Job Posting: Nationals Baseball R&D Web Developer

Position: Baseball Research and Development Web Developer

Location: Washington, D.C.

Description:

The Washington Nationals are seeking a web developer to join the organization’s Baseball Research and Development team. The role will focus on building new web application features for decision-support systems and tools used throughout the organization. The developer will design UI components to visualize and facilitate in-house baseball datasets from R&D analysts as well as external data accessed via APIs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Work with each layer of the web application stack to create new features.
  • Design intuitive interfaces to effectively convey information and receive data from users.
  • Facilitate the creation of new database components and automated tasks related to new features.
  • Follow existing design patterns and coding practices in the code base.
  • Balance long-term projects with day-to-day high priority changes.
  • Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

  • Advanced degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science or a related field.
  • Demonstrated expertise with HTML, CSS, JS, as well as JQuery or similar JS Frameworks.
  • Demonstrated experience with modern database technologies such as PostgreSQL and MySQL.
  • Demonstrated experience with web application frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, Django and J2EE.
  • Demonstrated experience using modern programming languages such as Ruby, Python and Java.
  • Demonstrated expertise in UI design and a passion for user experience.
  • Familiarity with working in a GNU/Linux environment and experience using Git version control.
  • Willing to relocate to Washington, DC
  • Authorized to work in the United States.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities necessary to perform essential functions

  • Highly motivated with excellent attention to detail
  • Creative and analytical thinker
  • Strong, confident communication skills including the ability to write clearly and effectively
  • Demonstrated passion for baseball and baseball operations
  • Experience with baseball data and understanding of sabermetric concepts is preferred.
  • Uphold Core Values: “Excellence, Performance, and Accountability. These core values set the tone in everything we do, help us succeed on and off the field, make a difference in the community and provide the best guest experience in sports. It is important that the person in the position commits themselves to these core values so that we can constantly move forward in the same direction – Together.”

Physical/Environmental Requirements

Working conditions are normal for an office environment. Work may require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

To Apply:
Please visit this site to apply.


The Pirates’ Way in the Era of Launch

BRADENTON, Fla. — The first pitch of the 2018 season was a home run. More and more hitters seem to have the intent to get the ball in the air. We’ve heard about more and more swing-change stories this spring. What can pitchers do to counteract the movement? I know many pitchers and coaches are thinking about that question.

I traveled to Pirates camp late this spring because in part because I am still familiar with a number of people within the club from my time on the beat in Pittsburgh, but also because so much has changed in the game — and in their clubhouse — since the last time I covered a Pirates’ game in September of 2016.

Pittsburgh, of course, made three consecutive playoff appearances from 2013 to -15. While those clubs featured a collection of talented players, the teams was also notable for its run-prevention plan. In each of those three seasons, the team led the majors in ground-ball rate, compiling a three-year mark of 51.5%. They allowed the fewest home runs (339) over that three-year period, as well.

The Pirates made a point either of acquiring pitchers with quality sinking fastballs or developing those sinkers internally. The club led baseball in sinker usage during that three-year span, targeting the lower part of the zone. The Pirates had built a philosophy around the pitch: to pound batters inside to create discomfort and weaker swings. The Pirates executed their philosophy well: they led baseball in hit batters (233), collateral damage from pitching inside.

Buc-ing the Trends
Season GB% HR ERA- HR/FB
2013 52.5% 101 91 8.9%
2014 50.5% 128 99 10.3%
2015 50.4% 110 84 9.4%
2016 46.9% 180 103 13.0%
2017 45.2% 182 99 12.9%

Of course, much has changed — and changed quickly — since that three-year window.

Read the rest of this entry »


Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat

12:03
Travis Sawchik: Greetings!

12:03
Travis Sawchik: Since we last spoke, real baseball games have been played

12:04
Travis Sawchik: I think we are all feeling better …

12:04
TMW: Miguel Sano’s hands look higher again like they were in 2016. K rates back this up (8K in 14PA). He’s gotten two hits (HRs) but was pretty late on one of them. Am I imagining it?

12:05
Travis Sawchik: I will have to take a look, but for Sano to truly be an offensive force he needs to get those K rates down a few ticks

12:05
James: Could Altuve and Correa be the best middle infield combo ever?

Read the rest of this entry »


MLB Opening Day Payrolls Down from 2017

Now that real baseball has finally started, we are very likely going to spend a lot more time here at FanGraphs discussing the game on the field. That’s a very good thing for all of us who love the sport. Before wading too deeply into the new season, however, let’s take one more look at how this offseason affected payrolls.

