After the World Series ended and the Nationals emerged victorious, I wrote about how the Astros had put together one of the greatest regular seasons of all time and joined the (perhaps ignominious) list of great teams without a title. In doing so, I created the below graph, which shows team winning percentage and WAR, highlighting some of the greatest teams of all time:

At the time, I didn’t mention the teams at the very bottom-left of the graph. If the teams at the top-right are the greatest, then the teams in the bottom-left are the worst. In trying to find a single number to determine just how good or bad a team was, I created an IQ-like score for both winning percentage and team WAR, where 100 is average and every standard deviation away from the mean was worth 15 points. Then I took the average of the two scores for one final number. For reference, this year’s Astros team ended up at 136.5; more than 90% of all teams from 1903 through this season were between 75 and 125. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is part of a series concerning the 2020 Modern Baseball Era Committee ballot, covering executives and long-retired players whose candidacies will be voted upon at the Winter Meetings in San Diego on December 8. It is adapted from a longer version included in The Cooperstown Casebook, published in 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books. For an introduction to JAWS, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Lou Whitaker made baseball look easy. No less a writer than Roger Angell marveled over his “ball-bearing smoothness afield and remarkable hand-speed at bat.” But to some, the ease with which the game came to the Tigers’ longtime second baseman suggested that he lacked effort, hard work, or passion for the game, and it didn’t help that Whitaker wasn’t one for self-promotion. He let his performance do the talking, and for the better part of his 19 seasons in the majors, that performance spoke volumes. A top-of-the-lineup spark plug and an outstanding defender, he paired with Alan Trammell to form the longest-running double-play combination in history. He earned All-Star honors five times and won three Gold Gloves along the way, solid totals that nonetheless undersell his contributions.

Whitaker retired one year before Trammell did, and thus reached the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot a year earlier. Shockingly, a player hailed as a potential Hall of Famer during his career received just 2.9% in 2001, which ruled him out from further consideration by the writers and prevented his inclusion on Veterans Committee or Expansion Era Committee ballots during the remaining 14 years that he could have been on the writers’ ballot. Trammell wasn’t elected by the BBWAA either, but after spending 15 years on the ballot, he and longtime Tigers teammate Jack Morris were tabbed by the Modern Baseball Era Committee in 2018, the first living ex-players elected to the Hall by any small-committee process since 2001. Their eligibility raised Whitaker’s profile, and this year, for the first time, he’s on a committee ballot as well. That doesn’t guarantee his election, but based upon the weight of his accomplishments, the honor is long overdue.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the second of a six-part series — you can see the AL East here — I’ll be highlighting each team’s most notable free agents and how it could fill the resulting void on the roster. A player’s rank on our recently released Top 50 Free Agents list, along with Kiley McDaniel’s contract estimates from that exercise, are listed where relevant. In some cases, the team already has a capable replacement ready to step in. In others, it’s clear the team will either attempt to re-sign their player or look to the trade or free agent markets for help. The remaining cases are somewhere in between, with in-house candidates who might be the answer, but aren’t such obvious everyday players to keep the team from shopping around for better options.

Here’s a look at the American League Central.

Chicago White Sox | Depth Chart | Payroll

Jose Abreu, 1B/DH
FanGraphs Top 50 Free Agent Ranking: 44
Kiley McDaniel’s contract projection: 1 year, $11M

Andrew Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft and the White Sox’s first baseman of the future, isn’t likely to need much time down on the farm. But it’s rare that any prospect, even one as advanced at the plate as the 21-year-old Vaughn, doesn’t spend at least one full season in the minors. Therefore, the White Sox will require a stopgap at first base in 2020 and have already taken a necessary step to keeping Abreu around for at least one more season.

