Ani Kilambi has been named assistant general manager, Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski announced today. In his role, Kilambi will oversee the club’s Research and Development Department in addition to the club’s use of data in all aspects of organizational decision making.

“We are thrilled to bring Ani on board,” said Dombrowski. “He possesses a terrific work ethic and a collaborative and creative mind that will serve the Phillies greatly in the years ahead.”

Kilambi, 27, has worked for the Tampa Bay Rays since 2015 and had just been promoted to director, decision science after previously serving as assistant director, baseball research and development, a role he had been in since November of 2018. In his time with the Rays, he was part of a group that went from seven full-time staffers to 21 as he helped expand the club’s vision to mix research with actionable decision-making tools on the field level.

“Ani’s skillset and personality provide us exactly what we were looking for when we started this search,” said Phillies General Manager Sam Fuld. “His critical-thinking, humility, and passion for the game are standout qualities that position him really well for this role. We are delighted to bring him on.”

“To have the opportunity to join such a storied franchise is a great honor,” said Kilambi. “I look forward to working with this dynamic front office group led by Dave and Sam.”

Kilambi is a 2016 graduate of the University of California Berkeley, where he was a double major in statistics and operations research and management science.