Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

By Ben Lindbergh, Meg RowleySports Baseball

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Typical duration
101 min
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If it hooks
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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast episodes

November 14 Effectively Wild Episode 2557: Forget it, Jake, it’s Beantown

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Atlanta inking Evan Phillips, urge teams to sign some bigger free agents (foreshadowing!), review listener-suggested historical comps for Pat Murphy’s late-blooming managerial excellence, uncover Colonels of truth, compare the BBWAA and The Sporting News Manager of the Year Awards, consider whether other MLB awards voting has gotten too unanimous, react in real time to Boston signing Jake Bauers, bemoan the Blue Jays’ Anthony Santander situation, and discuss rampant playoff-field expansion across sports.
Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Clemens on Phillips
Link to Chinatown clip
Link to Norman Maclean wiki
Link to George Eliot wiki
Link to Laura Ingalls Wilder wiki
Link to Colonel Sanders wiki
Link to Colonel Mustard wiki
Link to Colonel Tom Parker wiki
Link to Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston
Link to Jacob Ruppert wiki
Link to (honorary) Colonel wiki
Link to Kentucky Colonel wiki
Link to Rodney Dangerfield wiki
Link to Pep Guardiola wiki
Link to Bruce Arians wiki
Link to Chris Fagan wiki
Link to BBWAA MotY wiki
Link to SN MotY wiki
Link to SN awards explainer
Link to “C’mon, Do Something” meme
Link to Murphy’s Yankees apology
Link to Asterix wiki
Link to NL MVP voting
Link to AL MVP voting
Link to Yordan victory quote
Link to FG WAR leaders
Link to B-Ref WAR leaders
Link to halo effect wiki
Link to Posnanski on unanimous votes
Link to MLBTR on Bauers
Link to Sox depth chart
Link to 2026 team HR
Link to 2026 Red Sox homers
Link to MLBTR FA predictions
Link to Defector on Santander
Link to Atkins on Santander
Link to Jays statement on Santander
Link to belated Santander apology
Link to Santander apology article
Link to Paine on playoff expansion
Link to Carlin joke
Link to Sam on MLB playoffs
Link to EW on Sam’s suggestion
Link to CFL article 1
Link to CFL article 2
Link to Bradford on Boras
Link to Boras on Jeffers
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00:22:23
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23 min
November 12 Effectively Wild Episode 2556: Benge, Don’t Break

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Andrew Friedman’s comments about the Brewers, non-baseball historical comps for Pat Murphy’s unprecedented third consecutive Manager of the Year Award, and what it would take for him to extend the streak to four. Then (27:17) Meg breaks down her NL Rookie of the Year ballot, followed by additional discussion of why the Cubs won’t sign Tarik Skubal, Scott Boras puns, Ty France’s roof ball, a few stray signings/hirings, and NPB ghost wins.
Audio intro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Friedman thread
Link to FG preseason staff predictions
Link to Dan S. on ZiPS
Link to Dan on Brewers ZiPS
Link to Murphy win
Link to Murphy wiki
Link to NL MotY voting
Link to Helen Mirren wiki
Link to The Debut wiki
Link to Mikhail Kutuzov wiki
Link to Gebhard von Blücher wiki
Link to Arthur Currie wiki
Link to Sharpe novels wiki
Link to Aubrey–Maturin novels wiki
Link to superfecta wiki
Link to NL RotY voting
Link to McGwire Simpsons clip
Link to Stewart monthly splits
Link to Wetherholt monthly splits
Link to Benge monthly splits
Link to Benge arm article
Link to rookie WPA leaders
Link to EW Episode 2531
Link to best ML rookie wRC+
Link to rookie non-pitcher wRC+
Link to Sahadev on Skubal
Link to MLBTR on Skubal bidding
Link to MLBTR on Brown surgery
Link to Boras phone ring
Link to Boras on Skubal
Link to more Boras on Skubal
Link to Boras on Jeffers
Link to Boras on Arozarena
Link to Boras on Scherzer
Link to Boras on EW
Link to Boras sign clip
Link to more Boras sign
Link to MLBTR on Ausmus
Link to Ausmus anticipation tweet
Link to MLBTR on Pagán
Link to Baumann on Pagán
Link to Heyman on Kimbrel
Link to Nathan on France
Link to ghost wins article
Link to Breslow title change
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01:37:35
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1 hr 38 min
November 10 Effectively Wild Episode 2555: Playing the (Free Agent) Market

