New Stats Are Now Available at FanGraphs!

We’ve added a handful of new stats to the site. These include the following Statcast stats, which can be found in the Statcast section of the player pages:

  • xwOBA: Expected weighted on-base average
  • xBA: Expected batting average
  • xSLG: Expected slugging percentage

You can read all about the Statcast “x stats” in the MLB glossary: xwOBA, xBA, xSLG.

These all take exit velocity, launch angle, and sprint speed on “topped” or “weakly hit” balls to model what a player’s corresponding wOBA, AVG, or SLG would look like based on the underlying characteristics of the balls in play. Read the rest of this entry »


FanGraphs Mugs Are Available for Pre-Order Again!

The New FanGraphs Mug is once again available for pre-order after we sold out of our initial run. These mugs will start shipping on April 2nd.

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Updates to ZiPS Three-Year and ZiPS Depth Chart Projections!

There have been a few updates in our ZiPS projections section.

First, we have updated the ZiPS projections for the roughly 300 players in the minor leagues who are in different organizations now than they were when the first run of ZiPS projections went live about six weeks ago. Free agents are still projected as if they were on their most recent team.

Second, the ZiPS three-year projections are now live for everyone in baseball. As usual, these are playing-time agnostic projections; I’m far more interested in a complex set of algorithms estimating a player’s performance than I am in team usage. A projection for a career minor-leaguer of .000/.000/.000 conveys little useful information. I find knowing how a player may perform for a team to have greater utility than a model predicting who front offices and managers will like. ZiPS assumes offensive levels similar to those of the last four years with the most recent years weighted more heavily, and is using the same estimated level of offense for 2022 and 2023 that it does for 2021. It’d be nice to know what effects changes in the ball will have, but as that’s mostly guesswork, ZiPS takes a neutral stance.

The full-season ZiPS comes in two flavors. New this year arethe ZiPS DC projections, which are ZiPS projections already pro-rated for the playing time used in our Depth Charts. Many of you were already manually adjusting ZiPS in this manner, but now it will be done automatically, which should aid in using ZiPS for fantasy purposes.

There are more ZiPS developments in the works. Let us know in the comments what things you’d like to see that I haven’t talked about yet! Our readers frequently have ideas I never thought to do myself and ZiPS has a great deal of flexibility in what it can be manipulated into doing.


Job Posting: Sports Info Solutions R&D Analyst (Computer Vision)

Position: Research & Development Analyst (Computer Vision)

Position Overview:
Sports Info Solutions (SIS) is looking for candidates to fill a full-time position in their R&D Department. The R&D Analyst will work either remotely or out of the SIS office near Allentown, PA, and they will contribute as a member of the SIS R&D team with a focus on Computer Vision-related projects.

Responsibilities:

  • Help drive the development of SIS’s computer vision systems across football, baseball, and basketball.
  • Improve efficiency of internal workflows by leveraging CV.
  • Use CV capabilities to design and develop new products and/or datasets that support the needs of front office and field personnel.
  • Perform modeling and research using SIS’s internal baseball and football databases as well as other notable data sets (Statcast, NextGen, etc).
  • Collaborate with colleagues to help illuminate the value of SIS’s analytical products to prospective clients.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Experience working on computer vision and machine learning projects involving video.
  • Familiarity with contemporary baseball/football/basketball analytics.
  • Previous experience with Python or other relevant programming languages.

To Apply:
Follow this link below to submit your application.

Sponsorship is not available for this position. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Sports Info Solutions uses E-Verify and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SIS is committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by Sports Info Solutions.


Job Posting: TrackMan Baseball Data Operations Intern

Position: Data Operations Intern

Description:
Join TrackMan Baseball’s Data Operations team as a paid intern for the 2021 baseball season. You will have a vital role in a growing, fast-moving, entrepreneurial company that is breaking new ground in sports. In this position, you will primarily be responsible for reviewing and verifying TrackMan data from a significant number of major and minor league baseball, NCAA, and international stadiums during the 2021 baseball season.

The internship starts in early March and finishes at the conclusion of the major league baseball season. Interns are expected to work 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, and weekend availability is required. An hourly rate of $13.00 will be offered.

About TrackMan Inc.
TrackMan, Inc. is a US-based subsidiary of TrackMan A/S and is based in Stamford, CT, about 30 miles north of New York City. TrackMan A/S has developed a range of products for the golf market and is considered the gold standard in measurement of ball flight and swing path. TrackMan’s golf products are used by top touring professionals, teaching pros, broadcasters and governing bodies.

TrackMan, Inc. introduced 3D Doppler radar technology to the baseball industry and the technology is now used by all major league baseball organizations and is a component of MLB’s StatCast system. TrackMan, Inc. is revolutionizing baseball data and has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, FanGraphs, and ESPN.

Requirements:

  • Thorough knowledge of baseball.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to work well with others.

Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: St. Louis Cardinals Assistant Video Coordinator

Position: Assistant Video Coordinator

Location: St. Louis, MO

Summary of Responsibilities:
The St. Louis Cardinals are seeking candidates for an Assistant Video Coordinator position in their Major League Clubhouse. The Assistant Video Coordinator will work with the rest of the video team to create, edit and deliver video playlists and written scouting reports to their Major League players and coaching staff. The role requires a robust knowledge of computer network management, experience troubleshooting PCs/iPads and experience with the BATS software system. The role requires availability outside of traditional work hours including night, weekends and all home games. This position is also non-exempt, overtime eligible. Applicants must be available prior to the start of the 2021 Championship Season.

