Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dylan Cease trade, the post-trade outlooks for the Padres and White Sox, and the incomparably chaotic Padres POBO A.J. Preller, then (31:22) discuss who the best pitcher in baseball is with Gerrit Cole on the shelf, Shohei Ohtani’s wife reveal (41:33), and (49:34) ESPN’s planned on-screen win probability graphic on Sunday Night Baseball. Finally (1:01:58), they draft (or at least list) their favorite trades and signings of the winter. Audio intro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Clemens on Cease Link to Rosenthal on Cease Link to Getz quote about Cease Link to DotF on the Cease trade Link to BA on Preller’s prospect trades Link to Padres farm rankings Link to Kram on trading prospects Link to Eric on Sox prospects Link to team SP projections Link to MLBTR on Kopech Link to payrolls page Link to Langs tweet Link to Sam on best pitchers Link to Ben on innings eaters Link to non-pitcher projections Link to pitcher projections Link to Strider’s curve Link to Shohei photo Link to ESPN win probability tweet Link to “calculating win probability” Link to EW nVenue episode Link to story on Toles Link to story on Blooper Link to Blooper wiki Link to Longenhagen on Fedde Link to MLBTR’s Cole update 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 latest on Gerrit Cole’s elbow and how his uncertain status might affect free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, then preview the 2024 Houston Astros (23:42) with The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and the 2024 Oakland (for now?) Athletics (1:12:15) with The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard. 2024 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 2: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Post report on Cole Link to MLBTR on Cole Link to MLBTR on Cease Link to Astros offseason tracker Link to Astros depth chart Link to Dusty’s comments Link to Ruby’s website Link to BP on Framber Link to Chandler on McCormick Link to Chandler’s Athletic archive Link to A’s offseason tracker Link to A’s depth chart Link to Gelof leaderboard Link to Miller’s velo Link to BA farm rankings Link to BP farm rankings Link to KLaw farm rankings Link to A’s ballpark coverage Link to Rooker EW episode Link to Ballers EW episode Link to Melissa’s Athletic archive 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 uncertain state of Gerrit Cole’s elbow (and the larger UCL scourge), the Giants controversially releasing J.D. Davis, and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts/Gavin Lux infield switcheroo, then preview the 2024 Seattle Mariners (29:12) with The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, and the 2024 Kansas City Royals (1:08:53) with The Kansas City Star’s Jaylon Thompson. 2024 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes 2, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Michael Baumann, “What Would Jerry Dipoto Do?” Audio interstitial 2: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)” Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Cole Link to MLBTR on Cease Link to Ben on roster limits Link to Bill James pitcher study Link to EW Episode 2055 Link to max-effort-injuries article Link to The Athletic on injuries Link to Ben on spring TJs Link to Russell on roster shuffling Link to Ben on pitching prospects Link to IP since 2018 Link to Baggarly on Davis Link to MLBTR on Davis Link to Ardaya on Mookie’s move Link to Petriello on Mookie at SS Link to Mariners offseason tracker Link to Mariners depth chart Link to Divish on the offseason Link to Divish on Julio Link to Kirby’s knuckleball Link to MLBTR on M’s injuries Link to Ryan’s Times archive Link to Royals offseason tracker Link to Royals depth chart Link to Ragans breakout feature Link to Ben C. on Ragans Link to Ragans leaderboard Link to “Raid the Zone” Link to “Reign the Zone” Link to Jaylon on the slogan Link to Jaylon on Royals P dev Link to Jaylon on Melendez Link to Jaylon on Salvy’s goal Link to Salvy deadline story Link to Royals lettering story Link to “Jr.” jersey story Link to Royals stadium coverage Link to FG Top 100 prospects Link to Jaylon’s Star archive 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 retirement of Meg favorite Mike Zunino, some teams’ mismatched gray jerseys and pants, whether Blake Snell is still unsigned in part because his pitching isn’t fun to watch (and whether he walks batters by accident or on purpose), and Joey Votto’s minor league deal with the Blue Jays, then preview the 2024 Tampa Bay Rays (36:14) with MLB.com’s Adam Berry, and the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates (1:09:21) with MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. 2024 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 2: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Zunino Link to Meg on Zunino Link to “sad Zunino” Link to highest-K hitters Link to lowest-average hitters Link to Zunino HRD tweet Link to mismatched-grays report Link to FG on Snell Link to BP on Snell Link to PL on Snell Link to PL on Snell 2 Link to LOB% definition Link to LOB% since 2016 Link to LOB% leaders Link to “greatest thread” meme Link to Votto Insta post Link to MLBTR on Votto Link to Votto Jays interview Link to Rays offseason tracker Link to Rays depth chart Link to Jennings on the Rays Link to Verducci on the Rays Link to Clemens on the Rays Link to Rays pen improvement Link to Uwasawa story Link to Adam’s MLB.com archive Link to Ben on the Archer trade Link to Pirates offseason tracker Link to Pirates depth chart Link to Hayes breakout piece 1 Link to Hayes breakout piece 2 Link to Athletic Pirates article Link to team SS WAR Link to Skenes news Link to DotF on Jones Link to largest FA contracts Link to Alex’s MLB.com archive Link to MLBTR on Betts Link to MLBTR on Marte 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 discuss A's ballpark renderings, Red Sox pitching prospects, and MLB's Spring Breakout games. They preview the 2024 Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants with guest experts. Topics include ownership changes, prospect development, and roster management in the upcoming baseball season.