Tyler Holton got a 10th-place vote in American League MVP balloting, and as you might expect, social media reacted like social media is wont to do. Responses to the news leaned negative, with a number of people saying that they had have never even heard of him. Some were disrespectfully profane, offering variations of “Who the [expletive] is Tyler Holton?”

Needless to say, not everyone who posts on social media platforms is an especially-knowledgeable baseball fan. Which is perfectly fine. There are many different levels of fandom, so if you mostly just know the big names — the Judges, the Sotos, the Witts — all well and good. Follow the game as you see fit.

Those things said, it is high time that more people become familiar with Holton. Much for that reason, Toronto Star columnist Mike Wilner doesn’t deserve the brickbats he’s received for his down-ballot nod to the 28-year-old Detroit Tigers southpaw. What he deserves is applause. And not just because he was willing to go outside the box. Holton has quietly been one of MLB’s most effective pitchers.

The numbers tell part of the story. 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. Originally written for the 2016 election at SI.com, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

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

Thanks to outstanding lower-body strength, coordination, and extraordinary range of motion, the 5-foot-10 Wagner was able to reach 100 mph with consistency — 159 times in 2003, according to The Bill James Handbook. Using a hard slider learned from teammate Brad Lidge, he kept blowing the ball by hitters into his late 30s to such an extent that he owns the record for the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher with at least 900 innings. He was still dominant when he walked away from the game following the 2010 season, fresh off posting a career-best ERA. Read the rest of this entry »

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 Philadelphia Phillies.

Batters

The quick exit in the postseason at the hands of the New York Mets was a disappointing finale for the 2024 Phillies, but the season as a whole still has to be considered a successful one. Cristopher Sánchez convincingly evaporated any questions about whether his late-2023 performance was a fluke, Bryce Harper stayed healthy and proved to be a more-than-competent defender at first, and the bullpen stayed strong despite a few veteran losses from the year before. But that’s not to say there wasn’t some good fortune involved. I don’t mean that to diminish the Phillies; most great teams have more things go their way than not. The preseason NL East favorite, the Atlanta Braves, saw some of their best players lose most or all of the season with serious injuries, and along those lines, the Phillies didn’t have their depth tested to the same degree. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of a series concerning the 2025 Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot, covering long-retired players, managers, executives, and umpires whose candidacies will be voted upon on December 8. It is adapted from a chapter in The Cooperstown Casebook, published in 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books. For an introduction to the ballot, see here, and for an introduction to JAWS, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

“Dick Allen forced Philadelphia baseball and its fans to come to terms with the racism that existed in this city in the ’60s and ’70s. He may not have done it with the self-discipline or tact of Jackie Robinson, but he exemplified the emerging independence of major league baseball players as well as growing black consciousness.”⁠ — William Kashatus, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 2, 1996

At first glance, Dick Allen might be viewed as the Gary Sheffield or Albert Belle of his day, a heavy hitter seemingly engaged in a constant battle with the world around him, generating controversy at every stop of his 15-year career. It’s unfair and reductive to lump Allen in with those two players, however, for they all faced different obstacles and bore different scars from the wounds they suffered early in their careers.

In Allen’s case, those wounds predated his 1963 arrival in the majors with a team that was far behind the integration curve, and a city that was in no better shape. In Philadelphia and beyond, he was a polarizing presence, covered by a media contingent so unable or unwilling to relate to him that writers often refused to call him by the name of his choosing: Dick Allen, not Richie. Read the rest of this entry »

It was the perfect exemplar of a Friday news dump, a quiet transaction between frequent trading partners. The Phillies and Angels swap players so often it’s sometimes hard to remember whether Brandon Marsh got traded for Logan O’Hoppe or George Klassen or Ron Gant. And while the Angels also made a splashy swap with the Braves the day before to acquire Jorge Soler, Philadelphia slipped another move in while nobody was looking: minor league infielder Scott Kingery to Los Angeles for cash considerations.

With all the fanfare of your buddy paying you back for buying Taco Bell on the way home the other night, an era is over.

