Job Title: Amateur Scouting Analyst, Research & Development

Department: Baseball Operations

Role:
The Chicago Cubs are seeking an amateur scouting analyst to join the Research and Development group in Baseball Operations. This role will focus on providing data-driven support to the Chicago Cubs’ amateur scouting department in preparation for the Rule 4 draft, in addition to providing analytical evaluation of amateur prospects. The analyst will work closely with the entirety of the R&D department to develop methods to improve the effective understanding and application of data, and disseminate analytic insights throughout the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Research, develop, and test methods and models for the purpose of amateur player assessment and acquisition
• Effectively present analyses through the use of written reports and data visualization methods to communicate relevant findings
• Work with web development team to integrate new statistical analyses, models, and data visualizations into Cubs web applications
• Incorporate new analysis into existing data processes to improve automated reporting
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve data quality issues
• Conduct in-depth evaluations of amateur prospects
• Examine and leverage data streams from new technologies that offer innovative data solutions
• Represent the R&D department in amateur scouting discussions

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in an quantitative field such as statistics, engineering, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, operations research
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with SQL and at least one statistical programming language (e.g., C, Python, MATLAB, or R)
• Working knowledge of advanced baseball statistics
• Familiarity with advanced statistical modeling techniques
• Previous experience working in baseball, particularly with amateur drafts, strongly preferred

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

Response Expectations:
Due to the overwhelming number of applications the Cubs receive, they unfortunately may not be able to respond in person to each applicant. However, they can assure you that you will receive an email confirmation when you apply as well as additional email notifications whether you are selected to move forward for the position or not. Please note, the Cubs keep all resumes on file and will contact you should they wish to schedule an interview with you.

The Chicago Cubs and its affiliates are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion and employing a diverse workforce. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected characteristics.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Chicago Cubs.

Yesterday, the Toronto Blue Jays added former Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Chase Anderson to their pitching rotation in exchange for first base prospect Chad Spanberger. Anderson, who had an $8.5 million dollar club option for 2020, was not a compelling choice for the Brewers given how steeply his performance dropped off after his standout 2017 campaign.

The Blue Jays get a middle-to-back of the rotation pitcher who started at least 25 games and pitched more than 141 innings through four seasons in Milwaukee, and struck out at least 105 batters in each of his six seasons in the majors. Despite not being able to replicate his performance from two seasons ago, Anderson was able to triple his pedestrian 0.3 WAR in 2018, posting 1.2 WAR in 2019 with an ERA and FIP in the fours. While the National League Central is no slouch, the American League East will produce a much stiffer level of competition for Anderson, who will need one of his best pitches from 2019 if he wishes to improve in 2020.

Last season, Anderson used his cutter more than he had in his previous five, throwing it harder than he ever had. It was his most improved pitch in 2019 and a very handy one at that. He cut his wOBA on the cutter by 100 points while drawing more swings out of the zone. Anderson also saw an increase in his cutter swinging-strike rate, and his contact in the zone went down:

Anderson’s cutter is more of a complementary pitch, meaning it’s not an out pitch and he doesn’t necessarily throw it when he needs strikes. He mixes it well with his four-seam fastball to left-handed hitters in almost every count, with two-strike counts the exception, while to righties, Anderson typically goes four-seamer heavy (at least 50% across all counts) with his cutter usage is divvied up with the changeup and curve.

Of pitchers who threw a cutter at least 14% of the time (minimum 110 IP), Anderson’s was rated second-best in 2019:

Pitch Info valued the pitch at -1.1 in 2018 and he was able to increase its effectiveness to a 1.7 last season.

Here’s a glance at Anderson’s cutter metrics and pitch action:

So what’s behind the significant improvement this year? Anderson made no adjustments to the cutter’s spin axis, his grip, or arm slot. The extra velocity with a slightly elevated spin rate, from 2340 in 2018 to 2382 in 2019, helped add an additional two inches of ‘rise’ to the pitch.

The two pitches Anderson paired with his cutter the most were the changeup to left-handed hitters and his four-seamer to righties. The changeup to cutter sequence creates a pretty decent tunnel, as seen in the GIF below.

Given that the velocity spread between the four-seamer and cutter was only around 4 mph, it wasn’t an ideal combination and likely didn’t do much to boost the cutter’s effectiveness.

Anderson’s cutter isn’t dominant but it’s a valuable asset in his arsenal. It helps pick up the slack on his changeup and curveball, and can create a nice pitch-shape change when subbed in for his fastball. Anderson is moving to a division that hit the cutter with essentially the same success (.313 wOBA) as the NL Central (.319 wOBA) did in 2019, so it’s reasonable to think the pitch can still be effective so long as he uses it the same way next season as he did in Milwaukee.

