FanGraphs Live: OOTP Time Machine, Tuesday, January 12

Ben Clemens is prepared to change history.

Using the magic Out of the Park Baseball 21, Ben has gone back in time to alter the destiny of the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting with giving them Mike Trout in the 2009 draft.

It is now 2013. Pittsburgh’s 21-year-old Trout is the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, playing in left field next to Andrew McCutchen, who is in his contract year. James McDonald is the staff ace. Charlie Blackmon was acquired to play right. And after finishing their 20th straight losing season, the Pirates have another young star ready to help get them over the top.

“Get ready, NL Central,” said manager and omnipotent time-god Ben Clemens. “We might have lost 95 games last year, but we drafted Kris Bryant, who is skipping the minors to start at third on Opening Day.”

Bring your coffee or lunch and join us on Tuesday, January 12, at 9:30 AM PT/12:30 PM ET on the FanGraphs homepage or on Twitch as Ben attempts to go back to bring a championship to the simulated Bucs.

We hope you can make it!


New York Mets to Acquire Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco

The quiet that had descended over baseball since San Diego’s flurry of trades was shattered by the Mets on Thursday as the team landed Francisco Lindor, the most-coveted player likely available this winter, in a trade with Cleveland. And since most good ideas become even better with a bit of fit and finish, the team also secured the services of Carlos Carrasco, adding crucial depth to the rotation. In return, the Mets are sending Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene to play at the Jake.

At this point, it would have been more surprising if the Cleveland didn’t trade Lindor before the start of the 2021 season. This move was long expected, but the “where” has been one of baseball’s long-burning questions. Lindor’s 100 wRC+ in the abbreviated 2020 and his 114 wRC+ from 2019 were both well below the 130 he spiked in 2018, but at this point, we’re simply quibbling on degrees of superstardom. The Mets were serious second-tier contenders in the National League – San Diego and Los Angeles are in their own class — and even if you like Rosario and Giménez, you can’t pass up the opportunity to acquire a top-five shortstop in Lindor (he’s third in our Depth Charts, first in ZiPS). Read the rest of this entry »


Job Postings: Blue Jays Baseball Research Analyst & Systems Engineer

Please note, this posting contains two positions.

Position: Baseball Systems Engineer- Toronto Blue Jays

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Primary Focus: To create tools and systems that support decision making in all areas of Baseball Operations.

Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Maintain and support the current end to end data warehousing process within Baseball Operations, starting with structured and unstructured data, conceiving and designing appropriate data structures, performing ETL processes to house the data in the data structures and exposing the data structures to end users.
  • Design and manage the integration process of new data sources into existing database structures and frameworks.
  • Develop and maintain data quality assurance processes to ensure database integrity in the future.
  • Understand and document current database structures, historical design decisions, format, definitions, limitations and content of currently used external and internal data feeds, and establish future requirements.
  • Complete ad-hoc database queries and analysis as dictated by circumstances.
  • Oversee the evaluation, selection, implementation and support of new database systems.
  • Develop and maintain conceptual, logical and physical data models.
  • Work with other developers to help support internal web applications.
  • Collaborate with members of the Baseball Operations developers to develop best practices for storing and displaying baseball data.
  • Recommend new data sources for purchase and/or new techniques to gather data.

Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Texas Rangers Database Engineer I, Baseball Systems

Position: Database Engineer I, Baseball Systems

Job Description:
The database engineer will be responsible for maintaining and expanding the Rangers’ baseball operations data warehouse and data pipelines. The role is responsible for importing and integrating data from external providers, and interacting with the R&D department to implement models and build reports.

Responsibilities:

  • Database design
  • Export, Transform and Load multiple data feeds (ETL)
  • Assist in creating and monitoring data quality initiatives, resolving issues, and communicating to stakeholders
  • Writing and updating SSRS reports
  • Collaboration with application/web developer on app development
  • Basic support for end users of reports and applications
  • Update and maintain documentation for database and applications

Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: San Francisco Giants Baseball Operations Analyst

Position: Baseball Operations 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 an Analyst to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of the R&D team with the primary focus to provide dedicated research and analysis to support the Player Development staff. They will also interact with the Major League staff and Front Office to implement organizational initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

  • Provide statistical analysis and quantitative research to support the Player Development staff
  • Implement initiatives from the Front Office & Major League staff
  • Communicate analysis to Baseball Operations staff effectively
  • Execute advance preparation, after action reporting, and player development initiatives
  • Research, design, and test predictive and statistical models using data and technology to support all aspects of Baseball Operations
  • Collaborate with engineering team to design and integrate tools into existing baseball information system
  • Work with emerging baseball technology and data sets
  • Maintain understanding of new public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, as well as all potential vendor data/technology options

Read the rest of this entry »


FanGraphs Merchandise Still Available!

We still have some merchandise in stock. All orders are shipping immediately, so get yours today!

There’s the FanGraphs Arcade T-shirt, to commemorate Sean Dolinar’s actual home made NES game.