Kingery could be a useful player for the Angels. He hit .268/.316/.488 in Triple-A last season, with 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases, playing mostly at shortstop with appearances at second, third, and in center field. The Phillies are pretty well set on the infield, but Kingery hasn’t appeared in the majors since June 8, 2022, when he went out to second base for a single defensive inning in a 10-0 blowout in Milwaukee. He hasn’t taken a major league at-bat since May 16, 2021, which is the last time he had anything like a regular roster role. Read the rest of this entry »

Direct Links (Please see full job postings below):

AAA Strategy Associate
Associate Hitting Development Analyst
Associate Pitching Development Analyst
Baseball Video & Technology Associate (Multiple Locations Available)
Major League Strategy Intern (2025)
Major League Video & Technology Associate

AAA Strategy Associate

Department: Baseball Development
Report: Manager, Major League Hitting Strategy
Status: Temporary Seasonal
Dates: 2/1/2025 – 10/31/2025
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Job Description
The AAA Strategy Associate will support the daily production of material that enhances the strategy and preparedness of AAA coaches and players. This position will work closely with ML Strategy to promote continuity, while integrating critical thought, organizational research and resources to provide the highest quality information.

Responsibilities

• Production of advance reports and other materials covering all aspects of opposing players and in-game strategy
• Internal player analysis support, with a focus on individual development goals
• In-game dugout and/or bullpen support as requested by AAA coaches
• Participation in group discussions to innovate and optimize internal processes
• Ad hoc projects to support AAA coaches and Baseball Development
• Assistance with carrying out player training and preparation routines
• Assistance with daily data and video review sessions

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Strong foundational knowledge in modern baseball analysis and evaluation
• Experience working in professional and/or collegiate baseball
• Strong oral, written and visual communication and presentation skills
• Able to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office and support staff
• Able to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluent or conversational Spanish
• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python
• Experience working with sports technology, video and/or data collection
• Playing background and ability to support on-field work (batting practice, hitting fungos, infield routines, etc.) is preferred
• Experience building models and/or making rigorous predictions about on-field outcomes
• Experience interacting with statistical forecasts and providing information additive to existing processes

You will be required to answer the following question along with the submission of your application:
Which active pitcher has the best pitch in baseball (e.g. Pedro Martinez’s changeup) and why? Please limit your response to 300 words.

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate Hitting Development Analyst

Department: Baseball Development
Reports to: Hitting Development Analyst
Status: Temporary Seasonal
Dates: 1/15/2025 – 10/31/2025
Location: Clearwater, FL

Job Description
The primary purpose of this position is to support the Hitting Department’s development, implementation, and tracking of individual player development plans. The position should promote cross-departmental integration and facilitate consistent communication between coordinators, coaches and players.

Responsibilities

• Player plan tracking and management using internal resources
• Ad hoc performance analysis and report development
• Player-facing meeting support via creation and presentation of supplemental materials
• Dissemination of daily postgame reports and curated leaderboards to coaches, players, and front office staff
• Game planning process support across levels

Required Qualifications

• Experience working in professional and/or collegiate baseball
• Strong oral, written and visual communication and presentation skills
• Strong foundational knowledge in modern baseball analysis, evaluation and progressive training methodology
• Able to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office and support staff
• Able to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python is strongly preferred
• Fluent or conversational in Spanish
• Statistical modeling experience
• Playing background and ability to support on-field work (batting practice, hitting fungos, infield routines, etc.)

In addition to your resume, you will be required to submit a response to the following question with your application:
What are the pillars of your hitter evaluation framework? Explain why these are important to your evaluation process. (400 words or less)

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate Pitching Development Analyst

Department: Baseball Development
Reports to: Lead Pitching Development Analyst
Status: Temporary Seasonal
Dates: 1/15/2025 – 10/31/2025
Location: Clearwater, FL

Job Description
The primary purpose of this position is to support the Pitching Department’s development, implementation, and tracking of individual player development plans. The position should promote cross-departmental integration and facilitate consistent communication between coordinators, coaches, and players.

