Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Nolan Schanuel’s aversion to day games, the Astros reaching .500 and coming for the Mariners, Houston’s weekend opponent (the Mets) making it back to .500 and nearing a playoff spot, the success (and good fortune) of Reynaldo López, the bad fortune of Adam Duvall, and how “expected” stats have changed perceptions of performance, Hunter Greene and vomiting on the mound, a Dodgers bat…man’s clutch catch, Shohei Ohtani’s RBI streak, Ohtani’s dog’s backpack, and pedantic questions (1:20:55) about leaving the bases loaded, when a game is “all” one team, and how umpires signal a full count.

Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Washington quote
Link to Schanuel splits
Link to Sam on Schanuel power
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to ESPN SoS
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to Winker video
Link to BP on Brown’s sinker
Link to Mets Grimace story
Link to McDonald’s wiki
Link to Grimace wiki
Link to pitcher wOBA-xWOBA
Link to hitter wOBA-xWOBA
Link to lowest ERAs
Link to xERA-ERA sheet
Link to xHR-HR
Link to Duvall on cans of poop
Link to CBS on Greene
Link to Reynolds video
Link to BP on Reynolds
Link to Greene water tweets
Link to Ben on sick starters
Link to Herrera’s play
Link to Dodgers batmen story
Link to Ohtani RBI story
Link to SABR on longest streaks
Link to longest streaks wiki
Link to Ohtani and dog pic
Link to pet Randoseru
Link to Randoseru video
Link to Randoseru article
Link to Randoseru Reddit thread
Link to listener emails database
Link to Montgomery PitchCom clip
Link to O’s fan interview
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Edwin Díaz’s sticky-stuff suspension, a new name for the internal brace alternative to Tommy John surgery, Blake Snell’s latest setback, the success and extension of Cristopher Sánchez (and the Phillies’ excellence), Shota Imanaga’s regression and Meg’s preseason prediction about Imanaga vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kyle Finnegan’s first-of-its-kind clockoff, the respective impressiveness of starts by Bailey Ober and Pablo López, a follow-up Steven Kwan-versation, the much-improved Guardians offense, an incredible catch by a Baltimore fan, the latest slow start by Julio Rodríguez, and (1:27:17) Ben’s pedantic report about brand-new baseball movie Ultraman: Rising.

Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Díaz incident
Link to X-Files episode
Link to UCL surgery sheet
Link to internal brace explainer
Link to Snell comments
Link to “slapdick” story
Link to Giants depth chart
Link to P fWAR since 5/11
Link to Dombrowski comments
Link to Dan S. on the extension
Link to MLBTR on the extension
Link to preseason predictions pods
Link to Finnegan play
Link to Finnegans Wake wiki
Link to violations leaderboard
Link to clockoff game log
Link to clockoff gamer
Link to shrimp post
Link to Sam on walk-off errors
Link to Sam on walk-off strikeouts
Link to Langs pitch-count stat
Link to Stathead on Ober games
Link to first Kwanconversation
Link to article on Guardians whiffs
Link to recent Kwan profile
Link to Cleveland wind tunnel
Link to fan’s catch
Link to Julio’s splits
Link to Julio’s swing changes
Link to Neil on Julio’s starts
Link to wOBA-xWOBA
Link to Ultraman wiki
Link to Ultraman: Rising wiki
Link to Ken’s stats screenshot
Link to 400+ HR sheet
Link to .500-est teams
Link to Turner’s helmet play
Link to Sam on helmets
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the highlights of the MLB at Rickwood Field game and broadcast, Mike Trout’s unsurprisingly slow return from knee surgery, Matt Waldron’s sustained success, the incredible Royce Lewis, the challenge system’s continued ascendance over full ABS, Barry Bonds as a baseball ambassador, Elly De La Cruz’s stolen-base slump, the Yankees-Orioles AL East race, Michael Jordan and subjective stats, Buck Showalter’s scouting criteria at the MLB Draft Combine, and Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge as MVP candidates.

