Mets: How Steve Cohen can build a sustained winner from the inside out

Expanding  the Mets Analytics Department

It is no secret that the Mets have one of the smallest analytics departments in Major League Baseball. The department consists of two people whose titles are Baseball Research and Development Analyst and Pitching Data and Movement Analyst.

One could venture to guess what those two people’s daily tasks are by their titles and I am sure they are good at what they do but nevertheless, it is not sufficient.

For comparison, the Dodgers have at least twelve people in their analytics department. I will not list all of the titles but the biggest differences between the Mets and the Dodgers are that the Dodgers have positions like Quantitative Analyst and Baseball Operations Analyst in addition to having young members in the department like Junior Data Engineers.

This helps the front office and the coaching staff put together comprehensive reports regarding players to acquire or how to put players already on the team in the best positions to succeed.

The Mets do not really have this level of analytics and Steve Cohen should heavily invest in this area on day one.

It is crucial that the Mets do not play the game at a disadvantage. It was very clear this World Series that analytics more often than not help you win.

The Dodgers and Rays are two of the most heavily invested teams in analytics and they have been highly successful the several years.

By investing in a larger analytics department, the Mets will be able to better identify value in players like bullpen arms.

One of the most difficult things to do in baseball is to build a formidable bullpen that consistently performs well. Due to the volatility of relievers, it is better from a value perspective to find the diamonds in the ruff like the Dodgers do than spend lots of money on big relief arms like Craig Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman who are really good but may not live up to the contract that was given to them.

Now, this isn’t to say that a team should never give out big contracts to relievers but the analytics will help the front office better identify when it is better from a value perspective and when you should steer clear.

Whether you agree with analytics or not this is the way the game is going and ultimately the smart teams and the successful teams are getting on the train. The Mets can no longer stand by and watch the train go by as they get held back in the past.