Title: Developer, Baseball Systems

Department: Baseball Operations
Reports to: Director, Baseball Systems
Location: San Diego, CA
Status: Full-time, Exempt

Job Summary:
The Developer, Baseball Systems is primarily responsible for designing and developing user interfaces for different personnel in the Baseball Operations Department. This position requires substantial experience with various software programs, in addition to a strong understanding of statistical baseball terminology.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with R&D group to build out best-in-class system infrastructure, including data warehousing, data integrity, lifecycle management of critical statistical processes
• Collaborate with development team and Baseball Operations personnel to design and implement user interfaces across multiple platforms for different audiences
• Create responsive design visualizations to distill and present information using both static reports and interactive user interfaces
• Contribute on all phases of projects, including but not limited to: design, documentation, development, and deployment
• Continued development and enhancement of team workflow and process

Skills:

• Fluency with related web development skills including Python 3.x, Javascript, HTML/CSS, responsive web design, frameworks such as AngularJS, D3.js, and other web viz kits
• Fluency with SQL and RDBMS design, preferably PostgreSQL, and NoSQL solutions such as Mongo, CouchDB, etc
• Deep Familiarity with the Linux operating system
• Working knowledge of iOS development, including Objective C & Swift
• Familiarity with statistical concepts relevant to baseball, including player evaluation and in-game strategies
• Working knowledge of statistical software, including R & Python data packages such as numpy and pandas
• Proven ability to distill large data sets into tidy, responsive UI designs

Job Requirements:
Must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (BA) preferably in Computer Science or Information Systems, or equivalent job experience
• Minimum of five (5) years working in a structured software development lifecycle
• Demonstrated passion for baseball
• Proficiency in stated web development technologies
• Consistent, punctual and regular attendance
• Professional image and demeanor
• Strong ability to work with others and supervisors in a collaborative, team environment.
• Excellent time management, interpersonal, verbal and written communications, decision-making, and organization skills
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, holidays and extended hours as needed
• Minimum physical requirements: able to travel to and gain access to various areas of the ballpark for prolonged periods of time during games and events; able to lift and transport up to 25 pounds
• As a condition of employment, the job candidate(s) must successfully complete a post-offer, pre-employment background check and drug screening.

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

The San Diego Padres are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Diego Padres.

Our 2020 Free Agent Tracker is now live! There are currently over 200 players on the list, and several more will be added over the next few weeks as teams continue to clear space on their 40-man rosters. The tracker will be regularly updated throughout the offseason as qualifying offers are made, accepted, and rejected, and free agents find their new homes.

You can sort by a player’s handedness, either batting or throwing, age, 2019 WAR, and projected WAR for the upcoming season, as well as our crowdsourcing results, which include median contract total, years, and average annual value. You can also filter by status (signed/unsigned), previous team, position, and signing team, and export the data for your own analysis.

The Tracker can always be found in the RosterResource section of the site drop-down menu or within the RosterResource Depth Charts and Payroll pages, as seen at the top of the image below.

As always, we appreciate your feedback. If there are features you’d like to suggest for future versions of the tracker, feel free to drop them in the comments here.

The another season has come and gone, but our readers’ appetite for baseball and its attendant prognostication remains.

To that end, and to give us all something to get us through the lean months ahead, today FanGraphs released for your enjoyment the 2020 Steamer projections.
The work of Jared Cross, Steamer represents the first opportunity of the offseason to peer into the gauzy mists of the future. The prorated version of the forecasts (known as Steamer 600) is useful, too, as a sort of quick estimate of true talent.

What does one find in the numbers? Mike Trout is once again projected to be the best player in baseball, putting a comfortable distance between himself and the next-closest position player, Mookie Betts. Anthony Rendon, who ranks second on our Top 50 Free Agent list, forecasts to be the sixth best position player in the game, bested only by Trout, Betts, Alex Bregman, Francisco Lindor, and Christian Yelich, and by those last two only barely. Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole, the No. 1 free agent available per our list, looks to be the best pitcher going into 2020.

What other revelations wait? Dive in and find out.

Position: Area Scout

Primary Purpose
Provide high-quality information on amateur players to prepare the organization for acquisition opportunities

Essential Responsibilities and Duties

• Relationships: Create and maintain strong relationships with players and their families, along with coaches and programs, to understand the player’s background and character.
• Evaluations: Provide player evaluations and rankings by using organization’s scouting principles
• Scheduling: Through preparation and prioritization, maximize opportunities for information collection
• Data Collection: Lead a thorough data collection effort on the player pool

How will they get it done?

• Info: Capture and document info quickly on players
• Communication: Consistently communicate with internal stakeholders to lead and execute the scouting process
• Teamwork: Commit to doing what’s best for the organization and acquiring the best players for the org

Leadership, Management, Development Responsibilities

• Management: Manage and lead a scouting process within the area on amateur players within a network around them
• Leadership: The organization will provide tools, resources and exposure for growth as an emerging leader
• Development Responsibilities: The organization offers resources dedicated to personal development through leaders, research and processes.

