The SIS Baseball Podcast

On this episode, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by ESPN baseball reporter Marly Rivera ( @MarlyRiveraESPN ) to talk about the imperfect teams of the AL East, the trade deadline, and stories that go beyond analytics to explain player performance. Marly discussed the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Kris Bryant, Trevor Story, Vladimir Guerrero, and Cedric Mullins. She also gave her thoughts on...

On a supersized episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe and Mets infielder Luis Guillorme to talk shop – how they do what they do on D. That is followed by an MLB Draft Preview with our Video Scouts, Brandon Tew and Dominick Ricotta . Renfroe talks about his powerful throwing arm, with tips for aspiring players on what they c...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @markasimonsays ) is joined by Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins ( @cedmull30 ), who is having a breakthrough season. Mullins talks about his favorite play from childhood (an unassisted triple play!) (1:00) and what goes into making some of the great catches he’s made (he walked us through several) (1:44). Mullins also tal...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon ( @Ry_McMahon ), who won Sports Info Solutions Defensive Player of the Month honors for May. McMahon is quick and to the point in discussing how he learned to play defense (1:07), his approach to playing defense (2:09), what he learns from watching other players...

Former longtime MLB pitcher and current Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow gives our host, Mark Simon, a lesson on what to watch for in defensive play and pitching using the surprising Giants team as a model. Mike talked about the Giants overall strengths and put an emphasis on the catcher’s ability to manage the rhythm of a game. He also went pitcher-by-pitcher through the Giants’ surprises this seas...

On this week’s episode Mark Simon ( @markasimonsays ) talks to Cardinals second baseman and outfielder Tommy Edman and Red Sox beat writer Peter Abraham ( @peteabe ). Tommy talks about his family’s interest in baseball analytics (his father teaches math, his brother works for the Twins, his sister works for the Cardinals) and how data plays a role in how he plays (2:05). He also walks us through m...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor. They talk about his defensive approach, the value of having a catcher who can catch throws like Salvador Perez, some of Michael’s favorite defensive plays, and what he’s learned from past mistakes in the field (0:57). Mark also chats with Dr. Jason Themanson of Illinois W...

On this episode, Mark Simon was joined by Chicago White Sox radio broadcaster Len Kasper and ESPN content producer Paul Hembekides .   Len talked about his transition from Cubs TV to White Sox radio, what interested him most from an analytic perspective so far this season, both in the sport as a whole and for the White Sox. He also discussed Tony La Russa’s impact, Chicago’s potentially unique rel...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon ( @markasimonsays ) is joined by MLB Network analyst Cliff Floyd, ESPN Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech, and New York Times national baseball writer James Wagner to answer some questions from Mark's baseball predictions game. Cliff Floyd breaks down 5 hitters - Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Lo...

Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) heard from Rays infielder Joey Wendle ( @JoeyWendle ) right after we posted our last episode, so we figured we’d bring you a bonus interview with him before we ramp up to our Opening Day Preview here at the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast. Joey talks about his 2020 postseason experience and the large number of hard-hit balls he had to field as well as the prep...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined first by Eno Sarris ( @enosarris ) of The Athletic to talk about the trends to watch in MLB this season. Eno discusses what people should know about seam shifted wake and the pitchers for which it might be the most pertinent (0:48). He also talks about the rule changes at the minor league level...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) welcomes spring training with 3 guests!  First, Mark is joined by Oakland Athletics second baseman and outfielder, Tony Kemp ( @TonyKemp ). Tony talks about how his hitting approach generated higher walk rates (1:09), how a player knows and understands what he can do (2:23), the challenges of hitting at W...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by Yankees minor league hitting coach Rachel Balkovec ( @_rachelbalkovec ), who is currently in Australia working as a coach with the Sydney Blue Sox. Rachel talks about how she came to be coaching in Australia (1:46). She then addresses the progress that women have made in baseball and other sp...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton ( @OfficialBuck103 ) to talk about everything from his defensive approach to how he changed his swing by watching video, to why he smiles so much and much more (0:45). Mark also welcomes a group of guests to break down the Fielding Bible award winner...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we begin by discussing the historic hiring of Kim Ng as the Marlins GM with Josh Rawitch ( @joshrawitch ), the Diamondbacks senior VP of content and communications. Josh and Kim worked together when both were with the Dodgers, and Kim gave Josh a shout-out at her press conference. Josh shares stories about working with her and describe...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by the godfather of baseball sabermetrics, Bill James ( @billjamesonline ) to discuss The 2021 Bill James Handbook. Bill talks about the articles he wrote and the studies he did, including: Game Score for Batters, a companion stat to Bill’s popular Game Score for pitchers that is available on ES...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) talks to Doug Glanville ( @dougglanville ) of ESPN and his baseball-writing colleague at The Athletic , Eno Sarris ( @enosarris ). Doug breaks down what goes into making the catches that were made during the postseason, whether it was the home run robberies by Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, or the tumbl...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian ( @Kurkjian_ESPN ) to talk about what he’s seen this postseason in pitching (1:13), hitting (5:46), baserunning (11:31), and fielding (16:56) – both for good and for bad. Tim also picks the player who he’s watched this postseason for whom he now has a greater appreci...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Ethan Bryan ( @Ethan_Bryan ), the author of A Year of Playing Catch – What A Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me About Life. Ethan, a lifelong Royals fan from Springfield, Missouri, talks about where the idea of playing catch every day originated and what the experience was like (1:08) and shares the stories of th...

On a special playoff-preview edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we dig deep on the top-seeded Rays and Dodgers as we welcome former MLB pitcher Brian Anderson and current Dodgers/FOX broadcaster Joe Davis ( @Joe_Davis ) to the podcast. Brian, in his 10 th season as a TV broadcaster with the Rays, gives us an in-depth look at the team’s pitching staff, with what makes the group...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by baseball writer Joe Sheehan ( @joe_sheehan ) and Mets broadcaster Wayne Randazzo ( @WayneRandazzo ). Joe explains what we’ll be talking about if the Rays and Athletics win the World Series (1:00), then talks about what impresses him about the Cubs, White Sox, and Padres (5:27). We also flip t...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by New York Times senior baseball writer Tyler Kepner ( @TylerKepner ) to discuss the biggest surprises of the 2020 season. Among the topics they cover: Jose Abreu’s defense (0:59), the unlikely rise of the Giants offense (4:36), Shane Bieber’s electric stuff (16:24), the defense of Clint Frazie...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues with baseball researcher Gary Ashwill and Negro League Museum co-founder Larry Lester ( @LarryLester42 ). Gary talks to us about the Seamheads Baseball Database project, which aims to document Negro League statistics (among many things) (2:00), explain...

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by Rockies shortstop Trevor Story ( @Tstory2 ) to ‘talk shop’ about his defensive success. Trevor currently leads in our “Good Fielding Plays” stat for shortstops by a WIDE margin. Trevor talks about the origin of his developing into a good defensive player and how Troy Tulowitzki influenced him...

NOTE: This episode was taped last week prior to the player protests and games being postponed. On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays ) is joined by Dodgers second baseman Kiké Hernández ( @kikehndez ), who is off to a great defensive start to 2020.  Kiké explains about how his work was impacted by the pandemic (0:51) and then 'talks shop&a...