Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville joins Eno and DVR to explore a big question in the wake of Konnor Griffin's recent promotion -- who is the baseball teenage position player in baseball history?

Plus, they share huge show news -- Starkville returns and joins Rates & Barrels on Saturday, April 18th!

They also discuss early reactions to ABS, and potential improvements to the system that could be implemented in the future depending on how the early-season trends play out over the course of the entire season.

Rundown
0:49 Starkville Returns Saturday, April 18th! Right Here on Rates & Barrels
2:02 Baseball’s Best Teenage Position Players: How Do You Approach a ‘Greatest Of’ Question?
8:00 Entering with Massive Expectations: Is It ‘Easier’ on an Already Good Team?
10:45 Does Having a Recently Hyped Arrival Help? Paul Skenes’ Fast Track, High Expectations in Pittsburgh
14:25 Bright Spotlights From Day 1: How Ken Griffey Jr. and Bryce Harper Faced Added Pressure
17:05 The No. 1 Pick in Hypothetical Draft: Whose Big League Resumé as a Teenager is the Strongest?
19:54 Phil Cavaretta’s Impressive Early Arrival: Baseball’s Leader in Plate Appearances as a Teenager
22:39 Bryce Harper vs. Juan Soto: Did the Nats Actually Have the Top-2 Teenagers in MLB History?
27:05 Tony Conigliaro: A Promising Career Derailed by Tragedy
28:52 Learning From the Search: Jim Gilliam, John Montgomery Ward & Edgar Renteria?!
30:14 Stardom From Day 1: Al Kaline Was Destined to Become “Mr. Tiger”
32:10 An Old “Friend” of the Show is Back! Oyster Burns’ Unique Place in Baseball History
35:34 Late Game Challenges: Jayson’s Idea to Mimic the NFL’s Rule Under Two Minutes
38:38 Second Order Effects: Will Team Increase Aggressiveness with Challenges?
41:50 The Buffer Zone: Could Max Scherzer’s Idea to Have ‘Inconclusive’ Close Calls Stand?
46:04 How Many Strike Zones Are There?
49:49 Early Numbers: Walks *and* Strikeouts Are Up — Not Great, Bob!
54:25 Future Changes: Tweaks to the Strike Zone If Needed
1:00:21 The Margin for Error: Overturning Calls That Are Closer than Margin of Error?
1:03:20 Check Out Starkville Starting April 18th!

Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
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e-mail: [email protected]

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Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

With: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville

Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno and DVR return from the weekend and wonder if Jo Adell's three home-run saving catches in the Angels' 1-0 win against the Mariners on Saturday night might be the best defensive game ever played. Plus, they discuss a cluster of starting pitchers on the fringes of rosters in many leagues, searching for early-season sources of stability, before taking a spin around the league after several impactful injuries piled up.

Rundown
0:29 Three Home-Run Robbies in One Game! Did Jo Adell Play the Best Defensive Game Ever?
9:26 The Starting Pitchers Were Good Too! Emerson Hancock and Jack Kochanowicz Deal
11:16 Choosing Your Favorite Two: Starting Pitchers on the Rise
21:39 Injuries Galore: Updates on Horton, Betts, Soto & Others
32:23 Feeling Better After Start No. 2? Tatsuya Imai Rolls Against the A’s
36:49 A Defensive Slump? Are the Giants’ Fielding Woes Fixable?
41:20 Context in Small Samples: Rain, Sleet, Snow & Other Variables That Matter
46:48 October is Behind Him: Andy Pages Is Hitting Well Again
49:28 Great Starts at Coors Field: Where Does Jesús Luzardo’s Weekend Start Rank?
58:32 What’s in Pat Murphy’s Pocket? How About a Tortoise Named ‘Bobby Jr.’?!
1:04:21 Keeping An Eye on Anthony Kay: Is It ‘Good’ Weird, or ‘Bad’ Weird?
1:08:38 Pirates Sweep the Orioles: Undefeated in Konnor Griffin Era

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social

e-mail: [email protected]

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DVR is joined by Jason Collette to discuss the evolution of pre-debut contracts and early takeaways -- including the highly-anticipated return Shane McClanahan -- and the surprising lack of stolen bases from the Rays in their first two series of the season. They also take an early look at waiver-wire targets, highlighting several starting pitchers of interest, a few relievers to consider from bullpens in turmoil, and the fast start for Jordan Walker.

Rundown
1:55 Commissioner’s Corner: Move Weekly Pickups to Thursday Night!
8:37 Context is Key: James Wood Reveals 2025 Injuries
11:34 Checking In on the Rays: Observations Through Two Series
18:59 He’s Back! The Return of Shane McClanahan
23:59 Efficiency FTW: Drew Rasmussen Has a New Changeup
28:15 Early-Season Matchups: What Matters When Considering Pitchers?
34:24 Another Bat Speed Riser: Interest Level in Luisangel Acuña
37:29 Weekend Waiver Preview: Starting Pitchers We’re Considering
41:55 The Roster Bubble Starting Pitchers (40-60% Rostered)
48:23 Digging Deeper (20-40% Rostered)
53:26 Looking for Saves: Assessing Relievers in Flux
56:45 Cautious with Hitting Surprises? Buying Jordan Walker’s Adjustments?

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Jason on Bluesky: @jasoncollette.bsky.social.

e-mail: [email protected]

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Host: Derek VanRiper

With Guest Co-Host: Jason Collette

Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss the Pirates' promotion of top prospect Konnor Griffin (whose agreement to a nine-year extension was revealed after the episode was recorded), the long-term outlook on Shane Baz, how pitchers impact a hitter's bat speed, and new pitches that have caught our eye through the first week of the season.

Rundown
0:26 Baseball's Top Prospect Gets the Call: Konnor Griffin to Debut on Friday
3:54 Buying the Pirates? Will They Snap Seven-Year Streak of Losing Seasons?
8:31 Breaking Down Shane Baz's Extension with the Orioles: Five-Year, $56 Million
19:40 How Pitchers Impact a Hitter's Bat Speed
29:56 Does Fast Swing Rate Against Pitchers Tell Us More than Average Bat Speeds?
35:03 New Pitches: Pitchers With Better Outlooks Thanks to New Offerings
57:18The Rangers' Nacho Sombrero is Real?!

Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.bsky.social

e-mail: [email protected]

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Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

With: Trevor May

Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno, Jed, and DVR discuss a bizarre mistake from C.B. Bucknor in Milwaukee on Tuesday night, and Jed's favorite umpire still in rotation before digging into Shohei Ohtani's first start of 2026 -- which featured significantly increased usage of his curveball -- before looking at early bat-speed risers, and breaking down a few hitters they believe could benefit from a more aggressive approach at the plate.

Rundown
0:48 Umpire Love: Jed’s Favorite Ump Still in Circulation
2:00 The Opposite of Umpire Love: C.B. Buckner’s Laughably Bad Call
3:50 Make a Mistake? Own It! Mark Wegner Owns Up to Missed Strikeout
10:10 Sho and Tell: Shohei Ohtani Increases Curveball Usage in First Start of 2026
15:33 Other News & Notes: DeLauter’s Scare, Eflin’s Exit & deGrom’s Velo
18:09 Early Bat Speed Risers: Why Does It Matter in Small Samples?
25:57 Does High Bat Speed Lead to Injuries?
34:00 Swing Decisions: Who Should Be More Aggressive?
50:58 Show and Tell: A Few of Our Random Favorites

Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
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e-mail: [email protected]

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

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Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

With: Jed Lowrie

Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.