Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Cal Raleigh finally broke out in a huge way, blasting three home runs Monday after a season-long struggle at the plate. But was this simply one monster game, or are there signs that the Mariners slugger is beginning to correct the approach issues that contributed to his disappointing season?

DVR and Eno dig into what changed for Cal Raleigh, including his swing decisions, declining aggression on pitches inside the strike zone and increased chase rate.

The Mariners aren't the only team with a star player raising questions. Zack Wheeler has been hammered over his last six starts. Is Wheeler simply hitting a late-season wall — or is there something in his arsenal that can be fixed before October?

Then, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic joins the show to go inside a turbulent stretch for the Arizona Diamondbacks. What's happening with Ketel Marte, where does his relationship with the organization and clubhouse stand, and what does it mean for a D-backs team trying to stay alive in the National League Wild Card race?

Finally, Jesús Cano of The Athletic joins DVR and Eno to break down an NL East race that suddenly looks very different. The Braves have stumbled while the Phillies have surged, dramatically shrinking Atlanta's division cushion and setting up an important stretch in the final month.

Rates & Barrels delivers MLB analysis, advanced stats, fantasy baseball strategy, prospect breakdowns and reporting from around the league every weekday.

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First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
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Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Contributor: Jesús Cano & Nick Piecoro
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

#CalRaleigh #Mariners #MLB #phillies #RatesAndBarrels

0:00 Today on Rates & Barrels
02:01 Cal Raleigh Breaks Out With Three Homers
05:28 What’s Changed With Cal Raleigh & Julio Rodríguez?
08:22 How Much Have Injuries Affected Seattle’s Stars?
10:39 Colt Emerson’s Injury & 2027 Outlook
12:37 What’s Wrong With Zack Wheeler?
16:18 Can Wheeler Turn It Around Before October?
17:57 Braves-Phillies NL East Race Tightens
18:36 What’s Going On With Ketel Marte?
20:37 Inside the Diamondbacks’ Clubhouse
25:13 Arizona’s Wild Card Outlook
28:45 Corbin Carroll & the D-backs’ Young Core
33:31 Braves’ NL East Lead Is Shrinking
37:35 What’s Gone Wrong for Atlanta?
40:41 Ronald Acuña Jr. & the Braves Offense
46:06 Atlanta’s Rotation & October Outlook
51:56 Can the Braves Hold Off the Phillies?
58:12 Final Thoughts
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The Houston Astros have fired general manager Dana Brown as their season and the American League playoff race descend into chaos. DVR and Eno break down what went wrong for Houston, and what's next for their pitching plan and roster-building misses.

Plus, the Dodgers lose Andy Pages for approximately four to five weeks, prompting a deeper discussion about outfield defense and how we should evaluate metrics like Outs Above Average, Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast Fielding Run Value.

Then it's time to answer your mailbag questions. What has happened to Bryce Miller? Eno digs into Miller's declining velocity and inconsistent command — and explains why Kade Anderson's arrival creates even more pressure on Miller's rotation outlook.

Plus, Andrew Painter's arsenal changes, Matthew Liberatore, Justin Martinez and the best fantasy baseball waiver-wire options for the stretch run.

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First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

