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 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

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Craig Kimbrel’s new home, Colton Cowser’s walk-offs, Chris Taylor’s rapid retirement, unretirement, and re-retirement, whether the Mets should sell (and whom they could deal), the relative improvement of MLB’s worst teams, the Blue Jays’ (and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s) punchless contact, the historic hitting of this season’s MLB debutants, Gage Jump and the best-ever early returns for a draft class, whether the Athletics’ and Pirates’ production has been as lopsided as expected, an Oneil Cruz update, a trio of teams that has benefited from stable rotations, the Astros’ combined no-hitter, the Cubs’ extreme streakiness (and nondescript roster), more Giants innovations in thrusting, and Bryce Harper’s toothpaste/toothbrush technique, plus postscript updates.

Audio intro: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Kimbrel

Link to post on Kimbrel’s destinations

Link to team RP over prior 14 days

Link to team RP over prior 30 days

Link to Diekman predictions pod

Link to final Diekman stats update

Link to Cowser post

Link to Cowser gamer

Link to MLB.com on Taylor

Link to MLBTR on Taylor

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to Mets impending free agents

Link to article about 2025 Blue Jays hitting

Link to 2026 team wRC+

Link to 2025 team ISO and K%

Link to 2026 team ISO and K%

Link to 2025 team Barrels/BBE%

Link to 2026 team Barrels/BBE%

Link to 2025 team hard-hit %

Link to 2026 team hard-hit %

Link to MLB debutants spreadsheet

Link to B-Ref’s new debuts

Link to Nishida debut story

Link to MLB rookie offense

Link to Passan on Jump

Link to 2024 first round

Link to MLBTR on Jump

Link to draft-class data

Link to Ben on the Pirates and A’s

Link to team hitter WAR

Link to team pitcher WAR

Link to on-pace leaderboard

Link to single-season strikeouts leaders

Link to combined no-hitter gamer

Link to FG post on the no-hitter

Link to BP post on the no-hitter

Link to Bumpus SABR bio

Link to SABR Bumpus no-no story

Link to Langs on Bumpus/Santa

Link to 2026 MLB RP stats

Link to 2026 MLB SP stats

Link to team SP leaderboard

Link to Cubs WAR leaders

Link to Sam on the 2016 Giants

Link to streaky teams spreadsheet

Link to McCringleberry sketch

Link to McCringleberry homage 1

Link to McCringleberry homage 2

Link to Harper’s TikTok

Link to Lindbergh burrito method

Link to Nishida throw 1

Link to Nishida throw 2

Link to Cubs streak fact 1

Link to Cubs streak fact 2

Link to Rangers’ revenge stat

Link to Sox scoring stat 1

Link to Sox scoring stat 2

Link to Marlins/Cardinals/Twins candidates

Link to list of ballpark claimants

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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 Mason Miller’s recent “struggles,” whether the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal, and how different baseball would be if the Angels had traded Shohei Ohtani, plus (44:05) more than a dozen Stat Blasts.

Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to previous Miller banter 1

Link to previous Miller banter 2

Link to Miller sample 1

Link to Miller sample 2

Link to article about Grogu promo

Link to Grogu promo

Link to Triton Ballpark wiki

Link to Yaddle at Wookieepedia

Link to Ben on The Mandalorian and Grogu

Link to Kimbrel blog post

Link to MLBTR on Kimbrel

Link to Heyman on a Skubal trade

Link to Murray on a Skubal trade

Link to Olney on a Skubal trade

Link to Skubal bullpen sessions article

Link to trade deadline date article

Link to playoff odds

Link to Clark quote about “the pant”

Link to Rosenthal on 2023 Ohtani talks

Link to Rosenthal on 2022 Ohtani talks

Link to Seidler wiki

Link to MLBTR on Boras/Seidler/Soto

Link to Blum post about Johnson

Link to team pitcher development rankings

Link to “If baseball were different” wiki

Link to Mains on regular-season splits

Link to reverse records

Link to post about three-team combos

Link to Marlins/Cardinals/Twins candidates

Link to Marlins/Cardinals players

Link to Marlins/Twins players

Link to Cardinals/Twins players

Link to 2025 Sánchez game

Link to 2003 Clement game

Link to 2023 Thompson game

Link to 1968 Roseboro game

Link to all-hits-after-oh-fers list

Link to McGwire Simpsons clip

Link to Hill homer

Link to Hill PED admission

Link to Hill transactions

Link to post-trade improvers

Link to 2024 Ray slam game

Link to 2025 NL Cy voting

Link to 2021 AL Cy voting

Link to 2011 NL Cy voting

Link to 1986 NL Cy voting

Link to 1971 O’s rotation article

Link to Maxwell defensive game

Link to Sandberg defensive game

Link to McAuliffe defensive game

Link to team run differentials

Link to team runs scored

Link to team runs allowed

Link to Mets extra-innings game

Link to most blown saves in game

Link to 2021 blown-saves game

Link to 1995 blown-saves game

Link to 1983 Rangers-A’s game

Link to 1901 Bernhard game

Link to Bernhard’s 1901 game log

Link to Bernhard’s 1901 opponent splits

Link to 2025 Pressly game

Link to most hits by sub

Link to 1902 Danny Murphy game

Link to Murphy game info 1

Link to Murphy game info 2

Link to Murphy game info 3

Link to Clerks quote

Link to listener emails database

Link to 1991 Phillies game

Link to Griffin video board fun fact

Link to list of ballpark claimants

Link to “Fever” song wiki

Link to article about White Sox collision

Link to article about Hawk’s call

Link to video of collision/call

Link to photo of collision

Link to comment about Boone’s signals

Link to Boone’s flapping signal

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the “tarps off” fan-shirtlessness trend sweeping MLB ballparks, early grand slams, inside-the-park home runs, and “little league home runs,” more sources of baseball embarrassment, Blake Snell’s bone spurs (and the Dodgers’ perennial pitcher-injury issues), Gerrit Cole’s return to the Yankees, Gio Urshela and other players who excelled for one team but struggled for others, updates on early-season sensation Joey Wiemer, John Brebbia, and this season’s class of rookie hitters, and the league’s trend toward catcher challenges.

Audio intro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to shirtless Rockies fans

Link to Rockies fan photos

Link to shirtless Cardinals fans

Link to shirtless Mariners fans

Link to shirtlessness trendpiece

Link to AP piece on the trend

Link to latest Giants thrust

Link to Snell surgery update

Link to MLBTR on Cole

Link to MLBTR on Fried

Link to MLBTR on Westburg

Link to MLBTR on Berríos

Link to Wiemer option news

Link to Brebbia update

Link to MLB rookie offense

Link to FG post on Padres timeliness

Link to Arenado grand slam

Link to Arenado game play log

Link to previous Slam Blast

Link to Wood ITPGS

Link to Lee’s ITPHR

Link to Clemens LLHR

Link to Ohtani LLHR

Link to Sam on the LLHR

Link to “Yakety Sax”

Link to “Yakety Sax” wiki

Link to Urshela retirement post

Link to Urshela wRC stats

Link to Small retrospective

Link to Chavez Stat Blast

Link to Mariners game story

Link to Wilson pinch-hitting complaints

Link to Sheehan on ABS

Link to Sheehan Bluesky post

Link to Trueblood on ABS

Link to Tap to Challenge

Link to MLBTR on Crawford

Link to 2025 Cortes article

Link to Kimbrough wiki

Link to Kimbrough SABR bio

Link to Kimbrough book excerpt 1

Link to Kimbrough book excerpt 2

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: [email protected]

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Get Our Merch!

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