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 Shohei Ohtani’s career-year pace, how often his number of times on base has exceeded his times on base allowed in his two-way games, and his awards outlook, discuss Aaron Judge’s injury and the wide-open AL MVP race, and then (1:06:39) Stat Blast about the most former catchers in one game, Brayan Bello’s woes as a starter, clustering a team’s plate appearances in one inning, perfectly parallel pitch counts for piggybackers, long-lasting low-WAR players, where in the batting order teams tend to go back-to-back-to-belly, players with the longest streaks of having a teammate in the World Series, the most times striking out looking, the best duos drafted consecutively, and more.

Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard

Link to batting pace leaders

Link to pitching pace leaders

Link to Ohtani game story

Link to “true win” wiki

Link to “I’m the Greatest”

Link to Judge injury article

Link to Judge injury testing article

Link to article on Judge injury impact

Link to Judge quote

Link to Raiders scene

Link to story about Raiders scene

Link to Beer Barrel Man wiki

Link to Ben on Ohtani and Judge 1

Link to Ben on Ohtani and Judge 2

Link to Amtrak event

Link to Crizer on scoreless innings streaks

Link to The Miz on Pokémon

Link to Sánchez meal plan

Link to Red Sox vs. Guardians game

Link to Sox catchers tweet

Link to The Onion blades article

Link to Ben on Padres shortstops

Link to Russell on emergency catchers

Link to catchers Blast text

Link to catchers Blast data

Link to article on first-inning scoring

Link to info on first-inning scoring and HFA

Link to Bello Stathead query 1

Link to Bello Stathead query 2

Link to story on Bello being optioned

Link to MLBTR on Bello

Link to Yankees’ 13-run inning

Link to % of PA in one inning text

Link to % of PA in one inning data

Link to Miller-Castillo game

Link to parallel pitch counts text

Link to SABR on Allan Roth

Link to longest-lasting players

Link to consecutive-homers text

Link to consecutive-homers data

Link to The Human Centipede 3 wiki

Link to Jágr streak tweet

Link to Jágr streak post

Link to Jágr wiki

Link to The Rural Juror clip

Link to teammate WS streaks data

Link to looking-strikeouts text

Link to Beltrán K

Link to previous “Toothpick” Jones episode

Link to draft duos data

Link to harmonic mean wiki

Link to Brett-Schmidt draft round

Link to listener emails database

Link to Emil Gumbel wiki

Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 1

Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 2

Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 3

Link to loose bodies clip

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the duality of Jo Adell’s defense (after the FARTBAT low that followed his triple-robbery high), Spencer Arrighetti and MLB’s monthly player honors as the last bastion of old-school-stat-based awards, whether a team with a losing record could make the playoffs this season, Paul Goldschmidt’s pleasing platoon role, how much credit the Brewers deserve for Kyle Harrison’s success, Louis Varland’s value, the Tigers’ rapid plummet out of contention, the twilights of Nick Castellanos’s and Andrew McCutchen’s careers, and (1:15:01) whether the CBA negotiations merit horse race-style coverage.

Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”

Link to Adell’s FARTBAT

Link to Adell quote

Link to Adell’s three robberies

Link to dramatic robbery photo

Link to EW robbery discussion

Link to Adell’s 2020 FARTBAT

Link to Canseco FARTBAT

Link to May’s Pitchers of the Month

Link to Pereda nut shot

Link to Pennywise quote

Link to Desk Set wiki

Link to Player of the Month Award wiki

Link to past PotM winners

Link to THT article on the award

Link to pitcher WAR leaders in May

Link to Sportico on the unbalanced leagues

Link to MLB.com on the lower October bar

Link to Jay on the Tigers

Link to Skubal rehab update

Link to Rosenthal on Skubal

Link to lowest-win playoff teams

Link to Curt on Harrison

Link to Location+ leaders

Link to Brewers WAR leaders

Link to reliever WAR leaders

Link to four-seamer velo leaders

Link to MLBTR on McCutchen

Link to MLBTR on Castellanos

Link to Clemens on the opening offers

Link to Drellich on Meyer/Caplin quotes

Link to Drellich on Manfred quotes

Link to The Athletic on open books

Link to story on Sánchez’s streak

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first home run of the season, injuries to Munetaka Murakami and Craig Kimbrel, a crotch-related suspension precedent, the mystery of Julio Rodriguez’s defense, Roki Sasaki’s surge, the phenomenon of National Anthem standoffs, Carmen Mlodzinski’s brief relief revolt, whether Victor Wembanyama would be a good pitcher, Aaron Ashby’s weirdly winning ways, (1:04:19) whether the Brewers have somehow solved clutch hitting, and the possibility of a Craig Breslow “interpreter.”

Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Tatis HR

Link to Tatis HR website

Link to Kimbrel injury news

Link to MLBTR on Murakami

Link to Murakami injury play

Link to BP on Gonzalez

Link to Elly injury news

Link to Pérez injury news

Link to gracilis muscle wiki

Link to Papelbon article 1

Link to Papelbon article 2

Link to Papelbon article 3

Link to Julio’s defense at Savant

Link to Julio’s defense at FG

Link to May leaders in pitcher WAR

Link to Wrobleski spreadies article

Link to standoff ejections article

Link to standoff ejections article

Link to Mlodzinski article 1

Link to Mlodzinski article 2

Link to Mlodzinski article 3

Link to team SP WAR

Link to team RP WAR

Link to Pirates pitcher WAR leaders

Link to Jaso EW wiki

Link to Jaso on EW

Link to Wemby baseball photo post

Link to Wemby baseball photo

Link to Shelob wiki

Link to Wemby’s Yankee Stadium visit

Link to Wemby’s first pitch video

Link to Wemby height article 1

Link to Wemby height article 2

Link to pitcher win leaders

Link to Ashby’s game log

Link to single-season RP leaders

Link to Face obit

Link to Sheehan on clutch

Link to Episode 2263 wiki

Link to Brewers clutch data

Link to 2026 tOPS+ w/RISP

Link to Brooklyn clutch streak

Link to New York clutch streak

Link to Philly clutch streak

Link to Gumbel distribution wiki

Link to Clay Davenport’s adjusted standings

Link to BaseRuns standings page

Link to Dan S. on the Brewers

Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP

Link to Brewers wOBA w/no RISP

Link to Brewers xWOBA w/RISP

Link to Brewers xWOBA w/no RISP

Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP at home

Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP on the road

Link to Brewers BABIP w/RISP

Link to Brewers BABIP w/no RISP

Link to Brewers Whiff% w/RISP

Link to Brewers Whiff% w/no RISP

Link to Brewers Pull% w/RISP

Link to Brewers Pull% w/no RISP

Link to Super Saiyan wiki

Link to Marmol on Brewers sign-stealing

Link to Brewers sign-stealing rumor

Link to “man in white” story 1

Link to “man in white” story 2

Link to “man in white” story 3

EW sign-stealing history episode

Link to Healey on Breslow

Link to “anger translator” sketch

Link to Brown trade news

Link to Yankees scoring stat 1

Link to Yankees scoring stat 2

Link to Mlodzinski update 1

Link to Mlodzinski update 2

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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 Enhanced Games and whether they would watch a baseball league where PEDS were explicitly permitted, Abner Uribe’s crotch-chop suspension, and (34:40) the most disappointing and surprising (in a positive way) teams of 2026, then (55:37) answer emails about raising a girl who likes baseball, how a salary cap would affect prices for fans, home runs on the first pitch of the game, the Hall of Fame prospects of Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, and Aroldis Chapman, the most players appearing in a game against their former team, and how to evaluate whether a team’s player development was responsible for a player’s success or failure.

Audio intro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “Let’s enhance” meme

Link to “Let’s enhance” montage

Link to Enhanced Games wiki

Link to Defector on the Enhanced Games

Link to The Conversation on the Enhanced Games

Link to NPR on the Enhanced Games

Link to nostalgia study

Link to Ben on the PED era

Link to McGwire Simpsons clip

Link to dinger distribution article 1

Link to dinger distribution article 2

Link to dinger distribution article 3

Link to Hill homer

Link to Uribe post

Link to MLB.com on Uribe

Link to AP on Uribe

Link to MLBTR on Uribe

Link to Uribe/Marmol video

Link to D-Generation X wiki

Link to DX chop compilation

Link to player names on Uribe

Link to playoff odds changes

Link to team wRC+

Link to SI on Rays hitting

Link to Posnanski on Rays hitting

Link to Garp quote

Link to Owen Meany quote

Link to Tatis HR website

Link to MLBTR on Pérez injury

Link to dynamic vs. static stretching

Link to Goodnight Baseball

Link to @dril tweet

Link to BP on payrolls and prices 1

Link to BP on payrolls and prices 1

Link to BP on payrolls and prices 3

Link to first-pitch homers

Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 1

Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 2

Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 3

Link to RP JAWS

Link to player development study 1

Link to player development study 2

Link to players vs. former teams data

Link to listener emails database

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the initial CBA proposals by the MLBPA and MLB: some specific points of departure and alignment, whether we really learned anything about what each side wants or the likelihood of lost games, and what the rhetoric and rebuttals say about the PR battle to come. Then (50:08) they banter about whether baseball broadcasts could ever get good enough to endanger attendance, why ABS challenge rates haven’t closely correlated with batter quality, a difference between what fans and neutral spectators tend to enjoy about teams, whether ace-type starting-pitcher seasons are making a partial comeback, a threat to baserunners and bat-dog employment, and a mid-start stretching-related mishap.

Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Drellich on franchise values

Link to MLBPA proposals

Link to Drellich on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Normandin on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Mains on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Drellich on the MLB proposals

Link to Meyer statement

Link to Caplin statement

Link to CBA math post 1

Link to CBA math post 2

Link to Episode 1542

Link to Passan’s CBA proposals breakdown

Link to Ben’s bargaining primer

Link to Hershberger’s 1876 post

Link to Sam on challenge rates

Link to challenge leaderboard

Link to Andrews on Wood’s challenges

Link to pitcher-pace leaderboard

Link to batter-pace leaderboard

Link to George injury article

Link to bat-dog suspension article 1

Link to bat-dog suspension article 2

Link to “Pups in the Park” page

Link to 2025 bat-dog call-up

Link to Pérez injury article

Link to Reddit comment about Ben

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to MLBTR on Jones

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

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Apple Podcasts Feed

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Get Our Merch!

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