Phillies growing analytically, but that's not all

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CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies have become major participants in baseball’s analytics movement in recent years. Where once there were none, now there are 14 full-timers in the team’s research and development department, and three more full-timers who break down information and deliver it to players and on-field staff.

“But that is not, by any stretch, the only thing we’ve done,” club president Andy MacPhail said on Friday.

“In scouting, particularly in the world of international scouting, we’ve added 17 international scouts. Some of that was making part-time guys in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic full-time, but we also now have full-time scouts in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico and Australia. So it’s not just getting on the cutting edge of analytics, it’s also about doing the traditional things well.”

The Phillies this winter hired Howie Norsetter, formerly the Minnesota Twins' international scouting coordinator, to cover Australia. Recently, Norsetter signed pitcher Kyle Glogoski, a 19-year-old right-hander from New Zealand. He is the first New Zealander signed by the Phillies. He will report to extended spring training in March.

The Phils have also signed an Australian lefty Josh Towls to a minor-league deal.

In a game where analytics continues to grow, “the eye test is obviously critically important or we wouldn’t have added the 17 international scouts,” MacPhail said.

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