Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Eno and DVR discuss Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 campaign -- and the incredible performance he turned in Thursday to reach that milestone. Plus, they examine Bo Bichette's future outlook as his 2024 season has to come a close, before looking at the second-half K-BB% leaderboard. Rundown 2:03 Shohei Ohtani Creates the 50-50 Club 4:54 Where Does Thursday's Six-Hit, Two Homer Game Rank All Time? 10:00 Oh Ye...

In their final regular season livestream of 2024, Eno, Trevor, and DVR have a draft of pitcher traits, in hopes of honing in on the most important qualities for a pitcher to have as foundational skills. Plus, they discuss Kumar Rocker and 'The Death Ball' and whether the Splinker is actually a real pitch. This week's show will also feature a special edition of 'Name That Dude'! Rundown 1:31 The Br...

Eno, Britt and DVR discuss the possibility of having separate Rookie of the Year awards for hitters and pitchers in future seasons, and the difficulty of making choices in this year ROY races. Plus, they discuss the unusual story of Matt Chapman's extension with the Giants going through Buster Posey, the second-half struggles of the Orioles, and whether there is any meaningful link between Septemb...

Eno and DVR discuss Tyler Glasnow's sprained elbow -- and the likelihood that his 2024 season is now over. How much will Glasnow's risk-reward profile shift in the wake of another problematic ailment? Plus, is it time to re-evaluate Julio Rodríguez's status as an early first-round pick on the heels of a disappointing season in Year 3 with the Mariners, or does the ceiling he's flashes in his first...

Eno and DVR discuss Corey Seager's season-ending surgery and long-term outlook, Kumar Rocker's debut, and an impressive rotation coming together for the Rangers in 2025. Plus, they crowdsource some of the biggest risers among prospects from several members of The Athletic's MLB staff, and discuss a few intriguing names to consider on the waiver wire this weekend. Rundown 5:58 Corey Seager to Have...

Eno, Trevor and DVR consider a few ways that pitchers could keep hitters guessing more often, a question about the possibility of great command being a detriment, unusual training methods and tools, and whether it would be more surprising to see the Tigers make the playoffs -- or -- for the Braves to miss them. Plus, it's Round 3 of Name That Dude! Rundown 0:59 Using Game Theory for Pitch Sequenci...

Eno, Britt and DVR discuss the return of Jasson Dominguez for the stretch run, Kumar Rocker's upcoming debut with the Rangers, and the Mets' continued presence in the NL Wild Card race. Plus, they'll discuss the Twins' untimely tailspin, the Royals' rise under J.J. Picollo, and how the current struggles of Justin Verlander might shape the Astros' playoff rotation plans.  Rundown 1:19 Jasson Doming...

Eno and DVR discuss an adjustment from Luis Castillo that might help to prolong his peak in 2025 and beyond in the wake of a hamstring injury that could cost him time down the stretch. Plus, they discuss several new relievers in the mix for saves in September, streaming pitchers to consider in the final month, and a few weekend waiver-wire adjustments.  Rundown 4:10 Luis Castillo's Hamstring Injur...

Eno and DVR discuss Reynaldo López and Ronel Blanco as two of this season's pleasant pitching surprises and wonder what's next for the duo, as well as other relievers who might be able to follow López's path to the rotation in 2025. Plus, they discuss endgame strategy for lineup decisions in rotisserie leagues, a potential sleeper in the Oakland outfield for next season, and a few weekend waiver-w...

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss Matt Chapman's six-year extension with the Giants, a combined no-hitter for the Cubs, who are clinging to slim playoff hopes with three-and-a-half weeks remaining in the regular season. Plus, they discuss baseball's replay system with *10* years now on the ledger and wonder how things might improve in the next 10 years, and they begin a quest to find baseball's most unp...

Eno and DVR discuss the Padres getting healthy for the stretch run as Yu Darvish will rejoin the rotation this week on the heels of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s activation from the IL and Joe Musgrove's last-season success. Plus, they discuss what they would look for to get in front of a pitcher's hot streak, the recent struggles of Taj Bradley and George Kirby, Justin Verlander's post-IL Stuff+ numbers,...

Eno and DVR discuss an unfortunate sequence that led to two Royals players suffering an injury Thursday night, uncertainty regarding the availability of Tyler Glasnow down the stretch, several pitching prospects set to debut this weekend including Rhett Lowder and Caden Dana, and a few other intriguing waiver-wire targets to consider. Rundown 2:44 Vinnie Pasquantino & Lucas Erceg Injured On Sa...

