Nasty Cast Fantasy Baseball
228 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 123 ratingsThe longest running fantasy baseball podcast in history* is back for the 2023 season! Van Lee, Ron Rigney, and Brian Vaughan casually talk about trends, changes to the game, strategies, and much more
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Episodes
Ep 285 | Opening Day and Predictions
April 08, 2022 07:07 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBOpening day is finally here! In honor of this grand occasion Van, Brian, and Ron give out their award picks for the season and tell you who they think will win the Cy Young Award, MVP Award, and more! They also continue their usual tradition of giving out bold predictions (which may or may not include Tony La Russa again), and of course run down a couple of recent trades
Ep 284 | Starting Pitcher Preview
April 01, 2022 03:26 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBThis week is a double dose of fantasy baseball advice on the Nasty Cast as Van and Brian return to discuss pitchers who throw more than an inning at a time! The guys run down the ADP for starting pitcher and tell you whether they like that cost or not. They also discuss their strategy for drafting starters as a whole, and then give you their favorite SP picks out of various chosen groups
Ep 283 | Relief Pitcher Preview
March 30, 2022 02:13 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBVan and Brian decide to give you a little bonus episode here where the guys discuss relief pitchers and how you should be drafting them. They discuss different draft strategies including going Hader/Hendricks, as well as whether you should wait for your first closer or not
Ep 283 | Relief Pitcher Review
March 30, 2022 02:13 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBVan and Brian decide to give you a little bonus episode here where the guys discuss relief pitchers and how you should be drafting them. They discuss different draft strategies including going Hader/Hendricks, as well as whether you should wait for your first closer or not
Ep 282 | Free Agent Signings, Trades, and More
March 25, 2022 08:18 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBWith the CBA signed teams have gone absolutely bonkers with the final big free agents finding homes and some crazy trades going down. Van, Brian, and Ron decide to go over all the big transactions and tell you exactly what that means for your fantasy draft. So find out what they think of Tatis missing a few months, Josh Donaldson with the Yankees, Nelson Cruz with the Nationals, and plenty more!
Ep 281 | Outfielders Outside the Top 20
March 11, 2022 16:35 - 1 hour - 70.9 MBIn a flurry of activity the MLBPA and MLB finally agreed to a new CBA and folks, we officially will have baseball for the 2022 season. This relieves some of the bitterness that Van, Brian, and Ron were feeling so they decided to wrap up their episodes on outfielders! The boys talk players outside the top 20 and determine who they like best. They chat J.D. Martinez, Christian Yelich, Andrew Benintendi, and plenty more!
Ep 280 | Top 20 Outfielders
February 25, 2022 05:45 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBWe've left the infield and find ourselves sitting in the grass tossing our glove in the air and singing about nothing as the guys of the Nasty Cast talk the top 20 outfielders! The position is so big (since there are, you know, three of them) we decided to cover them all across two episodes. We're talking elite bats, huge power hitters, and of course Whit Merrifield too. So tune in to find out what Brian, Van, and Ron have to say about Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts, and more!
Ep 279 | Shortstop Positional Review
February 04, 2022 04:30 - 1 hour - 60 MBRon may have come down with a case of Ronitis, but Van and Brian soldier through what is probably the most star-studded position in fantasy baseball this year by tackling shortstops! The duo talk everyone from Fernando Tatis Jr and Trea Turner up top to (shudder) Gleyber Torres somewhere in the middle to deeper names like Jorge Mateo, Niko Goodrum, and more
Ep 278 | Third Base Positional Review
January 28, 2022 07:14 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBWe're almost home! Well, Ron, Van, and Brian ARE home, but this is an analogy and 'home' is home plate. But you likely knew that if you're listening to this show since we doubt people who know nothing of baseball listen to baseball podcasts, but who knows! Anyway the boys look deep into third base and talk all the hot players at the hot corner (and Adalberto Mondesi), giving you their favorite buys, sells, and everything in between. Plus a new game! Speaking of which, if you're here solely f...
