TWIS archives

This Week in SABR: February 13, 2026

This Week in SABR: February 13, 2026

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, February 13, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web

Top Headlines

Check out the full schedule for SABR Analytics Conference
One week left to apply for a Local Grant in 2026
Join us next Tuesday for SABR Scholar Session with MLB’s Cory Schwartz
SABR 54: Ten days left to submit research presentation abstracts
SABR Board of Directors to host virtual Town Hall on March 12
Watch a replay of SABR Oral History with Greg Maddux


Research Collection Events Calendar Around the Web

2026 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR Analytics Conference: Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 Panel

We’re just two weeks away from the SABR Analytics Conference on February 27–March 1, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona! All baseball fans are invited to attend, so sign up today to hear from top speakers in the baseball industry.

Our featured speakers and panelists on the Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 Panel will include:

  • Jennifer Brann, Senior Analyst, Baseball Ops R&D  
  • Max Glick, Director, Baseball Ops R&D  
  • Cory Hahn, Director, Pro Scouting  
  • Maile Kamada, Data Engineer, Baseball Ops R&D
  • Kelvin Kondo, Assistant Director, International Scouting  
  • Kristyn Pierce, Director, Baseball Operations  
  • Connor Shannon, Director, Player Personnel 

Our featured speakers and panelists include keynote speaker Doug Fearing, Teamworks; Dave Adler, Baseball HQ; David Adler, MLB.com; Will Carroll, Under the Knife; Derek Carty, THE BAT X; Jason Collette, Rotowire; Vince Gennaro, NYU Lab for Transformative Leadership; Franky Mulloy, Cincinnati Reds; Do-Hyoung Park, Major League Baseball; Hillary Plummer, San Diego Padres; Eno Sarris, The Athletic; Megan Stewart, Milwaukee Brewers; Will Vandenberg, Los Angeles Dodgers; Derek VanRiper, The Athletic; and more.

  • Registration: Click here to register for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference. Registration is $545 for SABR members, $645 for non-members, and $150 for currently enrolled high school or college students. Student-only virtual registration is $50. Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive the discounted registration link.
  • Student Registration: Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive a special link to register at a discounted rate. Students have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, February 26. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo Certified Course ($395 value). SABR membership will be fulfilled after event sign-up and access to Rapsodo course will be delivered after the conference.
  • Research Presentations, presented by Teamworks Intelligence: Click here to learn more about general and student research presentations.
  • Certification Courses: Four courses in the online, on-demand SABR Analytics Certification program, including the newest offering Level Four – Applied Statistics for Baseball, are available now. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

SABR Analytics Conference: Poster Presentations

SABR is excited to announce the list of accepted poster presentations, presented by Teamworks Intelligence, for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Presentation abstracts and presenter bios will be available soon at SABR.org.

Poster Presentations

  • Brody Chambers, “De-confounding Location from Stuff+: A Location Invariant Pitch Quality Metric Using Gradient Reversal”
  • Kai-Jen Cheng, “Pure Fastball Quality (PFQ): An Interpretable PCA-Based Metric Predicting Batted-Ball Outcomes in MLB Pitchers During the 2025 Season”
  • Brandon Doehne, “The Role of Physiological Metrics in Baseball Pitching Performance”
  • Adam Hoechstetter, “Kinematic Predictors of Pure Fastball Quality in Division I Pitchers”
  • Brandon Muczynski, “The Relationship Between Energy Flow, Ball Velocity, and Upper Extremity Joint Loading in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers”
  • Choi Min Seok, “Quantifying Pitcher’s Movement Profile and Evaluating Its Relationship with Arm Angle”
  • Atul Venkatesh, “Using Quasi-Experimental Methodologies to Analyze Pitcher Performance Post-Tommy John Surgery”
  • Octavian Yuen, “Amateur Baseball Profiler”

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Diamond Dollars Case Competition participating schools

The Diamond Dollars Case Competition will be held during the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference on the morning of Friday, February 27 at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. Here are the participating schools in 2026:

  • Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)
  • Elon University (Elon, NC)
  • Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, VA)
  • Rice University (Houston, TX)
  • Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
  • Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)
  • Tufts University (Medford, MA)
  • University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA)
  • Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)

Visit SABR.org/analytics/case to learn more.

