NEWSLETTER
I consider myself a nerd through and through, so I offer up that headline in the most loving way. If you are also that kind of baseball nerd, I’d encourage you to check out the latest Chicago Cubs job posting (or just check it out to see the kinds of areas the Cubs are looking to deepen/improve).
With a hat tip to FanGraphs, this is from the official posting, where you can apply:
The Chicago Cubs are seeking analysts to join the Research and Development group in Baseball Operations. Analysts will contribute to core research furthering the general knowledge-base of the Chicago Cubs while specializing in one of five core areas:
1. Amateur Scouting
2. Biomechanics/Performance Science
3. International Scouting
4. MLB Advance Scouting
5. Pitching Development
The analyst will work closely with the entirety of the R&D department to develop statistical models that evaluate players and development opportunities, process and interpret data, and disseminate analytic insights to their associated departments. We will consider applications with various levels of experience.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the analyst will vary based on their focus, but all will share responsibilities contributing to the development of our understanding of baseball skills, evaluation, strategy, and decision-making.
General responsibilities:
Analyze collected data leveraging in-house models and insights
Identify, diagnose, and resolve data quality issues throughout our baseball system
Assess the efficacy of alternative technologies that offer innovative data solutions
Work with Baseball Systems team to integrate new analyses and data visualizations into Cubs web applications
Represent the R&D department in discussions with and presentations to stakeholders from other departments
Amateur Scouting responsibilities:
Create new and update existing models evaluating amateur skills and how they might develop with future experience
Conduct in-depth evaluations and write up reports on individual amateur players
Assist amateur scouts in efforts to identify players of interest and facilitate their data collection and reporting efforts
Organize and oversee data ingestion from a variety of technologies
Biomechanics / Performance Science responsibilities:
Analyze motion-capture, force plate, and various sensor data to identify important performance thresholds that guide training development
Advance our organizational understanding of how biomechanical movements translate to observable pitch and batted ball traits
Coordinate and vet the utility of new data streams from our hitting and pitching labs
Collaborate with high-performance, player development, and scouting departments to leverage player observations into actionable insights
International Scouting responsibilities:
Identify relationships between tracked information on international amateur players and future success in MLB systems
Develop models evaluating signing strategies and predicting career trajectories of international amateurs
Conduct in-depth evaluations and write up reports on individual international amateurs
Organize and oversee data ingestion from a variety of technologies
MLB Advance Scouting responsibilities:
Analyze in-game strategic decisions, defensive positioning, and personnel deployment
Contribute to the design and creation of reporting tools tracking player performance along a variety of dimensions
Aid the advance process in preparing for upcoming opponents
Resolve discrepancies in evaluation between model output and our coaching staff
Pitching Development responsibilities:
Analyze in-game strategic decisions, defensive positioning, and personnel deployment
Review data collected on Cubs pitching prospects and conduct in-depth evaluations identifying their strengths and areas of improvement
Translate findings from data into tangible coaching and skill-development objectives
Provide guidance and research assistance to pitching coaches in Player Development as they raise questions that can be answered with data analysis
Assist in developing and monitoring data-driven player plans that will provide objective goals for pitchers throughout our system
Potentially travel to minor league affiliates to support player development initiatives
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative field such as statistics, engineering, mathematics, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, or operations research
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Experience with SQL, and familiarity coding statistical algorithms in at least one programming language (e.g., C, MATLAB, Python, R)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Working knowledge of advanced baseball statistics
Passion for learning more about how to succeed in baseball
Previous work experience in professional baseball
