Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Eno and DVR continue their position preview series at catcher, where the league formats (one-catcher leagues v. two-catcher leagues) have a considerable impact on how to approach the group. Does William Contreras provide enough value over his position mates to justify at Top-30 overall ADP (in two-catcher leagues). Where is there value at the position, and which situations are better to avoid? Run...

Eno and DVR begin this episode with a few memories of the legendary Bob Uecker, who passed away Thursday at 90 years old. The position preview series continues at first base, where top-end production remains, and middle-round players to avoid are aplenty. Rundown 0:26 Remembering Bob Uecker 7:18 ADP Tier 1 -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman & Matt Olson 25:44 ADP Tier 2 --...

Eno and DVR continue their 2025 Position Preview series at third base. If the early-round options end up on the rosters of your league mates, which alternatives beyond the top-tier have the best chance to post similar production? Which players should you stay away from at their early draft-day prices, and which late options have the best paths to exceed expectations this season? Rundown 1:40 ADP T...

Eno and DVR continue their 2025 Position Preview series at second base. Does Ketel Marte offer enough to target him as an early-round foundational piece? If you miss out on the other early options at the keystone, how long should you wait to address the position? Plus, which bounceback candidates and rookies make the most sense at a discount this year? Rundown 1:32 ADP Tier 1 -- Ketel Marte Stands...

Eno and DVR begin their 2025 Position Preview series at shortstop! Are traps looming in Tier 2 for those who take the plunge? Is there enough value beyond the Top 100 overall and still have enough production at the position? Which later targets offer the most value? Rundown 2:15 ADP Tier 1 -- Bobby Witt Jr., Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor & Trea Turner 18:23...

Eno and DVR discuss Justin Verlander's fit with the Giants -- including the potential adjustments he could make to try and rebound from a down year in 2024. Plus, they look at Gavin Lux's outlook and ceiling following a trade to Cincinnati, a five-year extension for Brent Rooker, and mailbag questions about year-to-year inning projections and Blake Snell's case for 'Best Pitcher of the Decade' so...

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss their paths into becoming pitching nerds while pulling back to discuss the baseline metrics they care about, and digging into a few of the newer tools and numbers they utilize to analyze pitchers.  Rundown 7:45 What Are the Basic Things You Like to Know About Pitchers? 13:33 Year-to-Year Correlations of Pitching Stats 18:47 DIPS Theory & Other Changes Over Time 29:3...

Eno and DVR discuss Hye-seong Kim's fit with the Dodgers after he signed a three-year deal with the club Friday, Mookie Betts' outlook as a first-rounder coming off of a relatively disappointing 2024 that included time on the IL with a wrist injury, Jarren Duran's surprisingly-low 2025 Steamer projection, and a few other mailbag questions including one about our previous wish for a 'player squishi...

Eno and DVR discuss Corbin Burnes' surprising move to the D-backs on a six-year, $210 million contract -- plus, Teoscar Hernández's reunion with the Dodgers, another pair of moves from the Nationals, and a few mailbag questions as the new year gets underway. Rundown 2:44 Corbin Burnes to the D-backs(!): Six-Year, $210M Deal 11:37 Do Teams Overrreact to Qualifying Offer Compensation? 21:25 Teoscar...

Eno and DVR discuss the legacy of Rickey Henderson after he passed away at the age of 65 last week. Plus, they examine the latest round of trades and signings including Jesús Luzardo's move to the Phillies for a pair of prospects, Paul Goldschmidt's shift to the Yankees, Gleyber Torres to the Tigers, Walker Buehler to the Red Sox, Sean Manaea's return to the Mets, and first basemen on the move in...

Eno and DVR discuss Cody Bellinger's fit with the Yankees after the Cubs moved him in a trade earlier this week, and Matt Shaw's opportunity to take over the hot corner in Chicago. Plus, Christian Walker's move to the Astros on a three-year deal, Nolan Arenado's decision to block a trade to Houston, and a barrage of one-year deal including Max Kepler (Phillies), Griffin Canning (Mets), Michael Sor...

Eno and DVR are back from the Winter Meetings and the big moves around baseball just keep flowing. They discuss Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in a huge trade with the Astros, Devin Williams' move to the Yankees, a swap between the A's and Rays that sent Jeffrey Springs to Sacramento, and a few other odds and ends from around the league. Rundown 2:53 Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in a Massive Deal with the Ast...