Ep 277 | Second Base Positional Review
January 20, 2022 05:13 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBThe Keystone! Second base has baffled many an analyst but Van, Ron, and Brian are here to break it all down into simple terms that anyone can understand: don't draft Gleyber Torres. Well that and plenty more as the boys run down the list of second baseman determining who they like, who they really like, and who they don't care for
Ep 276 | First Base Positional Review
January 14, 2022 06:30 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBVan, Ron, and Brian leave the disgusting muddled swamp that is fantasy baseball catchers in the dust and shift their focus to the slightly less disgusting muddled swamp that is fantasy baseball first baseman! Long gone are the days of every first baseman being a .300 hitter with 40 HR but that doesn't mean the position is devoid of ANY talent. The boys have some different opinions about who they like at the cold corner, so tune in and find out who they like and why
Ep 275 | Catcher Positional Review
January 07, 2022 06:37 - 1 hour - 72.7 MBThe Nasty Cast makes its triumphant return for the 2022 season as Van, Brian, and Ron gather to discuss everyone's favorite crap position - catcher! The fellas talk through the catcher draft rankings determining whether it's a good or bad idea to draft each guy at their cost, and they have big things to say about J.T. Realmuto, Daulton Varsho, Adley Rutschman, and plenty of other less exciting names! Of course they also give everyone a treat by coming up with some bold predictions for the com...
Ep 274 | Free Agent Freakout
December 03, 2021 23:07 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBWith plenty of free agents scrambling to grab a contract before the MLB lockout there were a lot of big names finding new homes and Van, Brian, and Ron are here to recap all the big ones! They'll look into the new look Mets with Max Scherzer at the helm, find out what Jon Gray's upside might be, talk Robbie Ray in Seattle, and figure out the fantasy value of many more players while discussing their current ADP
Ep 273 | Free Agent Predictions
November 18, 2021 05:58 - 1 hour - 59.5 MB2022 is here! Well, not really, but for Van, Ron and Brian the 2022 season's draft prep has begun! The boys talk the recent deluge of pitcher signings with contracts being inked by Noah Syndergaard, Jose Berrios, Eduardo Rodriguez and more. They also do some predicting of their own as far as where some remaining free agents might wind up, and all throughout they play plenty of dude feuds Since it's our first show of the 'year' there's a lot of housekeeping to go over! If you find yourself an...
Ep 272 | Fantasy and Postseason Awards
October 14, 2021 03:25 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBWe're solidly into the postseason now and that means it's time not only crown our fantasy champions for 2021 but also to take a look back into the preseason and review our predictions. Van, Brian, and Ron do just that and look at their picks for MVP back in March as well as talk how our overall fantasy strategies might have changed since then. We finish off the show with the very first realistic edition of Which is More?!
Ep 271 | Talking the Final Week
September 30, 2021 04:16 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBWith the final lineups set for the 2021 season Van, Brian, and Ron look back on the year and look forward to next year. They talk how their seasons went, how they approach this final week, and discuss some players worth talking about. They wrap it up with another round of Triple Slash where Brian tries to pick himself up by his bootstraps against Van. Can he do it?!
Ep 270 | AL MVP Discussion and 2020 Player Reviews
September 16, 2021 03:36 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBWith less than a month left in the year it's a tight race for who could be the AL MVP... or is it? Van, Brian, and Ron discuss whether they think Shohei Ohtani has the award in the bag or if Vlad Jr can snatch it from his hands. The boys also talk several interesting performances from this year with an eye on 2022 and then finish off the show with quite possibly the greatest Triple Slash performance you've ever seen!
Ep 269 | Players Exceeding Expectations
September 01, 2021 03:06 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBAs the calendar slowly switches to September the fantasy baseball season is beginning to wind down but that doesn't mean Van, Brian, and Ron don't have plenty to say. They take a look at some players who are putting up numbers far greater than expected and figure out whether they believe the new level of success is real or not. They also talk Mike Trout in the first round next year, debate a couple of young hurlers, and play a round of Which is More?
Ep 268 | MLB's CBA Antics and Triple Slash
August 25, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBMajor League Baseball has reportedly submitted a proposal for the next collective bargaining agreement putting in place a salary floor as well as a lowered luxury tax threshold. Brian, Ron, and Van touch on whether they initially think this is a good thing or not, and they also touch on Reynaldo Lopez somehow being a grown-ass 27 year old man on a professional baseball team worth billions of dollars and having poor vision. Adds and drops as well as an eventfully stupid round of Triple Slash f...
