The Baseball Rabbi Podcast

The best team in the NL Central is worse than the best team in any other division; and the worst team in the NL Central is better than the worst team in any other division. That adds up to a tough-to-predict division race, with four teams possessing a legitimate shot to come in first. (In case you were wondering, the Pirates are not one of those teams.) Plus - two Yankees from their mini-dynasty in the late 1970s and whether they deserve to make it into the Hall of Fame.

The Twins remain the class of the AL Central (who needs pitching, anyway?), but the White Sox - and decidedly not the Indians - may give them a run for their money. The Tigers might improve (keep an eye on Cameron Maybin), while the Royals are undergoing a mysterious, and almost certainly unsuccessful, attempt at rebuilding. Join Pesach and Scott for a look at these and other narratives, as well as their (very different) takes on whether Andruw Jones deserves to make it into the Hall of Fame. PLUS: Play "The Average Game" and win a Baseball Rabbi T-shirt!

It ain't over 'til it's over... and it's over. The Dodgers can start pouring champagne anytime they like, because no other team in the National League West is coming in first. That doesn't mean that there aren't some fascinating storylines, however - such as whether the Padres will win 90 games or lose 90 games, what Giants management thinks about their team, the Dodgers' potential pitching problems, and more. Plus: Kenny Lofton's HOF case, and his mysterious explanation for why he was named on only 3.2% of the ballots.

Despite the cheating scandal, the Houston Astros look absolutely unbeatable... except that both Pesach and Scott see the Athletics coming in first. Join them for their American League West preview (will Rendon finally push the Angels to 90 wins? Does Texas even have any position players? Is there anything to like about the Mariners?) as well as a discussion about Kevin Brown's Hall of Fame non-candidacy (2.1% of the vote) and why he was better than you remember.

The Baseball Rabbi returns with its first weekly podcast of 2020 with an analysis of storylines, narratives, and projections for the National League East, including an unlikely prediction of Mets success, the fall of the Nats, and much more. Plus: Omar Vizquel's Hall of Fame candidacy is widely mocked by those in the analytics community. Is there a way to defend the voters who are determined to get him in?

95% of the headlines are merciless: the Red Sox management is either stupid, greedy, or both. But Pesach and Scott see something different going on - and after you listen to the pod, you probably will, too. Join the Baseball Rabbi for a special "Quick Release" episode about all things Mookie.

Ted Simmons retired as the all time hit leader for catchers - and garnered 3.7% of the Hall of Fame vote in his first year of eligibility. Why did it take another 25 years for one of the greatest catchers ever to get in? Along the way we look at THE decade of dominant catchers (it's not the 1950s), as well as the travesty of Marvin Miller's Hall of Fame candidacy. And what is the curse of Tim Raines, and how is Drew Brees one of its prominent victims?

The Houston Astros cheating scandal has been discussed and dissected, but the Baseball Rabbi has new statistical evidence that no one else has revealed. Join Pesach Wolicki as he crunches some numbers that produce something akin to a smoking gun. Plus: more on the Astros' historical legacy and institutional culture, and Scott Kahn (shockingly) explains why the Patriots' Spygate scandal was nothing compared to the Astros' malfeasance.

Everyone might know who's going to be the Rookie of the Year in each league, but there's a lot more to discuss regarding one of the strongest rookie classes in years. And what is "Rookie of the Year" supposed to represent, anyway - the player with the best rookie season, or the biggest upside? Plus: ranking the absolute worst candidates for Most Valuable Player since 1979: get ready to hear about some top five MVP finishers who were, shall we say, undeserving.

The World Champion Nats beat the Astros, and A.J. Hinch might be responsible. What did he do wrong? The Baseball Rabbi also looks at underrated MVP Stephen Strasburg, Ted Williams-ish Juan Soto, and brilliant Yordan Alvarez (but did he actually face decent pitching?). Plus: the Cubs are the dynasty that wasn't; is it time to tear it down, or is the championship window still open?