Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley lament and discuss Shohei Ohtani’s UCL injury and its ramifications for the rest of his season, his two-way future, his free agency, the Angels, and the continued happiness of baseball fans and podcast co-hosts, followed by conversations about Stephen Strasburg’s retirement (59:17), Wander Franco’s placement on administrative leave (1:11:30), and whether players are required to wear pants (1:21:06), plus a Future Blast from 2050 (1:31:37).

Audio intro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben’s Ohtani article
Link to Evan Drellich on Ohtani
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Angels
Link to Sam on the Angels
Link to FA class
Link to Ohtani and Elly
Link to TJS study
Link to Stat Blast on max-effort pitching
Link to Ben on pitcher roster limits
Link to WaPo report on Strasburg
Link to Drellich on Franco
Link to Jeff Passan on Franco
Link to Jay Cuda pants tweet
Link to CBA
Link to high-socks study
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s week away, Julio Rodríguez’s hot streak and the Mariners’ surge, and the White Sox firing Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, plus a grab bag of topics that caught Ben’s attention while he was in Sweden: the Dodgers signing Kolten Wong; a Cubs adult-diaper ad; an oddly ricocheting Luke Raley home run; errors and official scoring, another incident that made Miles Mikolas mad; Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and the Tigers’ rebuild; Bobby Witt Jr.’s sophomore breakout; Nationals extensions, CJ Abrams, and Joey Meneses; the similar seasons of J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner; the potential for good teams to miss the playoffs, and radical realignment; Jon Singleton returning to the Astros; Dallas Keuchel continuing to pitch; a nifty Brewers trade revisited (and Christian Yelich’s bounceback); the sale of Fogo de Chão; John Angelos’s latest groaners; preseason prediction philosophies, and more, plus a Future Blast (1:32:04) from 2049 and a few follow-ups (1:33:37).

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

Link to Jay on Julio
Link to mlb.com on Julio
Link to Stark on Julio
Link to info on latest M’s win
Link to “Here Come the Warm Jets”
Link to MLBTR on White Sox firings
Link to The Athletic on Sox firings
Link to article on Sox relocation
Link to tweet about Cubs ad
Link to Reddit thread on Cubs ad
Link to Raley HR video
Link to Defector on Raley’s homer
Link to Kevin Cash quote
Link to ballpark homogenization info
Link to Stat Blast on official scoring
Link to The Athletic on official scoring
Link to Russell on official scoring
Link to story on Mikolas/Alonso/Winn
Link to more on Alonso/Winn
Link to FG post on Witt
Link to FG post on Abrams
Link to MLBTR on Greene moving
Link to MLBTR on Nats extensions
Link to FG post on Yelich
Link to Keuchel article
Link to other Keuchel article
Link to Singleton dingers
Link to Bain buying Fogo
Link to article on Escobar and Fogo
Link to Angelos interview
Link to Rob Mains on Angelos
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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Baseball Prospectus’ editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein joins the show to discuss the surging Dodgers (5:26) and what led to their recently concluded win streak, the call-ups of Masyn Winn and Nolan Schanuel (28:07), and the optimal timing of the trade deadline and the draft (44:43), and why Craig doesn’t want to move it back. Plus, Meg and Craig answer emails on keeping relievers in the dark about the score before they enter the game (58:00), how teams might have changed their approach to the offseason and the deadline if they knew that winning the World Series would guarantee that Shohei Ohtani would sign with them (1:03:04), and whether the Padres are trying to save the world by finishing under .500 (1:11:09). Plus, a Future Blast from 2048 (1:22:56).

Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Craig’s podcast Five and Dive
Link to Michael Baumann on the Marlins, Orioles, and Brewers
Link to the FanGraphs playoff odds
Link to Jeffrey Paternostro and Timothy Jackson’s Masyn Winn Call-Up piece
Link to Eric Longenhagen’s Day One Draft recap
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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With Ben Lindbergh still in Sweden, FanGraphs’ Michael Baumann takes the co-host chair for a spin. He and Meg Rowley begin (2:10) by delighting in a picture of Lance Lynn and Enrique Hernández from Dodgers photo day, then take advantage of Ben’s absence to discuss (7:30) college baseball and how conference realignment might affect the sport (and the athletes who play it). They then turn their attention (32:13) to Cole Hamels, who recently retired, and Félix Hernández, who was recently inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame. Meg and Michael discuss what Hernández and Hamels meant to each of them, the similarities (and important differences) that marked their respective Hall of the Very Good careers, and what it’s like to have a pitcher ruin a pitch for you. Meg and Michael also discuss (51:00) the most impressive players and tools they’ve seen in person, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Corbin Carroll, and Aaron Judge, plus center field defense and big power. Finally, they close with a Future Blast from 2047 (1 hr 06 min).

