ALT Jackson Balch is a junior at the University of Minnesota studying Statistical Sciences and Computer Science. He is deeply passionate about using data to drive decision-making and tell stories. After graduation, he plans to either pursue a Master's degree or a career in data science. Outside of class, Jackson works as a research assistant making public health, census, and survey data more accessible. In his free time, he is a founding member of the Sports Analytics Club, a solid intramural hockey defenseman, and an avid fan of Football, Hockey, and music.

ALT Evaluating Player Relationships in Stolen Base Defense Catcher defense has been a widely researched topic in the baseball analytics community over the past few years. However, stolen base relationships, & the ability of a catcher to throw out potential base stealers are difficult to study w/o player tracking data. This project delves into the relationship b/w the catcher, pitcher, & middle infielder in generating an efficient defense against base-stealers. A GLM was used to predict the probability of a stolen base at 4 diff. stages: pitch release, catcher retrieval, catcher release, & middle infielder retrieval. These probabilities can then be used to tell the story of how def. players combine in their attempt to throw out baserunners. An app was also made for coaches and players to view these relationships in action. Understanding this info. can lead to better eval. of players themselves, but deeper understanding about the mechanics of stolen base defense, & how player chemistry helps