 


 

May 31, 2025 vintage baseball game hosted by SABR Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter

One week left to apply for a 2026 SABR Local Grant

The SABR Local Grants program provides an opportunity for chapters, research committees, and chartered communities to apply for funding for their projects under SABR’s Four Pillars: Research, Scholarship, Preservation, and Future of the Game. Applications are now open for a 2026 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until February 20, 2026

All SABR chapters, chartered communities, and research committees are eligible to apply. Individual SABR members and non-SABR groups are not eligible, so if you have an individual idea for a program grant, please follow up with your local chapter leadership or appropriate research committee to discuss an application.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

 


 

All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. This session’s guest speaker is Cory Schwartz, Vice President of Data Operations with Major League Baseball.

Join us next Tuesday for a special SABR Scholar Session with MLB’s Cory Schwartz

All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free virtual career development series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. This session’s guest speaker is Cory Schwartz, Vice President of Data Operations with Major League Baseball.

Tyrone and Cory will discuss their paths into baseball front offices and offer tips to stand out at industry events, like the upcoming SABR Analytics Conference. After an insightful conversation and Q&A session, we’ll learn more about how to put your SABR membership to work for you.

  • To learn more or to pre-register for the SABR Scholar Session on Zoom, please contact Jessica Smyth.

 


 

SABR 54 convention logo

Early registration now open for SABR 54 in Cleveland

Join us in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer for SABR’s 54th annual convention on July 29–August 2, 2026, at the Hilton Downtown Cleveland hotel! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 54 is now available online. Click here for complete details on SABR 54 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions.

SABR 54 will feature a Major League speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Whether you’re attending your first SABR convention or returning as a longtime regular, this is a great year to be part of the experience. Newcomers will find plenty of opportunities to connect and build baseball friendships, while veteran attendees can look forward to a richly layered event. It promises to be an unforgettable week of baseball fellowship in “The Land,” and we hope you’ll join us!

Visit SABR.org/convention for complete details. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

SABR 54: Ten days left to submit research presentation abstracts

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 54, the annual convention on July 29-August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. Oral presentations are expected to last 20 minutes, followed by a five minute question-and-answer period. Posters will be presented, with the author on-hand to discuss the work, during a poster session of 60 minutes and they will remain on display throughout the convention.

Click here to submit abstracts for SABR 54

The submission deadline for SABR 54 abstracts is 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

In addition, we seek volunteers who wish to participate in the blind review process (beginning in March) and/or on-site judging (at the convention in Cleveland.) Those volunteers are also requested to apply by sending an email to convention-presentations@sabr.org.

 


 

SABR Member Benefit Spotlight: Members-Only Collections

New Research Resources portal and member login launched

SABR members now have access to a newly designed and updated Research Resources portal at SABR.org. The new Research Resources area also offers a range of baseball guides, archives, and databases organized by subject matter — from Biographical Research to Minor Leagues to Statistics/Records. Find Research Resources by going directly to The Research Collection page or by using the “Research” dropdown menu at the top of any SABR.org page.

All SABR members have exclusive access to online resources to aid in your research and deepen the exploration of your baseball fandom, including the Historical Black Newspapers Collection and US Newspapers Collection through ProQuest; the Newspapers.com World Collection; and The Sporting News Archives through Paper of Record. Normally, access to these fantastic resources would cost over $250 annually, but they are included as a complimentary benefit of your SABR membership! Members also have special access to two large collections exclusively at SABR.org: the Weiss Baseball Questionnaires (nearly 100,000 self-completed surveys from baseball players between 1945 and 2005) and the MLB Team Employee Database (recently updated with 2025 MLB teams and Negro Leagues team employees.)

We have also rolled out a new promotional ad at SABR.org to help encourage other baseball fans to sign up for a monthly or annual membership. As a SABR member, you can click the gold Login now link in order to sign in and remove the pop-up for the rest of your browser session. 

