Archive for InstaGraphs

Please note, this posting contains two positions.

Position: Associate, Baseball Operations

Department: Baseball Operations

Locations: Flushing, NY; Syracuse, NY; Binghamton, NY; Port St. Lucie, FL; Columbia, SC.

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking individuals to work in Baseball Operations, both in Flushing at the major league level and at their minor league affiliates. This is an entry-level, yearly position intended to gain exposure to a variety of responsibilities within Baseball Operations. Location will be determined based off fit. Applicants should be available to start in January.

Responsibilities:

• Compile advance scouting reports.
• Assist the amateur scouting department with information gathering in preparation for the Rule 4 Draft.
• Support players and coaching staff with video and player-tracking technology.
• Assist front office with administrative needs.
• Data collection and entry.
• Those at the minor league affiliate level will travel with the club on all road trips, filming and charting games, and operating the Trackman radar while the club is at home.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Familiarity with baseball concepts, strategy, rules, recent developments, etc.
• Confidence in verbal communication skills with front office, coaching staff, and players.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office.
• Comfortable learning and operating new technologies.
• Organized, attentive, and accountable.
• Available to start in January.

To Apply:
Interested candidates should apply using this Google form with a resume by November 30, 2018.

Position: Associate, Baseball Research & Development

Department: Baseball Operations

Location: Citi Field, Flushing, NY

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking individuals with a background in data analysis to work with the club’s Research and Development team. This is an entry-level, yearly position in which associates will analyze baseball data and use their findings to provide insight within the different areas of Baseball Operations. These may include player development, amateur and international scouting, and major league advance scouting. Applicants should be available to start in January.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research in the field of baseball analytics and communicate insights with others in Baseball Operations department.
• Research, develop, and test predictive models to support Baseball Operations decision-making (i.e., player evaluation, roster construction, player development, in-game strategy).
• Create data visualizations that integrate into Baseball Operations web application.
• Collect and manage large data sets. This may involve writing scripts for automation as well as manual data entry.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or similar quantitative field.
• Strong experience querying and managing data with SQL.
• Demonstrated experience using statistical tools and packages in R or Python.
• Familiarity with baseball specific datasets (i.e., Trackman, Statcast, PITCHf/x) and knowledge of current baseball research.
• Preference for candidates who have demonstrated experience building web applications in Python, Java, PHP, Javascript, etc. Please provide a link to the application and/or codebase (Github) if possible.
• Available to start in January.

To Apply:
Interested candidates should apply using this Google form with a resume and a sample of a past research project, preferably in sports analytics, by November 30, 2018.

Many of you are home, or traveling home, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Not only aren’t you in the mood to read about baseball — I bet you’re especially not in the mood to read about Derek Dietrich, who the Marlins designated for assignment on Tuesday. I’m not really in the mood to linger on Derek Dietrich, myself, which is why I’m going to do this fast. Won’t waste your time. I’ll get to the point and leave you alone.

Dietrich is a useful player. He’s 29 years old, and he has a career wRC+ of 109. He can play a lot of positions, albeit none of them all that well. Hidden in the numbers, however, is that Dietrich has a specialty. Now, whenever anyone talks about players getting hit by a lot of pitches, the name that ought to come to mind is Brandon Guyer. We’ve written about Guyer at FanGraphs before, and indeed, if you set a low enough minimum, Guyer is easily the all-time leader in HBP rate. But Guyer has 1,487 big-league plate appearances. What if you set the minimum at, say, 1,500?

Given that cutoff, here are the highest career HBP rates since the turn of the last century:

Dietrich has a lower rate than Guyer, but he’s also played a lot more than Guyer. Dietrich’s the all-time leader with a 1,500 PA cutoff. He’s the all-time leader with a 2,000 PA cutoff. Yes, it’s true that Guyer is more anomalous, but Dietrich is anomalous as well. As these things go, that’s a pretty healthy lead Dietrich has over second place.

Dietrich’s the all-time leader, maybe with a minimum-related asterisk, but all rate-stat leaderboards come with some kind of minimum, and they’re always arbitrary. So I want to give Dietrich his moment in the sun, in what’s otherwise probably a pretty crappy week for him. Dietrich has been hit by 93 pitches. He’s been hit by 13 pitches in an 0-and-2 count. He’s been hit by 39 pitches with the pitcher ahead. He’s been hit by seven pitches by Tanner Roark.

