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 pleasures of and precedents for the historic rookie performances on Opening Day, the pains of Netflix’s Opening Night broadcast, an Opening Day disaster for Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz, and a bird near Carson Benge, Freddie Freeman’s gameday fit, a perplexing (un?)fun fact about the Phillies and Jhoan Duran, why players don’t always challenge when they “should,” Nico Hoerner and Shane Baz extensions, baseball movies being back (thanks to Tom Hanks), and more, plus a Stat Blast (1:28:40) about Black Ink streaks and a postscript (1:37:14) featuring a follow-up and a few bonus Blasts.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Link to 2026 new debuts

Link to RE24 query

Link to 2026 RE24 players

Link to 1914 RE24 players

Link to 1938 RE24 players

Link to 1950 RE24 players

Link to RE24 glossary

Link to B-Ref RE24 leaders

Link to total bases query

Link to 2026 TB players

Link to 1938 TB players

Link to 1.000 OPS query

Link to 2026 1.000 OPS players

Link to 1901 1.000 OPS players

Link to 1938 1.000 OPS players

Link to Dick Crutcher bio

Link to Baumann on the rookies

Link to “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”

Link to first White Sox game

Link to Marchand on the Netflix game

Link to Bonds story

Link to Bonds at Rickwood game

Link to 180-degree rule

Link to FG post on Skenes

Link to Ben on the Pirates and A’s

Link to Pirates HR celebration

Link to Benge on the bird

Link to Freeman post 1

Link to Freeman post 2

Link to Stark post

Link to Sam post

Link to Phillies home closers query

Link to Phillies road closers query

Link to Phillies OD home games

Link to Phillies OD road games

Link to home OD saves by team

Link to Kruk comment

Link to Tango on location uncertainty

Link to Petriello on catcher challenges

Link to Ben’s catcher research

Link to MLBTR on Hoerner

Link to MLBTR on Baz

Link to upcoming FA class

Link to Hanks movie announcement

Link to Hanks typewriter collection

Link to Night Swim wiki

Link to Caught Stealing wiki

Link to Eephus EW interview

Link to Black Ink info

Link to Black Ink data 1

Link to Black Ink data 2

Link to Ben on Trout’s Black Ink

Link to blowout 1

Link to blowout 2

Link to blowout 3

Link to blowout 4

Link to blowout 5

Link to blowout 6

Link to blowout 7

Link to blowout 8

Link to Vinay’s data

Link to 1930 game

Link to Sam on record talent

Link to Davy on Mets basestealing

Link to Newsday on Mets basestealing

Link to story on Richardson and Riley

Link to listener emails database

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the number of Opening Days/Nights at the start of the regular-season schedule and how long they think the challenge system will last, review some of their favorite offseason transactions, and do their annual draft of all 30 MLB teams in order of how fun they’ll be to follow this season.

Audio intro: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Craig on Opening Days/Nights

Link to broadcast dilemma

Link to Ben on the challenge system

Link to Ben on the labor situation

Link to champing/chomping

Link to Rogers tattoo story

Link to Langs Giants stat

Link to pod duration calculator

Link to Adames challenge reaction

Link to EWStats site

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: [email protected]

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Randy Arozarena making up with Cal Raleigh, the response to their announcement of the podcast’s new freemium model, whether they would try to issue the official first ball/strike challenge in MLB history, the challenge system vs. the pitch clock, several straggling WBC topics (the Team Italy espresso machine auction results, great TV ratings, a Team USA strawman, reframing the hierarchy of high-level baseball competition, projecting future WBCs, and a non-called shot, plus NPB “ghost wins”), how Ben’s anti on-field-front-office-meddling rant resonated with readers, why Kevin McGonigle and JJ Wetherholt made Opening Day rosters and Konnor Griffin (and John Brebbia) didn’t, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cristopher Sánchez extensions, and how politicians should talk about sports fandom if they want to sound authentic.

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “hierarchy of power” supercut

Link to Arozarena statement

Link to freemium model announcement

Link to written explanation

Link to EWStats site

Link to espresso auction

Link to Jac jersey auction

Link to WBC TV ratings

Link to Rosenthal comments

Link to Webb quote

Link to Acuña quote

Link to Kay comments

Link to McLean/Holmes story

Link to NPB “ghost win” story

Link to NPB “ghost win” tweet

Link to NHL overtime rules

Link to Ben on front-office meddling

Link to Ben on the foul lines

Link to The Athletic on Griffin

Link to Pirates hitter projections

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to FG post on PCA

Link to profane PCA profile

Link to FG post on Sánchez

Link to FG post on Strider

Link to Mamdani quote

Link to Adams cap

Link to de Blasio cap

Link to Hillary caps story 1

Link to Hillary caps story 1

Link to “trash revolution” story

Link to HUAL on Mamdani

Link to statue prizes

Link to MLFAD picks

Link to Meg on HUAL

Link to observer effect wiki

Link to four playoff teams article

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce a new freemium model for the podcast: From now on, one of their three episodes a week will be available only to Patreon supporters. In this PSA, they lay out their reasons for making the change and explain how it will work. You can also read a written explanation here.

Link to subscribe via Patreon

Link to written announcement

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens (accompanied by podcast scorekeeper Chris Hanel) play “College Baseball Player or Driver in a Formula 1 Support Series” (5:07), banter about an auction for Team Italy’s WBC espresso machine (10:09), explain the fourth annual preseason predictions game (19:20), and then make 10 bold predictions apiece (22:20) about baseball in 2026, to be voted on by listeners.

Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)”

Audio outro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to vote on predictions

Link to preseason predictions game wiki

Link to Anton’s mash-up song

Link to original song

Link to EW Episode 2383

Link to “College Baseball Player or” games

Link to Baumann on Herta

Link to espresso machine auction

Link to other Team Italy items

Link to Ohtani Cy Young story

Link to Ohtani email episode

Link to Sam on Gsellman

Link to For All Mankind

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to Artemis II story

Link to Perry/moon landing story

Link to Neckzilla

Link to Schulte’s SABR bio

Link to Manfred/Harper/DeRosa story

Link to AO3

Link to new managers story

Link to team WAR projections

Link to 2024 2B innings leaders

Link to active postseason droughts

Link to 2025 Royals WAR leaders

Link to Garcia breakout comment

Link to old-SP leaders

Link to Quinn’s SABR bio

Link to Verlander outing article

Link to young, homegrown SP leaders

Link to Pirates SP article

Link to Baumann on Mlodzinski

Link to MLB partnership announcement

Link to MLB partnership announcement info 1

Link to MLB partnership announcement info 2

Link to MLB partnership announcement info 3

Link to vote on predictions (do it!)

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

Effectively Wild Wiki

Apple Podcasts Feed

Spotify Feed

YouTube Playlist

Facebook Group

Bluesky Account

Twitter Account

Get Our Merch!

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