Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

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
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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.

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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

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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Kevin McGonigle isn't just running away with the American League Rookie of the Year race — he's already playing like one of the best players in baseball. DVR, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie take a deep dive into McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt and an incredibly deep 2026 MLB rookie class to determine which young stars have the skills to sustain their early success.

On the National League side, JJ Wetherholt has emerged as another remarkably polished young hitter. The guys compare Wetherholt and McGonigle's swings, plate approaches, defense and power potential — including why Wetherholt's deeper contact point could leave him with more untapped power as he develops.

The rookie conversation doesn't stop there. Munetaka Murakami presents a fascinating power-versus-strikeout dilemma, while Konnor Griffin, Carson Benge and Sal Stewart offer very different combinations of tools, plate discipline, defense and long-term upside. Griffin's elite physical tools in particular make him one of the most intriguing young players to watch heading toward 2027.

Plus: Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong continue their nightly NL MVP battle, Fernando Tatis Jr. makes one of the catches of the year, and the Brewers hang 22 runs on the Mariners.

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: Jed Lowrie
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

Thumbnail Courtesy: Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

00:00 MLB’s Loaded Rookie Class
02:14 Ohtani vs. PCA, Tatis’ Incredible Catch & Brewers Score 22
03:26 Kevin McGonigle’s Historic Rookie Season
12:42 Kevin McGonigle vs. JJ Wetherholt
22:35 Munetaka Murakami’s Extreme Power Profile
29:50 Konnor Griffin’s Superstar Upside
32:19 Carson Benge & Sal Stewart
38:22 Which Other Rookies Have Star Potential?
39:52 Rookies Flying Under the Radar
42:06 A.J. Ewing & George Lombard Jr.
49:01 Cole Carrigg
52:46 Sam Antonacci
56:56 Ryan Waldschmidt
1:00:41 What’s Going On With Travis Bazzana?
1:04:05 Which Rookie Baseball Cards Should You Buy?

#KevinMcGonigle #DetroitTigers #MLB #MLBRookies #RookieOfTheYear #Baseball #FantasyBaseball #RatesAndBarrels
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Pete Crow-Armstrong is making a serious push in the National League MVP race. After another huge night for the Chicago Cubs — including two home runs and a walk-off blast against the White Sox — PCA now has back-to-back 30/30 seasons and has put himself squarely into the NL MVP conversation with Shohei Ohtani.

DVR and Eno break down PCA's remarkable surge and how dramatically his outlook has changed. Since June 2, PCA has hit 23 home runs with 19 stolen bases and a 197 wRC+ — the best mark among all MLB hitters during that span. Has Pete Crow-Armstrong reached another level, and can he really challenge Ohtani for the 2026 NL MVP Award?

Plus, the guys discuss the strange situation surrounding Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks. DVR and Eno examine what we know, the apparent communication breakdown between Marte and the D-backs, and whether the situation could eventually impact his future in Arizona.

There is also significant injury news for the New York Yankees, as Max Fried returns to the injured list with an elbow bone bruise just as Carlos Rodón returns to the Yankees rotation. What should New York expect from Rodón down the stretch, and how concerning is Fried's recurring elbow issue as the Yankees prepare for a potential postseason run?

Then, The Athletic's Chandler Rome joins the show for a deep dive on the Houston Astros and the AL West race. The Astros have surged to the top of the division despite a season filled with pitching injuries. The group examines Hunter Brown's command, Houston's pitching development, its uncertain postseason rotation and whether the lineup around its biggest stars is deep enough for October.

On the National League side, The Athletic's Dennis Lin joins the show to break down the San Diego Padres' playoff push. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have helped revive the Padres' offense as San Diego attempts to hold onto an NL Wild Card spot.

Finally, the guys break down a wild Padres night on the bases and one important lesson: do not run on Carson Benge. After San Diego repeatedly challenged Benge's arm, DVR and Eno look at MLB's strongest outfield arms and how baserunning decisions can swing games during a tight playoff race.

Rates & Barrels with Derek Van Riper and Eno Sarris delivers MLB analysis, advanced baseball metrics, fantasy baseball insight, player development, prospects and the biggest stories from around Major League Baseball.

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
Contributors: Chandler Rome & Dennis Lin
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

#petecrowarmstrong #cubs #shoheiohtani #NLМVP #mlb #baseball
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