Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Eno and DVR discuss the greatness of Willie Mays following his passing at the age of 93 earlier this week. Plus, they take a look around the league at key injury news, including an opportunity in the Houston rotation with Justin Verlander's move to the IL, before checking in on minor-league news and notes, and a few early waiver-wire considerations for the weekend. Rundown 5:31 Willie Mays Passes...

Eno, Britt, and DVR discuss MLB's disciplinary action against umpire Pat Hoberg for violating the league's gambling rules, and Hoberg's ongoing appeal. Plus, they consider the parity with all but two teams in the National League within two games of a playoff position as play began Tuesday, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s bid to return to stardom with less fanfare outside of San Diego, and Snoop Dogg's surpri...

Eno and DVR discuss a weekend packed with impactful injuries, a few tough hitters to rank as their "new" roles become more stable, Manny Machado's push to play through injuries this season, and fallout from the weekend roster shuffle in weekly leagues. Rundown 3:20 An Apology to Our Friends in Europe 8:46 Mookie Betts Suffers a Fractured Wrist 18:25 Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Goes on IL with Rotator Cuff...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss historic Rickwood Field, ahead of next week's matchup between the Cardinals and Giants in Birmingham, teams with currently low playoff odds with a chance to rebound toward contention, and how they would approach hitting Yankees starter Luis Gil. Read More about the history of Rickwood Field in this SABR article from Clarence Watkins:  https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/rickw...

Eno and DVR search for buy-low bats and discussing the struggles of Austin Riley, Julio Rodríguez, and Dansby Swanson -- plus a group of hitters that may look like buy-low targets on the surface, but could underwhelm the rest of the way. Plus, they answer a few mailbag questions, and look ahead at potential pickups on the waiver wire this weekend. Rundown 1:58 Austin Riley is Going to Be OK...Righ...

Keith Law joins DVR to discuss a few intriguing names near the top of 2024 draft boards including Charlie Condon v. Travis Bazzana and Chase Burns v. Hagen Smith. Plus, they discuss the sluggish starts for many position players at the big-league level, the early success of Jackson Merrill, the Pirates' next wave of pitching prospects behind Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, and the ascent of James Wood...

Katie Woo joins Eno and DVR to discuss several takeaways from The Athletic's 2024 MLB Player Poll including a few 'others receiving votes' for Baseball Player in Baseball behind Shohei Ohtani, the players' selections for 'most overrated' player, the organizations that have bad reputations among the players.   Check out the full poll here ($): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5529966/2024/06/10/mlb...

Eno and DVR discuss a promotion-filled weekend including the debuts of Hurston Waldrep, Adael Amador and Tyler Locklear, and the expected arrival of Carlos F. Rodriguez to the Milwaukee rotation this week. Plus, they look back at where the free-agent bids were directed over the weekend.  Rundown 2:41 Hurston Waldrep's Debut Against the Nationals 8:06 Adael Amador Joins the Rockies 16:37 Tyler Lock...

Eno, DVR and Trevor discuss baseball's return to London for a two-game weekend series between the Phillies and Mets. An exciting matchup between Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani that took place in Pittsburgh earlier this week, how they would game plan trying to pitch to Ohtani, and two teams -- the Blue Jays and Cubs -- facing a critical stretch of schedule in the middle-third of the season. Rundown...

Eno and DVR discuss some of the biggest risers and fallers among starting pitchers from April to May, over and underperformers compared to initial 2024 projections, pitching prospects closing in on opportunities to help their big-league clubs, and a few weekend waiver-wire targets to consider. Rundown 1:25 Stuff+ Risers From April to May 6:34 From Below Average to OK, From OK to Good, and From Goo...

Eno and DVR discuss a round of suspensions from MLB for gambling -- including a lifetime ban for Tucupita Marcano, before looking at some of the biggest risers and fallers among hitters from April to May.  Rundown 1:00 Tucupita Marcano: Lifetime Ban for Betting on Baseball 16:47 Biggest Shifts in Hitter Performance: April v. May 22:01 Risers From April to May 30:54 Rookie Bats in Month 2 38:39 Col...

Eno and DVR discuss tough in-season decisions for the Tigers (Spencer Torkelson's demotion) and Twins (Edouard Julien's demotion), and the promotion of Connor Norby, before considering the factors to account for when trying to move on from pitchers that have performed very well during the first two months of the season.  Rundown 1:48 Spencer Torkelson: Optioned to Triple-A 8:31 Justyn-Henry Malloy...

Eno, DVR, and Trevor analyze the surprising step back for the Atlanta lineup through the first two months of 2024, and discuss players at pivotal points in their careers with a limited window to secure their future role. Plus, they'll take live questions from viewers throughout the show! Rundown 1:33 More Changes From the Mets; Christian Scott & Brett Baty Optioned to Triple-A 12:55 What's Hap...

