Last month, we updated our Player Pages. Today we are debuting a new feature on the Season Stats and Game Log Pages.

But before I take you through that new functionality, I wanted to take a minute to express my gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received over the last week. At FanGraphs, we have two developers who build and maintain the site: David Appelman, who started the site in 2005, and me. I have worked primarily on the front-end tools for the past five years. We are constantly trying to improve our site by adding new tools or making our existing ones better, all to fulfill our mission of providing excellent baseball analysis and allowing you to conduct great baseball analysis of your own. All of this takes time and development resources. It can take 2-4 months to complete projects like updating the Player Pages or incorporating the RosterResource Depth Charts into FanGraphs.

We plan to keep working hard to create even more tools during this baseball-less period, so that when the game does return, the best possible site for your baseball research and analysis is there for you. Your membership enables us to do so. Read the rest of this entry »

In the first instance of what could be a wave of players electing to undergo surgeries while MLB remains on an indefinite hiatus and before hospitals begin canceling elective surgeries to focus their resources on COVID-19 patients, Justin Verlander had surgery on his right groin on Tuesday. Per the Astros, the recovery timeline is six weeks, and since there isn’t likely to be any baseball in that time after the Centers for Disease Control recommended limiting gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks, it made sense for the 37-year-old righty to go under the knife now.

It’s been a rocky spring Verlander, who’s coming off a season for which he nabbed that long-elusive second Cy Young after going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 300 strikeouts — reaching that plateau in the same game in which he notched his 3,000th career strikeout — and 6.4 WAR. Recall that he was scratched from his February 27 start due to discomfort in his right groin, though the Astros felt the danger was minimal enough that they allowed him to throw a simulated game that same day. He was roughed up in his Grapefruit League debut on March 3 against the Cardinals, then left his March 8 start against the Mets after two innings, complaining of soreness in his right triceps. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains two positions.

Position: Quantitative Analyst – Entry Level, Baseball Research and Development

Position Summary:
The Colorado Rockies are currently seeking a full-time entry level Quantitative Analyst within the Baseball Research and Development Department. This individual will assist in the development and maintenance of player information and projection systems, statistical analysis projects and on field strategy. This position requires strong statistical development skills, ability to program in a scripting language such as Python and/or R, as well as a demonstrated ability for independent curiosity and a commitment to excellence while working within a team.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Utilize advanced statistical techniques to analyze large datasets for actionable conclusions.
• Design and document development of new analytic applications to assist in player evaluation.
• Utilize existing Baseball Research and Development applications and databases in order to perform quantitative research related to baseball strategy and player evaluation.
• Work with Baseball Research and Development team to design and integrate new statistical ideas into existing analytical systems.
• Build automated solutions to import, clean and update datasets for use in downstream analyses.
• Complete ad-hoc projects to answer specific questions from Front Office and On-Field colleagues.

Candidate Preferences:
Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or completion of immersive technical program in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, and/or demonstrated knowledge and experience in a Statistical Field.

Read the rest of this entry »

In light of the continued spread of the coronavirus (and out of an abundance of caution), we’ve decided to cancel our March 13 Phoenix meetup. We’re sorry to miss everyone, and the number of confirmed cases in the greater Phoenix area is still quite small, but we’d hate to get our readers together and then have any of them, our staff, or the folks at Angel’s Trumpet get sick.

We hope to see you at other FanGraphs events later in the year!

Position: Player Development Associate

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 P.D. 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
• Be able to operate, troubleshoot, and support IP and high speed video cameras, computer networks, and network hard drives
• 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
• Be able to accurately and efficiently set up and run various sports technology equipment, including but not limited to: bat sensors, motion capture tools, and ball flight tracking technology
• Assist with daily data and video review sessions between Phillies coaching staff and players
• Provide regular status reports to Assistant Minor League Video Coordinators and other player development staff in Philadelphia and Clearwater
• Assist with various player development, Integrative Baseball Performance, advance scouting, and analytics initiatives as needed

Read the rest of this entry »

After an eventful offseason, actual baseball games are happening on a daily basis again. While there’s nothing like the real thing, at least it’s a sign that we are very close — 26 days, to be precise — to Opening Day.

In the meantime, each team currently has somewhere between 59 (Houston Astros) and 73 (St. Louis Cardinals) players in major league camp. How do I know? Well, I learned this, along with many other interesting tidbits, by using FanGraphs’ newest feature: the Opening Day Roster Tracker. Since it could also be quite useful to you over the next several weeks, let me tell you all about it.

