Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley solicit listener suggestions for an upcoming podcast series, discuss what they would ask potential employers if they were on a Juan Soto-esque free-agent tour, and banter about the Orioles dismantling “Walltimore,” the far-less-settled-than-expected situations of the A’s and Rays, differing medical evaluations and Brusdar Graterol’s role in the Mookie Betts trade, the AL and NL Rookies of the Year, and the most interesting aspects of the Hall of Fame ballot.

Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange

Link to EW groundskeeper interview

Link to EW Rooker interview

Link to Soto meeting tracker

Link to Walltimore article

Link to 2021 park factors

Link to 2024 park factors

Link to ballpark homogenization info

Link to Rays ballpark article 1

Link to Rays ballpark article 2

Link to Trop images

Link to A’s/Rays article

Link to A’s/Rays/expansion article

Link to Daikin Park news

Link to Yankees/Flaherty article 1

Link to Yankees/Flaherty article 2

Link to Brusdar trade hold-up

Link to MLBTR on original Betts deal

Link to PPI MLBTR on final Betts deal

Link to Brusdar retrospective

Link to MLBTR on Graterol’s shoulder

Link to Ruth’s Chris name

Link to NL voting results

Link to AL voting results

Link to 2025 ballot

Link to Jaffe on the ballot

Link to Stark on the ballot

Link to Dubuque on the ballot

Link to framing leaderboard

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the resolution of the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy hearing, how declining broadcast revenue could lead to labor strife, and the Pirates’ reward offer for a baseball card that comes with a patch from Paul Skenes’s debut jersey, then (28:42) bring on Patreon supporter Craig Wingbermuehle to discuss his job and Effectively Wild origin story and then (38:25) answer listener emails about why we don’t talk more about postseason revenue, why extensions render players ineligible for Prospect Promotion Incentives, team mission statements, whether teams or the league should own home run balls, secretly promising a post-signing extension to an international free agent such as Roki Sasaki, Nick Martinez’s opt-out streak and contract progression, what constitutes a homestand and career year, and whether a player can be just 0-for-10.

Audio interstitial: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)”

Link to Drellich on DSG

Link to ESPN on DSG

Link to Sheehan on the RSN Era

Link to Pirates reward offer

Link to Dunne tweet

Link to Fanatics jersey tweet

Link to bean-feast wiki

Link to postseason share rules

Link to more on playoff shares

Link to even more on shares

Link to Yankees playoff revenue

Link to MLBTR on PPI/extensions

Link to PPI rules

Link to Rockies job posting

Link to The Baseball Rule wiki

Link to Ohtani ball on display

Link to homestand definition

Link to career year definition

Link to Vientos call

Link to Vientos article

Link to listener emails database

Link to The Miracle League site

Link to Miracle League donations

Link to Russell on the ’05 Cubs

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on previous banter about the best title for a president of both baseball and business operations, then deliver fresh banter about how Derrek Lee’s 2005 RBI total was a sign of its time, where the Rays will play in 2025 and beyond, the Marlins’ new manager, and a slew of modest Angels signings. Then (48:02) they’re joined by UPenn professor and post-doctoral researcher, respectively, Douglas Jerolmack and Shravan Pradeep, to discuss their recent research about how the sport’s storied Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud works, its special qualities, whether it could or should be synthesized, and more.

Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Falvey news

Link to worst leadoff tOPS+

Link to 2005 Cubs batting order splits

Link to Dril tweet

Link to MLBTR on the Rays in 2025

Link to more on 2025 Rays

Link to Rays in 2028

Link to MLBTR on McCullough

Link to Ben C. on d’Arnaud

Link to guests’ research paper

Link to Doug’s UPenn page

Link to Shravan’s UPenn page

Link to Shravan’s website

Link to UPenn research summary

Link to NYT research summary

Link to PopSci research summary

Link to NBC news research summary

Link to rubbing mud wiki

Link to GLP-1 origins

Link to rubbing mud video

Link to mud maker story 1

Link to mud maker story 2

Link to sticky synthesis story

Link to Ben on sticky stuff 1

Link to Ben on sticky stuff 2

Link to schedule makers news

Link to schedule makers video

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen banter about how to abbreviate Twins executive Derek Falvey’s new dual role as president of both baseball and business operations, then (5:23) discuss Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki from a scouting perspective, touching on how good he could be, how a team could ease him into MLB, what tweaks he could make to his repertoire, the bonus pool system that could help determine where he signs, and more. After that (50:16), Ben and Meg talk to NPB journalist Jim Allen about Sasaki’s posting from a Japan-based perspective, exploring why Sasaki was posted now, how Japanese fans feel about his departure, and what the implications could be for NPB. Finally (1:21:01), Ben does a bonus Stat Blast about baseball overrepresentation in crossword puzzles.

Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Falvey news

Link to Trueblood’s Falvey tweet

Link to Eric’s Roki update

Link to Eric on Roki in August

Link to Ben’s Roki update

Link to Ben on Roki in 2022

Link to Kiley on Roki

Link to Passan on Roki

Link to Coskrey on Roki

Link to 2024 bonus pools

Link to Cooper on draft picks

Link to Ardaya on courting Ohtani

Link to Ohtani courtship

Link to Jim on Roki’s situation

Link to Jim on the Marines

Link to Jim on Hirooka

Link to Jim on Roki’s future

Link to NPB union article

Link to Jim’s podcast

Link to Hang Up and Listen

Link to latest HUaL

Link to Raymond’s spreadsheet

Link to Rooker EW episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a listener proposal to artificially designate (and trade) a two-way player, then (19:28) conduct the 10th annual free agent contract over/under draft, plus closing banter (1:09:45) about the new Sacramento team’s city designation, a Philly front-office shuffle, and POBO priority.

Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to typing monkeys research

Link to typing monkeys research summary

Link to FB thread

Link to two-way rule

Link to Sam on not swinging

Link to previous over/under draft results

Link to competitions/drafts sheet

Link to MLBTR top 50

Link to FG top 50

Link to A’s name change info

Link to MLBTR on the Phillies

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Ben Lindbergh and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about the latest batch of Scott Boras puns, position changes for Willson Contreras and Mookie Betts, surgery for Shohei Ohtani, Skip Schumaker’s move to Texas, and Buster Posey’s front-office philosophy, then (47:21) discuss Other Ben’s top 50 free agents list—focusing on Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Gleyber Torres, underrated/overrated options, and market trends—and (1:19:12) MLB’s most interesting offseason storylines.

Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Boras puns

Link to MLBTR on Contreras

Link to MLBTR on Betts

Link to Betts Statcast fielding

Link to Betts Statcast running

Link to MLBTR on Ohtani

Link to MLBTR on Schumaker

Link to MLBTR on Bregman

Link to Baggarly tweet about Posey

Link to Baggarly’s Posey profile

Link to Ben C. on the top 50 FA

Link to Sam on “seeking”

Link to Boras on Soto 1

Link to Boras on Soto 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about team/player option/opt-out decisions involving Gerrit Cole, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, and Eugenio Suárez, the Royals re-signing Michael Wacha, the players who received qualifying offers, the Minasian brothers as rival GMs (and potential PoBros), Carlos Santana’s historic Gold Glove, an international signing scandal (on multiple levels), evidence of racial bias in player development, a Japan Series upset, and more, plus a postscript.

Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Cole 1

Link to MLBTR on Cole 2

Link to pitcher WAR since 2020

Link to P RA-9 WAR since 2020

Link to MLBTR on Snell

Link to Snell leaderboard

Link to MLBTR on Bellinger

Link to MLBTR on Suárez

Link to Suárez leaderboard

Link to Suárez Stathead search

Link to MLBTR on Wacha

Link to FG on Wacha

Link to qualifying offer list

Link to FG top 50 FA

Link to Rob Arthur article

Link to Rob on racial bias in 2020

Link to Rob on Black catchers in 2020

Link to Ringer scouting reports series

Link to MLBTR on Minasian

Link to LAT on the Minasians

Link to USA Today on the Minasians

Link to Langs Santana stat

Link to ESPN on signing scandal

Link to MLBTR on signing scandal

Link to Rob Arthur article

Link to Rob on racial bias in 2020

Link to Rob on Black catchers in 2020

Link to Ringer scouting reports series

Link to Climax Series wiki

Link to Climax Series bracket

Link to BayStars win 1

Link to BayStars win 2

Link to Jim Allen tweet

Link to Ben on the BayStars

Link to Hank Hill promo

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about offseason EW, Tommy Kahnle’s love affair with changeups, the Yankees’ preparation and fundamentals, Aaron Boone’s managing, the Dodgers as a dynasty, the White Sox hiring Will Venable, Alex Kirilloff’s retirement, two prediction anecdotes, glove flips as the new bat flips, the check-swing challenge system, the Premier12 tournament, the Women’s Pro Baseball League, Eric Adams and the World Series, a Yankees executive keeping things in perspective, a record sum for a historic baseball, Shohei Ohtani trumping One Piece, Dodgers parade comments, a no-show for NPB’s Sawamura Award, and more.

Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to story on Kahnle’s changeups

Link to Kahnle pitch types

Link to pitch types Stat Blast

Link to Boone report 1

Link to Boone report 2

Link to Sherman on the Yankees

Link to 2015 Royals scouting story

Link to Ben on the Dodgers

Link to Dodgers dynasty story

Link to dynasty system

Link to MLBTR on Venable

Link to MLBTR on Kiriloff

Link to Kiriloff’s announcement

Link to Gleeman tweet

Link to elephants/mice info

Link to Fernando prediction tweet

Link to Fernando prediction story

Link to Vientos prediction tweet

Link to Vientos prediction story

Link to glove flip clip

Link to 2012 Chapman story

Link to Baseball for All tweet

Link to WPBL story

Link to WPBL interview

Link to Siegal EW episode

Link to Premier12 roster

Link to Premier12 wiki

Link to challenge system story

Link to challenge system video

Link to Afterman comments

Link to Adams attendance story

Link to Ohtani ball auction

Link to Ohtani ball auction 2

Link to Fat Joe comments

Link to Ohtani shirt response

Link to One Piece story

Link to Sawamura Award story

Link to Sawamura EW episode

Link to Petriello on catching

Link to “Something’s Coming”

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Games 4 and 5 of the World Series, with an emphasis on Game 5’s error-plagued fifth inning, managerial moves and bullpen performance, the significance of the Dodgers’ victory and the future of the franchise, puzzling stats about sweeps and teams that fall behind 3-0 in best-of-seven series, cluttered fun facts, fan interference mishegoss, and much more.

Audio outro: Daniel Lewis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG playoff coverage

Link to Ben on the Dodgers’ win

Link to Game 5 fun facts

Link to Kram on the fifth inning

Link to Will Smiths story

Link to Rogers tweet

Link to fan ban

Link to facial recognition story

Link to Gronk tweet

Link to 3-0 leads story

Link to Ben on predicting sweeps

Link to Paine on sweeps 1

Link to Paine on sweeps 2

Link to fun fact 1

Link to fun fact 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about and break down the lopsided first three games of the World Series: what went as expected, what was surprising, Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles, Freddie Freeman’s heroics, Shohei Ohtani’s injury, pivotal plays, Aaron Boone and Nestor Cortes, TV ratings, and much more, followed by (1:06:47) a brief, a not-about baseball voting PSA.

Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG playoff coverage

Link to Sterling call 1

Link to Sterling call 2

Link to Judge interview clip

Link to Stanton play

Link to Boone on the 2004 Red Sox

Link to Ben on Boone and Cortes

Link to Ben on team health

Link to Will Carroll on Ohtani

Link to Jeff Passan on Ohtani

Link to TV ratings info

Link to Langs slams stat

Link to Langs 3-0 stat

Link to Ice Cube video

Link to Fat Joe video

Link to Vote.gov

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