Eno and DVR discuss a few of their big-picture takeaways from the hitter pool in 2024 including a heavy dose of injuries in the early rounds, Atlanta's intense high-volume approach with playing time atop their roster, oatmeal that came through, and the benefits of waiting to fill in your outfield last season. 

Rundown

1:51 An Unusual Year For Round 1 Bats?

7:58 Should the Braves Consider Load Management for Their Stars?

13:58 The Quality & Depth at Third Base is Running Away From First Base

18:27 Learning From Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson's 2024 Projections?

27:25 Zigging When Everyone Else Zagged Early: A Tough Early-Round Pocket w/Injuries

33:41 Did 'Oatmeal' Largely Pay Off For Us?

40:18 Juan Soto Underperformed His xSLG!?

43:30 Is DVR Tailing the Rays with Christopher Morel in 2025?

48:00 Waiting In the Outfield Worked

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Eno and DVR are back from the holiday to discuss Blake Snell's five-year pact with the Dodgers (and an extension for Tommy Edman), plus Frankie Montas' move to the Mets and Matthew Boyd's signing with the Cubs. 

Related Reading 'The book on Blake Snell doesn’t have it completely right' ($): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5951700

Rundown

2:10 Blake Snell to the Dodgers

Related Search on Baseball Savant looking at Starting Pitchers with the lowest percentage of pitches in the heart of the strike zone since 2022: https://bit.ly/4ivcfRR

14:39 An Extension for Tommy Edman

27:05 Frankie Montas to the Mets

33:03 Matthew Boyd to the Cubs

40:14 Potential Position Changes & Rangers Rehab Updates

Mailbag!

55:46 Reds Rotation After Brady Singer Addition

1:00:51 Early 2025 Catcher Thoughts

1:14:22 The Blue Jays' Offseason Plans

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Eno and DVR discuss the top free-agents available this winter and attempt to predict where that group will land when the dust settles in the weeks ahead. Is Juan Soto staying in New York? Will Corbin Burnes re-up with the Orioles? Can the Padres keep their core intact and continue as perennial threats by adding Roki Sasaki? They consider fits and the potential contingency plans for teams trying to shop at the top of this year's class.

Related Reading ($) '2024-25 MLB Top 40 Free Agent Big Board: Welcome to the Juan Soto sweepstakes' -- https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5891633

Rundown

3:58 Juan Soto Staying in New York -- Yankees or Mets?

9:45 Corbin Burnes: Long-Term Ace w/Durability Around Slowly Declining K%

17:15 Roki Sasaki: Maybe It Won't be the Dodgers?!

22:13 Max Fried: Moving on From Atlanta?

26:40 Blake Snell: Another Turn on the Free Agent Market

30:03 Willy Adames: Most Likely Destination?

35:22 Alex Bregman: Is He Really Done in Houston?

40:42 Pete Alonso: Part of the Mets' "A" Plan, or a Fallback to Return?

44:43 Anthony Santander v. Teoscar Hernández: A FA Would You Rather

54:15 Jack Flaherty: The Start of Tier 2 SPs?

1:01:21 Sean Manaea: Best of Tier 2 Options?

1:08:21 Yusei Kikuchi: Signs with Angels; We Would Have Got That Wrong!

1:09:59 Christian Walker: Underrated Power Bat on the Market?

1:12:53 Ha-seong Kim: Many Suitors with Injury Discount?

1:15:24 Reds-Royals Trade

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Eno and DVR are joined by John Henry Schroeder to discuss draft-and-hold formats -- fantasy baseball leagues with no in-season pickups -- and how to approach those leagues in a way that is different than a typical February or March draft. They cover roster construction goals (and a few pitfalls to avoid), the unique risk of low WAR players in this format, playing time trends relative to draft position in 2024, and a few projections that they will likely disagree within heading into 2025.

