Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Major League Baseball and the MLBPA have officially opened negotiations on a new labor deal, and while both sides are talking, they’re nowhere close to seeing eye to eye. Today, Eno and DVR break down the league’s initial proposals, the union’s response, and why these talks could stretch deep into the offseason. Later, Ottoneu founder and Senior Hot Dog correspondent Niv Shah joins the show to discuss the latest Ottoneu leaderboard — and explain why he refused to eat the hot dog fries.
Rundown:
0:44 And It Begins: MLBPA & Owners Present First Offers
10:42 Inevitable Lockout: Does That Mean Lost Games?
16:30 Sell-High Starting Pitchers: We’re All Looking at the Same Numbers!
26:45 Dustin May’s Turnaround: Buying In with Increased Cutter Usage?
28:10 Jared Jones is Back! Returning Friday Night vs. Minnesota
33:08 Hitters to Consider: Another Thin Week for Bats?
42:36 Niv Shah Joins the Show
42:52 Hot Dog Fries: Why Did Niv Pass?
44:45 What in the World Is This?
49:25 Taste of the Majors: The New York Mets Dog is a Hit!
51:08 Ottoneu Points Leaderboard: Learning From This Year’s Pleasant Surprises
1:01:38 Timing is Everything: Keeper League Windows are Open!
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
With: Niv Shah
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After breaking out last season, Nolan McLean has come back down to Earth a bit in 2026. Today, Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss whether the Mets right-hander still has future ace potential. Plus, the guys dig into Andrew Painter’s progress, Bubba Chandler’s arrival, and what JR Ritchie’s return to Triple-A means for his long-term outlook. Later, they tackle perhaps the biggest question on today’s show: What the heck is going on with Paul Skenes?
Rundown:
1:15 Checking In on Nolan McLean
11:52 Pitches That Move *Too Much*?!
19:32 Andrew Painter’s Progress
26:40 Corbin Burnes’ Fastball Tweaks Might Help
32:23 Bubba Chandler’s Arrival
38:45 JR Ritchie’s Outlook After Return to Minors
46:58 Quick Pitches: Andrew Alvarez, Trevor McDonald & Coleman Crow
53:43 Paul Skenes’ Changes: Is Everything OK?
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.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
With: Trevor May
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, things got a little weird — thanks to Bryce Harper giving the world a glimpse into his unconventional toothbrushing routine. Eno, Jed, and DVR break down Harper’s viral moment, the end of Nick Kurtz’s on-base streak, and discuss Trea Turner, Jarren Duran, Steven Kwan, and the players who’ve brought them the most joy this season. Later, the guys revisit their plus-minus draft to see which big-name hitters have fallen short of expectations at the plate.
Rundown:
0:31 The Streak is Over! Nick Kurtz On-Base Streak Ends at 48 Games
3:02 No, We Don’t Get It: Bryce Harper’s Toothpaste Usage is Odd
4:39 Trea Turner’s Slow Start: Better Days on Tap as He Adjusts?
21:12 Jarren Duran’s Changes: Is He Too Aggressive with Pull-Happy Approach?
37:31 Steven Kwan's Struggles: Are We Sure He’s Healthy?
46:08 Appreciating Silly: A Few Great (Random) Moments in 2026
58:15 Plus-Minus Draft Review: A Few Underperforming Stars!
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
With: Jed Lowrie
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s all about teamwork on Rates & Barrels as Eno, Britt, and DVR break down a combined no-hitter in Houston after Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert, and Alimbert Santa teamed up to blank the Rangers. Then, the crew heads to Seattle where the Mariners are embracing the collaborative spirit too after Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller pitched in tandem Monday night. Later, they discuss Gerrit Cole’s return and the continued struggles of the Tigers, who have dropped 16 of their last 19 games.
Rundown:
0:36 Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert & Alimbert Santa Combined No-Hitter
9:34 Are the Rangers OK?
10:30 Luis Castillo & Bryce Miller: An Effective Tandem Start Monday
19:03 Gage Jump Promoted: Expectations in Difficult Home Park?
26:20 Another Halos Lag: Rookie Position Player fWAR Since 2022
35:37 Gerrit Cole Returns: How Did the Pitch Mix Look?
43:35 Loser Leaves Town: Orioles vs. Tigers Weekend Series
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Britt on Bluesky: @brittghiroli.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
With: Britt Ghiroli
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joey Votto spent the years since his 2024 retirement surfing in Sri Lanka, watching cricket in Dubai, and learning to make sushi in Japan. Now he's back in North America and stopping by Starkville for a wide-ranging conversation with Jayson and Doug — what he took away from his travels, and how he sees baseball differently from the outside. Plus, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Boston's Franklin Park Zoo just completed a gorilla-for-gorilla swap — Frankie for Little Joe, straight up — and Jayson and Doug break it down before building their own MLB all-zoo team.
Rundown:
3:00 A Most Unusual Trade Involving Gorillas
6:45 Starkville’s All-Zoo Team
17:18 Joey Votto Joins the Show
20:00 Living the Retired Life
28:17 Greatness of Shohei Ohtani
38:48 Analyzing the Game
41:13 Reaction to ABS
48:07 If You Were Commissioner…
53:23 Living the Retired Life
1:00:06 Coming Back to the Game
1:04:45 Strange But True: Byron Buxton and the Minnesota Twins
Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social
E-mail: [email protected]
Starkville Hotline: (347) 313-8371
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville
With: Joey Votto
Producer: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.