Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley wrap up the action from the end of the regular season, including the last starts of Justin Verlander and (maybe) Max Scherzer (with mini-Blasts about Verlander, Laz Diaz, Kirby Yates, and overshadowed career finales), the setting of the playoff field, the firing of Dan Wilson, a rained-out Game 162, several lackluster league leaders, and follow-ups about other stats and stories tracked on the show. Then (43:22), to preview the postseason, they do a draft of the offenses, fielders, starting rotations, and bullpens of all 12 playoff teams.

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

Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to rainout news

Link to playoff field

Link to Verlander start story

Link to Verlander’s exit

Link to Diaz call tweet 1

Link to Diaz call tweet 2

Link to Diaz quotes

Link to Diaz salute

Link to Verlander on Diaz

Link to overshadowed-debuts pod

Link to overshadowed-finales sheet

Link to Yates story

Link to Scherzer start story

Link to Scherzer clip 1

Link to Scherzer clip 2

Link to career Ks leaderboard

Link to Springer update

Link to MLBTR on Wilson

Link to MLBTR on M’s coaches

Link to Dan S. on managerial firings

Link to Dipoto quote

Link to Lovullo status story

Link to Stearns quote

Link to Pouliot on league leaders

Link to Posnanski on league leaders

Link to Montgomery record

Link to Sam on Reynolds

Link to 2002 Hernandez article

Link to single-season K leaders

Link to yearly SB leaders

Link to three-inning saves by year

Link to 2026 three-inning saviors

Link to Ben on three-inning saves

Link to Alonso RBI feat

Link to Angels loss story

Link to PCA article

Link to FG WAR leaderboard

Link to WAR runners-up sheet

Link to Paine on lopsided contenders

Link to Paine on the playoff field

Link to Baumann on playoff offense

Link to Sheehan on playoff offense

Link to Bregman video

Link to Judge update

Link to article on Hedges hitting

Link to Hedges framing stats

Link to draft-prep sheet 1

Link to draft-prep sheet 2

Link to Green on Yan

Link to Lanterns recap

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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 the heroics of Astros outfielder Lucas Spence and the potential for pennant races and postseasons to anoint unlikely heroes, then discuss whether the playoff format puts too much priority on divisions and should incorporate reseeding prior to and/or following the wild card round. They also follow up (28:42) on a few topics from the preceding episode (the Marlins putting starting pitchers in the pen, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s apology, Randy Johnson’s home-defense baseballs), Stat Blast (40:34) about teams improving their winning percentage in several consecutive seasons, hitters who were the worst hitter for one team and the best hitter for a different team in the same season, and franchises that have seen the most visiting teams clinch on their field, before examining (58:19) new baseball and softball TV series. Finally (1:10:51), they talk to Sam Nichols (aka “sportydolphin”) about his MLB/WPBL stats site, the challenges in bringing sabermetrics to a fledgling league and a small-sample season, the WPBL’s most valuable player, league tactics, the WPBL community, and more.

Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial: Ted Berg, “Small Sample Size Song”

Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Spence story

Link to Axisa on the playoffs

Link to Paine on the playoffs

Link to Normandin on the playoffs

Link to Manfred on the playoffs

Link to Paine on regular-season predictiveness

Link to Junk appearance

Link to latest Guerrero comments

Link to previous Guerrero comment

Link to 1995 RJ article 1

Link to 1995 RJ article 2

Link to RJ vs. Kruk

Link to RJ on EW

Link to Grichuk homer

Link to clinches spreadsheet

Link to 2009 draft first round

Link to Sam on Grichuk

Link to listener emails database

Link to Colin From Accounts wiki

Link to Team Moms: Baseball trailer

Link to THR on Team Moms: Baseball

Link to Team Moms: Baseball review

Link to Kim K. on baseball

Link to Slo Pitch trailer

Link to Slo Pitch wiki

Link to Slo Pitch interview

Link to Heated Rivalry wiki

Link to Farmer Wants a Wife wiki

Link to previous week’s WPBL segment

Link to sportydolphin.fun

Link to The New Yorker on AIM

Link to sportydolphin run values

Link to sportydolphin draft analysis

Link to sportydolphin Scorigami

Link to sportydolphin photos

Link to sportydolphin fan voting

Link to Bradley on the championship

Link to sportydolphin linked writing

Link to D.A. Espinoza newsletter

Link to Mary Mustard newsletter

Link to Sam on LinkedIn

Link to Ben on the pitching shortage

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Alex Bregman likening getting hit by a baseball to getting hit by a baseball bat, the latest Aaron Judge-Aaron Boone drama, which records to root for in the AL West, the Max Scherzer–Justin Verlander career strikeouts rivalry, the Marlins’ pattern of using starters in relief, how many players in a new book about baseball superstars are actually superstars, the turnover among top hitters this season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s comments about what he was paid for, the AL West making the Central look good, and more.

