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A change of scenery appeared to be what right handed pitcher Austin Voth needed. Voth was designated for assignment after four-plus seasons with the Washington Nationals. Ultimately he was waived and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles.
Since joining the Orioles on June 7, Voth’s career has taken a turn for the better. In 19 games this season with the Nationals, he had a 10.13 ERA and 2.143 WHIP. However, in eight games in Baltimore, Voth has been on fire just as much as his new team.
With the Orioles, Voth has a respectable 3.80 ERA and 1.266 WHIP. He started five games. His turnaround may be more than just going up the Beltway to a different city.
Speaking with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Voth praised the Orioles’ analytics department. In turn, it may have negatively shined a light on how the Nationals are lagging behind modern times.
“I was kind of blown away by all the data that they have here,” Voth said. “The video guys and how they can break down stats and pitches, and individually things for each pitcher. That was big for me.”
Voth doesn’t mention the Nationals directly. Yet, it’s safe to assume what the Nationals have pales in comparison to the Orioles. The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty recently documented the Nationals’ lack of analytics
Every story I’ve written about the Nationals’ marginal advancements in data and tech have had the following qualifiers: They’re late and still leave a lot of room for improvement. And data, video, etc. needs to be accompanied by organizational culture shift.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 15, 2022
In April, Dougherty wrote about the slow-paced advances the Nationals have added recently.
“… a club built by General Manager Mike Rizzo, a scout’s scout, has been one of the slower to adapt amid the sport’s information boom. Ask about any player who either leaves for or arrives from another organization.”
In the article when Sean Doolittle, who returned to the Nationals this season after leaving in 2020 and playing with the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, acknowledged the Nationals’ new approach to analytics, Dougherty noted the club’s efforts are still considered “dated.”
Thus, Voth’s comments aren’t surprising to insiders.
Still, the Nationals can hang their hats on having a recent World Series title in 2019. That magical run culminated a very competitive stretch from 2012-19 with four NL East division titles, as well.
Yet, the game has evolved in recent years. Teams are heavily investing in analytics. The Nationals appear to be at a disadvantage. Even with recent strides building their analytical department, Washington is still behind the ball.
The Nationals no longer sport one of the more loaded offenses in baseball. They no longer have arguably the best starting rotation, either. Instead, they hit the reset button. With the roster getting younger, the Nationals will need all the advances available to aid their prospects.
The comments of Voth should open the Nationals’ eyes that they have room to grow in their approach with analytics.
More must-reads:
- Nationals' Sean Doolittle to undergo season-ending surgery to repair UCL tear
- Nationals transfer Stephen Strasburg to 60-day Il, activate Anibal Sanchez
- The 'Active MLB strikeout leaders' quiz
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