Julio's Splits and PCA/Rafaela's Slumps

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 2025’s record number of 25-25 players and whether the current power/speed version of the sport is rendered any less impressive by its recent rule-change origins, the historic pre/post-All-Star break splits of Julio Rodríguez and whether the Mariners can help him become less of an extreme slow starter/fast finisher (phrasing?), the lockstep seasons (and recent slumps) of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddanne Rafaela, the impending retirement (and on/off-field legacies) of Clayton Kershaw, and MLB’s new Amateur Recovery Period Policy, plus follow-ups (1:21:31) on a few of those topics.

Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”
Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to power-speed fun fact
Link to Opta Sports wiki
Link to Opta EW interview
Link to power-speed number
Link to power-speed by season
Link to ’87 HR spike info
Link to more on ’87 spike
Link to 2025 SB leaders
Link to The Bandwagon on basestealers
Link to Julio’s career splits
Link to biggest pre/post-ASB splits
Link to Paine on Julio
Link to February Julio article
Link to PCA/Ceddanne laggardboard
Link to Kershaw retirement story
Link to Ben on Kershaw vs. Pedro
Link to recovery period announcement
Link to ESPN on the recovery period
Link to BA on the recovery period
Link to 2024 MLB pitching report

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