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

Audio outro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Bregman clip

Link to Bregman tape photo

Link to Parker mask

Link to Bregman update

Link to Newton’s Second Law

Link to “The Green Ribbon” collection

Link to Boone quotes

Link to Judge quotes

Link to Judge video

Link to Aarons update

Link to Dark Matter wiki

Link to Stanton jogging

Link to Stanton article

Link to Davis call of Ohtani fly

Link to Rockies 100-losses streak

Link to Scherzer article 1

Link to Scherzer article 2

Link to Verlander quote

Link to career strikeouts leaderboard

Link to Scherzer/Verlander article

Link to 2023 Scherzer quote

Link to Mandelbaums Seinfeld clip

Link to Alcantara article

Link to Alcantara postgame interview

Link to latest Alcantara fun fact

Link to Marlins tweet 1

Link to Marlins tweet 2

Link to Episode 305 wiki

Link to Episode 2465 wiki

Link to three-inning-saves Blast

Link to Dan S. on WBC players

Link to Baseball Superstars 2027

Link to previous Baseball Superstars

Link to wRC+ repeaters data

Link to 2025 wRC+ leaders

Link to 2026 wRC+ leaders

Link to Guerrero interview clip

Link to Guerrero article 1

Link to Guerrero article 2

Link to Guerrero article 3

Link to Guerrero value numbers

Link to private equity report

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s return from vacation and their podcast-producer search, then discuss the uncertain statuses of Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, and Shohei Ohtani on the precipice of the playoffs, how similar finishes in consecutive seasons can produce extra-disappointing or surprisingly uplifting results (featuring thoughts on the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals), the Padres’ recent run, Paul Skenes pinning part of the blame for his inconsistent season on the WBC, what to call the Tigers’ rebranded ballpark, managerial moves for the Red Sox and Mets, Cade Cavalli’s extension, business updates involving the Yankees, Angels, and Dodgers, an Ichiro Suzuki sighting, and a pair of weird-lookin’ (hit by) pitches, plus a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Spokane airport expansion

