Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

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  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

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 spenders, preview the Series, and share stats about Emmanuel Clase’s postseason implosion, the meeting of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, and the star-studded-ness of the Yankees’ and Dodgers’ rosters. Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG playoff coverage Link to Clerks montage Link to Ben on SP playoff familiarity Link to Soto at-bat breakdown Link to Stanton at-bat Link to Soto at-bat Link to Soto quote Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Clase query data Link to listener emails database Link to Verducci on Dodgers-Yankees Link to ZiPS WS projections Link to Sterling clip Link to Langs stat 1 Link to Langs stat 2 Link to Langs stat 3 Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to MLBTR on the Mets Link to series star data  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Game 3 of the ALCS and Game 4 of the NLCS, follow up (39:05) on replay review, fly-ball classifications, and executive titles, answer listener emails (53:22) about retiring numbers for both home and road teams and correctly labeling bat “flips,” and Stat Blast (1:03:46) about postseason despair, ball behavior, and roster turnover, plus (1:50:49) a postscript. Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)” Link to FG playoff coverage Link to Noel HR call Link to triple HR prediction Link to Giménez play Link to 2016 NBA Finals wiki Link to Jaffe on Smith Link to Johansson hat Link to xkcd comic Link to listener emails database Link to Bautista bat flip Link to Playoff Despair Index data Link to Sheehan on October offense Link to Ben on the 2019 ball Link to postseason SLG-xSLG Link to lowest postseason SLGs Link to Tango on re-centering 1 Link to Tango on re-centering 2 Link to Smith flyout Link to Sheehan on roster turnover Link to Ben on roster turnover Link to roster turnover data Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to Episode 1771 Stat Blast Link to Episode 1586 Stat Blast Link to hard-hit FB out % Link to hard-hit LD out % Link to Garcia nickname Link to Sportico on sports betting Link to Jeter clip  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a report that Jerry Reinsdorf might be willing to sell the White Sox, then (13:22) discuss the tactics and storylines of ALCS and NLCS Game 2, including controversial Vogt decisions, how Yankees fans would perceive a pennant or championship, the importance of Max Muncy, visualizing success, Shohei Ohtani’s small-sample splits and playoff history, and more. After that (1:08:02), they answer listener emails about people who don’t know Ohtani can pitch, why some plays aren’t reviewable via replay, expanding the three-batter-minimum rule, and pedantry concerning squaring up foul balls, “taking a souvenir away” when robbing a homer, flying out sharply, and Canadian baseball-executive titles, plus a postscript featuring Ben’s daughter’s Effectively Wild debut (1:39:06). Audio intro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes 2, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Reinsdorf report Link to MLBTR on Reinsdorf Link to Clemens on Vogt Link to recent franchise sales Link to more on recent sales Link to playoff batting leaders Link to Baumann on Ohtani splits Link to Ohtani on the postseason story Link to Ohtani on the postseason video Link to Ohtani NPB postseason stats Link to Ohtani New Balance ad 1 Link to Ohtani New Balance ad 2 Link to xkcd comic Link to Buehler game story Link to neighborhood play explainer Link to replay review explainer Link to McTaggart tweet Link to squared-up-barrels rate Link to squared-up-rate explainer Link to Greene robbery video Link to listener emails database  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a mayoral Yankees/Mets cap and the history of politicians flubbing comments about baseball, tease their next playoff livestream, and discuss when it’s acceptable to call a game “winner take all,” the conclusion of the Division Series round, José Ramírez the motivator, the Tigers’ 2025 outlook, nobody believing in the Dodgers (supposedly), how Dave Roberts is doing, injury-compromised players, the first games of the NLCS and ALCS, the clutch hitting of Kiké Hernández, Giancarlo Stanton, and…Clayton Kershaw, misconceptions about one-knee-down catching, the 2025 Dodgers rotation, an uptick in October TV ratings, and the significance of the CS matchups. Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Adams cap article Link to NYT on the Adams cap Link to Adams Mets fandom Link to Adams 9/11 comment Link to Clinton story 1 Link to Clinton story 2 Link to Clinton story 3 Link to Clinton New Yorker cover Link to Giuliani story Link to de Blasio story Link to Obama story 1 Link to Obama story 2 Link to politicians story Link to “no cap” definition Link to Ramírez report Link to Ramírez and Mario Kart Link to Trueblood tweet Link to Muncy clip Link to Muncy/Hernández quotes Link to Curtis on doubters Link to Roberts confession Link to original Roberts quote Link to Dodgers streak story Link to updated playoff hitting data Link to postseason hitters, min. 50 PA Link to FG payroll page Link to one-knee-down story Link to PB/WP rates Link to Cooper thread Link to Swanson EW episode Link to BP fielding data on Naylor Link to FG fielding data on Naylor Link to MLB.com on Kershaw Link to MLBTR on Kershaw Link to MLBTR on Stone Link to Maldonado surgery story Link to Raleigh surgery story Link to Sheehan on second chances Link to Jay on the Yankees’ pen Link to Langs on slams Link to “must-win” quote Link to Trop update Link to Strike Four  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about not sleeping on the less star-studded but still exciting AL Central Division Series, a David Fry prediction, the reliever familiarity effect, an abhorrent TV shot, the Yankees’ ALDS victory, when the Royals will return to October, the Braves firing a few coaches, the future of Tropicana Field, and how MLB will weather climate change. Then (1:00:24) Ben clears out a backlog of seven Stat Blasts, on: Jon Berti and starting at a position for the first time in the playoffs; Beau Brieske and equal counts of games started and finished; the evolution of position-player pitching; Aaron Judge and the most- and least-clutch hitters in the postseason relative to the regular season; Luis Tiant, Pete Rose, and the hitters and pitchers who played the longest at the same time without ever facing each other in the regular season; the Trajekt effect and a century of the times-through-the-order penalty; and the average length of playoff series; plus a postscript. Audio intro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Fry prediction report Link to observer effect wiki Link to reliever familiarity effect info Link to Trueblood on the effect Link to TBS screenshot Link to Defector on broadcasts Link to Sheehan on Fry and K.C. Link to FG preseason playoff odds Link to article on Mahomes at ALDS Link to best team offenses Link to MLBTR on Atlanta firings Link to Seitzer wiki Link to The Athletic on the Trop Link to ESPN on the Rays Link to DRaysBay on ballparks Link to Keyser on climate change Link to story about Berti Link to 2003 Cabrera article Link to Cabrera 2003 RF game log Link to GS=GF leaders Link to Rob Mains on PPP 1 Link to Rob Mains on PPP 2 Link to Rob on PPP in September Link to PPP velo by year Link to Jeff on PPP BABIP Link to PPP stats since 2008 Link to all pitchers stats since 2008 Link to PPP stats 2008-17 Link to all pitchers stats 2008-17 Link to PPP stats 2018-24 Link to all pitchers stats 2018-24 Link to FG postseason leaderboards Link to postseason hitters, min. 50 PA Link to postseason hitters data Link to Ben on Reddick Link to Ben on Yordan Link to Tiant NYT obit Link to Angell on Tiant Link to Savannah Tiant hiring news Link to Ben on Rose Link to Mutombo obit Link to no-matchup players Link to no-matchup players, interleague Link to ESPN on Trajekt Link to EW Trajekt discussion Link to Ben on pitching machines Link to TTOP graph 1 Link to TTOP graph 2 Link to TTOP graph 3 Link to TTOP data 1 Link to TTOP data 2 Link to Mains on Smoltz Link to Mains on past TTOP Link to Mains on first-inning HFA Link to all DS Link to all LCS Link to all WS Link to Kenny Jackelen’s Twitter Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter Link to listener emails database Link to Thomson and Thompson Link to epenthesis wiki Link to Wendy’s ad Link to Lindbergh Burrito Method Link to NJ/NY Gotham wiki Link to NYCFC wiki Link to first-night effect article  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Spotify Feed  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Bluesky Account  Get Our Merch! Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the possibility of players predicting opponents’ home runs, the Mets’ NLDS victory, New York’s title drought, Padres-Dodgers Games 3 and 4, Walker Buehler’s “earned” runs, Manny Machado’s clever, controversial dash, ALDS updates, a green-screen response and broadcast nitpicks, the possibly impending sale of the Twins, whether the ’25 Angels can pull a ’24 Royals, TJ3 deets, and a drastic injury-prevention prescription, plus a postscript. Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG playoff coverage Link to NY title drought data Link to “vintage Eric” quote Link to FG playoff odds Link to Emma’s Mets tweet Link to Baker on the Mets Link to Keyser on the Phillies Link to Castellanos quote Link to Grumkin wiki Link to Padres-Dodgers Game 3 story Link to skunk in the outfield Link to Sheehan on Machado Link to Calhoun play Link to Judge play Link to Judge play article Link to Jazz boos story Link to Jazz boos tweet Link to Yankees travel tweet Link to Trueblood on chaos Link to Defector on radio issues Link to Twins Daily on radio issues Link to MLB/Audacy agreement Link to Pohlad statement Link to Twins Daily on Pohlads Link to MLBTR on Pohlads Link to Gleeman grilling Link to Moreno story Link to MLBTR on the Angels Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Ahmad interview Link to Arthrex tape Link to Arthrex kickback case Link to Meister profile Link to arm-stress article Link to slider RPM/velo Link to sweeper RPM/velo Link to ZiPS odds Link to foul strike rule Link to Milton/Trop article Link to Sterling call Link to TBS screenshot Link to standards of review info  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 Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest home run predictions (by Carlos Estévez and Lawrence Butler), top closers blowing leads, the compelling, competitive postseason, highlights of recent games, broadcasters invoking momentum, replay controversies, and Padres-Dodgers bad blood, plus follow-ups on green screens (or the lack thereof) on baseball broadcasts, fun-fact qualifiers, and the Reds and the Selig Rule, and closing banter about the Brewers and Willy Adames. Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG playoff coverage Link to Estévez prediction piece Link to his previous prediction Link to Estévez prediction pod 1 Link to Estévez prediction pod 2 Link to Estévez prediction pod 3 Link to Butler interview clip Link to story on Butler and Harris Link to player predictions wiki Link to Carpenter homer Link to hardest-hit balls vs. Clase Link to Clase 3-run HR fact Link to Carpenter leaderboard 1 Link to Carpenter leaderboard 2 Link to Carpenter career platoon splits Link to Rosen on Carpenter vs. Clase Link to Clase pitch-type splits Link to Sam on closer flops Link to FG reliever projections Link to SP cruising study 1 Link to SP cruising study 2 Link to momentum study 1 Link to momentum study 2 Link to momentum study 3 Link to momentum wiki Link to Sam on the 2014 Royals Link to Paine on 1-1 ties Link to ZiPS odds Link to Ben Clemens on weekend games Link to Nate Silver post Link to replay reviews breakdown Link to MLB quotes about replay Link to Dodgers-Padres Athletic recap Link to Dodgers-Padres breakdown video Link to Roberts quote Link to Machado video 1 Link to Machado video 2 Link to Rosenthal on Machado Link to dugout sides Link to Simpsons clip Link to Lux quote Link to green screen photo Link to Ortiz photo 1 Link to Ortiz photo 2 Link to virtual replacement ads info 1 Link to virtual replacement ads info 2 Link to virtual replacement ads info 3 Link to Alonso fun fact Link to Carpenter fun fact Link to Francona hiring article Link to Heyman tweet Link to Brewers postseason streak Link to Gandalf book quote Link to Gandalf movie quote Link to triple crown question 1 Link to triple crown question 2 Link to triple crown question 3  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 Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Pete Alonso’s huge homer off of Devin Williams, the chaos and colorful characters surrounding the Mets, the difficulty of counting the qualifiers in an Alonso fun fact, Alonso’s free agency, the compelling nature of the Division Series matchups, previews of each series, the front-office shake-ups of the Cardinals and Giants, the Reds hiring Terry Francona and the state of the Selig Rule, Triple Tommy John surgery, how uncertainty about broadcast deals could affect free agency, heartening MLB attendance, TV ratings, and fan age info, and the origins, evolution, and import of the pitching triple crown. Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG playoff coverage Link to episode about Ben’s mom 1 Link to episode about Ben’s mom 2 Link to Alonso homer Link to Alonso fun fact Link to Howie Rose call Link to Citi Field crowd reaction Link to bar crowd reaction Link to Bowling Alone wiki Link to lowest career ERA- Link to lowest career FIP- Link to Williams injury article Link to MLBTR on Alonso 1 Link to MLBTR on Alonso 2 Link to Ben on post-pennant turnover 1 Link to Ben on post-pennant turnover 2 Link to Winker/Adames video Link to Winker helmet slam Link to Austin Powers mole scene Link to cWPA numbers Link to Mets good-luck-charm explainer Link to Mets and Hawk Tuah info Link to Pitbull remix info Link to info on Mendoza and Díaz Link to Division Series projections Link to Guardians-Tigers preview Link to Yankees-Royals preview Link to Phillies-Mets preview Link to Dodgers-Padres preview Link to MLBTR on Levine Link to Woo on Cardinals PD problems Link to Woo on Cardinals changes Link to Baggarly on Posey Link to MLBTR on Putila Link to Ben on ex-player GMs Link to Posey’s 2023 comments Link to Johnson Selig Rule comment Link to MLBTR on Francona Link to Wilson Selig Rule episode Link to MLB.com on the Selig Rule Link to Taylor on manager diversity Link to TJ3 introduction Link to TJ3 comparison Link to TJ3 tease tweet Link to The Onion blades article Link to ElAttrache New Yorker profile Link to Diamond Sports Group article Link to MLB attendance press release Link to Skubal triple crown article Link to triple crown wiki Link to triple crown dictionary definition Link to pitching triple crown article 1 Link to pitching triple crown article 2 Link to pitching triple crown article 3 Link to pitching triple crown article 4 Link to pitching triple crown article 5 Link to pitching triple crown article 6 Link to pitching triple crown article 7 Link to pitching triple crown article 8 Link to pitching triple crown article 9 Link to pitching triple crown article 10 Link to pitching triple crown article 11  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 Source