Goals/Objectives for the Position

• Player Pool: Cultivate a robust and well-rounded understanding of the player pool by using all available information and dynamically updating evaluations
• Org Philosophies: Learn and understand organizational philosophies to accurately assess what’s happening and why/how
• Feedback: Seek out feedback and use available resources to fuel development and increase understanding of players

Background
A demonstrated track record of curiosity and continuous improvement in the game, regardless of experience

Skills

• Baseball Acumen: An understanding of the evaluation process. A technical proficiency in player assessment
• Emotional Intelligence: Ability to manage emotions and time
• Communication: Clearly and concisely explain thoughts verbally and in writing
• Work Ethic: A relentless drive to collect more and better information
• Passion: Demonstrate a clear passion for the game, teammates, the organization and learning
• Resourcefulness: Utilize organizational resources to develop and understand organizational philosophies
• Self-awareness: Understand your skill set, understand your biases, recognize your areas of development
• Strategic Thinking: Employ a problem-solving mindset and strategic thinking

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

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Cleveland Indians.

Job Title: Apprentice, Baseball Analytics

Location: Arlington, TX

Basic Duties and Responsibilities:

• Query and report on data
• Build and maintain analytical tools, metrics, & models
• Create compelling data visualizations and stories
• Research game changing ideas and concepts
• Present information to organizational stakeholders and executives

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics, engineering, computer science, data science, or related field
• Strong written & verbal communication as well as visualization skills
• Strong knowledge of baseball and associated data & technologies
• Proficiency in SQL, R, Python, Tableau, SSRS, Microsoft BI, STAN, and/or other analytical platforms and languages
• Familiarity with concepts such as predictive learning, cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, & Bayesian analysis
• A creative mindset, open-mindedness, and desire to work in a learning culture

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

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Texas Rangers.

Yesterday, I wrote about the decisions A.J. Hinch and the Astros made in Game 7 of the World Series. Zack Greinke started the inning, gave up a one-out homer to Anthony Rendon that cut the Astros’ lead to 2-1, and then walked Juan Soto. At that point, Hinch opted to take Greinke out and bring in Will Harris; Howie Kendrick proceeded to hit a two-run homer to give the Nationals a lead they would never relinquish. In my piece, I argued that Hinch should have left Greinke in to finish the seventh, but before I got there, I discussed whether Greinke should have started the inning to begin with, and the team’s bizarre handling of Gerrit Cole as a potential reliever:

That leaves Gerrit Cole. It’s not clear why Cole was only going to be available for the ninth inning if Houston got the lead. He was warming earlier in the game. He was pitching on two days rest, so it’s possible he was only going to be available for an inning, and it seems reasonable to want to put him in at the start of an inning so he can be better prepared for it, but having him only available in the ninth to close out a World Series win is an odd choice and makes one wonder if the decision wasn’t entirely baseball-related. In any event, if Cole could have only gone one inning and needed to start it, then sticking with Greinke to start the seventh was completely reasonable.

We now have some answers, though they cause more questions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains multiple positions, all of which report to the Manager of Baseball Analytics.

Job Title: DevOps Engineer

Job Purpose:
Work with Baseball Analytics group to manage departmental infrastructure, build out analytic workflows, and support optimal development processes within the group. The Reds envision the person in this position to play a major role in the creating and maintaining stable production environments, allowing stakeholders to easily access information.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Implement and maintain software build and release processes including continuous integration of software modules.
• Develop and maintain production data analysis jobs in tandem with data scientists and baseball analysts.
• Select, deploy, and maintain software services to best support external consumers of analytical information, as well as the efficient development of new analytics.
• Develop, document and communicate processes to team members.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of automated tests and monitoring services to ensure continued reliability of our analytical products.
• Collaborate with Baseball Systems and IT departments to integrate processes and ensure organizational alignment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Because the Reds expect any candidate for this position to possess the capacity to discover and learn new technologies quickly, their emphasis for evaluating candidates will be on their demonstrated experience and talent in developing reliable technical solutions rather than their knowledge of any specific programming languages or tools. However, the Reds anticipate that familiarity with the following items could be beneficial in this role:

• Python, or similar programming languages, including for web development (Flask) and/or data analysis (Pandas)
• Linux/Unix
• Docker and related technologies for virtualization
• R (the statistical computing environment)
• Relational databases (SQL)
• Spark and Hadoop, and/or other technologies for processing high volume data sets (HPC, stream processing, NoSQL, etc.)
• Azure DevOps or similar tools (Jenkins, TeamCity, etc.) for automation and continuous integration
• Azure cloud computing services or similar environments (AWS)
• Kubernetes
• Web services, microservices, REST APIs, serverless, and related software architecture concepts

Work Environment:

• Remote working accommodations are available.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Hours may periodically include nights, weekends and holidays.

