Expected Value

This episode features two soccer-related presenters from last weekend’s NESSIS conference in Boston: Laurie Shaw and Sam Gregory. Both guests talk about their presentations and research, which use player-tracking data.

Harvard’s Laurie Shaw (@EightyFivePoint) presented on using player-tracking data to classify and analyze team strategy, by identifying formations in different situations. Laurie has a background in astrophysics and hedge funds, and he talks about how his previous experience helps him in sports analytics.

Sportlogiq data analyst Sam Gregory (@GregoryDSam) presented on detecting off-the-ball runs with the goal of identifying players who act similarly, which run types are effective against certain teams, and more. Sam previously worked at Opta and has an extensive background in soccer analytics.

This episode features two NFL-related presenters from last weekend’s NESSIS conference in Boston: Ron Yurko (@Stat_Ron) and Dani Chu (@chuurveg). Both guests talk about their presentations and research, which use NFL player-tracking data.

Ron Yurko’s presentation focused on in-play valuation, which can lead to live models for expected points and win probability, instead of the traditional pre- and post-play models. Ron also touches on how sports analytics is gaining acceptance in the greater analytics community.

Dani Chu and his team won the college division of the NFL’s Big Data Bowl earlier this year, and his presentation was about using the tracking data to identify receiver routes. Dani talks about the Big Data Bowl process and what extensions might come from his research.

Jared Hughes has been pitching in the majors since 2011, and the new wave of data is crucial to his preparation process. Among the topics covered:

- How he uses analytics to prepare and review
- Pitching during the launch-angle revolution
- Statcast numbers he finds interesting
- What he wishes could be quantified
- Communicating analytics to players

Michael Lopez has been the NFL’s Director of Football Data & Analytics for over a year, and he’s also a statistics professor at Skidmore College. He brings a strong academic background and a coaching perspective to his NFL job. Among the topics covered:

- What he does in his role for the league
- State of analytics in the NFL
- The league’s relatively new NGS player-tracking data
- Working with the NFL competition committee
- The NFL’s first Big Data Bowl (and the next one?)
- Advice for students interested in a sports analytics career

Lucy Rushton is the Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis for Atlanta United, which has won three trophies in its first three MLS seasons, including last year’s MLS Cup. Before joining Atlanta in 2015, Lucy was Head of Technical Scouting at English club Reading, and prior to that, she was a Player Recruitment Analyst for Watford. She also grew up playing the sport and won the English Championship as a player for Reading. Among the topics covered:

- How Atlanta incorporates data into recruitment
- Evaluating players from across leagues and colleges
- Interacting with the Atlanta Falcons
- Working with new and different coaches
- How teams in England and the U.S. use data
- Women in the sports analytics industry
- Adjusting to life in the South

The first guest on Expected Value is Daniel Adler, the Minnesota Twins Director of Baseball Operations, who previously worked in the NFL with the Jaguars, Browns and Patriots. Among the topics covered…

- What a Director of Baseball Operations does and how analytics are involved
- The Twins home run explosion this season
- Differences in baseball and football analytics
- What he looks for when hiring analysts
- A Bartolo Colon story

Expected Value features conversations with sports analytics insiders about what they do, how they do it, and how they got there. Guests include people working for teams, leagues, media and more, covering sports including baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. Please subscribe, spread the word, and enjoy!