Eno and DVR are joined by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal to discuss Wednesday’s trade that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, the importance of a lower AAV in Max Fried’s deal with the Yankees, and an active Winter Meetings. Plus, they are joined by Esteban Navarro Garaiz of Zelus, Marlins Director of Pitching Bill Hezel, and former big leaguer Jed Lowrie to discuss each of their paths into baseba...

Eno and DVR discuss an eight-year deal for Max Fried and the Yankees, and an Andrés Giménez trade involving the Guardians and Blue Jays. Plus, Keith Law joins the show to discuss Kyle Tucker as a fallback option for teams that missed on Juan Soto, Carlos Correa and Bo Bichette as targets for teams seeking a shortstop, and Keith's path into baseball. Reds International Crosschecker Philip Stringer...

Eno and DVR are in Dallas for Day 1 of the Winter Meetings with a trio of excellent guests! Jayson Stark of The Athletic joins the show to discuss Dick Allen & Dave Parker, who were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Non-Players Committee on Sunday. Plus, Brewers manager Pat Murphy, and Mariners Vice President/Assistant General Manager Andy McKay discuss their pat...

Eno and DVR are live in Dallas for an emergency pod as Juan Soto signs a record-shattering $765 million deal to spend the next 15 years with the Mets. Plus, they examine Willy Adames' move to the Giants, Michael Conforto to the Dodgers, Tyler O'Neill to the Orioles, and Luis Severino to the A's. Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social Follow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandb...

Eno, Trevor and DVR are joined by Brent Rooker to discuss his offseason so far on the heels of a career year in 2024. Plus, they examine a few tough cases from this year's Hall of Fame ballot and 'The Golden At-Bat' -- one of the least popular ideas in baseball history (?) -- before playing another round of 'Name That Dude!'. Rundown 0:47 Brent's Early Offseason Work So Far 3:31 Adjustments &...

Eno and DVR discuss a few of their big-picture takeaways from the hitter pool in 2024 including a heavy dose of injuries in the early rounds, Atlanta's intense high-volume approach with playing time atop their roster, oatmeal that came through, and the benefits of waiting to fill in your outfield last season.  Rundown 1:51 An Unusual Year For Round 1 Bats? 7:58 Should the Braves Consider Load Mana...

Eno and DVR are back from the holiday to discuss Blake Snell's five-year pact with the Dodgers (and an extension for Tommy Edman), plus Frankie Montas' move to the Mets and Matthew Boyd's signing with the Cubs.  Related Reading 'The book on Blake Snell doesn’t have it completely right' ($): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5951700 Rundown 2:10 Blake Snell to the Dodgers Related Search on Baseball...

Eno and DVR discuss the top free-agents available this winter and attempt to predict where that group will land when the dust settles in the weeks ahead. Is Juan Soto staying in New York? Will Corbin Burnes re-up with the Orioles? Can the Padres keep their core intact and continue as perennial threats by adding Roki Sasaki? They consider fits and the potential contingency plans for teams trying to...

Eno and DVR are joined by John Henry Schroeder to discuss draft-and-hold formats -- fantasy baseball leagues with no in-season pickups -- and how to approach those leagues in a way that is different than a typical February or March draft. They cover roster construction goals (and a few pitfalls to avoid), the unique risk of low WAR players in this format, playing time trends relative to draft posi...

Eno and DVR return from a brief break to discuss Roki Sasaki's decision to head to MLB for the 2025 season. Now that he's on the way, they discuss a few potential landing spots and how they're currently valuing him for early drafts. Plus, they look at Andrew Painter's return in the Arizona Fall League, Josue Briceño's MVP-winning performance in the league, and another round of November news includ...

Eno and DVR are back from First Pitch Arizona with a flurry of early offseason updates including a shoulder procedure for Shohei Ohtani, a closer look at Roki Sasaki's pitch mix after his 2024 campaign in NPB, expectations that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider won't be ready for Opening Day in 2025, plus a trade, a new contract for Michael Wacha, and the path for Jeff Hoffman to return to a st...

Eno and DVR are live at First Pitch Arizona. Max Bay, parent of Stuff+ joins the show to discuss a few changes with the latest update to the model. Danny Kirwin and Cooper Adams from the Red Sox organization stop by to discuss their path as undrafted college players into Boston's system and into the Arizona Fall League. Plus, Eno and DVR discuss a few of the biggest surprises relative to the Stuff...

Eno and DVR discuss the Dodgers' series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Yankees that made them the 2024 World Series Champions, which featured a string of defensive miscues that opened the door for a five-run fifth, and a clean ninth inning from....Walker Buehler?! Plus, they look ahead to busy offseasons for both clubs as the Dodgers weigh options for a few potential upgrades, and the Yankees p...