FanGraphs Baseball

Just to be clear, there are two separate positions here.

Position: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Director, Quantitative Analysis

Location: Anaheim

Description:
This position is responsible for developing and overseeing the research and analytics initiative within Baseball Operations, reporting to the General Manager and Assistant General Manager. Angels Baseball is an equal opportunity employer.

Responsibilities:

• Direct and develop Quantitative Analysis staff by identifying strong candidates, supervising projects, and providing constructive feedback.
• Perform advanced quantitative analysis on baseball datasets to improve Baseball Operations decision-making, including predictive modeling and the development of an internal player projection system.
• Effectively present analysis through the use of written reports, tables, and data visualization methods to disseminate insights to other members of the Baseball Operations staff and aid in decision-making.
• Identify new techniques, models, and algorithms for application to internal processes.
• Meet with vendors and make recommendations for investment in new data and technology resources to enhance Baseball Operations decision-making.
• Contribute to general baseball decision-making and generate ideas for player acquisition, in-game strategy, and roster construction.
• Manage components of Baseball Operations budget related to Quantitative Analysis department.
• Other projects as directed by General Manager and Assistant General Manager.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex concepts to colleagues possessing a diverse set of backgrounds and with varying experience with quantitative methods.
• Minimum of five years work experience in mathematical, statistical, and predictive modeling.
• Demonstrated expertise with baseball datasets and sabermetric analysis.
• Demonstrated ability in problem-solving and project management and a desire and ability to act as a mentor to members of the analytics staff.
• Demonstrated expertise with R, STATA, SPSS, SAS, or similar statistical computing software.
• Demonstrated expertise in relational database development and administration with Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, or other database systems.
• Knowledge and demonstrated ability with computer programming and machine learning techniques.

Compensation:
This position is compensated.

To Apply:
Please submit your resume and cover letter here.

Position: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Baseball Information Analyst

Location: Anaheim

Description:
The Los Angeles Angels are seeking a Data Scientist for the team’s Baseball Analytics group. The Baseball Information Analyst will work closely with the Director, Quantitative Analysis and our analytics team to research, develop, and test mathematical, statistical, and predictive models that support Baseball Operations. Angels Baseball is an equal opportunity employer.

Responsibilities:

• Research, design, and test predictive and statistical models to enhance Baseball Operations decision-making.
• Provide guidance for and aid in the development of junior members of the analytics staff.
• Work with Systems Architect to design and build decision-support tools and support the development of baseball systems.
• Effectively present analysis through the use of written reports, tables, and data visualization methods to disseminate insights to other members of the Baseball Operations staff and aid in decision-making.
• Other projects and related duties as directed by Director, Quantitative Analysis.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex concepts to colleagues possessing a diverse set of backgrounds and with varying experience with quantitative methods.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with baseball datasets and sabermetric analysis.
• Demonstrated expertise with R, STATA, SPSS, SAS, or similar statistical computing software.
• Proficiency with Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, or other relational database systems.
• Experience with computer programming and machine learning techniques.

Compensation:
This position is compensated.

To Apply:
Please submit your resume and cover letter here.

Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent offseasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating this offseason a contract-crowdsourcing project, the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowds to the end of better understanding the giant and large 2015-16 free-agent market.

Below are links to ballots for five of this year’s free agents, representing the second collection of starting pitchers.

Other Players: Brett Anderson / Nori Aoki / Alex Avila / Mark Buehrle / Marlon Byrd / Asdrubal Cabrera / Yoenis Cespedes / Wei-Yin Chen / Bartolo Colon / Johnny Cueto / Chris Davis / Rajai Davis / Alejandro De Aza / Ian Desmond / Stephen Drew / Dexter Fowler / David Freese / Alex Gordon / Jason Heyward / Torii Hunter / Chris Iannetta / Austin Jackson / John Jaso / Kelly Johnson / Matt Joyce / Howie Kendrick / Justin Morneau / Daniel Murphy / David Murphy / Mike Napoli / Dioner Navarro / Gerardo Parra / Steve Pearce / Alexei Ramirez / Colby Rasmus / Alex Rios / Jimmy Rollins / Geovany Soto / Denard Span / Justin Upton / Juan Uribe / Chase Utley / Will Venable / Shane Victorino / Matt Wieters / Chris Young the Outfielder / Ben Zobrist.

R.A. Dickey (Profile)
Some relevant information regarding Dickey:

• Has averaged 218 IP and 1.8 WAR over last three seasons.
• Has averaged 1.7 WAR per 200 IP* over last three seasons.
• Recorded a 2.1 WAR in 214.1 IP in 2015.
• Is projected to record 1.3 WAR per 200 IP**.
• Is entering his age-41 season.
• Made $12.0M in 2015, as part of deal signed in December 2010.

