This episode is part one of a two-show series called “Working in Baseball”.

At this year’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, we had an opportunity to discuss jobs in baseball with several people in different positions around the game. Whether you’re a long-time fan interested in knowing more about the inner workings of the sport, or someone who hopes to build a career in baseball, we think you’ll enjoy these conversations. 

On this episode, Eno sits down with Phillies general manager Sam Fuld, Rangers assistant general manager Ross Fenstermaker, and Pirates Director of Research & Development Sean Ahmed. 

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Working in Baseball, Pt. 1: Sam Fuld, Ross Fenstermaker & Sean Ahmed

Eno Sarris and Derek VanRiper, along with Trevor May and Britt Ghiroli, discuss advanced stats, strategy, prospects and more. From the first move of the Hot Stove season to the final pitch of the World Series, join us for year-round baseball talk.

Sports

Baseball

Eno, DVR and Trevor go live at 1p ET/10a PT to discuss pitch tipping, the 'fighters' we did not choose last week and their long-term outlook -- Tanner Bibee, Kyle Harrison, Hunter Greene, Taj Bradley, and Christian Scott -- the best strikeouts they have seen so far this season, and a case for massive expansion that would completely change baseball as we know it.

Rundown
1:18 Tipping Pitches
8:27 A Recent Example from Clarke Schmidt
10:45 Taj Bradley: Tipping Pitches or Too Predictable?
18:40 Tanner Bibee: A Fastball That Is Getting Hammered
26:41 Kyle Harrison: Will He Build Confidence in Secondaries?
31:58 The Case for Hunter Greene
38:33 Christian Scott: The Need For Improved Command
44:55 The Best Strikeouts We’ve Seen This Season
51:31 A Case for Massive Expansion in MLB

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Tipping Pitches, Best Strikeouts We've Seen & A Case For Massive Expansion

Eno and DVR discuss aging stars whose long-term value might be on the cusp of falling, as well as a few players to target despite an overall body of work that leaves something to be desired. 

Rundown
10:07 Freddie Freeman Is the Power & Speed Drop a Sign of Things to Come?
18:02 Marcus Semien & Nearly Impossible Durability
23:12 Jose Altuve & Extreme Pull Tendencies Over Time
28:59 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Should We Still Chase A 2021 Ceiling?
34:58 Adolis García: Fearing the Fast Peak From Late Bloomers with Aggressive Approaches
36:37 Oneil Cruz: Will He Improve Enough Against Lefties in the Long Run?
43:02 Zach Neto: Sacrificing Ceiling for a Safer Floor?
46:01 Jordan Walker: No Homers at Triple-A This Season?!
53:58 Alex Kirilloff: A Delayed Breakout Coming, or WYSIWYG?
1:02:14 Project Prospect: The Prospects to Target Via Trade As Top 100 Lists Have In-Season Updates

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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

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Playing the Long Game with Stars, The Aging Curve & Delayed Breakouts

Eno and DVR discuss Garrett Whitlock's injury and the prolonged opportunity for Cooper Criswell in the Red Sox's rotation, expectations for Edwin Díaz's break from the closer role, Luis Gil's impressive stretch to begin 2024, ways to consider leveraging pitching depth, where the money went this weekend, a few frequently dropped players from the weekend.

Rundown
1:50 Cooper Criswell's Extended Window in Boston
7:47 Edwin Díaz's Break From the Closer Role
16:00 Luis Gil: Analyzing his Early 2024 Breakout
29:52 Any Reason to Worry About Framber Valdez?
33:24 Did Ryan Weathers Figure Something Out?
39:00 Leveraging Starting Pitching Depth
43:24 Disconnect Between Stuff+ & D-backs Starting Pitching
47:56 Still Optimistic About Daulton Varsho?
51:24 Big Weekend Adds
1:02:11 Buying Any Drops? MJ Melendez, Brett Baty & James Outman

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

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Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
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A Break for Edwin Díaz, Buying A Luis Gil Breakout & Leveraging Pitching Depth

Eno is joined by co-parent of Stuff+ and former member of the Houston Astros' analytics department Max Bay. The guys dive into the state of analytics in the sport...
Rundown:
4:09 - The past, present and future of Stuff+
29:45 - How should we be using the new bat tracking data
41:44 - How can people who want to get into baseball analytics for a team stand out

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
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Stuff+, the latest on bat tracking stats and making your mark Max Bay

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss Elly De La Cruz's bid for 100-steal season, how bat tracking info could be used to supplement scouting reports and game plans against hitters, and their choices from a group of a dozen starting pitchers in an effort to project the next few seasons.

Rundown
1:06 Keeping a Good Receipt (Don't Worry, We Keep The Bad Ones Too)
2:10 Elly De La Cruz's Bid for a 100-Steal Season
8:25 How Many Stolen Bases Would Rickey Henderson Rack Up with Today's Rules
10:49 Building Scouting Reports From Bat Tracking Info
17:31 How Interested Would Players Be In Utilizing This Angle?
30:45 Choose Your Fighters: Two Starting Pitchers From This Dozen, Next Three-Plus Seasons
50:28 Does Trevor Buy Eno's Plan to Make Ben Brown a Closer in 2024?
55:10 How Much Information Does a Typical Player Consume?
1:01:07 Trevor's Wiffle Ball Update

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
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Working in Baseball, Pt. 1: Sam Fuld, Ross Fenstermaker & Sean Ahmed

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