Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

John Thomas, a middle school math teacher and passionate baseball fan, shares his insights while discussing the evolving dynamics of the game. He weighs in on Spencer Strider's injury challenges and its effect on team performance, along with a candid look at the White Sox's shaky season. The conversation touches on the impact of Mariano Rivera's legacy on closers and diving into the evolution of pitch framing. John also reflects on fantasy baseball's blend of skill and luck, and the nostalgia tied to iconic ballparks.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Pete Alonso’s performance since they marveled at his hot start, the return of Craig Kimbrel, Max Muncy’s tale of two seasons, how hitters fare after LASIK, the Mets’ “secret sauce” against Shohei Ohtani, whether the Dodgers’ injury woes will hurt their capacity to recruit pitchers, Brandon Pfaadt’s “yes hitter,” the latest step toward the challenge system, Eric Anthony’s dad discovery and nature and nurture in player development, the underrated Willie Davis and Reggie Smith, and more, plus a combined Meet a Major Leaguer/Stat Blast segment (1:19:39) on Nic Enright and Christian Montes De Oca (and the rule-altering signing of the 13-year-old Jimy Kelly). Audio intro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to previous Pete banter Link to Pete before Link to Pete after Link to Muncy before Link to Muncy after Link to Muncy article Link to MLB LASIK study Link to secret sauce article Link to Spahn quote Link to Cup of Coffee Link to FG on Casparius Link to “yes hitter” post Link to “yes hitter” Stathead Link to Ben on no-hitters 1 Link to Ben on no-hitters 2 Link to challenge system news Link to Anthony and Davis story Link to B-Ref new debuts Link to The Athletic on Enright Link to Guardians prospects list Link to phantom player wiki Link to 1972 scouting article Link to Montes de Oca wiki Link to Montes de Oca name Link to Diamondbacks prospects Link to MDO article 1 Link to MDO article 2 Link to MDO article 3 Link to MDO article 4 Link to Kelly at B-Ref Link to MiLB.com on Kelly Link to SI on Kelly Link to EW Stanky draft Link to Mexican League article Link to Koo video Link to Bois on Koo Link to Kenny Jackelen Link to player signings spreadsheet  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Taylor Walls fulfilling a preseason podcast prediction by being ejected after tapping his helmet following a questionable call (and the many notifications Ben and Meg received from EW listeners), Luke Weaver’s stretching injury, the Rockies’ purported improvement, the decline of the closer as bullpen protagonist, a miraculous softball-delivery dirt clod, an unfortunate instance of replay review, the LSU Shreveport Pilots’ undefeated college season, Jac Caglianone’s call-up, Corbin Burnes’s bum elbow, Mookie Betts’s improved defense, the death of Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, and more. Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Walls story Link to Reddit comments Link to @EWStats ruling Link to Walls and Trump Link to Walls and DeSantis Link to Revere ride info Link to Weaver stretching story Link to Dan S. on Weaver Link to carrots myth Link to Rockies quotes Link to Rockies 10-day offense Link to Rockies 10-day pitching Link to Denver Post story Link to The Athletic on Kenley Link to Ben on saves Link to Ben on SP protagonists Link to softball clip Link to softball story Link to Ben on Capps Link to Springer clip Link to Springer story Link to Dave on slides 1 Link to Dave on slides 2 Link to Shreveport story Link to Wake Forest story Link to Hill Triple-A game Link to MLBTR on Burnes Link to CBS on Mookie Link to Ohtani Nagashima post Link to Nagashima obit Link to Whiting quote Link to Nagashima NPB Stats page Link to Oh NPB Stats page  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the most exciting prospects who haven’t yet made the majors but should soon (including Jac Caglianone, Roman Anthony, Bubba Chandler, and Andrew Painter), the struggles of once-ballyhooed trade targets Sandy Alcantara and Luis Robert Jr., the recent rebounds of Emmanuel Clase and Devin Williams, the returns of Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Spencer Strider, the differing trajectories of former Reds relievers Fernando Cruz and Alexis Díaz, the surprisingly successful and homegrown Yankees, the looming specter of Craig Kimbrel, watching Paul Skenes, what baseball would be like with man defense, not zone, and teams whose playoff odds have increased or decreased the most in the season’s first two months. Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to WhatIfSports offer page Link to Passan on prospects Link to MLBTR on Caglianone Link to MiLB leaderboard Link to FG prospect rankings Link to Pipeline rankings Link to team OF WAR Link to FG Royals prospects Link to Dan S. on Jac Link to BaseRuns standings Link to team SP WAR Link to SB leaders Link to team wRC+ Link to FIP since 4/26 Link to MLBTR on Jobe Link to MLBTR on Díaz Link to ERA-FIP gap Link to Kimbrel contract info Link to Tobias clip Link to playoff odds changes Link to Contreras article 1 Link to Contreras article 2 Link to Maldonado article  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rockies’ historic series losing streak and their rest-of-season projections, an Orioles fan’s decision to get the name of Trevor Rogers tattooed on his butt, a Patrick Corbin innings-eating update, draft prospect Jace LaViolette’s dedication to staying in the lineup, the late-career struggles of Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer, the Yankees’ shame about their rings commemorating their 2024 pennant, and more. Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Rockies stat Link to Opta interview Link to Kamka tweet Link to BaseRuns standings Link to FG playoff odds Link to ESPN SoS Link to Baltimore Banner article Link to Rogers tweet Link to Kjerstad tweet Link to best Orioles starts Link to Rangers IP leaders Link to LaViolette article 1 Link to LaViolette article 2 Link to LaViolette article 3 Link to LaViolette homers Link to Kershaw article 1 Link to Kershaw article 2 Link to Yankees rings article  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new hardest-hit ball of the Statcast era, exit speeds across eras, Oneil Cruz vs. Elly De La Cruz, whether Tarik Skubal has gotten too good, Aaron Judge not feeling great at the plate, whether Rockies fans should boycott the team, how the (first) Juan Soto trade is working out for the Nationals, a Clay Holmes rotation conversion progress report, Jake Burger’s minor league reset, a threat to Shea Langeliers’ A’s sprint speed lead, a dominant DH in Division III, and a new show trying to claim the podcast’s corner. Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)” Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Cruz homer Link to 120+ mph balls Link to Clemens on Skubal Link to Cooper stat Link to Passan Skubal tweet Link to ESPN on Skubal Link to Skubal splits Link to Misiorowski story Link to Misiorowski clip Link to Misiorowski video Link to new Judge quotes Link to 2024 Judge quote 1 Link to 2024 Judge quote 2 Link to Kyle Clark commentary Link to year-over-year attendance Link to Nats prospects Link to Nats WAR leaders Link to Rule of 17 explainer Link to Burger game log Link to MLB.com on Burger Link to A’s speed leaders Link to A’s prospects post Link to A’s shakeup article Link to CBS Mazzone post Link to Mazzone player page Link to Mazzone at TBC Link to Mazzone article Link to clip of the other EW Link to Brault wiki Link to Brault on EW Link to Simpsons clip  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rockies being so bad that mostly innocuous stories about them now seem like examples of organizational incompetence, a wild loss by a Rockies affiliate, and why recent terrible teams have been so bad, then (36:56) answer listener emails about catchers framing poorly on purpose, penalizing hitters when their bats make contact with catchers, whether the draft should be helping the worst teams more, and a potential sac-fly tactic in a walk-off situation, plus a Stat Blast (1:17:59) about runners making up for bad baserunning plays, pinch running too late, failed team attempts to reach .500 for the first time, and a piece of baseball wall art, followed (1:43:28) by postscript updates. Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to WhatIfSports offer page Link to worst 50-game starts Link to Dollander call-up story Link to Dollander IL stint Link to Gelb tweet Link to Soto story Link to lawsuit story Link to “the baseball rule” Link to @ScoringChanges tweet Link to walk-off story 1 Link to walk-off story 2 Link to Aces call Link to box score Link to PCL standings Link to Kirk/Bassitt story Link to Stick It wiki Link to strikes called balls Link to balls called strikes Link to FG post on Wilson Link to pinch-runners spreadsheet Link to Grichuk walk-off video Link to baseball wall art Link to FARTSLAM post 1 Link to FARTSLAM post 2 Link to listener emails database Link to MiLB FAD tracking Link to Hanel’s predictions post Link to Stranger Things Night Link to Victoria Day wiki Link to Victoria Day Jays post  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rich Hill’s latest perfect game bid, whether the Tigers are as good as they’ve looked, Jared Jones’ elbow surgery and the Pirates’ offensive outage, Paul Skenes and whether lower arm slots will protect pitchers’ arms, Pete Crow-Armstrong and the players who’ve ascended to “main character” status this season, and more listener suggestions for what to call tandem home run robberies and homers that clear the fence due to defensive miscues. Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to latest Hill game Link to Hill footage Link to 2016 Hill game Link to Hill on EW Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Sheehan on Detroit Link to projected RoS SP WAR Link to Jones note Link to Passan on Skenes Link to Heyman on Skenes Link to Skenes slot video Link to Pirates unfun fact Link to team offense since 4/23 Link to VAA explainer Link to arm-slot injury study Link to Russell on n=1 Link to The Bandwagon on Brown Link to last-year pitcher WAR Link to BP on Brown Link to 2025 EW bold predictions Link to 2025 FG bold predictions Link to combined WAR leaderboard Link to chase rate leaderboard Link to story on PCA moving back Link to PCA on his mom Link to The Bandwagon on main characters Link to free month of The Bandwagon Link to Paine on the Cardinals Link to Passan on the Cardinals Link to team defense leaderboard Link to Meg on farting Link to Carpenter retirement Link to Carpenter leaderboard 1 Link to Carpenter leaderboard 2  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Elly De La Cruz’s unspectacular start to the season, the firing of Brandon Hyde and what it would take for them to blame a manager for a team’s disappointing season, the hubbub about Juan Soto’s hustle, MLB’s announcement about Rivalry Weekend’s success, Kyle Schwarber and the lineage of non-Hall-of-Fame hitters who’ve appeared to have a chance at “magic number” milestones, MLB’s attempt to define the swing, the overwhelming array of Statcast stats, the latest call for Shohei Ohtani to specialize, and more. Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes 2, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG on the O’s Link to FG playoff odds Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Girardi firing article Link to ESPN on Valentine Link to FG on the Twins Link to Soto flight confusion Link to Ben on Jeter vs. Cano Link to Soto in-game interview info Link to Ben on in-game interviews Link to Soto plays Link to Mendoza quote Link to MLB press release Link to Vedder Cup story Link to Schwarber HR stat Link to Stathead query Link to most HR since 2022 Link to swings article 1 Link to swings article 2 Link to new Savant leaderboard Link to article on new metrics Link to FG on Royals pitching Link to Ohtani strikeout Link to Pereda ball Link to Ohtani article Link to Sam on Ohtani  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about listener suggestions for terms for tandem home run robberies (and the opposite of home run robberies), whether it’s so O’sver in Baltimore, Jacob deGrom succeeding despite slightly less dominant stuff, and the realness of the rivalries in MLB’s inaugural “Rivalry Weekend,” then (48:46) answer listener emails about awarding hit by pitches based on location, not contact, which player actually “starts the scoring,” whether defenders should save the ball from their first putout, a pitcher hitting month, and pantsless mascots, plus a postscript (1:38:32) on Ayami Sato, the first woman to play pro baseball in Canada. Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to WhatIfSports offer page Link to team wRC+ w/RISP Link to team batting Clutch Link to team wOBA-xwOBA Link to FG playoff odds Link to BaseRuns records Link to MLBTR on the O’s Link to deGrom FG post Link to Rivalry Weekend info Link to Vedder Cup story Link to Sam on the no-go zone Link to Rob Arthur on HBPs Link to Billy the Marlin pics Link to Billy video Link to Grant on mascots Link to listener emails database Link to Hang Up and Listen  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Give a Gift Subscription  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Bluesky Account  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch! Source