Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether the plight of running backs in the NFL is analogous to any data-driven developments in MLB, the benefits and drawbacks of more or fewer off days during postseason series (and the problem with pluralizing “series”), the White Sox going 0-11 in games when they’ve struck out 14 or more opposing batters, Cody Bellinger and the surging Cubs, the flailing Diamondbacks and how the sequencing of slumps and hot streaks affects the perception of seasons, a...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 43 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Tim Anderson – José Ramírez fight and White Sox clubhouse culture, John Angelos benching Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown, the Angels’ post-deadline slump (and the Mariners’ rise), the return of Gary Sánchez ‘s power bat, updates on the MLB injury rate, the pitch clock, and the zombie runner, Charlie Culberson ’s re-reunion with Atlanta, the Rays’ latest unlikely starting pitcher, the Yankees’ ambidextrous catching prospect (and the dream of a left-ha...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Robin Ventura truthers defending Ventura on the 30th anniversary of his brawl with Nolan Ryan , Shohei Ohtani ‘s 2023 WAR matching his full-season 2021 WAR and whether this Ohtani season would’ve won him an MVP award in 2022, the Yankees’ handling of Anthony Rizzo ’s belatedly diagnosed post-concussion syndrome, whether this year’s shift restrictions are leading to more pitchers being hit by baseballs, and what winning or losing the trade deadline is act...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 56 min
After the trade-deadline dust settles, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the big deals from deadline eve and deadline day, starting with high-level trade-season takeaways (reunions, top prospects, hitters vs. pitchers, missing star power) and then zooming in on almost every team as they discuss the Justin Verlander trade, the AL West arms race, and Framber Valdez ’s no-hitter, the Mets’ sell-off, the Padres’ non-sell-off (and the itinerant Rich Hill ), the Mariners’ middle course, the Orio...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Charlie Culberson’ s surprising staying power as a barely-playing big leaguer, then break down the first batch of trades preceding the trade deadline, including deals involving Max Scherzer , Jordan Montgomery , Chris Stratton , Jordan Hicks , Nicky Lopez , Randal Grichuk , and C.J. Cron . They also discuss the lack of impact hitters on the market, Matt Chapman dissing the Angels’ offense, how intentional walks affect Shohei Ohtani ’s WAR, and how a misa...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 57 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a silly kerfuffle involving Miles Mikolas , Willson Contreras , and Ian Happ , Triston Casas’ s hot streak and previous unwritten-rules run-in, Bullet Rogan vs. Shohei Ohtani , Aaron Judge ’s return and the Yankees’ underlying issues, the Mets trading David Robertson to the Marlins and the White Sox sending Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers and Kendall Graveman to the Astros, White Sox historical franchise futility, which of this season’s most disa...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 34 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about watching Shohei Ohtani play while they podcast, the Angels’ decision not to trade Ohtani and subsequent trade for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López , whether the Cubs should buy or sell, the Guardians’ and Dodgers’ perplexing Amed Rosario -for- Noah Syndergaard swap, the Brewers acquiring Carlos Santana , and Rob Manfred’s extension. Then (45:05) they answer emails about dugout punching bags and whether the ABS system could help umps (and players) learn t...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 36 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a J.P. France postgame quote and ballplayer clichés, the death of first overall pick Mike Ivie , and how Masataka Yoshida’ s debut season stacks up to the MLB rookie years of other ex-NPB stars, answer emails (36:57) about Mike Trout’ s and Shohei Ohtani’ s futures, a Trout/ Hunter Renfroe trade deadline scheme (with a bonus Meg movie pitch), undoing pre-pitch-clock time-saving measures, and batters catching pitches to knock pitchers out of games, plus S...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 56 min
In a 21-guest salute to Shohei Ohtani trade hypotheticals, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by a multitude of friends for a role-playing exercise in convincing the Angels to trade Ohtani to the other 20 contending (or quasi-contending) teams. Ben and Meg begin by explaining how it will work, and then the game begins (14:22). After the resolution (1:09:04), Ben and Meg discuss the outcome, followed by a Future Blast from 2036 (1:23:41). Listeners: Please vote on the trade proposals ! Audio...
