Perry explained how he wants his players to own all the batted balls hit within their defined box, what makes Cole Young a good second baseman and what he's working on. Perry also had a fun answer when we asked him how defense comes into play in his everyday life, such as going to the supermarket. 

Then Mark was joined by his colleague, Brandon Tew to dissect the starts of Munetaka Murikami and Kazuma Okamoto, as well as which college pitchers Brandon thinks are the best of the lot this year.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Jo talked about his amazing night of 3 home run robberies a few weeks ago but also expanded the discussion to talk about which outfields are the most challenging to play, why it's important for an aspiring ballplayer to be fearless, and why Vladimir Guerrero Jr. impresses him so much defensively.

Mark also talked to his SIS colleague, Greg Halperin, about what goes into advance scouting for fielders, hitters, and pitchers, as well as Greg's thoughts on ABS.

Video: Jo Adell's 3 HR robberies

Video: Jo's 4th-favorite catch

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

First, Jayson Stark joins us to explain the "buffer zone" and the imperfections of the new system. He wrote an article about this last month and we're now seeing what he wrote about play out in front of us.

Then we're joined by Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley of Oyster Analytics. They're former college baseball players with a statistical expertise who have mapped out when it's best to challenge and when it's best to hold back, and they have an interactive tool that you can use to play along with batters, pitchers, catchers, and umpires.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Also, in celebration of Women's History Month, he talks to Joely Leguizamon who will be one of the pioneers playing in the Women's Professional Baseball League this summer.

Mark and Chelsea swapped predictions, sharing surprise teams and players, tight division races, and defensive assessments, as well as the thing in baseball that will make them throw up their hands saying "I just don't know" and what the coolest thing of the 2026 baseball season will be.

Joely joined Mark to talk about our favorite topic, defense, including her earliest defense memories, how she learned to play, and why self-reliance is an important part of being an athlete.. 

Over the years we've talked to major leaguers, minor leaguers, college baseball and softball players, high school players, and Korean and Japanese league players and we're glad to add a WPBL player to our list.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

This year we did that by speaking with two people whose job is sharing the legacy of baseball legends. 

Samantha Gibson, director of education at The Jackie Robinson Museum talked to Mark Simon about the museum's mission and the many elements to Jackie Robinson the person, not just the baseball player (plus, some book recommendations for people of all ages). 

Then, Sean Gibson, executive director of The Josh Gibson Foundation explained how video games have helped tell the story of Sean's great-grandfather, Josh, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also shared what the Foundation is doing to further youth participation in sports in Pittsburgh.

The episode also featured our alumni corner spot, this one with Chris Goudoras, director of baseball analytics at Ole Miss University. He explained what he does in his job and gave tips for aspiring baseball job seekers.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Michael Chernow explained how his job compares to that of a farm director, and shared how the Pirates organization works to build good habits in players and good habits in its coaches, such that both can get promoted to the major league staff or (in the case of coaches) pursue other areas within their baseball interest.

Zach Crizer talked about his article for Opta Analyst, "Evolution in the Outfield: Is Center Fielder Morphing Into A Defensive Specialist Position" and cited the decline of center field OPS as players like Brenton Doyle, Kyle Isbel, and Tyrone Taylor become priorities for their teams. We also looked at his story from last season about right-handed batters and their lowered success vs left-handed pitching.

Maddie Landis shared her article on "Baseball's Gatekept Pitching Metric: Inside Vertical Approach Angle" and explained what can be learned from knowing the angle at which a pitch crosses home plate. She also discussed what she wrote about baseball player success by shoe type and which hitters are primed for breakout seasons in 2026 based on a stat she created.

Michael Rosen detailed what he learned from "How Much Do Trail Runners Matter? An Investigation" including which teams gained the most run expectancy from their successes. We also explored his articles on relief pitcher signings and also Wyatt Langford's defense.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Nihar recounted his time as a student at Wake Forest volunteering for the baseball team's analytics department. He shared what goes into his work with the Twins and the things he learned by asking questions. He explained how the sport is evolving, what jobs he'd like to explore in the future, and provided tips for those just starting out for a team.

To close the episode we looked back at what advice the major leaguers we interviewed in 2025 had for aspiring baseball players.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Tyler talked about his overall experience in Japan (he loved it - he signed a 2-year contract extension with the Seibu Lions), and what it was like to be a former American player in a Japanese locker room.

He also told us the story of a one-of-a-kind defensive play and other unusual things he saw, and provided a scouting report of future MLB pitcher Tatsuya Imai, as well as one on Japan's best defensive player, 5-foot-2 Natsuo Takizawa.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Mark and Ben talked about surprise hitters, pitchers, fielders, teams, and things. Among those discussed: Cristopher Sánchez, Trevor Rogers, Cam Smith, the Brewers, Orioles, Braves, and many more. 

This is our final episode of the MLB regular season. Our next episode will be in October to announce the winners of The Fielding Bible Awards. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Bryce talked about his aggressive approach and how he makes plays like a home run robbery against Andy Pages. He also explained the way pre-game prep helps him get ready for making improbable catches.

At episode's end, Mark takes a look at the top contenders for this year's Fielding Bible Awards.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Konnor's great play vs the Yankees

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NRRdSkSdKCU

Konnor's minor league highlight reel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrGS85eqR2E

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

If you would like to read a written transcript of Otto's interview, head here.

Then Mark is joined by his SIS colleague Bailey Knight for a discussion of how they watch baseball and what they think about when they watch baseball at different levels.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Kyle talked about his 6-foot-5 frame comes into play as a third baseman, why he loves watching Nolan Arenado play third base, and what suggestions he has for any aspiring third basemen (learn to make all the throws!)

Watch a highlight of Kyle here:

https://www.milb.com/video/kyle-karros-makes-a-tough-catch?t=milb-default-vtp

Brandon analyzed five pitchers and broke down which had the best chance of MLB success: Kade Anderson, Liam Doyle, Jamie Arnold, Kyson Witherspoon, and Gage Wood.

You can find Brandon's articles here

https://www.sportsinfosolutions.com/category/2025-mlb-draft/

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode, our Mark Simon talks to Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith, who ranks among the leaders in Defensive Runs Saved despite never having played the position before this season.

Cam talked about his welcome to the big leagues' moments and explained how teammate Jake Meyers and the Astros outfield coaches have helped in his acclimation to a new position.

Then, we switched topics. Mark went to the SABR convention and shared some of the things he learned, and brought on Sports-Reference's executive director of design Adam Darowski to share his research about players with 4,000 hits in pro baseball.

Lastly, Mark and his colleague Ben Schneider talked about what SIS measures regarding home plate umpire performance and looked at some tendencies among MLB umpires the last couple of seasons.

Three good interviews/discussions in roughly 20 minutes!

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Randy explained his new role under new Giants president Buster Posey, shared why teaching players how to hit the cutoff man is a priority to him, described how he and the organization use data, and told stories of new Hall-of-Famer Ichiro and how he played defense.

Alex talked about his enjoyment of finding statistical minutiae, and the recent success of Cal Raleigh and Rodríguez. 

Greg, a recent selection as Data Scout of the Month at SIS, used Ben Rice as an example of looking at a player's expected stats vs his actual stats and shared what it's like to regularly watch NPB and KBO games.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Mark also spanned the globe talking with baseball writer Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extra Base about the current generation of Venezuelan baseball players. They talked about the defensive excellence of Wilyer Abreu and Ezequiel Tovar, the hitting prowess of Wilmer Flores, and the early-season struggle for Anthony Santander.

Lastly, Mark closed the show with his SIS colleague, associate director of baseball operations Evan Butler. They talked about MLB stadiums and their various quirks and traits and how that related to enjoying a game in person.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Examples of Katie's segments

Positioning cards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H61fpueO3M&pp=0gcJCYUJAYcqIYzv

Umpire accuracy on close pitches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek1gHUblh-s

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Latest episode of Doug and Jayson Stark's podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starkville-mike-shildt-talks-about-the-surging-padres/id1558220009?i=1000704576444

Davy Andrews article links

Witnessing Elly De La Cruz
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/witnessing-elly-de-la-cruz

Oneil Cruz isn't a CF yet
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/oneil-cruz-isnt-a-center-fielder-yet

This is How You Lose A Fielding Run
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/this-is-how-you-earn-or-lose-one-fielding-run

When Ballplayers Make Babies
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-when-ballplayers-make-babies

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Hannah, who formerly wrote for Yahoo Sports, introduced us to her thrice-weekly baseball newsletter, The Bandwagon, which she co-authors with Zach Crizer. She shared what early-season baseball happenings surprised her and 'confirmed her priors.' 

Then she played along and guessed at the members of 'The All-Scrapes Team' (or 'The All-Ouch Team') - players who have dove for balls the most over the last 3 seasons. Mark also shared which players are the most effective at diving for balls at each position.

Brandon, who writes regularly for SportsInfoSolutions.com (see his articles on Roki Sasaki and Tomoyuki Sugano), is SIS' resident expert in Japanese baseball pitchers and their performance in the major leagues. He delved into the pitching approaches of Sasaki, Sugano, Shota Imanaga, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And he talked about everyone's new favorite pitch, the kick-change (a variant of a changeup).

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Mark and Chelsea discussed the best defensive teams entering 2025, underachievers in 2024 who could be in for big years this season, players with injury concerns, sleeper MVP and Cy Young picks, and predicted LCS and World Series matchups.

Amanda shared the story of her path to pro baseball and the work she focuses on as a minor league coach. She explained what she likes to use in terms of stats and video analysis, how she helps hitters with the mental challenges of a long season, and the mentors that have helped her.

Myra Faye talked about her book, Hitting Her Way to the Negro Leagues: A Graphic Novel Biography of Toni Stone. She detailed Toni’s story and how her determination helped her overcome gender barriers to play baseball for the Indianapolis Clowns. It’s a story worth knowing.

The SIS Baseball Podcast moves to a bi-weekly schedule during the season, so you can catch us again in two weeks.

Check out our 2021 talk on our injury prediction tool! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_iPVOY6TiU&t=744s&pp=ygUdam9obiBzaGlybGV5IG1hdHQgbWFub2NoZXJpYW7SBwkJvQCDtaTen9Q%3D

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Kerrick is the first Black head baseball coach in SEC history. He shared the story of his career path and influences, explained how data and analytics have become a big part of his job, and explained why his school is participating in this weekend's Andre Dawson Classic, competing against HBCU colleges (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). 