Essential Functions of the Job:

  • Create video playlist using various from various platforms (handheld, Blackmagic H.264, Edgertronic, etc.) using various editing platforms (Movavi or similar)
  • Write scouting reports combining scouting observations and data of individual players on opposing teams
  • Collaborate on video projects with various members of the Major League Coaching staff
  • Manage computer network used to capture, store, clip and disseminate video
  • Manage MLB’s dugout iPad system
  • Identify and troubleshoot technical issues with iPads and PCs

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Job Posting: New York Mets Baseball Analytics Roles

Please note, this posting contains three positions.

Position: Analyst, Baseball Analytics

Location: Citi Field – Queens, New York

Job Description:

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking an Analyst in Baseball Analytics. The Analyst will build, test, and present statistical models that inform decision-making in all facets of Baseball Operations. This position requires strong background in complex statistics and data analytics, as well as the ability to communicate statistical model details and findings to both a technical and non-technical audience. Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is a plus, but is not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Build statistical models to answer a wide variety of baseball-related questions affecting the operations of the organization using advanced knowledge of statistics and data analytics and exercising appropriate discretion and judgment regarding development of statistical models
  • Interpret data and report conclusions drawn from their analyses
  • Use data analysis to support and improve business decisions
  • Present model outputs in an effective way, both for technical and non-technical audiences
  • Communicate well with both the Director and Manager of Baseball Analytics as well as other Baseball Operations personnel to understand the parameters of any particular research project
  • Provide advice on the desired outputs from the data engineering team, and guidance to the Baseball Systems team on how best to present model results
  • Assist with recruiting, hiring, and mentoring new analysts in the Baseball Analytics department
  • Evaluate potential new data sources and technologies to determine their validity and usefulness
  • Consistently analyze research in analytics that can help improve the modeling work done by the Baseball Analytics department

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Job Posting: San Francisco Giants Performance Science and Baseball Systems Roles

Please note that this posting contains three positions.

Position: Performance Science Analyst

Reports To: Director of Baseball Analytics
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Exempt
Position Type: Full-Time
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking a Performance Science Analyst to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of both the R&D and Biomechanics teams and provide research and analysis to support the Medical, Training, and Player Development staffs. This position will also work closely with colleagues to study and research high performance and both marker and markerless motion capture data. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation with advanced training in performance science disciplines, strong analytical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball. Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Mets Major League Strategy and Player Development Associate Roles

Please note that this posting contains three positions.

Position: Advance Associate, Major League Strategy

Location: Flushing, NY

Job Description:

Summary:
Seeking an individual with a background in data analysis to work with the club’s Baseball Analytics team with a focus on advance scouting. This is an entry-level, seasonal 6-8 month position in which the Associate will analyze baseball data and use their findings to provide insight within the areas of game strategy and preparation. Applicants should be available to start prior to the 2021 season.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Compile advance scouting reports and deliver them to MLB coaching staff and other personnel.
  • Develop and improve automated tools, visualizations, and reports to aid in the distribution of information to players, coaches, and other field staff.
  • Answer ad-hoc research questions pertaining to player performance and game strategy.
  • Conduct research in the field of Baseball Analytics and communicate insights with other members of Baseball Operations.
  • Ability to research, develop, and test predictive models to support baseball decision-making is a plus (i.e., player evaluation, roster construction, player development, in-game strategy).
  • Collect and manage large data sets. This may involve writing scripts for automation as well as manual data entry.
  • Assist coaching staff with administrative tasks including submission of lineups, scheduling, team communications, and more.

Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: New York Mets Baseball Systems Director

Position: Baseball Systems Director

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking a Director, Baseball Systems to lead a team of developers tasked with designing, building, and improving software applications to support all aspects of baseball operations. The Systems Director will work closely with the Director of Baseball Analytics and members of other departments to display the most accurate and up-to-date information in user-friendly ways that are secure and accessible from a variety of platforms. The Systems Director will also coordinate with the data engineering team to implement best practices and communicate the data needs of the department. Prior experience in or knowledge of baseball is not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Recruit, hire, and manage a diverse team of front-end developers
  • Design and oversee the development of all internal software applications within Baseball Operations
  • Implement and enforce best practices for code management and review, balancing the need for thorough testing with the need for timely deployment
  • Work with front office staff, coaches, and scouts to determine the software needs of the entire department, and incorporate and respond to continuous feedback from those same individuals
  • Work with the data engineering team to effectively communicate the data needs of the Baseball Systems team, and ensure consistent practices across those two groups
  • In consultation with the Acting General Manager, the Director of Baseball Analytics, and others, manage workloads and priority orders of all developers and the department as a whole
  • Ensure consistency of UI tools, including content and look-and-feel, across a variety of platforms
  • Remain up-to-date on both software and hardware that could apply to the Baseball Systems department, and explain to the Acting General Manager the pros and cons of any potential purchases
  • Coordinate the technology-based data collection process, which includes overseeing employees tasked with operating data-collection technology with the major league team and affiliates

Qualifications:

  • BS degree or equivalent experience in a computer science or related field
  • A minimum of 4 years of experience in product management, front-end development, or both
  • Previous work experience interfacing with data engineers
  • Previous work experience interfacing with non-technical clients
  • Experience with UI/UX design
  • Proficiency in HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and other common front-end languages and software packages is strongly preferred
  • Previous management experience is preferred
  • Ability to work cooperatively with others, and to take control of large-scale projects with little or no daily oversight

To Apply:
Please follow this link to apply.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the New York Mets.