The Athletic

Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Sports EN ↓ 1057 episodes

In baseball, numbers are everywhere. But they’re not just numbers. For Derek VanRiper and Eno Sarris, they’re the keys to solving the most fun problem in sports. Every weekday, join DVR and Eno as they unpack baseball in ways you’ve never heard before, endeavoring to figure out all they can about a sport that’s constantly changing. Alongside contributors Britt Ghiroli, Trevor May and Jed Lowrie, the Rates & Barrels crew breaks down all the latest MLB news through an analytical lens, feeding your unhealthy addiction to numbers, while helping you master your fantasy baseball GM skills. But wait,...

Author

The Athletic

Category

Sports

Podcast website

www.nytimes.com

Latest episode

Jul 11, 2026

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Episodes

Sonny Gray to the Cards, Kenta Maeda to the Tigers & the Mariners Deal with the D-backs 27.11.2023

Eno and DVR discuss Sonny Gray's move to the NL Central to head up the Cardinals' rotation, Kenta Maeda's shift to Detroit, and a swap between the D-backs and Mariners that opens up a few different paths for Jerry DiPoto, while Arizona adds thump at the hot corner with Eugenio Suárez.  Rundown 6:05 Sonny Gray to St. Louis 13:13 Gray v. Hunter Greene in Early Drafts? 17:23 Kenta Maeda to Detroit 23...

Aaron Nola Stays in Philly & November Non-Tender News 20.11.2023

Eno and DVR discuss Aaron Nola's new deal to remain in Philadelphia, Lance Lynn's return to the Cardinals on a one-year pact, the posting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto ahead of his highly-anticipated foray into free agency, and the fallout from a non-tender deadline that led to a flurry of activity plus the potential end of Brandon Woodruff's time in Milwaukee.  Rundown 1:29 Aaron Nola Gets a New Seven-Ye...

Live from First Pitch Arizona & Catching Up with Kyle Manzardo 06.11.2023

Eno, DVR & The Welsh are LIVE from First Pitch Arizona discussing a few interesting ideas that bubbled up during the conference, how they are trying to build roster foundations in 2024, and potentially undervalued pitchers for the first leg of draft season. Plus, Kyle Manzardo of the Cleveland Guardians joins the show to discuss his approach, changes following his midseason trade to Cleveland,...

Making Sense of Disappointing Hitters From 2023 31.10.2023

Eno and DVR discuss several disappointing hitters from the 2023 season with an eye toward their rebound potential and long-term outlook.  Rundown 4:17 Carlos Correa: Did Injuries Sap Overall Performance? 13:58 Daulton Varsho: Going Too Far with Pull-Heavy, Flyball Approach? 28:02 MJ Melendez: Is More Power on the Way? 32:47 Eloy Jiménez: Will He Hit Enough Without OF-Eligibility in Some Leagues? 3...

Missing on Adolis García & Mostly Pleasantly Surprising Hitters of 2023 26.10.2023

Eno and DVR discuss the upcoming World Series matchup between the Diamondbacks and Rangers, and how they drastically underestimated Adolis García when he broke through as a regular for Texas two years ago. Plus, they examine several hitters that were pleasant surprises in 2023 (and one disappointment thanks to lofty expectations).  Rundown 1:26 Assessing the D-backs-Rangers World Series Matchup 9:...

Jordan Montgomery, Nola v. Snell, & October Injury Updates 16.10.2023

Eno and DVR discuss the recent success of Jordan Montgomery and changes he's made since leaving the Yankees via trade in 2021, Aaron Nola v. Blake Snell as real-life free agents and for 2024 fantasy value, and several offseason injury updates including shoulder surgery for Brandon Woodruff and Kyle Wright, knee surgery for Byron Buxton, turf toe surgery for Jazz Chisholm Jr., and more.  Rundown 1:...

The Year in Review 03.10.2023

Eno and Welsh talk season winners, value risers, league offense numbers, elite average player totals and a little AFL talk around Jackson Jobe. Rundown Jackson Jobe - 6:14 Fantasy Awards - 13:23 Mailbag Question Jazz vs Chourio - 25:02 RP values from 2023 - 39:11 Super player averages - 44:22 Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Welsh on Twitter: @isitthewelsh Subscribe to the Rates & Barr...