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Jackson clip
Link to full Jackson appearance
Link to retro broadcast clip
Link to Smoltz-Alexander trade
Link to Trout update
Link to EW 2158 Trout intro
Link to BP IL Ledger
Link to Waldron leaderboard
Link to Lewis leaderboard
Link to Lewis WAR/600
Link to ABS/challenge story
Link to Bonds/Griffey clip
Link to Bonds allegations
Link to EW 2165 on Elly
Link to Sam on Elly
Link to Trueblood on Elly
Link to Becker on the Reds
Link to Becker on Yanks-Orioles
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to team SP projections
Link to Haberstroh on Jordan
Link to DiMaggio streak scoring
Link to HR rules changes
Link to book on Babe’s HR
Link to errors/scoring Stat Blast
Link to Draft Combine page
Link to Showalter clip
Link to Jim’s Dwight impression
Link to FG WAR leaders
Link to Petriello on Judge
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh, Rany Jazayerli, and Neil Paine discuss the death of Willie Mays, Mays as the last legendary link to an earlier era, the statistical cases for Mays as the greatest all-around player and greatest player, period in major league history, and (36:45) baseball’s new greatest living player, plus (46:02) banter about Kansas courting the Royals with public funding and (50:38) the competitive trajectories of the Royals and Mets. Then (1:01:08) Ben brings on frequent Stat Blast correspondent Ryan Nelson for Blasts about teams that hover near .500, pitchers replacing same-surnamed pitchers, prolific umpire-player ejection combos, the most players with the same first name in the same game, and Alex Verdugo’s grounders.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Rany’s Mays article
Link to Neil’s Mays article
Link to FG’s Mays obit
Link to Mays statement
Link to Manfred statement on Mays
Link to Carig on Mays
Link to Mays fielding slump
Link to EW 1927 on Mays
Link to Mays stumble story 1
Link to Mays stumble story 2
Link to B-Ref career WAR leaders
Link to Ben on quality of competition
Link to Posnanski on the GLP
Link to EW 2161 on public funding
Link to Kansas funding details
Link to deMause on Kansas funding
Link to race to the bottom wiki
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to BP playoff odds
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to Grimace explainer
Link to Neil on team true talent
Link to Neil on Witt and Brett
Link to Neil’s Substack
Link to Podracing podcast
Link to Kauffman Corner podcast
Link to Mike Conte’s Stat Blast cover
Link to Wolf of Wall Street quote
Link to Langs on .500 teams
Link to Ben on .500 teams
Link to .500 teams/Ryne Stat Blast
Link to Kelly/Alexander game
Link to Retrosheet ejections data
Link to ejections Stat Blast data
Link to ejections-per-G graph
Link to SABR on ejections
Link to Evers wiki
Link to “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”
Link to “Luis” game
Link to The Bob Emergency
Link to same-names data
Link to swimmer David Young
Link to 2024 grounder leaders
Link to 2021-4 grounder leaders
Link to 2019-24 grounder leaders
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Nike’s City Connect uniforms have run their course, the Dodgers’ double whammy of injuries to Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (and Kyle Bradish going back on the IL), the approaching returns of Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Correa’s hot streak, Elly De La Cruz and the excitement of scoring unexpectedly, a better way to handle a hypothetical hitter who only hits grand slams, David Fletcher’s strange season and transition to true two-way play, the potential fallout from umpire Pat Hoberg’s gambling scandal, a dead ball in NPB, and how pitching phenom Roki Sasaki’s lack of durability could affect his future free agency.

Audio intro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Meg’s tweet
Link to Facebook post
Link to Dodgers uni
Link to Mets uni explainer
Link to City Connect wiki
Link to new FG player pages
Link to FG post on the Dodgers
Link to MLBTR on Mookie
Link to combined WAR leaders
Link to hamate study 1
Link to hamate study 2
Link to MLBTR on Yamamoto
Link to Passan on Yamamoto
Link to MLBTR on Bradish
Link to MLBTR on Cole
Link to MLBTR on Scherzer
Link to MLBTR on Miller/Kershaw
Link to EW on Kershaw book
Link to Elly play
Link to slams hypothetical
Link to Vieira intentional balk
Link to Jansen intentional balk
Link to Sam on balks
Link to Bois on balks
Link to EW episode on Hoberg
Link to WaPo on Fletcher
Link to Fletcher batting game log
Link to Fletcher pitching game log
Link to Cosart fine info
Link to MLBTR on Waldrep
Link to MLBTR on Hoberg
Link to EW episode on Hoberg
Link to NPB ball scandal
Link to Allen on old ball scandal
Link to Allen on Sasaki
Link to Allen’s tweet
Link to Ben on NPB pitchers
Link to WaPo on Sasaki
Link to MLBTR on Sasaki
Link to JPPL offense
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about Kyle Schwarber batting leadoff, teams paying their players not to do in-game, on-field interviews, the phrase “potential World Series preview,” a team purchasing and privatizing a valuable public baseball website, a player who can’t hit anything except grand slams, a player who homers in every game he plays but is usually injured, Justin Verlander’s Hall of Fame plaque cap, and what constitutes a “teammate” (plus a real-time reaction to the Astros releasing José Abreu). Then (1:06:33) Ben meets major leaguers Daniel Schneemann and Jamie Westbrook and (1:17:58) briefly reacts to news about MLB disciplining “perfect” umpire Pat Hoberg for gambling.

