Effectively Wild Episode 2501: Stay on Target

by
July 7, 2026

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about two significant MLB debuts on NBC’s “Star-Spangled Sunday” (by Eddy Yean and Eliezer Alfonzo), the fallout from the Marlins pulling Eury Pérez mid-perfecto, a rare fog delay, the All-Star Game rosters (featuring a very normal number of Blue Jays, and also Rob Manfred’s good buddy Bryce Harper), whether the league set a target home-run rate (and whether that would be a bad thing), and the rotation durability of the Cards and Guards.

Audio intro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “Star-Spangled Sunday” explainer
Link to minor league draft scoreboard
Link to Yean’s cart clip
Link to Yean debut article
Link to bullpen cart driver episode
Link to team RP WAR
Link to Alfonzo article 1
Link to Alfonzo article 2
Link to Contreras apology
Link to B-Ref’s new debuts
Link to Pérez article
Link to Sheehan on pulling Pérez
Link to Ben on Marlins play-by-play
Link to 2016 Hill article
Link to 2022 Kershaw article
Link to 2022 Scherzer article
Link to Stripling on his debut
Link to Bachar’s Instagram
Link to fog game article 1
Link to fog game article 2
Link to BP on the fog game
Link to foggy ABS clip
Link to Fog Bowl wiki
Link to Statcast Hawk-Eye explainer
Link to All-Star rosters announcement
Link to Vladito back injury info
Link to Harper All-Star story
Link to 2025 Harper/Manfred story
Link to recent episode on baseball behavior
Link to MLB statement
Link to Baseball Savant drag dashboard
Link to 2026 Athletic ball article
Link to 2025 Athletic ball article
Link to 2022 ball article 1
Link to 2022 ball article 2
Link to 2022 humidor article
Link to 2021 ball-deadening article
Link to eyeblack ball report
Link to NPB ball scandal article
Link to NPB ball scandal outcome
Link to Strange-Gordon farming info
Link to NBA deflation scandals
Link to Sheehan on the Cards/Guards
Link to BP IL Ledger
Link to SP used per team
Link to team SP FB velo
Link to team SP WAR
Link to Pitcher List on Guardians SP stuff
Link to Thress Pérez/Bachar post
Link to RE24 explainer
Link to SP/RP RE24 data

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