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss Oneil Cruz's move to center field and the Pirates' needs in order to take a step forward in 2025, the fast adjustments being made by 'The Jacksons' -- Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio, and Jackson Holliday -- that have enabled them to make a significant impact in Year 1.Plus, they discuss swing adjustments being made deeper in counts, the erosion of Corbin Burnes' strik...

Eno, Britt and DVR discuss the historical context of the 2024 season from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto by taking a look back at elite duos that have had incredible years as teammates. Plus, with the Angels extending Perry Minasian, they wonder if previous levels of payroll spending from Arte Moreno will open up paths to a big free agent signing this winter, before considering several teams that appro...

Eno and DVR discuss the promotion Dylan Crews and one major change in his profile with the move from Double-A to Triple-A earlier this season. After a weekend at the 'Sabermetrics, Scouting, and the Science of Baseball' conference in Chicago, Eno shares a highlights from a few of the many interesting presentations. Plus, they look at the surge of Jhonkensy Noel as an important power source in the...

Ryan Bloomfield of Baseball HQ and the Bubba & The Bloom podcast joins DVR discuss the third annual "Meatball Draft" a 15-team draft-and-hold league run by Rob DiPietro (@DeadPullHitter, Pull Hitter Podcast) that drafted its first 11 rounds this week. Who were some of the more interesting risers and fallers, and how should roster construction strategies be altered in a format that drafts this...

Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss Joey Votto's retirement and his case for Cooperstown, the Mariners' decision to fire manager Scott Servais, and a few park factors for pitchers -- including variations in mounds -- that can impact performances across different environments. Plus, they examine a few pitchers finding new levels in 2024 and try to determine long-term ceilings in search of unexpected aces....

As things currently stand, no team will finish the regular season with 100+ wins for the first time since 2014. Does the unusual shape of the standings and the lack of exceptional regular season clubs matter? Eno, DVR and Britt discuss the causes for the lack of dominance, and wonder if common approaches to roster construction are a contributing factor to this year's parity.  Rundown 2:47 Does It...

Eno and DVR discuss the expectations of a tapering per-start workload for Paul Skenes as the season winds down, the second-half adjustments to usage of Garrett Crochet by the White Sox, an explanation for Ke'Bryan Hayes 2024 struggles, the most disappointing pitchers of the year -- relative to initial projections -- and a few weekend happenings on the waiver wire, including the return of Matthew B...

Eno and DVR discuss season-ending back surgery for Christian Yelich and the Brewers' search for a left-handed bat to use near the heart of their lineup, Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s elbow injury, a trip to the IL for Byron Buxton, a few prospects yet to debut with an eye toward breaking through for early 2025 debuts, the power ceiling of Junior Caminero, and a few players to consider on the waiver wire thi...

Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss a report from ESPN's Jesse Rogers that MLB might consider a future rule requiring a six-inning minimum for starting pitchers before taking a deep dive into pitch angles and how future data in this area might make it easier to quantify deception.  Plus, they discuss a recent story that Eno wrote with Britt Ghiroli about the Orioles' success in developing hitters, and th...

With the 2024 Olympics completed, Eno, Britt and DVR wonder -- if MLB players are participating in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, who among current stars will be on the roster? Plus, they discuss the unexpected sweat for the NL West and possibility of four teams from the division finding their way into the playoffs.  Rundown 1:08 The "Locks" for Team USA in 2028 (Assuming MLB Players Are Includ...

Eno and DVR discuss a soon-to-debut prospect pitching at his *fourth* level of 2024 with the arrival of Zebby Matthews on Tuesday, the demotion of Camilo Doval to Triple-A, and a potential suspension for Jarren Duran after he directed a homophobic slur toward a fan over the weekend. Plus, they take a look at the biggest underperformers among hitters relative to their initial 2024 projections. Is i...

Eno and DVR discuss the pros (and a few potential cons) of playing in keeper leagues and how long-term formats can make you a better redraft league player. Plus, they consider the ceiling and 2025 redraft ADP of Jackson Chourio, the recent struggles of David Bednar, a big move up for the White Sox's system in Baseball America's midseason rankings update, and a few weekend waiver-wire targets. Rund...

With Blake Snell's return to Cy Snell levels since coming back from the injured list, DVR, Eno and Trevor discuss how teams should game plan against him during the final two months of the season. Plus, they examine some of the biggest surprises among position players in 2024, and the recent uptick in sinker usage around the league. Plus, they discuss the White Sox's decision to part ways with mana...