Adam explained why he founded the fund and how it has helped aspiring play-by-play broadcasters, including Grayson, a sports broadcaster (including baseball) in Oklahoma with a great voice and a love for telling stories. You can donate to the fund at https://www.blackpxpfund.com/.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Gabriel (with help from interpreter Alex Arpiza) talked about his catching history and the different things he’s worked on that have translated to defensive excellence. He also shared a couple of his favorite defensive plays (you can watch some of Gabi’s best throws here).

Davy talked about 3 articles he’s written recently, one on observing how catchers prevent delayed steals, another in which he looked at what people see when they watch a baseball play, and a third about the statistical stickiness of line drive rate.

Then Mark and Chris closed the show by chatting about NPB outfielder Chusei Mannami, who might have the best throwing arm in baseball, Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, and which team made the best move for a middle reliever.

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

Young talked about what goes into playing the position, specifically how he’s one of the best in MLB at getting good jumps on fly balls. He walked us through 2 catches he made this season, one against Kiké Hernández (link to watch) and another against Ozzie Albies (link).

Mark was also joined by his colleague at SIS, Joey Mahon, to talk pitcher injuries, the trade deadline, and bat speed stats.

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

Chandler introduced himself by telling us about some videos online showing him as a kid dancing like Michael Jackson … and how those skills related to baseball. He walked us through the idea of ball, wall, ball and walked us through the best play he’s made in the minors. Note: After the interview, Chandler was the star of the minor league game at Rickwood Field on Tuesday (though he also left the game with a calf injury).

He also told us all the different checkpoints he considers when thinking (or not thinking) about stealing a base. And he explained why he’s studying the hitting of Luis Arraez so closely.

Jenn told us about how they used analytics as a way to calculate donations to LGBTQ-related causes, how the idea originated, MLB’s relationship with LGBTQ fans, and what a misidentified pair of socks can teach us about changing your thoughts when data presents itself to show that you’re wrong.

Stephen explained his role at SIS and talked about some of the game’s breakout players in 2024.

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 Mark S. and Josh talk about Josh’s move to different positions, his approach to playing defense, and the tip he’d give to any kids that want to play defense like he does (a different answer than we usually get) (3:28).

 Matt and Mark talk about Matt’s defense-oriented articles, including one on the aggressive defense of Willy Adames, the slight decline in William Conteras’ pitch framing, the disappearance of the double play, and the experience of watching Eduoard Julien field 400 batted balls (13:15).

 The two Marks then talk about Bryce Harper’s defensive approach, how Shota Imanaga has changed as a pitcher, and how the Yankees and Phillies are dominating with one pitching plan and the Brewers are winning with another (27:53).

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

Ryan talks to us about playing first baseman, where he's been a league leader in our "Good Fielding Plays" stat, what it's been like to switch positions at various points in his baseball life, and how he puts technology to use (3:48).

Manny talks to us about the details behind a recent article we wrote about the Mariners excellence in defensive positioning. He gives an intense breakdown of how the Mariners position their infielders, an approach that differs from many other teams. And he talks about how he collaborates with the team's analytics department (14:44).

Nick explains what he does at SIS, then gets into a discussion with Mark about SIS' version of scorekeeping, what's so impressive about Mookie Betts, and how the Red Sox have changed their pitching approach under new coach Andrew Bailey (27:53).

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.  

Mark and Daniel discuss Daniel's comprehensive video analysis articles, including ones on Mookie Betts, tagging effectiveness, and how first basemen catch throws, as well as a piece on pitchers introducing the splitter to their repertoire (14:41).

Mark and Brandon chat about how Kansas has taken one of its players and turned him into a roving defender, which players could go 1-1 in this year's MLB Draft, and a difference in pitch usage between MLB and NPB pitchers (30:29).

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.  

Lance's newsletter: LanceBroz.Substack.com

YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@LanceBroz

Thank you for listening. Please check out Archive.FieldingBible.com for your defensive stats needs, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 First, Mark Simon talks to Saint Elizabeth University catcher Alexia Jorge, who became the 2nd woman to start at catcher in a college baseball game. Alexia has been playing baseball (not softball) her entire life and she speaks to us about her techniques for pitch framing and thwarting basestealing attempts, as well as how she prepares for upcoming opponents with limited data and information available (3:34).

 Then we speak with baseball researcher Emily-Anne Patt, who talks about a project she’s worked on - with research partner James Stockton - for the last several years. Emily-Anne’s work deals with analyzing strike zone sizes and shapes for umpires, catchers, pitchers, and hitters. She’s presented at the last 2 SABR Analytics Conferences and shared some of her findings on specific players (her project is very much in line with work SIS does) (19:39).

 Mark also recapps Alexia’s interview with SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales and talks about the things Bobby is most looking forward to watching in 2024 (32:33).

 Other SIS interviews with women in baseball:
 Rachel Balkovec
Bianca Smith
Alex Oglesby
Veronica Alvarez, Tess Taruskin, Sarah Thompson
Justine Siegal PhD
Kiri Oler and Emily Curtis
Jasmine Dunston
A.J. Andrews
Chelsea Janes, Andrea Arcidipane, Sarah Thompson

Thank you for listening. Please check out the new FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

Thank you for listening. Please check out the new FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 Ryan walks us through his career path and explains what goes into being a pitching strategy coach in the major leagues (0:48).

 Brandon shares his scouting reports on Yoshinobu Yamamoto,  Shōta Imanaga, Naoyuki Uwasawa, Jung-hoo Lee, Yuki Matsui, and Woo-suk Go. (Click the link to read the report.) (18:29)

 And then Mark and Bobby talk about the recent Hall of Fame elections of Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer, and look ahead to the next Hall of Fame ballot, which features Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia. (31:58)

 Thank you for listening. Please check out the new FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

 You'll hear the best we got from Phillies GM Sam Fuld, Washington Post reporter Chelsea Janes, Tre' Morgan, Vance Honeycutt, Noah Miller, Nasim Nuñez, Brenton Doyle, Bobby Witt Jr., Bobby Scales, Marcus Semien, Josh Rojas, David MacKinnon, Myles Straw, Jake Meyers, Adley Rutschman, Marquis Grissom, Kevin Kiermaier, and Ke'Bryan Hayes

 Apply to work as a SIS Baseball Video Scout here 

 Thank you for listening. Please check out the new FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com..

 Afterwards, Mark discusses the interview with Sports Info Solutions VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (@bobby_scales), who provides additional depth to some of the things Bobby Witt Jr. talked about, including a sliding play on Mike Tauchman (VIDEO). With the MLB home run robbery record being broken last week, Bobby also explains what it's like to watch a home run robbery on the field (13:34).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 Mark and Eno talk pitching, with a focus on the Giants, Astros, and Orioles. Among the names that come up are Grayson Rodriguez, Framber Valdez, and Jakob Junis, along with organizational pitching philosophies (0:33).

 Mark, Noah, and Brandon talk about SIS Scout School, a program that helps SIS employees learn how to scout baseball players. They discuss their favorite things to teach related to scouting hitting, pitching, and defense (16:49).

 You can find Stuff+ leaderboards at FanGraphs.

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 Adley talks about the challenges of catching the different pitchers on the Orioles staff, how the team’s pitching strategist helps him with game preparation, and what he could do defensively that would top switch-hitting home runs in the Home Run Derby (0:39).

 Jonathan discusses his new book and shares the scouting story behind the drafting of Mookie Betts. He explains the different types of work that goes into scouting a player. And he offers a college player and a minor league prospect that could be high-impact players defensively (12:38).

 We are also joined by SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales, who joins Mark in analyzing some of the big moves made at the trade deadline (27:18).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

With this being Hall of Fame week, Jay comes on to talk about a series of pieces he's written about the Hall of Fame candidacies of current players. We discuss Jose Ramirez, Freddie Freeman, Kenley Jansen, and Marcus Semien from a variety of angles (0:51).

Russell comes on to talk about his new book, which takes a macro (and micro) look at the hidden forces shaping contemporary baseball (17:40).

To wrap the show, Mark is joined by SIS VP of Baseball, Bobby Scales. They discuss CC Sabathia's Hall of Fame candidacy, the rise of the Orioles, and what the days leading up to the MLB trade deadline are like behind the scenes (30:09).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.  

Links
The Cooperstown Casebook
The New Ballgame
Jay Jaffe's FanGraphs articles
Russell Carleton's BP articles

 SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales just watched Doyle play live and shares his thoughts on his game, as well as the outstanding defense of Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon. He also pays tribute to one All-Star close to his baseball heart (10:27). 

 Then we're joined by Saberseminar co-founder Dan Brooks, who talked about the return of the baseball statistical conference this August in Chicago. It's a fantastic chance to hear interesting speakers and network, with all the money raised going to a great cause (18:19).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. 

 Marcus talks about a couple of memorable plays from the season, the hardest things about playing second base, the level of peak focus a hitter and fielder can have, and how eliminating the shift helped the Rangers right-side defense (0:32).

 Jake Meyers walks us through 3 great catches he’s made this season, explaining what went into making each play. He explains the practical value of his pre-game prep and why batting practice is such an important time for him to work on his defense. And he talks about the defensive lessons he learned from his father and from Nebraska baseball coach Darin Erstad (11:13).

SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales also joins us for his usual segment, where he reacts to some of the things Jake said in his interview and gives his thoughts on some of the early Defensive Runs Saved leaders (21:35).

 Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

 Links

- Marcus Semien throw-out at home

- Marcus Semien jump throw

- Marcus Semien DP turn

- Jake Meyers catch vs Owen Miller

- Jake Meyers catch vs Brandon Drury

- Jake Meyers catch vs Shohei Ohtani

Vance was the 2022 ACC Tournament MVP and league Preseason Player of the Year, but he joins us to talk about his defense and his penchant for home run-robberies and other great catches. He also explains how he's evolved as a hitter, one who could be a high-end pick in next year's MLB Draft (0:42).

Ben writes a weekly column about "5 Things He Likes About Baseball", and we modify that slightly to have Ben and Mark talk about 3 things they each liked about MLB defense from the first month of the season. Among the subjects, an outfielder with a cannon arm in Cleveland, how Wilmer Flores made a play with a 5% out rate, and why Ke'Bryan Hayes should be viewed as great by Cardinals fans (11:25).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

 Josh talks about the adjustments he’s made at third base and how he can feel the difference it has made for him. He also describes in detail three memorable plays he’s made this season and how he successfully executed a difficult move to steal home on a double steal (0:45).

 Myles explains the work he put in that made him a Fielding Bible Award winner in center field last season and how pre-game prep can have a big payoff. He also goes into what’s made him such a successful base-stealer (14:13).