Ep 267 | Chris Sale, Luke Voit, and Wacky FAAB
August 12, 2021 03:51 - 50 minutes - 34.3 MBWith the trade deadline finished there were a ton of playing time shifts and Van, Ron, and Brian take a look at the first weekend FAAB period since then. They'll go over a lot of the big name adds and drops and talk maybe some sneaky picks over the coming weeks as well as discuss Chris Sale's imminent return, Luke Voit's Yankee woes, and plenty more
Ep 266 | Trade Deadline Review
August 04, 2021 09:10 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBThe gang is back together again as Van, Brian, and Ron run down the wild week that was the trade deadline. They analyze all the major trades looking at not only the value of the guys being moved but also playing time changes, prospect call ups, and more!
Ep 265 | Second Half Trade Targets
July 21, 2021 07:26 - 43 minutes - 30 MBWith baseball back from the All-Star break and in full swing Van and Brian take a look at some pitchers hitting the IL in Jacob deGrom and Clayton Kershaw, as well as a trio of prospects who got the call to the Majors: Brandon Marsh, Josiah Gray, and Jarren Duran! The boys dedicate the bulk of the show to offering some second half trade targets at every position (except catcher, we don't hate ourselves THAT much)
Ep 264 | Acuña's Injury and Player Debates
July 14, 2021 08:12 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBWith Ron destined for Indiana Van and Brian are here to hold down the fort and they do so during the All-Star break by debating players for the second half! They also discuss Ronald Acuña's injury and what his draft price might be next year, as well as finally get to the bottom of what FAAB stands for (seriously, neither one of them knew it at the time)
Ep 263 | Ohtani, Which is More, and Player Reviews
July 07, 2021 02:33 - 48 minutes - 33 MBRon is preparing for the storm of the century so Brian and Van bring you this week's show where they cover Shohei Ohtani's insane season, Kyle Schwarber's insane half a month, play Which is More in honor of a listener's expected baby, and finally reviewing some mid season performances and determining if they can continue or not!
Ep 262 | Injured SP Stashes, Buxton, and Wander Franco
June 23, 2021 05:37 - 1 hour - 45 MBA billion more people are going on the IL this week and Van, Brian, and Ron are here to talk a handful of them. They'll talk starting pitchers worth stashing for the coming weeks as well as Buxton's injury and potential cost next season, Wander Franco time in Tampa Bay, good and bad add/drops, and they analyze some hot and cold performers on the season
Ep 261 | Foreign Substances and Notable Performance Changes
June 09, 2021 05:09 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBPlenty of news to cover on today's show as Van, Ron, and Brian talk struggling rookies Jackson Kowar and Jared Kelenic, discuss the value of some Brewers, and dive deep into the 'sticky substances' problem plaguing the sport. They also discuss multiple players performing better or worse than what was expected and determine if a correction is coming
Ep 260 | Severino, Syndergaard, and a Not Quite Midseason Mock Draft
June 02, 2021 08:05 - 56 minutes - 39 MBAfter weeks of painful face problems and simply losing the audio to a recorded episode, Van, Brian, and Ron are back! The trio discusses some news from around the league including whether you should hold Luis Severino, Noah Syndergaard, Marcell Ozuna, or Franchy Cordero, and then they take a look at what a fresh draft might look like by drafting the first few rounds in a mock draft!
Ep 259 | Albert Pujols Retirement, Jacob deGrom on the IL, and Ranking Injured Pitchers
May 12, 2021 04:16 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBThe Nasty Cast is Ronless this week after our very own muscle boy had another fight with a taco bowl, but Brian and Van are here to go over all the week's news including Pujols' somewhat surprising but also not surprising forced retirement, Jarred Kelenic's debut, and they take a hearty dive into last week's add and drops
Ep 258 | Hurt Players, GM Talk, and the Triple Slash Championship
May 05, 2021 04:58 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBA couple of big names have gotten hurt recently including Jacob deGrom, Luis Robert, and Dustin May, so Van (@ManlyVanLee), Brian (@loudguitarbrian), and Ron (@therealmaday) talk finding a way to limit the damage from losing these guys. They also talk Keston Hiura being sent to the alternate site, look at FAAB and Add/Drops from the previous week, and the winner of our three week Triple Slash competition is decided. Will it be pure luck propelling Van to victory or knowledge and intelligence...
