Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on previous banter about the best title for a president of both baseball and business operations, then deliver fresh banter about how Derrek Lee’s 2005 RBI total was a sign of its time, where the Rays will play in 2025 and beyond, the Marlins’ new manager, and a slew of modest Angels signings. Then (48:02) they’re joined by UPenn professor and post-doctoral researcher, respectively, Douglas Jerolmack and Shravan Pradeep, to discuss their recent research about how the sport’s storied Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud works, its special qualities, whether it could or should be synthesized, and more.

Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Falvey news
Link to worst leadoff tOPS+
Link to 2005 Cubs batting order splits
Link to Dril tweet
Link to MLBTR on the Rays in 2025
Link to more on 2025 Rays
Link to Rays in 2028
Link to MLBTR on McCullough
Link to Ben C. on d’Arnaud
Link to guests’ research paper
Link to Doug’s UPenn page
Link to Shravan’s UPenn page
Link to Shravan’s website
Link to UPenn research summary
Link to NYT research summary
Link to PopSci research summary
Link to NBC news research summary
Link to rubbing mud wiki
Link to GLP-1 origins
Link to rubbing mud video
Link to mud maker story 1
Link to mud maker story 2
Link to sticky synthesis story
Link to Ben on sticky stuff 1
Link to Ben on sticky stuff 2
Link to schedule makers news
Link to schedule makers video

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen banter about how to abbreviate Twins executive Derek Falvey’s new dual role as president of both baseball and business operations, then (5:23) discuss Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki from a scouting perspective, touching on how good he could be, how a team could ease him into MLB, what tweaks he could make to his repertoire, the bonus pool system that could help determine where he signs, and more. After that (50:16), Ben and Meg talk to NPB journalist Jim Allen about Sasaki’s posting from a Japan-based perspective, exploring why Sasaki was posted now, how Japanese fans feel about his departure, and what the implications could be for NPB. Finally (1:21:01), Ben does a bonus Stat Blast about baseball overrepresentation in crossword puzzles.

Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Falvey news
Link to Trueblood’s Falvey tweet
Link to Eric’s Roki update
Link to Eric on Roki in August
Link to Ben’s Roki update
Link to Ben on Roki in 2022
Link to Kiley on Roki
Link to Passan on Roki
Link to Coskrey on Roki
Link to 2024 bonus pools
Link to Cooper on draft picks
Link to Ardaya on courting Ohtani
Link to Ohtani courtship
Link to Jim on Roki’s situation
Link to Jim on the Marines
Link to Jim on Hirooka
Link to Jim on Roki’s future
Link to NPB union article
Link to Jim’s podcast
Link to Hang Up and Listen
Link to latest HUaL
Link to Raymond’s spreadsheet
Link to Rooker EW episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a listener proposal to artificially designate (and trade) a two-way player, then (19:28) conduct the 10th annual free agent contract over/under draft, plus closing banter (1:09:45) about the new Sacramento team’s city designation, a Philly front-office shuffle, and POBO priority.

Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to typing monkeys research
Link to typing monkeys research summary
Link to FB thread
Link to two-way rule
Link to Sam on not swinging
Link to previous over/under draft results
Link to competitions/drafts sheet
Link to MLBTR top 50
Link to FG top 50
Link to A’s name change info
Link to MLBTR on the Phillies

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Ben Lindbergh and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about the latest batch of Scott Boras puns, position changes for Willson Contreras and Mookie Betts, surgery for Shohei Ohtani, Skip Schumaker’s move to Texas, and Buster Posey’s front-office philosophy, then (47:21) discuss Other Ben’s top 50 free agents list—focusing on Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Gleyber Torres, underrated/overrated options, and market trends—and (1:19:12) MLB’s most interesting offseason storylines.

Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Boras puns
Link to MLBTR on Contreras
Link to MLBTR on Betts
Link to Betts Statcast fielding
Link to Betts Statcast running
Link to MLBTR on Ohtani
Link to MLBTR on Schumaker
Link to MLBTR on Bregman
Link to Baggarly tweet about Posey
Link to Baggarly’s Posey profile
Link to Ben C. on the top 50 FA
Link to Sam on “seeking”
Link to Boras on Soto 1
Link to Boras on Soto 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about team/player option/opt-out decisions involving Gerrit Cole, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, and Eugenio Suárez, the Royals re-signing Michael Wacha, the players who received qualifying offers, the Minasian brothers as rival GMs (and potential PoBros), Carlos Santana’s historic Gold Glove, an international signing scandal (on multiple levels), evidence of racial bias in player development, a Japan Series upset, and more, plus a postscript.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Cole 1
Link to MLBTR on Cole 2
Link to pitcher WAR since 2020
Link to P RA-9 WAR since 2020
Link to MLBTR on Snell
Link to Snell leaderboard
Link to MLBTR on Bellinger
Link to MLBTR on Suárez
Link to Suárez leaderboard
Link to Suárez Stathead search
Link to MLBTR on Wacha
Link to FG on Wacha
Link to qualifying offer list
Link to FG top 50 FA
Link to Rob Arthur article
Link to Rob on racial bias in 2020
Link to Rob on Black catchers in 2020
Link to Ringer scouting reports series
Link to MLBTR on Minasian
Link to LAT on the Minasians
Link to USA Today on the Minasians
Link to Langs Santana stat
Link to ESPN on signing scandal
Link to MLBTR on signing scandal
Link to Rob Arthur article
Link to Rob on racial bias in 2020
Link to Rob on Black catchers in 2020
Link to Ringer scouting reports series
Link to Climax Series wiki
Link to Climax Series bracket
Link to BayStars win 1
Link to BayStars win 2
Link to Jim Allen tweet
Link to Ben on the BayStars
Link to Hank Hill promo

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about offseason EW, Tommy Kahnle’s love affair with changeups, the Yankees’ preparation and fundamentals, Aaron Boone’s managing, the Dodgers as a dynasty, the White Sox hiring Will Venable, Alex Kirilloff’s retirement, two prediction anecdotes, glove flips as the new bat flips, the check-swing challenge system, the Premier12 tournament, the Women’s Pro Baseball League, Eric Adams and the World Series, a Yankees executive keeping things in perspective, a record sum for a historic baseball, Shohei Ohtani trumping One Piece, Dodgers parade comments, a no-show for NPB’s Sawamura Award, and more.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to story on Kahnle’s changeups
Link to Kahnle pitch types
Link to pitch types Stat Blast
Link to Boone report 1
Link to Boone report 2
Link to Sherman on the Yankees
Link to 2015 Royals scouting story
Link to Ben on the Dodgers
Link to Dodgers dynasty story
Link to dynasty system
Link to MLBTR on Venable
Link to MLBTR on Kiriloff
Link to Kiriloff’s announcement
Link to Gleeman tweet
Link to elephants/mice info
Link to Fernando prediction tweet
Link to Fernando prediction story
Link to Vientos prediction tweet
Link to Vientos prediction story
Link to glove flip clip
Link to 2012 Chapman story
Link to Baseball for All tweet
Link to WPBL story
Link to WPBL interview
Link to Siegal EW episode
Link to Premier12 roster
Link to Premier12 wiki
Link to challenge system story
Link to challenge system video
Link to Afterman comments
Link to Adams attendance story
Link to Ohtani ball auction
Link to Ohtani ball auction 2
Link to Fat Joe comments
Link to Ohtani shirt response
Link to One Piece story
Link to Sawamura Award story
Link to Sawamura EW episode
Link to Petriello on catching
Link to “Something’s Coming”

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Games 4 and 5 of the World Series, with an emphasis on Game 5’s error-plagued fifth inning, managerial moves and bullpen performance, the significance of the Dodgers’ victory and the future of the franchise, puzzling stats about sweeps and teams that fall behind 3-0 in best-of-seven series, cluttered fun facts, fan interference mishegoss, and much more.

Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Daniel Lewis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG playoff coverage
Link to Ben on the Dodgers’ win
Link to Game 5 fun facts
Link to Kram on the fifth inning
Link to Will Smiths story
Link to Rogers tweet
Link to fan ban
Link to facial recognition story
Link to Gronk tweet
Link to 3-0 leads story
Link to Ben on predicting sweeps
Link to Paine on sweeps 1
Link to Paine on sweeps 2
Link to fun fact 1
Link to fun fact 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about and break down the lopsided first three games of the World Series: what went as expected, what was surprising, Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles, Freddie Freeman’s heroics, Shohei Ohtani’s injury, pivotal plays, Aaron Boone and Nestor Cortes, TV ratings, and much more, followed by (1:06:47) a brief, a not-about baseball voting PSA.

Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG playoff coverage
Link to Sterling call 1
Link to Sterling call 2
Link to Judge interview clip
Link to Stanton play
Link to Boone on the 2004 Red Sox
Link to Ben on Boone and Cortes
Link to Ben on team health
Link to Will Carroll on Ohtani
Link to Jeff Passan on Ohtani
Link to TV ratings info
Link to Langs slams stat
Link to Langs 3-0 stat
Link to Ice Cube video
Link to Fat Joe video
Link to Vote.gov

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Craig Goldstein, editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus, discuss the passing of Fernando Valenzuela, and his importance to both the Dodgers and baseball more generally. Then they preview the 2024 World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees. They detail the relative strengths and weaknesses of both teams, breaking down the lineups, rotations, and bullpens, and discuss the players who might make the difference, from big stars like Ohtani, Betts, Judge and Soto, to lesser-known arms like Luke Weaver and Brent Honeywell.

Audio intro: Benny and A Million Shetland Ponies, “Benny and A Million Shetland Ponies – Horny EW Theme”
Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FanGraphs’ postseason coverage
Link to Eric Nusbaum’s book “Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between”
Link to Andy McCullough on Fernando Valenzuela
Link to Craig on how the Dodgers should bullpen Game 1
Link to Craig’s podcast, Five and Dive
Link to Rob Arthur on Ohtani’s effect on attendance
Link to Ben Clemens’ World Series Preview
Link to Mike Petriello on the reliever familiarity effectLink to Michael Baumann on Giancarlo Stanton
Link to Davy Andrews on Aaron Judge
Link to Dan Szymborski on home field advantage in the playoffs
Link to Davy Andrews on the stars of the World Series
Link to Michael Baumann on postseason relievers
Link to Judge and Ohtani in the postseason

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Eric Longenhagen, FanGraphs’ lead prospect analyst, discuss some of the eliminated playoff teams, Meg’s grand unified theory of Grimace, and a few of the things they are looking forward to in the coming Dodgers-Yankees World Series. Then they discuss what Eric does and doesn’t look for in his Arizona Fall League looks, and how things are going for a few of the Fall League’s big prospects, including Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter, Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Dodgers outfielder Zyhir Hope, and Padres catcher Ethan Salas. Plus, Eric offers a few tips for those hoping to visit the AFL this year.

Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG playoff coverage
Link to Eric’s first Fall League dispatch (Andrew Painter, Ethan Salas, Zyhir Hope)
Link to Eric’s second Fall League dispatch (Tre’ Morgan, Kemp Alderman)
Link to the Fall League section of The Board
Link to Jay Jaffe on Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge in the postseason
Link to Jay Jaffe on starting pitching in the postseason
Link to FanGraphs 2024 staff predictions
FanGraphs 2024 staff playoff predictions
Link to ZiPS game-by-game World Series Odds
Link to the FanGraphs Playoff Odds
Link to the FanGraphs Playoff Batting and Pitching Leaderboards

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s surprise presence and PitchCom conspiracies, recap the big moments (and big swings) from the end of the ALCS and NLCS, compare and contrast Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, consider the 2025 outlooks for the Guardians and Mets, discuss the implications of a World Series matchup between big […]