Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about where Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger should/will sign, excoriate the Orioles for their offseason inaction, marvel at Alex Anthopoulos’s lengthy extension, discuss the Giants’ Jordan Hicks signing as part of a trend toward reliever-starter reverse conversions, consider the etymology of “innings eater” and how pitcher usage is like […]

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and listener Michael Mountain banter about Michael’s proposal for Effectively Wild listener ballpark meetups during the 2024 MLB season, followed by (7:24) Michael’s guest Stat Blasts about the best non-award-winning players, his all-time player tiers, and Hall of Famers (and HoF candidates) who excelled or flopped at leading their leagues at […]

In this episode, the hosts cover a range of interesting topics including Meg's recovery in the contracts draft, the signing of pitcher Shota Imanaga by the Cubs, the trailblazing career of Rachel Balkovec, and whether the horror film Night Swim can be considered a baseball movie. They also interview Oakland A's player Brent Rooker and discuss breakfast foods, advanced stats, player perceptions of luck, and funny athletes on Twitter. Other topics include DH penalties, unusual meals, recalling pitch sequences, and the aesthetics of baseball players.

Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers player who recently signed with the team, discusses his one-year deal with the Dodgers and its impact on his future earnings. The podcast also explores the challenges teams face in competing with the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers. Other interesting topics include strategies for pitching to ownership groups and free agents, the offseason moves of the Royals and Tigers, a hypothetical scenario of playing multiple games simultaneously, and the concept of K-pop style communication for MLB players.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about multiple Mariners trades and follow up on a previous conversation about teams with the most work to do before Opening Day, then (21:07) talk to Pebble Hunting author (and former host) Sam Miller about what (if anything!) will be best remembered about the 2023 baseball season. Audio intro: Daniel […]

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the cruelty of the gift Ben gave his Effectively Wild Secret Santa recipient, which MLB team has the most pressure on it to finish the offseason strong (15:23), Chris Sale’s extension, and the Mets signing Harrison Bader. Then (36:36) they answer listener emails about which mascots would be […]

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap news and transactions from over the holidays, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s thoughts on San Francisco and Yu Darvish’s thoughts on the Dodgers signing his WBC teammates, the Mariners signing Mitch Garver, the Reds signing Frankie Montas, a smattering of Blue Jays and White Sox signings, the Estevan Florial trade, and […]

Sports journalist Hannah Keyser and The Bandwagon podcast co-host Zach Crizer join Ben Lindbergh to discuss overlooked topics from 2023 for each MLB team. Topics include two brothers facing off at the major league level, Charlie Culberson's career shift to pitching, controversy surrounding the robo zone, Tigers claiming Tyler Holton, a friendship leading to a drunken tattoo offer, breakout performances in baseball, Giants players' obsession with a Filipino card game, and reflecting on the podcasting time. Happy New Year!

Guests: Jeeho Yoo discusses the response in South Korea to Jung Hoo Lee 이정후’s signing and Shin-Soo Choo 추신수’s retirement. Rob Fitts talks about trailblazing Japanese pitchers and the impact of Japanese players entering MLB earlier. The Last Out director, Sami Khan, shares the harrowing defections of three Cuban players and their effect on Cuban baseball.

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Ben Clemens conduct the 11th annual minor league free agent draft, selecting players for their rosters based on potential and past performance. They analyze the return of Joe Ross, Ricky Vinesco's development, and Ben Lively's signing. The hosts discuss their picks, highlighting players like Austin Adams and Armando Alvarez. They also discuss scouting reports, recent baseball news, and thank their Patreon supporters.