MBA candidate lands coaching position in Boston Red Sox organization

Five words set the tone for Brenden Argomaniz’s workday each morning, a mindset he now lives by as an assistant pitching coach for Salem Red Sox.

Be bigger than your role.

Taped inside his spring training locker, these words hark back to his days as a graduate assistant with the Bloomsburg Huskies baseball team under the tutelage of manager Michael Collins.

“There’s no excuse to not go beyond the call of duty, regardless of what role I have,” said Argomaniz, who’s set to earn his Master of Business Administration from Commonwealth University in May. “He showed me what it takes to be better each day, and it’s something that inspires me constantly.”

Argomaniz left Bloomsburg after the fall semester to join the Boston Red Sox Single-A minor league affiliate in Salem, having earned the opportunity through his work with the Huskies pitching staff and his growing expertise in data analytics — a passion that led him to develop dataBase Analytics with a friend. The app calculates players’ statistics and stores them away to be referenced later, covering everything from pitching stats to full-career development.

“dataBase was pivotal throughout my interview process,” Argomaniz said. “It allowed me to share my passion for data-driven player development in a visual way. My experiences with the app inspired some great talking points and created some common ground between me and the staff in Boston.”

The Boston Red Sox were among the earliest adopters of sabermetrics, the statistical analysis of baseball for player evaluation, scouting, and team performance. Data analytics is now a staple in Major League Baseball and a growing operating strategy across professional sports and collegiate athletics.

“I’m really excited to learn from all of the pitching minds in Boston as we aim to execute our philosophies,” Argomaniz said. “I’ll be working with some of the most high-level competitors in the world.”

In Salem, Argomaniz will be executing pitcher development plans and in-game management of both starters and relievers. A role he began to etch out in Bloomsburg with Collins.

“I’m forever in debt for what he’s done for me,” Argomaniz said. “He gave me the opportunity to make my own mistakes as a first-year coach and fully entrusted me with recruiting, pitching development, and so much more.”

Argomaniz role in the use of sabermetrics will certainly draw from his MBA studies.

“Management, leadership, and professionalism are the cornerstones to life here in pro ball,” Argomaniz said. “I have pitching coordinators and player development directors I directly report to. If I ever want to be in their shoes one day, it’ll be important for me to understand the dynamic nature of their leadership.”

He added, “I’ve taken lots of valuable lessons on this from my MBA program. Not to mention, the analytical focus of my MBA has given me an edge in understanding our internal data and in the further development of dataBase.”

There have been additional benefits beyond the analytical side of the MBA, according to Argomaniz.

“Sure, the MBA equipped me with some great knowledge — but the networking provided me with so many opportunities to grow and better set myself up for success after graduation,” Argomaniz said. “On top of all this, coach Collins’ 40-Year Plan was pivotal in my growth as a business professional. His ability to marry the philosophies of the baseball program with that of the business school is remarkable and crucial for the success of his players (and grad assistants).”