2 Tools Baseball Podcast

EP 89: Alex and Travis open the show with the only major free agency news: Michael Wacha signs with the Padres. Then, they debate who are the top 5 countries competing in this year's World Baseball Classic. Alex and Travis breakdown who they view as the top 10 players at each infield position and argue for who they think is better between notable players across MLB.

EP 88: Alex and Travis open by recapping the recent signings and trades as hot stove season transitions into Spring Training time. Then, they reveal their rankings for the top 10 catchers, starting pitchers, and relief pitchers in 2023, followed by debates at every position.

Alex and Travis react to the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot results, highlighted by the stunning announcement of Scott Rolen's Hall of Fame induction. Other key risers and fallers on this year's ballot, plus results and arguments for this year's newcomers and some first thoughts on the names that will be on the next Hall of Fame ballot.

EP 87: In a shocking turn of events, LA Angels owner Arte Moreno pulls out of all negotiations to sell the franchise as planned, citing the need to resolve unfinished business, despite interest from several bidders. Alex and Travis also breakdown some of the recent signings in MLB free agency plus a highly debated trade of Luis Arraez for Pablo Sandoval and prospects. Lastly, in preparation for Ha...

EP 86: Alex and Travis open with biggest developing story of the offseason: Carlos Correa has signed with his third team of the offseason. Other teams across MLB reach deals with almost all of the remaining big name free agents, and young studs like Rafael Devers and Sean Murphy earn well-deserved extensions. Alex and Travis go on to break down which teams they think had the best and the worst off...

EP 85: This week, Alex and Travis open with the most unbelievable switch up of the offseason: the Giants did not like his medical records so Carlos Correa is heading to the loaded New York Mets. The Mets are the clear favorites for the winner of the offseason award, and Alex and Travis have to decide how Correa stacks up against the other third basemen throughout baseball. Sluggers in free agency...

EP 84: Alex and Travis open with the huge spending from the two New York teams as they both try to build rosters that can get over the hump. Then, they break down the past week of free agency going deal by deal to see how teams are getting better or worse so far this offseason. The perennial NL favorite Dodgers have a slow start in comparison to their competition in San Diego, San Fran, Atlanta, a...

EP 83: Alex and Travis open with the 2022 All-MLB first and second teams that were just announced, and they debate how deserving the selected players were of this honor. They breakdown all the biggest signings and trades, from deGrom heading West to Trea Turner heading East and everything in between. Alex and Travis go on to make the case of how the Dodgers proceed after having many of their free...

EP 82: Alex and Travis open by recapping the 2022 season award winners and discussing their thoughts on the selections. They dive into all of the trades, free agency signings, and other transactions that have occurred since the offseason began, before going over the newly announced Hall of Fame ballot additions that will be voted on in January. 

Alex and Travis open with their reactions to the Houston Astros winning the 2022 World Series and discuss what went wrong for the Phillies in the finals games of the postseason. As soon as the postseason ended, the offseason began, as seen in Edwin Diaz's record contract with the Mets, the announcement that Ohtani would remain an Angel, and betting odds on Judge's next team. Alex and Travis also b...

Alex and Travis open by breaking down what the most recent iteration of the Yankees downfall at the hands of the Houston Astros means about these two teams, their construction, and their futures. They talk about what the big NLCS Game 5 homer by Bryce Harper means for his legacy and how the Padres just came up shy against a hotter opponent in the biggest spots. Then, Alex and Travis preview the 20...

EP 79: Alex and Travis open with their reactions to the shocking upset of the 111 win Dodgers at the hands of the Padres. They welcome on two callers as guests and representatives of Dodger Nation to give their responses to this unexpected failure. Then, Alex and Travis breakdown the Phillies' dominant performance against the defending champion Atlanta Braves. They recap the Astros eliminating the...

EP 78: Alex and Travis open with their reactions to the Wild Card round from last weekend. They discuss their biggest takeaways from the four Wild Card series and whether or not some big names from eliminated teams played their last games with their current teams. With the ALDS and NLDS matchups finalized, Alex and Travis talk about the final eight teams remaining and make their picks for each ser...

