Ben and Meg banter about the Rockies reportedly hiring Paul DePodesta as their new head of baseball operations, another managerial hiring, MLB’s World Series ratings bonanza, the resurgence of the splitter, the Royals extending Salvador Perez, and more. Then (44:30) they bring on Ben Clemens to discuss his ranking of this offseason’s top 50 free agents, the strengths and weaknesses of the class as a whole, some notable free agents from Kyle Tucker on down, players he’s high/low on, and how the specter of a future work stoppage might affect this hot stove season.

Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on DePobo
Link to report on “finalists”
Link to Colorado tax measure
Link to Passan’s Stammen tweet
Link to Tingler report
Link to WBC exhibitions
Link to MLB ratings release
Link to article on Canadian ratings
Link to MLB/NBA ratings comparison
Link to Sarris on splitters
Link to Andrews on splitters
Link to splitter usage by year
Link to Neyer on splitters/forkballs
Link to Salvy extension post
Link to MLBPA investigation story
Link to banned agent story
Link to Other Ben’s FA ranking
Link to MLBTR on Bieber
Link to Tango on Bieber
Link to Secret Santa sign-up
Link to Plot Hole or Not Hole

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Ben and Meg banter about the slightly shorter-than-usual duration of the offseason, how big the WBC will be, and a few managerial hirings. After that (41:53), they talk to FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about Munetaka Murakami and this offseason’s most promising free agents from international leagues, what we’ve learned about Roki Sasaki and the factors that predict MLB success for NPB/KBO players, and MLB’s winter moratorium on amateur scouting.

Audio intro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to manager hirings/firings
Link to most managers for one GM
Link to Rockies update 1
Link to Rockies update 2
Link to Ben on ex-player GMs
Link to Eric on IFA
Link to Ben on Murakami/Sasaki
Link to scouting moratorium news
Link to EW on the moratorium
Link to Secret Santa sign-up
Link to Plot Hole or Not Hole

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Ben and Meg banter about all the highlights of World Series Game 7, with a side of World Series Game 6, break down the appeal of the now-completed postseason, and discuss what teams might take away from the success of 2025’s pennant winners.

Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben’s post-G7 story
Link to cWPA data
Link to Dan S. on the Dodgers
Link to Neil Paine on the Dodgers
Link to Passan on Yamamoto/Rojas
Link to Tango on IKF
Link to Andrews on the bench-clearing
Link to Ohtani’s G6 double
Link to postgame Mattingly moment
Link to 2015 Theo quote

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Ben and Meg banter about Trey Yesavage’s performance in World Series Game 5, whether he’s already provided a career’s worth of value to Toronto, his current prospect ranking, and his future, plus Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s steady postseason production vs. Shohei Ohtani’s clustered postseason production, covering the regular season like we cover the postseason, why the Dodgers’ bats have gone cold, Teoscar Hernández’s outfielding, Mookie Betts’ future at shortstop, what the World Series says about “momentum,” how the last two games of the series will affect post-series discussions about MLB, and Davis Schneider’s batting mimicry.

Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “pitcher’s cycle”
Link to high-K, 0-BB starts
Link to more Yesavage facts
Link to Passan on Yesavage
Link to FG top 100 update
Link to MLB Pipeline ranking
Link to Weaver on momentum
Link to BP on momentum
Link to BP on momentum again
Link to Sheehan on the Dodgers
Link to Sam on the Dodgers
Link to Shneider article
Link to “catbird seat” info
Link to Barber letter

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Ben and Meg banter about Magic Johnson’s Game 5 preview, Game 4 observations, belated Game 2 takes on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Jonas Brothers, Addison Barger’s sleepovers and doppelgangers, David Popkins’ impact on the Jays, another Cal Raleigh award win, Bryce Harper’s hurt feelings, and more.

Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Magic tweet
Link to Stephen A. clip
Link to “catbird seat”
Link to Paine’s research
Link to team IBB
Link to postseason IBB story
Link to MLB.com Jonas Bros story
Link to Mastercard Jonas Bros release
Link to People Jonas Bros story
Link to Jonas Bros backlash story
Link to Jonas Bros performance
Link to Barger/Schneider story
Link to Jays internal dev story
Link to Popkins story 1
Link to Popkins story 2
Link to Popkins story 3
Link to Cal award win 1
Link to Cal award win 2
Link to Harper story

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Ben and Meg banter about and draft their favorite 18 moments (one for each inning!) from an endlessly entertaining, and almost just plain endless, World Series Game 3.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben on Game 3
Link to Laurila on Game 3
Link to Baumann on Game 3
Link to Andrews on Game 3
Link to Clemens on Game 3
Link to Wegner’s Umpire Scorecard
Link to Barger/Schneider story
Link to Verducci story
Link to Paisley story

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Ben and Meg banter about Ben’s trip to a World Series-obsessed city, whether Game 1 of a best-of-seven series can be “must-win,” the Jays-as-underdogs narrative, the global audience for the matchup, and a few factors they’re following throughout the series, before reacting to two California clubs’ managerial hirings: the Angels’ choice of Kurt Suzuki and the Giants’ choice of Tony Vitello (plus a postgame postscript).

Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “Must-win” article
Link to best-of-seven probability
Link to ZiPS odds
Link to Bichette article
Link to Mickey Stanley article
Link to global viewership
Link to Pharrell announcement
Link to Pharrell performance
Link to Hoffman names
Link to Snell fashion
Link to subjective age
Link to plate-tapping promo
Link to Ben on SP as RP
Link to Pujols/Angels article
Link to Suzuki hiring
Link to Minasian story
Link to HVAC story
Link to Trout testimony
Link to Hundley article
Link to Vitello article
Link to Baumann on Vitello
Link to “eyes of the world” message

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Ben Clemens of FanGraphs discuss the conclusion of the ALCS, including Dan Wilson’s decision to the turn to Eduard Bazardo to face George Springer with runners on in the seventh rather than bring in a higher-leverage reliever like Andrés Muñoz. Then they preview the upcoming World Series between the Blue Jays and the Dodgers, highlighting a few matchups they think might prove to be important in determining the winner.

Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to sign up for Patreon

Link to Ben on the first part of his Fielding Bible Awards ballot
Link to Eric Longenhagen on Game 7 of the ALCS
Link to Ben on intentionally walking Cal Raleigh
Link to Joe Posnanski on the Bazardo decision
Link to Davy Andrews on the three jumps of Game 7

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In the hours before an ill-fated (for the Mariners) ALCS Game 7, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the state of Meg’s fan feelings and the highlights, lowlights, managerial moves, and more from Games 5 and 6. Then they discuss Shohei Ohtani’s instantly legendary NLCS Game 4 performance (plus postscript).

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to sign up for Patreon
Link to Little reasoning
Link to Ben on the Ohtani Game
Link to SI Ohtani article
Link to Betts pod

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about ALCS Game 4 and NLCS Game 3, with an emphasis on Max Scherzer’s must-win mentality and why his hyped-up mound and start-day demeanor stops just short of scanning as too intense, the Dodgers’ likeability (or lack thereof), and repetitive promos. Then (as Meg sporadically exclaims about the beginning of ALCS Game 5), they discuss how the Tigers should approach Tarik Skubal’s contractual/financial future, followed by a postscript featuring snippets of real-time reaction to the Mariners’ Game 5 comeback and Shohei Ohtani’s instantly legendary, pennant-clinching Game 4 two-way display.

Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to sign up for Patreon
Link to Scherzer’s must-win quote
Link to Sheehan on Scherzer
Link to The Bandwagon post
Link to Petriello on catcher fatigue
Link to Defector on Piazza
Link to MLBTR on Skubal
Link to MLBTR Skubal poll
Link to Monfort message

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