Additionally, we still some of the standard FanGraphs T-shirts, in a new dark grey color, and the FanGraphs hoodie available for purchase.


Job Posting: Sports Info Solutions Baseball Video Scout

Position: Baseball Video Scout

Location: This position requires you to work out of SIS’ office in Coplay, PA and cannot be done remotely.

Position Overview
SIS is looking for highly motivated individuals with a desire to work in the baseball industry. Video Scouts will have a chance to make an immediate impression on the company. Each Video Scout will be collecting data that is directly used by SIS clients (including major league teams) for advance scouting and evaluation purposes. Not only will the Video Scouts become more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of hundreds of amateur and professional players, but they will also learn the ins and outs of the baseball statistics industry.

Former Video Scouts have risen through MLB front offices after getting their start reviewing two to three games per day at SIS. MLB teams frequently contact SIS for recommendations when they need to fill a position within their organization, and top video scouts each year routinely land team internships and/or full-time jobs. Three former video scouts recently won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

SIS takes pride in making their internships great development opportunities for those looking to get their start in baseball. In addition to gaining invaluable experience reviewing thousands of players across different levels, they offer introductory classes that cover creating scouting reports and using the database management language, SQL. they also provide insight and advice from previous SIS Video Scouts who have branched out into a variety of areas in the sports industry.

Responsibilities

  • Score and pitch chart MLB, MiLB and amateur games using specialized computer software.
  • Check the accuracy and validity of data.
  • Prepare and analyze statistical data for delivery to customers.
  • Assist with the production of the 2022 Bill James Handbook.
  • Provide administrative support to the full-time staff.

Time Frame
SIS offers two unique start dates for this position:

  • The first begins February 1st, 2021. It will last for a period of four to five months into early June, with the possibility of extending further based on company workload and the Video Scout’s performance.
  • The second begins on March 1st, 2021. This will last five to six months into early September, again with a possibility of extending longer.

Compensation

  • A starting rate of $9 per hour and college course credit will be offered for those interested.
  • Each Video Scout will also be eligible for regular raises based on performance.
  • There will also be opportunities to sign up to work overtime to earn extra income (opportunities will depend on work levels throughout the year).
  • 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.

To apply for this position, please click on the link provided:
https://www.ondemandassessment.com/link/index/JB-EKCGXO1II?u=147316

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


Job Posting: Hawk-Eye Baseball Systems Operator

Position: 2021 Baseball Season Systems Operator

Location: Based in Atlanta, GA, with travel throughout the US
Contract: 9 Month Fixed Term
Start Date: January 2021

About Hawk-Eye
Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony company, develops, markets, and delivers the most sophisticated officiating tools in sport. They are a fundamental part of officiating and broadcasting in over 20 international sports across their Ball Tracking, SMART (Synchronised Multi-Angle Replay Technology) and SMART Production products. Every year they cover over 30,000 events and games across 500+ stadiums in over 90 countries.

They now deliver services to 18 out of the top 20 most valuable sports leagues in the world. Their opportunities are endless, as they push the boundaries of technology in all areas of sport.

About the opportunity
They are recruiting to fill the 2021 Baseball Season Systems Operator role within their expanding team in the US. This nine month opportunity is based at their regional headquarters in Atlanta and will include on-site work at sports stadia around the US.

With new contracts to provide services to the MLB (as well as MLS, NASCAR, USTA, NHL and NFL), the role will encompass installation and operation of the technology at a variety of games and events.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of sports technology in top-flight sports leagues as part of a young and dynamic team. Hawk-Eye will equip you with the technical training, support and full exposure to their systems to perform your day to day tasks but also to encourage development and progression to help make an impact on what they do. Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Cleveland Indians Baseball Research & Development Positons

Please note this posting contains two positions.

Position Title: Analyst

Department: Baseball Research & Development
Employment Type: Full-Time

Primary Purpose
The Cleveland Indians are seeking an analyst to join the team’s Baseball Research and Development group. The position will use the team’s proprietary data to build tools and resources that help the team across all facets of baseball operations. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation in statistics and/or data science, the ability to effectively communicate findings to colleagues in non-technical roles, and a passion for learning more about baseball. Strong applicants will demonstrate curiosity, creativity, and a drive to learn new concepts. The Indians are open to a remote role for the right candidate, but relocation to Cleveland, OH is preferred.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

  • Analyze and interpret baseball data.
  • Research, build, test, and deploy statistical and/or machine learning models to support Baseball Operations.
  • Visualize data in concise, readable formats for non-technical staff members.
  • Communicate research findings to key stakeholders across the organization.

Read the rest of this entry »


FanGraphs Arcade T-Shirts Now Available!

To commemorate the FanGraphs Arcade game, an actual home made NES game, we’ve printed up a limited number of t-shirts. These are on sale now and will ship starting December 2nd. Get them while you can!

Additionally, we have the standard FanGraphs T-shirt, in a new dark grey color and the FanGraphs hoodie available for purchase. These will also ship starting December 2nd.