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about who started the “Nerds!” chant at the Brewers championship parade and a pair of POBOs who appear to be sneaky-jacked, plus the Mariners’ new manager, MLB’s cap quasi-concession, and whether an MLB player will issue a Wemby-esque statement about not sponsoring certain products. Then (54:14) they conduct the 12th annual free agent contract over/under draft.
Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to DeRosa/Arnold video
Link to Arnold lifting trophy
Link to Antonetti photo
Link to Nichols Law of Catcher Defense
Link to Grantland swoll post
Link to Dipoto ditty (short)
Link to Dipoto ditty (long)
Link to Kander wiki
Link to Kanzler wiki
Link to Kanzler press conference
Link to Lookout Landing on Kanzler
Link to Dipoto experience comments
Link to Kanzler interviews story
Link to Swanson report
Link to Swanson on EW
Link to MLB cap proposal
Link to Drellich on Trump
Link to Trump’s cap comments
Link to Trump’s “rear” comments
Link to “pussyfoot” etymology
Link to Bloomberg on spokespeople
Link to Wemby comments
Link to Acuña Jr. sponsorship
Link to EWStats site
Link to EW wiki draft record
Link to MLBTR Top 50 list
Link to Bednar demotion
Link to 2024-26 hitter WAR
Link to 2026 RP WAR
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01:36:37
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1 hr 37 min
November 07 Effectively Wild Episode 2554: Is MLB Bad for NPB? And Can the Rockies Catch Up?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.
With Meg Rowley sidelined by an ill-timed landscapers visit, Ben Lindbergh brings on two great guests. First, Japanese baseball expert Yuri Karasawa (aka Yakyu Cosmopolitan) joins to talk about the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks dynasty, whether the Hawks’ success has induced a Dodgers-esque backlash or desire for a salary cap, NPB’s adoption of the pitch clock and universal DH, the league’s partial offensive bounceback, Yuri’s MLB expectations for Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira, and Hiromi Itoh, whether Japanese fans are frustrated by the departures of so many NPB stars, whether losing top amateur talents such as Shoki Oda poses an existential threat to Japanese pro ball, how to follow NPB from afar, and more. Then (1:03:39) Ben welcomes Michael McClellan, newly promoted director of analytics for the Rockies, to talk about leaving the Rays for the Rockies, how the Rockies can catch up to earlier data adopters, how to handle Coors Field, quantifying pitch-calling, what teams are looking for in applicants, how teams are (and aren’t) using AI, and more.
Audio intro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to latest Hawks victory clip
Link to Yakyu Cosmopolitan site
Link to Hawks wiki
Link to article on the Hawks win
Link to article on the Hawks dynasty
Link to Yakyu Notes newsletter
Link to Yuri’s Just Baseball archive
Link to Yuri’s JapanBall archive
Link to Talking Yakyu podcast
Link to Rob Arthur on NPB pro talent
Link to article on Taira and data
Link to Jason Coskrey archive
Link to Jim Allen’s site
Link to Oda news
Link to Oda Dodgers post
Link to NPB Stats
Link to DeltaGraphs
Link to Ben on DeltaGraphs
Link to Ben on NPB imports
Link to Nogami signing post
Link to Eric on NPB exports
Link to EW Episode 1236
Link to Michael’s LinkedIn
Link to Monfort letter
Link to Michael’s FG archive
Link to Michael’s BttP archive
Link to R&D department sizes
Link to Ben on Mexico City
Link to EW Episode 2472
Link to Ben on the Rockies
Link to The Athletic on DePo
Link to ESPN on DePo
Link to hangover effect article 1
Link to hangover effect article 2
Link to hangover effect article 3
Link to Rockies pitch-calling article
Link to iPad crackdown news
Link to Rockies job posting
Link to FB “dead zone” info
Link to Scott Powers site
Link to Mets job posting
Link to NYT on applicant screening
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00:26:22
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27 min
November 05 Effectively Wild Episode 2553: One Ring to Rule Them All

