Walters: Molitor open to using more analytics

[Doomtints]

 

Who else would explain to the players the data collected by Falvey and co? I'll be the first to admit that analytics isn't my strong suit. Wouldn't they use the data and insights to draw up a game plan for most players? Such as "Hey Joe, Kluber throws a slider on the outside corner for a strike 51% of the time on the first pitch. Be on the lookout for that." Or, "We're going to use this shift whenever Victor Martinez is at the plate because he has a 67% pull rate and a .383 BABIP..." 

 

If the guys trust Molitor, he won't have to turn blue explaining the reasons for his decisions.  He can just say "Use this shift" and they should do it.  Molitor can debrief a team captain who can get into the deep explanation if anyone cares.  Likely no one will care, apart from his bosses.

 

I'm sure they already have discussions about which pitches to expect.  

[Mr. Brooks]

Who else would explain to the players the data collected by Falvey and co? I'll be the first to admit that analytics isn't my strong suit. Wouldn't they use the data and insights to draw up a game plan for most players? Such as "Hey Joe, Kluber throws a slider on the outside corner for a strike 51% of the time on the first pitch. Be on the lookout for that." Or, "We're going to use this shift whenever Victor Martinez is at the plate because he has a 67% pull rate and a .383 BABIP..."

The analytics that we are hoping to see infused in this organization have more to do with talent acquisition, and general game management (when bunt/not bunt, shifts, lineup construction, platoons, bullpen use). I'm not really too concerned about specific player vs player tendencies. That is something that every team has already been doing for decades.

[nicksaviking]

 

It's all fine and dandy that Molly is open to using analytics.... There's a couple of issues to address:

1 - Does he understand the significance of the data/insights Falvey and company provides to him?

2 - Can he explain the data/insights in layman's terms to the players?

 

Teams and companies can build up all the data in the world if they want... If a manager can't explain how the data works in the player's favor, then what's the point of all that data? 

 

I would also add:

 

3 - When he doesn't agree with something the analytics team tells him, can he dispute the data with data of his own or historical anecdotal evidence? Or is it only based on his "gut"?

[Sarah]

One of the things Levine and Falvey mentioned on their call with season ticket holders last night was that people think analytics is just stats but there is a lot more to it like medical, psychological, etc. And there is an article in the Star Tribune today about how Theo Epstein used so called "soft skills" like the ability to speak respectfully to sign the right players for the Cubs. This is interesting to me because while it shows that the game is getting so technical there is still a place for the standard evaluation - what the article doesn't mention is that I'm sure he traded for Chapman (with his history of domestic violence) not because he speaks well but because he can throw the ball 100+ miles per hour and the Cubs needed a shut down closer or I'm not sure they would have won the World Series.