The Ringer MLB Show

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about a fun fact and then talk to WFAA Rangers reporter Levi Weaver about how the irrepressible Rangers have won without big contributions from their projected best players and whether they can sustain their success (06:00). Then they bring on Sun Sentinel Marlins beat writer Tim Healey to discuss Giancarlo Stanton's vocal frustration with the state of his team (27:30), how his contract affects his future (30:30), and the Marlins' depressing prospects of success (46:00).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann examine the adjustments that Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, and Bryce Harper have made this season to become even better (03:00). Then they bring on Royals reliever and injury trailblazer Seth Maness to talk about making it back to the big leagues after undergoing "primary repair," an alternative to Tommy John surgery that helped him get back on the mound much faster (16:00). Lastly, they talk to Robert Mosley, who set a record in MLB's Beat the Streak competition but fell just short of the ultimate goal (30:30).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann shine a spotlight on the topsy-turvy and tightly compressed NL Central, talking to The Athletic Chicago's Sahadev Sharma about the surprisingly mediocre Cubs (03:00) and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (25:30) and the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan (43:00) about the unexpectedly competitive Brewers and Reds, respectively.

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to Red Sox executive vice president and chief financial officer Tim Zue about how teams are using data to optimize ticketing (05:00), marketing (12:00), concessions (36:00), the fan experience (39:00), and more, and the ways in which baseball business analytics are similar to and different from baseball operations analytics (51:30).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann and Baseball Prospectus writer Meg Rowley banter about Kris Bryant's double-play avoidance (03:00) and whether Giancarlo Stanton still inspires awe (07:00). Then they talk to 'Pitch' showrunner Kevin Falls about why Fox canceled the series (13:00), his attempts to revive the show or provide closure for fans (17:00), what did and didn't work in the first season (20:00), the challenges of making a TV show about sports (25:00), and what he had in mind for Season 2 (43:00).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to writer Steven Goldman of Vice Sports and FanRag Sports about historical precedents for the feud between the Orioles' Manny Machado and the Red Sox (4:07), whether bad blood (and bad behavior) among baseball players has gotten more or less common over time (31:48), and whether the beanball epidemic will ever end (40:30).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about big bullpens (02:30), high home run rates (06:00), injured Mets and fatalistic Mets fans (08:00), and the seasonlong losses of Adam Eaton and Shelby Miller (18:00). Then they bring on Pittsburgh Pirates Gift Ngoepe and Dovydas Neverauskas, who recently became the first players born in Africa and Lithuania, respectively, to make the majors (22:30). Lastly, Ben and Michael forecast which countries might be the next to send their first representatives to The Show (49:00).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on former big leaguer (and current Astros broadcaster) Geoff Blum to discuss his evolution in the booth (01:00), the Astros’ past, present, and future (03:30), the differences between playing for good and bad teams, and more (18:00). Then, they welcome Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz to talk about his affinity for baseball (26:00), his thoughts on biometric monitoring of athletes (28:30), and the gaps between baseball and football in terms of physical strain (31:30), the strength of unions and security of contracts (42:30), the use of analytics (44:00), and the degree to which player performance is dependent on coaching (47:30).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann check in on the season’s high home run rate (01:30), talk about whether bullpens have gotten too big (03:30), and debate the fates of five teams that are off to rough starts this season (10:30). Then they bring on longtime big league pitcher LaTroy Hawkins to discuss data about the declining number of African American players (24:00) and the underrepresentation of black pitchers and catchers (31:30), as well as his thoughts on underrated major league cities (40:00), the keys to aging gracefully as an athlete (41:15), and the evolution of reliever usage (44:30).

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The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith about baseball’s rising strikeout rate (04:00), the current crop of talented young shortstops (10:00), the impact of shifting and data-driven defensive positioning (12:30), and the ascendance of advanced defensive stats (14:30). Then they bring on Reds reliever/pinch hitter Michael Lorenzen to talk about Cincinnati’s unorthodox free-flowing bullpen and quick-working staff (26:00), his history and preparation as a hitter (34:30), and his attempt to fill roles both in the bullpen and on the bench (38:30).

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