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley welcome two old friends back to the show to discuss their teams’ recent Fall Classic matchup: former Effectively Wild co-host/FanGraphs writer (and current Rays Senior Analyst, Baseball Process & Strategy) Jeff Sullivan, and former FanGraphs writer (and current Brewers Senior Director—Player Information and Personnel) August Fagerstrom, the latter of whom just became the first FanGraphs alum to earn a World Series ring, at the former’s expense. They talk about playoff anxiety, the feeling of winning (and losing) the World Series, scouting each others’ teams and the similarities between the Brewers and Rays, tailoring team tactics to personnel vs. the other way around, how responsible they feel for their clubs’ successes, the differences between internal and external projections, ABS strategy, front-office turnover and continuity, internal team podcasts, and more.
Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Jeff’s FG author archive
Link to August’s FG author archive
Link to Episode 901
Link to EW guests sheet
Link to Vogelbach’s song
Link to Ben on Brewers/Rays similarities
Link to Ball on the Brewers/Rays
Link to MLBTR on Castro
Link to MLB.com on Roffe
Link to Kleine report
Link to Brewers index cards
Link to Dave/Jeff/Williamson story
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01:30:00
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1 hr 30 min
November 03 Effectively Wild Episode 2552: The Best Things in Life Are Free Agents

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros’ new GM hire and Bryce Harper’s comments about the likelihood of a lost season and his preference for the offseason over the season (22:22). Then FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens joins to break down the MLB free agent class: the weak crop of domestic players, the top NPB imports, the outlook for Tarik Skubal, the players who could have been available if they hadn’t signed extensions, the lockout looming over the market, and much more.
Audio intro: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Clase-Ortiz trial story
Link to MLBTR on Flores
Link to Ben on ex-player GMs
Link to MLBTR on Brown
Link to Ng story
Link to “euphemism treadmill”
Link to Harper comments
Link to EW guests spreadsheet
Link to top 50 FA ranking
Link to Ben L. on free agency
Link to MLBTR on Reyes
Link to NPB offensive leaderboard
Link to posting details story
Link to MrSugarPenis story
Link to Oda story
Link to Nogami story
Link to MLBTR on qualifying offers
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01:29:01
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1 hr 30 min
October 31 Effectively Wild Episode 2551: ABS Reviews, Reviewed

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a few more World Series subjects (TV ratings, Kyle Harrison’s non-use, the Brewers’ bullpen performance, an earlier EW discussion of ideal clinching plays, and more), and then (26:00) recap the first season of ABS: how it went, what surprised them, possible improvements, etc. After that (46:26) they talk about baseball scenes in Avengers: Doomsday (with an MCU digression) and You Can See Everything (sans spoilers), and wrap up (1:15:45) by anticipating how active the MLB transaction market will be leading up to the lockout.
Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Sean P., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to ratings tweet
Link to ratings article 1
Link to ratings article 2
Link to Ben on the Brewers pen
Link to Jaffe on the Brewers pen
Link to Paine on the Brewers pen
Link to Jaffe on the Brewers run
Link to Stark on the Brewers run
Link to best postseason records
Link to Skubal offers report
Link to drunk Vogelbach
Link to EW Episode 1771
Link to Wicked Witch melting
Link to Ben on challenge changes
Link to Ben on ABS preseason
Link to Ben on ABS mix-ups
Link to AFL experiment results
Link to Doomsday promo video
Link to Doomsday article 1
Link to Doomsday article 2
Link to First Avenger article
Link to Doomsday Stewart article
Link to Professor X appearances
Link to X-Men movies wiki
Link to Doctor Doom wiki
Link to Ebbets Field wiki
Link to Earth-828 wiki
Link to EW superhero draft
Link to “Who’s on First?” clip
Link to “Who’s on First?” wiki
Link to Black House wiki
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00:26:44
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27 min
October 30 Effectively Wild Episode 2550: Won in a Milwaukee