 Then Mark is joined by SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (@Bobby_Scales), who reacts to some of the things Josh said in his interview and speaks to how collaborative player development, from both coaches and strength and conditioning staff can help make a player better (23:54).

 Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

 * ESPN broadcaster Eduardo Pérez, who celebrates the global nature of the game, and talks about his appreciation of Shohei Ohtani, Luis Arraez, and (among others) Rays outfielder Harold Ramírez. Eduardo also talks about the new rules, the pace of the game, and why this Sunday’s broadcast of Astros-Rangers is going to stand out beyond the starting pitching matchup (1:07).

 * ESPN’s Paul Hembekides, co-author of the new book Got Your Number, The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own. Paul gives a baseball history lesson as relates to the defense of Ozzie Smith, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Mays (17:19).

 * And SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales, who explains how pitchers throwing off baserunner and batter timing is going to be key in trying to limit stolen bases, discusses why singles have always mattered, and picks the pitcher who’s impressed him in the first two weeks of the season (31:49).

 Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Mark Simon is joined first by Chelsea Janes, national baseball writer for the Washington Post to discuss player reaction to rule changes, what to make of the Padres and Orioles heading into 2023, and other season preview-related topics. Chelsea also discusses how baseball’s receptiveness to women writers has changed in her 10 years on the job (1:02).

Andrea Arcidipane, also known as “Scoutgirl” on social media, talks about her time working in baseball operations for the Yankees in 2022. Andrea also speaks on information communication and making her videos and charts accessible to any audience, and she shares a few players she finds interesting heading into 2023 (Vinnie Pasquantino, Caleb Thielbar, Adam Duvall, and Brandon Walter for different reasons). Find her work on Twitter and at https://scoutgirlreport.com/ (22:41)

And SIS research analyst Sarah Thompson talks about the presentation she did at the SABR Analytics Conference on evaluating minor league outfield defense. She shares her findings on specific players and the differences between minor league and major league out rates on fly balls (36:50).

Make sure to check out The Effect of Outfield Position Changes on DRS by Andrew Kyne as mentioned in the Andrea Arcidipane interview. Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

4-time Gold Glove winner Marquis Grissom (@MGBA_Baseball). Marquis talks about the work he does with aspiring Black baseball players and youth baseball organizations and the value of going to an HBCU both for school and for baseball. (0:55)

Major League Baseball's senior director of front office and field staff diversity pipeline program Tyrone Brooks (@tbrooksBIN). Tyrone talks about the work he does with MLB and the Baseball Industry Network, his time in baseball, and opportunities around the upcoming SABR Analytics Conference. (16:28)

And children’s book author Matt Tavares. Matt is the author of the children’s book, Henry Aaron’s Dream that was recently pulled from school bookshelves in Florida for review - the good news is that it was eventually returned. Matt gives us a good history lesson on Hank Aaron. (36:39)

And stay tuned at the end – Bobby answers Mark’s question – can you change a player’s defensive aggressiveness during spring training? (49:57)

Sam talks about what the GM job is like on a minute-to-minute basis, the adjustment in going from field to front office, the kinds of questions he asks his staff, how he values defensive metrics, and much more.

You can find the FanGraphs article referenced by Sam here.

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

 Among the people you’ll hear from:

- Astros World Series MVP Jeremy Peña (0:46)

- Yankees SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa (3:01)

- Orioles prospect Gunnar Henderson (4:44)

- Nationals prospect Jake Alu (5:52)

- Diamondbacks outfielder/catcher Daulton Varsho (6:30)

- Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (7:39)

- Guardians Fielding Bible Award winner Steven Kwan (9:14)

- Platinum Glove winning Yankees catcher Jose Trevino (11:56)

- Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (13:32)

- Diamondbacks 1B Christian Walker (14:25)

- Team USA Women’s Baseball Coach Veronica Alvarez (16:20)

- Women’s baseball advocate Dr. Justine Siegal (17:03)

- White Sox director of minor league operations Jasmine Dunston (18:43)

- SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (20:02)

- Dodgers broadcaster José Mota (22:50)

- College-bound catcher Adonys Guzman (24:00)

- Brewers prospect Eric Brown (25:00)

- Orioles outfielder Brett Phillips. (26:01)

If you like any of the clips heard here, check out the full episodes available on our podcast page. We'll have plenty more to come in 2023. Thanks as always for listening. Please follow

John goes through the NPB winners, explaining what made certain players so good defensively (0:34). Bobby talks about what it’s like to play in Japan and how defense is taught (14:08). Ted discusses the KBO winners and also talks about a few of the prominent free agents from NPB (22:43).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Jose talks about the art and skill required to frame pitches, how he gets acquainted with a pitching staff, and why he’s passionate about keeping human umpires behind the plate (0:29).

Ian discusses the challenges of playing at Wrigley Field, why he was so aggressive at sliding, diving, and jumping this season, and how the Cubs used collaboration between the computers and the humans to refine their outfield positioning data (14:55).

Then, Mark is joined by SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales who talks about catching as an art, his own experiences at Wrigley Field, and what he’s most looking forward to for baseball in 2023 (32:31).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Plus new interviews with Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman and Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo.

Congratulations to all the winners!

 Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

They include the accomplishments of Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols (yes, Judge was to some extent a surprise), Andrés Giménez and the Guardians, and many more (0:53).

Tyler also talks about his new book, The Grandest Stage, a history of the World Series (35:37).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Dodgers broadcaster José Mota (@josemota05) about how the Dodgers have made the most out of players like Trayce Thompson, Tony Gonsolin and Evan Phillips, and how they've excelled on defense. He also shared stories of his father's relationship with Roberto Clemente and talked about the game's young Hispanic stars (1:12).

Washington Nationals infield prospect Jake Alu (@jakealu1 on Tiktok), who leads all minor league third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved, and who has made major strides in his offensive game. You might see him in MLB in 2023. (18:58)

And SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (@bobby_scales) on the greatness of Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols (33:16).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Christian talks about what’s gone into his dominant defensive season and an unusual offensive season in which he was repeatedly hitting the ball hard both into shifts and into great defensive plays. He’s back on track for good numbers now (1:07).

We’ll also hear from our Video Scout, Alex Eisert (@Mind_OverBatter), about 2 statistical studies he did with SIS data – one on checked swings and another on meatball pitches (16:38).

And then we’re joined by SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales and Operations Assistant Brandon Tew (@BrandonTeweets). The theme of their talk is “Grade 80 Watchability” as they did in-depth scouting on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, along with Shohei Ohtani, Edwin Diaz, and Spencer Strider (22:54).

You can read Brandon’s article on Murakami here.

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

You can watch a talk Bobby did for the ABCA Convention on basestealing here.

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Steven (0:53) talked about some of the top plays he’s made in left field on his way to leading the Guardians in Defensive Runs Saved. And he explained the prep that goes into playing in the outfields in Colorado, Cleveland, Boston, and Baltimore.

Justine (12:20) is the founder of Baseball For All, a women’s baseball advocacy group, and was the consultant on Amazon Prime’s A League of Their Own show debuting on Friday. She talked about the work her organization is doing as well as everything that goes into teaching actresses to play baseball.

Bobby (22:10) reacted to both interviews, giving his perspective on Steven Kwan’s play so far. He also shared a story about an outfield adventure at Wrigley Field and gave us opinion on what happened at the end of A League Of Their Own, the movie.

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Cal talks about the different elements that go into catching this Mariners staff and the different looks and challenges their pitchers present. He also explains why he might not do as well as Julio Rodríguez in a Home Run Derby (0:42).

Our VP of Baseball, Bobby Scales, follows that interview by chatting with us about some of the best defensive catchers he's played with and against. Bobby also addresses the Chicago White Sox and how aggressively they should go for the AL Central title (15:04).

Thanks as always for listening. Please follow us on Twitter at @sis_baseball. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Jeremy tells us about his favorite defensive plays, why he's so good at fielding on the backhand, the value of being bilingual in a locker room, and much more (0:31)

We then run through the Defensive Runs Saved leaders by position for the first half of the season (11:33).

We also talk with SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales about the significance of the first 5 picks in the MLB Draft, the decline in high school players selected in the late rounds, and the fun in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game. (14:09)

Thanks as always for listening. Looking forward to the rest of the 2022 season. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Gunnar, recently rated the No. 5 prospect in Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline, talked about playing both shortstop and third base and what’s gone into his success at each position (0:34).

Bobby talked a bout another standout rookie, Michael Harris II and his teammate, Matt Olson, and what’s impressed him with the recent strong play of the Orioles (13:13).

Please rate and review the show if you can. You can follow us on Twitter at SIS_Baseball

Links

Michael Harris’ impressive catch vs Josh Bell

SIS Baseball Podcast interview with Michael Harris

SIS Baseball Podcast interview with Matt Olson

Mark’s article on the Orioles’ defense

MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects

Eric talks about the work that has gone into having what some say is the best range among college infielders and his unusual batting stance (0:23). Adonys, who plays high school baseball in Connecticut, talks about how he frames, blocks, and guides a pitching staff and discusses his throwing arm, which some scouts have given a 70 grade on the 20-80 scale (8:55).

Mark is then joined by SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales, who provides further explanation on Eric’s unusual stance and gives perspective on the challenges a high school catcher faces in hoping to go pro (16:35).

Thanks as always for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. You can follow us on Twitter at @SIS_Baseball. And send any feedback on the podcast to Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

LINKS

Scouting report on Eric Brown - LINK

Eric's barehand play - LINK

Eric's stance - LINK

Adonys Guzman highlights - LINK

Adonys Guzman scouting report - LINK

Yankees SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa joins us to talk about all things related to defensive excellence, from favorite plays he’s made to drills he’s done, to lesson’s he’s learned. We were psyched to hear that Isiah follows his Defensive Runs Saved total closely (0:56).

SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (@Bobby_Scales), a former executive in player development with the Pirates and Angels comes on for his regular spot to talk about Alex Cora and the work the Red Sox have done in improving defensively. He also shares thoughts on Hunter Greene, and the best baseball lesson he ever learned (20:34).

And writer Howard Bryant (@hbryant42) – author of a new book about Rickey Henderson, talks about Rickey’s legendary baseball playing career (33:26).

Thank you for listening. Feel free to tweet us at @SIS_Baseball or e-mail mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Daulton Varsho talked about the origin of his unusual position combination, what a day in the life is like for a catcher, and what his experience has been like with the new Pitchcom communication system.

Bobby Scales shared his relationship with Daulton’s father, Gary, explained what impressed him most about how Varsho plays the outfield, and provided a Hawaiian baseball history lesson on former player/coach Mike Lum.

