Podcast
Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
Hosted by Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley · EN
Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary
168episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Effectively Wild Episode 2508: Deadline Deliberations
Yesterday01:44:55Summary readyBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s ongoing jury service and meet major leaguers Zac Thornton and Tyron Guerrero, who used to be—but also never really were?—named Zach Thornton and Tayron Guerrero, respectively. Then (35:29) they attempt to diagnose Cal Raleigh’s offensive ills, check in on Patrick Bailey’s bat, examine how the Red Sox and Phillies wound up where they were supposed to be by a very roundabout route, assess the state of trade-deadline speculation, and consider where they would want a few top trade candidates to go. Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Meet a Major Leaguer wiki Link to semantic satiation wiki Link to Newsday on Thornton Link to Thornton’s Grand Canyon page Link to Guerrero call-up article Link to Cotillo’s Guerrero tweet Link to Guerrero name pronunciation Link to Guerrero wiki Link to MLBTR on Guerrero Link to The Land Before Time characters Link to Soroka name tweet Link to Britton name article Link to Varland name article Link to Lovelady name article Link to Stanton name decision Link to Carmona/Hernández name change Link to Jerry Gergich wiki Link to Raleigh batted-ball profile Link to Sam’s Raleigh posts Link to Raleigh’s 2025 splits Link to Raleigh’s 2026 splits Link to original Bailey discussion Link to profane, offensive Ferguson Link to hitting after IBB article 1 Link to hitting after IBB article 2 Link to hitting after IBB article 3 Link to preseason playoff odds Link to updated playoff odds Link to Breslow on the deadline Link to Crizer on the Red Sox Link to Slaten quote Link to Dan S. on managerial firings Link to BaseRuns standings Link to team batting WAR Link to team pitching WAR Link to team 2B WAR Link to The Athletic trade candidates Link to ESPN trade candidates Link to MLBTR on Arraez Link to Goodman rumor Link to MLBTR on the Goodman rumor Link to MLBTR on the Angels’ deadline Link to JKG injury article Link to Crotchfelt signing Sponsor Us on Patreon <a href="https://patreon.com/effec...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2507: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Named
3d ago01:48:51Summary readyBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s jury duty and his reaction to Meg and Craig’s pillow talk on the preceding episode. Then they discuss why All-Star Game pitching is overpowering, whether the Home Run Derby balls were juiced (and whether it matters), another earliest-ever Opening Day, MLB’s crackdown on teams’ boundary-pushing use of dugout iPads, Shohei Ohtani’s pitching pause, MLB app complaints, extensions for Chase Burns and Kyle Bradish, Luis Arraez as a prize of the trade deadline, and the funniest tech startups the Dodgers have seeded. Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to EW Episode 2506 Link to Kepner on the ASG Link to 2018 ASG box score Link to Heyman on Harper Link to Insta post with Harper quote Link to MLB HRD notes Link to longest Harper homers Link to longest Caminero homers Link to longest Contreras homers Link to exit speed responsibility Link to 2024 NBA ASG wiki Link to 2026 NBA ASG wiki Link to top-selling jerseys Link to Sheehan on the lack of stars Link to Paine on ASG philosophies Link to 2027 MLB schedule Link to EW season preview series wiki Link to World Cup expansion Link to March Madness expansion Link to Ohtani news Link to ulnar nerve entrapment Link to MLB app betting odds Link to latest FG app updates Link to The Athletic iPads report Link to Ben on front office encroachment Link to Ottavino clip Link to Dubuque on Burns Link to Bradish on Burns Link to MLBTR on Burns Link to Trent’s tweet about Burns Link to Burns pitch usage Link to MLB pitching WAR leaders Link to MLBTR on Bradish Link to sweepstakes wiki Link to sweeps week wiki Link to MLBTR on Arraez Link to Andrews on Arraez Link to BZZR article 1 Link to BZZR article 2 Link to BZZR article 3 Link to BZZR article 4 <a href="https://www.foiaball.com/p/college-football-laundry-detergent-renegade-los-angeles-dodgers" rel="...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2506: All-Star Showers Bring Second-Half Flowers
