Eno and DVR continue their Team Preview series with the Blue Jays, Rays, and Orioles, three teams in the AL East with very little separation in projected wins. All three clubs are loaded with intriguing players, and plenty of mid-round and late-round targets to consider. Can you trust Yusei Kikuchi's walk rate improvement from last season? Will Taj Bradley put the pieces together for a complete season in Tampa Bay? Is Jordan Westburg primed for a breakout despite a late ADP?

Rundown
5:28 2024 Toronto Blue Jays Preview
13:39 An Undervalued Bat Behind the Stars?
25:06 The 'New' Yusei Kikuchi
33:14 2024 Tampa Bay Rays Preview
40:43 Josh Lowe's K% Improvements
50:54 Unlocking a Taj Bradley Breakout
55:07 2024 Baltimore Orioles Preview
1:04:38 Should We Be More Excited About Jackson Holliday in 2024?
1:10:54 Buying the Grayson Rodriguez Adjustments

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2024 Team Previews: Blue Jays, Rays & Orioles

Eno Sarris and Derek VanRiper, along with Trevor May and Britt Ghiroli, discuss advanced stats, strategy, prospects and more. From the first move of the Hot Stove season to the final pitch of the World Series, join us for year-round baseball talk.

Sports

Baseball

Eno, DVR and Britt discuss baseball's aim to preserve starting pitchers. How much of a problem is the current use of starting pitchers compared to the past? With injury rates on the rise, what rule changes and tweaks make sense? Will small changes to move the game slightly in the direction of previous era's pitcher usage cause other problems? Plus, they discuss Britt's recent story about a partnership between Perfect Game and Fanatics, and former big leaguer Travis Snider's efforts to improve youth sports. 

Rundown
1:13 The Starting Pitcher 'Problem'
6:55 Big Changes in the Last 10 Years
11:15 Incentivizing Pitching Deeper Into Starts
16:39 The Difficult of Getting Everyone on Board with New Rules
20:00 DVR Blames the Reliance on Short Relievers
26:40 Reducing the Fifth Inning Exits When a Starter is Dealing
31:37 Why Don't Starters Try to 'Save' Velocity for Later Innings?
42:46 Britt's Story About the Concerning Perfect Game-Fanatics Partnership
48:52 Travis Snider's Efforts to Improve Youth Sports

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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

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A Closer Look at the Ways to Preserve Starting Pitchers

Eno and DVR discuss Paul Skenes' MLB debut against the Cubs before digging into ways they are utilizing the new bat tracking and bat speed leaderboards from Statcast, including a few players to consider targeting via trade. 

Rundown
1:45 Takeaways From Paul Skenes' Debut & Unexpected Comp
13:39 New Bat Tracking & Bat Speed Leaderboards from Statcast!
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/bat-tracking
19:27 How Should We Apply Bat Speed Information?
25:47 'Squared Up' vs. 'Blasts'
27:59 Players to Target
40:14 A Tool to Use for 'Buy High' Players?
44:44 Learning From Good Players Without 'Ideal' Swing Speed & Length
52:11 Robert Gasser's Debut & Where the Money Went
1:04:13 Other Bids & Frequently Dropped Players

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How We're Using Statcast's New Bat Tracking & Bat Speed Leaderboards

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss an all-time no-hitter jinx, Willson Contreras' injury and the sharp increase in catcher's interference around baseball, pitchers going through role changes in 2024 -- and who they would like to see make a switch in the future -- plus their game plan for hitters facing Pirates pitcher Jared Jones.

Rundown
1:30 An All-Time Great No-Hitter Jinx?
5:48 Willson Contreras' Injury & The Rise of Catcher's Interference
15:05 Maybe Just Stop Erasing the Batter's Box?
19:48 Is It Time to Regular the Sliding Mitt?
25:41 Switching Roles Between Starting & Relieving
31:41 Adrian Morejón & Needing to Fix Splits Before Becoming a Starter?
36:00 From Long Relief to the Rotation (Bryse Wilson)
40:53 Luke Weaver's Success in the Bullpen
52:06 Game Planning to Hit Jared Jones

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

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What Makes a Pitcher Role Change Work & Who Might Be Next to Move?

Eno and DVR discuss the highly-anticipated debut of Paul Skenes, set for Saturday against the Cubs, before digging into a deep list of news items including an injury for Christian Encarnacion-Strand, a quick return to Nashville for Tyler Black following Christian Yelich's activation from the IL, Taj Bradley's return to health, and the triumphant return of Prospect of the Week. 

Rundown
0:57 Paul Skenes is Joining the Pirates! Rest of Season Expectations?
9:14 Christian Encarnacion-Strand: On IL with Fractured Wrist
20:06 Christian Yelich's Return Bumps Tyler Black Back to Triple-A
26:50 Finding Replacements for Willson Contreras (Fractured Forearm)
30:22 A Setback for Max Scherzer
33:31 The Rays' Rotation Shuffle: Taj Bradley is Back, Ryan Pepiot to the IL, Shane Baz at Triple-A on Rehab Assignment
46:13 Braxton Garrett: Tread Carefully Upon Activation?
49:42 Project Prospect: Bryan Ramos, Rhett Lowder, Mason Black & Parker Meadows
60:11 Other Waiver Targets to Consider: Jonny DeLuca, Again!

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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

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Paul Skenes Gets the Call, Tyler Black Demoted & A Rays' Rotation Shuffle

Eno, DVR and Britt discuss Walker Buehler's return to the Dodgers' rotation before digging into the four contenders in the AL Central to assess each team's current strengths and weaknesses. Plus, they share a few players they underestimated in the past. 

Rundown
0:51 Walker Buehler Returns to the Dodgers' Rotation
4:04 Forays Into Free Agency After Two Tommy John Surgeries
10:57 Buying the Guardians' Early Uptick in Offensive Output?
21:32 Weathering Early Injuries In Minnesota
26:15 If Nothing Else, The Royals Are Interesting Again
33:11 Can the Tigers Fix Their Struggling Hitters?
45:02 Players We Were Wrong About (Exceeded Expectations)

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghroli
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!

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2024 Team Previews: Blue Jays, Rays & Orioles

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