and he clearly has the power to clear the offensive bar at a corner outfield spot. But even though he’s raking out here, he does not have an opinion-altering look. I know Marlins fans have gone through this a lot lately, where they have a minor leaguer with elite power but an insufficient hit tool to profile (Peyton Burdick, Griffin Conine, Jerar Encarnacion), and I worry Alderman is another of this ilk.

Devin Kirby, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Alert Ben Lindbergh, we have a knuckler. The 25-year-old Kirby was an undrafted free agent out of UConn in 2023 and spent most of 2024 in Fort Myers either on the Complex or FSL roster. His knuckleball needs to be more consistent for him to be considered a prospect at all, but for now it’s a lot of fun to watch a guy whose primary pitch is his knuckler.

The Arizona Fall League has a knuckleballer this year, Twins righty Devin Kirby. pic.twitter.com/Z6c7ik6vH4

— FanGraphs Prospects (@FG_Prospects) October 18, 2024

Board Additions

Ryan Birchard, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Henry Bolte, OF, Oakland Athletics

These players have had their scouting reports added to the Fall League tab on The Board. Head over there to check out their tool grades and scouting reports.

Beyond offering the rare clash between number one seeds, this year’s World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees is steeped in baseball history and — as anyone who’s read me over the past two and a half decades knows — is of great personal resonance. The last time the two teams met in the Fall Classic, in 1981, I was an 11-year-old baseball nut hoping his favorite team could avenge its back-to-back World Series losses from ’77 and ’78. I could never have imagined that I’d get to cover their next October matchup. For most of the country, this pairing’s biggest selling point beyond the top-seed aspect and the involvement of the sport’s two most storied franchises is the presence of the game’s two biggest stars. Both the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge are coming off historic seasons that will likely net them MVP awards, though things haven’t come quite so easily for either of them in the postseason.

We won’t officially know until November whether Judge and Ohtani both won the awards, but even working from the assumption that they will, this is hardly the first time that two likely MVPs have squared off in the World Series. In fact, it’s happened 25 times since 1931, with four such pairings from among the 11 times the Yankees and Dodgers have met. That said, it’s just the second such meeting since the start of the Wild Card era (1995 onward) and the sixth since the start of the Division era (1969 onward). MVP choices may be driven less by team success these days, but even when they are, the expanded playoff field makes getting to the World Series much harder:

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m trying out a new format for our managerial report cards this postseason. In the past, I went through every game from every manager, whether they played 22 games en route to winning the World Series or got swept out of the Wild Card round. To be honest, I hated writing those brief blurbs. No one is all that interested in the manager who ran out the same lineup twice, or saw his starters get trounced and used his best relievers anyway because the series is so short. This year, I’m sticking to the highlights, and grading only the managers who survived until at least their League Championship series. Today, let’s talk about the first of that quartet to be eliminated: Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians.

My goal is to evaluate each manager in terms of process, not results. If you bring in your best pitcher to face their best hitter in a huge spot, that’s a good decision regardless of the outcome. Try a triple steal with the bases loaded only to have the other team make four throwing errors to score three runs? I’m probably going to call that a blunder even though it worked out. Managers do plenty of other things — getting team buy-in for new strategies or unconventional bullpen usage behind closed doors is a skill I find particularly valuable — but as I have no insight into how that’s accomplished or how each manager differs, I can’t exactly assign grades for it.

I’m also purposefully avoiding vague qualitative concerns like “trusting your veterans because they’ve been there before.” Playoff coverage lovingly focuses on clutch plays by proven performers, but David Fry and Kerry Carpenter were also great this October. Forget trusting your veterans; the playoffs are about trusting your best players. Juan Soto is important because he’s great, not because of the number of playoff series he’s appeared in. There’s nothing inherently good about having been around a long time; when I’m evaluating decisions, “but he’s a veteran” just doesn’t enter my thought process. Let’s get to it. Read the rest of this entry »

Intern, Sports Science

Location: San Diego, CA
Department: Sports Science
Reports To: Director, Sports Science
Status: Seasonal; Non-Exempt

*This seasonal position will end after 6 months but less than 1 year from the start of employment.*

San Diego Padres Commitment:

The San Diego Padres are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for our employees. We strive to create an environment for everyone by including perspectives from backgrounds that vary by race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, and national origin

We strongly encourage candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups to apply.

If you are not sure you’re 100% qualified but are up for the challenge – we want you to apply. We believe skills are transferable and passion for our mission goes a long way.

