Diamondbacks Name Dr. Ed Lewis As Director of Analytics

Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa hired a director of analytics. Photo Courtesy of azcentral sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced the hiring of Dr. Ed Lewis as the franchise’s first ever director of analytics according to a team announcement.

Lewis will work closely with assistant G.M. Bryan Minniti, Baseball Operations Data Analyst John Krazit and Baseball Operations Coordinator Sam Eaton, and additional staff that hasn’t been hired yet. Lewis will oversee the Dbacks increased usage of advanced metrics.

Lewis will report to General Manager Dave Stewart, and Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa.

Here is a little bit about Lewis’s background courtesy of a team press release:

Lewis has been a trusted ally of Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa for more than 30 years, collaborating on many projects, including that as a special assignment scout during the Hall of Fame manager’s tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lewis also served as the founding Director of Cardinals Care, the St. Louis Cardinals Community Fund, from 1996 through 1999. While with the Cardinals, he was the architect of the club’s annual fanfest weekend, an event now in its 19th year.

A graduate of the University of Illinois (B.S., D.V.M.), Lewis is a former veterinary medical and surgical practitioner who has been a lifelong student of baseball, statistics and the more recently expanded analytics. He also has extensive experience in the use of technical analysis in the evaluation and trading of equities in U.S. financial markets.

Here is what Stewart said about the hire:

“We were all extremely impressed with Ed’s background and his extensive knowledge of baseball and analytics,” said Stewart. “We believe that he will be able to help us find the balance between traditional evaluation and analytic evaluation that will help us make sound decisions throughout baseball operations.”

Expect the Diamondbacks to use advanced stats a lot more with this revamped front office.