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Dodgers photo day photos
Link to Michael on Lance Lynn’s first Dodgers start
Link to Michael on conference realignment
Link to Teddy Cahill on conference realignment
Link to Michael on Cole Hamels’ retirement
Link to Meg on Félix Hernández’s final Mariners start
Link to Hamels and Hernández’s career stats
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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With Ben Lindbergh in Sweden on Ringer business, FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens joins Meg Rowley for a turn in the co-host chair. Ben and Meg begin (1:40) by discussing the disturbing allegations made against Rays shortstop Wander Franco over the weekend. They then banter (5:00) about the experience of watching baseball while on vacation, before turning their attention to Ben’s Five Things series, the sneaky delights of mid-sized Midwestern cities, the Braves scoring big against Danny Mendick, chalk preseason predictions (and Ben’s beef with Other Ben’s prognostication choices), which teams’ World Series odds might be too light (or too heavy), a milestone Juan Soto walk, players being over and underrated, announcers’ refusal to discuss no-hitters, the joy of local commercials on baseball broadcasts, the Cardinals’ and Pirates’ recent runs of relative success and futility, and who might shake up the standings down the stretch. They close with a Future Blast from 2046 (55:20) and an invitation to play Magic: The Gathering, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Evan Drellich and Brittany Ghiroli on the likely next steps in MLB’s investigation into Franco
Link to Ben’s Five Things I Liked (And Didn’t Like) Archive
Link to 21-3 Braves/Mets Box Score
Link to the FanGraphs Playoff Odds
Link to the FanGraphs 2023 staff predictions
Link to Chris Gilligan on shifting playoff odds
Link to Ben’s piece on Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter
Link to Ben’s (latest) Lars Nootbaar piece
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Samuel Giddins banter about Samuel’s baseball background and history with Effectively Wild, before (9:52) discussing a Juan Soto quote and the type of disappointing team that’s most frustrating. Then (21:35) they answer listener emails about randomizing on-field decisions, the legibility of player autographs, whether teams should employ designated huggers, whether veterans are more clutch, whether we’re misusing the phrase “heating up,” what would happen if Shohei Ohtani asked the Angels to release him, whether teams in a robo-umps world should alternate tall and short hitters in the lineup, offering Ohtani an ownership stake, why we use miles per hour for pitch speeds instead of feet per second, using a matching process in the amateur draft, whether anyone could make a trade if they found a GM’s unlocked phone, mascots as zombie runners, and playoff teams without .300 hitters, plus a Future Blast (1:41:34) from 2045 and a follow-up postscript on a White Sox (un)fun fact.

Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”
Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Samuel’s website
Link to Soto quote
Link to Soto quote source
Link to Neil Paine on the unlucky Padres
Link to The Athletic on autographs
Link to Russell on postseason experience
Link to Russell on pennant-race experience
Link to tweet about Judge/Altuve zones
Link to tweet about Judge’s zone
Link to article about Judge/Altuve zones
Link to old FG post on Judge’s zone
Link to older FG post on Judge’s zone
Link to old FG post on Altuve’s zone
Link to older FG post on Altuve’s zone
Link to EW Stanky Draft
Link to KG on player owners
Link to Goold on player owners
Link to details about Beckham’s contract
Link to list of MLB mascots
Link to data on teams without .300 hitters
Link to graph of teams without .300 hitters
Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter
Link to EW listener emails database
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki
Link to Ben Clemens on Littell
Link to tweet about the Sox
Link to Sox high-K games
Link to worst WP w/13+ K
Link to worst WP w/12+ K

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether the plight of running backs in the NFL is analogous to any data-driven developments in MLB, the benefits and drawbacks of more or fewer off days during postseason series (and the problem with pluralizing “series”), the White Sox going 0-11 in games when they’ve struck out 14 or more opposing batters, Cody Bellinger and the surging Cubs, the flailing Diamondbacks and how the sequencing of slumps and hot streaks affects the perception of seasons, and more. Then (1:16:05) they meet major leaguers Slade Cecconi and Davis Schneider, followed by (1:36:45) a Future Blast from 2044.

Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Neil Paine on running backs
Link to HUaL on running backs
Link to Ben on the SP protagonist
Link to Rob on pitching and payrolls
Link to story on reliever awards
Link to Ben C. on the postseason schedule
Link to story on reliever familiarity
Link to story on SP familiarity
Link to tweet about the Sox
Link to losing 14+ K Sox games
Link to worst record in 14+ K games
Link to 2023 teams w/most such games
Link to MaML wiki
Link to MLBTR on Cecconi
Link to Cecconi call-up story
Link to video of first K
Link to Davy Andrews FG post
Link to Cecconi prospect ranking
Link to postgame quotes
Link to tweet about Schneider
Link to other tweet about Schneider
Link to article on Schneider’s glove
Link to other story on Schneider
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to Paine on the unlucky Padres
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki
Link to Ben C. on Lorenzen
Link to Lorenzen’s last inning
Link to tweet about Lorenzen post-ASB
Link to Fullerton fun fact
Link to fun fact reply
Link to Verducci on the Rays

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Tim Anderson–José Ramírez fight and White Sox clubhouse culture, John Angelos benching Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown, the Angels’ post-deadline slump (and the Mariners’ rise), the return of Gary Sánchez‘s power bat, updates on the MLB injury rate, the pitch clock, and the zombie runner, Charlie Culberson’s re-reunion with Atlanta, the Rays’ latest unlikely starting pitcher, the Yankees’ ambidextrous catching prospect (and the dream of a left-handed catcher), and more, plus (1:21:55) a Future Blast from 2043.

Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to video of punches
Link to ESPN White Sox story
Link to Ramírez comments
Link to Hamilton call
Link to story on Hamilton call
Link to Kopech quote
Link to Grandal/Anderson report
Link to Hahn comments
Link to video of prior 2B tag play
Link to The Athletic column on Anderson
Link to The Athletic column on the Sox
Link to Anderson on personal struggles
Link to AA’s Brown report
Link to Brown broadcast clip
Link to Ghiroli on Brown
Link to Rosenthal on Brown
Link to other announcers on Angelos
Link to Angelos’s spring comments
Link to Adley with puppies
Link to catcher HR leaders
Link to team catcher WAR
Link to May episode on Sánchez
Link to Rob Mains on July
Link to MLBTR on Jung’s injury
Link to MLBTR on Culberson
Link to Littell cruise ship story
Link to Stat Blast on Springs
Link to ambidextrous fielder story
Link to story on LH catchers
Link to LH catcher EW episode
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki
Link to McClanahan update
Link to Cronin chess story
Link to The Matrix Revolutions scene

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Robin Ventura truthers defending Ventura on the 30th anniversary of his brawl with Nolan Ryan, Shohei Ohtani‘s 2023 WAR matching his full-season 2021 WAR and whether this Ohtani season would’ve won him an MVP award in 2022, the Yankees’ handling of Anthony Rizzo’s belatedly diagnosed post-concussion syndrome, whether this year’s shift restrictions are leading to more pitchers being hit by baseballs, and what winning or losing the trade deadline is actually worth, then (52:44) Stat Blast about players with the highest and lowest percentages of pulled homers (and the longest streaks of pulled homers), players who bat righty and throw lefty, the most matching pitch counts and speeds in one game, a record date for MLB birthdays, and the players traded the most times at the trade deadline, followed by (1:11:54) a conversation with former major leaguer J.A. Happ (and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen) about what it’s like to be dealt at the deadline, Happ’s extensive trade history, the retirement of Cole Hamels, and more, plus (1:51:26) a Future Blast from 2042.

Audio intro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ventura/Ryan video
Link to Ventura/Ryan story
Link to Drellich’s Ventura tweet
Link to Langs on Ohtani’s game
Link to FG WAR leaderboard
Link to B-Ref WAR leaderboard
Link to Fletcher’s EW interview
Link to Ben on Ohtani and Judge
Link to The Athletic on Rizzo
Link to Rosenthal on Rizzo
Link to Lindsey on Germán
Link to Jay on Rizzo and Germán
Link to Rizzo fatigue quote
Link to other Rizzo quote
Link to MLB.com story on Rizzo
Link to SIS comebackers tweet
Link to Pudge cheek story 1
Link to Pudge cheek story 2
Link to Down on the Farm post
Link to Dan S. on the 2023 deadline
Link to Dan S. on the 2022 deadline
Link to Dan S. on the 2021 deadline
Link to career pulled HR rates
Link to pulled HR streaks
Link to Russell Carleton’s Twitter
Link to weird-ass starter record
Link to weird-ass starter record (no P)
Link to weird-ass player record
Link to weird-ass player record (no P)
Link to all AL/NL weird-ass hitters
Link to pitch speed/count sheet
Link to Lucas Apostoleris’s Twitter
Link to MLB birthdays bar chart
Link to MLB birthdays heat map
Link to MLB relative age effect
Link to relative age effect wiki
Link to listener emails database
Link to trades on deadline day
Link to trades within 3 days
Link to trades within 1 week
Link to trades within 2 weeks
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter
Link to Happ’s wiki
Link to “J Day” story
Link to Happ’s transactions
Link to Hamels retirement info
Link to IronPigs wiki
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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After the trade-deadline dust settles, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the big deals from deadline eve and deadline day, starting with high-level trade-season takeaways (reunions, top prospects, hitters vs. pitchers, missing star power) and then zooming in on almost every team as they discuss the Justin Verlander trade, the AL West arms race, and Framber Valdez’s no-hitter, the Mets’ sell-off, the Padres’ non-sell-off (and the itinerant Rich Hill), the Mariners’ middle course, the Orioles’ prospect-hugging, a number of contending teams’ lack of activity, and more, plus pedantry, follow-ups, and a Future Blast (1:21:57) from 2041.

Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG trade-post roundup
Link to FG post on unmade trades
Link to Langs on division leads
Link to Jay on the Valdez no-no
Link to BP on Valdez
Link to tweet about Hill in 2024
Link to February Angelos comments
Link to Elias quote 1
Link to Elias quote 2
Link to Elias quote 3
Link to Boone deadline quote
Link to Bloom comment
Link to Rodriguez veto explanation
Link to Kram on deadline W+L
Link to Clemens on deadline W+L
Link to FG farm rankings
Link to Elks record story
Link to Milwaukee punching bag
Link to Mikolas EW episode
Link to Josh Beck EW episode
Link to Rick Wilber’s website
Link to Future Blast wiki

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