SF Giants coordinator of pitching sciences Matt Daniels departs organization
The SF Giants will have to make a notable change in their player development staff at the start of 2023. Matt Daniels, the Giants coordinator of pitching sciences for the past three years, announced on social media that he is leaving the organization. Daniels joined the organization in January of 2019 as the coordinator of pitching analysis. Prior to joining the Giants, Daniels had built a strong reputation for his ability to help players improve with the help of biomechanics and mathematical analysis with Driveline Baseball.
"Thank you San Francisco Giants for four of the best years of my life," Daniels wrote. "I'm forever grateful for the support of the leadership group, my colleagues, and the players throughout our time together. The development stories, learning experiences, new friendships, and memories made have impacted me in the most positive way possible. It was a privilege to work for such a first-class organization. It's now time to pursue the next challenge."
Daniels has received a lot of credit for the Giants impressive pitching development apparatus under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. Since Daniels joined the organization, San Francisco's big-league roster has seen pitchers like Jarlín García, Logan Webb, Camilo Doval, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Carlos Rodón all have career seasons. At the minor-league level, the Giants affiliates have consistently ranked among the league leaders in strikeouts. With that said, the Giants farm system did seem to take a step back this season, which could have motivated the front office to make some changes.
Daniels' reputation first rose alongside Driveline's, which grew in large part thanks to positive press from the company's first well-known client Trevor Bauer, who Daniels worked with. Bauer, who won the 2020 National League Cy Young, was already a controversial figure for his online behavior before he was accused of harassing a woman online in 2019 and accused of sexual assault in 2021. Bauer was suspended for the entire 2022 season for violating MLB's domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
It's unclear whether Matt Daniels' departure from the Giants organization was his decision or not. It's conceivable that he is leaving the SF Giants to accept a more prominent role with a different front office or is simply looking for a less time-consuming job. However, the team could also be looking for new perspectives to try and improve the organization's player development.
