On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays)is joined by Nationals center fielder Jacob Young (@jacob_young27) to talk about his run of defensive excellence in 2024. Young talked about what goes into playing the position, specifically how he’s one of the best in MLB at getting good jumps on fly balls. He walked us through 2 catches he made this se…

On this episode of The Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson, a baseball fan who cleverly used analytics for good, Jenn Rubenstein (@queerfancystats), and SIS baseball operations analyst Stephen Marciello (LinkedIn) . Chandler introduced himself by telling us about …

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Rangers utility man Josh Smith (@joshhsmith4), baseball writer Matthew Trueblood (@MATrueblood) and SIS operations associate Mark Bricker (@brick26house). Mark S. and Josh talk about Josh’s move to different positions, his approach to playing defense, and the tip he’d give to any kids that …

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, Mariners bench coach Manny Acta (@mannyacta14), and SIS operations analyst Nick Rabasco (@nrabasco1). Ryan talks to us about playing first baseman, where he's been a league leader in our "Good Fielding Plays" stat, what it's been like to switch positi…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Will Carroll (@injuryexpert), CEO of NTangible Sports and the Under The Knife baseball injury newsletter and SIS injury associate Brett Barnes. The conversation is all things injury-related, not just pitcher injuries. The 3 discuss the abundance of muscular injuries, future prognosis for Mi…

On this episode Mark Simon is joined by Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel, baseball writer Daniel Epstein, and SIS baseball operations analyst Brandon Tew. Mark and Kyle talk about Kyle's defensive approach, which has helped him to rank 3rd in Defensive Runs Saved the last 2 seasons. Kyle explains how a childhood game got him on an early path to bei…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) does an "everything but defense" show, talking to Cubs minor league hitting coach and co-hitting coordinator Rachel Folden (@rachelfolden25) and pitching analyst Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz), who writes his own newsletter and does analysis for Marquee Sports. Rachel, a former softball All-American, tal…

On this episode, we honor Women’s History Month with 2 interviews featuring women working in baseball in different ways. First, Mark Simon talks to Saint Elizabeth University catcher Alexia Jorge, who became the 2nd woman to start at catcher in a college baseball game. Alexia has been playing baseball (not softball) her entire life and she speaks t…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez (@andresgimenez). Andrés talks about how he does what he does on defense, which led to him winning a 2023 Fielding Bible Award. Andrés even explains one thing he does with his wife in the offseason to help him stay athletic (0:36). Then, SIS…

On this special Black History Month episode, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Pirates' Vice President of Player Personnel Steve Williams and former MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins (@LaTroyHawkins32). Steve talks about his career working in baseball and the role he plays as the president of the Buck O'Neil Professional Baseball Scouts & Coaches …

On this episode, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Orioles pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek, SIS’ Asian Baseball scout and operations associate Brandon Tew, (@BrandonTeweets) and our VP of Baseball, Bobby Scales (@Bobby_Scales). Ryan walks us through his career path and explains what goes into being a pitching strategy coach in the major…

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we remember the many baseball players - major leaguers, minor leaguers, NPB players, and college players - that we spoke to in 2023. You'll hear the best we got from Phillies GM Sam Fuld, Washington Post reporter Chelsea Janes, Tre' Morgan, Vance Honeycutt, Noah Miller, Nasim Nuñez, Bre…

The podcast goes global this week as Mark Simon is joined by Seibu Lions first baseman David MacKinnon and Japan Baseball Weekly podcast co-host John Gibson. Mark and David talk about David's first season in Japan both from a baseball and cultural perspective and how being a college soccer goalie made him a better defensive player (1:23). Mark and …

Thursday, Sports Info Solutions announced the winners of The 2023 Fielding Bible Awards. Each year since 2006 our voters have picked the best defensive player at each position. This year, we’ve added a Defensive Player of the Year award to the mix. Podcast host Mark Simon and SIS VP of Baseball, Bobby Scales run through the winners and discuss what…

On this episode of The Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by national baseball writers, Tyler Kepner of The Athletic (@tylerkepner) and Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post (@chelsea_janes). This is our 3rd annual “The Year in Surprises” episode. Tyler, Chelsea, and Mark each offer their pick for most sur…

On this episode of The Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by a pair of minor league defensive standouts, Noah Miller from the Twins organization (0:58) and Nasim Nuñez (16:19) from the Marlins organization. We enjoyed talking about how they do what they do on D. Noah Miller leads all shortstops in the minor league version …