Mark and Paul Hembekides then ran through the most interesting hitter, pitcher, fielder, and team through the first two months of the season, and discussed the Mets’ new approach to scoring runs.

Thank you for listening as always. Please follow us on Twitter at @SIS_Baseball. If you have any feedback on the show or suggestions for guests, e-mail Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

We talk with Tony about the role the Padres defense has played in their success this season, how Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado have figured out how to hit in the 2022 baseball environs, why Harrison Bader is his favorite defensive player to watch, and why Tony had considerable success vs Max Scherzer. (0:45)

Bobby discusses Hunter Greene's electric stuff, early struggles, and no-hit bid, why custom-fitted bats are so important for a hitter, and his relationship with the MLB leader in Defensive Runs Saved. (16:00)

You'll also learn about some shortstops whose names you may not know- but you should.

Thanks for tuning in. You can send feedback to Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com. Please rate and review us if you can.

We talk to our April Defensive Player of the Month Brett Phillips (@Brett_Phillips8) of the Rays about everything that makes playing defense fun - and what makes him so good at it. He walked us through plays (both good and bad), talked about his glove, and gave the answer to what he'd tell a kid who wanted to play defense (and dance) like he does. (0:36)

We then went around the majors with Ryan Spilborghs (@spillygoat19) of Root Sports Colorado and MLB Network radio. Ryan talked about the challenge of trying to hit in 2022, players and teams that intrigued him the most through a month and picked a "smartest player in baseball." (25:54).

And then we dug a little deeper with SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales (@bobby_scales), discussing how infield shifts change how you coach baserunning, what we might see in a post-shifting world, and why Jason Krizan and Chris Coste are some of his favorite baseball stories. (41:52)

Thank you for listening as always. Feel free to share your thoughts on the show by e-mailing mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

Bobby reminisces about his long pro career, which included 10 years in Triple-A and 2 years in Japan, telling stories of memorable moments and people (he thought he was being pranked after hitting his first home run … but a surprise awaited) (2:37). He also breaks down the duties and skills needed in the different front office jobs in which he worked – which include Director of Player Development, Special Assistant to the General Manager, and Field Coordinator (15:15). And he talks about something he’s passionate about – getting more Black men and women working in baseball front offices (30:45).

Thank you for listening. Please send any feedback on the podcast to Mark@SportsInfoSolutions.com

Mark poses 10 questions to Ken, ranging from which team has the greatest potential variance in performance, sleeper Cy Young and MVP picks (people who never got a vote for that award) to the best defensive teams, to how rule changes are going to impact the game, and much more (0:48).

Eric Young explains what goes into coaching the Braves outfield and baserunners, how he uses data in his job, and the most important thing to know about being a first base coach is (14:34).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review and send any feedback to Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

Veronica talks about her work with the A’s and as head coach for Team USA in women’s baseball. She explains how she works with prospects and what she values when it comes to different areas of catching. She also speaks to the rise of women coaches in MLB and the minor leagues (0:35).

Tess talks prospects – from Bobby Witt and Julio Rodriguez to the many catchers whom FanGraphs rates highly. She also talks about the challenges of projecting a player’s defensive performance and offers advice on breaking into prospect writing (16:10).

Sarah discusses her recent presentation at the SABR Analytics conference, a study of third base coach aggressiveness and effectiveness. She cites specific examples of teams and players who stood out in those regards (35:01).

March is Women’s History Month and we’re happy to put a spotlight on women doing good work in the sport. Thank you for listening as always.

Josh is an SIS alum now working in baseball analytics. He talks about his career path, what he did for the Twins as an advance scouting analyst, and his new role analyzing the skills of the Twins minor league players (0:28).

Jasmine talks about her new position with the White Sox, explains what a director of minor league operations does, and her career and educational background. She also talks about the influence of both her mom and her dad (former MLB shortstop and coach Shawon Dunston) on her career (23:29).

Both Josh and Jasmine also speak about the lack of Black men and women in their fields and offered guidance to anyone looking to pursue a baseball operations career.

--

MLB is seeking qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds interested in careers in baseball operations to participate in the SABR Analytics conference March 17-20 with MLB covering the conference costs.

Undergrads, grads, and recent grads are eligible.

For more information and to apply, click this link and if you’re interested in working for SIS (like Josh), check out our careers page.

Mark and Jake talk about Jake’s work with baseball analytics at Penn State and what he’s trying to do with his YouTube channel and a program created by SABR to give people access to an educational certification in the field. They walk through one video Jake did on Adam Wainwright and the process by which he goes about analyzing players (1:08).

Mark and Alison talk about her work integrating analytics into writing and tv coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets and now the Seattle Kraken for NHL.com and Root Sports Northwest (here’s a recent example of her work). She explains what advanced statistics are available publicly, what’s on everyone’s wish list, how expected goal models work, and what makes quantifying defensive performance so challenging (15:11).

Thank you for listening as always.

On Monday, the Yankees named Rachel Balkovec as the manager of the Class-A Tampa Tarpons minor league baseball team. She is the first woman to manage a minor league baseball team. 

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast from January 2021, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) was joined by Rachel (@_rachelbalkovec), who was in Australia working as a coach with the Sydney Blue Sox.

Rachel talks about how she came to be coaching in Australia (1:46). She then addresses the progress that women have made in baseball and other sports and the challenges women face in light of the Mets firing of their GM (5:24).

Rachel also talks about the way she connects with players (11:21), the hardest thing to coach athletes on (13:36), and what she studied when she worked with Driveline (14:51). She also speaks about her favorite mentoring story (20:43) and provides perspective on how she viewed 2020 (25:12).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you can. You can also find Rachel at RachelBalkovec.com or on Instagram at @Rachel.Balkovec

Thank you for listening this season. Please rate and review us if you get the chance. Happy holidays and we look forward to talking to you in 2022.

After announcing the 2021 Fielding Bible Award winners (0:19), Mark and Joe talk about:

- The most impressive thing about defense in MLB (4:56)

- Byron Buxton’s future (7:50)

- 2021 MLB Awards (10:08)

- Reward Robbie Ray? (15:00)

- The promise of Eduardo Rodriguez (21:56)

- Teams to watch this offseason (Giants, Tigers & more) (24:30)

- Buster Posey/Paul Goldschmidt and the Hall of Fame (28:36)

- Veterans Committee candidates (35:09)

- Bring on the pitch clock! (36:52)

- The Baseball Revolution (38:46)

Thank you as always for listening. Stay safe and stay well.

First they talk about Matt’s baseball origins, covering everything from his best defensive play to his favorite players and ballparks (0:50).

The discussion then moves to Jeopardy! where Matt explains every aspect of his in-game strategy, including the mechanism he developed for timing when to buzz in. They also delve into specific moments in games and how they played out. Lots of baseball comparisons here too! (7:17)

Then comes talk about statistics, with Jeopardy in-game win probability serving as a springboard into talk about pitch tunneling and defensive metrics (26:59).

Matt then explains his field of study as he pursues his doctorate at Yale (35:01).

The show closes with some fun – an explanation of how he kept his wins (and loss) a secret, and a Uni-Watch style investigation into Matt’s “uniform” choices (h/t @oneeclecticmom) (37:00). Special thanks as well to Andy Saunders at TheJeopardyFan.com and J-Archive for research assistance.

Hope you enjoy this episode. It’s a little different from our normal fare! Please rate and review us if you can.

Among the things they touch on are the Giants and Rays (0:50), the pitching of Nestor Cortes and Ranger Suarez (8:44), the craterings of the Mets, Padres, and Cody Bellinger (15:52), the up-and-coming Tigers (21:13), an unlikely MVP candidate (23:30), and the amazing defense of the Rockies third basemen (27:07).

Thank you as always for listening. Please rate and review if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Duvall talks about the intricacies of playing the outfield and one of his specialties, getting to balls quickly so that he can make a throw to nail or hold a baserunner. He also talks about the challenges of playing each of the three outfield spots and the adventures he’s had with side walls and outfield fences. (0:37)

Harris, our minor league outfield Runs Saved leader, discusses his time with the Rome Braves (Class-A) and some of the outstanding catches he’s made this season. He also shares the message he writes on his glove to remind himself not to feel bad about taking away base hits (10:28).

Thank you for listening. Stay safe and stay well.

Max talks about his defense origin story (he was born into catching) and what he focuses on when he frames pitches (1:21).

Max also discusses what it's like to catch Shohei Ohtani and offers a strong take on the potential of robot umpires and how that would change catching forever (imagine catchers working entirely from their knees) (11:18).

Plus, Hall-of-Fame inductee and 7-time Gold Glover Larry Walker on his favorite type of defensive play (19:53).

Mark is then joined by former Baseball Info Solutions Video Scout, and singer-songwriter Matt Halvorson (@HalvyHalvorson), whose songs are often about prominent (and lesser-known) baseball players (you'll hear a brief excerpt from his latest album, which you can find here) (21:48).

Thank you for listening. Stay safe and stay well.

Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks to Chas about his path to the big leagues (which was not an easy one) (0:55), which coaches have most influenced how he plays (3:02), what it takes to play all three outfield positions and play them well (4:09), his welcome to the big leagues moment as a CF and what he's learned about playing outfield at the major-league level (4:55), the teammate he most enjoys watching play defense (9:21), and where he’s looking to improve his game (he has a good amount of self-awareness) (11:57).

Thanks for listening as always. Stay safe and stay well.

Matt talks about his favorite childhood defensive play (0:59), reacclimating to third base after last year’s hip injury (4:33), and the challenge of catching pop ups in Oakland and line drives from up close (6:16).

Antoan talks about how the Giants position their outfielders (19:16), breaks down a play in which the Giants’ smart baserunning approach gained them an advantage (24:37), and discusses the concept of dissecting the field (28:47).

Thank you for listening as always. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Links

Matt Chapman's foul territory catches - LINK LINK LINK

Matt Chapman catches Salvador Perez's line drive LINK

Marly discussed the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Kris Bryant, Trevor Story, Vladimir Guerrero, and Cedric Mullins. She also gave her thoughts on the state of women in baseball broadcasting.

Thank you always for listening. Stay safe and stay well.

Renfroe talks about his powerful throwing arm, with tips for aspiring players on what they can do to develop theirs (0:35). He also talks about the challenges of playing the right field triangle and right field corner at Fenway Park. (3:58)

Guillorme walks us through how he learned to be a smart defensive player while growing up in Venezuela and how he learned to slow the game down (12:04). He takes us through several plays he’s made this season, including a game-saving relay throw and a well-timed base block (15:30). He also discusses how he catches flying bats, how he battles in his at-bats, and how he became adept at juggling. (19:31)

Brandon and Dominick give us a preview of the top college pitchers and hitters in this year’s draft, a class headed by Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Henry Davis (24:29). They also come up with players to keep an eye on outside the top 10 (42:47).