Responsibilities

• Player plan tracking and management using internal resources
• Ad hoc performance analysis and report development
• Player-facing meeting support via creation and presentation of supplemental materials
• Dissemination of daily postgame reports and curated leaderboards to coaches, players, and front office staff
• Game planning process support across levels

Required Qualifications

• Experience working in professional and/or collegiate baseball
• Strong oral, written and visual communication and presentation skills
• Strong foundational knowledge in modern baseball analysis, evaluation, progressive training methodology and pitch design
• Able to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office and support staff
• Able to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python is strongly preferred
• Fluent or conversational in Spanish
• Statistical modeling experience
• Playing background and ability to support on-field work (batting practice, hitting fungos, infield routines, etc.)

In addition to your resume, you will be required to submit a response to the following question with your application:
What are the pillars of your pitching evaluation framework? Explain why these are important to your evaluation process. (400 words or less)

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Baseball Video & Technology Associate (Multiple Locations Available)

Reports to: Coordinator, 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 Video & Technology 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
• 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
• Efficiently set up and run various sports technology equipment, including but not limited to: bat sensors, motion capture tools, and ball flight tracking technology
• Operate, troubleshoot, and support IP and high speed video cameras, computer networks, and network hard drives
• Assist with daily data and video review sessions with Phillies coaches and players
• Provide regular status reports to Minor League Video & Technology Coordinators and other Player Development staff in Philadelphia and Clearwater
• Assist with various Baseball Development, Player Development and Amateur Scouting initiatives as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or currently enrolled college student
• Must be able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office personnel and medical/training staff, and be a good team player
• Must be detail oriented, organized and a strong communicator
• Must be active, quick-thinking, and a good technology troubleshooter
• Must have the ability to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Must be able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays
• Previous experience working with BATS video system and/or sports technology is preferred
• Previous experience working in professional or college baseball is preferred
• On-field skills such as throwing BP is a plus
• Must be based in or willing to relocate for the duration of the 2024 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 be considered, all candidates must submit a response for the prompt below:
Please list the different types of baseball technology you have experience working with. Only a list format is requested and if you wish to elaborate on any of this experience in more detail please include it below your baseball technologies list.

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to, serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Major League Strategy Intern (2025)

Department: Baseball Development
Reports to: Manager, Major League Hitting Strategy
Status: Temporary Seasonal
Dates: 1/15/2025 – 10/31/2025
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Job Description
The Major League Strategy Intern will support the daily production of material that enhances the strategy and preparedness of Major League coaches and players. The Major League Strategy Intern will integrate critical thought, organizational research and resources to provide the highest quality information.

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 in which this role might be able to make an impact include:

• Production of advance reports and other material covering all aspects of opposing players and in-game strategy
• Research and analysis to guide player development at the Major League and Minor League levels 
• Participation in group discussions to innovate and optimize internal processes
• Ad hoc projects to support Major League coaches and Baseball Development
• Assistance with carrying out player training and preparation routines 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Strong foundational knowledge in modern baseball analysis and evaluation
• Experience working in professional and/or collegiate baseball
• Strong oral, written and visual communication and presentation skills
• Able to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office and support staff
• Able to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluent or conversational Spanish
• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python
• Experience working with sports technology, video and/or data collection
• Playing background and ability to support on-field work (batting practice, hitting fungos, infield routines, etc.) is preferred
• Experience building models and/or making rigorous predictions about on-field outcomes
• Experience interacting with statistical forecasts and providing information additive to existing processes

You will be required to answer the following question along with the submission of your application:
Who do you project to be the most valuable defender in MLB in 2025 and why? Please limit your response to 300 words.

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Major League Video & Technology Associate

Department: Baseball Development
Reports to: Manager, Major League Video & Technology
Status: Temporary Seasonal
Dates: 2/1/2025 – 10/31/2025
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Job Description
The Major League Video and Technology Associate will work closely with the Manager, Major League Video & Technology and the Manager, Major League Hitting Strategy. Primary objectives are to support the Video & Technology and Major League Strategy departments with daily responsibilities. The position is based in Philadelphia.

