🏆 From MIT to the MLB: How One Exec Pivoted from Healthcare to the Houston Astros

Jay Verrill is the Vice President of Business Strategy & Analytics for the Houston Astros. He joined the organization in 2012 to help build its business analytics function and has since played a key role in applying data-driven decision-making across ticketing, sponsorship, marketing, and fan experience. Prior to the Astros, Jay spent five years in healthcare consulting at Putnam Associates and earned his MBA from MIT Sloan.

Midcoast Maine to Daikin Park

Jay’s journey to the big leagues didn’t start with a dream of working in baseball; it started with a love of it. Raised in a tight-knit sports family in midcoast Maine, Jay grew up on hockey, baseball, and summer pilgrimages to Fenway Park. “Sports were how we spent our time together,” he says.

At Tufts University, Jay majored in economics, but a sabermetrics course, shortly after the release of Moneyball, planted a seed. “It was just a hobby at the time,” he admits. “I loved fantasy baseball. I loved being a fan. But I didn’t see it as a career.” After five years at Putnam Associates working in consulting, Jay pursued an MBA at MIT Sloan.

He eventually spent time at a biotech firm, but the long product development timelines and regulatory hurdles left him unsatisfied. Meanwhile, he was organizing the well-known Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at MIT, and slowly realized there was a business side of sports that fit his skill set. “It was what I was spending all my time on,” he says. “So I decided to take a risk and see if there was a career in it for me.”

Building a Modern Baseball Business

Jay joined the Astros in 2012, shortly after a new ownership group began reshaping both the baseball and business sides of the organization. “We were taking modern business practices and applying them everywhere,” he recalls. “How do we increase revenue? How do we become more efficient? How do we create the best fan experience in sports?” That meant digging in with every department, from ticketing to sponsorship to marketing, and figuring out what best practices and innovations would push the franchise forward.

Jay packed up his Honda Accord and moved to Houston sight unseen. “It was a calculated risk,” he says. “But I believed the hustle would pay off.” It did. Since then, he’s grown within the organization, contributing to a business supporting a team that’s won two World Series titles and redefined what a data-driven front office can look like.

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Grit + Curiosity

Throughout his career, Jay has consistently been drawn to people who combine grit with curiosity. “People who roll up their sleeves and solve problems, and people who are always learning. That combination usually creates really intelligent, effective teammates.” He saw it in consulting. He sees it every day now. “When you're dealing with complex challenges, in sports or in healthcare or anywhere else, those are the people who find a way forward.”

For those just starting out, Jay’s advice is simple but impactful: pay more attention to who you’re working for than the title on your resume. Great managers who invest in your growth can shape your career far more than a company name ever will. And while it’s easy to hold out for the ideal role in the perfect city, he encourages young professionals to stay open. “That dream scenario may not exist,” he says. “But the opportunity that changes your life might.”

The Power of Taking a Chance

Jay is candid about how difficult it was to pivot into sports. After business school, many of his peers went into tech, finance, or consulting. “They had jobs locked up. I didn’t get mine until July after graduation.” It wasn’t easy. “I’m someone who wants to analyze every decision, make the 95% probability call,” he says. “But this one required a leap.” It paid off, but Jay is quick to credit great mentors along the way. “A lot of my success came from working for great bosses, people who invested in my development. That’s what made the biggest difference.”

His Driving Force

For Jay, working in baseball is both meaningful and intellectually engaging. “We talk about being champions on and off the field,” he says. “Every home game, someone’s attending their first Major League Baseball game. That’s a core memory that could stick with them for life, and we get to play a small part in that.”

But behind the emotion is a job grounded in problem-solving. Jay and his team work every day to tackle complex business challenges like how to improve fan engagement, optimize pricing, drive revenue, and enhance the overall ballpark experience. “I enjoy the creative and analytical side of it,” he says. “You’re constantly thinking about how to do things better, how to innovate, how to stay ahead.