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Boston Globe
11 hours ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
The Red Sox caught heat for using an AI screener in job interviews. Applicants explain what the ‘really impersonal' process was like.
Advertisement 'This is one of several steps in the hiring process and is just one factor that helps determine which candidates should advance to an in-person interview,' the statement continued. 'This tool is in no way a replacement for in-person interviews, simply one of many steps that helps the club screen the many candidates who apply for each job posting.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Of course, the simple fact that the Sox' hiring efforts aren't being led by AI bots doesn't mean that their process is beyond reproach. Multiple individuals who interviewed with the Sox as well as other clubs last year described the Sox' process as discouragingly impersonal, with infrequent human interaction relative to other teams. That view isn't universally held, but it's sufficiently widespread — and most recently, caricatured as robotic — that it's worth examining. Advertisement The Sox post positions widely across a number of job boards such as Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus, an approach meant to draw a broad candidate pool but that also yields massive responses to posted positions. According to the team, baseball operations listings solicit from 500 to 3,000 submissions of online résumés and cover letters. Typically, someone in human resources screens the applications to highlight strong candidates. That narrowed pool of applications will then be directed to a small group of employees in the relevant sub-department in baseball operations (development, acquisitions, baseball sciences, etc.) for further résumé screening. Once a list of strong candidates has been identified for a baseball operations position — say, 50 to 100 — the HR representative will reach out to that group to invite them to continue in the process. A form letter invites candidates both to conduct a HireVue interview and to complete a 'problem set' of multiple exercises. HireVue is a software program through which candidates take part in an automated, standardized, 10- to 15-minute interview. The Sox have used it to varying degrees since 2012, when Ben Cherington was general manager. Candidates are given a series of a few questions. After each, they're afforded a brief window to contemplate a response, and a few minutes to speak. People across the Sox organization can then review the video at any time. A form letter sent by a team HR representative to an applicant last fall explained that HireVue is used to standardize the interview process (all applicants receive the same questions), to increase the convenience of setting up and scheduling remote interviews, and to make it easier for a number of people throughout the organization to see the candidate's interview. Advertisement Views on its use are mixed. One person who'd encountered HireVue in other industries thought it was a logical early step in an application process. 'I actually think HireVue is a pretty good screening process,' said one person who applied for a Red Sox job last year, and who has interviewed with other clubs. 'I would say [the Red Sox hiring process] was pretty run-of-the-mill for interviewing for a baseball ops job with an MLB club.' Others found it less than ideal, and preferred the approach of other clubs that conduct anywhere from one to several phone or Zoom interviews near the outset of the process. 'I didn't leave the [HireVue] interview thinking to myself, 'Oh, that was an AI interview. That was bad,' ' said one candidate. 'But was it my preferred method to interview? Absolutely not. It's really impersonal. You can't really develop that personal and human-to-human connection.' 'It's just very awkward and cold,' said another. The problem sets, meanwhile, examine how candidates evaluate players through both video and data, and how they communicate their findings. For example, past problem sets included choosing between Atlanta pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach and Nationals outfielder James Wood as extension candidates and formulating a realistic extension proposal; explaining how an individual — using a series of spreadsheets — balanced both surface-level performance data and ball-tracking data to identify prospects; and critiquing a predictive model for player performance. Problem sets have become common in applications for MLB teams, but the Sox' is viewed as more exhaustive (and exhausting) than most. Candidates required anywhere from 5-10 hours to 50-60 hours to formulate responses to the problem sets. Advertisement 'They're time-consuming, is the biggest thing,' said one person who took part in problem sets for the Sox and at least one other team last year. Moreover, the lack of direct interaction with Sox employees through that stage of the process left some applicants confused about whether the team was more interested in seeing candidates come up with a 'correct' answer or a logical process. According to sources familiar with the team's hiring practices, both the HireVue interview and problem sets are reviewed by team employees, who then winnow the candidate pool to roughly a half-dozen candidates for Zoom or phone interviews, usually with a goal of identifying two final candidates for any given position. Finalists can interview with multiple assistant GMs and directors. One applicant who had three remote interviews with multiple higher-ups in the organization called the process both well-organized and efficient — ranking it in the middle of the six interviews across five organizations he'd experienced. That individual also expressed appreciation for a follow-up call with a member of the Sox offering feedback about why his candidacy had fallen short. 'I see what they're trying to do,' he said of the process. Others who didn't make it to that end stage had less favorable experiences given the lack of human contact with members of the Sox. The sense of the team's impersonal approach to hiring was amplified last year by the fact that multiple applicants, after completing the problem set and HireVue interview, received the same emailed form letter, with the same unfortunate top-level sentence: 'Thank you for your interest in working for the Boston Red Sox and applying for the {{insert job title}}.' Advertisement 'I didn't go further than that line. I kind of laughed and closed out the email,' said one applicant. 'That was the part that upset me in the moment. I still look back and laugh on it.' Alex Speier can be reached at
