Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben and Sam slum it with a bunch of bad teams from baseball’s underclass and speculate about which has the least hope of going all the way before 2022, then discuss Jimmy Rollins’ benching and how much running out a popup really matters. Source

Ben and Sam discuss whether a team should have claimed Joe Mauer, what he’s worth, and what his future will look like, then talk about the end of Erik Bedard’s stay in Pittsburgh and how sad it is when a guy who’s always either good or injured goes bad. Source

Ben and Sam discuss sabermetric managerial favorite Davey Johnson’s impact on the Nationals, whether certain managers can make their players play better, and what the ideal relationship between a GM and manager might be. Source

Ben and Sam question the conclusions of an article in The Atlantic about racial bias in baseball broadcasting, then talk about whether Brian McCann’s best is behind him and whether his down year is the result of bad hitting hitting or bad luck. Source

Ben and Sam discuss the futures of the two teams involved in the weekend’s blockbuster trade, then talk about whether the Astros would benefit from signing Roger Clemens. Source

Ben and Sam discuss Austin Jackson’s excellent catch, whether he’s the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and whether it’s even possible to decide one way or another, then dissect Seattle’s eight-game winning streak to see if it’s the start of something good or a fluke that will soon be forgotten. Source

Ben and Sam revisit the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels in light of Haren’s down year and Tyler Skaggs’ debut for the Diamondbacks, then talk about how Derek Jeter has remained productive at age 38 and examine whether the Yankees are in any trouble in the AL East. Source

Ben and Sam talk about Brett Anderson’s Tuesday return from Tommy John surgery and its impact on Oakland’s potential playoff rotation, then discuss whether Stephen Drew would be wise to test the free-agent market this winter in light of the other shortstops available. Source

Ben and Sam discuss Kenny Williams’ contention that the poorly rated White Sox farm system is just misunderstood, then consider whether the Cubs should be concerned about Starlin Castro’s makeup. Source

The Rays demolished the Angels in a four-game weekend sweep, which gives Ben and Sam the idea to discuss the two teams’ divergent directions since the deadline and reevaluate Anaheim’s offseason approach. Source