What is this newsletter?

This newsletter is my attempt to share with the online baseball community what it’s like to watch games and individual performances through the eyes of an MLB front office staffer or coach. While most baseball writing (understandably) focuses on the game’s stars and big markets, I think we’re missing more entertaining coverage of what’s actually happening in the 10-15 games that are played every day. I’m going to focus on the individual performances, at-bats, pitches, and pickoff attempts that I find interesting, even if they don’t involve Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani.

Who am I?

I got my start in baseball by writing for Baseball Prospectus and The Hardball Times. I’ve worked for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, and the Houston Astros in a variety of clubhouse- and office-based roles.1

While I’ve been happy to move my career away from the front office, I do miss the community created by spending many hours in close quarters with others who share a passion for baseball. I’m hoping to create something resembling that atmosphere here.

What is Advance Scouting?

The phrase “advance scouting” typically refers to the process of gathering and analyzing information on your team’s upcoming opponents to gain a competitive advantage. You’ll sometimes see teams refer to the process as “advance-d scouting,” which suggests that this is a type of scouting that is complex. It is actually just regular scouting done in advance of playing your next opponent. Advance scouts typically watch live games, collect and analyze statistical data, and gather information on the opposition's players, tendencies, and strengths.

While the practice of scouting for future games itself isn’t particularly complex, advance scouting increasingly has a direct impact on other aspects of the game — including player development, professional scouting, and roster management. Advance scouting (which some might also call “major league operations”) is where all of the infinite data and information that’s out there is translated into the in-game decisions that you watch play out live.

How often will you be writing?

Whenever I feel compelled to. It’s all going to be free, so you’ll get every post in your inbox by hitting subscribe.

Contact

The easiest way to reach out is to hit reply on any newsletter. Or, you can reach me at noahwoodward5 [at] gmail [dot] com.