New York Post
07-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets being Dodgers' peers should force David Stearns to alter trade deadline formula
So much has changed for the Mets in the past calendar year. Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now On June 8 of last year, the Mets were 27-36, fourth in the NL East and, even in a forgiving National League in which just five teams were above .500 at that time, Fangraphs gave them just an 11.3 percent chance to make the playoffs. Advertisement From then through their series against the Dodgers, the Mets had played the equivalent of a 162-game season and had gone 101-61, which was five games better than the second-best record — which belonged to the Tigers, another incredible before-and-after picture. Perhaps nothing exemplifies the transformation for the Mets in this time better than how toe-to-toe competitive they were in the recently completed home-and-home with the Dodgers. By this time last year, the Mets also were done with their regular season games against Los Angeles and had gone 2-4, including getting swept three games at Citi Field by a combined 18-5 in late May.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees rookie slammed by podcast for defensive shortcomings
Jasson Dominguez was supposed to be a freak of nature. A $5.1 million signing bonus as a teenager. A body built like a linebacker, speed to match, and a bat scouts drooled over. 'The Martian,' they called him, for his otherworldly talent. But the 'Made the Cut' podcast is calling him something else. Advertisement They're dubbing Dominguez 'officially … the worst defensive outfielder in MLB.' It's a brutal label that hits during what's supposed to be his breakout year. Jasson Dominguez© Dave Nelson-Imagn Images And, let's not forget he's just a 22-year-old learning a new position. But, Dominguez ranks dead last among American League left fielders in defensive runs saved, per Fangraphs, with minus-3. Only three outfielders across MLB have been worse. His Outs Above Average sits at minus-5. The underlying numbers match what fans have seen with the eye test. In a recent game against the Mets, Dominguez misplayed two balls that extended innings and proved costly. One came on a liner from Pete Alonso, where Dominguez took a poor angle. Another fell in for a double. Afterward, veteran Cody Bellinger approached him. Advertisement 'It's gonna be good for the future to have that happen right now,' Bellinger said. The mistakes are amplified because Dominguez struggled in left last season and this spring. And the Yankees are taking the long view with Dominguez, pointing to his progress at the plate. . At the plate, he's mostly held up his end. Dominguez has hit five home runs with a 117 OPS+, meaning he's been 17 percent better than the league-average hitter. His offensive numbers have helped fuel a Yankees lineup that's scoring 5.78 runs per game, just behind the Dodgers for best in baseball. Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Called Out by Older Brother Before Rangers Series Related: Yankees Captain Aaron Judge Countersued Amid $33,000 Couch Controversy
Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Yankees $5.1 Million Rookie 'Officially' Worst Outfielder in MLB: Analyst
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Yankees signed Jasson Dominguez out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019. He was just 16 years old, but expectations were already sky high for the youthful prospect. "You look at tools, athleticism, makeup, performance as an amateur — and the analytical data backed up everything," Yankees international scouting director Donny Rowland told the New York Post. "He checked every box." MLB Pipeline ranked Dominguez as the No. 1 international prospect of 2019. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 10,... SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 10, 2025 in Sacramento, California. More Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images So impressed were the Yankees that they handed Dominguez — who would soon be nicknamed "The Martian" due to his "otherworldly" baseball talent — a franchise-record $5.1 million signing bonus. Now, six years later, Dominguez is just 22 years old and in his first full MLB season — with his rookie status intact. As a hitter, he has largely delivered on his promise. With five home runs and a 117 OPS+ (meaning Dominguez has performed 17 percent better than the average hitter), the rookie has been a solid contributor to a Yankees offense that has pushed 5.78 runs per game across the plate, marginally behind the MLB-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at 5.79. More MLB: Yankees $5.1 Million Rookie Outfielder Called 'Maybe Worst Defender of All Time' His defense, however, has been another story. In fact, as a left fielder Dominguez has been disastrous. His defensive runs saved number, according to Fangraphs, ranks worst among all American League left fielders at minus-3, and fourth-worst in the majors. The defensive struggles endured by the Yankees