Audio intro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Jake on Schwarber
Link to MLB.com on Schwarber
Link to NBCS on Schwarber
Link to Inquirer on Schwarber
Link to Reddit on Schwarber
Link to Phillies batting orders
Link to Schwarber splits
Link to most HR since 2022
Link to 2023 P/PA leaderboard
Link to 2024 P/PA leaderboard
Link to Ben on interviews
Link to mic’d-up Maldonado
Link to FG WS odds
Link to MLBTR on Ramírez
Link to CapFriendly
Link to Sportico on CapFriendly
Link to RMNB on CapFriendly
Link to Athletic on CapFriendly
Link to ESPN on CapFriendly
Link to THN on CapFriendly
Link to PuckPedia
Link to Texas Leaguers
Link to Hit Tracker
Link to Chamberlain’s stats
Link to Orr’s stats
Link to Christopher book
Link to Posnanski on Christopher
Link to bases-loaded splits
Link to Tabler Stathead
Link to SI on Tabler
Link to NYT on Tabler
Link to Tabler blog post
Link to McCartney clip
Link to MLBTR on Abreu
Link to Verlander option info
Link to A-Rod/Judge post
Link to listener emails database
Link to B-Ref new debuts
Link to MLBTR on Schneemann
Link to Forbes on Schneemann
Link to MLB.com on Schneemann
Link to Deseret on Schneemann
Link to Triple-A wRC+ leadersr
Link to Triple-A xWOBA leaders
Link to Guardians prospects list
Link to Elias stat
Link to MLBTR on Westbrook
Link to MLB.com on Westbrook
Link to MLB.com on Westbrook 2
Link to Westbrook’s Insta
Link to Constellation Energy League
Link to Athletic on Hoberg
Link to ESPN on Hoberg
Link to MLBTR on Hoberg
Link to EW episode on Hoberg
Link to Ump Scorecards ranking
Link to perfect game tweet
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about this season’s giant cluster of wild card contenders, the potential for an inactive trade deadline, the role the White Sox will play, whether the compression of the standings is good or bad for baseball, and expanded-playoffs incentives. Then (33:46) they talk to NPR producer Alana Schreiber, creator and executive producer of the NPR/MLB podcast Road to Rickwood, about the history of the park that’s hosting its first MLB game this month, plus a postscript (1:17:48) about a postseason mid-PA pitching change.

Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on the Biggio trade
Link to Ben on preseason projections
Link to Sheehan on parity
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to MLB standings
Link to Road to Rickwood
Link to Road to Rickwood site
Link to MLB on RtR
Link to NPR on RtR
Link to HoF on Rickwood
Link to Wickwood wiki
Link to MLB at Rickwood wiki
Link to MLB’s Rickwood page
Link to Bull Durham anecdote
Link to Shelton on EW
Link to EW Episode 1887
Link to 1991 ALCS game
Link to ALCS game log
Link to 1991 article page 1
Link to 1991 article page 2
Link to Ben on mid-PA changes
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Bryce Harper pandering to Londoners, Kiké Hernández booting a ball during an in-game interview, banning player scouting cards to lower BABIP, the effect on home runs of widening the foul lines, Yusei Kikuchi, Tyler Soderstrom, and a foul-territory hypothetical, crediting managers for sacrificial ejections, Aaron Judge’s scalding hot streak, Luis Gil performing like Gerrit Cole, the Yankees’ candlelit clubhouse, Matt Waldron as the small-sample best pitcher in baseball, the dynamic duo of Tarik Skubal and Cole Ragans, follow-ups about non-hated dynasties, the Angels’ resilient attendance, a mid-PA pitching change, and pterodactyls and dinosaurs, plus closing banter about Buster Olney’s hacked-Twitter Luis Robert Jr. trade rumors.