First, here’s a quick primer on who is in major league camp and what happens as rosters are pared down to 26 players.

Who is in major league camp?

The full squad is comprised of each team’s full 40-man roster and a group of non-roster invitees (NRI). A non-roster invitee must be added to the 40-man roster if they break camp with the major league club.

What happens when a player is officially out of the running for an Opening Day roster spot?

If a player on the 40-man roster does not make the team, they are optioned to the minors; non-roster invitees are reassigned. They will continue to prepare for the upcoming season in minor league camp. This does not, however, completely rule them out from making the Opening Day roster. Circumstances can change, usually because of injuries, and a player can be brought back after being sent down. Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Synergy Sports Technology Cape Cod Video Scouts

Location: Cape Cod, Mass.

Description:
Synergy Sports Tech provides premier video and analytics systems for MLB, International, College, and Amateur baseball and is seeking qualified candidates to work as Video Scouts for the 2020 Cape Cod Baseball League season. Video Scouts will track rosters, capture live video footage from every game of the CCBL season, and upload those games using specialized software. The positions run from June 8, 2020 to August 14, 2020 and will include hourly compensation.

Responsibilities:

• Manage video and computer equipment for data capture.
• Serve as Synergy liaison for Cape Cod teams.
• Track and update rosters and player information.
• Verify data accuracy and video quality.
• Provide daily updates to staff and content partners.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge and strong interest in baseball.
• Proficiency with computers (Windows, Mac).
• Experience with video equipment including cameras, SD cards, and basic cabling is preferred.
• Strong work ethic, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Must have access to reliable transportation and housing on Cape Cod.

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

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by Synergy Sports Technology.

Position: Research and Development Associate

Position Overview:
Sports Info Solutions (SIS) is looking for candidates to fill a full-time position in their R&D Department. The R&D Associate will work out of their office near Allentown, PA and will contribute as a member of their R&D team, supporting research for publications and future products.

Responsibilities:

• Perform modeling and research using SIS’s internal baseball and football databases as well as other notable data sets (Statcast, etc).
• Write articles and research pieces to be featured in publications such as The Fielding Bible, The Bill James Handbook, The SIS Football Rookie Handbook, Sharp Football Analysis, and Stat of the Week, among other prominent sports outlets.
• Design and develop dashboards and various analytical tools to directly support front office and field personnel.
• Prepare cutting-edge research for presentation in a professional setting, including sales presentations and conferences.
• Collaborate with colleagues to help illuminate the value of SIS’s analytical products to prospective clients.
• Other duties as assigned.

The position requires a variety of skills including (but not limited to) an analytical mind, computer expertise, writing ability, and a passion for baseball and football. Ideal candidates will possess:

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with contemporary baseball/football/sports analytics, including first-hand research experience.
• Analytical/Mathematical ability.
• Substantive experience with MySQL, SQL Server, or similar databases.
• Familiarity with R, Python, or another scripting language.
• Proficiency working in Microsoft Office programs (or equivalents), especially Excel.
• An ability to write and communicate effectively with a variety of audiences.
• An ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
• Experience implementing Machine Learning algorithms is a plus.

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:
Click here to apply for the R&D Associate position.

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

Between 2014 and 2017, Brian Dozier took more major league plate appearances (2,807) than any other player, posting a .348 wOBA and hitting 127 home runs in the process. That performance was good for 18.9 WAR, which was the 11th-best mark posted by any hitter during that period and behind only José Altuve among second basemen. Last fall, he won a championship with the Washington Nationals. This weekend, he reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Padres.

That sequence probably overstates the degree to which Dozier’s stock has fallen. After a catastrophic 2018, his time with the Nationals was a modest success. He brought his offensive performance back to just about league average (99 wRC+), largely on the back of improved selectivity at the plate, and lifted his defense from “atrocious” (in 2018) to “mostly unimpressive” (his career norm). That all added up to 1.7 WAR and a share of a title. In most years, it might also have turned into a major league contract (you predicted a two-year deal worth $18 million). Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Product Manager, Baseball Systems

Reports To: Director of Baseball Analytics

Department: Baseball Operations

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking a Product Manager, Baseball Systems to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of the Baseball Operations R&D team and interface closely with all members of the Baseball Operations and Software Engineering teams. This position will be responsible for managing the development of internal baseball systems by driving business requirements, managing timelines, and overseeing the delivery of data and applications. The ideal candidate will possess product management experience, understanding of modern UI/UX design principles, a technical background with past software engineering experience, and the ability to communicate effectively with baseball staffers. Read the rest of this entry »