*That is, a roughly average number of innings for a starting pitcher.
**Prorated version of 2016 Steamer projections available here.

Click here to estimate years and dollars for Dickey.

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Earlier this week, Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski compared the current Red Sox roster to the one currently featured by the Kansas City Royals. For those readers just arriving here today in a time machine from three years ago, that might be surprising. Because for a long time, that would not have been a gesture of praise. For a long time, the Royals were bad; the Red Sox, typically better. But last year Boston missed the playoffs and Kansas City went to the World Series. This year, again, Boston missed the playoffs and Kansas City is very possibly on its way to the World Series. It’s not particularly daring to suggest that the Royals are better than the Red Sox wherein baseball is concerned.

Dombrowski’s decision to compare his roster favorably to the Royals’ make sense: there’s a natural inclination in all of us to imitate the qualities of those we perceive to be better. So of course Dombrowski would compare his last place team to the club that has now reached the ALCS (and, maybe soon, the World Series) in two consecutive seasons. Heck, who wouldn’t want to be like the Royals?

To what degree, though, will the complexion of that Kansas City club, and the means by which it was built, actually influence Dombrowski’s choices this offseason when considering how to construct his own major-league roster? And to what degree will it influence other front offices? If the Royals win the World Series and become the chosen franchise to emulate, can we expect relievers to command top dollar, maybe more than otherwise? To find teams clamoring for contact-oriented athletes? A secret trustworthy source thinks so. Okay, fine, it’s Theo Epstein. Here’s what Epstein said to reporters this past Monday.

The only thing I know for sure is whatever team wins the World Series their particular style of play will be completely in vogue and trumpeted from the rooftops by the media all offseason — and in front offices — as the way to win. If we win the World Series it’s going to be a necessity for every team to develop their own core of young, homegrown position players. If the Mets win it will be required that you have four ridiculous young starting pitchers on the same staff. If the Royals win you need to have speed and athleticism and contact up and down your lineup. If the Blue Jays win you need to fill your lineup with righthanded, epic mashers and make a huge trade at the deadline.

It’s tempting to say Epstein is overstating the case. After all, are MLB teams, ridiculously rich enterprises increasingly run by the cream of the Ivy League, really so susceptible to something as frivolous as who wins a single four-game series? Hell if I know, but even if I did know I’d take Theo Epstein’s opinion over mine. And faced with a choice between conducting a tedious study to verify the truth of his claim or just blindly accepting it blindly, well, in Theo we trust, eh?

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Sitting on the desk of nearly every manager in baseball before any given game are several large packets of information, compiled by that team’s analytics department about that day’s opponent. The packets are thick, and the front pages typically contain images with which you’re likely familiar simply from reading FanGraphs every day. Red and blue heat maps, sometimes varying by handedness, pitch type or count. Spray charts, usually with lines as the visual component rather than dots, and almost always split up by ground balls, fly balls and line drives. The middle and back pages, presumably, get more and more detailed, and the most interesting thing I’ve seen is command data for each opposing pitcher, split up by pitch type.

Condensed versions of these packets are placed in players’ lockers several hours before first pitch, met with varying levels of reception. Some can be seen rigorously studying them, others will give them one quick glance over before crumpling them up and throwing them in the trash.

Information is a good thing, but sports are still physical and reactionary by nature, and for some players, information overload certainly exists as a con. In all reality, for a middle-of-the-season noon game against the Phillies on getaway day, it probably doesn’t matter too much. We’re past that point in the season, now. The scouting reports are to be read. The packets are to be studied.

Over the next week, one American League team will be learning everything there is to know about the New York Metropolitans. Their unique individual tendencies, strategies, weaknesses and strengths. Where they hit the ball, where they pitch the ball, where they stand in the field, how they react to different situations and more. In the grand scheme of things, the advantages to be gained from this information are small, sure, but every little advantage in the World Series is an advantage in the World Series.

Somewhere in the middle of that packet in the manager’s office may exist a page about a team’s tendencies, at the plate, by count. It’s a page that might be skipped over in July. It’s not a page that gets skipped in October. No pages get skipped in October.

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Twitter was apoplectic. Drug tests were demanded. Old suspensions were being brought up. Hands were wrung. Edinson Volquez? Throwing 96s and 97s deep into his start? Where is this velocity coming from? This can’t possibly be right.