Courtesy of Baseball Savant, here are all the pitches that hit Dietrich somewhere, or were at least judged to have done so:

Here’s that weird low one over the plate:

Here’s one close to the strike zone:

Here’s another one close to the strike zone:

Here’s one I just think is kind of quirky:

Here’s the one time he’s been hit with the bases loaded:

Here’s the one worth the most positive win probability added:

And here’s the one that happened in the lowest-leverage situation:

At least in terms of WPA, Dietrich’s career hit-by-pitches have been worth almost a combined three wins. Dietrich has been hit by 93 pitches while drawing just 144 walks — a dozen of which have been intentional. Dietrich hasn’t exactly built a career around getting hit by the baseball, but getting hit by the baseball has given his career a jolt, and it’s a career that’s going to continue, despite all of the aches and pains. Every year, Derek Dietrich feels a lot of pain in his legs and his elbow. And, every year, for pitchers facing Derek Dietrich, he is a pain in the ass.

The headliner in the James Paxton deal is LHP Justus Sheffield. He’s been a top prospect for so long that it’s easy to find updated reports on him and understand where he falls in the prospects landscape. The short version is that he has an above-average-to-plus four-pitch mix, but his command ranges from average to below average, so he could still fit in a number of roles in the big leagues, ranging from multi-inning relief power arm to mid-rotation starter.

The more intriguing pieces of this deal are the other two names, RHP Erik Swanson and CF Dom Thompson-Williams. Neither were on the year-end version of THE BOARD, but both were on our radar; we intentionally didn’t comb through every 40 FV candidate in the in-season update since that’s what we focus on in the winter.

If we were doing the Mariners list today, both would be 40 FVs; they’re good examples of guys who sneak up on you during the season and in whom you have greater confidence moving up once the season ends. Swanson works 92-94 with a rising four-seamer, hitting 98 mph at times with some deception and life, and backs it up with a solid average slider and advanced feel for how to use both pitches in tandem. He could be something like a back-end starter who mostly uses two pitches, but he’s more likely to be the 5th-7th best starting option for a contender, and fits most comfortably as a David Phelps-type multi-inning fireman who can also do the job of long relief and spot-starting. There’s upside as a 50 FV here (4th starter or setup guy) but he’s more likely to be a 45 FV in the big leagues as a useful utility-type arm, so a 40+ or 40 FV would be appropriate.

Thompson-Williams is a sneaky athlete who’s a solid average runner with an average arm that some think can play a solid center field, but that most think is a fourth outfielder-type who can play all three spots. He has plus raw power and some feel to hit, so there’s low-end everyday upside if things continue to come together at the plate as they did in 2018. But he was 23 years old in High-A, so he’ll need to move quickly to be likely to reach that upside. More likely, Thompson-Williams is a useful bench option as a platoon at multiple spots or as a player who can provide some thump off the bench. Given his shorter track record and age, that’s a 40 FV for now with a chance to turn into a 45 FV with more performance, certainty, and proximity to the majors.

I’ve been asked a few times where these prospects fall on the dollar scale of our new prospect valuation metrics. Sheffield likely won’t rank exactly 54th on our next Top 100 in January, but the $29 million figure is about right. Swanson and Thompson-Williams combine for about $5 million more. Paxton is due in the $20-$25 million range for his next two years via arbitration while projected–using the same $9 million per WAR figure that generated the prospect values–to be worth somewhere around $60-$69 million in that span. So the Mariners receive around $35 million in prospect value, and send $35-$50 million of value back, depending on where Paxton ends up in his range. That’s within the margin for error, but is a bit lighter than expected for a Paxton package given the wide interest. That said, this trade appears to bring the Mariners out of the cellar of our first farm system rankings.

The Nationals have signed free-agent catcher Kurt Suzuki for two years and $10 million. The Nationals have had Kurt Suzuki before. In August 2012, they got him from the A’s. In August 2013, they sent him back to the A’s. In between, he batted 445 times, with a backup catcher’s slash line. Suzuki is now 35 years old, and he spent a long time as a relatively unremarkable catcher, by major-league standards. Never good enough or bad enough to stand out. I still don’t think Suzuki stands out in any way in the public consciousness, but when you look at the numbers, his career has taken a turn.

Over the past two seasons, out of all regular and semi-regular catchers, Suzuki the hitter ranks fourth in wRC+. First place is only four points away. His wRC+ ranks above that of Gary Sanchez. It ranks above that of J.T. Realmuto. It ranks above that of Willson Contreras. I don’t mean to suggest that Suzuki and Realmuto are one and the same or anything, but statistics reflect performance, and for the most part, performance reflects ability. Suzuki has had the ability to be this productive, over 661 plate appearances.

Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Baseball Operations Intern

Location: Minneapolis, MN

About Inside Edge:
Inside Edge Scouting Services specializes in data capture and analytics down to the finest details of every Major League game. Major league clubs, media, and other clients subscribe to Inside Edge’s real-time pitch-by-pitch data, custom-tailored reports, and advanced analytic tools to gain an edge on their competition. They provide a fun, fast-paced work environment and an opportunity to get started on a career in baseball and differentiate yourself from other job seekers. Past interns have gone on to positions with both major league clubs and media organizations.

Position Description:
Candidates filling this position will gain valuable experience with technologies and processes increasing their qualifications to work in baseball and the broader sports industry. Hires can expect to begin training March 8. Interns will need to make a commitment to working most nights, weekends, and holidays over the course of the season.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Participate in a rigorous training program before the season starts
• Use Inside Edge software to enter and crosscheck live pitch and scoring data
• Mark actions to be reviewed by supervisors
• Add, review, and update qualitative player notes
• Review video replay ensuring integrity of charted data
• Update internal Inside Edge logs and databases
• Generate end of game reports

Qualifications:
While in-depth training will be provided, candidates need a strong understanding of both the basics and subtleties of baseball games, and will be required to quickly and accurately recognize pitch types, locations, and scoring data.

Wages and term of employment:

• The position runs March 7 through the end of the 2019 regular season (September 29th)
• Starting compensation is $9.86 per hour

To Apply:

• Fill out Inside Edge’s online screening.
• Send an email with your resume to r.moore@inside-edge.com. Feel free to include supplemental information and a quick note on what you’re including. A cover letter is unnecessary.
• Depending on the results, Inside Edge will contact you for a resume and to set up an interview.

A timeline for the hiring process can be found here.

Position: Miami Marlins Baseball Analytics Intern

Location: Jupiter, Florida

Description:
The Analytics Intern will assist Baseball Operations decision-making through the analysis and research of baseball information. The specific day-to-day responsibilities of this position will vary depending on the baseball calendar, but will revolve around analyzing data to answer baseball-related questions. A competitive candidate will possess an established foundation of statistical, programming, and database skills. The position will report to the Director of Analytics.

Essential Functions:

• Research and develop predictive models to support Baseball Operations in player evaluation, roster construction, and in-game strategies.
• Expand upon Marlins analytical strategy by creating new data models, metrics, applications, and reports.
• Improve and refine existing processes for the Baseball Operations Department.
• Perform ad-hoc research projects as requested.
• Present results in a complete, concise, and engaging manner.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Strong work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to self-direct.
• Demonstrated baseball research, experience visualizing data, and/or strong technical acumen.
• Ability to communicate baseball analytics concepts to individuals with diverse baseball backgrounds, including coaches, scouts, and executives.
• Understanding of and passion for the game of baseball.
• High level of familiarity with the current state of baseball research.
• Meaningful work experience with Tableau, SQL Server, R, and/or Python.
• Ability to work extended hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays from February – October 2019.

Suggested Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, engineering, applied math, physics, computer science, operations research, or related field.
• Understanding of advanced forecasting techniques is strongly preferred.
• Experience with a scripting language (e.g. PowerShell, Ruby, Perl) is preferred.
• Ability and desire to learn other programming languages as needed.
• Baseball/softball playing experience is a plus.

Please note, this position is paid.

To Apply:
Please email materials (resume, cover letter, research, etc.) to marlinsanalyticsjobs@gmail.com.

As the FanGraphs prospect team starts to roll out team lists this off season, we’ve updated THE BOARD! to include team lists as they are published. You also might notice we did an update on the interface.

Important Notes:

• Team Lists will be added as they are published. Once all 30 lists and the Top 100 prospects are published, the Team Lists will just become the preseason 2019 list.
• The Scouting section for 2019 is split into position players and pitchers. This is to accommodate the addition of columns for Tommy John surgery date and spin rate for pitchers.
• The MLB Organization and Position selection now behaves like our splits tool. If you select one team, say the Padres, it will only show players in the Padres organization. If you were to click on another team, say the Braves, it will show you players in both the Padres’ and the Braves’ organization.
• You can now search for players within a board using the search box. The search function is limited to the current board, so it won’t find a player on the 2018 International board if you have the 2019 Team Lists loaded. It’s effectively a custom filter that filters on the player’s name and signing/college information.
• A .csv data file of the current board with associated filters can be exported from the top right corner of the data grid.

