Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the overwhelming listener response to their previous conversation about cover models for baseball video games, and Ben issues some “Bo Nos” in support of his previous Royals reporting. Then (18:19) they talk about the Rays signing Ha-Seong Kim, Roki Sasaki “prospect” rankings, a recent leaguewide run on relievers, trade-based brother breakups, Hal Steinbrenner’s unconvincing attempt at anti-Dodgers-spending solidarity, and minor league name matches for major leaguers, plus (51:42) an in-depth discussion about the teams that have had the most demoralizing (and/or inactive) offseasons (so far). Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)” Link to Episode 2276 Link to Bo Game Boy game Link to Bo NES game Link to Bo handheld game Link to Soto cover Link to Prime Time Football Link to FG on Kim Link to over/under draft Link to Rogers screenshot Link to Rural Juror Link to Pressly/Sewald post Link to Kahnle/Stanek post Link to Estévez post Link to Steinbrenner comments Link to other-Castillo signing Link to other J-Rod Link to Ben C. on the Pirates Link to Paine on payroll/playoffs Link to offseason spending list Link to teams without ML signings Link to MLBTR on Scherzer Link to MLBTR on Polanco Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 some good news and bad news about breakout picks, Junior Caminero’s unbeatable bat flip and home run trot in the LIDOM playoffs, the latest MLB The Show cover model(s) and the lone MLB franchise that hasn’t put a player on the cover of a video game, the Ryan Pressly trade and whether Houston has a plan, and the mysteries of T-Mobile Park’s scoring suppression, plus a Stat Blast (1:28:57) about the players who came closest to team monogamy without quite being faithful to one franchise. Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to latest MLB article Link to Caminero article Link to Caminero video Link to Caminero photo Link to Caminero flip video Link to Orosco flip article Link to Prince flip article Link to Sánchez trot Link to Soto trot Link to Soto trot game Link to Naylor trot Link to Cruz trot Link to Santander trot Link to Marte trot Link to cover models article Link to baseball video games list Link to Ben on pitching prospects Link to Paine on sports video games Link to Indiana Jones pod Link to MLBTR on Pressly Link to MLBTR on Bregman Link to MLBTR on Yordan Link to FG on Pressly Link to Littlefinger speech Link to Churchill speech Link to Petriello on T-Mobile Link to Statcast park factors Link to Arneson gravity post Link to Earth’s gravity wiki Link to MLBTR on Jones Link to Stat Blast data Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 Meg’s memories of Ichiro and his sensational MLB debut, Ippei Mizuhara’s letter about his work with Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki’s dog, the misleading name of “Sluggball,” Jurickson Profar and the prospect of a Braves rebound, which players will get “shorter” thanks to the challenge system, two new rules changes, how the Dodgers will make innings meet, how to make 3B coaches more aggressive, “Tragedeigh,” and more. Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Ichiro’s first MLB hit Link to Ben on Ichiro’s homers Link to Ippei’s letter Link to Ippei recording Link to Roki’s dog Link to dog tweet Link to Dekopin meeting Link to Slugball website Link to Slugball article 1 Link to Slugball article 2 Link to Slugball article 3 Link to Sluggball video Link to Petriello on Profar Link to team WAR projections Link to Rosenthal on Boras/Braves Link to ABS measuring info Link to Eric on heights Link to George’s Timberlands Link to Drellich on rule changes Link to MLBTR on rule changes Link to EW Episode 1863 Link to article on baserunning play Link to EW Episode 2169 Link to Dodgers depth chart Link to Sheehan on the Dodgers Link to listener emails database Link to running strategy study Link to Russell on 3B coaches Link to Ben on goalie goals Link to tragedeigh wiktionary Link to tragedeigh subreddit Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 bring on FanGraphs senior writer Jay Jaffe to break down the Hall of Fame voting results, from new honorees to one-and-done candidates to trends in support to forecasts for future ballots and much more. Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Hill report Link to MLBTR on Hill Link to 2025 voting results Link to 2024 voting results Link to selections by year Link to Jay’s results post Link to Jay’s ballot Link to all FG HoF coverage Link to Wagner call video Link to Sam ballot Link to Tyrer article Link to committees page Link to pre-PITCHf/x framing Link to Ben on Hall of Frame Link to Jay on Hall of Frame Link to The Cooperstown Casebook Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 revisit and update their recent discussion on the Dodgers, competitive balance, and what’s good for the game in light of L.A.’s latest additions, then (1:06:18) discuss the Blue Jays’ signing of Anthony Santander and the outlook for Pete Alonso, followed by (1:20:02) a Stat Blast on Bob Uecker and the players with the highest percentage of homers hit against Hall of Famers. Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to EW Episode 2272 Link to Ben on the Dodgers Link to Ben C. on L.A. relievers Link to Sheehan parity post Link to MLBTR on Scott Link to MLBTR on Yates Link to Dodgers deferrals article Link to Ricketts quote Link to Pirates fan fest story Link to Cherington quote Link to McCutchen misspelling Link to Marlins spending article Link to MLBTR on Santander Link to Dan S. on Santander Link to Santander Stathead Link to Alonso update Link to Alonso/Boras story Link to Stat Blast question Link to Uecker clip Link to Stat Blast data Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 react to the news that Roki Sasaki is signing with the Dodgers (shocker!), breaking down how the posting process played out, the Dodgers’ ridiculous rotation, whether L.A.’s talent-acquisition advantage is good or bad for baseball, the runners-up for Roki, and more. Then they explore how softball and baseball are joining the women’s sports boom via the expansion/launch of professional leagues this year and next by talking to Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated about the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and AU’s innovative scoring model (49:15), and Kiri Oler of FanGraphs about the Women’s Professional Baseball League and her work as a data scientist on MLB: The Show (1:25:28). Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Sasaki’s announcement Link to MLBTR on Sasaki Link to previous Sasaki episode Link to Ben on Sasaki Link to Ben on the Dodgers in 2015 Link to Ben on the Dodgers’ advantage Link to Rob Mains on the Dodger dynasty Link to Dodgers depth chart Link to team SP projections Link to team WAR projections Link to Emma’s book post Link to Emma’s author archive Link to Hannah/Lindsey episode Link to Emma on AU in 2021 Link to Emma on Olympic softball Link to AUSL wiki Link to AU scoring system Link to AUSL announcement Link to Emma on baseball dying Link to Emma on the Players’ League Link to Emma on the WPBL Link to AUSL announcement Link to Justine Siegal EW episode Link to WPBL wiki Link to Kiri’s LinkedIn Link to Ben on The Show Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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

Deaths don’t actually come in threes—unfortunately, there are many more than that—but Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley begin by marking the passings of a trio of notable figures: David Lynch, Bob Uecker, and Tommy Brown. Then (35:27) they talk about the maybe-momentous signing of a Japanese player not named Roki Sasaki (Shotaro Morii), follow up on previous conversations about “breakout” creep, answer a couple of questions about breakouts, and then respond to listener emails on other topics, including nicknames for pitches, the evolving meaning of “moneyball,” phasing out Hall of Famers, and a modification to the infield fly rule. Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Lynch NYT obit Link to Uecker NYT obit Link to Uecker acting roles Link to Brown NYT obit Link to Brown AP obit Link to Brown SABR bio Link to Brown text interview Link to Brown audio interview Link to MLBTR on Brown Link to 1940s clippings on Brown Link to Ben’s Brown Twitter thread Link to The Athletic on Morii Link to Silver on breakouts Link to skeuomorph wiki Link to Detroiters on Netflix Link to Ben on Detroiters Link to Baker on LinkedIn Link to infield fly play Link to Strike Four Link to listener emails database Link to grumkins wiki Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 a new escalation in “breakout” creep, the Blue Jays signing Jeff Hoffman, risk tolerance in transactions, alternate spellings of names, Roki Sasaki’s effect on the market for international amateur free agents, another example of a team offering a higher salary in arbitration than a player requested, Mets owner Steve Cohen’s financial returns, Nick Castellanos on MVP Jose Iglesias, and a 19th-century curved-bat idea (1:08:44), plus (1:22:40) a Stat Blast on the players who’ve appeared in the most distinct team matchups. Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to breakouts post Link to Jeff on HoF artifacts Link to Clemens on Hoffman Link to MLBTR on Hoffman Link to Hoffman press release Link to Madisynn clip Link to MLBTR on Sasaki Link to article on Sasaki effects Link to Flanagan arb post Link to WSJ on Cohen Link to Castellanos clip Link to banana bat article 1 Link to banana bat article 2 Link to banana bat article 3 Link to banana bat article 4 Link to banana bat article 5 Link to Alan Nathan physics site Link to bat boning wiki Link to Stat Blast sheet 1 Link to Stat Blast sheet 2 Link to Ben on Stairs Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter Link to MiLB draft data Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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 salary arbitration, Kyle Tucker, and the unique case of Mike Edwards, then (15:55) kick off a series of interviews about unsung baseball jobs by talking to Rockies bullpen catcher and major league operations assistant (and now, minor league hitting coach) Aaron Muñoz, followed (1:06:09) by former Marlins coordinator of baseball information services (and former FanGraphs writer) Bradley Woodrum, plus (1:59:04) a few follow-ups. Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)” Audio interstitial: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Speier post Link to original Speier post Link to Edwards article 1 Link to Edwards article 2 Link to Edwards article 3 Link to Edwards article 4 Link to Mike Edwards wiki Link to Marshall Edwards wiki Link to Dave Edwards wiki Link to Tucker arb article Link to Sheehan on Tucker Link to fan ban article Link to bullpen catchers article Link to Aaron’s LinkedIn Link to Denver Post article Link to Emma on bullpen brawls Link to brawl video Link to brawl article Link to Bradley’s LinkedIn Link to Bradley’s FG archive Link to Bradley’s YouTube video Link to Lewie Pollis episode Link to lotto ad Link to Calbert Cheaney Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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, Meg Rowley, and Ben Clemens banter about the Giants signing Justin Verlander, a plateau in leaguewide slider usage, and why spending on free agents has exceeded expectations so far. Then (20:55) they continue a cherished podcast tradition by conducting the 12th annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, in which they select 10 minor league free agents each and compete to see whose roster will accumulate the most combined MLB playing time in 2025. Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Baumann on Verlander Link to Dubuque on Verlander Link to Verlander pitch values Link to Verlander max speeds Link to Verlander stuff ratings Link to Ben L. on Kershaw Link to Ben C. on sliders Link to Ben C. on spending Link to FG SP projections Link to last year’s draft Link to FA draft wiki Link to competitions sheet Link to historical picks sheet Link to BA list Link to Neosho alumni Link to Neosho wiki Link to EW gift subscriptions  Sponsor Us on Patreon  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