Nationals Set to Expand Their Analytics Department Even Further

It didn't take long for president of baseball operations Paul Toboni to leave his mark on the Washington Nationals following his hire.

While he opted to not shake things up on the field too much when it came to the major league roster, he did implement certain things when it came to how he wanted the organization to operate. Bringing in new technology to help with development was a notable one, as Toboni made it clear that he would be bringing the Nationals into the modern era of baseball.

Now, with the offseason on the horizon, Toboni and his front office are set to expand their analytics department even further.

Nationals Planning to Expand Analytics Department

Red Washington Nationals hat | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required), Washington "will hire more analytics staffers to match their growing ambitions."

General manager Ani Kilambi told the insider that they plan on posting "at least a dozen job openings in the analytics department," which will likely be data-focused roles in areas involved with player projections, player acquisitions and player development. Nusbaum added that jobs focusing on biomechanics and major league strategy could be something the Nationals hire for, while they could also bolster their on-field performance evaluations department, as well.

Analytics has been a huge topic of discussion in the entire sports world, not just baseball. Data is a featured part of the decision-making process now, and more and more organizations are leaning into using numbers as part of their analysis. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that Toboni and his front office are trying to expand that part of their baseball operations team.

Per Nusbaum, the Nationals currently have 19 people in their analytics department. Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies -- franchises that are known for being analytically-driven -- reportedly have departments that are twice as large.

Much of this planned expansion is due to Washington's current department getting overran over the course of the season. By bringing in more people who are used to operating in a more advanced analytical setting, the hope is that things -- potential acquisition evaluations, coaching tools, advanced analysis on a pitcher or hitter, etc. -- will run more smoothly this offseason as they head into next year.

Expanding the analytical side of things won't guarantee that the Nationals will return to competing for World Series championships. But this is the latest example of how Toboni is putting his imprint on the franchise. And because Washington needed a major facelift, there should be plenty of positives that come from this in the immediate future, as was seen this year.

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