Detroit Tigers promote Ryan Garko to assistant GM, add new VP of baseball analytics
The Detroit Tigers, led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, announced Thursday two promotions, one new hire and one position change in the front office.
Ryan Garko was promoted from vice president of player development to assistant general manager. Georgia Giblin was promoted to vice president of baseball performance science after previously serving in a similar role as the director of performance science. The Tigers also hired Andrew Thomas, who worked as a senior director of data science at SportsMEDIA Technology Corp., as the vice president of baseball analytics.
Scott Bream, the vice president of player personnel in his 25th season with the organization and in his 36th season in baseball, has transitioned to a new role as a senior advisor to the president and GM, with a focus on player evaluation.
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"Creating a culture of development in which players at all levels can grow and improve is one of our foundational goals," Harris said in a statement. "The work of Gark and Georgia, along with many others, over the past few years helped make that culture of development a reality. These well-deserved promotions will amplify their voices and influence, helping players throughout our organization get the most out of their abilities.
"We also welcome Andrew, who comes to us with impressive technical skills, experience teaching at multiple academic institutions, and a terrific reputation within the sports industry. I'm confident he will be a great thought partner and leader for our talented analytics group."
The 2024 campaign is Garko's third full season with the Tigers, after former general manager Al Avila hired him in September 2021 to lead the player development department. Garko, who now works under Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg, joins Sam Menzin, Rob Metzler and Jay Sartori as the assistant general managers.
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Garko played catcher in college and the minor leagues before switching to first base in the major leagues. He detailed his player development philosophy in an interview with the Free Press earlier in May. He also explained how the department has improved during his entire, highlighting the individualized plans for each player.
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Giblin, who works out of the spring training complex in Lakeland, Florida, becomes the vice president of performance science after serving as the director since her hire in 2019. She uses advanced technology and team data to maximize player development and support the health of the players.
In her previous role, Giblin created baseline assessments for hitting and pitching, gave feedback to players and implemented technology, such as Hawk-Eye tracking systems, to understand the players better.
Giblin joined the Tigers as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan through a partnership, where she completed her education after receiving a doctorate degree in biomechanics and skill acquisition from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. She received the organization's 2021 Dwight Lowry Award, an award given to the top player development person.
Thomas joins the analytics department after working as a senior director of data science for the last four and a half years for SprotsMEDIA Technology, a company that focuses on combining data and video for statistical analysis, player tracking and predictive data, according to its website. Thomas brings experience advising pro sports teams, including eight years as a consultant for multiple MLB teams and the lead hockey researcher for the NHL's Minnesota Wild from 2016-19.
Thomas previously worked as a college professor at Carnegie Mellon (2009-14) and Florida (2015). He has a bachelor's degree in physics from MIT, plus a master's and doctorate degree from Harvard in statistics.
Next up: Blue Jays
Matchup: Tigers (23-26 entering Thursday) vs. Toronto (21-26).
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. Friday; Comerica Park, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Probable pitchers: Tigers — RHP Matt Manning (0-1, 4.88 ERA); Blue Jays — RHP Alex Manoah (1-1, 3.00).
More online: Thursday's series opener ended after this edition went to print. Visit freep.com/sports for the game result.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers promote Ryan Garko, hire new VP of baseball analytics