6d ago00:38:58Summary readyThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon. With Ben Lindbergh serving jury duty, Meg Rowley is joined by Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein. The pair discuss the perils of hotel pillows and showers, then turn their attention to the 2026 All-Star Game, how the in-person experience compares to the TV one, and the challenges of making it a fun event relative to the Home Run Derby. Then Craig offers his thoughts on the CBA negotiations and Rob Manfred’s approach to communicating (38:58), before he and Meg discuss a few of the things they are looking forward to (and one thing they’re dreading) about the season’s second half, including the White Sox, good teams playing well, a potentially weird deadline, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to the Five and Dive episode where Craig discusses the Rays Link to Craig on the weird deadline ahead Link to Steven Goldman on the All-Star Game Link to Jake Mintz on the All-Star Game Sandlot tribute Link to Jayson Stark on the AL’s All-Star pitching dominance Link to Andy McCullough on the All-Star Game Link to Michael Baumann on Philly as the haters’ All-Star Game Link to Katie Woo on Jordan Walker Link to Ben Clemens on Dillion Dingler Link to Davy Andrews on Pete Crow-Armstrong Link to Ryan Blake on Lance McCullers Jr. Trade Link to Dan Szymborski on an AL team with a losing record making the postseason Sponsor Us on Patreon Give a Gift Subscription Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Effectively Wild Subreddit Effectively Wild Wiki Apple Podcasts Feed Spotify Feed YouTube Playlist Facebook Group Bluesky Account Twitter Account Get Our Merch! var SERVER_DATA = Object.assign(SERVER_DATA || {}); Source
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2505: Game Recognize (All-Star) Game
1w ago01:41:51Summary readyBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about all aspects of the Home Run Derby spectator experience, both in the ballpark and from afar: the new format, the Netflix broadcast, the Philly fans, Jordan Walker’s win, and more. Then (49:12) they discuss how All-Star selections increasingly reflect same-season performance, Bruce Meyer’s and Rob Manfred’s comments to the BBWAA, negotiations over MLB players’ participation in the 2028 Olympics, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddanne Rafaela’s mutual lovefest, and the ice-cold A’s and red-hot Red Sox. Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2” Audio outro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to FG HRD recap Link to LHB-heavy preview Link to MLB HRD notes Link to LHB park factors Link to RHB park factors Link to “Year of the LHH” post Link to MLB.com on Walker Link to list of youngest HRD winners Link to Walker on inspirational value Link to historical HRD results Link to McGwire Simpsons scene Link to Marchand on Netflix Link to Sam on the Derby’s future Link to HRD X wiki Link to Meg’s Arozarena photo Link to Posnanski on the HRD Link to Philly Drew/batteries incident Link to Philly Santa Claus incident Link to Paine on All-Star selections Link to past EW discussion on selections Link to Manfred competitive balance quote Link to Meyer on MLB.TV ads Link to Meyer/Manfred messaging summary Link to Passan on the Olympics Link to Drellich on the Olympics Link to The West Wing quote Link to Rafaela/PCA article Link to FG WAR leaderboard Link to playoff odds changes Link to A’s firing article Link to team road FIP Link to team home FIP Link to team batting WAR Link to Sheehan on the Sox Link to conn wiki Sponsor Us on Patreon Give a Gift Subscription Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Effectively Wild Subreddit Effectively Wild Wiki Apple Podcasts Feed <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="18" src="https...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2504: I Choo-Choo-Choose You
1w ago01:40:28Summary readyMLB Draft 2026 What Do Real Prospects Think About MLB’s Draft Proposal?2026 Mock Draft 1.0The Biggest (Literally) Draft Class YetJackson Flora's Evolution, Alain Gomez-Gudino's Incredible Journey, and Other Tales from the 2026 Draft Class2026 MLB Draft Preview and Updated RankingsDay 1 Draft Chat2026 Mock Draft 2.0: The Day OfThe MLB Draft Is Once Again for Diehards OnlyDay 1 Recap2026 Futures Game Recap: More Next Year, PleaseEffectively Wild Episode 2504: I Choo-Choo-Choose You Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen banter about Zack Wheeler declining MLB’s last-minute All-Star invitation, JJ Wetherholt’s long-term contract extension, and how the Futures Game and amateur draft fell flat as spectator events, then discuss the top tier of draft picks, some surprising picks and revamped approaches by teams under new management, why better data hasn’t made teams much better at drafting, why no team has tried blowing by its bonus allotment, and more, plus closing banter about Bryce Harper’s explanation of his video message for a sports-betting addict. Audio intro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to The Simpsons clip Link to Wheeler article Link to MLBTR on Wetherholt Link to Wetherholt’s draft outfit Link to Baumann on the spectator experience Link to Cooper on the spectator experience Link to Manfred mispronunciation article Link to celebrity golf tournament Link to Futures Game FAQ Link to draft viewing FAQ Link to Brendan on the Futures Game Link to Eric’s draft preview Link to The Board Link to Baumann on big draftees Link to MLB draft tracker Link to FG Day 1 draft recap Link to The Athletic on Schaffner Link to Crotchfelt vs. Titsworth post Link to Angels picks Link to Ball’s draft study Link to Seidler on blowing up the draft Link to Ball on blowing up the draft Link to NBA revenue info Link to Madisynn from She-Hulk Link to Clemens on prospect valuation 1 Link to Clemens on prospect valuation 2 Link to camel case wiki Link to Harper’s Instagram post Link to EW guest appearances Link to Dodgers extra-inning game Sponsor Us on Patreon Give a Gift Subscription Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Effectively Wild Subreddit Effectively Wild Wiki <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="18" src="https://i.imgur.com/n16jO21.png" style="width: 18px;height: 18px" width=...