Your role as an Intern, Sports Science:

You will collect, organize, analyze and report player measurables including ball, bat, and body tracking data to help deliver actionable insights to stakeholders across multiple departments. You will aid in the creation, implementation, and monitoring of individualized Player Development goals.

All the responsibilities we will trust you with:

• Overseeing the implementation of various technologies at affiliates or spring training complex
• Obtaining expert-level knowledge of the interfaces of each technology. Ensuring the collection of data is seamless and unintrusive to the normal flow of the day
• Conducting and ensuring proper and timely administration of tests/retests to evaluate physical and physiological responses to training
• Working within an interdisciplinary team to build and generate accurate and actionable reports. Assisting with the interpretation of data & reports for multiple stakeholders
• Contribute to the continued education of all players, coaches, and other staff on the technologies and analytics being used by the Padres and the meaning of their output for all facets of the game
• Leveraging SQL and research skills to quickly conduct ad-hoc queries for PD coaches and staff
• Assisting in the implementation and operation of Hawk-Eye data collection
• Ensuring the Hawk-Eye unit is functioning properly for all games and relevant bullpen sessions, live BPs, etc.
• Ensuring the accurate and organized collection of Hawk-Eye data for medical and/or R&D processes
• Overseeing the transfer of Hawk-Eye data to all pertinent downstream users
• Obtaining required knowledge to support the understanding and implementation of Hawk-Eye ball-, bat-, and player-tracking data to coaches
• Timely interpretation and communication of pertinent data to key stakeholders
• Assisting Player Development personnel with the integration of information provided by the other departments of Baseball Operations
• Overseeing the implementation and use of the player dashboard, obtain expert level knowledge of its functions, and support in the communication of advance reports and other relevant data
• Represents the Club in a positive and professional manner at all times
• Other duties as assigned

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most:

• Maintain an understanding of current public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, datasets, and technologies
• Proficiency in data visualization/interpretation and programming is a plus
• Proficient computer skills including experience with MS Office products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and general knowledge of office skills and use of office equipment
• Possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and effectively work well with others in a collaborative, respectful manner
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills with capacity to handle high volumes of detailed work, multi-task and manage projects on strict deadlines
• Maintain professional demeanor with a high degree of discretion, integrity, and accountability
• Maintain consistent, punctual, and reliable attendance
• Fluently bilingual in English/Spanish a plus, but not necessary

You will be required to meet the following:

• Must be at least 18 years of age by the start of employment
• 4-year Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in related field. Course work in biomechanics, sports science, or kinesiology is a plus
• Able to work independently within a larger diverse team requiring constant communication
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, holidays and extended hours as needed
• Able to travel as needed
• Minimum physical requirements: able to travel to and gain access to various areas of the ballpark for prolonged periods of time during games and events; able to lift and transport up to 25 pounds
• As a condition of employment, you must successfully complete all post-offer, pre-employment requirements, including but not limited to a background check 

Pay and additional compensation:

The hourly pay range for this position is $14.35 – $16.00, depending on the affiliate location. Seasonal, non-union employees are subject to the respective state Minimum Wage and rates will increase accordingly.

In addition to your hourly rate, the Padres offer PTO, employee discounts, appreciation, and recognition opportunities.

The San Diego Padres are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Diego Padres.

Sunday night’s NLCS Game 6 offered quite a contrast in its starting pitcher matchup. With a chance to push the series to a decisive Game 7, the Mets started Sean Manaea, a 32-year-old lefty who made a full complement of 32 starts during the regular season, set a career high for innings pitched (181 2/3), and had already made three strong postseason starts, allowing five runs across 17 innings. On the other side, with an opportunity to close out the series and claim their fourth pennant in eight seasons, the Dodgers tabbed Michael Kopech, a 28-year-old righty who started 27 games last year but hadn’t done so once this year, instead pitching out of the bullpen 67 times in the regular season and four more in the playoffs. The unorthodox choice owed to the Dodgers’ injury-wracked rotation. Los Angeles has barely been able to muster three workable starters for October, let alone four, and so manager Dave Roberts has resorted to sprinkling in bullpen games, with mixed results.

