Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about rookie batters’ blistering start to the season, then Stat Blast (10:15) about how long it typically takes for there to be no remaining teams that are winless or undefeated (or both), the latest a team won or lost by a margin that matched its record, and the seasons that featured the most Hall of Famers (at all, and in their primes). Then they talk to three listeners who created brand-new apps/sites that enhance the experience of following the season: Tristan Rodman of Baseball Scores (28:00), Zach Gines of First Pitch (46:45), and Ezra Thompson of Play-O-Graph (1:09:30), followed by assorted updates (1:26:58).

Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Link to checksum explainer

Link to seasonal rookie batting lines

Link to 2026 rookie batting line

Link to 2026 rookie pitching line

Link to Kepner on the rookies

Link to aging curve research 1

Link to aging curve research 2

Link to Ben on 2015 rookies

Link to Ben on 2015 youth

Link to Fernandez debut game

Link to two-homer-debuts query

Link to winless/undefeated teams data

Link to 1894 game

Link to 1911 game

Link to 1986 game

Link to 1993 game

Link to 1996 game

Link to 2000 game 1

Link to 2000 game 2

Link to HoFers data

Link to HoFers graph

Link to Frisch VC info

Link to listener emails database

Link to Baseball Scores site

Link to Tristan’s site

Link to The Gagnés theme 1

Link to The Gagnés theme 2

Link to @dril tweet

Link to Angell quote

Link to First Pitch site

Link to NERD scores

Link to B-Ref Stream Finder

Link to Skubal-Gallen gamer

Link to Play-O-Graph site

Link to playograph wiki

Link to FotMob

Link to Moneyball clip

Link to Grounds Crew Baseball site

Link to The Number Wall site

Link to “meme” origins

Link to Yates press conference

Link to Orioles tap-off

Link to Crawford walk-off story

Link to pre-Artemis II batted balls

Link to Artemis II launch story

Link to xkcd comic

Link to Bucknor play story

Link to Bucknor play video

Link to Bucknor injury story

Link to Ben on forgotten counts

Link to Bois on forgotten counts

Link to Retrosheet forgotten counts

Link to video of Smith PA

Link to Smith PA on Gameday

Link to Alvarez PA on Gameday

Link to Chris’s Reddit post

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joey Wiemer, Colt Emerson’s contract, the concept of “sticking at shortstop,” and pre-arbitration (and pre-debut) extension trends, then (29:11) answer listener emails about A.J. Preller trading himself, Harrison Bader and the press conference threshold, plotting to prevent a switch-hitter from batting from both sides, no-selling a World Series ring ceremony, giveaway promotions at every game, a Craig Kimbrel PitchCom hypothesis, the top five MLB owners, pitch-count limits in a World Series perfect game bid, technical fouls in baseball, the aesthetic appeal of platooning, and lifetime .500 franchises.

Audio intro: Garrett Krohn, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Baumann on Wiemer

Link to MLB.com on Wiemer

Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard

Link to “small sample” song

Link to Voros’ Law

Link to “WDJDD?” (short)

Link to “WDJDD?” (long)

Link to MLBTR on Emerson

Link to Nichols’ Law of Catcher Defense

Link to Passan tweet about Emerson

Link to FG post on Pratt

Link to Sam on extensions

Link to Bader story

Link to Seinfeld “sponge-worthy” clips

Link to Kiri on promotions

Link to “Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things”

Link to Meg on the baseball penalty box

Link to Diamondbacks bullpen story

Link to “Maddux” stat

Link to Ben on ex-player execs

Link to franchise W-L records

Link to listener emails database

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Trout’s hot start, Dub Gleed’s (nick)name, the challenge system as a mainstream sensation, several tactical considerations, listener emails, premature conclusions, and pedantic points after a weekend’s worth of ABS action, Munetaka Murakami’s early slugging, a Brewers call-up and extension, NBC’s broadcast crews, and more, plus a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to the other ABS

