Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
2,149 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2.5K ratingsDaily baseball statistical analysis and commentary
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Episodes
Effectively Wild Episode 2148: Backyard Baseball
April 06, 2024 08:27 - 1 hour - 91 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the earthquake in the Northeast, Juan Soto’s choice of walk-up song, J.J. Hardy building a ballpark in his Arizona backyard, the pluses and minuses of living in or near a ballpark, and how Shohei Ohtani relates to the Tower of Babel, then (1:04:21) answer listener emails about the […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2147: Rising Tides
April 05, 2024 08:46 - 1 hour - 88.1 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Athletics’ intermediate move to Sacramento, the Royals’ failed public funding referendum, a Davis Schneider self scouting report, a wild Diamondbacks-Yankees game that ended with a pitcher at the plate, whether a DH day is really like a partial day off, whether the Triple-A Norfolk Tides are better […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2146: Long May You (Salmon) Run
April 03, 2024 07:54 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a grab of topics, including a team meeting after two games, early bad blood and benches-clearing incidents, the continued terribleness of the new uniforms, a Bryce Harper blooper, a missing first-base coach, an A’s conspiracy, Juan Soto as instant True Yankee, new lights at Chase Field, the Dairy […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2145: Opening Daze and the 2024 Team Fun Draft
March 30, 2024 07:07 - 2 hours - 121 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Opening Day naps, a Bryce Harper pandering update, Nelson Cruz’s Mariners retirement and the one-day-contract tradition, and Yusei Kikuchi’s latest intriguing revelation, then (21:16) share some highlights and lowlights of Opening Day action, report the results of listener voting on the preseason predictions game, analyze Will Smith’s extension, […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2144: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Rockies
March 27, 2024 08:45 - 2 hours - 115 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley remind people to vote in their preseason predictions game, discuss the completion of the season preview series, and then (10:15) analyze Shohei Ohtani’s remarks from Monday and preview the rest of the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers season with The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, followed (1:15:31) by a 2024 Colorado Rockies preview […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2143: The 2024 Preseason Predictions Game
March 26, 2024 07:19 - 1 hour - 105 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens play “Character Who Appears in Shōgun the Novel (but Not the TV Series) or International Amateur Baseball Player” (3:13), banter about an MLBPA power struggle (8:37) and the life of late Orioles owner Peter Angelos (16:51), and then explain the second annual preseason […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2142: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Nationals
March 23, 2024 08:49 - 1 hour - 103 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the J.D. Martinez and Michael Lorenzen signings, Eury Pérez‘s elbow, Jackson Holliday not making the O’s Opening Day roster, and MLB’s crowded, mediocre middle, then preview the 2024 New York Yankees (16:49) with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, and the 2024 Washington Nationals (1:14:13) with The Washington Post’s Andrew […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2141: What Did Sho Know?
March 23, 2024 05:24 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBIn an in-depth discussion that became a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley explore the state of the sports-betting scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, breaking down the stakes, the most pressing sources of uncertainty, and the many possible outcomes and consequences. Audio intro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2140: Don’t Bet on It
March 21, 2024 08:08 - 1 hour - 101 MBAfter a brief preamble about the betting scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the first game of the regular season, whether gloves have gotten more permeable, the odds of a DH-only Ohtani MVP season, Ohtani’s lucrative endorsements, whether the addition of in-app gambling info to NBA […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2139: Season Preview Series: Braves and White Sox
March 20, 2024 08:50 - 2 hours - 126 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Giants signing Blake Snell, whether Snell is now underrated, San Francisco’s offseason, Scott Boras’s offseason, leaguewide spending, an MLBPA power struggle, and (39:03) a 150-year-old message about baseball players in spring, then preview the 2024 Atlanta Braves (45:42) with 92.9 The Game’s Grant McAuley, and the 2024 […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2138: Our Favorite Offseason Moves
March 15, 2024 04:48 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dylan Cease trade, the post-trade outlooks for the Padres and White Sox, and the incomparably chaotic Padres POBO A.J. Preller, then (31:22) discuss who the best pitcher in baseball is with Gerrit Cole on the shelf, Shohei Ohtani’s wife reveal (41:33), and (49:34) ESPN’s planned on-screen win […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2137: Season Preview Series: Astros and Athletics
March 14, 2024 05:19 - 1 hour - 103 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest on Gerrit Cole’s elbow and how his uncertain status might affect free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, then preview the 2024 Houston Astros (23:42) with The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and the 2024 Oakland (for now?) Athletics (1:12:15) with The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard. Audio intro: Ian Phillips, […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2136: Season Preview Series: Mariners and Royals
