Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Effectively Wild Episode 2527: Feels Like the First Time

Sep 4, 2026
The Angels flirt with an unwanted 100-loss milestone while Stan Kroenke’s baseball ambitions spark speculation. Seattle’s rookies make history amid a frustrating season and an absurdly long drought between multi-hit MLB debuts. The discussion also explores Padres phenom Ethan Salas, baseball-themed TikTok microdramas, VR broadcasts, changing minor-league baseballs, catcher substitutions, and position players pitching.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

The Angels Nearly End Baseball’s Drought

  • The Angels still had not lost 100 games, despite Ben previously implying they had.
  • Their near-miss reflects broader parity: 2025 could become the first non-2020 season since 2014 without a 100-game winner or loser.
INSIGHT

Remembering When The Angels Felt Important

  • Meg recalled when the Angels were a respected, high-spending franchise rather than a symbol of prolonged dysfunction.
  • Pujols’s late-career moments helped younger fans glimpse why his peak made him an obvious Hall of Famer.
INSIGHT

Seattle’s Mediocrity Became More Disappointing

  • Seattle remained disappointing despite being merely mediocre, because expectations were high and the American League playoff field was unusually weak.
  • An easy remaining schedule and roughly 20% playoff odds kept their season alive.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app