Which Teams Believe in Analytics? "The Great Analytic Rankings" | ESPN

[GD]

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12331388/the-great-analytics-rankings?_escaped_fragment_=mlb

ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com unleashed our experts and an army of researchers to rate 122 teams on the strength of each franchise's analytics staff, its buy-in from execs and coaches, its investment in biometric data and how much its approach is predicated on analytics. After looking at the stats, reaching out to every team and dozens of informed sources and evaluating each front office, we ranked an overall top 10 and bottom 10 and placed each team in one of five tiers by sport.

 

MLB:

 

ALL-IN

Boston Red Sox

Chicago Cubs

Cleveland Indians

Houston Astros

New York Yankees

Oakland A's

Pittsburgh Pirates

St. Louis Cardinals

Tampa Bay Rays

BELIEVERS

Baltimore Orioles

Kansas City Royals

Los Angeles Dodgers

New York Mets

San Diego Padres

Toronto Blue Jays

Washington Nationals

ONE FOOT IN

Chicago White Sox

Los Angeles Angels

Milwaukee Brewers

San Francisco Giants

Seattle Mariners

Texas Rangers

SKEPTICS

Arizona Diamondbacks

Atlanta Braves

Cincinnati Reds

Colorado Rockies

Detroit Tigers

Minnesota Twins

NONBELIEVERS

Miami Marlins

Philadelphia Phillies

 

Overall Top 10 Most Invested in Analytics:

 

1. Philadelphia 76ers

2. Houston Astros

3. Houston Rockets

4. Tampa Bay Rays

5. Boston Red Sox

6. New York Yankees

7. San Antonio Spurs

8. Dallas Mavericks

9. Oakland Athletics

10. Chicago Blackhawks

 

Bottom 10:

 

10. Los Angeles Lakers

9. New York Jets

8. Miami Marlins

7. Tennessee Titans

6. Colorado Avalanche

5. Brooklyn Nets

4. San Diego Chargers

3. Washington Redskins

2. New York Knicks

1. Philadelphia Phillies

 

Blue Jays Profile:

 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

 

In the epilogue to "Moneyball," the Blue Jays were anointed as the direct descendants of Billy Beane's A's, having hired Beane protege J.P. Ricciardi as their GM and Keith Law, an alum of both Harvard and Baseball Prospectus, as a special adviser. Four years later, Ricciardi was the keynote speaker at the inaugural MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

But Ricciardi -- who is revered for his scouting acumen -- never embraced sabermetrics to the extent that Beane did. He and Law (now an analyst for ESPN.com's Insider) had a falling out around the time of Law's departure in 2006, and the Jays fired Ricciardi in 2009.

These days the team's analytical operation is run by Joe Sheehan, who also has experience in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Last year, the Jays lost assistant GM Jay Sartori -- who had overseen Sheehan's development of the Jays' baseball information system -- to Apple, but solidified their development team by plucking Jason Pare from the Indians. While the Sheehan-Pare pair make a formidable combo and current GM Alex Anthopoulos has indicated interest in expanding even further, the promise of a mid-market, Canadian version of the "Moneyball" A's has never been fully realized.

 

NBA, NFL and NHL rankings also through the link.

[Boxcar]

There seems to be an obvious trend here. Someone alert Harold Reynolds.

[KingKat]

Interesting although this kind of seems like casual obsrvance and inference disguised as methodology. I wouldn't put too much weight into it.

[TRM]

When all feels lost, we can take solace in the fact that we don't have Ruben Amaro Jr.

[KingKat]

When all feels lost, we can take solace in the fact that we don't have Ruben Amaro Jr.

 

I especially take solace in the fact that even Ruben Amaro Jr led teams have made the World Series.

[Boxcar]

Interesting although this kind of seems like casual obsrvance and inference disguised as methodology. I wouldn't put too much weight into it.

 

I'd have figured Arizona to be in the "nonbelievers" section. The list mostly passes the sniff test, and it's not really surprising that there is a clear correlation here.

[TRM]

I especially take solace in the fact that even Ruben Amaro Jr led teams have made the World Series.

 

It's possible I'm romanticizing it in my head (I was also pretty young), but that was basically all Gillick, wasn't it? As I remember it, RAJ basically did his best to dismantle all the good that Gillick left him in 2008.

[GD]

It's possible I'm romanticizing it in my head (I was also pretty young), but that was basically all Gillick, wasn't it? As I remember it, RAJ basically did his best to dismantle all the good that Gillick left him in 2008.

 

Holy f***, that was like 7 years ago now wasn't it? That's when I started getting into MLB. wow

[BTS]

Remember when we all thought Texas was god-tier right beside TB?

[TRM]

As a slightly off-topic, it's kinda disheartening that according to this list, the Blue Jays are one "tier" ahead of my other teams in terms of embracing analytics.

 

Red Wings, Bills and Raptors, for those who want to discuss with me why Ken Holland is colossally overrated.

[GD]

As a slightly off-topic, it's kinda disheartening that according to this list, the Blue Jays are one "tier" ahead of my other teams in terms of embracing analytics.

 

Red Wings, Bills and Raptors, for those who want to discuss with me why Ken Holland is colossally overrated.

 

Bills and Raptors! Sigh..

[TRM]

Bills and Raptors! Sigh..

 

I thank every deity on this planet that 4 year old me decided to embrace spiting all my friends, the red jerseys, and Steve Yzerman over the alternative.

 

Life as a Leafs, Jays, Bills and Raptors fan would significantly lack joy.

[BTS]

ken holland is colossally overrated.

 

lol!