The ballgame turned out to be a mismatch, but not in the way you might have imagined. Kopech struggled with his control, throwing just 12 strikes out of his 25 pitches, walking two, and allowing one hit and one run. If he set a tone for the rest of the Dodgers staff, it was that this was going to be a grind, the outcome hinging on their ability to navigate out of traffic — which they did, stranding 13 runners while yielding “only” five runs. Meanwhile Manaea, who had limited the Dodgers to two hits and two earned runs over five innings in NLCS Game 2, lasted just two-plus innings and was battered for six hits while walking two. He was charged with five runs, four of which came off the bat of Tommy Edman in the form of a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third.

The Dodgers weren’t expecting Kopech to go any deeper, leaving Roberts to follow a script that allowed him to utilize his remaining relievers to best effect (such as it was). The Mets harbored hopes that Manaea could at least pitch into the middle innings so that manager Carlos Mendoza could avoid deploying some of their lesser relievers, but the starter faltered so early that they didn’t have that luxury. As it was, the fifth run charged to Manaea scored when Phil Maton, already carrying an 8.44 ERA this October, was summoned with no outs in the third and didn’t escape before serving up a two-run homer to Will Smith. Faced with a 6-1 deficit, the Mets refused to go quietly, but went down just the same in a 10-5 loss that included 14 pitchers combining to allow 22 hits and 12 walks. It was excruciating viewing, and with a pennant on the line, one couldn’t help but wish instead for starters battling deep into the game. Alas, this was hardly atypical October baseball. Read the rest of this entry »

Direct Links (Please see full job postings below):

Associate, R&D Developer
Associate, R&D Analyst
Amateur Scouting Associate

Associate, R&D Developer

Location: Atlanta, GA
Status: Part time

If you are driven to deliver exceptional fan experiences that are beyond anything possible elsewhere and interested in working alongside a team of innovators and enthusiastic over-achievers, you will enjoy working with us!

Description:
The Atlanta Braves are looking to fill the position of Baseball Systems Developer Associate. The Baseball Systems Developer Associate position emphasizes software and web development as it relates to the Baseball Operations department. The Developer’s main responsibilities will be to build and enhance proprietary applications for displaying baseball information and visualizations, maintaining existing information management systems, and developing additional productivity tools to aid in Baseball Operations decision making. Candidates must have experience with application and/or web development, with interest in baseball and sports analytics research as a strong plus. The position will report to Assistant General Manager, Research and Development. Note: Applicants for full-season associate and summer associate (May-August) will be considered.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in developing and maintaining proprietary software used within the Baseball Operations department.
• Work with department stakeholders to develop, deploy and test applications within IT best practice parameters.
• Build relationships, communicate effectively, and gather feedback from Baseball Operations staff to build new platforms and improve existing systems.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Past or expected BA or BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field of study or equivalent work experience.
• Software development experience in one or more programming languages: Java, .NET, Python, JavaScript, C#, C/C++.
• Experience with database technologies and SQL. Microsoft SQL Server experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with using version control such as git.
• Ability to learn new technologies, including new coding languages.
• Strong work ethic, initiative, and the ability to solve technical problems.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends as dictated by the Major League season.
• Must complete a successful background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of current baseball statistics and analytics used in player evaluation a plus
• Experience with data visualization a plus.
• Solid fundamentals with HTML/CSS.
• Web development experience, especially with JavaScript (Node.js, Vue.js, React), or Python (Flask)
• Experience with big data techniques
• Exposure to Agile software development methodology. Kanban or Scrumban experience a plus.
• Familiarity with cloud developer tools
• iOS and/or Android app development
• Demonstrated software development work product.

The Atlanta National League Baseball Club, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. A diverse workforce representing varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences is key to delivering on our business promise to our fans and the communities we serve. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply.

If you are disabled as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act and require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete your online application, including making a change to the application process, please contact our Human Resources team at PeopleCapital@braves.com

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, R&D Analyst

Location: Atlanta, GA
Status: Part time

If you are driven to deliver exceptional fan experiences that are beyond anything possible elsewhere and interested in working alongside a team of innovators and enthusiastic over-achievers, you will enjoy working with us!

Description:
The R&D Analyst Associate position will assist Baseball Operations decision-making through the analysis and research of baseball information. The day-to-day responsibilities of this position will revolve around using data analysis to provide insight into player evaluation, performance projection, roster construction, and all other facets of baseball operations decision making, with an emphasis on different areas of baseball operations depending on the baseball calendar and needs of the department. Ideal candidates will have a strong, demonstrated ability to answer wide-ranging research questions using data-driven methods. The position will report to Assistant General Manager, Research and Development.

Note: Applicants for full-season associate and summer associate (May-August) will be considered.