The 32-year-old was tendered a qualifying offer, which will hurt his value if he wants to test the free agent waters. He could just settle for the one-year, $17.8 million contract or work out a long-term deal that would ensure he’s around to mentor the next wave of prospects, which could include Vaughn, second baseman Nick Madrigal, and outfielders Luis Robert and Luis Alexander Basabe, all who could arrive during the next two seasons. Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Player Development Coach

Job Description:

The Detroit Tigers are currently seeking Player Development Coaches for minor league affiliate coaching staffs. This role will work collaboratively with the Manager, Hitting Coach and Pitching Coach. As a member of the Tigers Player Development staff, this coach will collaborate with Baseball Analytics, Performance Science and Video Operations to support the goal of improving on-field player performance. This coach will be responsible for the support of technologies and data collection, the review and distribution of advance reports and general coaching support. A successful candidate will have strong on-field baseball experience, a technical aptitude and an educational mindset.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist the coaching staff with the integration of information provided by Baseball Analytics, Performance Science, Athletic Training, Strength and Conditioning and Video Operations.
• Provide guidance, oversight and support for the technologies used by coaching staff and players.
• Continually educate and support players and staff members on organizational analytics, technologies and philosophies.
• Provide regular feedback to appropriate staff members on the implementation and usage of technologies and data to ensure effectiveness and quality.
• Assist with the development of daily plans to support overall Player Development goals for each player.
• Throw batting practice and participate in on-field training sessions on an as-needed basis.

Minimum Knowledge, Skilles, and Abilities:

• Excellent organization and time-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong aptitude for information technology.
• Experience or strong interest in using baseball data to support coaching or skill development.
• Prior playing experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of advanced baseball statistics preferred.
• Experience with any of the following technologies strongly preferred:
• Rapsodo
• TrackMan
• Blast Motion/Diamond Kinetics
• K-Motion/4D Motion
• Edgertronic
• Force Plates
• Experience with programming or scripting languages (e.g., Python, R, SQL) a plus.
• Fluency in Spanish a plus.

Working Conditions:

• Located at the Tigers minor league affiliates (Toledo, OH; Erie, PA; Lakeland, FL; Comstock Park, MI; Norwich, CT).
• Requires travel on road trips.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday hours required.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Detroit Tigers.

Bryan Reynolds was a pleasant surprise in a Pittsburgh Pirates season that was anything but. While the frustratingly-frugal team he plays for plodded to a last-place finish in the NL Central, the 24-year-old outfielder put up a .314/.377/.503 slash line. Displaying better-than-expected pop, he stroked 37 doubles and went deep 16 times.

Clint Hurdle wasn’t expecting that kind of production from the switch-hitting rookie when the Pirates broke camp in Bradenton. The since-ousted manager admitted as much when I asked him about Reynolds in the waning days of the season.

“I don’t think I had on the radar that Bryan Reynolds would be hitting .314 on September 25th,” Hurdle said. “From what I’d heard from our scouts, and what I’d seen in the spring, I thought we had a good young player… and it would be interesting to see how he developed. [But] I didn’t have any expectations.”

Nor did a lot of people, although he didn’t exactly came out of nowhere. Reynolds was a second-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2016, and he came to Pittsburgh from San Francisco as part of the Andrew McCutchen trade. He ranked ninth on our Pirates Top Prospects list coming into this season, with the following commenting his bio standing out: “We keep waiting for Reynolds’ BABIP to regress (it hasn’t).”

Those same words could be written today. His impeccable bat-to-ball skills were no less impressive at the highest level, as Reynolds logged a .387 BABiP in 546 plate appearances against big-league pitching. The approach he brought with him from college played a big role in his success. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains multiple positions.

Position: Performance Science Associate (Seasonal)

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: Detroit, Michigan

Job Description:
The baseball performance associate will assist with the delivery of performance science solutions within Baseball Operations. This role will work closely Baseball Analytics, Player Development, Strength and Conditioning, and Coaching staffs in order to optimize performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist with implementation and maintenance of existing performance science initiatives across the organization, including data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Assist with the design, development, testing and support of new performance science initiatives.
• Work closely with the Director, Performance Science to develop and disseminate information from performance science initiatives.
• Effectively collaborate and communicate with player development, coaching, sports medicine, strength and conditioning and front office staff.
• Assist with data management, organization and integration into the organization’s athlete management system.
• Review research and technology updates relevant to baseball performance.
• Perform exploratory performance science research projects and analysis as directed.
• Assist with the maintenance, calibration and upkeep of performance science related equipment.
• Other duties as directed by Director, Performance Science

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in exercise science, exercise physiology, sports science, kinesiology, biomechanics or similar field.
• Experience with the following technologies preferred: Force plates, accelerometers, motion capture, high speed video, GPS tracking.
• Experience using an athlete management system.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent computer skills. Coding or data visualization skills a plus.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent communication skills. Candidate must be able to convey complex sports science findings to relevant staffs.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent attention to detail.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent organizational skills.
• Previous experience working with professional athletes and coaches preferred.
• The ideal candidate must be willing to work longs hours, including days, nights, weekends and holidays.
• The candidate must be available full-time.
• Willing and able to relocate to the Lakeland, FL area or Detroit metro area.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here.