EP 77: Alex and Travis open with their reactions to Judge's 62 home run milestone and Albert Pujols wrapping up his final regular season. Then they reveal their picks for the 2022 All-MLB team and debate who they would vote for as the 2022 MVPs, Cy Youngs, and other major awards. Alex and Travis transition into the postseason by previewing the new bracket format and breaking down how they see this...

EP 76: Albert Pujols reaches the historic 700 career home run milestones in LA, while Aaron Judge fails to reach 61 against Boston. The playoff picture solidifies with just a week of baseball left in the season. The Dodgers continue to impress, the Guardians clinch against all odds, and the wild card races begin to wrap up. And after nearly a full season of driving the MVP conversation, Paul Golds...

Alex and Travis start the weekly recap by announcing the Angels playoff elimination and praising the new Players of the Week. Judge and Pujols both inch closer in their pursuits of history, and MLB Insider Jon Heyman sparks heated online debate on the AL MVP award with his overwhelming praise of Aaron Judge. Alex and Travis react to a new MLB Power Rankings as the playoff picture starts to slowly...

EP 74: Alex and Travis breakdown the significance of historic home run milestones being chased down by Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Albert Pujols. The wild card races couldn't be tighter, while the Dodgers remind MLB that no one is on their level. The 2023 season will also feature some rule changes, so Alex and Travis explain their thoughts on how these rules will affect the game of baseball.

EP 73: Angels owner Arte Moreno announces his desire to sell the team, and Angels fans react in a big way. Julio Rodriguez inks a monster extension that has the potential to break records. MLB announced the 2023 regular season schedule that features an all new structure with more interleague play than ever before. The wild card races clearly are beginning to tighten, and Josh Hader's jarring troub...

Johnny Cueto, Paul Goldschmidt, and Albert Pujols earn player of the week nods. The Brewers seem to be slipping away from the Cardinals in the NL Central, while the Dodgers' lead in the NL West grows larger. The Dodgers, Aaron Judge, and Albert Pujols all are on track to flirt with historic milestones by the end of the season. Cedric Mullins also announces he's joining Team USA in the WBC. 

Hot slate of topics this week include the 80-game suspension of Fernando Tatis Jr. for testing positive for PEDs, the scorching hot streak the Dodgers are on, the unexpected spiral of the Yankees, and a new challenger in the AL Rookie of the Year race. Jacob deGrom also made his anticipated return to the mound, and this year's Field of Dreams game was not as special as MLB would have liked.

EP 70: New Padres outfielder Juan Soto headlines the biggest trade day of the MLB season. Alex and Travis breakdown the winners and losers between all the buyers, the sellers, and the teams in between.

A Mike Trout injury update filled headlines this week, and Aroldis Chapman has continued to perform poorly. The trade deadline is less than a week away so Alex and Travis give their breakdown on what to expect from contenders, tankers, and everyone in between.  

Alex and Travis recap the Home Run Derby and breakdown their thoughts on the All-Star Game lineups, starting pitchers, rule changes, and more. Matt Carpenter gets his own segment since he's breaking all-time records for the 1st place Yankees. Trade talks for phenom Juan Soto seem to be becoming more realistic as the trade deadline approaches, and then Alex and Travis have a hypothetical discussion...

Alex and Travis open with the 2022 All-Star Game roster, breaking down deserving starters, biggest snubs, and everything in between. The 1st half of the season is officially over so Alex and Travis debate their updated All-MLB teams and 1st half award picks. They also reveal their power rankings for the 1st half and end on a breakdown of some of the most talented teams that will be featured in the...

EP 66: Paul Goldschmidt and Vlad Guerrero Jr win Player of the Week nods, but Mike Trout threw his name in the conversation with a monster series in Seattle. All-Star voting numbers were released which started plenty of debates. Oneil Cruz came out of the gate hot following his season debut, and the new MLB Power Rankings display the big risers and fallers in the recent weeks of the season.