Responsibilities:

• Perform advanced statistical analysis on large datasets in order to assist in the decision making of the Baseball Operations department
• Develop and maintain models, software, reports, or any other information system developed during research
• Perform ad-hoc research projects as requested and present results in a concise manner

Required Qualifications:

• Strong foundation in the application of statistical concepts to baseball data, including familiarity with current state of baseball research
• Experience with (or clear ability to learn) SQL and relational databases
• Experience with statistical modeling software (Python preferred)
• Ability to communicate technical findings to individuals with baseball backgrounds
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends as dictated by the Major League season
• Must complete a successful background check

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated statistical research in the sports analytics field
• Experience creating effective data visualizations is a plus
• Web development experience, especially with JavaScript (Node.js, Vue.js), or Python (Flask)
• Ability to and desire to learn other programming languages as needed
• Familiarity with big data techniques
• Exposure to cloud-based technology

The Atlanta National League Baseball Club, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. A diverse workforce representing varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences is key to delivering on our business promise to our fans and the communities we serve. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply.

If you are disabled as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act and require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete your online application, including making a change to the application process, please contact our Human Resources team at PeopleCapital@braves.com

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Amateur Scouting Associate

Location: Atlanta, GA
Status: Part time

If you are driven to deliver exceptional fan experiences that are beyond anything possible elsewhere and interested in working alongside a team of innovators and enthusiastic over-achievers, you will enjoy working with us!

Description:
The Atlanta Braves are seeking a team-oriented and self-motivated individual to assist the front office and amateur scouting department in preparation for the Rule IV draft. This position will be remote and involve administrative tasks, research projects, and video/scouting assignments on a day-to-day basis.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Complete administrative tasks in a timely fashion with a high level of attention to detail.
• Conduct research projects.
• Attend local amateur games as needed in the draft spring.
• Post-draft, travel to and attend summer showcase events to assist staff with scouting coverage, video collection, and charting duties.
   

Required Qualifications:

• Self-motivated and creative individual that is also detail oriented.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with others.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends.
• Must complete a successful background check.
• Ability to relocate temporarily to Atlanta, GA.
• Knowledge of current baseball statistics and analytics used in player evaluation a plus

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with SQL, R & Python and relational databases.
• Exposure to an amateur scouting operation is a plus, but not required.
• Background in photography/video is a plus, but not required.
• Prior amateur or professional playing experience is a plus, but not required.

The Atlanta National League Baseball Club, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. A diverse workforce representing varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences is key to delivering on our business promise to our fans and the communities we serve. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply.

If you are disabled as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act and require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete your online application, including making a change to the application process, please contact our Human Resources team at PeopleCapital@braves.com

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Atlanta Braves.

Biomechanist

Job Category: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time
Location: Nationals Park, WASHINGTON, DC 20003, USA, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, USA

Overview: The Washington Nationals Baseball Club is seeking a highly skilled Biomechanics Analyst to enhance its sports science capabilities. This role is ideal for early to mid-career researchers with a Master’s or undergraduate degree in Biomechanics or Sport Science with a major biomechanics component. The successful candidate will have independent research experience and be responsible for developing and automating data analysis, standardizing capture protocols, and integrating advanced data analytics into our player development processes.

Responsibilities:

Sample tasks and projects may include:

• Develop Data Analysis:
  • Enhance the analysis and automation of the existing kinematics data pipeline.
  • Extend the pipeline to include kinetic data and integrate multiple data sources.
• Daily Data Capture:
  • Capture kinetics data and video at all Nationals organization US locations.
  • Ensure safety, setup, teardown, calibration, and maintenance of equipment.
  • Share actionable data with coaches and players in quick-to-turnaround, easily understood formats that foster continuous feedback and performance improvement.
• Advanced Reporting and Insights:
  • Leverage third-party libraries for enhanced reporting visualization.
  • Deliver new insights from existing data capture via computer vision and human pose estimation.
• Data Mining and Statistical Analysis:
  • Utilize historical data to improve models of player monitoring.
  • Incorporate linear and non-linear statistical analyses to propose new solutions to existing problems.