Expectations:

• Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures.
• Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization.
• Performs duties as workload necessitates.
• Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Meet Department productivity standards.

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

Job Title: Baseball Research Analyst

Job Purpose:
Work with the Baseball Analytics, Baseball Operations, Scouting and Player Development staffs to develop and support analysis and research requests. The Reds envision the person in this position to play a major role in the creation of new baseball analytics/development concepts, supporting player evaluation, development and acquisitions and on-field strategies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, test, implement and maintain method and models, utilizing appropriate tools and techniques.
• Assist staff with ad-hoc research projects and data requests.
• Create tools to improve the flow of information and insights.
• Work with the Reds’ Baseball Analytics and Systems staff to integrate new statistical analyses, models and data visualizations into existing and new applications.
• Collaborate with Major League Operations, Player Development, Sports Science and Scouting departments to plan, manage and integrate analyses.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative field, such as Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Engineering.
• Understanding of statistical analysis and predictive and prescriptive modeling.
• Experience with statistical software (e.g. R, Python) and database querying (SQL).
• Strong ability to communicate effectively with all aspects of Baseball Operations, Scouting and Player Development.
• Knowledge of current baseball research, traditional baseball statistics and strategy.
• Understanding of the workings of baseball front office.

Work Environment:

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Hours may periodically include nights, weekends and holidays.

Expectations:

• Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures.
• Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization.
• Performs duties as workload necessitates.
• Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Meet Department productivity standards.

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

Job Title: Data Scientist

Job Purpose:
Work with the Manager of Baseball Analytics to implement the department’s research and development efforts within new and existing applications. The Reds envision the person in this position to play a major role in the creation of new baseball analytics concepts with the ultimate goal of enhancing player evaluation and on-field performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, test, implement and maintain predictive models and metrics utilizing appropriate tools and techniques.
• Work with the Reds’ Baseball Analytics and Systems staff to integrate new statistical analyses, models and data visualizations into existing and new applications.
• Perform ad hoc analyses and effectively prepare and present findings.
• Keep up to date on new predictive modeling techniques and evaluate their potential for application to baseball data sets.
• Collaborate with Major League Operations, Player Development and Sports Science departments to design and implement statistical analyses.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 3+ years of experience in computational field, such as Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Quantitative Social Sciences or Analytics.
• Strong knowledge of statistical analysis and predictive modeling.
• Demonstrated experience with statistical software (e.g. R, Python) and database querying (SQL).
• Ability to communicate effectively with all aspects of Baseball Operations, Scouting and Player Development staffs.
• Experience with Bayesian statistics. (Preferable, but not required)
• Understanding of typical baseball data structures.
• Knowledge of current baseball research, sabermetric concepts, traditional baseball statistics and strategy.

Work Environment:

• Remote working accommodations are available.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Hours may periodically include nights, weekends and holidays.

Expectations:

• Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures.
• Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization.
• Performs duties as workload necessitates.
• Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Meet Department productivity standards.

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

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Cincinnati Reds.

Position: Research and Development Intern

Location: St. Petersburg, FL

The Tampa Bay Rays are in search of their next Research and Development Intern. The Rays’ R&D group helps shape Baseball Operations’ decision-making processes through the analysis and interpretation of data. They are seeking those with a passion for baseball and a desire to contribute through mathematics, data analysis, and computation. Their next intern will be an intellectual contributor that can work both individually and collaboratively, coming up with interesting research questions to explore, find ways to answer those questions with the data at their disposal, communicate the results of their research, and work to apply their research outcomes to improve how the Rays organization operates. The Rays want to work with people who care about being good teammate, want to make a positive impact on their organization, have an innovative spirit, and will explore new ways to make them better. Does this describe you?

Responsibilities:

• Develop strong skills in statistical modeling and quantitative analysis of a variety of data sources, for the purpose of player evaluation, player development and strategic decision-making
• Learn methods for communicating complex research findings to a variety of Baseball Operations audiences
• Design research inquiries with the potential to yield immediately actionable findings within our organization
• Work collaboratively with and assist other members of their department with your areas of expertise
• Collect in-game data to support operational needs of the department
• Ad hoc research and analysis in support of general Baseball Operations tasks

Qualifications:

• A solid foundation in mathematics, physics, statistics, computer science, engineering and/or related fields.
• Advanced computational skills
• Experience with R, Python, and/or Stan preferred.
• Experience solving complex problems.
• Creativity to discover new avenues of research.

To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application that can be found here. This position is paid.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Tampa Bay Rays.