As always, thanks for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Hunter Renfroe plays referenced

Catch in right field corner vs Tom Murphy at Fenway

Great throw after CF missed ball to throw out Matt Chapman trying for 3B on triple

Luis Guillorme plays referenced

Threw out Cedric Mullins on a bunt

Tag play at 3B on SB attempt

Throws Marisnick out at home

Cedric Mullins Highlights

- Catch vs Kiké Hernández

- Catch vs Nelson Cruz

- Catch vs Amed Rosario

- Catch vs Jonathan Villar

Mark is also joined by Adam Darowski (@baseballtwit) of Sports-Reference.com to discuss the Baseball-Reference project – The Negro Leagues Are Major Leagues – in which the company added a considerable amount of statistical information to its databases and incorporated it as stats equivalent to the National League and American League (11:19). Adam talks about why the site took on the project (13:57) and some of the many cool statistical discoveries that can be made with a few clicks of a mouse (16:42).

Thanks for listening, and don't forget to rate and review!

McMahon is quick and to the point in discussing how he learned to play defense (1:07), his approach to playing defense (2:09), what he learns from watching other players (6:39), and why he was given a glove at birth (9:50).

Mark and show producer Justin Stine (@j_stine31) then review the early-season Defensive Runs Saved leaderboard and point out improvements, surprises, and key players (15:47).

Mike talked about the Giants overall strengths and put an emphasis on the catcher’s ability to manage the rhythm of a game. He also went pitcher-by-pitcher through the Giants’ surprises this season, explaining how tweaks can lead to success, with Kevin Gausman, Alex Wood, and Anthony DeSclafani as the examples, and the process that leads to such adjustments.

To close, he talked about the many arm angles of the Padres pitching staff, and what a fan should watch the rest of the season regarding pitching in MLB (it wasn’t velocity).

Thanks for listening as always. Stay safe and stay well. 

Tommy talks about his family’s interest in baseball analytics (his father teaches math, his brother works for the Twins, his sister works for the Cardinals) and how data plays a role in how he plays (2:05). He also walks us through multiple good defensive plays he’s made this season, from diving stops against Trevor Story and Eugenio Suarez to crashing into the fence to take away an extra-base hit from Alec Bohm (9:59). He also talks about what he’s learned from watching his other Cardinals teammates, including new third baseman Nolan Arenado (15:51).

Peter explains the stats behind the Red Sox success, ranging from J.D. Martinez’s offensive performance, to the improved pitching of Nick Pivetta and Matt Barnes, and quantifiable examples of how Alex Cora’s return benefited the team (21:05). He also gives his thoughts on the other AL East teams (31:03).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Mark also chats with Dr. Jason Themanson of Illinois Wesleyan University to learn the neuroscience behind the great catch that Mookie Betts made against the Padres (12:24).

Thank you as always for listening. Go to FieldingBible.com for all the latest defensive stats. Stay safe and stay well.

Len talked about his transition from Cubs TV to White Sox radio, what interested him most from an analytic perspective so far this season, both in the sport as a whole and for the White Sox. He also discussed Tony La Russa’s impact, Chicago’s potentially unique relief situation, what to make of Tim Anderson and José Abreu’s defensive numbers. Len closed by giving tips to get kids interested in analytic thinking and did an impersonation of Howard Cosell commenting on the analytic revolution.

Hembo and Mark went back and forth trying to find meaning in some of the early-season stats and why right-handed pitching has been so dominant in 2021. Among the players to come up: Freddie Freeman, Frankie Montas, Evan Longoria, and Mark Melancon. They closed the show with a couple of trivia stumpers of an analytic nature.

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast If you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

Cliff Floyd breaks down 5 hitters - Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Lorenzo Cain, and Shohei Ohtani and assesses the most important thing to watch and what the future holds for each guy (1:09).

Karl Ravech breaks down the 2 toughest divisions, shares what 2021 holds for superstars Juan Soto and Trevor Bauer, and gives a sleeper pick for the Cy Young who has not previously even gotten a Cy Young vote (13:23).

James Wagner picks the 2 teams poised to overachieve the most, gives win total estimates for the 2 most polarizing teams, compares the Yankees postseason chances to those of the Brooklyn Nets and lets us know if baseball games will get any shorter in 2021 (spoiler: probably not) (20:53).

Do you want to get an edge in fantasy baseball this season. Then check out The Bill James Handbook: Projections Update. This excel spreadsheet offers player projections for 2021. The projections are based on our exclusive formula and our playing time assessments. Purchase them here: http://baseballinfosolution.com/bijahaprup208.html

Thanks for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you have a chance. Stay safe and stay well.

Joey talks about his 2020 postseason experience and the large number of hard-hit balls he had to field as well as the preparation that goes into playing defense, including pre-game work and how he’s positioned. He also shares tips for aspiring third basemen on making the long throw across the diamond to first base and gives his early impressions of Wander Franco.

Thanks for listening as always. Don’t forget to rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

Eno discusses what people should know about seam shifted wake and the pitchers for which it might be the most pertinent (0:48). He also talks about the rule changes at the minor league level and which are most important to note (7:49). Other items discussed include the deadening of the baseball (10:35), the concern over Fernando Tatis' 14-year contract (11:33), and who's winning the World Series if the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers or Padres don't (14:06).

Eno is followed by Dr. Phil Klotzbach (@philklotzbach), a baseball fan and meteorologist at Colorado State University. He explains the research he does on hurricanes and draws parallels between hurricane predicting and baseball predicting (16:20).

Then, Alex Vigderman (@vigmanoncampus) joins Mark to talk about their takeaways from last weekend's SABR Analytics Conference (31:40).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

 First, Mark is joined by Oakland Athletics second baseman and outfielder, Tony Kemp (@TonyKemp).

Tony talks about how his hitting approach generated higher walk rates (1:09), how a player knows and understands what he can do (2:23), the challenges of hitting at Wrigley Field, Minute Maid Park, and Oakland Coliseum (7:00), and his favorite defensive plays, both from college and pro. (8:39)

He also discusses what happened last year when he put out a call on social media to talk to people during the protests related to George Floyd’s death (12:14), and the work Tony is doing for his movement, The +1 Effect. (14:31)

Also joining the podcast is Baltimore Orioles radio broadcaster Melanie Newman (@MelanieLynneN), who is entering her second season calling games for the team. Melanie talks about her rapport with broadcast partner Geoff Arnold (20:20), her climb up the baseball broadcast ladder (24:15), the ascension of women and the importance of representation in baseball play-by-play broadcasting and other important MLB roles (31:25), how she simplifies numbers for listeners (38:17), which Orioles pitcher is better than you might think (hint: knuckleballer!) (42:03) and much more!

 Lastly, SABR (@SABR) CEO Scott Bush (@scott_bush) stops by to give us a preview of the SABR Analytics Conference. (45:33)

 Thank you as always for listening, Please rate and review the podcast if you can. You can contact us at mark@sportsinfosolutions.com or @sportsinfo_SIS.

Rachel talks about how she came to be coaching in Australia (1:46). She then addresses the progress that women have made in baseball and other sports and the challenges women face in light of the Mets firing of their GM (5:24).

Rachel also talks about the way she connects with players (11:21), the hardest thing to coach athletes on (13:36), and what she studied when she worked with Driveline (14:51). She also speaks about her favorite mentoring story (20:43) and provides perspective on how she viewed 2020 (25:12).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you can. You can also find Rachel at RachelBalkovec.com or on Instagram at @Rachel.Balkovec

Mark also welcomes a group of guests to break down the Fielding Bible award winners from both the KBO and NPB. Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) of the Yonhap News and Ted Baarda of SIS join first to discuss the winners from the KBO (24:19), and John Gibson (@JBWPodcast) of JapaneseBaseball.com and the Japan Baseball Weekly Podcast finishes the show with a look at the winners from the NPB (48:24).

You can read more about the Fielding Bible award winners at Stat of the Week. Don't forget to rate and review, and stay safe.

Important Links

Byron Buxton defensive highlights (10 minutes worth!)

Game-winning infield hit vs Tigers

We are also joined by Jomboy Media baseball analyst, Trevor Plouffe (@trevorplouffe), who played third base for nine MLB seasons (2010 to 2018) (9:59). Trevor helps us preview the free agent market. He gives insights on what it’s like to hit against Trevor Bauer and offers a thought on why Bauer’s success could have staying power (14:31). He also evaluates George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, DJ LeMahieu, and Marcell Ozuna (17:59), along with the crowded market for No. 3 starting pitchers and closers (32:51). Along the way, he discusses things to keep in mind, like which hitters bring value for their long at-bats and which teammates work with players to make them better.

Lastly, we ask Trevor about what it’s like to be a first-round pick and about the challenges that come with being in that spot (36:09).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

Bill talks about the articles he wrote and the studies he did, including: Game Score for Batters, a companion stat to Bill’s popular Game Score for pitchers that is available on ESPN.com and Baseball-Reference (4:39); A look at Hall-of-Famers by team – which teams are most overrepresented in the Hall of Fame and which are most underrepresented (7:40); the Hall of Fame Monitor, which evaluates the likelihood of a player getting in the Hall of Fame (11:31), and Career Targets (also known as The Favorite Toy) which establishes the percentage chance a player has of reaching a milestone (13:44).

Bill also talks about an article he wrote for Bill James Online on the quality of MVP classes (15:53), shares a stat that he wished caught on more (19:36), and speaks about the all-around excellence of Mookie Betts (24:53).

Mark closes the show with an announcement of the winners of the 2020 Fielding Bible Awards (26:57).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Doug breaks down what goes into making the catches that were made during the postseason, whether it was the home run robberies by Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, or the tumbling catch by Manuel Margot (3:39). He explains how Mookie Betts is getting better (6:51) and discusses differences in outfield play from when he played to now (13:19). And for fun, we close the segment by talking analytics with Doug – the analytics of great French toast (16:51).

Eno gives us the state of the Rays and Dodgers heading into the World Series (22:23), talks strikeout percentages and high fastballs (24:24), and picks which player most impressed him (29:27). He also predicts who will win the World Series and how long it will take – both in games and in hours (31:05).

For more on defensive play in this year’s World Series, check out our preview article at the SIS Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Then, Mark talks with his SIS colleagues, Brian Reiff (@BrianSReiff) and Alex Vigderman (@VigManOnCampus), about their favorite sections in the new 2021 Bill James Handbook, which is available November 1 at ActaSports.com (24:32).

