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 tough times for a few EW favorites and Ben’s pre-podcast injury, then (15:00) discuss the response to Cade Cavalli telling Willson Contreras to “Sit down, boy.” After that (38:10), they cover the MLBPA’s proposals to limit certain types of transactions, a continued tightening of the leashes on starting pitchers, Paul Skenes’s recent struggles, the unlikely win-loss records of Tanner Bibee and Aaron Ashby (and an embarrassing Cooper Ingle error), Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong hot streaks and PCA’s newfound patience, recent swoons by the Braves and Yankees and surges by the Marlins and Rangers, what the Red Sox and Tigers should do at the deadline, and more.

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

Audio outro: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to MLBTR on Rooker

Link to Rooker/Pasquantino pod

Link to MLBTR on Lin

Link to MLBTR on Lasko

Link to Brussels sprouts episode

Link to Venezuela earthquakes story

Link to MLB/MLBPA Venezuela donation

Link to Cavalli/Contreras video

Link to story on first Contreras ejection

Link to ump’s ejection explanation

Link to story about Contreras/Cavalli incident

Link to Cavalli apology

Link to Toboni comments

Link to Bixby census data

Link to The Athletic on Cavalli

Link to punishments for players

Link to MLBTR on the suspensions

Link to Contreras Instagram comment

Link to Contreras Instagram report

Link to The Athletic on player proposals

Link to MLBTR on player proposals

Link to Ben on pitcher roster restrictions

Link to BP on rampant DFAing

Link to BP on rampant optioning

Link to MLBPA prop-bet proposal

Link to Crizer on Skenes, etc.

Link to Skenes Big Glizzy ad

Link to McClanahan game

Link to Sam on starter usage

Link to Snell no-hitter

Link to familiarity vs. fatigue research

Link to Ingle error

Link to MLB wins leaders

Link to Ashby quotes

Link to RP IP leaders

Link to RP leverage leaders

Link to 23-3 game

Link to Littleton save

Link to Corbin save tweet

Link to PCA fun fact

Link to Swanson fun fact 1

Link to Swanson fun fact 2

Link to fun-fact-finding interview

Link to Woodrum on PCA

Link to NL East playoff odds graph

Link to Defector on the Marlins

Link to Sheehan on the Rangers

Link to Jay on bad defenses

Link to Temecula incident

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the firing of Perry Minasian and the Angels’ outlook under John Mozeliak, Molly Jolly, and Arte Moreno, how MLB is using official channels to publicly promote its position in labor bargaining, whether the Mets’ disappointing season will influence other teams’ approaches to roster construction, the popularity (or lack thereof) of Josh Naylor, Jacob Misiorowski and the imprecise nature of pitch-speed records, and the delightful debut of the Diamondbacks’ Mitch Bratt, plus a postscript about MLB’s ball-drag statement.

Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Blum on Minasian

Link to Blum on Minasian 2

Link to Dubuque on Minasian

Link to Rosenthal on Mozeliak

Link to Nightengale’s Angels report

Link to Jolly article

Link to MLB labor videos

Link to MLB Instagram labor post

Link to Ozempic ad 1

Link to Ozempic ad 2

Link to MLB.com column 1

Link to MLB.com column 2

Link to Baumann on draft prospect opinions

Link to bully pulpit wiki

Link to 2026 Mets clubhouse story

Link to 2025 Mets clubhouse story

Link to 2023 Mets clubhouse story

Link to Stearns clip

Link to Meisel on Naylor

Link to Hedges clip

Link to Garrett comment

Link to Naylor on Pawol

Link to Miz 105.5 mph story

Link to Miz postgame comment

Link to Miz postgame clip

Link to 105+ MPH pitches

Link to 107+ perceived MPH pitches

Link to Pitch Info website

Link to Chapman max MPH at BB

Link to Hicks max MPH at BB

Link to Joyce max MPH at BB

Link to Miz max MPH at BB

Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 1

Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 2

Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 3

Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 4

Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 5

Link to Bratt delivery 1

Link to Bratt delivery 2

Link to Bratt last year

Link to Walden/Capps story

Link to Seinfeld clip

Link to Bratt extension rank

Link to “fall on my ass” tweet

Link to Savant drag dashboard

Link to MLB statement to Ben

Link to Acuña comparing balls

Link to MLB trademark application

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

Ben Lindbergh and Ben Clemens banter about some suspicious variability in the ball’s behavior and whether the low-drag, high-home-run-rate times of the late 2010s have returned, Carlos Mendoza’s “departure” from the Mets, the Blue Jays’ dominance of “Phase 1” of All-Star voting, the hitters and pitchers who have most overperformed and underperformed their projections through the halfway point of the regular season, forsaking single-team fandom, platoon god Paul Goldschmidt, Dalton Rushing’s clash with Shohei Ohtani, the Pope’s audience with A.J. Pierzynski, MLB’s economic proposals, and more, plus Stat Blasts about an unusual homestand and the Nationals’ latest, not-so-greatest bullpen blowup(s).

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

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

Link to MLFAD scoreboard

Link to bouncing ball wiki

Link to Savant drag dashboard

Link to ball carry analysis

Link to Nathan post 1

Link to Nathan post 2

Link to Nathan post 3

Link to Nathan post 4

Link to March/April scoring

Link to May scoring

Link to story about May offense

Link to June scoring

Link to MLB/Rawlings story

Link to scoring/attendance research 1

Link to scoring/attendance research 2

Link to scoring/attendance research 3

Link to scoring/attendance research 4

Link to Mets announcement tweet

Link to Mets announcement post

Link to MLBTR on Mendoza

Link to MLBTR on Green

Link to Rosenthal on Mendoza/Stearns

Link to Ben L. on team turnover

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to Phase 1 ASG voting results

Link to Sogard contest post

Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard

Link to 2025 trade value series

Link to Dan S. on batter ZiPS movers

Link to Dan S. on pitcher ZiPS movers

Link to batter preseason projections

Link to batter pace leaders

Link to batter paces vs. projections

Link to pitcher preseason projections

Link to pitcher pace leaders

Link to pitcher paces vs. projections

Link to MLBTR on Ragans

Link to Cashman on running back the roster

Link to Goldschmidt tOPS+ query

Link to Goldschmidt sOPS+ query

Link to 1B JAWS leaders

Link to Petriello on Goldschmidt

Link to Other Ben’s VEB archive

Link to Jensen HR off of Kimbrel

Link to Rushing/Ohtani video

Link to Rushing quotes

Link to Rushing postgame video

Link to Ohtani postgame video

Link to Roberts postgame video

Link to contested challenge clip

Link to dugout conferences clip

Link to mound conference clip

Link to costly missed catch

Link to Rushing bench reaction

Link to Ohtani’s Smith/Rushing splits

Link to Rosenthal on Pope/Pierzynski

Link to Papal infallibility wiki

Link to MLB proposals article

Link to MLB proposals tweet

Link to MLBPA response

Link to article on player aging

Link to aging curve research 1

Link to aging curve research 2

Link to late homestands spreadsheet

Link to BP on the Phillies comebacks

Link to Langs on the Phillies comebacks

Link to 2026 team RP WAR

Link to worst-ever team RP WAR

Link to Phillies comeback gamer

Link to last-strike-comebacks data

Link to non-Einstein quote investigation

Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen

Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen again

Link to Rockies comeback gamer

Link to Other Ben on inherited runners

Link to Stat Blast on inherited runners

Link to listener emails database

Link to SCG Con

Link to MLBTR on Minasian/Mozeliak

Link to Miz 105.5 mph story

Link to fastest tracked pitches

Link to Miz postgame comment

Link to Miz postgame clip

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the rise and fall of Ildemaro Vargas, the Mets’ and Cubs’ David Peterson swap, Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s refusal to wear a cup, the Giants’ response to Pride Night fallout, and the owners’ CBA strategy. Then (56:41) Ben brings back John Brebbia to discuss the Rockies reliever’s return to the majors, how he’s handling the journeyman phase of his career, when to opt out of a contract, Colorado’s player-dev improvements, Triple-A attitudes, how the minors have changed, the greatest major league luxury, dugout pitch-calling, challenging, his entrance song, how he and other players are following the labor talks, and more.

Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”

Link to Lennon song

Link to MLFAD

Link to “Train Daddy” article

Link to “Railroad Daddy” article

Link to Brebbia’s first appearance

Link to Vargas hot streak

Link to Vargas cold streak

Link to Voros’s Law

Link to gambler’s fallacy

Link to Vargas collision

Link to Flowers for Algernon adaptations

Link to Charly

Link to TV movie

Link to Awakenings

Link to “Snakes alive” slogan

Link to Nora Morse wiki

Link to FG post on the Cubs

Link to MLBTR on Peterson

Link to Gary Cohen quote

Link to Mets’ six errors

Link to Chisholm clip

Link to Chisholm story

Link to Mariners testicle injury thread

Link to Haniger story

Link to risk compensation wiki

Link to catcher helmets interview

Link to lollipop story

Link to Davitt interview

Link to Posey clip

Link to SF Chronicle on the Giants

Link to The Athletic on the Giants

Link to KNBR interview story

Link to Devers apology story

Link to Vitello’s The Town reference

Link to Manfred letter

Link to The Athletic on MLB’s proposals

Link to MLBTR on MLB’s proposals

Link to Play Sun Smart initiative

Link to Rockies team attitude story

Link to Senzatela pitch mix

Link to Bull Durham scene

Link to Collins quote

Link to dugout pitch-calling story

Link to dugout pitch-calling story 2

Link to Ben on dugout pitch-calling

Link to Wham! song

Link to story about Brebbia’s song

Link to Zoolander scene

Link to Meyer quote

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joey Meneses and John Brebbia being back in the big leagues, Mike Trout’s hamstring strain, Dillon Dingler’s dominance, a Blue Jays All-Star voting update, the latest Home Run Derby format change, MLB’s radical amateur drafts proposal, the DOJ’s MLB investigation and the York Revolution’s Pride event, Rafael Devers vs. Tony Vitello, and the struggle-bus swan songs of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, plus (1:40:06) a postscript.

Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Garrett Krohn, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLB.com on Meneses

Link to MLBTR on Meneses

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to Ben on Meneses

Link to Brebbia on EW

Link to “Cecilia”

Link to MLB.com on Trout

Link to latest All-Star tallies

Link to AL “as 2B” leaders

Link to “primary 2B” leaders

Link to team OF rankings

Link to AL WAR leaders

Link to FG framing leaders

Link to Savant framing leaders

Link to on-pace leaders

Link to catcher batting leaders

Link to Derby report

Link to Derby format wiki

Link to The Athletic on MLB’s proposal

Link to ESPN on MLB’s proposal

Link to Cohen tweet

Link to BA on MLB’s proposal

Link to Dan S. on MLB’s proposal

Link to DOJ investigation story

Link to DOJ investigation story 2

Link to player reaction to investigation

Link to York Revolution statement

Link to York Revolution news story

Link to York Revolution wiki

Link to York Revolution news segment

Link to Teter clip

Link to story on Treinen

Link to Manfred letter

Link to York County voting results

Link to York County voting story

Link to Devers/Vitello interaction

Link to Devers/Vitello story 1

Link to Devers/Vitello story 2

Link to MLB.com on Scherzer

Link to Verlander quotes

Link to Verlander’s 25 things

Link to Upton story

Link to Verlander’s pitching splits

Link to Fleisig paper

Link to “tree of liberty” quote

Link to “rigor mortis” quote

Link to Worthington obit

Link to Episode 1505

Link to Shreiber obit

Link to Draft No. 4

Link to One Writer’s Beginnings

Link to Red McDermott at B-Ref

Link to Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

Effectively Wild Subreddit

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Apple Podcasts Feed

Spotify Feed

YouTube Playlist

Facebook Group

Bluesky Account

Twitter Account

Get Our Merch!

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