Now a couple of days removed from news of a COVID-19 outbreak on the Miami Marlins, we break down what this means for the other 29 teams in baseball, whether the season has a hope of rebounding and finishing, and how MLB can put a better foot forward with its coronavirus protocols (1:19). Then, we discuss an unfortunate rash of pitcher injuries before debuting a new segment in which we choose the largest movers by playoff probability and discuss how their previous week of games affects their cha...
Jul 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min
The MLB season is just one day away. We preview the strange 60-game season by choosing the players we think are most likely to reach statistical milestones unseen in this millennium: hitting .400 for a full season or posting an ERA less than Bob Gibson’s 1.12 mark from 1968 (30:57). Plus: Michael Baumann’s annual prop bet game (1:51). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, and Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min
We gather for an update to our previous conversation about the coronavirus after MLB announced that it would suspend spring training and delay the beginning of the season by at least two weeks. Hosts: Ben Lindbergh and Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 12, 2020•22 min•Ep. 233
We briefly discuss the evolving situation surrounding the coronavirus as it pertains to Major League Baseball (0:45) before previewing the upcoming season by analyzing whether teams will finish over or under their projected win totals (11:55). We finish with Zach Kram making four long-shot predictions that he thinks have a chance to play out in the National League this year (38:16). Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded Wednesday, March 11, at noon PT. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach...
Mar 12, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 232
As we prepare to preview the 2020 season, we recap the biggest story of the offseason: the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal and MLB’s response to it. We run through a list of 10 questions and explain the effects the punishment will have on the 2020 season. Hosts: Michael Baumann and Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 231
We convene for another emergency podcast to discuss the biggest MLB trade in years: former MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. We run down what this means for the competitive balance of baseball in the 2020 season, why the Red Sox didn’t back up the Brinks truck, and more. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 06, 2020•35 min•Ep. 230
The punishment is in: the Houston Astros' GM and manager were both suspended for a year by Major League Baseball and subsequently fired by the Astros. Has this set a strong enough precedent for what the Astros did? Plus: Will Red Sox manager Alex Cora get the worst suspension of all for his role in devising the Astros' sign-stealing scheme? Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 14, 2020•47 min•Ep. 229
In our third emergency free-agent signing podcast of the week, we break down the contract for former Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon: seven years and $245 million to play for the Los Angeles Angels. Now that the best hitter and the best pitcher are off the market, how will the rest of free agency shake out? Plus: analysis of this year’s market versus last year’s much slower, bleaker market. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...
Dec 12, 2019•41 min•Ep. 228
Gerrit Cole just signed the biggest contract in baseball history for a pitcher, and it’s not particularly close. Does this mean the Yankees are the Yankees of old, and have they upended the Astros as the best team in baseball? Plus: The AL East is stacked. Is the addition of Cole, the best pitcher in baseball, enough to win that arms race? Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 11, 2019•37 min•Ep. 227
We react to the news that Stephen Strasburg is headed back to the Washington Nationals for the largest total contract for a pitcher in baseball history. What does this mean for his (maybe former) teammate Anthony Rendon, as well as the other top starting pitcher on the market, Gerrit Cole? Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 10, 2019•34 min•Ep. 226
We run through the Washington Nationals' weekend in celebration, including Monday’s trip to the White House (3:00), before forecasting a slow offseason and predicting where the league’s top free agents might end up (33:51). Hosts: Michael Baumann and Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 225
After a postseason in which Washington trailed in five elimination games, the Nationals clawed their way through to win their first World Series since returning to the capital. We convene to discuss how they pulled it off, the future for both the Nationals and the Astros, and the 2019 postseason at large. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 31, 2019•55 min•Ep. 224
With the Astros now up 3-2 over the Nationals, we discuss the odds that the Nationals can get back on track in this series. Will Stephen Strasburg keep their hopes alive in Game 6, and in that case, will we see Max Scherzer for a potential Game 7? Plus, we discuss the malaise hanging over the World Series after the fallout from Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman’s inappropriate comments toward a group of reporters after the ALCS victory. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach ...
Oct 28, 2019•53 min•Ep. 223
We preview the elite starting-pitcher matchups that are dominating the narrative heading into the 2019 World Series before running down a number of X factors that we think might tip the series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 22, 2019•58 min•Ep. 222
The Yankees and Astros just completed one of the most well-played games in recent playoff memory, capped by a loud Carlos Correa walk off home run. With Gerrit Cole still to throw, are the Yankees a step behind in the ALCS (1:10)? On the National League side of the bracket, the Nationals’ starting rotation has completely stifled the Cardinals offense through two games. We wonder if that series is headed toward a sweep (31:13). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about you...