This past winter was an unusual one, with a number of free agents receiving significantly less than expected, and players and teams holding out for contracts all the way until the season’s start. Most of our pieces contained a general caveat that we would need to wait until all players had signed to really determine the effects of this offseason. I even spent some time wondering if we would have to wait until after next offseason to determine the longer-term effects of this past winter.

As we have now reached Opening Day, we have the opportunity to look at current payrolls and compare them to the same point last year. Here’s where we sit on Opening Day, per Cot’s Contracts.

The Boston Red Sox are well out in front of all teams, followed by the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals. Notable by their omission, the New York Yankees don’t appear among the top five. This is notable for several reasons.

  • The Yankees haven’t placed outside the top three in MLB payroll since 1992, the year Marlins owner Derek Jeter was drafted. Melido Perez and Danny Tartabull were the team’s top-two players.
  • The Yankees haven’t been outside the top two in MLB payroll since 1994, the last time a baseball season ended without a World Series.
  • The last time the franchise had an Opening Day payroll lower than $167 million before this season was 2003, before Alex Rodriguez had ever played a game for the club.

Read the rest of this entry »


Top 18 Prospects: New York Mets

Below is an analysis of the prospects in the farm system of the New York Mets. Scouting reports are compiled with information provided by industry sources as well as from our own (both Eric Longenhagen’s and Kiley McDaniel’s) observations. For more information on the 20-80 scouting scale by which all of our prospect content is governed you can click here. For further explanation of the merits and drawbacks of Future Value, read this.

Mets Top Prospects
Rk Name Age High Level Position ETA FV
1 David Peterson 22 R LHP 2019 50
2 Andres Gimenez 19 A SS 2020 45
3 Tomas Nido 23 AA C 2018 45
4 Ronny Mauricio 16 R SS 2023 45
5 Justin Dunn 22 A+ RHP 2019 45
6 Mark Vientos 18 R 3B 2022 45
7 Peter Alonso 22 AA 1B 2019 45
8 Desmond Lindsay 21 A OF 2020 45
9 Luis Guillorme 23 AA UTIL 2018 45
10 Thomas Szapucki 21 A LHP 2021 40
11 Chris Flexen 23 MLB RHP 2018 40
12 Marcos Molina 23 R RHP 2018 40
13 Tony Dibrell 22 A- RHP 2020 40
14 Anthony Kay 23 R LHP 2021 40
15 Gerson Bautista 22 A+ RHP 2019 40
16 Adrian Hernandez 17 R OF 2022 40
17 Gavin Cecchini 24 MLB 2B 2018 40
18 Jamie Callahan 23 MLB RHP 2018 40

50 FV Prospects

Drafted: 1st Round, 2017 from Oregon
Age 22 Height 6’6 Weight 240 Bat/Throw L/L
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Curveball Changeup Command
55/55 50/55 40/45 50/55 45/55

Peterson had a great junior year at Oregon in 2017, showing four good pitches and throwing more strikes than is typical for a pitcher his size. He sits 90-92 with heavy sink, will touch 95, and his fastball plays up because of good extension. He made heavy use of a slider that garners mixed reviews depending on if you’re talking to a scout (who consider it a 50/55) or someone looking at a Trackman readout (40/45), but it missed Pac-12 bats and should be fine even if it doesn’t spin a whole lot.

Read the rest of this entry »


Sunday Notes: Ian Happ Had to Adjust to High Heat

Ian Happ had a solid rookie season with the Chicago Cubs in 2017. The switch-hitting outfielder slashed .253/.328/.514 and went deep 24 times in 413 plate appearances. He learned a lot of lessons along the way, and they began early with an influx of high heaters.

“I was pretty successful in the first week or two,” said Happ, who logged 10 hits in his first 28 big-league at bats. “Then I started seeing a lot of elevated four-seamers. It took me a long time to figure out how to hit that pitch.”

The method he adopted was antithetical to the launch-angle swing.

