2026 SABR Analytics: Watch highlights from Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 Panel
At the SABR Analytics Conference on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, a Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 panel discussion was held to talk about their roles and careers in baseball.
- Watch: Click here to watch a video replay of the 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 Panel (YouTube)
Panelists included:
- 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
- Jason McLeod, Vice President, Baseball Operations
- Kristyn Pierce, Director, Baseball Administration
- Connor Shannon, Director, Player Personnel
Here are some highlights from the Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office 360 Panel:
On the culture within the Diamondbacks front office
- Hahn: “It’s competitively driven, but it’s super organic. It’s super collaborative and I think we empower every one of us to do the job to the best of our ability and we give each other the landscape to do so.”
On the hiring process for Major League Baseball and how to get noticed
- Shannon: “Everyone who ends up getting a job has done something in the application process, whether it’s an individual project or deep diving into something that goes along with their resume and cover letter, to really stand out. We’re looking for people who go above and beyond, and we’re also looking for people who never give up.”
On defining success working in a Major League Baseball front office
- Pierce: “I define success as not the job title and not the compensation. Obviously, those are great perks if you can get to that level, but at the end of the day that’s not what I’m most proud of. [What I’m most proud of are] the relationships you cultivate within your department. I mean, we see each other more than some of our families, to be completely honest.”
On the impact of AI on front offices and how it has affected data analysts
- Glick: “At this point, AI is a really useful tool where it can really make all of our analysts more efficient and be able to write code quicker, figure out something that they don’t know how to do and evolve their skill set by learning and having the AI write the code. I wouldn’t say it’s replacing jobs in our department. We really value our people, but I could see in the future some way where that could happen.”
On what front offices want to see from applicants submitting their code/projects
- Brann: “It’s not necessarily the code that’s written. That’ll get you past the first step, but the second step is, can you explain it? Can you expand? What are some ways that you would have done better or different things to make sure you understand the concepts we’re talking about?
On how to manage the work-life balance when working in baseball
- Kamada: “I think having an open line of communication with your family is important. I started working for the Diamondbacks last year and I currently live in Los Angeles and am engaged and going to be married in two months. That was a very serious conversation I had to have with my fiance. Do we move? So I think having that open line of communication is very important. Things can happen and hopefully they’ll go along with the ride with you.”
On creating a balance between data analytics and in-person scouting
- Kondo: “Subjectively speaking, when we go in and scout a player, we’re seeing a really small window from that player’s performance. He might look really good, he might look really bad. I think analytics give us more of a broad view of that player. If you’re logging in more at-bats and you’re seeing multiple pitches, I think balancing that out and also being aware that both can help, you have to find the sweet spot there.”
On managing the ups-and-downs of team performance in the front office
- McLeod: “It’s the competitive nature that keeps you going. I do think when you are losing, you have to have leadership that keeps the ship going in the right direction and keeps as much positivity as you can have in that situation alive. And that’s where hiring dynamic people in certain roles to run these departments is so important.”
Transcription assistance from Nate Johnson.
For more coverage of the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Originally published: May 1, 2026. Last Updated: March 5, 2026.