PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) have named Mike Fitzgerald as Director of Research and Development, as announced by D-backs Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Hazen.
"We were all extremely impressed with Mike's background and his vision for innovative analytics," said Hazen. "We believe his unique skill-set will enhance our player evaluation process and help us make sound decisions throughout baseball operations."
Fitzgerald, 28, spent the last 5 seasons as a quantitative analyst for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he provided input on player evaluation and roster construction as well as direct interactions with the coaching staff. In his role, he contributed towards defensive positioning, batting order optimization and identifying favorable matchups. Prior to joining the Pirates, Fitzgerald worked with TrackMan, a radar technology company that captures ball flight and trajectory, ESPN, in the technology innovation department, and as an intern with the Boston Celtics basketball operations department.
A native of Wilmington, Mass., Fitzgerald is a 2011 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he majored in Mathematics and was the captain of the football team.