Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the deepening twilight of Mike Trout, then (21:19) discuss why the so-called “death of expertise” sweeping society hasn’t swept sports in the same way, before answering listener emails (1:04:01) about whether the Rangers are good, how the count can be “quickly 0-2,” what makes a righty seem like a lefty, whether a player can be unclutch, the Rockies’ run differential, and the other kind of pitch clock, plus (1:37:58) a postscript.

Audio outro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to The Athletic on Trout

Link to Woodrum on velo

Link to hitter pitch speeds

Link to previous Trout talk

Link to The Death of Expertise

Link to the WSJ on physics

Link to the New Yorker article

Link to Manfred analytics quote

Link to politics WAR

Link to Democracy at the Ballpark

Link to the Hard Knocks reference

Link to Paine on the Rangers

Link to Dubuque on Helman

Link to previous Burger banter

Link to BaseRuns standings

Link to playoff odds

Link to Brebbia report

Link to leaguewide late & close

Link to Alvarez late & close

Link to worst run differentials

Link to illustrated pitch movement

Link to Statcast spin direction

Link to clock-reading survey

Link to listener emails database

Link to Baseball Reliquary interview

Link to Buehler comments

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss and speculate about the percentage of major leaguers who’ve been inducted into some hall of fame and banter about Elly De La Cruz’s extended slump, Sean Murphy’s hip-to-be-tear revelation, and the perils of playing through injury, then assess where the line is when publicly shaming fans for ballpark behavior, and a pattern of Tigers executive misconduct (plus a postscript).

Audio outro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Poff induction

Link to Poff pod 1

Link to Poff pod 2

Link to Jones HoF comment

Link to Little League Hall

Link to Reds WAR leaders

Link to Elly 2025 splits

Link to Murphy 2023 splits

Link to Murphy story 1

Link to Murphy story 2

Link to Phillies fan summary

Link to dad interview

Link to Phillies fan video

Link to Phillies fan article

Link to Bader bat story

Link to US Open CEO apology

Link to CEO fake apology

Link to The Athletic Tigers report

Link to Ella Black series

Link to immaculate inning list

Link to Pereda vs. Ohtani

Link to Pereda pitches

Link to Kahle pitches

Link to sports-sounds doc

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s near no-hitter, the Effectively Wild bump, and the Orioles’ incredible comeback), then banter (and quasi-Stat Blast) about four subjects: whether Shohei Ohtani has been more or less valuable as a DH only or as a two-way player this season; whether Cal Raleigh hits a disproporionate number of homers in garbage time (compared to the league and to Aaron Judge); whether position-player pitchers are better when they throw very fast pitches than when they throw very slow ones; and why left-handed pitchers are having a historically strong season, plus (1:23:05) several postscript follow-ups.

Audio outro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to YamamotO’s video

Link to FG win expectancy

Link to B-Ref gamelog

Link to Pages robbery story

Link to Mussina vs. Everett video

Link to near no-nos

Link to Ben on no-no umps

Link to Ohtani two-homer game

Link to one-way Ohtani Dodgers W-L

Link to two-way Ohtani Dodgers W-L

Link to one-way Ohtani WAR

Link to two-way Ohtani batter WAR

Link to two-way Ohtani pitcher WAR

Link to publication bias wiki

Link to file drawer problem

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to Cal >4 runs split

Link to league >4 runs split

Link to Judge >4 runs split

Link to Cal leverage split

Link to league leverage split

Link to Judge leverage split

Link to clutch comparison

Link to WPA leaderboard

Link to mistake hitting article

Link to most catcher HR

Link to Kingery vs. Kurtz

Link to exit velo responsibility

Link to Kingery vs. Kurtz pitches

Link to Mains on PPP

Link to slowest possible pitches

Link to average PPP velo

Link to slowest PPP pitch

Link to fasest PPP pitches

Link to PPP 45 and under wOBA

Link to PPP 80 and up wOBA

Link to PPP 79 and up wOBA

Link to PPP 45 and under RV/100

Link to PPP 80 and over RV/100

Link to PPP 79 and over RV/100

Link to LHP ERA- leaderboard

Link to LHP FIP- leaderboard

Link to 2025 RHP ERA

Link to 2025 LHP ERA

Link to Sawchik on LHP

Link to Crizer on LHP

Link to Crizer on LHP 2

Link to Nesbitt on LHP

Link to LHP horizontal release

Link to pitching fWAR leaders

Link to LHP pitch types

Link to LHP velo

Link to RHP velo

Link to wRC+ vs. LHP

Link to LHP TBH% by year

Link to LHP Stuff+

Link to LHP familiarity advantage

Link to Soto pitcher article

Link to Soto BP pitcher video

Link to Trammell bat update

Link to pitch-tipping article

Link to Whitecaps article

Link to HUAL episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Trent Grisham’s 30-homer season is more or less surprising than Juan Soto’s almost-30-steal season, Colson Montgomery’s dinger spree, why there hasn’t been a no-hitter this season, and the exciting-but-boring AL/NL West races. Then (26:47) they bring on top-tier Patreon supporter Ashton Moss to banter about his baseball background and answer listener emails about the value of crowds, minor leaguers and strikeouts, WAR and pitcher value, the effect of funk on familiarity, double switches, automatic doubles, missing bats, rounding bases, and BP with fielders, plus (1:46:18) a postscript.

