Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about hamate fractures and other deflating spring training injury announcements, Zack Wheeler’s preserved rib, Chris Getz and Luisangel Acuña, a profusion of salary cap coverage, and more, and then preview the 2026 Baltimore Orioles (38:50) with The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka, and the 2026 San Diego Padres (1:27:28) with MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to hamate injuries story

Link to “bird bones” wiki

Link to hamate research 1

Link to hamate research 2

Link to Acuña 200% story

Link to >100% wiki entry

Link to Casas “dry swings” story

Link to rib story

Link to Castellanos post

Link to Gelb on Castellanos

Link to Castellanos release news

Link to Craig on Castellanos

Link to Stubbs milk post

Link to Kimbrel photo

Link to Kimbrel photo thread

Link to Tong photo

Link to Getz/Acuña montage

Link to Getz/Acuña story

Link to Sam on Getz/Acuña

Link to Murakami misspelling

Link to prediction markets story

Link to Passan cap story

Link to previous Passan cap story

Link to Drellich cap story

Link to previous Drellich cap story

Link to Rubenstein/Epstein story

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Orioles offseason tracker

Link to Orioles depth chart

Link to team SP projections

Link to team RP projections

Link to team offseason spending

Link to Elias quote

Link to O’s catchers

Link to Andy’s author archive

Link to Padres offseason tracker

Link to Padres depth chart

Link to AJ’s last 2025 post

Link to AJ’s first 2026 post

Link to Padres sale story 1

Link to Padres sale story 2

Link to Padres sale story 3

Link to Manfred quote

Link to team RP WAR

Link to team ISO

Link to ESPN farm rankings

Link to BP farm rankings

Link to BA on Padres prospects

Link to Shildt story

Link to AJ on Preller

Link to AJ’s author archive

Link to Stathead query 1

Link to Stathead query 2

Link to Stathead query 3

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about new (and encouraging) details about MLB.TV registration, Justin Verlander returning to the Tigers, the rites of spring training, and the Rafael Devers trade in retrospect, before previewing the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers (20:50) with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg, and the 2026 Texas Rangers (1:08:28) with MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Garrett Krohn, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLB.TV sign-up details

Link to in-market streaming details

Link to MLBTR on Verlander

Link to over/under draft

Link to EWStats post 1

Link to EWStats post 2

Link to late-signing pitchers post

Link to Casas post

Link to Lindor injury story

Link to Schwellenbach injury story

Link to Jays injuries story

Link to Ben on spring injuries

Link to Crochet announcement

Link to FG post on Durbin deal

Link to FG projected standings

Link to BP projected standings

Link to team payrolls

Link to Brewers offseason tracker

Link to Brewers depth chart

Link to team SS projections

Link to team 3B projections

Link to MLBTR on Contreras surgery

Link to 2025 catcher WAR leaderboard

Link to 2025 catcher IP leaderboard

Link to Sam on Brewers grounders

Link to NL RotY voting

Link to Curt’s author archive

Link to Curt’s podcast

Link to Rangers offseason tracker

Link to Rangers depth chart

Link to SP depth charts

Link to RP depth charts

Link to Burger article

Link to 2025 team batting age

Link to 2025 team pitching age

Link to Kennedi’s author archive

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Meg Rowley shares her euphoric reaction to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win, while Ben Lindbergh largely listens and occasionally interjects with bits of baseball commentary. Then (29:14) they discuss Buck Martinez’s retirement, Terrance Gore’s untimely death, and a purported catching super-prospect, before previewing the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates (44:23) with Roundtable Sports’ John Perrotto, and the 2026 Minnesota Twins (1:25:07) with The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to HUAL Super Bowl episode

Link to Acuña Jr. at the halftime show

Link to Mercy wiki

Link to Pratt article

Link to Bad Bunny insurance article

Link to Ben on the KC OF

Link to Buck announcement

Link to Buck saying Schlittler

Link to Andy on Gore

Link to Woodrum on Gore

Link to Gore on EW

Link to catching prospect video

Link to scout quote about Robert

Link to baserunning leaderboard

Link to team payrolls

Link to Pirates offseason tracker

Link to Pirates depth chart

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to Post-Gazette closure

Link to MLB.com layoffs

Link to John’s author archive

Link to Twins offseason tracker

Link to Twins depth chart

Link to Trueblood on Bell

Link to Pohlad political comments

Link to player political comments

Link to Aaron’s author archive

Link to Aaron’s podcast

Link to Witherspoon post 1

Link to Witherspoon post 2

Link to Teasley obit

Link to Teasley on EW

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new, ESPN-ified process for signing up for MLB.TV, Stat Blast (12:28) about the long-sought, newfound pitching prowess of the WBC’s Team USA superteam, and then (34:31) preview the 2026 San Francisco Giants with The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee, and the 2026 Kansas City Royals (1:20:20) with MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Labuza Bluesky post

Link to resulting Reddit thread

Link to Labuza web post

Link to Ben on the WBC

Link to team payrolls

Link to Giants offseason tracker

Link to Giants depth chart

Link to Grant on Vitello

Link to Grant on the Giants offseason

Link to Grant’s records account

Link to Grant on the “Posey Rule”

Link to last year’s Giants preview

Link to Bonds curses article

Link to Flores call article

Link to Bogaerts call article

Link to Grant’s author archive

Link to Omnibus podcast

Link to Royals offseason tracker

Link to Royals depth chart

Link to Vinnie on EW

Link to Anne on outfield fences

Link to team OF WAR

Link to Anne on Garcia’s extension

Link to Anne on Quatraro’s extension

Link to Anne on hitting coach changes

Link to Chiefs stadium move

Link to Royals move article

Link to Anne on Royals TV distribution

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB player chatbots, an Addison Barger giveaway, Tarik Skubal’s big arbitration win, the Tigers signing Framber Valdez, and a rough week for sports media, then (36:29) begin the 14th annual EW season preview series by discussing the 2026 Houston Astros with The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and the 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks (1:25:35) with The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, followed (1:54:53) by a postscript.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to chatbots story

Link to Barger story

Link to season preview series wiki

Link to Passan on Skubal

Link to Baumann on Skubal

Link to Dan S. on Framber

Link to Rosenthal on the Pirates

Link to Rosenthal on the Tigers

Link to Chandler on the cross-up

Link to team SP projections

Link to NPR on WaPo

Link to NYT on WaPo sports

Link to The Ringer on WaPo sports

Link to The New Yorker on WaPo

Link to The Atlantic on WaPo

Link to Silver on WaPo

Link to MLB.com layoffs

Link to Grant post

Link to team payrolls

Link to Astros offseason tracker

Link to Astros depth chart

Link to BP IL Ledger

Link to Dan S. on team injuries

Link to Chandler on Correa

Link to Chandler on Imai

Link to Chandler on the infield

Link to Chandler on Espada/Brown

Link to Trueblood on Peña

Link to Chandler’s author archive

Link to Crush City Territory

Link to Diamondbacks offseason tracker

Link to Diamondbacks depth chart

Link to team RP WAR

Link to team RP WPA

Link to ballpark funding deal info

Link to more funding deal info

Link to funding deal opinion piece

Link to renovations preview

Link to Nick on the Alexander trade

Link to FG post on Santana

Link to Nick’s author archive

Link to Boehly/Epstein article

Link to ESPN’s Clase report

Link to Ben on Clase

Link to EW episode on Clase

Link to SABR awards voting

Link to Wood/Lolich IP leaderboard

Link to Lolich obit

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

Effectively Wild Wiki

Apple Podcasts Feed

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YouTube Playlist

Facebook Group

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Get Our Merch!

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