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Harper pandering article
Link to Harper’s slide
Link to Harper’s bat
Link to AP on Kiké’s interview
Link to Roberts on the error
Link to video of error
Link to Ben on in-game interviews
Link to Kikuchi collision
Link to Servais ejection
Link to Raley’s bunt
Link to Raleigh’s slam
Link to Episode 2033 Stat Blast
Link to Judge leaderboard
Link to rained-out stats
Link to BP on Gil
Link to Apstein on candles
Link to Waldron leaderboard
Link to pitching fWAR leaders
Link to tweet about Boone mixup
Link to Ben on mid-PA changes
Link to pterosaur wiki
Link to pterodacytl wiki
Link to quetzalcoatlus wiki
Link to grackle wiki
Link to cassowary wiki
Link to Olney article 1
Link to Olney article 2
Link to Olney article 3
Link to OF leaderboard
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s recent resurgence, then answer listener emails about what a dynastic team could do to avoid being widely hated, a mid-plate-appearance batting change, widening the foul lines to increase offense, whether reducing pitcher injuries would be worth bringing back pitcher hitting, the popularity of a perfect ump, the fairness of unintentional foul tips, and which Mario Kart power-up would be best in baseball, plus additional banter about the Angels’ surprisingly small post-Ohtani attendance drop and ((1:09:51) a Stat Blast (with Michael Mountain) about championship win probability MVPs, combining regular-season and postseason stats, and more.

Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Vlad leaderboard
Link to Ben on the Dodgers
Link to Paine on the Giants
Link to Ben on mid-PA changes
Link to PH penalty post
Link to foul lines article 1
Link to foul lines article 2
Link to foul lines article 3
Link to foul lines article 4
Link to foul lines article 5
Link to foul lines article 6
Link to foul lines article 7
Link to Ben on pitcher hitting 1
Link to Ben on pitcher hitting 2
Link to Hoberg EW segment
Link to Mario Kart items
Link to previous Mario question
Link to Caldwell article 1
Link to Caldwell article 2
Link to listener emails database
Link to Sam’s Angels tweets
Link to team attendance changes
Link to ESPN strength of schedule
Link to Michael’s Stat Blast cover
Link to Sam on postseason stats
Link to Michael’s cWPA spreadsheet
Link to yearly cWPA leaders
Link to Kiner and Rickey article
Link to Ben on Britton
Link to Ben on pitch-clock history
Link to 1970 GCL batting
Link to 1970 GCL Pirates
Link to Andino headshots
Link to Curse of the Andino
Link to Sam on single-play WAR
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the showdowns between Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani, Skenes’s strengths and weaknesses as a pitcher and an entertainer, the least and most exciting types of strikes, and more. They then discuss the improbable longevity of Aroldis Chapman’s triple-digit pitch speeds, whether the risk of losing the most games ever should stop the White Sox from selling, whether outfield positioning is suppressing offense more than the shift ever did, the less lively but far-from-dead ball, the end of Atlanta’s shutout streak, Adam Duvall’s beer-cup throw as proof of concept for a skills competition, MLB’s latest curious sponsor, an unsightly London Series shirt, and a potential Kyle Tucker nickname. They also assess bears, sharks, pterodactyls, and other natural predators.

Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ohtani-Skenes video
Link to “Paulk” Skenes video
Link to Sam on Skenes
Link to Bonds vs. Gagne
Link to R.J. on Skenes
Link to Skenes postgame interview
Link to Skenes HR reaction
Link to Ohtani-Skenes-Chapman game
Link to Skenes Baseball Savant page
Link to Heart zone data
Link to Chase zone data
Link to article on Skenes fastball
Link to info on foul-ball rates
Link to Longenhagen on Skenes
Link to Woodward on Skenes
Link to Chapman max speeds
Link to Cooper on Chapman
Link to Chapman Instagram story
Link to EW Episode 1
Link to MLBTR on the Sox
Link to Passan on the Sox
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to Russell on OF defense
Link to Rob on playing deeper
Link to Rob on OF defense
Link to Episode 1907 wiki
Link to 1907 Unglaub arc article
Link to Ben on moving the mound
Link to EW on time-traveling GM
Link to Teoscar batted ball tweet
Link to Chapman reaction
Link to longest no-shutout streaks
Link to Duvall video
Link to Paine on Duvall
Link to buildsubmarines.com
Link to buildsubmarines.com release
Link to Good Sam Club release
Link to Camping World release
Link to Doosan release
Link to EW on beer/cerveza
Link to beer/cerveza follow-up
Link to London shirt tweet
Link to London shirt tweet 2
Link to Reed tweet
Link to split scarves tweet
Link to Reed/shirt post
Link to Dan Flashes meme
Link to mother is mothering meme
Link to shark-punching article
Link to lowest team OBPs
Link to lowest team wRC+
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

Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS