Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the end of the Orioles’ sweep-less streak, Oneil Cruz’s mismatch between top-tier tools and pedestrian production, the Phillies’ strength of schedule, Steven Okert and the etiquette of tipping one’s bullpen-cart driver, Kyle Hendricks and the decline of the 2016 Cubs’ core, and some Shohei Ohtani real-estate news. Then (47:14) they talk to The Athletic senior writer Evan Drellich about Rob Manfred’s press conference on Thursday, the uncertainty surrounding MLB’s broadcast/streaming future, the possibility (and potential ramifications) of nationalizing the sport’s media rights, a private-equity takeover of the minor leagues, and more, plus (1:27:57) several postscript follow-ups. Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2” Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to O’s sweep story Link to team records during streak Link to Cruz tweet 1 Link to Cruz tweet 2 Link to Cruz tweet 3 Link to Cruz’s Savant page Link to ESPN SoS Link to Defector on SoS Link to FG projected SoS Link to Okert article 1 Link to Okert article 2 Link to MLBTR on Hendricks Link to 2016 team batting age Link to 2016 team pitching age Link to Paine on the Cubs Link to Russell article 1 Link to Russell article 2 Link to L.A. Ohtani house Link to L.A. house 2 Link to Hawaii Ohtani house Link to Hawaii house 2 Link to Evan on Manfred comments Link to sickos meme Link to Evan on national TV Link to broadcast/streaming split Link to article on churn Link to Evan on Diamond Sports Link to Evan on the other Diamond Link to Steinbrenner comments Link to Sheehan on Steinbrenner Link to Winning Fixes Everything Link to Manfred on framing Link to first Ballers win Link to EW Ballers episode Link to GF w/o save leaders Link to Ben on mid-PA changes Link to Shildt game Link to MLBTR on Baumann trade Link to WDJDD song Link to Phiten tweet Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the hype surrounding Paul Skenes starts and how Skenes has leveled up since he was drafted, whether Kyle Tucker could finally shed his “most underrated player” label, Gunnar Henderson vs. Bobby Witt Jr. (and the Orioles’ infield/outfield future), the resurgent Royals, Jo Adell’s (maybe?) breakout, Joey Gallo’s ever-stranger stats, the Yankees’ success without Gerrit Cole, the powerhouse Phillies, Chris Sale’s bounceback, Ketel Marte’s unspectacular hitting streak (and Orlando Cabrera’s unspectacular on-base streak), disputes about pitch usage featuring Framber Valdez and Jhoan Duran, Alek Manoah’s strong starts, pitchers facing themselves via advanced pitching machines, Javy Báez tags, stripping out luck from batter WAR, and more. Audio intro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Longenhagen on Skenes Link to Woodward on Skenes Link to top 100 prospects update Link to Baumann on Tucker Link to combined WAR leaderboard Link to Rome on Tucker Link to Rosenthal on Witt/Gunnar Link to Sheehan on shortstops Link to Sheehan on shortstops 2 Link to Ben on Machado/Arenado Link to EW on Freeman/Goldschmidt Link to Holliday CF rumor Link to Clemens on Ortiz Link to Sheehan on the Royals Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Sheehan on the Phils Link to Phillies smooches Link to Tango on net FA spending Link to Jaffe on Sale Link to Jaffe on Adell Link to Adell wall ball Link to Cole update Link to team framing Link to Ben on Gallo in 2014 Link to Gallo’s Savant page Link to Marte streak story Link to longest 1-hit streaks Link to Cabrera streak post Link to tweets about Valdez Link to story on Duran Link to blog about Duran Link to Duran curve xWOBA Link to Duran pitch values Link to team fastball % Link to pitch sequencing post Link to Rob Arthur on pitch usage Link to Rob on pitch usage 2 Link to Angels pitching machines Link to Ben on pitching machines Link to BABIP explainer Link to Tango on xWOBA Link to Richard on “on deck” Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays running out of mound visits and various visit-related hypotheticals, then (21:00) answer listener emails about “due up” vs. “on deck,” strikes vs. pitches in the strike zone, whether focusing on wins instead of runs makes WAR less intuitive, Quinn Priester and FIP-based pitcher WAR, Ronald Acuña Jr.’s ping-ponging strikeout rate, whether the ball-strike challenge system hampers strikeout celebrations, how much infielders help control the running game, advanced pitching machines and the minors-to-majors transition, why there aren’t more major league trick plays, cathartic uniform-burning, and timeout-induced injuries. Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Rays mound visit story Link to mound visits rule Link to story on get-back coaches Link to OnDeck Capital wiki Link to Birnbaum on runs vs. wins Link to lowest K-BB% Link to highest HR/9 Link to defense behind pitcher Link to FG RA/9 WAR Link to Jaffe on Acuña Link to Dan S. on zStats Link to Petriello on Acuña’s Ks Link to ESPN on Báez tags Link to BP on tags Link to Ben on pitching machines Link to Rosenthal on MiLB-MLB gap Link to Ben on MLB-MiLB in 2015 Link to Skunk in the Outfield Link to Grand Illusion play Link to KK play Link to Skenes gamer Link to Fletcher story Link to EW on equipment destruction Link to uni-burning story Link to listener emails database Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a fake Ronel Blanco tweet about a fake Ronel Blanco quote, Meryl Streep’s sports apps, how four expected-to-contend teams’ injury-depleted rotations are faring so far, Josh Hader’s multi-inning outings, fêting Erick Fedde, Elly De La Cruz’s pursuit of 100 stolen bases, an Austin Hedges bruise, a possible benefit of catchers crouching close to hitters, players reinjuring themselves right after returning from injury, Kyle Bradish’s non-surgical comeback, whether a Ted Williams blast really reached the red seat at Fenway, a fatal catch(?) from 1906, Connor Joe and cheat-sheet creep, Ron Washington passing the buck on a bunt, and David Fletcher’s floater future. Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to “Mother’s Little Helper” Link to fake Blanco tweet Link to MLBTR on Blanco Link to Streep photo Link to FG team SP WAR Link to Hader’s game log Link to Pillar tweet Link to active SB leaderboard Link to Sam on Elly Link to Passan on Elly Link to EW on Wills Link to Elly’s 4 SBs Link to Hedges bruise Link to catcher bruises story Link to Tanner Swanson tweet Link to Swanson on EW Link to MLBTR on Friedl Link to MLBTR on Manning Link to tweet about Soler Link to Soler video Link to FG on Giants injuries Link to MLBTR on Bradish Link to story on Bradish PRP Link to Petriello on Williams Link to Rybarcyzk on Williams Link to Hagerty’s Hicks tweet Link to Hicks report 1 Link to Hicks report 2 Link to Hicks report 3 Link to Hicks report 4 Link to Hicks report 5 Link to Pitcairn wiki Link to Pitcairn doc Link to Davis/West story Link to West on EW Link to Connor Joe’s card Link to C wristbands video Link to Kiermaier card story Link to Washington’s comments Link to failed squeeze video Link to Washington’s presser Link to Guillorme bunts Link to Guillorme failed bunts Link to Tango on the squeeze play Link to Moneyball clip Link to Moniak’s failed squeeze Link to Fletcher knuckler video Link to Fletcher knuckler stats Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Mike Petriello discusses MLB's new bat-tracking metrics, the impact of replay on catcher's interference calls, and the historical and modern approach to pitching rotations. The conversation highlights key data like bat speed and player performance metrics, touching on injury risks, player evaluation, and future enhancements in analytics.

Ben Lindbergh talks to Rays pitcher Zack Littell (4:33) about his expectation-surpassing conversion from relieving to starting and his affinity for cruise ships. Then (23:33) Ben brings on author and film critic Noah Gittell to discuss his new book about baseball movies and American culture, Baseball: The Movie, followed by six Stat Blasts with frequent Stat Blast correspondent Ryan Nelson (1:16:14). Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2” Link to Ben Clemens on Littell Link to MLBTR on Littell Link to underrated-Rays post Link to Rays WAR leaders Link to Littell pitch usage Link to Littell cruises article Link to Rays pitcher dev info Link to more on Rays pitcher dev Link to even more on Rays dev Link to down-the-middle pitching Link to Rays catching technique Link to Orioles catching technique Link to Royals catching technique Link to Little Big League scene Link to Little Big League wiki Link to Baseball: The Movie Link to Noah’s website Link to Noah’s Substack Link to Brad Lesley tweet Link to Passion baseball article Link to more Ben on baseball movies Link to Guy Russo’s Stat Blast cover Link to ballpark cycles sheet Link to 1-0 losses sheet Link to Mets perspective gamer Link to Pirates perspective gamer Link to Breslin’s Mets book Link to Ks plus ER sheet Link to post on Feller start Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to cLI explainer Link to cLI sheet Link to Kenny Jackelen on Twitter Link to first hits allowed sheet Link to Cox MLB.com story Link to Cox post 1 Link to Cox post 2 Link to Blanco stat Link to Michael Eisen on Twitter Link to listener emails database Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Pirates calling up top pitching prospect Paul Skenes, Mookie Betts’s shortstop defense, Willson Contreras, the causes of increasingly common catcher’s interference calls, and catcher technique in an ABS world, rampant reliever shuffling, Chase Anderson as a Phiten necklace “endling,” two ways in which amateur prospects are possibly being exploited or disrupted, Ippei Mizuhara’s guilty plea, Shohei Ohtani’s WAR and two-way future, and a momentous mid-plate-appearance pitching change that never was. Then (1:16:53) they talk to The Athletic writer Andy McCullough about his new book, The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness. Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Skenes Link to SS DRS leaders Link to BP fielding leaderboard Link to Petriello on Mookie’s defense Link to Hankook commercial 1 Link to Hankook commercial 2 Link to Pedroia commercial Link to Contreras injury video Link to tweet about Contreras move Link to The Athletic on Contreras catching Link to Woodward on Contreras catching Link to Sam on CI last year Link to Sam on CI this year Link to CI totals Link to old EW on CI 1 Link to old EW on CI 2 Link to Tanner Swanson on EW Link to Ben on moving the mound Link to BP on disposable pitchers Link to Russell on disposable players Link to Ben on pitcher limits Link to latest MiLB FA draft Link to endling wiki Link to story on Anderson’s Phiten Link to Sam on Phiten Link to escaped zebra story Link to EW on youth baseball expense Link to The Athletic on Perfect Game Link to ESPN on draft evasion Link to MLBTR on Ippei’s plea Link to combined WAR leaderboard Link to FG hitter projections Link to Savant trending players image Link to Kershaw pen session Link to The Last of His Kind Link to book excerpt 1 Link to book excerpt 2 Link to Woodward/Trump story Link to Sam on Kershaw mistakes Link to Ben on Kersh in 2013 Link to Ben on Kersh in 2020 Link to Ben on pitcher deception Link to MLBTR on Hill Link to Ben’s Hill cover mockup Link to Kershaw career pitch usage Link to Ward/Wade wiki Link to The Atlantic on stadium subsidies Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Riley Greene’s latest pants-related wardrobe malfunction, the Padres-Marlins Luis Arraez trade, the continued scuffling of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a C.B. Bucknor bit, and more. Then (52:30) they’re joined by Neil deMause, author of Field of Schemes, and J.C. Bradbury, author, stadium-funding researcher, and professor of economics, finance, and quantitative analysis at Kennesaw State University, to discuss the latest wave of attempts by teams to obtain public funding for ballpark projects and whether the public is belatedly pushing back, plus a follow-up postscript (1:28:29) Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)” Link to first Greene pants tear Link to latest pants tear Link to Greene’s mom’s quote Link to uniforms press release Link to Other Ben on Arraez trade Link to DotF on the trade Link to Rosenthal on the trade Link to KLaw on the trade Link to pulled prospect story Link to Bendix on the trade Link to Ben on Arraez Link to Bucknor call/story Link to EW on ump decisions Link to Stroman and strikes story Link to Manfred comments Link to Neil’s first appearance Link to Neil on Manfred’s comments Link to Field of Schemes blog Link to Field of Schemes book Link to J.C.’s professor page Link to J.C.’s social channels Link to J.C.’s books Link to J.C.’s research Link to ProPublica story Link to Guardians team shop story Link to EW Episode 2160 Link to Ben’s House of R appearance Link to Button Mash episodes Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a recent uptick in base stealing and why Mike Trout’s loyalty to the Angels is criticized more than it’s celebrated. Then (16:39) they’re joined by Patreon supporter Alex Levy to discuss Alex’s background as a podcast listener, baseball fan, and mail carrier and answer emails (43:49) about a Mario approach to chemistry in baseball, back-to-back homers, providing players with a destructible piece of equipment, probabilistic robo umps, umps as neutral (but not infallible) arbiters, and the correct pronunciation of “summer sausage.” Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Woodward on SBs Link to Jaffe on home runs Link to first SB conversation Link to Ben’s preseason predictions Link to Rosenthal on Trout Link to Calcaterra on Trout Link to February EW on Trout Link to MLBTR on Buxton Link to Mario baseball game 1 Link to Mario baseball game 2 Link to “back-to-back” definition Link to Mackenzie tweets Link to Zimmer’s website Link to Zimmer’s WSJ column Link to compound stress rule Link to Youglish clips Link to compound stress PDF 1 Link to compound stress PDF 2 Link to Simpsons clip Link to listener emails database Link to Thistl Link to MLBTR on Arraez Link to MLBTR on Ruiz Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s unexpected experience at the bee-delayed Diamondbacks game, Shota Imanaga’s hot start, Reed Garrett and the phenomenon of pop-up relievers, Steven Kwan appreciation, how Mike Trout’s and Bryce Harper’s careers will be remembered, José Abreu being optioned to the minors, and a declined penalty in baseball, plus follow-ups about convoluted fun facts, promotion/relegation, and alternatives to “group Maddux.” Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Chase fitness club info Link to Bee Guy article 1 Link to Bee Guy article 2 Link to Bee Guy article 3 Link to bee delay announcement Link to Bee Guy ovation Link to Bee Guy on scoreboard Link to Bee Guy’s card Link to Bailey’s Imanaga tweet Link to Meg’s preseason projections Link to Clemens on Garrett Link to Kwan’s Savant page Link to story about Guardians power Link to Ben on Arraez Link to MLBTR on Trout’s injury Link to EW on Trout/Griffey Link to Paine on Trout’s legacy Link to B-Ref career WAR leaders Link to MLBTR on Abreu Link to Shildt game story Link to Tango on Shildt Link to Williams fun fact Link to NOBLETIGER reddit post Link to County Championship wiki Link to Audubon story 1 Link to Audubon story 2 Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source