William R Johnson

About William R Johnson

William (Bill) Robert JOHNSON PhD, CPSS,*D CSCS,*D is Senior Biomechanist for the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, he leads biomechanics strategy across Major and Minor League Baseball, shaping how movement data is captured, analyzed, and applied to player performance, welfare, and career longevity.Recognized within MLB as a leading authority in sport science and biomechanics, Bill integrates markerless motion capture, computer vision, and machine learning with practical coaching insight. His work translates complex datasets into frameworks that inform roster decisions and player development, while fostering an innovation culture that connects research, coaching, and leadership.Before MLB, Bill built a career in information technology and engineering. He led a global IT organization through one of the largest oil & gas IPOs on the London Stock Exchange, scaled agile systems and delivered infrastructure upgrades across international operations.Since 2010, he has focused on quantifying athletic performance, earning a Master’s in Exercise Science (2014) and a PhD in Biomechanics & Data Science (2019). He also mentors the next generation of sport scientists and coaches, drawing on his background in engineering, analytics, and thousands of hours teaching fitness and yoga. His career is defined by turning complex data into practical applications that advance athlete performance and shape the future of sport science.Keywords: Sports analytics, data science, computer vision, deep learning, big data, enterprise architecture, leadership, emotional intelligence, mentorshipSeptember 2025digitalathlete.org

Experience

1. Senior Biomechanist

   Washington Nationals

   Mar 2023 — Present · West Palm Beach, FL, US

   Bill leads biomechanics across the Nationals’ Major and Minor League system, maximizing value from motion capture, force and pressure systems, computer vision, and machine learning. His remit extends beyond data capture: he defines the portfolio of biomechanics initiatives that connect performance insights to roster decisions, shapes strategy for player development and welfare, and aligns technology with coaching and front-office leadership. A pioneer in markerless motion capture since 2014, he has built scalable pipelines that translate complex datasets into actionable insights—leveraging Hawk-Eye data to monitor workload, performance, and injury risk at scale. He also fosters a culture of innovation in sport science, where new methods and people can thrive.

Education

• University of Bristol

  Bachelor's Degree, Computer Systems Engineering (Honours)

  1986 — 1989

• Edith Cowan University

  Master's Degree, Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning)

  2011 — 2014

• Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford

  Spanish Beginners Part 2

• Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford

  Spanish Beginners Part 1

• The University of Western Australia

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Sport Science, Exercise and Health

  2015 — 2019

Skills

• IT Strategy
• Strategy
• Microsoft Exchange
• Outsourcing
• Emotional Intelligence
• Citrix
• Integration
• Personal Training
• Management
• Telecommunications
• Governance
• Data Science
• Business Process Improvement
• R
• Storage
• Network Security
• Cisco
• System Deployment
• Vendor Management
• Itil
• Stakeholder Management
• Big Data
• Erp
• Contract Management
• Project Delivery
• Analytics
• Requirements Analysis
• Firewalls
• Business Strategy
• Troubleshooting
• Cloud Computing
• Procurement
• Security
• Enterprise Architecture
• Networking
• Matlab
• Solution Architecture
• Service Delivery
• Risk Management
• Business Analysis