Student-athlete Bri Astbury ’24 took part in the Major League Baseball Take the Field program, which allowed her to make industry connections and see how her Muhlenberg education is preparing her to pursue a career in sports analytics.

By: Mike Falk  Monday, December 11, 2023 02:25 PM

Bri Astbury ’24 during the Major League Baseball Take the Field program

When psychology major Bri Astbury ’24 stepped up to the plate at the recent Major League Baseball Take the Field program, she thought she was in an 0-2 hole. But as it turned out, her liberal arts education put her in a favorable hitter’s count.

The Take the Field program is held annually at the MLB Winter Meetings and is specifically designed for women interested in front office and on-field careers within professional baseball — coaching, scouting, operations, analytics, umpiring and more.

“It was surreal to be at the MLB Winter Meetings in general. There were several opportunities for me to speak with and hear from people who are doing what I wish to do career-wise, as well as network with other women who have the same goals and aspirations.”

The two-day event is a mix of panel discussions and breakout sessions. At one of the breakout sessions, Astbury met Emily Wiebe, who was an art history major in college and is now in her eighth year with the St. Louis Cardinals, serving as manager of player development and performance analytics.

“I definitely went into the conference feeling like everyone else had a step on me, being either in a master's program or a major like data science,” says Astbury, who plays on the Mule women’s soccer team and is a double minor in public health and statistics. “But I feel a lot better now, knowing that I’m not starting from square one if I want to get into this.”

It wouldn’t exactly be square one — the Statistical Analysis class Asbury took in the spring of her sophomore year sparked her interest and got her to a point where she can now create statistical models, visualize models and use Tableau to create presentable dashboards.

“The courses I’ve been taking in the math department since declaring my statistics minor have been awesome,” she says.

“The most inspiring aspect of the event was being able to hear how women who were once in my very position got to where they are today, and how my goals are ultimately within my reach.”

It was also awesome that one of the panels at the conference was made up entirely of Take the Field alumnae. Since its founding in 2018, the Take the Field program has helped send more than 40 women into MLB positions, bringing a diversity in experience to the next generation of baseball leaders.

The keynote speaker at the event was David Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team Astbury has rooted for her whole life. She also heard from, among others, Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham, New York Mets video replay analyst Harrison Friedland and the one of the most visible women in baseball, MLB Network host Lauren Shehadi.

“The Take the Field conference was an amazing opportunity,” says Astbury. “It was surreal to be at the MLB Winter Meetings in general. There were several opportunities for me to speak with and hear from people who are doing what I wish to do career-wise, as well as network with other women who have the same goals and aspirations.”

Astbury learned that there are many paths to becoming an analyst in baseball, and the hardest part is getting a foot in the door. As for her path, she is considering assisting the Mule baseball team next spring, then remaining on campus to use her last year of soccer eligibility and pursue a master’s in applied analytics in the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies.

Ultimately, she would like to join the list of alums who have gone from Muhlenberg to positions in sports analytics, including AJ Barnold ’09 (U.S. Women’s National Team), Luke Wiley ’19 and Max Kirin ’20 (New York Giants).

The theme of Dombrowski’s keynote address — follow your passion — resonated with Astbury.

“The most inspiring aspect of the event was being able to hear how women who were once in my very position got to where they are today, and how my goals are ultimately within my reach,” she says.