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Typically, few are as locked-in on the Blue Jays as Josh Goreham (BSc’12, MSc’14, PhD’23). It’s literally his job: the three-time Dal alum is the team’s lead performance analyst. He’s responsible for helping the organization curate the millions of data points it collects on player workload and performance, delivering insights to the front lines to help players hit, run, throw and field to the best of their abilities over the course of a long season.

“People think about baseball metrics like batting average and RBIs and that type of thing, but I’m looking more at things like sprint speed,” he says. “How far did they run today? How many times did they throw a baseball? It’s metrics that help us create a clearer picture for training staff and coaches to help get the most out of each player.”

Goreham is with the team in spring training, attends roughly two out of every three home games, and occasionally goes on the road as well. And yet, right in the heart of the World Series — the Jays’ biggest moment in over 30 years — Goreham wasn’t at game five in Los Angeles. He wasn’t even watching on TV. Instead, Goreham was at a Toronto hospital that night with his wife, Megan, as his family welcomed a new baby boy.

“That’s what I’ll remember most about the whole experience,” he says, proudly. “And it speaks to how we work as an organization. Not one person was like, ‘Where’s that report? Where’s this? Where’s that?’ Family comes first. We're in the World Series and you have a kid coming into this world during game five? Family comes first.”

Committed to the win

Managing an intense workload around life and family isn’t easy, but Goreham says he finds success in his role by leaning on the creativity, innovation, and commitment to learning and growth that defined his Dal experience, particularly his PhD in Health. Having worked with the Canadian Olympic Team (2020) and organizations like Canoe Kayak Canada and Sail Canada, he’s seen what it takes to support a winning culture. That certainly describes the 2025 Jays — teamwork and camaraderie flowing through every part of the organization, from the field to the front office.

Last year’s Blue Jays won everything except game seven of the World Series. Goreham says the disappointment of coming so close to a championship still stings but considers it motivation for him and the rest of the Jays staff heading into a brand-new season.

“We know what’s possible now,” he says.

I’m super optimistic in our team and who we have. I think everyone’s really just excited to get going. — Josh Goreham