Episode 975

On this episode, we chat about the AL West-leading Astros before getting help from an astrophysicist as we try to understand why the baseball continues to act so strangely.

• To start the show, David Laurila welcomes Julia Morales, reporter for AT&T SportsNet Southwest and the Houston Astros. Morales has been covering the team for a decade and shares what it was like to go through the lean years as well as the championship run, and how the rise of analytics has changed her job as a broadcaster. We also hear about going inside the Green Monster and stories involving Jose Altuve, Zack Greinke, Jeremy Peña, A.J. Hinch, Dusty Baker, and more. [2:44]
• After that, Dan Szymborski and Ben Clemens welcome Dr. Meredith Wills, who first appeared on episode 909, back to the show. Dr. Wills has continued her research into what is going on with the baseball and shares her findings on what she is calling an “unforced error.” We learn how humidors can affect baseballs differently — with the help of a leftover food analogy — and what could be causing dents in the ball. Finally, Ben and Dan ask the good doctor what she would do to fix the league’s equipment issues if she were given total control. [34:47]

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 71 minute play time.)

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Episode 974

On this week’s FanGraphs Audio, David Laurila talks to a major league general manager before introducing one of the game’s new radio voices.

• In the first half, David welcomes Ben Cherington, general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. We hear about how the Pirates are focusing on building instead of rebuilding, including how they are willing to innovate and try things while also studying other successful clubs. We also get insight on players like Daniel Vogelbach, David Bednar, Henry Davis, and Oneil Cruz, and manager Derek Shelton. Cherington also reflects on his Red Sox years, including when he and David spoke a decade ago, as well as some of the trades he made and challenges he faced. [2:42]
• In the second segment, David welcomes Jake Eisenberg, radio voice for the Triple-A Omaha Stormchasers, who has also called games for the Mets and Royals this season. We hear about his fast-moving career and the opportunities he has felt lucky enough to seize, as well as some of his adventures along the way. Eisenberg tells us about players like Brady Singer, Nick Pratto, and Vinnie Pasquantino before sharing stories about covering the Mets/Cardinals drama and getting lost at his own major league debut. [29:59]

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 57 minute play time.)

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Episode 973

On this episode, Eric Longenhagen welcomes old friend Keith Law of The Athletic back to the show to chat about the draft landscape.

Eric recently returned from a trip to Florida, and the duo discuss how challenging travel logistics continue to be while trying to see amateur players. We hear about impressive prospects like Jordan Beck, Drew Gilbert, Trey Lipscomb, and Sonny DiChiara, as well as how strong Tennessee looks and how Vanderbilt has been a surprising disappointment. Keith also talks about working on his Draft Top 100 list and reaching episode No. 100 of his own podcast.

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 27 minute play time.)

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Episode 972

This week on the show, we check in on the always-interesting Colorado Rockies, who have been exceeding expectations in the early going, before getting into recent beanball drama and more.

• To begin the episode, David Laurila welcomes Thomas Harding of MLB.com, who has covered the Rockies for decades. The pair talk about the odd team’s odd history, what is different this year, and why there are reasons to be excited going forward. We also get insight on players like Connor Joe, Brendan Rodgers, C.J. Cron, Ezequiel Tovar, and Chad Kuhl, as well as the influence Bud Black and Kris Bryant have had on the club. [3:06]
• After that, Ben Clemens catches up with Dan Szymborski, freshly returned from vacation. The duo gives the Rockies their due before discussing the Mets/Cardinals rivalry and the recent flare up of the unwritten rules. Ben wants to know exactly what a bench warning is, while Dan is concerned about some ethical loopholes. They also contemplate whether “Aaron Brooks” is the best-performing name across pro sports and the difficulties of projecting players coming from foreign leagues, as well as if we should buy into Nelson Cruz’s potential decline, Ben having his identity harmlessly stolen, and Dan responding to emails not meant for him. [25:10]

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 63 minute play time.)

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Episode 971

On this week’s show, we welcome a club’s president of baseball operations to talk about his team’s inner workings before we react to the exciting first few weeks of the season.