Software Developer Associate (Seasonal)

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: Detroit, Michigan

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform general development and maintenance tasks for the upkeep of internally developed software products.
• Use modern software techniques and best practices in all parts of the software life cycle.
• Troubleshoot issues with existing Baseball Operations systems.
• Assist with development of new tools for improving data collection and processing.
• Complete ad-hoc database queries and analysis as directed.
• Provide support for important events such as the Rule 4 Draft, the trade deadline, contract negotiations and salary arbitration.
• Support Baseball Operations, Scouting and Player Development with ad hoc requests.
• Other duties as assigned by members of the Baseball Operations Department.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• The ideal candidate must be at least a college senior or recent graduate (within 6 months).
• Educational background in Computer Science or similar technical field of study.
• Familiarity with C# and/or Java in a web application context. Knowledge of Angular or similar front-end frameworks is a plus.
• Familiarity with SQL, database design principles, and relational data concepts.
• Experience with software development including requirements gathering, development, and testing is a plus.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent organizational skills.
• Highly motivated with excellent attention to detail.
• The ideal candidate must be available full-time.
• The ideal candidate must be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the baseball calendar.
• Willing and able to relocate to the Detroit metro area.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here.

Position: Baseball Analytics Associate (Seasonal)

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: Detroit, Michigan

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist with importing, cleaning, and preparing of baseball datasets.
• Assist with the design, development, testing and support of proprietary data collection and decision-support systems.
• Design ad hoc SQL queries.
• Assist with statistical modeling of baseball data.
• Execute exploratory research and analysis as directed.
• Review public research on a regular basis.
• Provide support for important events such as the Rule 4 Draft, the trade deadline, contract negotiations and salary arbitration.
• Support Baseball Operations, Scouting and Player Development with ad hoc requests.
• Other duties as assigned by members of the Baseball Operations Department.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• The ideal candidate must be at least a college senior or recent graduate (within 6 months).
• Demonstrated familiarity with SQL querying and database design principles.
• Demonstrated knowledge of baseball-specific data, modern statistical techniques and sabermetric analysis.
• Familiarity with R/Python and/or other software applications/languages used for statistical calculations and graphical representations.
• Experience with software development, including requirements definition, design, development, testing, and implementation, a plus.
• Experience with ETL processes that integrate multiple data sources, a plus.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent organizational skills.
• Highly motivated with excellent attention to detail.
• The ideal candidate must be available full-time.
• The ideal candidate must be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the baseball calendar.
• Willing and able to relocate to the Detroit metro area.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Detroit Tigers.

Position: Baseball Operations Analyst

Location: Detroit, MI

Job Description:
The Detroit Tigers are currently seeking a full-time Analyst in the Baseball Operations Department. This role will be responsible for managing analytics and research within Baseball Operations. This position will report to the Director, Baseball Analytics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform advanced quantitative analysis to improve Baseball Operations decision-making, including predictive modeling and player projection systems.
• Complete ad hoc data queries and effectively present analysis through the use of written reports and data visualizations.
• Assist with the integration of baseball analysis into the Tigers’ proprietary tools and applications.
• Contribute to baseball decision-making by generating ideas for player acquisition, roster construction and in-game strategies.
• Support the current data warehousing process within Baseball Operations.
• Monitor, identify and recommend new or emerging techniques, technologies, models and algorithms.
• Meet with vendors and make recommendations for investment in new data and technology resources.
• Other projects as directed by Baseball Operations leadership team.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of baseball-specific data, modern statistical techniques, and sabermetric analysis.
• Expertise with SQL and relational databases is required.
• Relevant work experience with statistical software (R, STATA, SPSS, SAS, or similar) and scripting languages such as Python.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate difficult and complex concepts to colleagues possessing a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
• Degree or equivalent experience in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related quantitative field.
• Self-starter.
• Team player.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends and holidays as dictated by the baseball calendar.
• Willing and able to relocate to the Detroit metro area.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Detroit Tigers.