Thanks for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Ethan’s book is published by Zondervan Books and is available at EthanBryan.com and wherever books are sold.

Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

Brian, in his 10^th season as a TV broadcaster with the Rays, gives us an in-depth look at the team’s pitching staff, with what makes the group so good collectively and what makes Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton a dangerous playoff pitching rotation (2:36). He also explains the unusual success of pitchers like Nick Anderson (9:29) and how the catchers, defense and coaching staff have been integral to the team’s success (11:13). He also tells us how the Rays can win in the postseason without having big stars on the roster (15:59).

Joe tells us the story of the Dodgers season, using statistics to back up his key points. He picks a surprise player’s rise as the player whose stats were his favorite in 2020 (24:26). He also explains the success of Mookie Betts and Corey Seager and the decline of Cody Bellinger (25:16). Joe also gives us insight on the Dodgers pitching staff, including a couple of lesser-known names that could play key roles (30:33). Lastly, Joe explains his storytelling with statistics broadcast approach (36:38) and gives a tip to those who went to small colleges who aspire to get into broadcasting, as he did (40:21).

Thanks for listening. We’ll be back in our regular slot next week. Stay safe and stay well.

Joe explains what we’ll be talking about if the Rays and Athletics win the World Series (1:00), then talks about what impresses him about the Cubs, White Sox, and Padres (5:27). We also flip the script and chat about what would cause the Yankees or Dodgers to get knocked out early (10:37) and look at the chances for the Braves and Twins (12:26). Joe and Mark then give their thoughts on rule changes (16:43) and Joe shares some highlights from his baseball newsletter, as he and Mark each discuss their favorite defensive play (19:27) and marvel at how the heck the Giants are still in the race in the final week (23:52).

Wayne, one of MLB's more stat-savvy radio broadcasters, gives his thoughts on the NL Cy Young through the lens of Jacob deGrom’s candidacy (29:51), and explains potential causes for Pete Alonso’s sophomore slump (35:23). They also discuss the NL East in-depth and what impresses Wayne in watching the Rays, Yankees, and Blue Jays (37:18). Lastly, they close with Wayne explaining how he uses stats in broadcasts and how he overcomes the hurdle of trying to convey new-school information to old-school baseball fans (41:04).

Please rate and review us if you can. Thank you for tuning in. Stay safe and stay well.

Gary talks to us about the Seamheads Baseball Database project, which aims to document Negro League statistics (among many things) (2:00), explains the work that has gone into the project (3:16), shares the highlights of what he found (6:02), and comes up with a Negro Leagues All-Defense team (9:45).

Larry Lester also picks an All-Star team of Negro League defenders and tells stories about Hall-of-Famers like pitch-framer extraordinaire Biz Mackey and third baseman Ray Dandridge, and some of the greatest defensive plays in league history (19:46). He also provides a list of resources that people could utilize to learn more about the Negro Leagues (26:23).

Mark closes the show by talking briefly about baseball legend Roberto Clemente, who was honored by MLB on Wednesday (29:22).

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well. 

Links

Negro League Baseball Museum

Larry Lester’s Website

Seamheads Baseball Website

SABR BioProject Negro League biographies

SABR Negro Leagues Committee

Trevor also talks about how shifting impacts how he plays shortstop (8:52), why he likes his glove (10:02), and the challenge of playing defense in a high-altitude ballpark (12:06). Lastly, he shares what goes into playing next to all-world defender, Nolan Arenado (14:36). Thanks for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

LINKS

Trevor’s ‘Full Superman’ catch

Story’s tag play

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Dodgers second baseman Kiké Hernández (@kikehndez), who is off to a great defensive start to 2020. 

Kiké explains about how his work was impacted by the pandemic (0:51) and then 'talks shop' on how he covers ground laterally, how playing deep impacts his play, taking pride in his sprinting, which coaches impacted him the most, and the importance of keeping a soft base (2:43). 

Kiké also shares which play he's most proud of (which can be viewed HERE) (10:18) and what it's like to play with Mookie Betts playing behind him (11:57). He lists the top defensive players he's gotten to watch (14:09), shares how many gloves he's had (15:21), answers whether we'd ever see him catch (15:53), and explains (or didn't) how he hits Madison Bumgarner so well (16:29). 

To close the show, Mark shares the history of great defensive players from Hernández’s native Puerto Rico (17:42).

Thanks for listening as always. Please rate and review if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Javier, in his third year with the Cardinals, explained how he went from graduating Yale to playing basketball professionally, to his current role as the Cardinals coordinator of technology and innovation. He shared stories from his basketball career, including what he takes from that to both watching baseball and to his current job. He explained what his role entails and what a typical day is like. He also gave advice to members of the African-American community who aspire to work in analytics and/or become athletes. (0:43)

Spencer, in his second year with the Mariners after graduating from Cal State-San Luis Obispo, explained his path to becoming a baseball analyst. He discussed his role with the team, his interactions with the front office and coaching staff, and the work he's specialized in. He also talked about what intrigued him about defensive metrics. Lastly he offered advice to others seeking to break into the baseball world as he did. (15:52)

Karim, the Twins director of baseball research, shared the story of his career path, which includes stops as a college professor, at a movie studio, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He talked about what's surprised him in his first year on the job, how other sports influenced him, what he finds most interesting to watch in baseball, which pro athlete he's most enjoyed working with, and what advice he has for others who want to work in his position. (34:04)

Thank you for listening to our podcast. If you liked the show, please rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

Mark closes the show by challenging Eduardo to tell baseball stories on 3 random subjects – the color blue (18:47), large quantities of food (21:00), and pets (with a nod to his father, Tony Perez) (23:01), and gives a brief tribute to a Dodgers infielder who’s off to a strong defensive start (25:17).

A tip of the cap to New York sportscaster Len Berman, as our show title is a tribute to his fun work. Thanks for tuning in. Please rate and review the podcast wherever you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Emily details her path to baseball from growing up in Norman, Oklahoma and becoming a Cardinals fan, then landing a job with the Mariners as a baseball analyst (1:04). She talks about learning the different groups in baseball operations and how she communicates with each of them (5:30), then describes working on pitcher injury analysis (6:30), how the Mariners analytics team works hand-in-hand with a very busy and analytically-inclined GM and explains how data travels through the organization (8:15), and the challenge of developing models (12:30). Then she shares her thoughts on making the field of baseball analytics more inclusive (16:54). And we got in one question on the amazing start of Kyle Lewis! (22:13)

Kiri similarly explains her path from majoring in Math AND English to teaching to working in baseball, first with the Twins and now with the Phillies as a quantitative analyst (25:10). She explains her role working with the coaching staff (27:10), the different projects she’s taken on (29:40), the difference in working with people who like charts vs those who like visuals (32:25), and the usefulness of the “poop” emoji (33:22). Kiri also provides tips to women interested in working in baseball analytics, emphasizing that you never know what happens when you apply (36:43). We end by talking about her interest in the role Roman Quinn will play with the extra innings rule this season (39:29).

Mark finishes the show by sharing one way for women interested in learning about baseball analytics could find a mentor and discusses inroads made by women in baseball broadcasting (41:00).

For more information about Measurables Office Hours, check out www.measurablespod.com/officehours. The second session of the #HANIC Women in Baseball panel will be this Sunday night at 7 ET. You can learn more at #HANIC or sign up for the Zoom session at https://www.hanic-analytics.com/

Mark first talks to Derrick Goold (@dgoold), Cardinals beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the host of “The Best Podcast in Baseball.” Derrick explains how odd it has been to cover the team (1:04), then talks about what to make of a Cardinals team that isn’t necessarily abiding by the traditional Cardinals Way (3:56). He shares a stat that he is interested in following all season (7:12), explains why they are so good defensively (10:28), gives a “State of the Yadi” on the Cardinals catcher (15:02), and provides scenarios by which the Cardinals win the division and miss the playoffs - while also posing a question about why the Cubs “tickle the sims.” (17:38)

Mark is then joined by Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) of The Athletic who explains the unusual nature of covering the Dodgers in Los Angeles this season (24:11). He then offers his take on the weirdness of the first 4-game series with the Giants (26:04) and explains why performance in high-leverage situations will be his stat to watch (28:08). He shares what impresses him most about Mookie Betts (29:47), why Justin Turner is still so good at his age (31:14), and what Max Muncy does better than anyone on the team (32:27). He also looks at the Dodgers defense and pitching, offering predictions on ERA for Clayton Kershaw and saves for Kenley Jansen (33:10). He also picks an unheralded pitcher to watch (36:35). They close the interview by trying to figure out the 4% scenario by which the Dodgers don’t make the playoffs (37:40).

After both interviews, Mark offers his 2020 predictions for baseball’s MVD (Most Valuable Defenders). (39:18)

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay safe and stay well.

The two dive right in with picks for ‘sneak-attack’ teams for 2020 and offer thoughts on which team has the widest possible win variance (1:10). They offer their takes on the new rules (12:14), which are the best defensive teams in baseball (16:43) and pick a player who could be a surprise MVP candidate (18:40). They close by explaining the philosophy of their game broadcasts (20:46).

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

Mota provides perspective on what to watch for from several Angels key players, giving insight on how Mike Trout works at-bats (1:30), explaining what Anthony Rendon will bring (4:36), sharing what Andrelton Simmons does that makes him a special defender (5:55), and providing insight on why David Fletcher is a hidden gem (8:51).

José also talks about what it’s been like to watch (and learn Japanese from) Shohei Ohtani and Saya Nomura – check out Jose’s Instagram for more of that - (10:20) and explains how Albert Pujols could still be valuable (13:05).He also discusses how Joe Maddon will handle the pitching staff (15:02), how he delivers analytics to a Spanish-speaking audience (16:44), how he feels about the inevitable decline of pinch-hitter usage (his father Manny was an all-time great pinch-hitter) and how teams will strategize with the new rules in place for this season (19:25). Finally, he also tells of his family’s charity work, which can be found at Motasfaces.com. (21:55)

And yes, we know we didn’t even get to Jo Adell! Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay well and stay safe.

Bengie talks about the different factors that come into play for a catcher (0:57) and the different personality types he dealt with from Ramon Ortiz and Jarrod Washburn (5:32). He explains how you deal with stubborn pitchers and how he worked with the pitchers he got along with best (7:50). He also relays how things can change for a catcher in the walk back to home plate after a conference at the mound, using Yadier Molina in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Mets as an example (11:45).He offers his take on the difficulties of being a rookie catcher (14:32) and bridging the language gap by encouraging all catchers to be bilingual (16:12). He talks about why he likes watching Buster Posey, Salvador Perez, and his brother Yadier so much (19:24). He also discusses what he would say to someone who wants to catch like a Molina (22:12), how difficult it is to deal with foul tips off the mask (23:08), and how important it is to factor in umpires when calculating framing metrics (26:13).

Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay safe and stay well.

Guyer discusses what went into his retirement decision, how he looks back on his career, getting hit by pitches, and hitting lefties so well (1:13). He then walks us through 2 plate appearances from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and what allowed him to come through them successfully (7:39). From there, the conversation shifts to the book, what it was like to put everything he learned on paper, why humility was his top point of emphasis, his friendship with a diverse group of players such as Chris Archer and Yan Gomes, and whose words are most impactful to him (11:43). He also talks about learning proper breath control and meditation and how that allowed him to maximize his talents (22:08). Lastly he talks about his overall goals for the future as he makes the transition to dad/businessman (26:55).

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

Almost every other episode of this podcast deals with statistical subjects or looks at the “how-to” of defensive play. There will hopefully be a time and place for that in the future. This episode is a little different.

This episode focuses on 2 subjects:

1) How teams and players are dealing with Coronavirus-related issues.

2) How players, teams and MLB are responding to social justice concerns

Thank you as always for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe.

More information:

Read Thomas Harding’s coverage at MLB.com

Red Alex Speier’s coverage at BostonGlobe.com

Read Alex Coffey’s coverage at TheAthletic.com

Mel also discusses his defense and playing/living in Korea (10:40) and what it has been like to play without fans and how KBO fans are highly positive, even when their players are in slumps (16:30). He also explains why he chose to come to the KBO and why he chose to stay (17:38). He picks out some of the league’s other top players and references one who should be a future MLB prospect (20:00). Lastly, he offers advice for anyone considering playing in the KBO (22:23). 

Back to our usual programming later this week. Thanks for tuning in! 

Stay healthy and stay safe. Thank you as always for listening. Please rate and review us if you can.

They also discuss No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson and whether he was well equipped to make the move to third base (9:15). Next, Carlos shares his thoughts on Austin Martin to the Blue Jays and the idea of whether a player being versatile at the collegiate level was a good thing (11:16). Then, he talks about the top defensive prospect among infielders, Cubs draftee Ed Howard, and what makes him so promising as a fielder (14:11). One of Carlos’ favorite players in the draft was Garrett Mitchell, who went to the Brewers, and he explains why Mitchell rates so well (16:33). Then he talks about two catchers he likes a lot – Patrick Bailey of the Giants and Drew Romo of the Rockies (19:05).

Lastly, he provides a lengthy list of players who rate well in various analytic measurements, whether they be offense or pitching-based (23:51).

Check out Carlos and his work at baseballamerica.com. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe, and don’t forget to rate and review the show!

Parker talks about how he’s feeling with the draft upcoming (2:16), what went into developing his arm and what has gone into rehabbing his torn labrum (2:31). He provides a self-scouting report on his defense, his hitting approach, and his power (6:58). He also explains why he models his game after Andrew Benintendi and Adam Eaton (10:55) and praises the coaches who helped him get to this point (13:17).

Mark is also joined by SIS Video Scout Associates Brandon Tew (@BrandonTeweets) and Corey Leaden (@cleaden24) (15:37). They dissect the top seven college baseball prospects in the draft, from first baseman Spencer Torkelson to outfielder Heston Kjerstad and pitcher Reid Detmers (18:56). They also provide tips to anyone looking to evaluate college baseball players (32:16).

Dai Dai then explains the study he did reviewing more than 600 5-4-3 and 5-6-3 successful double plays to see where the pivot man most often receives the throw (5:58). He also details the video review he did on the fielding approaches of Nolan Arenado (9:25), Javier Baez (12:30), and Francisco Lindor (14:50), and explains how what he learned could be applied to studying any infielder (15:48).

He also shares his passion for coaching, describing drills that could be done just by watching video highlights on YouTube or throwing a ball against a tree (16:56). He also notes the most common mistakes infielders make (19:54). Lastly, he gives advice for aspiring researchers (21:01) and teases future studies and his career aspirations (22:44).

Make sure to check out Dai Dai’s Twitter work. Thanks for listening, don’t forget to rate and review us, and stay safe!

Useful Links

Dai Dai Otaka Yale player page

Dai Dai’s study of 5-4-3 double plays

Study of approach of Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor

The “Watching highlights on YouTube drill”

Dirk’s website – NoNoHitters.com (@nonohitters)

No-Hitters Referenced

Robin Yount catch in Juan Nieves no-hitter LINK

Gregor Blanco catch in Matt Cain perfect game LINK

DeWayne Wise catch in Mark Buehrle perfect game LINK

Mike Baxter catch in Johan Santana no-hitter LINK

Dallas Braden perfect game LINK

Roy Halladay perfect game LINK

Francisco Liriano no-hitter LINK

Harvey Haddix near-perfect game LINK

Max Scherzer’s 17-strikeout no-hitter LINK

Sandy Koufax perfect game LINK

Tom Seaver’s no-hitter LINK

The story of a Cy Young’s no-hitter LINK

Stay safe. Stay well. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Thanks for listening!

Useful Links

Statiz (Korean-Language Analytics Site)

MyKBOStats (English-Language KBO Site)

A.J. also discusses pre-pitch anticipation (15:38), how defensive positioning in softball is similar to defensive positioning in baseball (17:39), and the mentality needed to be a great defensive outfielder (22:24).

Thank you for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe!

Links

AlwaysAJ.com

TheAJAndrews.com

A.J.’s YouTube page

Dean talks about the differences in basketball analysis contrasting 25 years ago to now (2:18), the parallels between tracking defense in basketball and baseball (5:23), and trying to chart the effectiveness of double-teams, getting hands in the face of shooters, and deflections (8:07). He also explains the influence that coaches have on defensive performance (14:07).

Lastly, he discusses the different perspectives on fouling when up by 3 points in the final seconds (18:32) and offers advice to aspiring statistical analysts (22:32).

Thanks for listening and stay safe.

Coach Washington also shares what it was like to play catcher and the difference between a pitch-framer and a pitch singer (7:19), and how he has evolved as a coach (8:55). He explains the role he’s had in working with excellent defenders like Eric Chavez and Ozzie Albies (10:22). Lastly, he says what he likes most about coaching defense and what advice he would give an aspiring coach (15:58).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and stay healthy!

Kiermaier explains what he is doing to keep busy with his wife and toddler son in Tampa and the commonalities between bow-fishing and trying to catch a fly ball – and there are parallels! (1:00) He also shares the memories of the first good defensive plays he made in Little League and in the majors (4:00), who his favorite defensive player was as a kid (6:06), and the details of the intense amount of preparation he does to play defense the way he does - he takes opponents’ batting practice seriously - and to avoid having any weaknesses (6:59).

Kevin also explains how he defenses Aaron Judge and Ichiro Suzuki and how he adjusts his positioning based on instinct and observations (11:30), what the difference is between making a catch and missing the ball on a low line drive (16:51), and a guide to what goes into a home run robbery (19:24). Mark also details what goes into tracking a home run robbery and how much credit a fielder gets for one and Kevin notes that defensive stats are important to players like him being in the major leagues (21:58).

He also describes his glove and explains the routine he goes through to keep his arm strong (27:35). He also notices that baserunners have stopped challenging him and appreciates the respect that comes with that (31:28). Lastly, he runs through the coaches who helped him out along the way. All hail Skeeter Barnes! (33:00)

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and Stay healthy!

Dr. Gray gives his advice on sifting through the overwhelming amount of information (and misinformation) related to Coronavirus (1:54), what is known about training to play sports in a pandemic (3:31), and he also evaluates ongoing discussions related to fear of contracting the virus from breathing it in (4:26).

John explains some of the things he’s looking at, like how successfully a pitcher like Justin Verlander can return from injury (5:24). He and Dr. Gray both provide examples of exercises that athletes can do to keep in shape (8:25), what injuries they are most concerned about (10:40), and what studies have piqued their interest (15:42). Lastly, Dr. Gray explains the scenario that MLB officials are likely most concerned about – what happens if the season begins and a player tests positive in midseason (21:42).

Stay safe and well and thank you for listening.

Don Kelly talked about what it took to become “Zobristian” – a player who could play any position on the field (2:23), how many gloves he had (4:27), what it was like to try to be good at multiple positions and which was hardest (5:15), what Jim Leyland taught him (13:25), his favorite defensive play (14:12), what it was like to be a one-time catcher (15:58), and how he integrates what he’s learned into coaching (19:49).

Joe McEwing also shared tales of “Zobristness” (24:16), the advice he would give a 28th-round pick - he was one in 1992 (27:04), what goes into playing second base (28:01), what it was like to play for Tony La Russa and Bobby Valentine, including the clever way that Bobby V had his first baseman hold runners on (31:26). McEwing also talked of teaching defensive excellence and working with Jose Abreu to help him become a better defensive player (33:26). He also explained the White Sox approach to defensive positioning (37:29) and explained why he hit Hall of Fame pitchers like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine so well (41:58).

Thank you for tuning in. Please rate, review and subscribe. If you have any feedback on the podcast, send it to mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

What’s distinct about Kasha is that she uses data to inform her comedy in ways that parallel how we study baseball statistics. She shares her background (2:33), then transitions into explaining how she tracks her jokes in a spreadsheet (4:09). Mark and Kasha discuss the different ways she categorizes and times her jokes (5:58), the process of tracking jokes and her wish for an automated tracking system (11:27), how old-school comedians have reacted to her work (17:07), how she constructs a joke (19:06), and how she simplifies scientific information to make it easily accessible to audiences who don’t have scientific background (24:02). Lastly, she shares career-development advice that can be applied to any field (26:47).

Then in the spirit of Kasha’s podcast, Science Comedy Paradox, Mark and show producer Justin Stine (@j_stine31) discuss the biggest takeaways from the conversation and share an analogy Kasha made comparing her joke list to a baseball lineup (29:52).

Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks for listening!

Helpful Links

Kasha’s Tedx Talk – “Sneaking Science into Standup”

Stand-up set at the DC Improv

Science Comedy Paradox Podcast

Kai also talked about the instructional videos available on the Giants YouTube page and how he taught the younger Giants first basemen proper posture and how to turn one-legged double plays (3:32). He then goes through what influenced him as he progressed in his career: the MLB and college coaches, film study, and trial-and-error (6:22). He also told the story of his coaching family tree, including his grandfather, who coached scholastic sports for more than 60 years (8:34).

