Cracking the code to the major Leagues
Published May 21, 2026 by Alex Priebe
Can an algorithm help a pitcher throw the perfect curveball?
Can an algorithm help a pitcher throw the perfect curveball? What about predicting how a teenager in the Dominican Republic might perform in the MLB five or 10 years from now?
Two Lakers are working to answer those questions and more using machine learning, math and statistics to give their teams an edge on the baseball field. Jensen Holm ’25 and Lucas Smielewski ’22, friends who met at Grand Valley, are now working their dream jobs for MLB teams.
Holm, who graduated with a degree in computer science, is a junior machine learning engineer at the St. Louis Cardinals. Using algorithms and vast amounts of data, Holm develops and orchestrates models the Cardinals use to guide draft picks and trades, and improve player performance. After a game, for example, the models analyze player data and generate reports for the team. For pitchers, that can mean breaking down every curveball by data points like speed, spin rate and flight path — offering insights to help them optimize their throw.
Growing MLB trend
Holm’s title reflects a growing trend in the MLB, as teams continue to expand their use of advanced analytics. Holm said the Cardinals were early adopters of the approach after the book “Moneyball” was published in 2003 and then adapted into a film in 2011.
"I love the culture in our office,” Holm said. “My role is mainly in the tech space but I'm able to talk with colleagues who make baseball decisions for our team. They value my opinions and I learn a ton from them.”
Smielewski, who graduated with degrees in mathematics and statistics, is a scouting manager for the Milwaukee Brewers. Smielewski is involved in discussions for all players the Brewers draft domestically and sign internationally. He said he loves seeing his work come to life through the players that he helps acquire.
"A lot of our talent is homegrown,” Smielewski said. “Players are drafted or signed, then given to performance development staff to make them better and build out this team. You're rooting for the players right off the bat. It's fulfilling seeing them succeed."
Finding the best baseball players in the world
Holm and Smielewski grew up playing and watching baseball, and have loved the game ever since. “Baseball is a game of suspense,” Holm said. “Between pitches, there’s a moment of silence. You never know what's going to happen.”
Now that they work in their respective ballparks, they take full advantage of perks, like free admission to games. “I went to pretty much every home game last year,” Holm said.
Smielewski enjoys another unique perk of his job: scouting trips that take him outside the office to locations like Colombia and the Dominican Republic, the latter of which produces the second-highest number of MLB players after the U.S.
“We turn over every rock trying to find the most talented players,” Smielewski said. “Every team is trying to determine who will make the big leagues. It’s an extremely hard question to solve. You're always trying to find an advantage, but no one is perfect at it.”
Compared to other sports, baseball lends itself more naturally to statistical thinking, Holm said. "Baseball is the most individual team sport, which allows for more focused analytics," he said. "In football, for example, there are so many other factors on any given play, they still don't really know how good the players are.”
From the classroom to the ballpark
Though their teams are division rivals, Holm and Smielewski keep in touch, continuing a friendship they formed at Grand Valley.
They met one day in Mackinac Hall when Holm overheard Smielewski talking to a professor about a baseball analytics project. At the time, Holm was recruiting students to help launch a baseball analytics club and struck up a conversation. They soon co-founded the club, bonding over their shared passion for baseball and data analytics. Holm said he learned a lot from Smielewski, who is a few years older. “He knew how to code better and knew way more about statistics than I did,” he said.
Their professors also played an instrumental role in their growth at Grand Valley. Holm, who was a statistics major at the time, reached out to Jared Moore, associate professor of computing, for help with coding, even though he was not in any of Moore’s classes.
“He loved that I was trying to do something related to my passion,” Holm said. “He taught me a lot in those early years.”
Holm later switched majors to computer science and said his favorite class was CIS 335: Data Mining, taught by Rahat Rafiq, assistant professor of computing. “We learned the math behind machine learning algorithms by doing it by hand,” Holm said. “After that class, I understood when to use different kinds of models because I knew what was going on underneath each one.”
Smielewski completed an independent study with Lora Bailey, assistant professor of mathematics, building a Monte Carlo simulation to predict how upcoming MLB rule changes, such as a pitch clock, would impact game duration and on-field action. That project not only helped him land his first interview with the Brewers but also sharpened his public speaking skills as he presented his findings on campus. During his interview, Smielewski walked the Brewers’ front office executives through his methodology and results, ultimately landing a job as a scouting analyst.
If someone from Grand Valley did it, then I can do it, too
Now on the other side of interviews, Smielewski looks for applicants who demonstrate a similar commitment to learning outside the classroom. He shared that advice with students when he returned to campus last fall, emphasizing problem-solving as a key skill he developed through his classes. “Problem-solving applies to every space, from research to data to scouting and development,” Smielewski said. “Nothing looks exactly like the last problem you solved. The ability to learn independently and solve new problems is extremely helpful.”
Smielewski also passed along advice to Holm, who was interviewing for baseball internships himself.
“Every fall, I was applying for baseball internships. It was always instant rejection. It felt impossible,” Holm recalled. “Then Lucas got the job with the Brewers. I thought, ‘Maybe it is possible. If someone from Grand Valley actually did it, then I can do it, too.’”
During his senior year, Holm applied for a machine learning engineer position with the Cardinals. Despite having no connections with the team, he landed an interview and secured the job offer before graduating from Grand Valley. What helped set him apart from other candidates, Holms believes, was his series of internships: software engineer at a local startup, roles at the Whitecaps and Kalamazoo Growlers, and a machine learning internship at Gentex.
“Those experiences, combined, are what I do on a daily basis,” Holm said. “Each internship helped me with a different aspect of my current job.”
Holm and Smielewski’s work behind the scenes is already making a difference on the field. In 2025, Smielewski helped the Brewers earn the best regular-season record in the MLB (97-65), also setting a new franchise record. Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Holm is helping the Cardinals navigate a rebuilding phase.
“We have two people from Grand Valley who got jobs with an MLB team,” Smielewski said. “Hopefully, there will be more as people grow interested in this work.”