March 13, 2024 06:50 - 1 hour - 99.7 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the uncertain state of Gerrit Cole’s elbow (and the larger UCL scourge), the Giants controversially releasing J.D. Davis, and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts/Gavin Lux infield switcheroo, then preview the 2024 Seattle Mariners (29:12) with The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, and the 2024 Kansas City Royals (1:08:53) with The […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2135: Season Preview Series: Rays and Pirates
March 09, 2024 09:12 - 1 hour - 103 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the retirement of Meg favorite Mike Zunino, some teams’ mismatched gray jerseys and pants, whether Blake Snell is still unsigned in part because his pitching isn’t fun to watch (and whether he walks batters by accident or on purpose), and Joey Votto’s minor league deal with the Blue […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2134: Season Preview Series: Orioles and Giants
March 08, 2024 11:44 - 1 hour - 100 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the A’s Las Vegas ballpark renderings, Brayan Bello’s extension with the Red Sox, and MLB’s Spring Breakout games, provide an update on EW listeners’ MLB ballpark meetup events, then preview the 2024 Baltimore Orioles (28:59) with The Baltimore Banner’s Danielle Allentuck, and the 2024 San Francisco Giants (1:04:38) […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2133: (Eternal) Rest Day
March 06, 2024 08:41 - 1 hour - 84.4 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler extension, the Giants’ Matt Chapman signing, and a Scott Boras quote about free agency, then (17:35) bring on Patreon supporter Jay Wade Edwards to answer listener emails (26:41) about see-through players (and see-through pants), how different baseball would be if instead of a lineup […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2132: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Reds
March 02, 2024 09:45 - 5 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens about the site’s ongoing efforts to model team depth and factor it into projections, then preview the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays (30:46) with The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath, and the 2024 Cincinnati Reds (1:16:31) with The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans. Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2131: Season Preview Series: Phillies and Angels
March 01, 2024 13:21 - 2 hours - 115 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s surprise marriage announcement (5:15), and Portia of Ohtani fan account @shoheisaveus returns (18:13) to tell Ben how the news was received by the Shobae community. Then Ben and Meg Stat Blast (36:49) about the biggest year-to-year changes in WAR produced by different players who wore the […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2130: The Incomparably Comparable Catchers
February 29, 2024 11:21 - 1 hour - 97 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cubs signing Cody Bellinger, Scott Boras’s offseason, and what Bryce Harper’s walk year could portend for Juan Soto’s. Then (33:27) Ben and Meg talk to Ben Kramer and Robert Toner of the Anchorage Sports Association about the Fur Rendezvous Festival snowshoe softball tournament and the finer points […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2129: Season Preview Series: Twins and Tigers
February 24, 2024 11:48 - 1 hour - 100 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Boras Four behind the scenes, Hyun Jin Ryu’s salary-cap-skirting KBO contract, and a study on the effectiveness of complaining about umps, plus a Stat Blast (22:51) about an inaccurate, unkillable Greg Maddux fun fact and more musings (34:52) on transparent pants. Then they preview the 2024 Minnesota […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2128: Season Preview Series: Diamondbacks and Brewers
February 23, 2024 09:40 - 1 hour - 103 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s semi-transparent-pants problem and the Nike/Fanatics uniform mess that’s swallowed spring training, a “down the dick” etymology follow-up, Kodai Senga’s injury, Mitch Keller’s extension, the Marlins signing Tim Anderson, and a minor league free agent draft update. Then they preview the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks (38:13) with The Arizona […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2127: Right Down the Dickson
February 21, 2024 08:16 - 1 hour - 100 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about recent headline-generating comments by Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, a Padres position change, and the possibility of another Ronald Acuña Jr. extension. Then (34:11) they bring on Patreon supporter Sean Saxe and answer listener emails (40:13) about the best substitute for Babe Ruth in a remake of The […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2126: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Guardians
February 17, 2024 04:01 - 1 hour - 102 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rob Manfred’s announcement that he’ll step down as commissioner after his current term. Then they preview the 2024 St. Louis Cardinals (26:01) with The Athletic’s Katie Woo and the 2024 Cleveland Guardians (1:09:24) with MLB.com’s Mandy Bell, plus a postscript (1:44:43). Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2125: Baseball 101
February 16, 2024 11:46 - 1 hour - 91 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about injuries at spring training (specifically the Orioles’) and Jorge Soler and the Giants’ offseason, Stat Blast (21:04) about Kenley Jansen and the age of active career leaders in pitching appearances and recording five or six hits in a game against five or six different pitchers, and then talk […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2124: Season Preview Series: Rangers and Cubs
February 13, 2024 08:40 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a difference between baseball and football (as illustrated by the Super Bowl), the lowering of the limit on players per organization, and umpire Jen Pawol’s ascent toward the majors (and history). Then they preview the 2024 Texas Rangers (22:28) with MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and the 2024 Chicago Cubs […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2123: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Padres