Link to Gleed trade story

Link to challenge system tweet 1

Link to challenge system tweet 2

Link to Ben on the challenge system

Link to Sam on the challenge system

Link to UmpScorecards data

Link to Rosenthal on the challenge system

Link to Passan on the challenge system

Link to ABS system wiki

Link to FG community blog

Link to Petriello on 2025 ABS data

Link to team ABS leaderboard

Link to ABS dashboard

Link to ABS player leaderboard

Link to Crizer on the challenge system

Link to debutant dingers query

Link to 2026 debutant dingers

Link to Murakami NPB analysis

Link to Murakami fun fact

Link to Reds Opening Days story

Link to Shelton ejection clip

Link to Bucknor story

Link to Bucknor challenges

Link to Bucknor scorecard

Link to Bucknor story

Link to Cora ejection

Link to ABS and manager ejections info 1

Link to ABS and manager ejections info 2

Link to ABS and manager ejections info 3

Link to Quero call-up info

Link to MLBTR on Pratt

Link to FG Brewers list

Link to Sam on check swings

Link to AP on Benetti

Link to MLBTR on Pratt

Link to listener emails database

Link to “burn the ships” wiki

Link to article about Syracuse team

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the pleasures of and precedents for the historic rookie performances on Opening Day, the pains of Netflix’s Opening Night broadcast, an Opening Day disaster for Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz, and a bird near Carson Benge, Freddie Freeman’s gameday fit, a perplexing (un?)fun fact about the Phillies and Jhoan Duran, why players don’t always challenge when they “should,” Nico Hoerner and Shane Baz extensions, baseball movies being back (thanks to Tom Hanks), and more, plus a Stat Blast (1:28:40) about Black Ink streaks and a postscript (1:37:14) featuring a follow-up and a few bonus Blasts.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Link to 2026 new debuts

Link to RE24 query

Link to 2026 RE24 players

Link to 1914 RE24 players

Link to 1938 RE24 players

Link to 1950 RE24 players

Link to RE24 glossary

Link to B-Ref RE24 leaders

Link to total bases query

Link to 2026 TB players

Link to 1938 TB players

Link to 1.000 OPS query

Link to 2026 1.000 OPS players

Link to 1901 1.000 OPS players

Link to 1938 1.000 OPS players

Link to Dick Crutcher bio

Link to Baumann on the rookies

Link to “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”

Link to first White Sox game

Link to Marchand on the Netflix game

Link to Bonds story

Link to Bonds at Rickwood game

Link to 180-degree rule

Link to FG post on Skenes

Link to Ben on the Pirates and A’s

Link to Pirates HR celebration

Link to Benge on the bird

Link to Freeman post 1

Link to Freeman post 2

Link to Stark post

Link to Sam post

Link to Phillies home closers query

Link to Phillies road closers query

Link to Phillies OD home games

Link to Phillies OD road games

Link to home OD saves by team

Link to Kruk comment

Link to Tango on location uncertainty

Link to Petriello on catcher challenges

Link to Ben’s catcher research

Link to MLBTR on Hoerner

Link to MLBTR on Baz

Link to upcoming FA class

Link to Hanks movie announcement

Link to Hanks typewriter collection

Link to Night Swim wiki

Link to Caught Stealing wiki

Link to Eephus EW interview

Link to Ben on Rogue One and Andor

Link to Black Ink info

Link to Black Ink data 1

Link to Black Ink data 2

Link to Ben on Trout’s Black Ink

Link to blowout 1

Link to blowout 2

Link to blowout 3

Link to blowout 4

Link to blowout 5

Link to blowout 6

Link to blowout 7

Link to blowout 8

Link to Vinay’s data

Link to 1930 game

Link to Sam on record talent

Link to Davy on Mets basestealing

Link to Newsday on Mets basestealing

Link to story on Richardson and Riley

Link to listener emails database

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: [email protected]

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the number of Opening Days/Nights at the start of the regular-season schedule and how long they think the challenge system will last, review some of their favorite offseason transactions, and do their annual draft of all 30 MLB teams in order of how fun they’ll be to follow this season.

Audio intro: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Craig on Opening Days/Nights

Link to broadcast dilemma

Link to Ben on the challenge system

Link to Ben on the labor situation

Link to champing/chomping

Link to Rogers tattoo story

Link to Langs Giants stat

Link to pod duration calculator

Link to Adames challenge reaction

Link to EWStats site

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

Effectively Wild Wiki

Apple Podcasts Feed

Spotify Feed

YouTube Playlist

Facebook Group

Bluesky Account

Twitter Account

Get Our Merch!

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