Position: Software Developer, Baseball Informatics

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Description:
The Developer will design, code, and maintain software solutions that allow Baseball Operations to translate information into actionable insights used by decision makers.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the design and creation of software systems that will be utilized by Baseball Operations staff.
• Makes use of the existing frameworks in use and data assets within Baseball Operations.
• Makes use of Pirates’ standards and industry best practices to implement elegant and high performance code.
• Participate in gathering and documenting requirements for existing and new software systems in Baseball Operations.
• Understand business processes, required outcomes, and decisions that will be impacted by our use of the software you create and maintain.
• Work with other Informatics developers, interns and consultants in the maintenance and extension of the software development frameworks and tools utilized.
• Be capable in both front-end design and coding techniques as well as service oriented back-end development.
• Assist in evaluating software development tools and techniques for use by Baseball Operations.
• Develop and maintain familiarity with baseball metrics and research.
• All other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements:
Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field
• A minimum of two (2) years experience developing software

Desired:

• Experience with Angular 2+
• Mobile UI Design in React Native, Xamarin or similar
• Knowledge of SQL, preferably SQL Server and writing stored procedures and functions
• RESTful Web Service Design

To Apply:
To apply, please visit this site and complete the application.

What follows is simply a list of prospects who exceeded rookie-eligibility requirements in 2018. They are sorted into FV tiers (as listed at time of graduation) but not ranked within those tiers. Note the players whom we missed in the “Not Ranked” section at the bottom of the list. Lou Trivino (dominant reliever, probably should have been a 45 FV) and Niko Goodrum (a multipositional bat, typically a 45 FV for us) are prominent whiffs. Several of the 35 FV players were graded more highly in previous years (Fletcher, Laureano, O’Hearn, Palka) and they are a lesson in impatience and over-correction. Also take a gander at this piece from last winter, which I think has aged pretty well, especially the list of middle infielders.

Position: Baseball Systems Developer

Department: Baseball Operations

Reports To: Application Development Specialist, Baseball Systems

Job Description:
The Baseball Systems Developer will be responsible for developing, maintaining, testing and implementing web based, packaged, and/or mobile applications to support the Baseball Operations staff. The Systems Developer reviews, analyzes and develops information systems including planning, design, develop, testing, debugging and installation to support the applications and systems of the organization. May be expected to write documentation to describe program development, logic, coding, and corrections.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work with the Information Technology department, Baseball Systems Development staff, Analytics staff, and senior Baseball Operations staff to understand department needs and develop technical solutions that integrate existing and future applications into the organization’s information systems.
• Employ an iterative software development approach to ensure quick roll-out along with incremental improvements to baseball systems over time.
• Create specifications through gathering and documentation of user requirements as needed.
• Work with Baseball Operations staff to prototype and implement user interfaces that are efficient, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing.
• Provide time estimates for programming tasks based on defined project scope.
• Develop responsive web, mobile, and desktop applications while making use of industry best practices and recommended coding standards to write clear, readable, and efficient code.
• Ensure code quality with the use of automated unit and integration testing.
• Responsible for training staff on use of system, including in-person training or videos, and development and maintenance of a reference manual as needed.
• Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting of all baseball systems, including upgrades to take advantage of new technology.
• Adhere to Reds Information Technologies security standards, support protocols, and server hardware/software build outs.

Experience, Education and Licensure:

• Minimum of a BS or equivalent in Computer Science, Information Systems or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience developing enterprise level applications utilizing the Microsoft technology stack including the Microsoft .NET framework.
• Requires past working experience in all phases of the systems development life cycle (SDLC), including planning, designing, developing, testing, and deployment of information systems.
• Interface successfully with functional users and clients.
• Proven track record of building customer relationships.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proficient in Microsoft .NET using C# and WebAPI/MVC Framework.
• Experience using web technologies particularly HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript.
• Knowledge and experience with at least one Javascript application framework such as AngularJS, Vue.js, React, or similar framework.
• Mobile development, relational SQL knowledge, and cloud services are nice to have skills.
• Ability to apply business and industry knowledge to internal applications, databases and systems.
• Additionally, the position requires developing, reporting from, and integrating existing applications.
• Passion for baseball, strong intellectual curiosity, and ability to work with a team framework highly desired.
• Candidate must be available to work non-traditional hours (various nights, weekends, holidays)

Expectations:

• Adhere to Cincinnati Reds organization policies and procedures.
• Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds organization.
• Perform 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 found here.

Equal Opportunity Statement:
The Cincinnati Reds are an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the Cincinnati Reds to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or creed, sex, age, disability, citizenship status, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.