February 10, 2024 04:56 - 1 hour - 103 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about former Mets GM Billy Eppler’s suspension for fabricating injuries, then Stat Blast (15:25) about players who amassed the most WAR for their secondary, tertiary, quaternary (etc.) teams, Hall of Famers who played with their hometown teams, and uniform numbers assigned to different players with the same surname on […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2122: Ballers Don’t Lie
February 09, 2024 05:39 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about surprising playoff odds, the Astros extending Jose Altuve (26:40), the Brewers signing Gary Sánchez (34:57), the forthcoming Netflix docuseries about the 2024 Red Sox (38:49), a baseball equivalent of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift (45:17), and how trailblazing former first-round draftee Carter Stewart has fared in Japan (55:29). […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2121: Season Preview Series: Marlins and Mets
February 07, 2024 06:05 - 1 hour - 94.6 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley introduce the 12th annual Effectively Wild season preview series, then banter about the Royals extending Bobby Witt Jr., the Dodgers reuniting with Clayton Kershaw (and Ryan Brasier), the Red Sox (sort of) reuniting with Theo Epstein, and the latest hitter who’s converting to pitching. Then they preview the 2024 Miami […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2120: Corbin Competencies
February 03, 2024 15:12 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the Corbin Burnes trade between the Orioles and Brewers, then (23:19) talk to 81-year-old Don Kessinger, former six-time All-Star shortstop for the Cubs, about being an amateur multi-sport star, learning to switch-hit after making the majors, playing in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game, hitting in the low-offense 1960s, facing […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2119: The All-Time BP Annual Guessing Game
February 02, 2024 04:56 - 1 hour - 104 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein and managing editor Patrick Dubuque banter about editing, discuss the Orioles’ impending change in ownership (10:25), examine the newly released Baseball Prospectus 2024 (22:01), and then play a guessing/Remembering Some Guys game in which they each read aloud book comments about six unidentified players apiece, […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2118: The Call-Up is Coming From Inside the House
January 31, 2024 04:29 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what would happen if top prospects could promote themselves, the Mariners-Twins trade involving Jorge Polanco, Photoshop mockups of players in their new teams’ uniforms, Byron Buxton returning to center field, the Blue Jays signing Justin Turner, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as an MLB The Show cover model, the surprising […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2117: Sports Shouting
January 27, 2024 08:04 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley unleash another rant about the Orioles’ inaction (prompted by Mike Elias quotes about their aggressiveness) and banter about the David Robertson and Joc Pederson signings and baseball in Masters of the Air, then (33:51) answer listener emails about whether the Diamondbacks still qualify as a young franchise, injury stoppage time […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2116: Too Close to Hall
January 26, 2024 04:40 - 1 hour - 80 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on the contract over/unders draft and the “death ball,” banter about the signings of Rhys Hoskins and Matt Moore, weigh their current confidence levels in the A’s actually moving to Las Vegas, and consider a suggestion for a “pulling the goalie”-style tweak to baseball. Then (35:44) they talk […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2115: I Am Become Death Ball
January 24, 2024 00:51 - 1 hour - 79.4 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the “death ball,” a curveball variant that could be baseball’s next sweeper-esque pitch-design innovation, and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of separate classifications for “new” pitches that are subsets of other pitches, and the importance of continuing education among fans and media members. Then (39:23) they talk about […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2114: Weekend WARriors
January 21, 2024 03:42 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the offseason doldrums and this winter’s free-agent activity compared to last year’s, the Josh Hader and Robert Stephenson signings (with a contract over/under draft update), a bleak week in sports (and non-sports) media, pitcher/catcher technique and the automated strike zone, and the invasion of players named Jackson, followed […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2113: Just Like They Scripted It
January 20, 2024 06:30 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Nick Taber banter about Nick’s baseball background and MLB’s most hated teams, then (19:41) answer listener emails about baseball’s newsbreakers as secret newsmakers, a baseball mercenary who plays for multiple teams in the same city (or who has it out for one particular opponent), whether we would remember […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2112: Signing Snellinger
January 18, 2024 05:50 - 1 hour - 78.3 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about where Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger should/will sign, excoriate the Orioles for their offseason inaction, marvel at Alex Anthopoulos’s lengthy extension, discuss the Giants’ Jordan Hicks signing as part of a trend toward reliever-starter reverse conversions, consider the etymology of “innings eater” and how pitcher usage is like […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2111: Insider Fading