Correa’s path to MLB is fascinating. He explained the process that led to his becoming a coach on Gabe Kapler’s staff and what his role will entail (10:04), what he wants to do to help add length to the primes of players like Evan Longoria (11:22), getting buy-in to the program-building work that the team is doing (13:55). He explained his receptiveness to analytics and how he likes to combine film, feel, and data to teach defense (15:33). He explains how he teaches getting in position and why he prioritizes that for teaching youth baseball players (17:28).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and healthy!

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center- FredHutch.org

Kai’s Fred Hutch Fundraising Page

#FridayFielders baseball tutorials

How to train like a big league infielder: Part I Part II Part III

Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay well.

Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and be well.

Mark and Keith talk about the motivation for writing this book and what he would want someone to get out of it (1:11), bias as it relates to high school pitcher selection in the MLB Draft (4:41), the power of the first impression a player makes (9:08), biases that become apparent when trying to evaluate defense (11:15), the challenge of coming up with solutions to dealing with bias and where teams will improve at dealing with bias in the next 20 to 50 years (17:35).

They also discuss a favorite computer game, Earl Weaver Baseball, and what made it so good (20:27), and how simulations could help with decision-making under pressure (22:37). They end their discussion talking about another passion of Keith’s, board games, and what board game best simulates baseball thinking (25:23). Keith also provides a list of minor league prospects to watch on the defensive side when baseball resumes (30:57).

Thanks for tuning in! And stay safe!

Get your copy of Swing Kings: The Inside Story of the Home Run Revolution at HarperCollins.com or wherever books are sold.

SIS Tournament of Defensive Excellence Bracket

Give the podcast a try – it’s a chance to hear some well-informed baseball talk coming from a different angle.

Mark is then joined by Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore. They discuss the state of the Royals rebuild (3:05), what an MLB manager should be expected to know about analytics and performance science (6:53), how the Royals shift and how they evaluate whether their defensive shifts are working (9:52), the importance of chase rate in evaluating draft prospects (12:33), Dayton’s interest in learning about leadership (16:18), and his advice for those who want to work in baseball (listen before you speak!) (19:37).

Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) also joins Mark to talk about The Fielding Bible Volume V, which will be out March 1 (23:12). Andrew also answers a listener question about how different aspects of defensive performance factor into a pitcher’s value (27:18).

For more information, check out FieldingBible.com and SportsInfoSolutionsBlog.com. Thanks for listening!

They discuss Sam’s path from batboy to front office executive (4:19), how the Nationals analytics department is structured (7:57), what it’s like to work with the coaching staff and with ace pitcher Max Scherzer (9:53), what his group was working on when the team was 19-31 (12:54), what role the analytics group played in the team’s acquisition of Daniel Hudson (14:12), and tips for pursuing a job in sports analytics (spoiler: Learn to code!) (15:59).

Afterwards Mark is joined by SIS research associate Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne). They review the White Sox signing of Yasmani Grandal and look at three other free agents of note (20:16). They also offer their own version of 8 MLB Awards ranging from “Hall of Framer” to “Flat Bat.” (25:20)

Next podcast episode will be in December. See you then!

Supplemental links

Mark’s article in The Athletic on how free agents will impact a team on Defense

https://theathletic.com/1357020/2019/11/07/eighteen-free-agents-who-can-have-an-impact-with-their-defense/

Tyler Kepner on Samuel Mondry-Cohen

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/25/sports/baseball/washington-nationals-data-world-series.html

Mark is then joined by Padres catcher Austin Hedges, who rates as the No. 1 pitch-framer in baseball. Hedges talks about the value of pitch-framing and explains where he learned to frame so well (2:27). He then explains the drills he uses to improve (4:54), how he gets low pitches called strikes and what it’s like to catch Craig Stammen’s heavy sinker and Chris Paddack’s fastball (5:56). Hedges also talks about his relationship with umpires and why he strongly supports the human element of an umpire rather than the potential robot umpires of the future (8:00) and which catchers he watches most closely (12:17).

Mark is then joined by research associate Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne). They discuss the Hedges interview (15:24), go through the leaderboards for Strike Zone Runs Saved, HR robberies, and Hard-Hit Rates (17:32), answer listener questions on pickoffs and the Mets defense behind Jacob deGrom (21:56) and Andrew gives job-hunting tips to aspiring research analysts (23:23). The show closes with ridiculous numbers about defensive support, the tie-in of Khris and Chris Davis, the leader in bunt hits this season, as well as a final pick of their favorite underappreciated players (27:26).

Ahmed talks about the kinds of things he has improved upon from one year to the next (2:04), the challenge of turning double plays in shifts (3:15), what goes into making a diving play (6:20), changing positioning based on which pitcher is on the mound (7:25), the most underrated Diamondbacks defender (9:20), his impressions of defensive metrics (11:33) and advice he would give to those who want to play defense like him (13:12).

Mark is also joined by senior research analyst Alex Vigderman (@VigManOnCampus). They discuss some of Ahmed’s observations (15:07), salute Javier Baez as the top defender in August (17:25), run through a list of the Defensive Runs Saved leaders in the minor leagues (18:51) and talk about an unusual defensive alignment against Eric Hosmer (21:47). Alex also gives tips on job hunting in the baseball analytics world (23:51).

Lastly, the show closes with ridiculous numbers on Minor League Runs Saved leaders of the past (a predictive stat!) and low pitcher BABIP (29:09). Tune in!

Mark then welcomes senior research analyst Alex Vigderman (@VigManOnCampus) and Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne), who share what they learned from the Saberseminar Conference in Boston. They share information about a biomechanic study at Wake Forest university (17:54), women working in MLB front offices (19:40), how the Red Sox hitting coaches work with their hitters (20:30), re-imagining the strike zone (22:02), C-Flap helmets (23:29), and the importance of outfielder jumps (24:16).

The three then answer listener mail on umpires (25:44), stats to measure pitch effectiveness (27:41), and the best stats for predicting “Beat the Streak” success (30:34) and try to stump listeners with Ridiculous Numbers of the Day trivia (32:44). 

Senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) points out how well Chad Pinder has played recently, with help from Oakland Athletics coach Ryan Christenson (1:04). 

Then, Mark talks to San Francisco Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4). They discuss the challenges of making sliding, diving, and jumping catches including dealing with injuries (3:00), how Pillar learned to play that way (5:13), what being the leader in those kinds of catches says about a player (10:00), learning a ballpark (11:02), how much he uses scouting information (13:24), and what advice he would give to kids who want to play defense like him (15:19).

Mark is then joined by research associate Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) and intern Jon Becker (@jonbecker_). They review Pillar’s comments (18:29), discuss a pitcher who changed approach upon joining a new team (20:56), answer a listener question about the Mount Rushmore of stats (22:45), preview Andrew’s presentation at Saberseminar (24:07) and challenge listeners to figure out the Ridiculous Stats of the Day (25:21).

Mark is also joined by Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball), who co-runs the annual Saberseminar (Sabermetrics Scouting and the Science of Baseball) at Boston University. Dan recounts the history and past highlights (22:28), discusses the impact the conference has (especially on students) (25:48), and what to expect at this year’s event which raises money for the Angioma Alliance (28:40).

Mark and SIS research associate Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) review research on how often balls hit up the middle result in a baserunner (34:15) and which hitters are best at getting in and succeeding in hitters counts (35:56). They also answer listener questions on how Hall of Fame analysis has changed (38:07), which past trade-deadline acquisition was of greatest analytic value (39:47), which analytics would be best used when a batter comes to the plate from former major-leaguer Doug Glanville (@dougglanville) (41:39) and which metrics teams are looking for that they don’t already have (43:46). Mark and Andrew close by picking a player to watch (46:12) and share their Ridiculous Numbers of the Day (47:23).

If you have feedback on the program, please send it to mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

In this episode, Mark begins with an interview of the founder of Sports Info Solutions, John Dewan (@FieldingBible), where they discuss everything from the history of baseball analytics to advice on how to create new stats today. Then, Mark is joined by writer/podcaster Ben Lindbergh (@BenLindbergh), whose new book The MVP Machine explores the forward-thinking use of analytics in player development. Finally, Mark sits down with Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) to go around the horn on the midseason advanced stat leaderboards.

John Dewan is the founder of both STATS and Sports Info Solutions. Along with Bill James, he has played a major role in the baseball analytics revolution. John is the inventor of Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), and he is the author of The Fielding Bible. For the most in-depth defensive analytics, including leaderboards and player pages, check out the recently relaunched FieldingBible.com.

Ben Lindbergh is the author (along with Travis Sawchik) of The MVP Machine: How Baseball's New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players. He currently writes for The Ringer (@ringer) after previous stints with Baseball Prospectus, Five Thirty Eight, and Grantland. He is also the cohost of the FanGraphs baseball podcast “Effectively Wild” (@EWPod).

This episode is brought to you by SISbets.com, the website that can help you beat the Prop Betting odds. Click here to create a free SISbets.com trial account.

Mark is then joined by Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) and the two discuss Matt Carpenter, Jeff McNeil and the shift (24:24), how much outfielders benefit from changing positions (26:58), which players should have made the All-Defense All-Star team (29:58), and which defensive player they would most like to be (33:17). They then answer a listener question about which players have made the most different kinds of Good Plays (35:01) and try to stump each other with the Ridiculous Stats of the Day (36:42).

Tune in, and please rate and review if you listen.

Mark is also joined by research associate Andrew Kyne, who explains the methodology and shares the results from his study on which teams position their infield best. Mark and Andrew answer listener mail, share who’s getting the best and worst results when they hit the ball hard and close the show with some Ridiculous Stat of the Day trivia. Tune in and play along!

In this episode, Mark breaks down the defensive performance of Phillies catcher JT Realmuto, interviews baseball writer extraordinaire Joe Sheehan, and sits down with Andrew Kyne to construct the perfect five-tool player.

Joe Sheehan was one of the founders of Baseball Prospectus in the mid-1990s and an editor of the Baseball Prospectus Annual. Now he writes regularly for many entities, including Sports Illustrated. He also writes his own baseball newsletter, which you can preview and purchase at JoeSheehan.com.

Mark and SIS research associate Andrew Kyne (@Andrew_Kyne) review Cone’s comments (20:11), go through the leaderboards on the stat Cone wants invented (21:53), share the latest SIS articles and research (25:34), and unveil the latest ridiculous stats on how Vlad Guerrero Jr. is being pitched (30:00) and the best arm in the SIS era (30:57). 

All that and much more in the latest SIS Baseball podcast!