Rundown

1:38 JH’s Path Into High Stakes Fantasy Baseball

3:34 Draft-and-Hold (Draft Champions) & Gladiator Leagues

5:19 Why Draft This Early?

7:22 A Critical Roster Construction Mistake To Avoid

15:17 How Important is Categorical Balance without In-Season Pickups?

23:01 The Risk with Low WAR Players

29:16 Low WAR Players We’re Still Interested In

34:15 Playing Time v. Draft Position

41:57 What Outside the Box Idea Flopped the Most?

49:54 Ideal Roster Balance w/50-Round Draft-and-Hold Builds

52:51 Other 2025 Projections You Will Disagree With

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Eno and DVR return from a brief break to discuss Roki Sasaki's decision to head to MLB for the 2025 season. Now that he's on the way, they discuss a few potential landing spots and how they're currently valuing him for early drafts. Plus, they look at Andrew Painter's return in the Arizona Fall League, Josue Briceño's MVP-winning performance in the league, and another round of November news including shoulder surgery for Zach Neto, more changes to the left field wall in Baltimore, and a temporary move to George Steinbrenner Field for the Rays in 2025. 

Rundown

2:24 Roki Sasaki is Headed to MLB, Where Will He Land?

9:50 Would You Rather?: Roki Sasaki v. Other Early-Round (Top 75 overall) Starting Pitchers

21:55 Andrew Painter's Arizona Fall League Return

27:25 Josue Briceño Gets on the Deep Dynasty League Radar in the AFL

34:14 Reading the Tea Leaves: Aaron Boone's Comments on Caleb Durbin & Jasson Dominguez

39:48 Griffin Jax Being Considered for Starting Role in Minnesota

46:19 Zach Neto Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

53:49 Grayson Rodriguez: Fully Recovered From Lat Strain

56:37 Other News & Notes: Charlie Morton & The Rays' 2025 Home

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Eno and DVR are back from First Pitch Arizona with a flurry of early offseason updates including a shoulder procedure for Shohei Ohtani, a closer look at Roki Sasaki's pitch mix after his 2024 campaign in NPB, expectations that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider won't be ready for Opening Day in 2025, plus a trade, a new contract for Michael Wacha, and the path for Jeff Hoffman to return to a starting role once he finds a new club in free agency. 

Rundown

2:01 Shohei Ohtani's Undergoes Left Shoulder (Labrum) Surgery

12:17 How Many Players Have Old Injuries to Manage?

21:50 Roki Sasaki Nearing a Decision for 2025 Plans

30:57 Spencer Strider & Ronald Acuña Jr.: Unlikely for Opening Day

38:00 Jorge Soler Traded to Anaheim for Jorge Soler

49:08 David Fry Undergoes UCL Surgery

51:16 Extensions, Options & Opt-Outs

1:11:14 Willson Contreras to First Base & Position/Role Change Rumblings

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Eno and DVR are live at First Pitch Arizona. Max Bay, parent of Stuff+ joins the show to discuss a few changes with the latest update to the model. Danny Kirwin and Cooper Adams from the Red Sox organization stop by to discuss their path as undrafted college players into Boston's system and into the Arizona Fall League.

Plus, Eno and DVR discuss a few of the biggest surprises relative to the Stuff+ model in 2024, and their preferred roster construction strategies as the 2025 fantasy baseball draft season gets underway.

Rundown

1:02 Is DIPS Theory Dead?

9:46 Looking Beyond the Projections & Models for an Edge

11:56 Predicting the Next Iteration of Changes to Stuff+

18:59 Danny Kirwin & Cooper Adams Join the Show

23:31 How Did Tread Help Danny & Cooper Make the Leap From College to Signing with Boston?

29:26 Unique Challenges in the Arizona Fall League

34:06 The Biggest Movers in the Updated Stuff+ Model

43:03 What Is Your Ideal Roster Construction Approach as Draft Season Begins?