Requirements:

• Academic:
  • Master’s or undergraduate degree in Biomechanics or Sport Science with a major biomechanics component.
  • Independent research experience, ideally in a professional team environment.
  • NSCA CSCS Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification preferred.
• Performance and Task Management:
  • Hands-on experience and understanding of kinematics and kinetics data capture and analysis.
  • Technical biomechanics knowledge, including but not limited to: signal processing, electromyography, inertial sensors, equations of motion, 3D coordinate systems, modeling and interpretation of motion analysis, anthropometry, scaling, inverse kinematics, and inverse dynamics.
  • Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Python, SQL, and exposure to computer vision and machine learning frameworks.
  • Practical familiarity with motion capture systems, force plates, and other biomechanics equipment.
• Communication and Professionalism:
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with front office, player development colleagues, coaches and players at all levels of the organization.
  • Demonstrable initiative and dependability.
• Quality of Work:
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, high self-motivation, and trustworthiness.
  • 100% follow-through on tasks and willingness to go the extra mile.
• Interaction with Peers:
  • Conversational Spanish is highly preferred.
  • Excellent collaboration skills, with a positive attitude in every interaction.
  • Key interfaces include performance analysts, minor league strength and conditioning (S&C), video and medical personnel, coordinators, front office player development staff, as well as research and development (R&D) developers and analysts.
  • Primary interactions involve data capture and subsequent analysis for coaches and players.

Further Information:

• Reports to the Senior Biomechanist, supported by the Director and Assistant Director of PD Tech & Strategy.
• Based at the Washington Nationals complex in West Palm Beach, FL, with potential travel to Washington Nationals affiliates.
• Full-time role with an expectation to be onsite for extended periods during player camps.
• The position does not have game responsibilities, though short periods of game attendance are encouraged.

Evaluation Process: Stage one of the evaluation will be a biomechanics analysis assessment.

Compensation:
The projected wage rate for this position is $60,000-$65,000 per year. Actual pay is based on several factors, including but not limited to the applicant’s: qualifications, skills, expertise, education/training, certifications, and other organization requirements. Starting salaries for new employees are frequently not at the top of the applicable salary range.

Benefits:

The Nationals offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that presently includes:

• Paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays throughout the year and a holiday break in December
• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) and pension plan
• Access to complimentary tickets to Nationals home games
• Employee discounts
• Free onsite fitness center

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Nationals are dedicated to offering equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Washington Nationals.

Lab Analyst, Foundational Research and Applied Biomechanics

Department: Baseball Research & Development
Reports to: Director, Foundational Research and Applied Biomechanics
Status: Regular Full-Time
Location: Clearwater, Florida

Overview:
At the Phillies, we want our biomechanics lab to be the heart of self-improvement for players and staff alike—a space where every visit feels like a step toward greatness. As our Lab Analyst, you will be responsible for creating an environment that motivates players to put in the work needed to win championships.

Your role is not just to maintain the lab but to transform it—making it a hub for player improvement and cutting-edge biomechanics research. By combining your biomechanics expertise, baseball knowledge, and technical skills, you’ll help develop the tools and deliverables that keep coaches and players excited to use the lab every day.

What You’ll Do:

• Energize the Lab: Cultivate a high-energy environment that makes our lab the go-to space for players and coaches.
• Design and Execute Experiments: Design, collect data, and analyze experiments to solve key player development challenges and advance research.
• Deliver Insights: Provide actionable biomechanics insights and use technical skills to build interactive tools and reports.

Required Qualifications:

• Organizational Skills: Ability to keep the lab organized, efficient, and inviting.
• Soft Skills: Strong interpersonal skills to engage with coaches, players, and staff.
• Experimental Design: Experience designing and running experiments, conducting baseline analyses, and documenting findings.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency with scripting languages such as Python, statistical software (R, S-Plus, SAS, or similar), and databases (SQL).
• Biomechanics Knowledge: Skilled in analyzing biomechanical data and providing actionable insights on movement patterns, aligned with department best practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Front-End Product and Technical Skills: Experience with interactive tools (e.g., Dash, Streamlit, Shiny), report generation (e.g., pypdf2), and data visualization (e.g., plotly).
• Predictive Modeling: Skilled in model selection, feature engineering, validation, and performance evaluation for generating actionable insights.
• Educational Background: Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Sports Science, Data Science, or a related field.

What We Offer:

• Competitive Salary & Benefits: A benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement plans (Non-Uniformed Personnel Pension Plan and 401k), and paid time off.
• Access To The Cutting Edge: Exposure to advanced tools and proprietary data.
• Dynamic Team Environment: Work with a team committed to excellence.
• Personal Growth: Learn from colleagues within a supportive and driven environment.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

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