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2503: Very Important Prey
2w ago00:36:29Summary readyThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon. Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley share listener solutions to the mystery of why the 12-straight-hits club is such an undistinguished group, the Home Run Derby field, Bryce Harper’s video message (13:28) to a sports-betting addict and sportsbooks’ practice of preying on whales, the disparity (35:54) in the recent treatment of two pitchers who had no-hitters in progress, and Zack Wheeler’s gripe against All-Star selecting, then (1:02:42) answer a listener email about how much a game one has to have seen to claim to have “watched” it, and Stat Blast (1:23:20) about partial home run robberies, games with matching starter pitch and strike counts, historical team no-hitter conversion rates, and prolific “first” strikeout and home-run recorders. Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Tolbert record post 1 Link to Tolbert record post 2 Link to Williams 11th hit Link to Pedroia 11th hit Link to HRD field Link to Norway rowing pedant Link to Inquirer article on Harper Link to Post article on Harper Link to lawsuit article Link to Giannis/Kalshi article Link to gambling damage research 1 Link to gambling damage research 2 Link to addiction story 1 Link to addiction story 2 Link to addiction story 3 Link to addiction story 4 Link to addiction story 5 Link to story on Jones 1 Link to story on Jones 2 Link to Jones game log Link to questions about Jones Link to Jones Q&A Link to Cease story Link to BP on Cease Link to top 2026 pitch counts Link to Blum on pulling pitchers Link to Scott/PCA clip Link to Ben on no-hitter strike zones Link to Wheeler quote clip Link to Wheeler’s agent article Link to latest Luzardo start Link to 2025 Phillies ASG complaints Link to “May I meet you?” meme Link to Pascal’s wager wiki Link to “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Link to Simpson/Adell robbery Link to Glavine game 1 Link to Glavine game 2 Link to Nola question Link to Bois on Stieb Link to Stat Blast data Link to listener emails database Link to Cubs fact 1 Link to Cubs fact 2 Link to MLBTR on Ohtani Link to MLBTR on Wetherholt Sponsor Us on Patreon <img loading="lazy" decoding="a...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2502: The Cycle of Major League Life
2w ago01:45:58Summary readyBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about failed former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt’s subsequent sports ownership endeavors, a claim about Jacob Misiorowski’s pitching improvement, Jackson Chourio (batting lefty) as “a baseball player,” the recent struggles of Paul Skenes and Steven Kwan, Justin Verlander’s retirement, Zack Wheeler’s continued dominance, Andrew McCutchen’s return to the minors, the Orioles’ lack of improvement, the epitome of a Little League home run, Tyler Tolbert’s contribution to one of baseball’s great mysteries, and a 2026 Dodgers first. Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to McCourt’s new league Link to McCourt wiki Link to show jumping wiki Link to Vladimir Shpunt article Link to NPR on Fitzgerald’s quote Link to Nickelodeon Guts wiki Link to “Let’s go to Mo” Link to “Aggro Crag piece Link to Slippery Stairs video Link to Murphy/Chourio quote Link to Rendon lefty dinger Link to Mr. Baseball wiki Link to Mr. Baseball scene Link to FG post on Skenes Link to Sheehan on Skenes Link to Skenes mechanics post Link to Skenes velo tweet Link to Skenes velo data Link to Skenes on his velo Link to Skenes on O’Hearn Link to O’Hearn article Link to Skenes hot dog ad Link to Skenes on EW Link to Griffin injury article Link to sagittal band info Link to FG post on Kwan Link to Verlander’s retirement post Link to Verlander Legend pick Link to 2025 ASG box score Link to Wheeler leaderboard Link to Wheeler ASG article 1 Link to Wheeler ASG article 2 Link to McCutchen tweet Link to Orioles record post Link to Orioles WAR leaders Link to “great call from the haters” Link to LLHR article Link to LLHR video Link to Sam on the LLHR Link to Posnanski on the LLHR Link to BP on the LLHR Link to FG post on the LLHR Link to Tolbert record post 1 Link to Tolbert record post 2 Link to Dodgers extra-inning game Sponsor Us on Patreon...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2501: Stay on Target