Link to Boone quotes

Link to Judge’s calf explanation

Link to Judge injury update

Link to FG post on Judge

Link to soleus muscle wiki

Link to Ewing Theory explainer

Link to Bregman report

Link to post-ASB WAR

Link to Bregman clip

Link to Bregman face photo

Link to Encarnacion clip

Link to coach box enforcement

Link to Ohtani training

Link to Ohtani return update

Link to Schwarber postseason comeback

Link to “Mr. Autumn Man” article

Link to BaseRuns records

Link to Ben on the Pirates

Link to Skenes comments

Link to Ben on WBC injuries

Link to Ben on WBC pitching

Link to Tigers park renaming

Link to Episode 1639 wiki

Link to bank merger info

Link to Busytown wiki

Link to Richard Scarry wiki

Link to Beer Barrel Man wiki

Link to Red Sox management moves

Link to Mets managerial move

Link to FG post on Cavalli extension

Link to Walter suit

Link to Levine on Walter 1

Link to Levine on Walter 2

Link to Yankees PE article

Link to MLB PE article

Link to Moreno ownership article

Link to Ichiro article

Link to Ichiro video

Link to Halvorsen pitch

Link to Halvorsen pitch article

Link to 2025 Halvorsen pitch

Link to Cantillo pitch

Link to Cantillo pitch article

Link to Windbigler wiki

Link to WPBL gamer

Link to WPBL draft analysis

Link to Ben on PCA vs. Miz

Link to Nakashima wiki

Link to Nakashima stats

Link to MLB sac bunt leaders

Link to Ben on Nakashima

Link to Nakashima retirement story

Link to Nakashima retirement clip

Link to Fighters fan on Nakashima

Link to NYT on sportsbooks

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

With Meg Rowley on vacation, Ben Lindbergh goes long with a few guests and segments. First, Kiri Oler of FanGraphs and Bradley Woodrum of Baseball Prospectus join to banter about how Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Misiorowski illustrate the differences in modern pitcher and hitter usage and value, Sandy Alcantara as the last innings eater, two more baseball movies, Ernie Clement’s post-All-Star-Game decline, and Jefry Yan’s more muted strikeout celebrations. Then (43:34) they break down the inaugural season of the WPBL: what went right, what went wrong, the Kelsie Whitmore-Denae Benites battle, the high-offense environment, their other favorite storylines, the future of the league, and more. After that (1:33:33), Ben brings on the manager of the Pioneer League’s RedPocket Mobiles, former major leaguer Dmitri Young, along with Mobiles co-GM and Pioneer League director of operations Al Maulding, to explain how the Mobiles suffered the longest losing streak in pro baseball history, life on a traveling team, indy-ball oddities, and more. Finally (2:36:23), Ben Stat Blasts about the most times reaching base before a first career hit, players who hit their first homers off position-player pitchers, and lineups composed of players with short surnames.

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”

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

Link to previous Bradley appearance

Link to previous Kiri appearance

Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard

Link to Eric André meme

Link to highest-WAR offensive seasons

Link to highest-WAR pitching seasons

Link to pitching rate-stats leaders

Link to on-pace leaderboard

Link to PCA fielding chances

Link to Miz fielding chances

Link to Miz fielding stats

Link to AP on Alcantara

Link to Trueblood on Alcantara

Link to Baumann on Alcantara

Link to IP leaderboard

Link to Ben on innings eaters

Link to baseball rom-com

Link to Powell-Linklater movie

Link to Hanks movie

Link to De Niro/Lasorda movie

Link to Lasorda and son article 1

Link to Lasorda and son article 2

Link to Wahlberg/Rose movie

Link to Ben’s Rose obit

Link to Ben on Rose and the HoF

Link to worst post-ASB hitters

Link to Clement vote totals

Link to Yan’s last leap

Link to Yan’s slide

Link to Yan’s MLB strikeout pitches

Link to Yan’s Insta post

Link to Yan/Jackson Insta post

Link to WPBL standings

Link to WPBL postseason results

Link to WPBL hitting leaders

Link to WPBL pitching leaders

Link to WPBL leaguewide stats

Link to 1871 NA leaguewide stats

Link to Defector on the WPBL

Link to AP on the WPBL

Link to Kiri on WPBL predecessors

Link to other WPBL article

Link to Gladys the Goose

Link to Bradley on Benites

Link to Bradley on Lee

Link to Bradley on grand slams

Link to Bradley on the playoffs

Link to Bradley on WPBL offense

Link to Ben on mid-PA changes

Link to Kiri’s last weekly recap

Link to Kiri on the Firebells

Link to Kiri on the Queens

Link to Apgar video

Link to Apgar article

Link to Sato wiki

Link to Robin Roberts Stadium

Link to WPBL draft order

Link to WPBL run values

Link to MLB-AUSL partnership

Link to article on the WPBL’s future

Link to Women’s Baseball World Cup

Link to The 39 Steps wiki

Link to MLB partner leagues

Link to Pioneer League wiki

Link to Pioneer League standings

Link to MLB.com on the Mobiles

Link to The Athletic on the Mobiles

Link to the Mobiles on the Mobiles

Link to Stockade wiki

Link to Ben on the Stockade

Link to The Only Rule

Link to Empire State Greys wiki

Link to Mobiles announcement

Link to Mobiles YouTube videos

Link to Mobiles Twitter thread

Link to Pioneer League knockout

Link to All-Star swing-off

Link to Northern Colorado Owlz

Link to Young wiki

Link to Young card collection info

Link to Young article 1

Link to Young article 2

Link to Young article 3

Link to Young article 4

Link to Young article 5

Link to Young article 6

Link to Young article 7

Link to betting-threats story

Link to PPP HR sheet

Link to Chapman wiki

Link to Hartung wiki

Link to Iorg game

Link to LaCoss homers

Link to Lara post-homer photo

Link to scoreboard photo

Link to 1946 game

Link to 2004 game

Link to 2024 game

Link to 1956 fun fact tweet

Link to 1926 game

Link to 2025 game 1

Link to 2025 game 2

Link to listener emails database

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

Effectively Wild Subreddit

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