Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Eno, DVR and Britt consider several options for the 'Best Team in Baseball' title, with just under two months before the playoffs. Plus, they discuss the White Sox as the current titleholder for 'Worst Team in Baseball' honors amidst the team's 21-game losing streak and wonder how things turned for the worse so quickly on the south side of Chicago where the future looked bright just four years ago...

Eno and DVR discuss Blake Snell's no-hitter, the path for Snell to opt out of his current deal with the Giants and get a longer contract this winter, and their approach with Max Scherzer in keeper/dynasty leagues, the recent struggles of Tanner Houck, and a busy weekend for pickups with Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo leading the way in bidding where available.  Rundown 0:50 Blake Snell Throws a No...

Eno and DVR discuss the difficulty of trading for top-end prospects -- in fantasy and reality -- and whether we should pay extra attention to the players on the move despite the likelihood that they're not top-100 prospects at the time they are traded. Plus, they look at opportunities for Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo in Baltimore, changes to a few depth charts coming out of the Trade Deadline, a...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss the best pitching staffs in baseball coming out of the 2024 Trade Deadline -- comparing the Stuff+ and WAR projections to effectiveness through the first four months of the season. Are the Phillies still an elite playoff staff? Will the Dodgers sort out their best rotation options before October? Does the crew have any faith in the Guardians or Royals staffs? Rundown 2:...

Eno, DVR and Britt recap the final moves leading into the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline including the Astros' addition of Yusei Kikuchi, the Padres' continued push to improve their roster with another bullpen upgrade in Tanner Scott, Jack Flaherty's move to the Dodgers, and a busy Trade Deadline window for the Rays and Marlins, who cashed in at an opportune time as sellers. Rundown 2:54 Yusei Kikuchi to...

Eno and DVR discuss the heavy activity in the week leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline (Tuesday, 6p ET) including Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees, Randy Arozarena to the Mariners, Isaac Paredes to the Cubs, and much more.  Rundown 2:16 Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees 9:17 Randy Arozarena to the mariners 14:45 Isaac Paredes to the Cubs 24:31 A Three-Team Blockbuster with the Cardinals, Dodgers &...

DVR and Trevor discuss the rapidly-changing Trade Deadline needs of the Brewers and Mariners in the face of recent injuries to Christian Yelich and Julio Rodríguez. Plus, they’ll examine the Trade Deadline opportunities for the Rays and Padres to re-shape their rosters in the final 2024 installment of ‘At the Fork’. Then, they’ll check in on the Rookie of the Year races in both leagues, before fea...

Britt and DVR look back the approach of a few recent teams that made it to the World Series and discuss the value of making smaller moves that still make an impact without being a splashy mid-season blockbuster. Can the 2021 Trade Deadline plan of the Braves be replicated as a template, or was it a perfect storm?  Rundown 4:22 Recent World Series Teams' Trade Deadlines 14:42 The Perfect Deadline?...

DVR is joined by Jeff Erickson, RotoWire Senior Editor, to discuss the fallout from an injury-filled weekend that included IL stints for Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, and Bo Bichette (among others). Plus, they discuss how to make up ground in the standings in the second half of the season, before looking at a few popular pickups and drops from the weekly leagues.  Rundown 2:06 Expectations for Nacho Al...

Eno and DVR host their first second-half rebound draft looking for players who have accrued negative value to this point (12-team, 5x5 leagues) with the best chances of turning things around in the second half. Plus, they consider comps for the recently promoted Jacob Wilson, Brooks Baldwin's opportunity with the White Sox, River Ryan's model-breaking arsenal, and a few names to consider on the wa...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss the Cubs and Dodgers squaring off in Tokyo to begin the 2025 regular season, mic'ing up pitchers, potential Trade Deadline Surprises, how the Cardinals and Red Sox might approach necessary upgrades in the coming weeks, and how to pitch Isaac Paredes and other pull-happy power hitters. Rundown 5:32 Mic'ing Up Pitcher on the Job 11:01 Making Cases for Unexpected Players t...

Eno and DVR discuss Teoscar Hernández's Home Run Derby win, and how he's managed to do so much more at the plate than Adolis García despite similar strikeout, walk and barrel rates. Plus, they look at spray angles for hitters, and wonder if Anthony Volpe might put everything together in the final two-and-a-half months of the season.  Rundown 1:23 Teoscar Hernández Wins the 2024 Home Run Derby 10:4...

Melissa Lockard joins Eno and DVR discuss Day 1 of the MLB Draft including the Guardians' decision to take Travis Bazzana first overall, Charlie Condon's outlook with a future that includes playing half of his games at Coors Field, top pitchers Chase Burns and Hagen Smith going second and fifth to the Reds and White Sox, respectively, Nick Kurtz's fit with the A's, Jac Caglianone's chances of cont...

Eno and DVR discuss Paul Skenes' latest dominant performance -- seven no-hit innings against the Brewers on Thursday -- and the balance of preserving his workload to make him available if the Pirates remain in playoff contention through September. Plus, a setback for Jordan Lawlar, charges filed against Wander Franco in the Dominican Republic, mailbag questions about Gerrit Cole and Luis Castillo,...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss the demotion of Bobby Miller as his 2024 struggles have persisted, the Dodgers' pitching depth being tested more than expected, 10 years of Statcast, and 'new' tools that they think will be a big part of the conversation 10 years from now. Plus, they look at what happens in extended plate appearances, how they would pitch to Gunnar Henderson, and a red-hot start to the...

Eno, Britt, and DVR discuss how the Guardians have exceeded our expectations and found success in a different way in 2024, the surprising snub of Francisco Lindor from the NL All-Star Team roster, the actual flaws of the Yankees amidst a 5-15 stretch over their last 20 games, and a few trade fits for Jazz Chisholm Jr. Rundown 1:10 The Guardians Are Making Us Look Foolish, But How? 11:16 Great Defe...

Eno and DVR discuss the busy long weekend in baseball including the return of Shane Baz to the Rays' rotation, the quietly productive season from Luis L. Ortiz, who now has an opportunity to start in Pittsburgh again, and the search for the 'next' Hunter Brown. Plus, they take a look back at where the money was spent in weekly leagues.  Rundown 3:10 Injury Updates 8:26 Ranking of ROS Impact of Cur...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss the Brewers' acquisition of Aaron Civale from the Rays, and Shane Baz's return to the Tampa Bay rotation. They also cover the tweaks to the Home Run Derby rules, and try to design an equivalent showcase for pitchers to have during All-Star Week in future years. Plus, Trevor shares a few more deep splits looking at Trouble Situations and rest for pitchers. Rundown 1:45 A...

Eno, Britt, and DVR congratulate Jayson Stark for his induction in the NSMA Hall of Fame, and discuss the arrival of James Wood and the intriguing timing of his promotion by the Nationals relative to the league's tendencies to promote top prospects. Plus, they discuss a few teams attempting to carrying the momentum of strong June into the second half, before discussing a handful of players they ar...

Eno and DVR discuss how to navigate the timing of playing for the future in long-term leagues, the difficulty in making decision in shallow leagues at the bottom of the roster, the promotion of James Wood by the Nationals, Triston McKenzie's demotion to Columbus, and where the money went over the weekend in weekly FAAB leagues.  Rundown 0:56 Timing a Rebuild (How to Avoid Being Like the Angels) 10...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss Eno's story examining the long-term pitch velocity ceiling, how a few of their 2024 predictions are looking as the first half of the season comes to close, the Trade Deadline outlook for the Rangers and Reds, plus a game plan for pitching to Steven Kwan. Rundown 1:04 Where Was Trevor on the Night of August 5th, 2019? 4:45 The Human Limit for Pitching Velocity ($) https:...

Eno and DVR discuss midseason buy-highs while taking a trip through the FanGraphs 2024 Player Rater. Plus, they discuss a few pickups to consider ahead of the weekend, including Jhonkensy Noel in Cleveland, Heston Kjerstad in his second stint with the O's this season, and David Festa joining the rotation for the Twins. Rundown 3:55 Gunnar Henderson Makes the Leap to First-Round Status 6:31 Ranger...

Sam Blum of The Athletic joins Eno and DVR to discuss all things Angels, including the impact of manager Ron Washington during a challenging year, the overall direction of the club with Arte Moreno's decision to continue forward as owner, and the future of Mike Trout.  Rundown 0:43 The Impact of Ron Washington on the 2024 Angels 7:23 Missed Opportunities to Add Depth 11:52 Should the Angels Have P...

Eno and DVR discuss another busy weekend of baseball that included a sticky-stuff ejection for Mets' closer Edwin Díaz, the return of Max Scherzer to the Rangers' rotation, more injuries in the Marlins' starting unit, Giancarlo Stanton's quietly strong season before a trip to the IL, and much more.  Rundown 4:57 Edwin Díaz: Ejected for Sticky Substance Violation; 10-game Suspension on Tap 10:11 Ma...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss a few takeaways from Thursday night's game between the Cardinals and Giants at Rickwood Field, the 2024 MLB run environment and try to determine why scoring has fallen back to 2022 levels despite rule changes implemented last season to increase offense. Plus, they look at deep split stats for starters and relievers to take a closer look at inherited and bequeathed runne...