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has been one of the best players in baseball both offensively and defensively since the All-Star Break. Bobby talks about how he's no longer trying to field balls and make throws at the same time and how he mentally resets before each pitch. He also brea…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by The Athletic senior writer Eno Sarris (@enosarris), as well as Noah Gatsik (@iamthatnoah) and Brandon Tew (@brandonteweets), who help run SIS Baseball Scout School. Mark and Eno talk pitching, with a focus on the Giants, Astros, and Orioles. Among the names that come up are Grayson Rodrigue…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo, author of the new book Smart, Wrong, and Lucky, The Origin Stories of Baseball’s Unexpected Stars. Adley talks about the challenges of catching the different pitchers on the Orioles staff, how the team’s pitching strategist helps him with game…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by baseball writers Jay Jaffe (FanGraphs, The Cooperstown Casebook) and Russell Carleton (Baseball Prospectus, The New Ballgame). With this being Hall of Fame week, Jay comes on to talk about a series of pieces he's written about the Hall of Fame candidacies of current players. We discuss Jose Ramirez, Freddie …

On this episode, we focus on the toughest defensive job in baseball, playing center field at Coors Field. Rockies rookie Brenton Doyle is doing it and doing it well. Mark Simon talked to Brenton about how he does what he does defensively and how his defensive game has developed dating back to his Division II college days (0:39). SIS VP of Baseball …

On this episode of The Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Giants rookie catcher Patrick Bailey. Patrick talked about who taught him to think like a catcher, how he works with his pitchers, what goes into pitch framing, and why he thinks he got off to a good start as a hitter too (0:31). SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales a…

On this episode of the SIS Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien and Astros center fielder Jake Meyers for a pair of conversations about defensive excellence. Marcus talks about a couple of memorable plays from the season, the hardest things about playing second base, the level of peak focus a hitter and fie…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by ZiPS projection system creator and FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborski to talk shop about creating a projection tool. Dan talked about the principles of ZiPS, how he created it, and how the system works. He cited specific current examples, including whether the A's will lose 120 games, how the projection on Matt…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by North Carolina sophomore center fielder Vance Honeycutt and FanGraphs.com baseball writer Ben Clemens. Vance was the 2022 ACC Tournament MVP and league Preseason Player of the Year, but he joins us to talk about his defense and his penchant for home run-robberies and other great catches. He also explains how…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas (@joshrojass) and Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (@Myles_Straw) to discuss what’s made them into good defensive players and baserunners. Josh talks about the adjustments he’s made at third base and how he can feel the difference it has made for hi…

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by … * ESPN broadcaster Eduardo Pérez, who celebrates the global nature of the game, and talks about his appreciation of Shohei Ohtani, Luis Arraez, and (among others) Rays outfielder Harold Ramírez. Eduardo also talks about the new rules, the pace of the game, and …

This episode has all the bases covered. We start in college with Mark Simon talking to No. 1 LSU’s starting first baseman, Tre' Morgan. He’s considered one of college baseball’s defensive standouts, so we pick his brain on picks, adventures in the outfield, and much more (0:28). We move on to some MLB Prospect talk as Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser…

On this episode, we honor Women’s History Month with conversations with three women who are moving the industry forward with their work in baseball analysis. Mark Simon is joined first by Chelsea Janes, national baseball writer for the Washington Post to discuss player reaction to rule changes, what to make of the Padres and Orioles heading into 20…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) and Bobby Scales (@Bobby_Scales) are joined by … 4-time Gold Glove winner Marquis Grissom (@MGBA_Baseball). Marquis talks about the work he does with aspiring Black baseball players and youth baseball organizations and the value of going to an HBCU both for school and for baseball. (0:55) Major League B…

On today's episode of the SIS Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon and Bobby Scales are joined by the general manager of the Phillies, Sam Fuld. Sam and Bobby were teammates with the Cubs in 2009 and 2010. Sam's entering his 3rd season as GM. Sam talks about what the GM job is like on a minute-to-minute basis, the adjustment in going from field to front of…

For our final show of the year, we thought we’d do a best-of to spotlight the many great guests we talked to in 2022. Among the people you’ll hear from: - Astros World Series MVP Jeremy Peña (0:46) - Yankees SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa (3:01) - Orioles prospect Gunnar Henderson (4:44) - Nationals prospect Jake Alu (5:52) - Diamondbacks outfielder/catcher…

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by John Gibson, Ted Baarda, and Bobby Scales to review the 2022 NPB and KBO Fielding Bible Awards. John goes through the NPB winners, explaining what made certain players so good defensively (0:34). Bobby talks about what it’s like to play in Japan and how defense i…

