Analytics is a polarizing topic in sports, especially in baseball. “Moneyball” was published almost two decades ago and the movie was released over a decade ago. Since then, analytics have only continued to have a large impact in the sports world.
While some view analytics in a negative light, they are a valuable tool if used correctly. A computer may not be able to accurately predict a game, but using statistics to help build a team or make a decision has always been a part of sports.
Longtime baseball executive Dayton Moore knows all about that. He spent over 16 years in the Kansas City Royals’ front office, building their 2015 World Series roster using a mix of analytics and gut instincts.
Moore joined the Audacy Original Podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” and talked about the role that analytics play in baseball as well as what other ways he evaluates players.
“You’re constantly evolving as we go,” Moore said (18:27 in player above). “I appreciate and respect and admire and covet the data and information that is out there; always have. But I learned the game through a different way. I learned it through more of a pure evaluation of understanding the makeup of players, what motivates them, what drives them to be successful, and those things, I believe, will never ever change.
“You have to understand the heart and the desire of the player and what their habits are like and what their routines consist of. Because that is a predictor of future success. Of course, you have to understand their aptitude, and sometimes it takes a little longer to figure that out.”
Players develop different skills at different paces, and one player may have a completely different skillset but still be valuable to a team. Understanding players and processes is key.
“Emotional intelligence, I think, is way overlooked in our game and you’ve got to understand who has the ability to get along with players and understand what coaches are trying to convey to them and dealing with and accepting and embracing the diversity of the game and all the different people involved in the game,” Moore said. “It takes great emotional intelligence to understand that and to be successful in today’s baseball world.”
Emotional intelligence is something that can be needed at all levels, from the players to the managers all the way up to the front office. We’ve been seeing that more and more with managers on the bench because a team and a baseball clubhouse is a living, breathing organism, Moore said.
Adding those key clubhouse guys can be the difference between the team sticking together or fracturing apart after a tough game or series. That’s something that truly can’t be measured.
Moore has always used the tools and information available to him.
“I’ve always used information, data, statistics, analytics to validate my judgment as an evaluator. I’ve always used that information to perhaps uncover something about a player that maybe my eyes aren’t seeing so I’ve always trusted that,” he said. “But that the end of the day, you use it as a tool and it’s a valuable tool.”
Moore explained that he “got a lot of funny looks” back when he started scouting and he was using his radar gun for infielders and outfielders, not just pitchers. Nowadays, Statcast tracks everything and people marvel at the top speeds that some position players reach.
“I was always using the tools available to us at the time, the information that we had. And so nothing has changed,” he said. “And that’s what makes the game so special is there’s so much information out there. It stimulates us, it challenges us, and it keeps us motivated to keep pursuing the game.”
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