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the end of the World Series and 2026 season: the big moments of Games 4 and 5, the Brewers’ victory and overall October run, and what, if anything, other teams will take away from Milwaukee’s success. They also discuss the ideal last out of a World Series, how this postseason’s level of excitement stacks up historically, what to expect from offseason EW, and more.
Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben on the Brewers
Link to Baumann on Game 5
Link to Jaffe on the Brewers
Link to ZiPS odds
Link to Rickey speech
Link to Contreras quote
Link to Orlovsky story
Link to Roffe hire
Link to MLBTR on Kleine
Link to Ball on Brewers/Rays
Link to Bryant play
Link to Theo quote
Link to Doyle tweet
Link to Ashby story
Link to Smoltz quote
Link to cWPA spreadsheet
Link to 2026 pivotal plays
Link to Sam on Chourio/Miller
Link to postseason HR leaders
Link to lockout primer
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01:41:59
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1 hr 42 min
October 28 Effectively Wild Episode 2549: The Hits Keep Coming

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the history of teams that take 3-0 leads in best-of-seven series, the highlights and lowlights of the first three games of the World Series, the need for an objective check-swing standard, complaints about the broadcasting of John Smoltz, and Rob Manfred’s competitive-balance comments.
Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Sheehan on odds
Link to Posnanski on odds
Link to Tango on odds
Link to ZiPS odds
Link to Contreras piece
Link to Baumann on the G3 rally
Link to Langs on the rally
Link to Sam on the Caminero play
Link to Ashby streak story
Link to Langs on scoring 4-plus
Link to checked-swing videos
Link to checked-swing wiki
Link to swing definition article
Link to AFL challenge system
Link to Sam on checked swings
Link to Tango on Díaz swing 1
Link to Tango on Díaz swing 2
Link to Tango on Díaz swing 3
Link to McCalvy tweet
Link to Nightengale tweet
Link to Laurila column
Link to ratings article 1
Link to ratings article 2
Link to Megill quote
Link to Chourio/Hicks play
Link to Manfred quotes
Link to Rays coaches page
Link to Jeff/Dave/Williamson story
Link to Curt’s second pod
Link to September article on Baker
Link to Adam on Baker
Link to Rasmussen’s 2026 splits
Link to Rasmussen’s career splits
Link to Walls defensive stats
Link to Adam on Walls
Link to Pham on defensive stats
Link to Tango on DRS vs. FRV
Link to Blum on ticket pricing
Link to Rosenthal report
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01:38:56
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1 hr 39 min
October 24 Effectively Wild Episode 2548: Bullpen Blame

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Ben Clemens banter about World Series roster and rotation decisions, the Fall Classic through a “styles make fights” lens, whether travel days are really rest days, and more. Then (31:50) Ben C. delivers a guest Stat Blast about whether bullpen games are really risky because the more pitchers you use, the more likely you are to run into a reliever who “doesn’t have it” that day, and Ben L. Blasts about players who played for three playoff teams in the same season and players who played for a few World Series winners in a row without appearing in the postseason. Finally (1:02:33), Ben and Meg banter about Angels turnover, Yankees non-turnover, Shohei Ohtani’s two-way future, NPB postings, a KBO breakout, a new baseball video game and K-drama, and a Yandy Díaz nickname.
Audio intro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”

Link to MLBTR on series rosters
Link to Woodruff story
Link to Cleavinger story
Link to Martinez news
Link to Rosenthal on Martinez
Link to Ben C. on starter timing
Link to Ben C. on Game 7s
Link to Yankees WC SP story
Link to Ben C.’s series preview
Link to ESPN series preview
Link to Ben L. on playoff trends
Link to Russell on “half days off”
Link to “Mathemadage” series
Link to Cooper post
Link to Ben C. on bullpen games
Link to FiveThirtyEight on hot hand
Link to Ben L. on bullpenning
Link to Sam on bullpenning
Link to Russell on “cruising” SP
Link to Curt on Brewers rings
Link to Henderson story
Link to three-peats sheet
Link to Feduccia request
Link to MLBTR on Angels GM
Link to MLBTR on Suzuki
Link to Goldman on Boone
Link to Cashman news
Link to Steinbrenner comments
Link to Attanasio comments
Link to Attanasio comments 2
Link to Xbox non-AI AI release
Link to Ohtani updates
Link to Selig first pitch
Link to Selig on EW
Link to Lyons on Hilliard
Link to Stove League wiki
Link to Stove League EW wiki
Link to Full Count announcement
Link to Call of Duty mission
Link to baseball RPG tweet
Link to Sato posting news
Link to Oda news
Link to Bartleby wiki
Link to Game 1 box score
Link to Baumann on Game 1
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00:26:38
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27 min