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we’re joined by two of MLB’s top defensive players, Platinum Glove (and Fielding Bible Award winning) Yankees catcher Jose Trevino and Gold Glove-winning (and Fielding Bible runner-up) Cubs left fielder Ian Happ. Jose talks about the art and skill required to frame pitches, how he gets …

On this episode, Mark Simon and Bobby Scales review the winners of The 2022 Fielding Bible Awards. You’ll also hear from some of the winners that we spoke to during the season, including Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers, and Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan. Plus new interviews with Cardinals inf…

On this episode, Mark Simon, New York Times national baseball writer Tyler Kepner and SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales discuss the biggest surprises of the 2022 season. They include the accomplishments of Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols (yes, Judge was to some extent a surprise), Andrés Giménez and the Guardians, and many more (0:53). Tyler also talks…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) talks to ... Dodgers broadcaster José Mota (@josemota05) about how the Dodgers have made the most out of players like Trayce Thompson, Tony Gonsolin and Evan Phillips, and how they've excelled on defense. He also shared stories of his father's relationship with Roberto Clemente and talked about the game…

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker. Christian talks about what’s gone into his dominant defensive season and an unusual offensive season in which he was repeatedly hitting the ball hard both into shifts and into great defensive plays. H…

On this episode, Mark Simon hosts a baseball baserunning forum with former major leaguers Doug Glanville and Bobby Scales. They talk about which players and teams are best at it (including some names you don’t expect), where the issues exist today, and what they would like to see in the coaching of baserunning. You can watch a talk Bobby did for th…

On this episode, Mark Simon interviews Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, women’s baseball pioneer Dr. Justine Siegal, and talks to SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales. Steven (0:53) talked about some of the top plays he’s made in left field on his way to leading the Guardians in Defensive Runs Saved. And he explained the prep that goes into playing in …

On this episode, we're joined by Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who ranks among the MLB leaders in Defensive Runs Saved due to standout pitch framing. Cal talks about the different elements that go into catching this Mariners staff and the different looks and challenges their pitchers present. He also explains why he might not do as well as Julio Ro…

On a special bonus episode, Mark Simon is joined by Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña to review his impressive first half of the season, particularly in the field. Jeremy tells us about his favorite defensive plays, why he's so good at fielding on the backhand, the value of being bilingual in a locker room, and much more (0:31) We then run throug…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by top minor league prospect Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles, as well as SIS VP of Baseball, Bobby Scales (a former MLB player and executive). Gunnar, recently rated the No. 5 prospect in Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline, talked about playing both shortstop and third base and what’s gone into his success a…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by two of the premier defensive players in the upcoming MLB Draft: Coastal Carolina shortstop Eric Brown and Adonys Guzman. Both have been projected among the Top 100 draft prospects at different times this season. Eric talks about the work that has gone into having what some say is the best range among college…

On this episode, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by a trio of guests. Yankees SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa joins us to talk about all things related to defensive excellence, from favorite plays he’s made to drills he’s done, to lesson’s he’s learned. We were psyched to hear that Isiah follows his Defensive Runs Saved total closely (0:56). SIS VP of…

On this episode, Mark Simon was joined by Diamondbacks catcher-centerfielder Daulton Varsho, ESPN’s Paul “Hembo” Hembekides, and Sports Info Solutions VP of Baseball Bobby Scales. Daulton Varsho talked about the origin of his unusual position combination, what a day in the life is like for a catcher, and what his experience has been like with the n…

On this episode, we're joined by Padres broadcaster and Big Time Baseball podcast co-host Tony Gwynn Jr. and SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales. We talk with Tony about the role the Padres defense has played in their success this season, how Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado have figured out how to hit in the 2022 baseball environs, why Harrison Bader is …

This episode has a little bit of everything! We talk to our April Defensive Player of the Month Brett Phillips (@Brett_Phillips8) of the Rays about everything that makes playing defense fun - and what makes him so good at it. He walked us through plays (both good and bad), talked about his glove, and gave the answer to what he'd tell a kid who want…

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by new SIS VP of Baseball Bobby Scales. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Bobby played 2 seasons with the Cubs and worked in the front offices of the Pirates and the Angels. Bobby reminisces about his long pro career, which included 10 years in Triple-A and 2 years in Japan, telling stories of memorable m…

On our 2022 MLB season debut we welcome Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports and The Athletic and Braves 1B coach Eric Young Sr. Mark poses 10 questions to Ken, ranging from which team has the greatest potential variance in performance, sleeper Cy Young and MVP picks (people who never got a vote for that award) to the best defensive teams, to how rule cha…