Ep 257 | Prospects to Watch, Stupid New Rules, and Bigfoot
April 28, 2021 07:33 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBWhat a week! We say that simply because 35% of our rosters are hurt and we're dumpster diving in the free agent pool and while there's not a lot of talent there, there is a tiny bit of value to be found. Van, Brian, and Ron talk last week's add/drops and FAAB decisions deciding whether or not to trust Alex Wood or Spencer Turnbull going forward. They also give a couple names to watch this week if you're looking for some adds, and finally play a bit of Triple Slash before returning back into t...
Ep 256 | Puig Donzo? and Early Season Overreactions
April 23, 2021 06:52 - 56 minutes - 38.6 MBDinelson Lamet has come and gone and with little to no information Van, Brian, and Ron decide whether or not they think there's light at the end of the tunnel. There certainly doesn't seem to be much hope for Yasiel Puig who just signed on with a Mexican League team, so they debate whether we see him in the Majors this year. Stick around for Add/Drops and Triple Slash!
Ep 255 | Listener League Draft, Weekend FAAB, Hot Starters
April 14, 2021 07:07 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBThe season is well underway and it's time to analyze the hell out of everything we've done so far. Van, Brian, and Ron do this by talking about the late drafted Listener League! They also introduce Looking Back, Looking Forward where they check out the previous week's add/drops/FAAB and look forward with a few potential add options for next week.
Ep 254 | Season Preview and Absurd Predictions
March 31, 2021 07:26 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBJust a few days away from the start of the 2021 season Van, Brian, and Ron take a moment to discuss their predictions for the year. They'll talk award winners, playoff brackets, and finish up with their version of bold predictions. Except they aren't bold, they're absurd! Tune in to find out about Mike Trout's children's show, the Philly Phanatic's disgusting habits, and of course Bob Hamelin.
Ep 253 | Relief Pitchers
March 26, 2021 07:23 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBHaving saved the 'best' for last Van, Ron, and Brian wrap up their 2021 positional analysis with a look at relief pitchers. It's a weak field for strictly saves, but there are a few reasonable options this year across the board. Of course there are also some terrible options, so there's a bit of head scratching going on throughout the episode. Tune in to hear the show's favorite buys, busts, and everything in between at one of the most volatile positions in the game today!
Ep 252 | Starting Pitchers
March 24, 2021 19:35 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBRon had to adjust his schedule this week so the boys decided they would give you two episodes this week since we're running out of time before drafts! Today's episode includes Van and Brian discussing Starting Pitchers and they have a lot to say about the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Corbin Burnes, Lance Lynn, and plenty more! Stay tuned for their favorite buys, busts, and everything in between!
Ep 251 | Outfielders Outside the Top 20
March 18, 2021 06:25 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBFinishing off our offense preview of the year Van, Ron, and Brian take a deeper look into the outfield by looking past the studs in the top 20 and finding solace in the not-as-much-studs in the mid and end of the draft. Find out how the guys feel about Austin Meadows, Byron Buxton, and many more!
Ep 250 | Nathan Dokken's Dudes and Don'ts
March 10, 2021 20:52 - 56 minutes - 39 MBIt's the return of the King! Nathan Dokken needed an outlet to discuss his annual Dude's and Don'ts, and who are we to say no? The man who started it all takes center stage and discusses his favorite buys this season as well as his fades, and later Ron, Brian, and Van join Nate to play a round of Which is More?!
Ep 249 | Top 20 Outfielders
March 03, 2021 05:16 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBVan, Ron, and Brian celebrate Brian's return to the city of hobgoblins and despair (Ozark, Missouri) by talking the top 20 outfielders per NFBC ADP and there are some very fun names to discuss here. The top group of Acuña, Soto, Betts, and Trout are certainly awesome and fun to discuss, but even past those guys there are some serious studs worth taking in your fantasy league as well as some more... puzzling choices being made!
Ep 248 | Third Base Preview w/ Michael Richards
February 24, 2021 05:12 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBMichael Richards of Rotofanatic and Prospects Worldwide joins the boys as they take a hard look at third base! Van, Brian, and Ron chat with Michael about the position and their favorite buys, busts, and later picks as well!
Ep 247 | Shortstop Preview
February 17, 2021 04:54 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBShortstop is an exciting position and Van, Ron, and Brian can't wait to dig in, mouths full of young shortstops who can impact the game in so many ways. Tune in to find out who isn't as excited about Lindor at 16 overall or maybe just to hear the Rodney Dangerfield impersonations. Whatever floats your boat!