Jul 22, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s strategies for coping with record heat in Phoenix, revisit an earlier conversation about whether the pitch clock has boosted MLB attendance (and reminisce about when the cause of increased game times was still considered unclear), celebrate their recent wish about camera angles on broadcasts coming true, discuss the resurgences of Jason Heyward and Cody Bellinger , marvel at Mickey Moniak’ s continued resistance to regression and the Orioles overta...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 50 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Christian Encarnacion-Strand and whether record compound names deserve an asterisk, the appeal of a Legends Home Run Derby, the origins of (and long-ago backlash to) the trade deadline, the greatness of NPB phenom Roki Sasaki , and the new balance of power among pitch types, then (1:03:41) answer listener emails about Shohei Ohtani trade returns, Ohtani’s 2024 salary if he signed a one-year contract, the Rays’ spending, and a change to All-Star Game play...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 46 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the 2024 regular-season schedule, the baseball relevance of a study about humans’ hunger for useless information, and the storylines they’re most looking forward to following over the remainder of the season, then (35:58) answer emails about a total solar eclipse during a Guardians game, sliding into a base covered in dirt, why baseball broadcasts don’t do a better job of showing baserunners, same-named players playing the same position in the same game,...
Jul 15, 2023•1 hr 58 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s spectator experience at the All-Star Game, whether it’s good or bad that the MVP was a player as obscure as Elias Díaz , the increase in the number of All-Stars per season, other All-Star highlights and lowlights, complaints about All-Star uniforms, perennial requests for a skills competition, Rob Manfred’s and Tony Clark’s comments about more lenient pitch clocks in the postseason and the ball-strike challenge system, more details about the Alabam...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experiences at the Futures Game, the draft, and the Home Run Derby, Derby highlights, the Derby on TV vs. in person, Elly De La Cruz ’s mad dash, and the Yankees switching hitting coaches, plus a Future Blast (49:12) from 2031. Then (54:25) Ben talks to FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about the draft and other topics, including the strength of the draft pool, the Pirates picking a pitcher (Paul Skenes) first, the effect of the top ...
Jul 12, 2023•2 hr 19 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s All-Star Week plans, play “Would you rather?” with the White Sox and Cardinals, the Padres and Mets, Carlos Rodón and Alek Manoah , and the Rangers and Diamondbacks, compare the values of Pablo López and Luis Arraez (26:25), discuss starting pitchers who might be available at the trade deadline (29:33), run down the dilemmas facing a few teams on the border between buying and selling, and use projections (44:06) to identify the positions on contend...
Jul 08, 2023•1 hr 57 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Mike Trout ‘s injury makes the Angels more likely to trade birthday boy Shohei Ohtani , the Dodgers’ rotation depth without Dustin May and Clayton Kershaw , bad news for Thairo Estrada and oldsters Nelson Cruz and Adam Wainwright (and the Cruz/ Joe Ryan trade revisited), James Paxton ‘s comeback, Mariners All-Star additions, Jordan Walker ’s strange season, the arrival of the latest Orioles prospect, Colton Cowser , and more. Then (47:53) they an...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 56 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about All-Star-roster minimums and maximums, what the Aroldis Chapman trade tells us about the how teams value prospects, Jake Diekman’ s exploits with the Rays, Evan Longoria ’s late-career contributions, and the same-named siblings of Carlos Pérez , Carlos Pérez , Wilmer Flores , Wilmer Flores , Wander Franco , Wander Franco , and Wander Franco . Then (45:59) they talk to Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon of The Baseball Project about the band’s origins and longev...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley attempt to create a hierarchy of highlights, then (21:36) mark the midpoint of the regular season by reviewing the most salient storylines of the first half, the teams and players who’ve most underperformed or overperformed their preseason projections, and what they’re most looking forward to in the second half, plus a follow-up (1:12:25) on the evolution of official scoring and a Future Blast (1:23:00) from 2026. Audio intro : The Gagnés, “ Effectively Wild Theme ” ...
Jul 01, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Andrew McCutchen’ s latest “furries” tweet, the Pirates playing through a high AQI and the need for a safety standard, Domingo Germán ’s perfect game and the state of the Yankees, Yandy Díaz turning back into Ground Beef, Shohei Ohtani lapping his league and strangely struggling at the plate with two strikes, and the Orioles’ Pride Night, then (1:02:25) answer listener emails about pointing giant fans at the field, an official scoring decision on a Luis ...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the three Taylor Ward s, the truth and multiple untruths about Elly De La Cruz’ s twin brother, the dominance of 20-year-old Eury Pérez and the Marlins’ usage dilemma, Luis Arraez ’s plate predictions, MVP odds, and underestimation as a prospect, the Mets’ struggles and Buck Showalter’s morbid mind, the Orioles’ prospect cornucopia, the debut of part-time knuckleballer Matt Waldron , the Angels’ odd series loss and infield trades, how Mike Trout and Shoh...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 44 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Michael Baumann to banter about the Phillies’ outlier legal name, Dave Martinez and the dying art of the theatrical managerial ejection, the benching of Wander Franco , whether the Diamondbacks’, Reds’, and Orioles’ surprising seasons are attributable to MLB’s new rules, and whether bad bullpens are good for baseball, then (59:48) discuss a classic College World Series pitcher’s duel, the College World Series final, wheth...