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler extension, the Giants’ Matt Chapman signing, and a Scott Boras quote about free agency, then (17:35) bring on Patreon supporter Jay Wade Edwards to answer listener emails (26:41) about see-through players (and see-through pants), how different baseball would be if instead of a lineup of batters facing a single pitcher it featured a lineup of pitchers facing a single batter, rooting for a minor league team, formal “rest” stints on the injured list, the value of pulled fly balls, and an Armando Galarraga redo, and then Stat Blast (1:16:50) about high-WAR baseball cemeteries. Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Dan on Wheeler Link to Jay on Chapman Link to Boras quote Link to Newman Q&A Link to MLB’s pants PDF Link to Snell pants photo Link to Defector piece Link to Ben C. on pulled FB 1 Link to Ben C. on pulled FB 2 Link to Ben C. on pulled FB 3 Link to Chamberlain on pulled FB Link to PL on pulled FB Link to DotF on Paredes Link to DotF on spray angle Link to article on Guardians whiffs Link to NBA protest Link to Galarraga game wiki Link to NYT on Galarraga Link to Galarraga in 2020 Link to 2022 Galarraga petition Link to listener emails database Link to abominable Stat Blast song Link to EW cemeteries guest Link to Stat Blast spreadsheet Link to cemetery research intro Link to Cypress Hills Cemetery Link to Green-Wood Cemetery Link to NINE Conference Link to Jay’s Substack Link to Jay’s website  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 talk to FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens about the site’s ongoing efforts to model team depth and factor it into projections, then preview the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays (30:46) with The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath, and the 2024 Cincinnati Reds (1:16:31) with The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans. 2024 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 2: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: MulderBatFlip, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Other Ben’s blog about depth Link to Ben’s depth tables Link to bullpen chaining explainer Link to projection limitations Link to Ben on odds calibration Link to Ben on odds calibration 2 Link to “model talk” pods Link to Jays offseason tracker Link to Jays depth chart Link to Stark on Ohtani’s flight Link to Sheehan on Rogers Centre Link to Kaitlyn on Varsho Link to Statcast park factors Link to OF OAA leaderboard Link to OF DRS leaderboard Link to Kaitlyn on Berríos Link to 2019 FG cutter post Link to cutter tweet Link to Ben on new pitches Link to Kaitlyn’s fan survey Link to Mattingly beard Link to Kaitlyn’s Athletic archive Link to Reds offseason tracker Link to Reds depth chart Link to FG payrolls leaderboard Link to 2023 Senzel article Link to team SP projections Link to team RP projections Link to story about Reds bunting Link to 2023 bunt hit leaders Link to BP on Friedl Link to bunting Stat Blast Link to story about bench coaches Link to Reds bench coach story Link to conservation of matter Link to C. Trent’s Athletic archive  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 Shohei Ohtani’s surprise marriage announcement (5:15), and Portia of Ohtani fan account @shoheisaveus returns (18:13) to tell Ben how the news was received by the Shobae community. Then Ben and Meg Stat Blast (36:49) about the biggest year-to-year changes in WAR produced by different players who wore the same uniform number for the same team, preview the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies (44:20) with The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, and preview the 2024 Los Angeles Angels (1:21:51) with The Athletic’s Sam Blum. 2024 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny Version)” Audio interstitial 2: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to thread on Cal’s stats Link to anti-Streak take Link to owner Cal article Link to Ohtani’s Insta post Link to Portia’s first appearance Link to Ohtani comments Link to Ichiro dog secrecy Link to Matsui marriage Link to Matsui wife drawing Link to “Ohtani loss” tweet Link to other Ohtani tweet Link to John on Ed Sullivan Link to Dozier tweet Link to Stat Blast data Link to Stat Blast song cover Link to Kenny Jackelen’s Twitter Link to Phillies offseason tracker Link to Phillies depth chart Link to Matt’s Athletic archive Link to himbo article 1 Link to himbo article 2 Link to Harper offer report Link to Harper extension article Link to Matt on Realmuto Link to Tango on Realmuto’s framing Link to Eno on Dombrowski pens Link to Laurila on Dombrowski pens Link to Sam on Bryant Link to Moreno report Link to Angels offseason tracker Link to Angels depth chart Link to Sam on Percival Link to Sam on Rendon Link to EW on Rendon Link to Sam’s Athletic archive Link to Sam on broadcasts Link to Sam on Schanuel Link to FG top 100 Link to MLB top 100 Link to BP farm rankings Link to Soto/Bradley report  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 Cubs signing Cody Bellinger, Scott Boras’s offseason, and what Bryce Harper’s walk year could portend for Juan Soto’s. Then (33:27) Ben and Meg talk to Ben Kramer and Robert Toner of the Anchorage Sports Association about the Fur Rendezvous Festival snowshoe softball tournament and the finer points of playing softball in several feet of Alaskan snow. Finally (1:00:16), Ben talks to former teammates, rivals, and big league backup-catching journeymen Ryan Lavarnway and Tim Federowicz about their uncannily parallel playing careers and the evolution and future of catching. Audio intro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 1: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial 2: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Jaffe on Bellinger Link to over/under draft results Link to Nightengale on Boras Link to FG playoff odds Link to quotes about Bellinger Link to Boras study Link to Boras on EW Link to Soto play Link to Ben on Harper Link to Anchorage Sports Association Link to Fur Rendezvous wiki Link to snowshoe softball rules Link to snowshoe baseball article Link to clone post Link to Lavarnway Stat Blast Link to Federowicz highlight Link to Lavarnway highlight Link to Federowicz book Link to Lavarnway book Link to Lavarnway podcast Link to Tanner Swanson on EW Link to Maness interview  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 discuss the Boras Four negotiations, Hyun Jin Ryu's unique contract, the impact of umpire complaints, and an inaccurate Greg Maddux fun fact. They preview the 2024 seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, focusing on player health, roster changes, and season outlooks.