Eno and DVR discuss the news that MLB has integrated stats from the Negro Leagues into its official records, a bad day for the Mets, fallers from Eno's latest Starting Pitcher Rankings update, prospect news, and a few names to consider as waiver-wire targets this weekend. Rundown 1:18 Negro League Stats Added to MLB's Official Records 7:06 An Eventful Day for the Mets 11:52 'There is No Way They A...

Eno and DVR discuss a brutal diagnosis for Ronald Acuña Jr., who suffered another torn ACL over the weekend. Plus, they consider the ongoing struggles of Corbin Carroll, Ángel Hernández's abrupt retirement, and a few May risers from Eno's updated Starting Pitcher Rankings.  Rundown 2:06 Ronald Acuña Jr.'s 2024 Season Ends with Another Torn ACL 10:43 The Ongoing Struggles of Corbin Carroll 18:43 Vi...

Eno, DVR and Trevor go live at 1p ET/10a PT to discuss pitch tipping, the 'fighters' we did not choose last week and their long-term outlook -- Tanner Bibee, Kyle Harrison, Hunter Greene, Taj Bradley, and Christian Scott -- the best strikeouts they have seen so far this season, and a case for massive expansion that would completely change baseball as we know it. Rundown 1:18 Tipping Pitches 8:27 A...

Eno and DVR discuss aging stars whose long-term value might be on the cusp of falling, as well as a few players to target despite an overall body of work that leaves something to be desired.  Rundown 10:07 Freddie Freeman Is the Power & Speed Drop a Sign of Things to Come? 18:02 Marcus Semien & Nearly Impossible Durability 23:12 Jose Altuve & Extreme Pull Tendencies Over Time 28:59 Vla...

Eno and DVR discuss Garrett Whitlock's injury and the prolonged opportunity for Cooper Criswell in the Red Sox's rotation, expectations for Edwin Díaz's break from the closer role, Luis Gil's impressive stretch to begin 2024, ways to consider leveraging pitching depth, where the money went this weekend, a few frequently dropped players from the weekend. Rundown 1:50 Cooper Criswell's Extended Wind...

Eno is joined by co-parent of Stuff+ and former member of the Houston Astros' analytics department Max Bay. The guys dive into the state of analytics in the sport... Rundown: 4:09 - The past, present and future of Stuff+ 29:45 - How should we be using the new bat tracking data 41:44 - How can people who want to get into baseball analytics for a team stand out Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Foll...

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss Elly De La Cruz's bid for 100-steal season, how bat tracking info could be used to supplement scouting reports and game plans against hitters, and their choices from a group of a dozen starting pitchers in an effort to project the next few seasons. Rundown 1:06 Keeping a Good Receipt (Don't Worry, We Keep The Bad Ones Too) 2:10 Elly De La Cruz's Bid for a 100-Steal Seas...

Eno and DVR discuss Ronel Blanco's sticky-stuff suspension, Austin Riley's quiet start and recent injury, another opportunity for Luis Matos in San Francisco, and the bullpen woes of the Cubs before digging into the early struggles of many prospect pitchers, and a few waiver-wire targets to consider as the weekend approaches. Rundown 1:29 Ronel Blanco's Sticky-Stuff Suspension 7:38 Austin Riley's...

Eno, DVR and Britt discuss baseball's aim to preserve starting pitchers. How much of a problem is the current use of starting pitchers compared to the past? With injury rates on the rise, what rule changes and tweaks make sense? Will small changes to move the game slightly in the direction of previous era's pitcher usage cause other problems? Plus, they discuss Britt's recent story about a partner...

Eno and DVR discuss Paul Skenes' MLB debut against the Cubs before digging into ways they are utilizing the new bat tracking and bat speed leaderboards from Statcast, including a few players to consider targeting via trade.  Rundown 1:45 Takeaways From Paul Skenes' Debut & Unexpected Comp 13:39 New Bat Tracking & Bat Speed Leaderboards from Statcast! https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderbo...

Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss an all-time no-hitter jinx, Willson Contreras' injury and the sharp increase in catcher's interference around baseball, pitchers going through role changes in 2024 -- and who they would like to see make a switch in the future -- plus their game plan for hitters facing Pirates pitcher Jared Jones. Rundown 1:30 An All-Time Great No-Hitter Jinx? 5:48 Willson Contreras' Inj...

Eno and DVR discuss the highly-anticipated debut of Paul Skenes, set for Saturday against the Cubs, before digging into a deep list of news items including an injury for Christian Encarnacion-Strand, a quick return to Nashville for Tyler Black following Christian Yelich's activation from the IL, Taj Bradley's return to health, and the triumphant return of Prospect of the Week.  Rundown 0:57 Paul S...