Ep 246 | Second Base Preview and Bauer Time in LA
February 10, 2021 06:36 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBIt's Keystone Korner time on the show as Van, Brian, and Ron take a deep and disgusting look right into the bowels of second base. They'll analyze the players via ADP and give you their booms, busts, and other b-word rankings as well! And if you thought you were going to escape another Van rant about Trevor Bauer, you thought wrong! They talk Bauer, Marcell Ozuna, and MLBs ball shenanigans on this jam-packed episode.
Ep 245 | First Base Preview w/ Michael Govier
February 03, 2021 05:28 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBWhen Michael Govier of Rotofanatic and @PallazzoPodcast shows up you know you're in for a great time and that's exactly what happened on our First Base Preview episode! Van, Ron, Brian, and guest Michael talk recent trades/signings, play a round of Get to Know Nasty Nation, and of course take a look at First Base. Find out who the guys like, dislike, and who they think you should draft!
Ep 244 | Free Agent Signings, Trades, and Catcher Review
January 27, 2021 06:03 - 1 hour - 51.2 MBCatcher just might be the worst position in baseball (it is) but there's still plenty to talk about at the position! Van and Ron welcome Brian into the fold to review catcher ADP from Fantrax and analyze the picks good and bad. They also talk the crazy week in free agency and go over the multiple big trades that went down as well!
Ep 243 | Padres, Rays, and the Universal DH
January 06, 2021 05:33 - 53 minutes - 30.7 MBThe Nasty Cast debuts in 2021! It may not be perfect, because Ron got sick at the last minute, but it's still quite the ride as guest Brian Vaughan (@loudguitarbrian) joins Van to talk recent news including the Padres basically completely rearranging their team, as well as some other trades and free agent news. The boys also finish off a show with a relic from a past age as they dust off their favorite old game, Which is More?!
Ep 242 | 2021 Plans and Free Agent Predictions
December 02, 2020 03:53 - 49 minutes - 28.1 MBThe kings have returned! Or... kinda. Van and Ron return for a bit of an interlude episode as they detail their plans for the 2021 season! They'll discuss what they've been doing the last few months as well as some news analysis including the sale of the Mets to Steve Cohen, Tommy Pham's wrist surgery (AND STABBING), and then they finish off the show with some good old fashioned speculation as they guess where some of the top free agents will land and how much they will earn. We're excited f...
Ep 241 | Postseason Predictions and Award Winners
September 30, 2020 03:32 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBThe 2020 regular season has wrapped and fantasy champions crowned but that doesn't mean our job is through here at the Nasty Cast. With Ron gone Van is joined by Brian Vaughan and Michael Govier of Rotofanatic as they boys discuss their playoff predictions, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Fantasy MVPs. They also play a round of Triple Slash to close out the show with a pulse pounding finish!
Ep 240 | 2021 Mock Draft
September 23, 2020 03:16 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBThe Nasty Cast looks ahead to the distant future (several months from now) as Van welcomes Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, and Brian Vaughan to the show to participate in the first mock draft of the 2021 season! The boys all discuss who they like and why as plenty of surprises are in store! Find out how high Fernando Tatis Jr goes, who are no-brainer first rounders, and what everyone thinks of the 2020 season and how to evaluate the numbers
Ep 239 | Rookie of the Year
September 16, 2020 03:13 - 43 minutes - 25.1 MBWe had a plan! But it didn't work out. So instead listen in as Ron and Van discuss the Rookie of the Year candidates! The boys talk everyone from elite prospect Jesus Luzardo to out of nowhere phenom Jake Cronenworth, discussing their potential careers, whether or not what they've done is repeatable, and they select their choices for Rookie of the Year so far!
Ep 238 | Trade Deadline Extravaganza
September 03, 2020 02:43 - 48 minutes - 28 MBWe survived a very intense trade deadline and it's time to sift through the wreckage! Van and Ron are here to do just that as they discuss playing time fallout for a lot of teams that made huge deals including the Padres, Blue Jays, Mariners and plenty more in their new segment: What Are Ya Buyin'?
Ep 237 | The Future, Trade Deadline, and Believe it or Not
August 26, 2020 03:49 - 54 minutes - 31.4 MBThe next era of the Nasty Cast is here, as the first episode without Nate has debuted. On the show Van and Ron talk the future of the show, the MLB trade deadline and how to treat it in your leagues, and even play a round of Believe it or Not!