Rich Dubroff

Orioles name Mejdal to head analytics department

As expected, new Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias’ first move was to add longtime aide Sig Mejdal to head the team’s analytics department.

Mejdal, who worked with Elias in Houston will have the title, assistant general manager, analytics.

He replaces Sarah Gelles, who left the Orioles to join the Astros.

According to the Orioles, “Mejdal will oversee all aspects of the club’s growing analytics effort while assisting and advising Elias in all manner of Baseball Operations decisions.”

Mejdal, a former NASA engineer, worked for the Astros from 2012-18, and established the team’s analytics department. He was with St. Louis for the previous seven seasons.

“Sig Mejdal is one of the most experienced and accomplished analysts working in baseball today,” said Elias. “To have him join our Orioles organization is a major moment for this franchise, and I look forward to him charting the course for all of our forthcoming efforts in the analytics space.”

Peterson re-signs with Orioles 

Utililtyman Jace Peterson has signed a minor league contract with the Orioles. Peterson, who played six positions in the infield and outfield and even pitched once, batted .193 with three home runs and 27 RBIs in 93 games. He stole 13 bases in 15 tries.

News of Peterson’s signing was first reported by MASNSports.com and confirmed by an industry source.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

View Comments

  • Rich: This announcement was certainly not unexpected and is welcome news none the less. The trends for the Orioles keep heading in the right direction.

  • I’m very excited about the direction of the team. Hopefully this is a long and fruitful enterprise for the new brass and us fans.

  • Wasn't there something several years ago about the Cardinals and the Astros, and one organization spying on or stealing data from the other? What is it with these two clubs?

  • We've got Elias and Mejdal now? Houston, you've got a problem. Especially when it comes to any Rule 5 gems you leave exposed.
    Gonna be fun watching our $6M in international signing money put to optimum use. Gonna be fun laughing at weeping Red Sox and Yankees fans at Camden Yards a few years from now. Didn't think I'd ever be able to use ORIOLES and FUN in the same sentence again.

  • Yes the daily double--Elias now Mejdal. Doesn't get any better than that. Very curious about one thing Rich--the Astros hire Sarah Gelles from the O's and the O's hire Mejdal from the Astros. If the O's were so far behind in analytics why would Houston,the epitomy of solid analytics,hire her? Either way the O's braintrust has certainly come a long way from the Syd Thrift days.

    • Orial, the Orioles were behind because their analytics department was so small. Sarah was considered very good at her job.

  • We lost our best pitcher for international pool money, so far very little in return . Hope the first course of business is using every last penny to signing some Japanese free agent players who are under the radar.

  • Signing Mejdal might be our most significant move yet. What might be this answer? Did Mejdal make Elias or Elias make Mejdal.

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Rich Dubroff

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