New LA Angels hire eager to start with team and contribute

There are multiple things that go into building a winning team and while the players for the LA Angels are in the spotlight, there are a few that help from behind the scenes. The analytical department is one of them and has been a relatively important topic for the team in the past as Austin Marchesani now joins this group.

Coming from the University of Iowa and helping their own pitching department, Austin is someone who understands what it's like to be on the mound and shares his own experience. He has an extensive background in analytics and also being a pitcher which shows his connection to the game on a more personal level which he thinks the organization can benefit from.

"I think the main thing is just you've been there and the communication piece like coming from someone that never played baseball before. You know high school or anything like that I think it'd be harder for a player to buy in." Austin says as he knows that there is some level of trust that needs to be established between the players and the analytical department and he believes that he can help connect that bridge.

Being a part of something special

The why is something that everyone can relate to within a workplace as big as a baseball franchise which is having your voice heard. For Austin, he didn't want to be just another cog in the machine as he eluded to the Dodgers, Rays, and Astros that have already invested hugely into analytics. Instead, he wanted to go somewhere that was comfortable and genuinely wanted to hear his ideas on the game and how he is going to approach his new job.

"The team that I'm going to work with is relatively small like it's a group of 4 of us that are pitching specific. And I think we can all bring really good ideas." Austin said as he described his interview process as more of a conversation than a question-and-answer interview which he says made him feel more comfortable. Of course, Austin knows that the analytical department is always in the background, but that does not stop him from thinking about a player shouting out their department if something works out for them.

When asked about how he would feel if something he recommended to a pitcher was constantly being used, Austin lit up and then humbled himself. He mentioned how much it means to just win as a team and ultimately it is up to the player to execute, but as we've seen, analytical departments are having a much more important role in players, especially pitchers. It'll just take time to see if one of Austin's recommendations is a part of what makes the Angels successful in 2023.