2w ago01:43:27Summary readyBen 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 <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_search?hfPT=FF%7CSI%7C&hfGT=R%7C&hfSea=2026%7C&player_type=pitcher&game_date_lt=2026-07-05&position=SP&group_by=team&min_pitches=0&min_results=0&min_pas=0&sort_col=velocity&sort_order=desc&chk_stats_velocity=on&chk_pitch_type=on&chk_position=on#results" rel="noopener" target="_b...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2500: Yet Another “Things We Like About Baseball” Draft
3w ago01:55:17Summary readyIn the fifth incarnation of a time-honored tradition that recurs every 500-ish episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by ex-co-host Sam Miller and The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee to draft assorted things that they like about baseball. Audio intro: Sam Miller, “Effectively Wild Theme (Ken Maeda’s Nice ‘n’ Easy Remix)” Audio outro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to EW wiki page for things drafts Link to Episode 500 wiki Link to Episode 996 wiki Link to Episode 1500 wiki Link to Episode 2000 wiki Link to U.S. semiquincentennial wiki Link to Pebble Hunting Link to Grant at The Athletic Link to Ben on pre-WAR value estimates Link to spaghetti policy research Link to article on spaghetti research Link to Devil Rays food policy article Link to The Roundtable cancellation Link to O’Neil on bat cracks clip Link to O’Neil on Bo article 1 Link to O’Neil on Bo article 2 Link to Tracy quote about Harris Link to Kershaw on McKinstry Link to Tito Translator post Link to Murphy on Vargas Link to Space Jam sound clip Link to Space Jam video clip Link to Space Jam quote 2 Link to Space Jam clip 2 Link to Franzke on Stott Link to Martinez comment Link to Schneider on Lukes Link to Kemp quote 1 Link to Kemp quote 2 Link to Baldelli on Vázquez Link to Cora on Mayer Link to Roberts on DeLuca Link to Maddon on Fletcher Link to Campbell on Andrews Link to Snitker on Acuña Jr. Link to Roberts on Betts Link to Stark on Rollins Link to supposed Tabler quote Link to Malone on Counsell Link to Sandberg quote Link to Royko on Sandberg Link to Royko on Kruk Link to Royko wiki Link to Kruk and Koch Link to 1978 Willoughby article Link to Tomlinson Father’s Day bit Link to Can’t Hardly Wait scene Link to Everybody Wants Some!! clip Link to Sam on sound outside ballpark Link to Sam on K-strutting Link to Sam on Brewers challenging Link to Leeroy Jenkins wiki Link to The Athletic on Ruiz Link to best-hitting catchers <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/2015/04/19/clear-head-cozarts-producing/26056631/" rel="no...
SummaryEffectively Wild Episode 2499: Sit-Down Meeting
3w ago00:39:48Summary readyThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon. Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about tough times for a few EW favorites and Ben’s pre-podcast injury, then (15:00) discuss the response to Cade Cavalli telling Willson Contreras to “Sit down, boy.” After that (38:10), they cover the MLBPA’s proposals to limit certain types of transactions, a continued tightening of the leashes on starting pitchers, Paul Skenes’s recent struggles, the unlikely win-loss records of Tanner Bibee and Aaron Ashby (and an embarrassing Cooper Ingle error), Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong hot streaks and PCA’s newfound patience, recent swoons by the Braves and Yankees and surges by the Marlins and Rangers, what the Red Sox and Tigers should do at the deadline, and more. Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Brebbia Link to MLBTR on Rooker Link to Rooker/Pasquantino pod Link to MLBTR on Lin Link to MLBTR on Lasko Link to Brussels sprouts episode Link to Venezuela earthquakes story Link to MLB/MLBPA Venezuela donation Link to Cavalli/Contreras video Link to story on first Contreras ejection Link to ump’s ejection explanation Link to story about Contreras/Cavalli incident Link to Cavalli apology Link to Toboni comments Link to Bixby census data Link to The Athletic on Cavalli Link to punishments for players Link to MLBTR on the suspensions Link to Contreras Instagram comment Link to Contreras Instagram report Link to The Athletic on player proposals Link to MLBTR on player proposals Link to Ben on pitcher roster restrictions Link to BP on rampant DFAing Link to BP on rampant optioning Link to MLBPA prop-bet proposal Link to Crizer on Skenes, etc. Link to Skenes Big Glizzy ad Link to McClanahan game Link to Sam on starter usage Link to Snell no-hitter Link to familiarity vs. fatigue research Link to Ingle error Link to MLB wins leaders Link to Ashby quotes Link to RP IP leaders Link to RP leverage leaders Link to 23-3 game Link to Littleton save Link to Corbin save tweet Link to PCA fun fact Link to Swanson fun fact 1 <a href="https://x.com/JesseRogersE...
Summary