Audio interstitial: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Trammell bat story

Link to FB% leaders

Link to Montgomery leaderboard

Link to no no-nos article

Link to no-hit-starts query

Link to team records since 8/1

Link to Ballers story

Link to Carter story

Link to Hang Up

Link to Day’s non-piercing

Link to Clippers Wall

Link to Clippers logo

Link to PTFO podcast

Link to S-JAWS

Link to Lincecum splits

Link to double switch wiki

Link to dictionary definition

Link to ground rule double wiki

Link to pitch types penalty

Link to “My Oh My”

Link to “speedball” reference

Link to “2-3 count”

Link to listener emails database

Link to MuniciPals Golf Podcast

Link to listener emails

Link to Data Golf

Link to Data Golf interview

Link to bomb and gouge info

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about broadcasters’ anxiety about saying “Cam Schlittler,” whether the Mets’ pitching-prospect trio of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat will produce more WAR than “Generation K,” a protracted trot by Rafael Devers, whether Framber Valdez intentionally crossed up his catcher, how a lockout looming in late 2026 could affect the coming offseason, Mason Miller’s extra-special immaculate inning, and the team that’s surprisingly pitched the most shutouts, plus a postscript (with Mets-SP projections).

Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Schlittler article

Link to Ruocco clip

Link to Generation K wiki

Link to Sproat call-up

Link to Devers trot article

Link to The Athletic on Framber

Link to agent’s comments

Link to Passan’s preview

Link to Langs on Miller

Link to Miller video

Link to team shutouts leaderboard

Link to team goose-egg leaderboard

Link to team pitching WAR

Link to team SP WAR

Link to Foley artist wiki

Link to latest HUAL episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk about not talking about the Cardinals, then banter about Sandy Alcantara’s resurgence, whether Walker Buehler will have his own bounceback for the Phillies, Ha-Seong Kim’s reunion with Jurickson Profar, the concept of “adversarial location,” Aroldis Chapman and Taj Bradley‘s discoveries of inside/outside and scouting reports, respectively, Chapman’s extension, whether Luis Arraez’s strikeout avoidance is still fun, a notable FARTBAT, switch-thrower Carlos Cortes, and Meg’s Mariners anxiety.

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

Link to Cardinals odds graph

Link to Cardinals WAR leaders

Link to team attendance changes

Link to preseason team projections

Link to Glaser bobblehead

Link to Alcantara leaderboard

Link to team SP projections

Link to team RP projections

Link to Judge article

Link to Olney video

Link to Olney pitch-type splits

Link to Dan S. on Chapman

Link to Chapman on DV

Link to Bradley article

Link to K%+ leaderboard

Link to Dan S. on Arraez

Link to Sam on Arraez

Link to Goodhart’s Law

Link to FARTBAT episode

Link to Story HR video

Link to Story HR article

Link to Cortes article

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about John Brebbia’s return to the big leagues, Kyle Schwarber’s four-homer game, the potential for a position-player-pitcher-assisted five-homer game, Heliot Ramos and dingers on extremely slow pitches, an interminable inning, whether the playoff race is over and, if so, whether that’s an indictment of the 12-team format, and the profusion of recently promoted pitchers potentially in line for postseason starts, then (55:50) answer listener emails about season-ending injuries, accounting for player intention in WAR, “rounding home,” giving pitchers tall shoes, making baseball less random, the worst on-field feeling, pitcher aesthetics, and mid-PA pitching changes, plus (1:36:34) follow-ups.

Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to The Onion headline

Link to four-homer-games query

Link to Schwarber’s dingers

Link to article on Suárez game

Link to Ramos homer

Link to slowest HR pitches

Link to Rob Arthur on exit speed

Link to pitch-count tweet

Link to Nats-Yanks game

Link to pitch-count query

Link to Keyser on the playoff race

Link to Sheehan on the playoff race

Link to Baumann on the playoff race

Link to Andrews on the playoff race

Link to the AP on strikeouts

Link to McLean info

Link to Tong info

Link to Tolle info

Link to Baumann on Rodriguez

Link to Marucci email

Link to Seinfeld clip

Link to possessions info

Link to Ben on mid-PA pitching changes

Link to listener emails database

Link to Rounding Home book

Link to Rounding for Home book

Link to Rounding Home movie

Link to “Rounding Home” headline

Link to Berkson’s paradox

Link to Berkson and baseball

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the semi-resurgence of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw, Nathan Eovaldi’s injury and Patrick Corbin’s climb to the top of the Rangers innings leaderboard, the great-but-forgotten Steve Rogers, the end of Andrew Heaney’s Pirates tenure, Royce Lewis’s focus on his stats, whether MLB’s strikeout rate has declined because teams are targeting higher-contact hitters, the promotion of whiff artist Jonah Tong, why hitters aren’t swinging less, and a minor league attendance drop.

Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”

Link to SP trio WAR before

Link to SP trio WAR after

Link to Kershaw fun fact

Link to Eovaldi news

Link to Rangers IP leaders

Link to Laurila’s post

Link to Rogers leaderboard

Link to Rogers at BR Bullpen

Link to Rogers SABR bio

Link to Captain America wiki

Link to MLBTR on Heaney

Link to Heaney laggardboard

Link to owners Reddit research

Link to Tellez story

Link to Tellez quotes

Link to Lewis quotes

Link to leaguewide K rate

Link to DotF K research

Link to Mains on strikeouts

Link to Baumann on the K paradox

Link to BtB on the K paradox

Link to MLBTR on Tong

Link to MLB SP K% leaders

Link to MiLB SP K% leaders

Link to Foundation wiki

Link to Tango on taking

Link to Eno on taking

Link to swing run values

Link to take run values

Link to leaguewide plate discipline

Link to BA on MiLB attendance

Link to MLB YoY attendance

Link to Carville quote

Link to Meg’s MiLB research

Link to other Ben on streaks

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the early start to the 2026 regular season and MLB’s schedule in a warming world, tossing snacks after tossing a bat, this year’s potential trio of 50-homer hitters (including a Cal Raleigh update), the virtues of players who have high floors (with check-ins on Bobby Witt Jr. and Trea Turner), the (dubious?) merits of the BBWAA’s new reliever of the year award, Tyler Phillips’s anti-hitter mentality, new large relievers Zach Maxwell and Drew Sommers, Brady Singer in Cincinnati, Juan Soto’s basestealing, Zack Wheeler’s prognosis, the latest on Shane Bieber and Kyle Tucker, and Samuel Basallo’s extension, plus responses about other sports’ significant sounds.

Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to schedule announcement

Link to Contreras ejection video

Link to Contreras ejection quotes

Link to suspension news

Link to pre-September HR stat

Link to 50-homer-seasons query

Link to FG WAR leaderboard

Link to Seinfeld scene

Link to Zoolander clips

Link to Sheehan on Witt

Link to Stark on the reliever award

Link to setup man award

Link to Phillips interview

Link to Maxwell intro tweet

Link to Sommers intro tweet

Link to Maxwell story 1

Link to Maxwell story 2

Link to Kirk steal story

Link to Vogelbach promo

Link to TOS types

Link to Curb scene

Link to Wheeler diagnosis

Link to FG on Basallo

Link to Rubenstein on extensions

Link to Kiley on Basallo

Link to table tennis spin

Link to table tennis stomps

Link to catcher stomps

Link to Spieth shot

Link to Tiger shot

Link to quotes about drives

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about sports equivalents to baseball’s bat crack, Colson Montgomery’s torpedo bat, reserving judgement on the MVP race, Francisco Alvarez’s minor league reset (and subsequent injury), a Kyle Tucker slump/injury update, the hot hitting of Giancarlo Stanton and Jakob Marsee, the Twins’ new knuckleballer, Pierson Ohl, and the ramifications of MLB’s impending deal with ESPN (and other broadcast partners), followed by (1:19:16) listener emails about a baserunner catching a pickoff throw, an ill-timed umpire sneeze, and the post-realignment future of MLB awards, plus (1:36:36) follow-ups.

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

Link to O’Neil clip

Link to bat-crack article 1

Link to bat-crack article 2

Link to bat-crack article 3

Link to bat-crack article 4

Link to bat-crack article 5

Link to tennis strings wiki

Link to catgut wiki

Link to WaPo on Changeover

Link to Changeover

Link to Nathan on Hang Up

Link to James on Montgomery

Link to previous Alvarez banter

Link to Alvarez leaderboard

Link to Tucker injury article

Link to Stanton leaderboard

Link to Marsee leaderboard

Link to Baumann on Marsee

Link to article on Ohl

Link to Yahoo broadcast report

Link to The Athletic broadcast report

Link to WSJ broadcast report

Link to The Athletic on ESPN’s plan

Link to MLBTR summary

Link to Hang Up on ESPN/NFL

Link to Cooper’s post

Link to enshittification wiki

Link to listener emails database

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