Oct 14, 2019•56 min•Ep. 221
We wonder whether the American League divisional series are all but over as the Yankees sweep the Twins and the Astros tab Justin Verlander to start Game 4 (1:00). Then, we analyze the National League divisional series as they stand now, both tied at 2 and headed for fifth games (28:31). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 08, 2019•57 min•Ep. 220
Ahead of the start of the 2019 playoffs, we preview the National League (2:00) and American League (29:29) first rounds, including each league’s wild card game. Then, we answer a mailbag full of playoff questions (52:46). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guests: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 01, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 219
We share the NL (1:40) and AL (44:50) players whom we covered and talked about most in the 2019 season. In between those two segments, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle joins to discuss where the A’s stand as we head into the playoffs (27:10). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: Susan Slusser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 218
We run through the list of stars to go down with injuries in the last two weeks and wonder what kind of effect it has on both the playoff run and the playoffs themselves (1:16). Then, FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe joins to discuss team entropy—the idea that we should root for chaos in playoff and wild-card berths as the season wraps up (23:18). Finally, Ben Lindbergh joins to give out awards to the least-recognized players of the 2019 season (43:56). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram...
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 216
We convene to talk about one of the strangest stories in baseball this year—Dave Dombrowski's firing less than a year after leading the Red Sox to a World Series (1:20). Then, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic joins to forecast what’s to come in the near and far future for the Chicago Cubs, including whether Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Joe Maddon will be around much longer (21:56). Finally, Ben Lindbergh joins to discuss the Houston Astros’ historic offense, the best offense compared with the r...
Sep 10, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 215
Justin Verlander threw his third career no-hitter this weekend, sparking conversations about whether the Astros' dominant rotation makes them heavy favorites heading into the postseason (1:25). Plus: Jacob Pomrenke of SABR joins to reflect on the 100-year anniversary of the Black Sox Scandal (16:03), and Ben Lindbergh gives the rundown on players to watch out for now that rosters have expanded in September (40:02). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: Jacob Pomrenke Learn more...
Sep 03, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 214
After shutting down rookie starter Griffin Canning for the season, the Angels have set themselves up for a year in which none of their starters will pitch 100 innings. Is this the future of baseball (1:25)? Plus: Grant Brisbee on the boring nature of Players’ Weekend and MLB jerseys (24:07), and Ben Lindbergh on MLB’s race for the first overall pick (46:28). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: Grant Brisbee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 213
The hipster baseball event of the year is A’s vs. Rays for the AL wild card—which team has the edge (1:00)? Plus, The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans on Cincinnati breakout rookie Aristides Aquino (23:16) and Ben Lindbergh on a historically good crop of young position players (38:59). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: C. Trent Rosecrans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 212
Michael Baumann comes on to detail the failures of the 2019 Phillies—both in team building and keeping players healthy (1:00). Then Meg Schuster shares a heavy dose of Minnesota nihilism as she worries about whether 2019 will be lost to Cleveland (27:15). Host: Bobby Wagner Guests: Michael Baumann and Meg Schuster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 16, 2019•37 min•Ep. 211
We discuss how the juiced ball is starting to cloud the importance of baseball record books (1:00). Then, Lindsey Adler joins to talk about a weird Yankees season that has seen unlikely heroes like Mike Tauchman and Gio Urshela save the day (24:01), before Ben Lindbergh closes out by talking about how the Twins have lost their grip on the AL Central (40:50). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: Lindsey Adler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Aug 13, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 210
The new trade deadline has produced a waiver market similar to the NBA's—what does this mean for teams trying to build around the edges (0:55)? Plus, the Mets have been the hottest team in baseball since the All-Star break (21:41), and the Astros continue to win lopsided trades with noncontenders (43:50). Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Guest: Jarrett Seidler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 06, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 208
Claire McNear joins the show to detail the emotional journey of Giants fans in 2019, as they watched their star players get dangled in trades but then ultimately stay in black and orange (1:00). Then, Sean Yoo wonders why the Yankees haven’t been able to fix their starting rotation at consecutive deadlines, while fellow contenders like the Astros have added Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke (14:18). Host: Bobby Wagner Guests: Claire McNear and Sean Yoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Aug 02, 2019•36 min•Ep. 207
We break down the 2019 MLB trade deadline, which began with fringe moves involving relievers like Mark Melancon, but ended with Zack Greinke moving to the Astros and making them the World Series favorite. Plus, we recap the Trevor Bauer–for–Yasiel Puig trade, which broke the day before the deadline. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zack Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 31, 2019•38 min•Ep. 205
We break down which teams should have their chips in the center of the table (1:00), which teams should be trying to maximize the value of their stars (30:34), and which teams maybe shouldn’t do either. Hosts: Michael Baumann, Ben Lindbergh, Zach Kram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 29, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 204
The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig trade this offseason shook some fans to their core. Craig Gaines joins to share why that angst has passed. Plus, will this be the year the Dodgers get over the hump, or is there reason for continued anxiety for the best team in baseball heading into the postseason (2:00)? Then, Rob Harvilla calls in to delineate the Indians’ two-year fallout since the 2016 World Series (16:27). Host: Bobby Wagner Guests: Craig Gaines and Rob Harvilla Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Jul 26, 2019•31 min•Ep. 203