rookie led the "Made the Cut" podcast — a program that takes analytical "deep dives" into various aspects of baseball — to label Dominguez, "Officially ... the worst defensive outfielder in MLB." "He's tied for dead last among all major league outfielders with at least 200 innings played right now in fielding run value at -4," the "Made the Cut" program said. "Outs above average at -5, and success rate added at 8 percent. The thing I didn't mention however is that he's the only outfielder to be tied for dead last in all three." The podcast added that Dominguez currently ranks below other star players who are notoriously weak outfielders, Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez. But the rookie possesses sprint speed in the 77th percentile, and due to that factor alone, he may be able to pass Hernandez and Soto later in the season. "Even if he does manage to do so, as soon as by the end of 2025, this won't change the fact that up until now he has been Major League Baseball's worst defensive outfielder," according to "Made the Cut." On the offensive side, Dominiguez finds himself in a mini-slump heading into Monday's action, which just three hits in his last 20 at-bats. More MLB: Yankees Near 'Breaking Point' With Rookie Outfielder After Miscues
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 5 hitters ready to give your lineup a boost this week
The Braves started this season in a ditch, losing seven straight and 11 of their first 15 games. But things have turned around the last few weeks, and after taking two of three in Boston on the weekend, Atlanta stands a respectable 24-23 on the year. The Fangraphs playoff calculator says this club is just under 70% to make the playoffs. Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin has been a big part of the turnaround. Baldwin, 24, entered the season with some prospect juice. The three main ranking clipboards had him inside their respective top 65s, with a high of 37th (Baseball Prospectus). He's shown a decent average and eye in the minors, with some pop. Atlanta, of course, already has a good catcher in Sean Murphy. And there's been nothing wrong with Murphy's offense this year — eight homers, an OPS+ of 133 (where 100 is average). But Baldwin has beaten Murphy in every slash column this year — .357 average, .400 OBP, .583 slugging. That hashes out to a 170 OPS+. Baldwin has started five of Atlanta's past eight games, with Murphy picking up the other three. It's easy to sit Baldwin against left-handed starters — he's a lefty swinger, Murphy bats right-handed — but this isn't a strict platoon. The Braves are simply leaning into their best hitter so far. Baldwin doesn't have enough at-bats yet to qualify for MLB leaderboards, but all of his Baseball Savant hard-hit sliders are pinned to the right. When the kid connects, you can hear the ball screaming. Baldwin's lineup profile has risen in recent games — he batted fifth most of last week, with one day in the No. 2 slot. I understand why Baldwin was the most added Yahoo catcher over the weekend, though he's still ready to grab in over 80% of leagues. The Braves face a righty starter in eight of their next 11 games; figure on Baldwin to start the majority of those nights. We've had some fantasy fun with Benson before — he was a .275/.365/.498 stick in 2023, with 11 homers and 19 steals over 108 games. That had us excited for the following season, when the bottom dropped out — .187 average, 76 OPS+. But player development is not always linear. Benson didn't make the Reds out of camp but he's been a smash since his recall — five homers in nine games, .367/.424/.933 slash. All of those homers came in the last four games, which quickly jumped Benson's roster percentage. There's still plenty of time to get on board, ride the hot hand. Even if Benson's inevitable regression lands somewhere in his 2023 production range, that's still a useful fantasy player. Everyone knows the Rockies are easily the worst team in baseball, but we still have to keep their offense on speed dial for home games. And Beck has become a key part of that offense, slotting in the top three of the order for three straight weeks. Beck is slashing .287/.348/.653 since his mid-April recall, with eight homers and a couple of steals. That makes him a top 12 offensive player during that span, offering plus value in four different categories. The thin air is your friend this week, with Colorado at home against the Phillies and Yankees. The Rockies don't have an A-to-Z lineup, but good things can happen at the top. I'm surprised it's taken so long for Beck to graduate from this column, but this should be the week that happens. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Vargas often caught my eye in his days with the Dodgers, where he showed excellent plate discipline but didn't do that much when he actually made contact. You respect the approach. Maybe things are starting to turn with the results, because he's coming off a three-homer weekend at Wrigley Field, pushing his slash up to .245/.328/.421 (with an OPS+ of 114). His pitch-recognition metrics are all above board, it's just a matter of doing more damage when he gets his pitch. Given the shallow nature of third base these days, Vargas is worth consideration in medium and deeper pools. Larnach has become an every-day staple for the Twins, and he was especially central to the team's recent 13-game winning streak — Larnach slashed .278/.328/.537 over that span, with 9 runs, 3 homers and 9 RBI. You'll usually find Larnach locked into the second slot in the lineup, though he did bat first this past weekend. He's capable of giving you a neutral average, sneaky pop and decent run-production stats, given his position in the order. He'll steal the occasional base, too. Larnach's production is best against opposing righties, so the week's RHP-only schedule is perfect for him.