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

 


 

Call for papers: 2026 SABR Northern New Jersey 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

Save the date! SABR’s Nineteenth Century Research Committee will host the Northern New Jersey 19th Century Interdisciplinary Symposium as a special virtual event on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The focus of this symposium will be on the rich early baseball and related history of the region, which extends from the New York state border south through Monmouth and Mercer counties.

Registration for all SABR members will open around July 1 at SABR.org. The cost will be $15 per person. The one-day Zoom event will run from approximately 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern on November 14.  

  • Call for presentations: SABR invites all members to submit an abstract for a virtual research presentation at the 2026 symposium. Each presentation will last for 25 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A, and a visual component (PowerPoint, etc.) is strongly recommended. A/V files are not due with the Abstract but about 30 days before the actual event. Abstracts should be between 250–400 words and must be on any topic of 19th century baseball pertaining to Northern New Jersey. Please send an email with a Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso by March 5, 2026.

Registration is also open for the 17th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 24-25, 2026, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register now for this special event.

 


 

Call for papers: 2026 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will host the 26th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on June 18-21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to two days of research presentations and player/author panels, attendees will also enjoy special presentations connected to our theme of “Black Baseball in the Land of the Delta Blues” and the city of Memphis.

This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Black baseball topics.

Please email your proposal as a Word attachment to Dr. Leslie Heaphy before March 2, 2026.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

 


 

SABR Research Grants program seeking volunteers

Recently, SABR announced our new Research Grants program. In 2026, SABR will award a total of $10,000 in support of up to two research projects through this new initiative. Applications for the current funding cycle are due on March 1.

We’re looking for volunteers to join our application review committee. Committee members will be asked to review applications in March, with one planned Zoom meeting to select the 2026 recipients. If interested, please email Paul Zwirecki to learn more.

 


 

SABR Board of Directors to host virtual Town Hall on March 12

SABR’s Board of Directors invites all members to join us for a virtual Town Hall meeting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

SABR CEO Scott Bush will provide an overview on new initiatives and other upcoming activities and events. Board President Dan Levitt will provide a strategic planning update. Board Vice President Allison Levin will provide an update on research committees and local chapters. Board Treasurer Pat Filippone will provide a financial update and introduce himself to the membership. Other members of the Board of Directors will also be available for questions afterward.

Levitt was appointed as President in November and will serve the rest of the term through 2027. Filippone was appointed in December to complete the rest of the Treasurer’s term, which concludes following the Annual Business Meeting in 2026.

 


 

December 17 Board minutes posted

Minutes from the Board of Directors conference call on December 17, 2025, have now been posted on the SABR website.

Click here to view all past minutes of SABR Board meetings.

 


 

SABR Research Collection updates

Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.

SABR Research Collection: Greg Maddux; Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol, 1939–2024; James Wood

New Oral History interview: Greg Maddux

  • Greg Maddux, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and four-time Cy Young Award winner
    Recorded February 3, 2026, by John McMurray

Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.

3 new stories published at SABR BioProject

Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.

5 new stories published at SABR Games Project

Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.

Read articles from Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol book online

In September, the SABR Digital Library published Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol, 1939–2024: 85 Years of Venezuelans in the Major Leagues, edited by Leonte Landino and Bill Nowlin, chronicling the journey of nearly 500 Venezuelan baseball players from 1939 through 2024 who have reached Major League Baseball.

All of the biographies, essays, and articles from Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol are now available to read online in the SABR Research Collection.

Click here to download the free ebook edition or save 50% off a purchase of the paperback edition.

 


 

Featured E-Book from the SABR Digital Library

Henry Aaron, edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks

Henry Aaron
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks

Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.

 


 

Recent Highlights

Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:

 


 

New Members

Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.