“Belt-high four-seam fastballs, especially when guys have ride, or something that looks like it’s jumping at you… that’s a pitch where you need to be able to adjust your swing plane in oder to handle it,” explained Happ. “You have to be flatter. You almost have to be above the baseball and attacking with a downward plane. That’s the only way to be direct and get on that pitch, which is different than hitting an off-speed pitch or something low in the zone where you can kind of create a little more lift.” Read the rest of this entry »


The Best of FanGraphs: March 26-30, 2018

Each week, we publish in the neighborhood of 75 articles across our various blogs. With this post, we hope to highlight 10 to 15 of them. You can read more on it here. The links below are color coded — green for FanGraphs, brown for RotoGraphs, dark red for The Hardball Times and blue for Community Research.
Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1197: Real Baseball is Back

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s research into the performance of college teams vs. MLB teams in spring training, then reach into the grab bag for a selection of topics inspired by actual baseball, including Kyle Schwarber’s defense, the Astros’ four-man outfield (and whether Joey Gallo should bunt to beat it), Mike Trout’s un-Trout-like start to the season, Felix Hernandez and Noah Syndergaard, the optimal order of starting pitchers in the first week of the season, the bypassed bullpen cart, Gabe Kapler’s divisive decision-making, and more. Lastly, they critique and respond to ESPN writer Jerry Crasnick’s latest survey of baseball executives about the season’s biggest stories.

Audio intro: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "All Over Again"
Audio outro: Buzzcocks, "No Reply"

Link to Jeff’s article about college teams vs. MLB teams
Link to Ben’s article about redefining positions
Link to Matt Gelb’s Gabe Kapler game story
Link to article about starting rotation order
Link to Jerry Crasnick questions

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The Great Australian Home-Run Spike, Part 3

This is Alexis Brudnicki’s fifth piece as part of her March residency at FanGraphs. Alexis is the Director of Baseball Information for the Great Lake Canadians, an elite amateur baseball program in London, Ontario, Canada. She has written for various publications including Baseball America, Canadian Baseball Network, Sportsnet, The Hardball Times, and Prep Baseball report. She won a 2016 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award for Contemporary Baseball Commentary. She can also be found on Twitter (@baseballexis). She’ll be contributing here this month.

This is also the third installment of a three-part series exploring whether the Australian Baseball League is in the midst of their own juiced ball and bat controversy. In this installment, league officials and the equipment manufacturers respond. You can find Part 1 and Part 2 here.

The Response

Increasingly aware of the way the numbers were adding up throughout the season, the Australian Baseball League’s general manager, Ben Foster, understands the natural inclination for players, fans, and others to draw their own conclusions about what led to the spike in home runs and the offense on a whole.

“One of the great entitlements for sports fans is their right to speculate and to try and figure out why something as unpredictable as sport always surprises us,” Foster said. “As a fan myself, I love to speculate on things like, ‘Will this player or that player have a great year?’ Or, ‘Why did he go to the bullpen in that situation?’ So I do think it is natural for people to speculate about every aspect of the game when they see unexpected results.”

But the league’s GM does not believe that the numbers point to any one thing in particular. Acknowledging that equipment might have been a part of the equation, he does suspect that the standard of baseballs used during the recent season were of superior quality to those used previously.

“I cannot rule out that equipment played a part, too,” Foster said. “But I think it’s an oversimplification of just the baseballs. In conversations I had with players and coaches, many commented on the improved quality of the bats we supplied this season.

Read the rest of this entry »


Giancarlo Stanton’s Adjustment Appears to Be Carrying Over

Whatever their other uses, records are valuable for the drama they’re capable of facilitating. Wondering if Player X or Team Y will surpass a standard established by their predecessors is part of how many enjoy baseball. While each era is distinct in some ways — Dazzy Vance’s 21.5% strikeout rate meant something very different in 1924 than it would have in 2017 — the raw numbers still possess their own considerable weight.

Some records seem nearly insurmountable, others less so. At the moment, the Mariners’ single-season record of 264 home runs, set in 1997, is seeming particularly vulnerable. And it wouldn’t be surprise if the Yankees were the ones to topple it.

Provided they remain healthy, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Giancarlo Stanton are going to do plenty of damage. There are lots of yet-to-be-launched home runs littered elsewhere on the roster, as well. The game is trending toward the optimization of launch angles, the ball might be juiced, and the Yankees have unreal power.

I suspect we are all curious to observe the individual damage Stanton, the reigning NL MVP, will do in his new home. He’s going from Marlins Park and its 80 home-run park factor for right-handed hitters — 100 is average — to Yankee Stadium’s 124 right-handed HR factor. He’ll be able to splinter his bat and hit homers to right and right-center at New Yankee. Read the rest of this entry »