Baseball Isn’t Boring

Eduardo Rodriguez has become one of the best pitchers in the American League. But almost five years ago, it was a start in the 2018 World Series that may have been the difference-maker when it came to Rodriguez becoming the pitcher he is today. And within that moment was a subtle encounter with Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez that may have spurred him on. Bradfo sits down with ERod to reflect on that day.

The Boston Red Sox entered Friday night 24-5 overall wearing their yellow and blue 'City Connect' uniforms, outscoring opponents 150-89 in the garb. Kenley Jansen, for one, is ready to go back to the traditional gear. Jansen made his feelings known while sitting down with Bradfo before yet another 'City Connect' game.

Taylor Hearn is a good pitcher. He has now taken his talents to the Kansas City Royals after being traded from the Atlanta Braves. He also wants to one day become a rodeo star, just like his grandfather, father and uncles. His passion for the rodeo is contagious, which you can find out in his conversation with Bradfo. It's a refreshing look at a big league ballplayer who would rather rope cattle than play golf.

Jackson Holliday. Marcelo Mayer. Jordan Lawlar. Jackson Merrill. What do they all have in common? They all were taken in the first round as high school shortstops, and are currently being viewed as the future of their respective franchises. Bradfo catches up with each of the prospects to discuss the pressures that come with such expectations. And, just for good measure, we launch the conversation with perspective from another player who lived that live - former No. 2 overall pick and the Kansas City Royals starting shortshop, Bobby Witt Jr. It's a good conversation with some really good players.

When you set a Major League record - like Kansas City pitcher Austin Cox did after not allowing a hit in his first 39 big league batters - Baseball Isn't Boring is going to come calling. Bradfo sat down with Cox to reflect on life as a MLB record-holder.

Picture Day is always a staple in every team's season, with the entire group having to trudge out to the outfield in full uniform to immortalize themselves as part of that season's team. Kyle Barraclough, a veteran of a few Picture Days, experienced his most memorable one Wednesday, landing in the 2023 Red Sox team picture just about an hour after joining the team for the first time. It was the latest stop on what has been a wild ride for Barraclough, who sat down with Bradfo to reflect on his journey back to the big leagues. As a bonus, Bradfo also talks to Justin Turner about the dynamic of Picture Day. It's the best Picture Day podcast you will listen to.

Some teams - like the Dodgers, Rangers and Mariners - have taken off after the Trade Deadline. Same can be said with a few players, with Michael Lorenzen highlighting the group that changed teams thanks in large part to his no-hitter Wednesday. There are also those who stayed put, such as James Paxton. With more than a week now since the Deadline it seemed like a good time to reflect on it all, with Bradfo sitting down with Paxton to get his honest view of what happened, what didn't happen and what might happen.

Julio Rodriguez showed us once again why he is one of the superstars of the game already, dominating social media with images of him robbing another home run. It just so happened that the topic of outfields and outfield play and taking away homers came up in Bradfo's conversation with Blue Jays outfielder George Springer. Spoiler: George can dunk a basketball.

The baseball world is buzzing about the lunacy that came with the Orioles decision to suspend broadcaster Kevin Brown. It's why Camden Yards was chanting "Free Kevin Brown" in the seventh inning Tuesday night. It's also why Bradfo sat down with Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming to get an expert perspective on the situation. Flemming doesn't disappoint, with unmatched insight and opinion on the matter. It's an important podcast for all those still believing the beauty of baseball includes actual free speech.

It's Power Rankings Time! The First Post-Trade Deadline Edition of the BIB Power Rankings and it's safe to say that Producer Evan and Skiff are buying into the hype surrounding the new-look Rangers and suddenly contending Chicago Cubs, while also pouring one out for the Reds, Marlins, Red Sox, and DBacks as it looks like they might be slowly headed down the pretender road instead of the contender road.