[KingKat]

It's possible I'm romanticizing it in my head (I was also pretty young), but that was basically all Gillick, wasn't it? As I remember it, RAJ basically did his best to dismantle all the good that Gillick left him in 2008.

 

I think it's fair to consider Gillick the architect. My larger point is that it's hard to find solace much of anywhere for Jays fans. There are worse managed teams that fluke into the playoffs every now and then and if anything that just makes it even more frustrating.

[GD]

I thank every deity on this planet that 4 year old me decided to embrace spiting all my friends, the red jerseys, and Steve Yzerman over the alternative.

 

Life as a Leafs, Jays, Bills and Raptors fan would significantly lack joy.

 

Good thing I have a high pain tolerance

[KingKat]

As a slightly off-topic, it's kinda disheartening that according to this list, the Blue Jays are one "tier" ahead of my other teams in terms of embracing analytics.

 

 

Yeah it is a lot higher than I expected for the Jays. I can only assume this is a recent development.

[KingKat]

This is the write-up on the Blue Jays. Doesn't really say much:

 

http://espn.go.com/prod/styles/pagetype/otl/20150220_analytics/images/circle_mlb_tor.png

 

TORONTO

 

BLUE JAYS

 

In the epilogue to "Moneyball," the Blue Jays were anointed as the direct descendants of Billy Beane's A's, having hired Beane protege J.P. Ricciardi as their GM and Keith Law, an alum of both Harvard and Baseball Prospectus, as a special adviser. Four years later, Ricciardi was the keynote speaker at the inaugural MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

But Ricciardi -- who is revered for his scouting acumen -- never embraced sabermetrics to the extent that Beane did. He and Law (now an analyst for ESPN.com's Insider) had a falling out around the time of Law's departure in 2006, and the Jays fired Ricciardi in 2009.

These days the team's analytical operation is run by Joe Sheehan, who also has experience in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Last year, the Jays lost assistant GM Jay Sartori -- who had overseen Sheehan's development of the Jays' baseball information system -- to Apple, but solidified their development team by plucking Jason Pare from the Indians. While the Sheehan-Pare pair make a formidable combo and current GM Alex Anthopoulos has indicated interest in expanding even further, the promise of a mid-market, Canadian version of the "Moneyball" A's has never been fully realized.

[TRM]

lol!

 

Don't get me wrong, he's good (and certainly no Nonis, or something to that disastrous effect). I just think he isn't god-level that some people like to believe.

[TRM]

Good thing I have a high pain tolerance

 

Your a Bills fan?

[glory]

No way the Jays would have been on that list a year ago today. Getting the WAR machine in Donaldson and the elite pitch framer in Martin this winter likely boosted them on that list. AA would have been on the bottom of that list in Feb 2014.

[Angrioter]

Dickey personal catcher + Navarro DH + Edwin 1B + Goins 25-man roster = NONBELIEVERS

[TheHurl]

Is it a better write-up than the one provided with the OP?

 

Did the OP throw in a graphic...I don't think so.

[GD]

go away hurl

 

Your a Bills fan?

 

sigh yes

[Laika]

As a slightly off-topic, it's kinda disheartening that according to this list, the Blue Jays are one "tier" ahead of my other teams in terms of embracing analytics.

 

Red Wings, Bills and Raptors, for those who want to discuss with me why Ken Holland is colossally overrated.

 

A baseball team would have to try really, really hard to embrace analytics less than an NHL or NFL org.

[Boxcar]

A baseball team would have to try really, really hard to embrace analytics less than an NHL or NFL org.

 

The tiers are league specific.

[Laika]

Oh. Well then.

[TRM]

A baseball team would have to try really, really hard to embrace analytics less than an NHL or NFL org.

 

Go Phillies!

[Boxcar]

Oh. Well then.

 

Hope you feel dumb now.

[Angrioter]

The sabermetrics f***ed the Ackley and Votto careers

 

 

Eric Wedge

"It's the new generation. It's all this sabermetrics stuff, for lack of a better term, you know what I mean?"

"People who haven't played since they were 9 years old think they have it figured out. It gets in these kids' heads."

 

Marty Brennaman

"if this guy comes back and is content to lead the lead in OBP again, then this team is in deep trouble"

 

 

 

 

 

Votto

 

'The RBIs, I'm sorry, it doesn't bother me. It really doesn't'

 

“I have to be careful with what I say. In terms of being in the middle of it, sometimes I think it’s really, really silly. I’m not going to use the word ‘ignorant,’ but ignorant. I also think there’s some validity to it because it’s coming from a perspective that is being nostalgic. … Ultimately, it’s entertainment. I’m part of the entertainment industry. If there weren’t debates like this then, what the hell are we doing? I think this is great.

 

 

“I’m the big money guy. I’m the guy that is supposed to do certain things and has done certain things in the past and it’s expected in the future. I’m not doing it so let’s talk about it, let’s get after it and I think that it’s great. I’m glad I can be a lightning rod, as long as I’m a lightning rod while performing one way or the other. Whether it’s the 2010 version or the 2013 version, you cannot deny that I haven’t performed and been able to provide value for the team and able to help the team get to the playoffs. Both examples, I was part of a playoff team. I’m not saying the main part or anything like that, but I was a part of it. As long as I’m part of it, it’s the most important thing. I think it’s fun. No one is getting hurt. I should expect it.”

[TRM]

sigh yes

 

God bless your soul, I'm so sorry. We can be friends though.

 

I'd invite you to go down to the Ralph with me to a game, but I don't fancy going to jail for kidnapping. They don't take it very kindly when you try to take them across the border.