Sport Analytics Podcast - Sport Analytics Podcast - Episode #8 - Yeshayah Goldfarb - Former VP of R&D and VP of Baseball Operations - San Francisco Giants

Sport Analytics Podcast - Episode #8 - Yeshayah Goldfarb - Former VP of R&D and VP of Baseball Operations - San Francisco Giants

02/06/25 • 44 min

In our eighth episode of the Sport Analytics Podcast, our host Amrit Vignesh sits down with Yeshayah Goldfarb, the former Vice President of Baseball Operations and Baseball Resources & Development for the San Francisco Giants. Over a remarkable 24-year tenure—and three World Series rings—Yeshayah rose from intern to executive, pioneering new analytics systems, spearheading player development programs, and championing flat leadership to unify scouts, coaches, and data teams. Yeshayah shares how he integrated emerging technologies (like Hawk-Eye), leveraged minor-league free agent signings to assemble championship depth, and built strong rapport with front-office, on-field, and international staff alike. Whether you’re intrigued by scouting international prospects in Venezuela or shaping a multimillion-dollar roster for a Major League team, this episode explores the daily hustle, strategic foresight, and passion that powered one of MLB’s most successful front offices in recent history. Key Takeaways: From Intern to Executive: How relentless curiosity and “doing every job” can set the stage for career-long success. Analytics & Scouting Harmony: Why building trust and customizing data for each role drives organizational buy-in. Strategic Depth: The hidden impact of minor-league free agent gems like Gregor Blanco and Yusmeiro Petit. Budgeting for Innovation: How proactive R&D investments and being a “first mover” in new technology can pay dividends. Advice for Aspiring Analysts: Gain experience today—no permission needed—by scouting games, honing R/Python/SQL, and cultivating a learner’s mindset. 🔔 Subscribe to our channel for more episodes featuring leaders in sports analytics, career insights, and technical deep-dives! 📧 For inquiries or collaborations, contact Dave Yount at [email protected]. 🎵 Music Credit: Intro and outro music for this episode is “Nomu” by Good Kid. #SportsAnalytics #BaseballAnalytics #BaseballOperations #SanFranciscoGiants #MLB #DataScience #Moneyball #PlayerDevelopment #CareerAdvice #FlatLeadership #SportsTech

Previous Episode

Sport Analytics Podcast - Episode #7 - Sam Marks - Director of Business Strategy & Analytics - Boston Bruins & TD Garden

In our seventh episode of the Sport Analytics Podcast, our host Amrit Vignesh sits down with Sam Marks, Director of Business Strategy and Analytics for the Boston Bruins and TD Garden. From assembling the first analytics department at the Arizona Coyotes to managing high-impact revenue decisions for an Original Six NHL franchise, Sam shows how data, empathy, and forward-thinking leadership can drive transformative outcomes across the sports industry. Sam explains why “fan experience” is more than a buzzword—and how Monte Carlo simulations, dynamic pricing models, and a structured approach to building analytics teams can translate raw data into actionable results. He also shares candid lessons on balancing immediate revenue goals with long-term brand equity, the growing role of AI in sports business, and why an openness to learning is key to a successful career in this ever-evolving field.

Key Takeaways: Building Effective Teams: Why hiring for empathy, critical thinking, and core data skills can supercharge organizational impact.

Fan-Centric Analytics: Using models and market insights to deliver real-time, data-driven improvements to the arena experience.

Hedging Against Volatility: How sports analytics can mitigate the unpredictable nature of wins, losses, and market factors.

Monte Carlo Simulations: How scenario-driven approaches empower more nuanced pricing and revenue forecasts.

Evolving Tech Stack: Why continuous learning—across SQL, Tableau, AI, and beyond—keeps your analytics toolkit future-proof.

🔔 Subscribe to our channel for more episodes featuring leaders in sports analytics, career insights, and technical deep-dives! 📧 For inquiries or collaborations, contact Dave Yount at [email protected]. 🎵 Music Credit: Intro and outro music for this episode is “Nomu” by Good Kid. #SportsAnalytics #NHL #BostonBruins #TDGarden #BusinessStrategy #DataScience #MonteCarlo #FanExperience #CareerAdvice #SportsBusiness #BusinessAnalytics #Duke

Next Episode

Sport Analytics Podcast - Episode #9 - Ron Yurko - Professor & Director of Sports Analytics Center - Carnegie Mellon University

In our ninth episode of the Sport Analytics Podcast, our host Amrit Vignesh sits down with Dr. Ron Yurko, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at Carnegie Mellon University and the Director of the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center. Ron’s path spans an internship with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a data science role at Zelus Analytics (now Teamworks), and a PhD at Carnegie Mellon—where he now guides the next wave of analysts, develops open-source tools, and co-organizes the annual CMU Sports Analytics Conference.Ron highlights how his early experience manually tracking on-field data at PNC Park fueled his passion for large-scale research, why Python vs. R matters less than mastering the foundations of statistical methods, and how competitions like the NFL Big Data Bowl serve as springboards for building a public portfolio. From uncovering hidden signal in high-dimensional data to exploring the new frontier of pose-based biomechanics, Ron shares his vision of where sports analytics is heading—and how students, researchers, and industry pros can stay ahead of the curve.Key Takeaways: Finding Your Path: How a cold email, an unexpected project, and relentless curiosity launched Ron’s sports analytics career. Big Data Bowl & Beyond: Why public competitions with tracking data are driving the next wave of innovative research. Academic + Industry Mix: Lessons from balancing advanced methodology with the day-to-day needs of teams and clients. Pose Data is Next: From raw player tracking to full skeletal modeling—what emerging data sources mean for future insights. Methodology Over Tool Wars: Why understanding model assumptions and uncertainty trumps any single programming language.🔔 Subscribe to our channel for more episodes featuring leaders in sports analytics, career insights, and technical deep-dives!📧 For inquiries or collaborations, contact me at [email protected].🎵 Music Credit: Intro and outro music for this episode is “Nomu” by Good Kid.#SportsAnalytics #DataScience #CarnegieMellon #MLB #NFL #NFLBigDataBowl #MachineLearning #AI #AnalyticsEducation #CareerAdvice #Academia #Innovation