Turns out, Volquez hasn’t even added the most velocity this postseason. He’s fourth or fifth among starters, depending on your definition, and he’s not too far from the the norm that we should be bugging out. The postseason, like the debut, comes with adrenaline, and that adrenaline leads to a bump in velocity. Baseball is that simple sometimes.

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Ben and Sam discuss a smattering of postseason topics, including Kyle Schwarber, a playoff-team draft, ALCS Game 6, and more.

The Mets just made the formula look pretty simple. You want to win in the playoffs? You have to hit, especially at the right times. You have to be good in the field, and you have to be aware on the basepaths. And you have to have good pitching, and you want to give the ball almost exclusively to the good pitchers. Baseball looks pretty simple when a team does literally everything well, and while you don’t want to just project the Mets’ NLCS performance ahead into the World Series, there’s no denying the fact that the Mets didn’t just beat the Cubs — they clobbered them. They outplayed the Cubs everywhere, and the Cubs would probably be the first to tell you that.

There’s obvious consolation for the Cubs and their fans. If there are any teams set up better for the future, you’re talking about maybe just the Dodgers, and this was a Cubs team that arguably arrived a little ahead of time. There are going to be more opportunities, and there are very likely going to be some NLCS wins. This pain will fade; the future’s too beautiful. One year ago, the Royals felt worse. Now they’re on the verge of getting back to the Series. You know all this stuff. Four losses aside, the Cubs are doing fine.

Yet before we all start to look ahead, to next week and to next season, I want to take a quick chance to reflect on the NLCS that just wrapped up. I don’t do this to rub anyone’s noses in it. I do it just because I think it’s interesting. Within a historical context, just how noncompetitive was this series?

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Free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series. As in other recent offseasons, FanGraphs is once again facilitating this offseason a contract-crowdsourcing project, the idea being to harness the wisdom of the crowds to the end of better understanding the giant and large 2015-16 free-agent market.

Below are links to ballots for five of this year’s free agents, the first collection of starting pitchers.

Other Players: Nori Aoki / Alex Avila / Marlon Byrd / Asdrubal Cabrera / Yoenis Cespedes / Chris Davis / Rajai Davis / Alejandro De Aza / Ian Desmond / Stephen Drew / Dexter Fowler / David Freese / Alex Gordon / Jason Heyward / Torii Hunter / Chris Iannetta / Austin Jackson / John Jaso / Kelly Johnson / Matt Joyce / Howie Kendrick / Justin Morneau / Daniel Murphy / David Murphy / Mike Napoli / Dioner Navarro / Gerardo Parra / Steve Pearce / Alexei Ramirez / Colby Rasmus / Alex Rios / Jimmy Rollins / Geovany Soto / Denard Span / Justin Upton / Juan Uribe / Chase Utley / Will Venable / Shane Victorino / Matt Wieters / Chris Young the Outfielder / Ben Zobrist.

Brett Anderson (Profile)
Some relevant information regarding Anderson:

• Has averaged 89 IP and 1.0 WAR over last three seasons.
• Has averaged 2.2 WAR per 200 IP* over last three seasons.
• Recorded a 1.7 WAR in 180.1 IP in 2015.
• Is projected to record 2.8 WAR per 200 IP**.
• Is entering his age-28 season.
• Made $5.4M in 2015, as part of deal signed in December 2014.

*That is, a roughly average number of innings for a starting pitcher.
**Prorated version of 2016 Steamer projections available here.

Click here to estimate years and dollars for Anderson.

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Minor league players scored an important victory in their minimum wage lawsuit against Major League Baseball on Tuesday, with a federal court agreeing to allow the players’ case to proceed as a class action lawsuit. As a result, Tuesday’s decision paves the way for potentially hundreds of additional current and former minor league players to join the lawsuit, dramatically increasing the scope of MLB’s possible liability in the case.

MLB’s minor league pay practices have been the subject of several different lawsuits over the past two years. One of those cases – asserting that MLB’s league-wide, uniform minor league wage scale violates federal antitrust law – was dismissed by the trial court last month.

Tuesday’s decision came in an earlier and more promising lawsuit, one that challenges MLB’s minor league pay practices under federal and state minimum wage and overtime laws. In Senne v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, a number of former minor league players contend that MLB routinely violates these legal requirements by paying minor league players as little as $3,300 per year – without overtime – for what is, in many respects, a year-round job.

Although the plaintiffs in the Senne suit had always hoped that their case would eventually be expanded to cover most current and former minor league players, until Tuesday the suit technically involved only the 50 or so players who had been formally named as a plaintiff in the case. Now, anyone who played in the minor leagues between 2011 and 2015, without being promoted to the major leagues, is eligible to join the lawsuit.

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