NAME HOMETOWN     NAME HOMETOWN
Theo Au-Yeung Houston, TX     John Knepshield Orangevale, CA
Jack Azoulay-Haron Binghamton, NY     Mark Kritzman Winchester, MA
Nickolas Bartle Wake Forest, NC     Carter LaCorte Northport, NY
Susan Berardi Olathe, KS     Phi Le Chadron, NE
Joseph Caplan Auburn, AL     William Lee Berkeley, CA
Kai-Jen Cheng Auburn, AL     Smythe Lewis Chapel Hill, NC
Ricardo Cruz Seattle, WA     Max Liedtka Hanover, NH
Michael Dang Hanover, NH     Jing Ying Lin Surprise, AZ
John Daniel Albuquerque, NM     Ruth McCormick Beaumont, CA
Howard Danzig St. Louis, MO     Geordie McDougall Denver, CO
Sean Dolan Santa Fe, NM     Steve Porter Loudon, TN
Michael Erisman Snoqualmie, WA     Issabella Pufundt Batavia, IL
Mason Foster Leawood, KS     Michele Racanelli Westchester, IL
Doug Gaither LaFayette, GA     Tejas Rama Boston, MA
Kevin Giordano Slidell, LA     Isaac Reveles San Diego, CA
Alberto Gonzalez del Valle Miami, FL     Elias Reveles San Diego, CA
Jim Hall Pittsford, NY     John Ruthardt Tulsa, OK
Andrew Hersh Kingston, NY     Richard Santana Honolulu, HI
Evan Huff Riverton, UT     David Scatena Encinitas, CA
Matthew Huffman San Diego, CA     Tim Shea Swansea, MA
Jack Hughes Atlanta, GA     Aarav Srivastava Stevenson Ranch, CA
Tomonao Ishii Tokyo, JPN     Shane Sullivan Ewing, NJ
Blake Jones Palouse, WA     Jacob Trenk Philadelphia, PA
Chris Kalmanir Somerset, PA     Richard Weinstein North Bay Village, FL
Peter Keedwell Charlottetown, PEI     Robert Whitlock Morgantown, WV
Evan King Knoxville, TN     Yu-Keng Wu Dallas, TX
Kevin Kloesel Salado, TX     Yi Hen Yang Dallas, TX

 


 

SABR Events Calendar

SABR's Asian Baseball Committee will host a virtual Zoom meeting at 8:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. We are excited to host Bill Plunkett in a discussion about Shohei Ohtani and his book "L.A. Story: Shohei Ohtani, The Los Angeles Dodgers, And A Season For The Ages."

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

  • February 13: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter book club meeting with Jerry Izenberg (7:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 16: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Louis Schiff (7:00 p.m. CST)
  • February 16: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with John McLaughlin (8:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 17: Games and Simulations meeting with Rick Schostek and Sullivan Beck (8:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 17: SABR Scholar Session: Cory Schwartz (8:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 18: Asian Baseball Committee meeting with Bill Plunkett (8:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 19: Fred Frommer/Phil Hochberg: Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers, Building Legacy (7:00 p.m. EST)
  • February 21: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter SABR Day meeting with Mark Stewart and Brian Engelhardt (10:00 a.m. EST)
  • February 21: Bay Area/Sacramento (CA) Chapter meeting (11:00 a.m. PST)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

  • February 14: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting (Shelburne, VT)
  • February 14: Sebring-Stovey Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
  • February 14: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
  • February 17: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
  • February 18: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
  • February 19: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
  • February 21: Central Florida Chapter: SABR Day at Andre Dawson Baseball Classic (Vero Beach, FL)
  • February 21: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
  • February 21: Emil Rothe/Ken Keltner Chapter joint SABR Day meeting (Kenosha, WI)
  • February 21: Pacific Northwest Chapter meeting (Tigard, OR)
  • February 22: Roush-Lopez Tampa Bay Chapter meeting (Tampa, FL)

To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.

 


 

Research Committee news

Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.

 


 

Regional Chapter news

Sign up for SABR chapter announcements at SABR.org/chapters.

Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.

 


 

Around the Web headlines

Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:

Please note: Some articles may require a separate subscription to view online. SABR does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any content that appears on a third-party website.


This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article, or any other information in “This Week in SABR,” e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox.



Originally published: February 13, 2026. Last Updated: February 13, 2026.
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