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

e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

#houstonastros #dodgers #mlb #baseball #alwest #mlbplayoffs

00:00 Today on Rates & Barrels
01:27 Chicago Meetup & Show Business
03:05 AL Playoff Race Remains Total Chaos
05:34 Could a Losing Team Make the Playoffs?
07:39 Astros Fire GM Dana Brown
09:03 What Has Changed Inside the Astros?
09:49 Houston’s Analytics Brain Drain
12:16 What Went Wrong Under Dana Brown?
13:18 Astros’ Pitching Plan & Roster Misses
15:20 Can Houston Build Another Contender?
17:58 AL West Front Offices in Turmoil
19:31 Can the Mariners Still Win the AL West?
21:22 Dodgers Lose Andy Pages
22:41 How Should We Measure Outfield Defense?
27:41 Who Steps Up for the Dodgers?
29:09 Is It Time to Move On From Bryce Miller?
30:11 What’s Wrong With Bryce Miller?
32:21 Kade Anderson Changes Miller’s Outlook
34:00 Can You Still Start Bryce Miller?
36:56 Jacob Lopez’s Surprising Run
39:01 Has Cleveland Unlocked Joe Adell?
40:13 Can Better Coaching Really Fix a Hitter?
44:04 Kade Anderson’s First MLB Start
46:15 Eno’s Kade Anderson Evaluation
48:22 Is Kade Anderson Already Overvalued?
51:06 Andrew Painter Is Making Real Changes
52:57 Matthew Liberatore & Two-Start Pitchers
56:15 Justin Martinez Returns
57:32 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire
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Legendary Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow will be retiring from the booth after 36 seasons. He shares the emotional outpouring he's received from fans, the gut-wrenching moment he told his partner Duane Kuiper, and highlights from a lifetime of stories — from homering off Steve Carlton to lessons learned from Harry Caray and Vin Scully.

Rundown:
00:00 Intro
02:35 Showing Love to Local Voices
10:43 Welcoming Mike Krukow
13:47 The Magic of Kruk and Kuip
17:04 How Kruk and Kuip Evolved
20:30 The Hard Decision to Step Away
26:05 Surprising Fans
28:30 Krukow's Baseball History
35:36 Most Important Item
38:58 The Hall of Fame
41:56 The Remainder of the Season
43:42 Sliding Doors
47:41 Playing in Candlestick Park
49:53 Silly Kruk and Kuip Stories
57:29 Farewell Mike Krukow
59:27 Strange But True

Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social

E-mail: starkville@theathletic.com
Starkville Hotline: (347) 313-8371
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville
With: Mike Krukow
Producer: Tauri J. Miller

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Who are the best starting pitchers in baseball right now — and which arms actually belong in the ace tier? Eno Sarris returns with his updated starting pitcher rankings as DVR breaks down some of the toughest calls, biggest risers and most surprising placements on the board.

Blake Snell is back in the top 10, landing at No. 10 after another strong stretch, while Drew Rasmussen climbs all the way to No. 11 as his health and consistency continue to change the way we value him. How sustainable are the pitch-mix and process changes that have helped pitchers like Snell and Rasmussen reach another level?

Then there’s Bryan Woo at No. 22. Woo has flashed ace-level stretches and was pushed aggressively during fantasy draft season, but familiar home-road splits and questions about sustaining an elite strikeout rate may leave him looking more like a high-end SP2 than a true fantasy ace.

Then, one of baseball’s top pitching prospects arrives. Kade Anderson is set to make his MLB debut Saturday against the Chicago Cubs after skipping Triple-A. The Mariners’ left-hander has dominated Double-A pairing elite command with a four-pitch arsenal.

Finally, the guys preview the fantasy baseball waiver wire, including Ethan “Tugboat” Holliday, Ethan Pecko’s MLB debut, Jackson Kent’s second look and several pitchers who could matter during the fantasy playoffs.

Rates & Barrels with Derek Van Riper and Eno Sarris delivers fantasy baseball strategy, MLB analysis, advanced pitching metrics, prospects, waiver-wire advice and everything you need for the stretch run.

Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!

First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

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

e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

Thumbnail Credit: Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images(SNELL)
Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images(WOO)

00:00 Eno’s Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings
03:24 Blake Snell Is Back in the Top 10
05:16 Drew Rasmussen Keeps Rising
09:00 Logan Henderson vs. Kyle Harrison
11:48 Managing Pitcher Workloads Down the Stretch
12:43 When Will Chase Burns Be Shut Down?
14:58 Bryan Woo at No. 22 — Ace or SP2?
17:57 Why Is Joey Cantillo Ranked No. 40?
20:38 What’s Going Wrong With José Soriano?
25:19 Kade Anderson Is Coming to the Majors
26:35 What Should We Expect From Kade Anderson?
27:37 What Troy Melton Can Teach Us About Anderson
31:01 How Historic Is Anderson’s Double-A Dominance?
35:14 Does Dominating Double-A Predict MLB Success?
36:58 Projecting Kade Anderson in the Majors
38:18 Where Would Anderson Rank Right Now?
41:10 Should You Add Kade Anderson?
42:33 Why Second-Half Stats Can Mislead Us
42:52 Pete Crow-Armstrong & the Second-Half Trap
43:43 What Brice Turang Tells Us About Recency Bias
45:01 Can Second-Half Slumps Create Draft Bargains?
51:08 Waiver Wire & Baseball News
51:29 A’s Hit Hard By Season-Ending Injuries
55:09 Orioles Playing-Time Opportunities
57:43 What’s Going On With Ketel Marte?
59:09 Jordan Lawlar Gets His Opportunity
1:01:31 Rookie Pitchers to Target on Waivers
1:01:54 Tugboat, Ethan Pecko & Jackson Kent
1:07:00 Ethan Pecko’s Stuff & Role
1:07:28 What Happened With Tugboat’s Fastball?