Final Streamers and Looking Back at 2023 29.09.2023

Eno and Al wrap up the Friday edition of the show for 2023 by recommending a handful of streamers for the final weekend and reviewing the trends that made this season an interesting one from a fantasy perspective. Specifically, they look at how the regulation of shifts and increase in stolen bases affected the fantasy landscape, and they looked back on a busy season for prospect debuts. Rundown 1:...

The Last Week Before Fall League 25.09.2023

Eno and Welsh talk final week hitters and pitchers to stream and the release of the Arizona Fall League rosters. Rundown Zac Gallen vs Blake Snell 2024 - 6:33 Blake Snell stuff - 8:11 Felix interviews Snell - 14:35 Pitchers for Tue-Thur - 19:09 Hitters to pick-up - 30:47 AFL Roster release - 35:04 Top AFL hitting prospects - 38:48 Colson Montgomery - 48:05 Top AFL pitching prospects - 52:21 Deeper...

The Final FAB and Sandy Alcantara’s Possible Return 22.09.2023

Eno and Al take their final look at weekly FAB, identifying players to target to help out in the season’s concluding week. They also discuss Max Fried’s move to the IL as well as Shane Bieber’s return and Sandy Alcantara’s timetable, and they talk about their expectations for Rays prospect Junior Caminero, who is set to make his major league debut. Rundown 1:24 IL comings and goings: Max Fried, Sa...

Injuries, Awards and Prospects 21.09.2023

Eno and Welsh are talking Ohtani's injury, Snell's CY Young bid, streaming options Thur/Fri, prospects and more Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Welsh on Twitter: @isitthewelsh Subscribe to the Rates & Barrels YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Subscribe to The Athletic for just $1/mo for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Heston Kjerstad’s Debut and Tommy Pham’s Late-Season Surge 15.09.2023

Eno and Al look into the fantasy viability of recent callups Heston Kjerstad and Pete Crow-Armstrong, and they identify several hitters who could and should still be added in 10- and 12-team leagues. They also prioritize which starting pitchers are worth adding for the stretch run and discuss the Cubs’, Rays’ and Cardinals’ bullpen situations. Rundown 1:00 Heston Kjerstad is the latest top prospec...

Bring up the Kids 11.09.2023

Eno and Welsh discuss the injury to Jasson Dominguez, Pete Crow-Armstrong's call to the majors, the Brewers almost 11-inning no-hitter, pitchers for the week and more. Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Welsh on Twitter: @isitthewelsh Subscribe to the Rates & Barrels YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Subscribe to The Athletic fo...

The Prospect Parade Continues with Jordan Lawlar 08.09.2023

Eno and Al talk about what to expect from the latest prospect callups, Jordan Lawlar and Evan Carter, and consider the fallout from injuries to Sandy Alcantara and Jorge Soler. They also sort through a lengthy list of projected two-start pitchers and discuss some recent bullpen changes for the Marlins, Rays and Rockies. Rundown 1:17 Prospect-palooza continues with Jordan Lawlar, Evan Carter and Da...

Hot Finishes, Early Starts 06.09.2023

Eno and Welsh discuss the posting of Shōta Imanaga, Clayton Kershaw worries, Altuve vs Jazz in 2024, a prospect to get now and more. Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Welsh on Twitter: @isitthewelsh Subscribe to the Rates & Barrels YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Subscribe to The Athletic for just $1/mo for the first year: th...

Project Prospect Season Finale 05.09.2023

Eno and Welsh talk about what made this new Cole Ragans, who's next, Jasson Dominguez, Mason Miller and more on the season finale of Project Prospect. Rundown Success of under 6-foot pitchers - 4:42 Ohtani to hit and pitch in the future - 10:52 Julio Urias suspension - 17:30 How "THIS" Cole Ragans came to be - 22:16 Minor League development lacking - 29:08 Who is the next Cole Ragans? - 39:07 Maso...