Pitchers learn and develop different pitches, and they do so at varying stages of their lives. It might be a curveball in high school, a cutter in college, or a changeup in A-ball. Sometimes the addition or refinement is a natural progression — graduating from Pitching 101 to advanced course work — and often it’s a matter of necessity. In order to get hitters out as the quality of competition improves, a pitcher needs to optimize his repertoire.

In this installment of the series, we’ll hear from three pitchers — Dylan Cease, Tyler Duffey, and Buck Farmer— on how they learned and developed their curveballs.

——

Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox

“I first learned a curveball when I was 12 or 13 years old. I think a coach probably taught me, but it’s tough to say that far back. I do know that I didn’t throw a whole lot of curveballs back in the day; it was mostly fastballs.

“When I got to pro ball, it took me… I really didn’t know anything about how to throw one. I had to figure out how to throw it like a fastball, how to get it to stay on a fastball plane, how to throw it with arm speed. At first I wanted to baby it. It kind of had a loop in it. I needed to work on things like the shape, and how it came out of my hand.

“It was a regular curveball until last year when I got to Double-A and changed to a knuckle curve. I was talking to Dane Dunning. I liked the shape of his curveball. I said, ‘I feel like mine is a little loopy; how do you do that?’ He showed me his knuckle curve grip, which I’m pretty sure he got from James Shields — indirectly from James Shields — and throwing it like that added a bunch of extra spin and drop. Read the rest of this entry »

Luke Carlin learned a lot in his rookie season, and the lessons began in full force when he made his MLB debut on May 10, 2008. Adorned in the tools of ignorance and a San Diego Padres uniform, Carlin caught both “The Professor” and a closer who entered to the sound of “Hell’s Bells.”

An orientation session with the former preceded his first game. It was then that the Northeastern University graduate discovered that being familiar with Greg Maddux is one thing; understanding how he went about schooling big-league hitters is another.

“When I got called up, Buddy Black was like, ‘Hey, make sure you talk to Greg, because you’re going to catch him on Saturday,’” recalled Carlin. “So I had a day or two to get with Greg, but the funny thing was, everything I’d learned about game-calling and reading swings was basically useless until I started watching video with him. He had a simple, deliberate process. Greg was patient with me, making sure that I was on his page as much as possible.”

Carlin, who now manages in the Cleveland Indians system, used military and football analogies to describe Maddux’s tactical-planning acumen. And going into a game with nuanced knowledge of his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses was only part of his M.O. Read the rest of this entry »

It was never going to be a fun year to be a Detroit Tigers fan. The hundred losses could tell you that, or the fact that the team’s lone All-Star was reliever Shane Greene, who now plays for the Braves. The joy in Tigers fandom was concentrated in the minors this year; in top prospect Casey Mize’s polish, in Matt Manning’s production, in Isaac Paredes showing he was ready for Double-A.

But the major league team wasn’t without its bright spots. Greene performed well enough to net two interesting prospects in a trade, Niko Goodrum scratched out a 2-WAR season, and Matthew Boyd had a first half so nice that the Tigers asked for the world in trade (they didn’t get it). In addition to those major leaguers taking a step forward, there’s one other Tigers performance to get excited about: Spencer Turnbull has quietly been an above-average pitcher in his rookie season.

There were signs that Turnbull could hack it in the major leagues before this year, but nothing decisive. He used his sinker/slider starter kit well in Double-A in 2018, racking up a 25% strikeout rate and 3.16 FIP over 100 innings of work. That sounds excellent, but the hidden downside of performing well in Double-A is that you’re pitching in Double-A rather than the big leagues. Turnbull was 25 then, older than the average age for the league and way past when most top prospects move on.

Still, good pitching is good pitching, and the Tigers were desperate for whatever they could get. After a single dominant outing in Triple-A, where he struck out 7 of the 13 batters he faced, Turnbull was summoned back to the major leagues, where he had had a brief previous cameo as a September call-up. Read the rest of this entry »