#FantasyBaseball #BlakeSnell #BryanWoo #MLB #Pitching #KadeAnderson #RatesAndBarrels
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Shohei Ohtani isn't the No. 1 pick in the first major 2027 fantasy baseball draft. So who went ahead of him? Ryan Bloomfield of Baseball HQ and Bubba and the Bloom joins DVR to break down the Meatball Draft and give us an incredibly early look at the 2027 fantasy baseball rankings, ADP, breakouts, bargains and potential first-round picks.

Pete Crow-Armstrong steals the No. 1 spot in the Meatball Draft. PCA's combination of power and speed has pushed him all the way to the top of this early 2027 fantasy baseball draft board, ahead of Ohtani and the rest of baseball's biggest fantasy stars. The guys discuss how much weight to give a breakout season and when fantasy managers should trust a young player enough to pay a first-round price.

Then there's Paul Skenes. One of baseball's biggest pitching stars falls all the way to the fifth round amid questions about his recent performance and health. Plus, Edwin Díaz falls to Round 11, Gavin Williams continues his rise, Zach Neto becomes a potential buy-low candidate and position eligibility creates some unexpected complications.

The guys break down how pitching risk, injuries and the final weeks of the 2026 MLB season could completely reshape this draft board by next spring.

Before looking ahead to 2027, DVR and Mac break down the latest chaos in the American League playoff race, including Pete Alonso's apparent go-ahead home run against the Yankees that was ruled foul.
With seven teams separated by only 2.5 games around the final AL Wild Card race, virtually nobody has been able to separate from the pack.

Plus, the Tigers' recent struggles, the Twins' surprising playoff position and one extremely important question: what is the greatest baseball video game of all time?

#ShoheiOhtani #FantasyBaseball #MLB #FantasyBaseball2027 #PeteCrowArmstrong #PaulSkenes #Baseball #RatesAndBarrels

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First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

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

e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Contributor: Ryan Bloomfield
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

00:00 The First Look at 2027 Fantasy Baseball
02:11 Pete Alonso’s Controversial Foul Ball
04:03 The AL Wild Card Race Is a Mess
05:20 Twins, Tigers & the Crowded AL Playoff Picture
08:10 Pirates Walk Off the Tigers
11:22 What’s the Greatest Baseball Video Game Ever?
14:57 Inside the First 2027 Fantasy Baseball Draft
17:15 How Do You Draft for 2027 This Early?
19:56 Ohtani, Judge & the Top of the 2027 Draft Board
21:05 Jordan Walker & Konnor Griffin Make Huge Leaps
23:56 Proven Stars vs. Breakout Players
25:15 Buying Low on Vlad Jr., Acuña, Raleigh & Marte
29:56 Does Draft Position Really Matter?
32:04 Where Are the Top Starting Pitchers?
33:57 Why Drafting Pitchers Early Is So Risky
38:44 Finding the Next Breakout Fantasy Ace
43:18 How Far Should Paul Skenes Fall?
45:52 Is Edwin Díaz a Massive 2027 Bargain?
49:14 José Ramírez & Corbin Carroll Value
50:08 Gavin Williams’ Rise
52:09 Is Zach Neto a 2027 Bounce-Back?
54:36 Late-Round Values & Position Eligibility
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