Jun 24, 2023•2 hr
Ben Lindbergh addresses an interview upgrade on the preceding episode, chats with FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski about Luis Arraez ’s chances of batting .400, Stat Blasts (22:36) about extremes in team winning and losing streaks, welcomes in David Lewis (28:00) for the final Past Blast, and talks to prolific science fiction (and baseball science fiction) author Rick Wilber (44:48) about being the son of big leaguer Del Wilber , his career and love for baseball and sci-fi, and the podcast’s forthcomin...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Russell Carleton of Baseball Prospectus banter about the return of Joey Votto , the suddenly exciting Cincinnati Reds, the NL Central and NL West races, and more, then (25:45) discuss several of the developments chronicled in Russell’s new book, The New Ballgame: The Not-So-Hidden Forces Shaping Modern Baseball , including the impact of the one-inning reliever, the expansion of baseball’s talent pool, the redefinition of positions, the strikeout conundrum, and the role of analy...
Jun 21, 2023•2 hr 2 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’ s latest exploits and career-best WAR pace, the Angels’ playoff hopes, Corbin Carroll’ s physique, and Mickey Moniak ’s fluky-but-fun hot streak, then (20:55) answer listener emails about how big a scandal it would be if Ohtani turned out to be two twins, when managers would choose to take in-game mulligans, and which stat should replace errors in the traditional line score, followed by a Meet a Major Leaguer segment (54:00) featuring Keat...
Jun 17, 2023•1 hr 44 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the most disappointing teams of 2023, ultimately anointing one team as the most disappointing and trying to identify which of the contenders for the “most disappointing” title is most likely to turn things around by the end of the season. Then (32:21) they discuss A’s fans’ reverse boycott, the seemingly sealed deal for the A’s to move to Las Vegas, the viability of Vegas as an MLB market, commissioner Rob Manfred’s maddening comments about all of the above, t...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani leading MLB in WAR and the number of times his hitting has leapfrogged his pitching or vice versa, the EW audience’s verdict on who won the pod’s recent 26-under-25 draft, the suddenly-quite-competitive A’s-Royals race for the worst record in baseball, a painful ending to a college playoff game and the evolving conversation about pitch counts for college starters, the pitch clock’s impact on performance and injuries, one potential downside ...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Reggie Deal banter about Reggie’s background as a baseball fan and Effectively Wild listener, his email correspondence with MLB and Rob Manfred, accessibility issues he’s encountered while following baseball as a blind person, and A’s fans’ upcoming “reverse boycott” event, then (22:25) answer listener emails about angry Aaron Boone earning the Yankees more favorable calls, MLB players providing in-game entertainment, how different baseball would ...
Jun 11, 2023•1 hr 49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mets, the Padres, and the AL Central, Jacob deGrom’ s UCL, Mike Trout ’s slow (by his standards) start, and a Phillies pitch-clock controversy, then (23:32), in honor of Elly De La Cruz , draft the 26 best MLB players under 25 years old (see link below to vote!), followed by a Past Blast from 2017 (1:13:54), closing banter about the Blue Jays and Red Sox DFAing Anthony Bass and Matt Dermody , respectively (1:17:22), and updates. Audio intro : The Gag...
Jun 10, 2023•1 hr 40 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s voice, the arrival of Elly De La Cruz , the similarities between the up-and-coming Reds and Pirates, whether we need a “super-error,” Aaron Judge’ s ball- and wall-smashing abilities, the plights of Alek Manoah and Stephen Strasburg , the wonder of Luis Arraez , whether this year’s trade deadline will be dead, follow-ups on the Angels’ catchers, Ben Joyce’ s fastball, and Albert Pujols ’s employment, how the pitch clock could affect players’ stamin...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 46 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Shohei Ohtani is throwing too many sweepers to opposite-handed hitters, the MLB debut of flamethrowing Ben Joyce , the extreme walk/strikeout stylings of George Kirby and Spencer Strider , the states of the Central divisions, the offense and defense of Ke’Bryan Hayes , the return of Jon Singleton , whether the pitch clock is responsible for this season’s uptick in attendance, and the taken-for-granted greatness of Mookie Betts , answer listener e...
Jun 03, 2023•1 hr 25 min