60:29 Considerations for Players Returning From Second Tommy John Surgery

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Eno and DVR discuss the Dodgers' series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Yankees that made them the 2024 World Series Champions, which featured a string of defensive miscues that opened the door for a five-run fifth, and a clean ninth inning from....Walker Buehler?!

Plus, they look ahead to busy offseasons for both clubs as the Dodgers weigh options for a few potential upgrades, and the Yankees prepare to make a massive offer to retain Juan Soto. 

Rundown

1:18 The Dodgers' Pitching Staff Had Just Enough in the Tank

7:33 One Brutal Inning for the Yankees' Defense

15:20 The Yankees' Need for More Bullpen Depth in Future Postseasons

19:24 The Dodgers Have Taken Over Baseball's Death Star

30:06 Long-Term Concerns About Jack Flaherty's Velocity?

37:38 The Yankees' Offseason Plans & Juan Soto Watch

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Eno and DVR discuss Anthony Volpe's huge Game 4 -- including a grand slam -- that may help the Yankees turn the World Series around as they continue to stave off elimination. Plus, they dig into several hitters that missed their 2024 season projections in both direction, looking for overperformers who had real breakouts, and underperformers with rebound potential in 2025. 

Rundown

1:27 The Anthony Volpe Game & Volpe's Long-Term Ceiling

12:40 Austin Wells' Insurance Homer & Eighth-Inning Runs Saved Luke Weaver's Workload?

16:22 White Sox Hiring Will Venable as Manager; Offseason Targets?

26:58 Hitters that Missed Projections: Underperformers -- Long-Term Fallers, or Rebound Targets?

42:58 Hitters that Missed Projections: Overperformers -- Breakouts, or Players Bound for a Downturn in 2025?

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Eno and DVR discuss the Dodgers' commanding lead over the Yankees after a 4-2 win in Game 3. Plus, they wonder if the TV strike-zone box is ready for an overhaul, and discuss why Brusdar Graterol doesn't strike more hitters out. Away from the World Series, they discuss several notable second-half performances including Blake Snell, Yusei Kikuchi and Hunter Brown with an eye toward early 2025 drafts.

Rundown

3:55 Another Strong Start From Walker Buehler

10:29 A Closer Look at Strike Three Against Gleyber Torres in the Seventh Inning

18:02 The Multi-Year Success of Dodger Bullpen Games

26:25 Why Doesn't Brusdar Graterol Get More Strikeouts?

30:48 Giving Blake Snell & Gerrit Cole the SP1 Treatment in 2025?

43:41 Eno's Lingering Concerns About Kevin Gausman

47:55 Is Hunter Brown an SP2 Now? (Top 30 Pitcher)

53:36 Buying 2023-2024 Improvements From Yusei Kikuchi?

56:42 Second-Half Hitter Questions: Josh Lowe's K%, Lars Nootbaar's Health & Sean Murphy's Productivity

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Eno and DVR discuss an eventful start to the World Series -- including Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam, and the Yankees' choice to use Nestor Cortes in that matchup -- long-term concerns about Shohei Ohtani's dislocated shoulder even if he's able to play in Game 3, and the postseason struggles of Aaron Judge. Plus, they look back at their second-half draft from July to discuss a few intriguing early-draft season targets including Luis Robert Jr., whose situation for 2025 would improve drastically if the White Sox opt to trade him. 

Rundown

1:15 Freddie Freeman's Walk-Off Grand Slam

11:31 Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Game 2 Performance & Adjustments

21:01 Aaron Judge's October Woes

27:00 Long-Term Concerns About Shohei Ohtani's Shoulder?

36:54 Looking Back at Our Second-Half Rebound Draft

43:50 Luis Robert Jr. v. Brenton Doyle in 2025

51:45 Bo Bichette v. Luis García Jr.

57:58 David Fry, Sonny Gray & Ronny Mauricio Updates

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Freddie Freeman Cover Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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