Responsibilities

• Film, capture and process video and data for bullpens
• Compile pre-series advance scouting playlists
• Process video requests from Major League players, coaches and support staff
• Monitor Major League video pre-series and in-game to identify tendencies
• Monitor relevant internal Minor League video to identify tendencies
• Assist with ad hoc projects to support Major League Strategy at the direction of Manager, Major League Hitting Strategy

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience working with BATS video system, Edgertronic cameras, Trackman Mobile and other sports technology
• Experience working in professional and/or collegiate baseball
• Proficiency in video editing software
• Able to work with and protect highly confidential information
• Able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office and support staff
• Able to multitask and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays
• Proficiency in SQL, R, and/or Python is preferred
• Playing background and ability to support on-field work (batting practice, hitting fungos, infield routines, etc.) is preferred
• Fluent or conversational Spanish is preferred

Application Question (All interested applicants must submit a response to the following question):
Please list the different types of baseball technology you have experience working with. Only a list format is requested and if you wish to elaborate on any of this experience in more detail please include it below your baseball technologies list.

The Phillies are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and are committed to growing a workforce diverse in perspective and background. We proudly strive to build a group of employees who represent the fans and communities we currently, and aim to, serve.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

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

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.

This past Saturday, the Arizona Fall League played host to a tripleheader, with start times staggered enough to see at least most of all three contests at the various ballparks in the eastern part of the Phoenix metro area. My notes and thoughts on the standouts from that day, as well as Monday’s solo game in Peoria, are below. You can find the end-of-year reports and grades on the 2024 Fall Leaguers on the Fall League tab of The Board. Read the rest of this entry »

Well that’s not how it was supposed to go. The Phillies came into this season as one of the World Series favorites, having won the pennant in 2022, then reached the NLCS in 2023. They were the best team in the National League for most of the year, and — having won the club’s first NL East title since 2011 — were expected to at least repeat the deep playoff runs of the past two seasons. Ideally, they’d improve on it and go all the way.

Instead, they’re out on the first hurdle, having lost 3-1 in the NLDS to — and this might be the most galling part — a hated division rival who sneaked into the playoffs on the final day, then needed a lightning strike of a rally off Devin Williams to eke out a three-game win in the Wild Card series. But over four games, the Mets were comprehensively the better team. If Nick Castellanos hadn’t had his eyes glaze over white and milky as he accessed a higher plane of consciousness in the last four innings of Game 2, this could well have been a sweep.

A team this talented and well-resourced would be within its rights to shrug and run it back in 2025. Indeed, that’s what the Phillies did a year ago, when they were nine outs from going up 3-0 in the NLCS, then lost consecutive would-be clinchers at home. Now, having spit the bit twice in as many playoff series, the Phillies are going to have to at least consider changing more than their postgame playlist. Read the rest of this entry »

NEW YORK — With his sixth-inning grand slam off Carlos Estévez, Francisco Lindor was the clear hero of Game 4 of the Division Series, providing the New York Mets with all the runs they needed to knock off the Philadelphia Phillies and advance to the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 win. Not to be lost in the spray of champagne — the first postseason clincher at Citi Field since the ballpark opened in 2009, incidentally — is the work of Jose Quintana. For the second time in as many starts this October, the 35-year-old lefty took the ball in a potential clincher and turned in a stellar effort, continuing a remarkable run that began in late August. As in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Brewers, Quintana received a complete lack of run support, but once again the Mets’ bats came to life in the late innings while the bullpen held firm enough for the team to advance.

In five-plus innings, Quintana held the powerful Phillies lineup to just two hits, walking two while striking out six over the course of 90 pitches. The only run he allowed — the only run of the game until Lindor’s slam — was unearned. Including his six shutout innings in the Wild Card Series, and the 36.1 innings he threw over his final six regular season starts, he’s allowed three runs over his last 47.1 innings, good for a microscopic 0.57 ERA.

“It’s been hard for him, he’s been through a lot of ups and downs, and he always found a way to get the job done,” said manager Carlos Mendoza after the game, eyes red from some combination of champagne spray and emotional release. “We felt really good going into this game because of who he is, how much he prepares, how much he cares, and he went out there and did it and gave us a chance. [I’m] proud of him because he never gave up, never put his head down, kept working, and he’s been amazing for us the whole year.” Read the rest of this entry »