Jasson Dominguez’s Arrival and Reds’ Waiver Pickups 01.09.2023

DVR and Al discuss where they are looking to add several prospects who have made or are about to make their major league debuts, including Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells, Ceddanne Rafaela and Ronny Mauricio. They also look at how Lucas Giolito, Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader might fare with their new teams and sort out a thin week for pitching on the waiver wire. Rundown 1:22 Jasson Dominguez a...

The Halos Waive a Trade Deadline Haul & Late-Season Rebound Potential 30.08.2023

Eno and DVR discuss the group of players placed on waivers Tuesday -- including five members of the Angels -- and try to determine if there is a need to alter the timing of the Trade Deadline, or if a return to the 'waiver trade deadline' era is necessary. Plus, they discuss causes for the recent struggles of Lucas Giolito, Alex Cobb's brush with a no-hitter, and the potential for a final month re...

Project Prospect - Post-Hype Bats to Target 29.08.2023

DVR and Welsh are looking at post-hype prospect bats to target that have exhausted their prospect eligibility, plus Ceddane Rafaela's outlook and more. Rundown Ceddane Rafaela - :57 Rafael vs P. Meadows - 5:17 Kyle Harrison - 7:09 Miguel Vargas - 13:46 Brett Baty - 21:45 Pete Alonso potential trade - 27:23 Matt Mervis - 29:30 Henry Davis - 34:56 Estevan Florial - 38:05 Easier in Triple-A? - 46:40...

Surprise Pitching Contributors for the Stretch Run 28.08.2023

Eno and DVR discuss several increasingly important pitchers for the stretch run of the 2023 fantasy baseball season -- including Cole Ragans, whose increased velocity and new slider have put him on the fast-track to a place among the league's Top 40 Starting Pitchers.  Rundown 0:43 The Rapid Emergence of Cole Ragans 10:04 Any Changes for Aaron Civale in Tampa Bay? 15:09 Cristopher Sánchez's Arriva...

The Angels’ Rough Week and The Yankees’ Callups 25.08.2023

DVR and Al discuss the fallout from Shohei Ohtani’s torn UCL and Mike Trout’s return to the IL, and they also look into the fantasy appeal of several recently-promoted players, including Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira, Wilyer Abreu and Korey Lee. On the pitching side, DVR and Al consider the types of leagues that Cole Ragans and Ryan Pepiot should be added to, and they talk about the potential for...

An Eye Toward 2024 & Protecting v. Chasing Leads 23.08.2023

Eno and DVR discuss a few takeaways from the first seven rounds of the Too Early Meatball Draft -- including the myriad of great choices from the No. 3 spot on the first round, continuing to draft starting pitchers early if other teams try to wait, a potential rebound from Trea Turner, and Elly De La Cruz's push toward top-15 status for 2024. Plus, they discuss a few differences in how to approach...

Project Prospect - Time to Adjust to Faster Tracks? 22.08.2023

DVR, Eno and Welsh discuss the rapid development of prospects and how they are moving levels. Do we need to re--think the process for prospects as a whole, or is it case by case? The guys also take look at Paul Skenes stuff+ numbers and the ever debating fastball shape. Rundown Nolan Schanuel - 1:07 Is there much of a gap between levels anymore? - 3:43 Do we buy into age to level anymore? - 8:22 H...

A Closer Look at the Location of Pitcher Whiffs 21.08.2023

Eno and DVR discuss the local of pitcher whiffs and whether it matters if swings and misses are generated inside the strike zone, outside the strike zone, or if a truly elite pitcher needs to do both.  Rundown 2:36 Are High O-Swing% & Low Z-Contact% Pitchers Elite? 5:52 Getting In-Zone Whiffs with Fastballs 10:54 Bailey Ober's Surprising Placement in Both Categories 13:07 Whiffs In the Heart o...

The Angels’ Surprise Call-Up and Masyn Winn’s Arrival 18.08.2023

DVR and Al discuss their expectations for the two latest top prospects to be called up to make their major league debuts, Nolan Schanuel and Masyn Winn. They also identify other prospects who could be promoted soon, including Jordan Lawlar and Pete Crow-Armstrong. DVR and Al also discuss some outfielders seeing increased playing time, a healthy cohort of streamable pitchers, and the bullpen situat...

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