January 12, 2024 07:25 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and listener Michael Mountain banter about Michael’s proposal for Effectively Wild listener ballpark meetups during the 2024 MLB season, followed by (7:24) Michael’s guest Stat Blasts about the best non-award-winning players, his all-time player tiers, and Hall of Famers (and HoF candidates) who excelled or flopped at leading their leagues at […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2110: Rooker of the Year
January 11, 2024 11:14 - 1 hour - 86.9 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s unlikely recovery in the contracts over/under draft, the Cubs signing Shota Imanaga, the trailblazing Rachel Balkovec moving from the dugout to the Marlins’ front office, and (18:37) whether the new horror film Night Swim is a baseball movie. Then (35:53) they talk to Oakland A’s All-Star Brent […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2109: And Teoscar Goes To…
January 09, 2024 07:22 - 1 hour - 91 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Teoscar Hernández signing with the Dodgers, how other teams can compete with L.A., and the Mets signing Sean Manaea. Then (33:07) they answer listener emails about whether the Royals or Tigers will win more games in 2024, the basis for believing the Cardinals will bounce back from their […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2108: What We Might Remember About 2023
January 06, 2024 05:10 - 1 hour - 80.2 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about multiple Mariners trades and follow up on a previous conversation about teams with the most work to do before Opening Day, then (21:07) talk to Pebble Hunting author (and former host) Sam Miller about what (if anything!) will be best remembered about the 2023 baseball season. Audio intro: Daniel […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2107: The Mascot Menu
January 05, 2024 06:16 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the cruelty of the gift Ben gave his Effectively Wild Secret Santa recipient, which MLB team has the most pressure on it to finish the offseason strong (15:23), Chris Sale’s extension, and the Mets signing Harrison Bader. Then (36:36) they answer listener emails about which mascots would be […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2106: New Year, Blue Yu
January 03, 2024 04:58 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap news and transactions from over the holidays, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s thoughts on San Francisco and Yu Darvish’s thoughts on the Dodgers signing his WBC teammates, the Mariners signing Mitch Garver, the Reds signing Frankie Montas, a smattering of Blue Jays and White Sox signings, the Estevan Florial trade, and […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2105: The Stories We Missed in 2023
December 30, 2023 11:06 - 1 hour - 107 MBBen Lindbergh is joined by Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer, formerly of Yahoo Sports and the Bandwagon podcast, to discuss at least one listener-nominated, previously overlooked topic from 2023 about each MLB team. Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to The Bandwagon Link to Hannah’s Yahoo archive Link to […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2104: International Affairs
December 27, 2023 10:20 - 1 hour - 95 MBWith this year’s MLB free agent market enlivened by international players, Ben Lindbergh talks to three guests about three baseball-rich countries. First, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency joins to discuss the response in South Korea to Jung Hoo Lee 이정후’s signing, Shin-Soo Choo 추신수’s forthcoming retirement, the legendary career of Choi Dong-won, and […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2103: The 2024 Minor League Free Agent Draft
December 25, 2023 05:54 - 1 hour - 78 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens continue a cherished podcast tradition by conducting the 11th annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, in which they select 10 minor league free agents each and compete to see whose roster will accumulate the most combined MLB playing time in 2024. Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2102: The Dodgers Are Buying a Waaampionship
December 23, 2023 01:48 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBBen Lindbergh and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein discuss all the fallout from the Dodgers’ record-breaking signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, including how it affects fan perceptions of the Dodgers, whether it’s good for MLB to have a heel, whether there’s a more virtuous way to win, the terms of the contract and their expectations for […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2101: Eating Crow
December 21, 2023 09:02 - 1 hour - 98.8 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether MLB should implement an NHL-esque holiday transaction freeze, then (5:53) answer listener emails about Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and tampering, abandoning the Angels, what to do after visiting every MLB and MiLB ballpark, when the last-place finishers of 2023 will be 90-win true-talent teams, “prep” […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2100: Here’s How Our Bold Predictions Did
December 19, 2023 13:56 - 1 hour - 75.3 MBBen Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, FanGraphs’ Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens, and Chris Hanel play a quick round of “College Baseball Player or U.S. Space Shuttle Astronaut,” banter about the Braves’ series of recent, red-paper-clip-style trades (5:21) and the Diamondbacks re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (14:13), and then revisit, dissect, and score their bold preseason predictions from […]
Effectively Wild Episode 2099: The Artful Dodgers
December 16, 2023 13:28 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBBen Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s introductory press conference and getting closure on contract/canine questions, the audience verdict on how to handle Ohtani in the free-agent-contract over/under draft (20:22), the Dodgers-Rays Tyler Glasnow trade (32:09), the latest Royals signings (Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe), the Tigers adding Jack Flaherty, and the AL Central, […]