• At the top of the program, David Laurila welcomes Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations for the Minnesota Twins. Falvey gives us insight into the José Berríos trade, how much autonomy they give manager Rocco Baldelli, and whether it is easier or harder to trade with general managers you count as friends (such as former podcast guest Ross Atkins). We also hear about players like Simeon Woods Richardson, Jhoan Duran, Joe Smith, and Dylan Bundy, as well as the team hiring Kevin Goldstein away from FanGraphs. [2:46]
• In the second half, Ben Clemens and Jason Martinez get together to chat about the young baseball season. The pair discuss the recent Luke Voit/Tommy Pham drama, and talk about the sometimes-double-edged sword of playing with a chip on your shoulder. The duo also discuss some disappointing clubs (the D-backs) and some pleasant surprises (the Rockies), as well as the game’s overall lack of offense. Finally, Ben is cautiously intrigued by the Baltimore Orioles’ pitching strategy and its early dividends, highlighted by Keegan Akin. [25:36]

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 64 minute play time.)

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Episode 970

This week we meet a player development coach before reuniting with an old friend who has plenty of thoughts on developing players.

• To kick things off, David Laurila welcomes Katie Krall, development coach for the Boston Red Sox. Krall has an impressive resume, having already worked in the commissioner’s office and as a baseball operations analyst for the Cincinnati Reds, and she shares what her path to her current role was like. She also offers some insight on Red Sox prospects like Dylan Spacke and Brandon Walter, what it was like to work with players like Amir Garrett and Joey Votto in Cincinnati, and where she hopes her bright career will go one day. [2:54]
• After that, Eric Longenhagen welcomes old friend Kiley McDaniel back to the show. The duo begin by catching up on Kiley’s good deeds in puppy fostering, then discuss how they each handle the long drives involved in scouting road trips. Then, Eric wants to know what’s making some SEC teams so remarkable compared to recent memory, while Kiley shares some thoughts on the National High School Invitational. Finally, the pair look back on some high school pitchers who went early in the draft in recent years and try to categorize them with the benefit of hindsight to see what we can learn. [27:21]

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 78 minute play time.)

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Episode 969

FanGraphs Audio is here a day early this week in celebration of Opening Day, and we have a pair of great interviews to ring in the season.

• At the top of the show, David Laurila welcomes Matt Bowman, a former Cardinals and Reds pitcher who is now in the Yankees system. The pair first talked years ago, and the right-hander shares how he has evolved both as a pitcher and as a student of pitching in the time since. Bowman also discusses his first Opening Day on a major league roster, talking to Amir Garrett about his slider, recovering from Tommy John surgery, and how impressed he is by Yankees pitching development. [2:59]
• In the second half, Jay Jaffe welcomes long-time baseball writer and friend Craig Calcaterra, who recently published his book Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game. He and Jay talk about how the challenges of authoring a book compare to daily writing, as well as how the book came to be. The pair also discuss how our fandom changes as we grow as people, the inherent conflict of criticizing an industry you work in, and the occasional value of embracing being a fair-weather fan. [31:38]

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Episode 968

This week on the podcast, Dan Szymborski and Ben Clemens go over their work on the 2022 positional power rankings.

Dan wrote about the league’s catchers, so the duo discuss Will Smith’s sneaky stardom, Yasmani Grandal’s wild 2021 stat line, and how the importance of framing makes Salvador Perez a controversial backstop. Meanwhile, Ben covered second and third base, so we also hear about where Luis Arraez fits in for the Twins (and their curious situation at third), the career arc of Gleyber Torres, and whether Ben thinks he would give Jose Altuve a Hall of Fame vote when the time comes. Finally, Ben shares his favorite video game of the year so far, and it probably isn’t the one you think.

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Episode 967

On this week’s show, David Laurila welcomes Alex Coffey, a sportswriter for The Philadelphia Inquirer covering the Philadelphia Phillies.

David and Alex both attended Nick Castellanos’ signing press conference in Florida, and discuss how the outfielder is going to fit on a team that may already struggle defensively. Alex also shares what it’s like to watch Bryce Harper take batting practice and lead a team, and how great it has been to interview Phillies like Rhys Hoskins and Kyle Gibson now that clubhouse access has been restored. We also hear about the team’s center field position battle and how Matt Vierling could potentially impress in the role.

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 26 minute play time.)

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Episode 966

On this edition of FanGraphs Audio, our own Eric Longenhagen and Ben Clemens discuss some of the numerous signings and trades of the past week.

Eric and Ben talk about the first sunburn of the season, Cristian Pache’s upside, Sean Murphy’s hamates and trade value, and the arrival of Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the Yankees — and how weird the latter’s defensive metrics can be. The pair also discuss Oakland and Cincinnati seemingly tearing it all down, and how important it is to consider which choices are made by the front office and which are dictated by ownership. Eric and Ben also react to the reactions to the Rockies signing Kris Bryant with some thoughts about how and why we root for players to get paid.

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 50 minute play time.)

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