The Ringer MLB Show

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss a wild Dodgers win and the surprising longevity of weak-hitting Michael Martínez (05:30), then talk to superhero/sprinter/Braves grounds crew member Nigel Talton (a.k.a. "the Freeze") about becoming a between-innings phenomenon at SunTrust Park this season (09:30). Lastly, they bring on orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Dugas to discuss the season-ending injury to Dodgers phenom Julio Urías (25:15), the prognosis for his career and return (28:00), and why shoulder injuries have become less common among major league pitchers (32:30).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman potentially moving to third (01:00), then bring on ESPN's Marly Rivera to discuss the Béisbol Experience project (06:00), why baseball's native Spanish speakers still aren't covered enough (09:30), the drawbacks and benefits of Latino players' paths to the majors (16:00), how teams are trying to make it easier for Latino players to learn English and adjust to American culture and food (20:00), differences among countries in off-the-field challenges and on-the-field playing styles (23:30), leadership questions and cultural cliques in the clubhouse (26:00), why baseball players rarely talk to the media (or each other) about politics (33:30), and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about balding and baseball hairstyles (01:00), then bring on Kyle Boddy, founder of data-driven training facility Driveline Baseball, to talk about how independent instructors work with teams and college programs (03:45), how Boddy is trying to turn Driveline into baseball's DARPA (12:45), myths about baseball training (16:00), the future of biomechanics in baseball (24:00), and the latest on launch angle and spin rate (26:00). Then, they ask RotoGraphs writer and xStats founder Andrew Perpetua about Statcast's improvements and limitations (32:00) and how he uses Statcast stats to assess skill and project performance (34:00). They wrap up with a brief discussion about the struggle to stay curious about baseball (50:00).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about Michael's recent power rankings (01:15) and Carlos Ruiz's pitching appearance (04:00), then bring on ... Michael Baumann, a college pitcher whom the Orioles just selected with the 98th overall pick in the amateur draft (05:00). Later, Ben and Michael (the first one) play a game of "Is This Reliever Currently Good?" (19:30) and end with an Aaron Judge Minute (42:00).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to FanGraphs lead prospect writer Eric Longenhagen about why this draft class is unusual, the class's strengths and weaknesses (02:30), the prominence of two-way players (10:00), the pros and cons of potential top pick Hunter Greene (12:00), which teams have the most at stake in this draft (19:30), how the first several picks are likely to play out (26:00), how much college reputations matter for player development (35:15), the influence of analytics (37:30), which draftees are the best bets to make their major league debuts first (41:15), the draft's unpredictability (44:00), and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the AL East's historic strength (03:00) and the NL East's historic weakness (with a focus on the Phillies' stalled rebuild). They they speak to injured Mets starter Noah Syndergaard about his health (12:15), the Mets' struggles this season (15:00), his pitching approach (18:30), how he spends time in New York (27:00), and trends in home runs and strikeouts (30:00). Lastly, Ben and Michael talk about the incentives that often lead to injury for hard-throwing pitchers (34:00).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about college baseball (01:00), Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen's two-way opportunity (02:00), Jon Lester's triumphant pickoff throw (03:30), and Albert Pujols's 600th career homer (08:15). They then bring on longtime Cardinals executive John Vuch to talk about Pujols's origin story as a 13th-round draft pick (11:00), his rapid ascent to the majors (25:00), and his St. Louis peak (30:00).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter how poor pitcher hitting affects the DH debate (02:30) and Mike Trout's injury (06:00), then talk to The Crawfish Boxes managing editor Ryan Dunsmore about whether the streaking Astros have a weakness (11:15) and what they can do to distance themselves further from the field (14:15). Lastly, Ben and Michael discuss whether the success of the Astros and Cubs has overfly inflated fan expectations for rebuilding teams (38:20) and whether the current, copycat crop of rebuilders can count on such short paths to the playoffs (42:30).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to FanGraphs writer/fly-ball believer Travis Sawchik and 'FiveThirtyEight' writer/fly-ball skeptic Rob Arthur about hitters who've broken out after aiming for the air (03:00), other hitters who've declined despite elevating their batted balls (13:00), how teams are trying to teach the uppercut swing (15:00), whether the "fly-ball revolution" explains the big leagues' record home run rate (24:00), and whether pitchers can counter batters' altered approach (33:00).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann start off with a quick edition of "College Baseball Player or Fictional Racing Driver" (02:30). Then they bring on Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and Fox Sports/MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci to discuss his new SI cover story about the high-tech ways in which teams are evaluating breaking balls (04:30), why the curveball is becoming more common and disrupting traditional pitch-usage patterns (06:00), how an emphasis on spin rate could affect the pitcher-batter balance (18:00), and how Verducci reports on trends that teams could consider competitive advantages (28:45).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices