Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Team Italy’s triumphs (and good vibes) at the WBC, a tumultuous week for Team USA and Mark DeRosa, and where the tournament stands entering the quarterfinals, then preview the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies (39:21) with The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, and the 2026 Los Angeles Angels (1:21:00) with The Athletic’s Sam Blum, plus a postscript (2:09:08).


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”

Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to WBC standings

Link to WBC bracket

Link to “caffeine and kisses” story

Link to Pasquantino homers

Link to “beaned up” article

Link to “beaned up” clip

Link to DeRosa clip 1

Link to DeRosa clip 2

Link to DeRosa clip 3

Link to latest DeRosa comments

Link to clip removal

Link to article on DeRosa’s mistake

Link to Ghiroli on DeRosa

Link to Rosenthal on DeRosa 1

Link to Rosenthal on DeRosa 2

Link to article on DeRosa/Harper

Link to Disgrace of Gijón

Link to roster reconfigurations

Link to Raleigh shirt

Link to Team USA chemistry article

Link to Sopranos clip

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Phillies offseason tracker

Link to Phillies depth chart

Link to Harper EBOO article

Link to Matt on Harper

Link to Matt on Harper/Dombrowski

Link to Matt on Castellanos

Link to Castellanos Insta post

Link to Matt on Kerkering

Link to Phillies himbo article 1

Link to Phillies himbo article 2

Link to Stark on Phillies continuity

Link to Matt on Strahm

Link to Girl With a Pearl Earring

Link to team SP projections

Link to team RP projections

Link to Matt’s author archive

Link to Matt’s podcast

Link to TB12 update

Link to Angels offseason tracker

Link to Angels depth chart

Link to Sam’s Angels beat farewell

Link to Sam on Netflix in Japan

Link to Sam on Rendon

Link to Angels TV network story

Link to Trout sprint speed story

Link to article on fastest human

Link to pitching development survey

Link to Sam’s author archive

Link to Paxton/pitch limits article

Link to WBC rules

Link to Ben on “Strategy”

Link to Laureano post 1

Link to Laureano post 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, and WBC handshake etiquette, whether a mercy-rule-inducing dinger qualifies as a walk-off, whether a winning home team could voluntarily play the bottom of the ninth, MLB’s ban of the Brewers’ challenge-system system, why the MLBPA should defend Jurickson Profar and other players with positive PED tests, and Joe Sewell’s indestructible bat, then preview the 2026 New York Mets (56:35) with The Athletic’s Tim Britton, and the 2026 Washington Nationals (1:40:27) with The Athletic’s Spencer Nusbaum, plus several postscript updates (2:27:10).


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Ian Philllips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

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

Link to espresso shots

Link to WBC standings

Link to Skubal update

Link to handshake beef summary

Link to handshake beef precedent

Link to video of failed handshake

Link to Arozarena’s comments

Link to translation

Link to De Rosa response

Link to Raleigh response

Link to Soto homer

Link to “walk-off” etymology

Link to baseball dictionary definition

Link to Albies homer (and call)

Link to A Game of Inches excerpt

Link to MLB rulebook

Link to 2023 ump-less half-inning

Link to Brewers signs article

Link to Brewers signs update

Link to Ghiroli column

Link to listener emails database

Link to Pages from Baseball’s Past

Link to Sewell article

Link to EW wiki on bat boning

Link to MLBTR on Luzardo

Link to MLBTR on Wentz

Link to MLBTR on Greene

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Mets offseason tracker

Link to Mets depth chart

Link to Lambert eggs article

Link to Tim on the Mets’ collapse

Link to Soto/Lindor discord update

Link to Ben on Mets turnover

Link to Alvarez resurgence article

Link to Tim’s author archive

Link to Nationals offseason tracker

Link to Nationals depth chart

Link to WaPo discussion on HUAL

Link to The Athletic’s WaPo hirings

Link to Rizzo mantra

Link to Littell on EW

Link to Spencer’s WaPo author archive

Link to Spencer’s The Athletic archive

Link to Italy/USA game story

Link to tiebreak scenarios

Link to Ben on Ellen’s podcast

Link to Ella Black series

Link to Ball’s post about mornings

Link to Schaeffer clip

Link to R.J.’s farewell thread

Link to R.J.’s last EW appearance

Link to Crizer’s breakout terminology

Link to Tarkin quote

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Shohei Ohtani survey, early WBC action, Andrew McCutchen’s new team, Payton Tolle’s triple-digits t-shirt, ABS-driven changes to Alex Bregman’s and Bo Naylor’s listed heights, wonky player cards, why teams start spring training days so early, Dodgers pitching problems, and the prevalence of inventive slides, then preview the 2026 Seattle Mariners (50:22) with The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, and the 2026 Miami Marlins (1:34:43) with MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola, plus a few postscript updates (2:17:42).


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 1: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial 2: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

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

Link to YouGov survey

Link to Team USA vs. Rockies recap

Link to WBC soundtrack story

Link to MLBTR on McCutchen

Link to Speier on Tolle

Link to Tolle max velos

Link to in-season velo data 1

Link to in-season velo data 2

Link to in-season velo article

Link to 2025 info on height changes

Link to 2025 Naylor page

Link to 2026 Naylor page

Link to 2024 Bregman page

Link to 2025 Bregman page

Link to 2026 Bregman page

Link to 2024 Lux page

Link to 2025 Lux page

Link to wonky Ohtani card

Link to wonky Judge card

Link to wonky Bregman card

Link to wonky Naylor card

Link to email about giant player

Link to early starts post

Link to Baumann on Sasaki

Link to FG World Series odds

Link to Crizer on slides

Link to Sam on slides

Link to Naylor’s inclusiveness comments

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Mariners offseason tracker

Link to Mariners depth chart

Link to “Boys Podcast” SNL skit

Link to Ryan’s author archive

Link to Marlins offseason tracker

Link to Marlins depth chart

Link to Christina on Marlins’ elimination

Link to Christina on Alcantara’s outing

Link to “catcher’s balk”

Link to Christina on pitch-calling

Link to 2025 Marlins Pythag/BaseRuns

Link to 2025 team RP WAR

Link to 2025 team RP WPA

Link to Pérez nickname article

Link to grievance avoidance article

Link to Lauren’s NL East post

Link to Christina’s author archive

Link to ball/strike ejections article

Link to Brewers challenges tweet

Link to Tango’s challenges tweet

Link to Brewers challenges article

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Team USA’s pre-WBC warm-up games, follow up on spring training ballpark naming rights, and discuss Jurickson Profar’s second PED suspension in as many seasons, then preview the 2026 New York Yankees (20:07) with The New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips, and the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals (59:53) with The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold.


2026 EW Season Preview Series



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Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

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

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

Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Team USA vs. Giants gamer

Link to Team USA vs. Rockies story

Link to Kershaw clip

Link to Sunny clip

Link to Passan on Profar

Link to MLBTR on Profar

Link to Arrested Development clip

Link to Goodyear wiki

Link to Wrench Group story

Link to milkshake duck meme

Link to Wrigley naming info

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Yankees offseason tracker

Link to Yankees depth chart

Link to Cashman comments

Link to Gary on Cashman’s comments

Link to Ben on team turnover

Link to Stanton comments

Link to Chisholm comments

Link to Gary on Volpe

Link to 2025 team RP WAR

Link to team RP projections

Link to Petriello on Judge and ABS

Link to team challenges leaderboard

Link to Gary on Yankees challenge strategy

Link to Yankees sewage story

Link to Gary’s author archive

Link to Cardinals offseason tracker

Link to Cardinals depth chart

Link to Derrick on the roster

Link to team fielders by FRV

Link to team FRV leaderboard

Link to YoY attendance data

Link to 2025 team K%

Link to projected team WAR

Link to Simpsons “That’s the joke” clip

Link to Herrera/Raleigh data

Link to Derrick’s author archive

Link to Derrick’s podcast

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

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Apple Podcasts Feed

Spotify Feed

YouTube Playlist

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Bluesky Account

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about corporate naming rights of spring training ballparks vs. MLB parks, and potential unwritten rules surrounding the challenge system, then (47:03) preview the World Baseball Classic with MLB.com’s Michael Clair, touching on the big and unsung stories of the WBC, whether the interest level will increase again, how often the WBC should be held, and more, as well as Michael’s WBC-inspired book, We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball.

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

Audio interstitial: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Garrett Krohn, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to list of spring training parks

Link to list of MLB parks

Link to Abreu challenge

Link to Michael’s book

Link to electrician vs. Ohtani

Link to Michael’s pools preview

Link to Michael on possible surprise teams

Link to Michael on must-watch games

Link to Michael on who will win

Link to Kershaw clip

Link to Ben on WBC injuries

Link to Ben on demanding more WBCs

Link to Ben on Team USA

Link to UNP editor on EW

Link to denied visa story

Link to “yips” quote

Link to politician baseball expressions

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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Source