The Keith Law Show

Keith is joined by Will Leitch to discuss Will’s recently-released novel ‘How Lucky’, including the creation of the book’s main character, Daniel, how Will ‘subverted’ the rules of a thriller, and the decision to have the story take place in Athens, Georgia.  Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Follow Will on Twitter: @williamfleitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keith is joined by Dr. Peter Hotez to discuss the current state of the pandemic, what to say to those who are choosing not to get vaccinated, and how baseball (and other sports) might respond better to the pandemic going forward.  Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Follow Dr. Hotez on Twitter: @PeterHotez Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keith is joined by Zach Buchanan of The Athletic to discuss big changes in the Pioneer League, Pavin Smith's step forward, Daulton Varsho's very limited role, the state of the NL West through two months, and options for Arizona with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.  Rundown 2:15 Big Changes in the Pioneer League 8:48 Is There Any Good News with the D-backs? 11:52 Pavin Smith’s Steps F...

Keith is joined by John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston to discuss the Mookie Betts trade, whether the Red Sox will spend on starting pitching in the near future, and their options with the fourth pick in the 2021 draft, before sharing some of their favorite board games from the past year.  Rundown 3:03 Revisiting the Mookie Betts Trade 10:36 Will the Red Sox Spend for Pitching in the Near Future? 14:...

Keith is joined by University of Louisville catcher Henry Davis to discuss his offensive approach, adjustments that opposing pitchers have made to him, his ongoing work as a game caller, and the best pizza back home in New York. Keith also answers several draft and prospect-related mailbag questions.  Rundown 2:02 Henry Davis Interview Begins 4:21 Henry's Offensive Approach 6:15 Are Teams Pitching...

Keith is joined by Jim Callis of MLBPipeline.com to discuss several players from the 2021 draft class, including the debate at No. 1 overall, Jackson Jobe, Sam Bachman, Ryan Cusick, Jud Fabian, and a few potentially overlooked prospects in this year's class. Rundown 2:52 Leiter vs. Rocker vs. Lawler vs. Mayer 8:03 Where Do You Expect Henry Davis to Be Selected? 11:59 Jackson Jobe v. Rocker & O...

Keith is joined by The Athletic's James Fegan to discuss the resurgence of Carlos Rodón, the surprising arrival of Yermín Mercedes, Andrew Vaughn's slow start, and all things White Sox.  Rundown 1:47 A Disappointing Patriot’s Day for Lucas Giolito & the White Sox 4:15 A Rare Instance of Giolito’s Changeup Being Hittable 7:19 Carlos Rodón’s Return to Prominence  12:28 Is Rodón a More Complete P...

Keith is joined by Dennis Lin, The Athletic’s Padres beat writer, to discuss Joe Musgrove’s no-hitter, the health of Fernando Tatis Jr., ETAs for CJ Abrams, the Padres’ pitching depth, recent problems with MLB’s replay system, and early impressions of Ha-seong Kim. Rundown 1:40 Joe Musgrove Throws the Padres’ First No-Hitter 3:27 Musgrove’s Evolution on the Mound 5:16 Fernando Tatis Jr. Update 7:3...

Keith is joined by White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito to discuss the changes he's made to his delivery over time, alterations to his pitch mix, and how he improved his arm action and timing.  Rundown 2:05 What to Expect From 'The Inside Game'  5:11 How Did You Rebuild Your Delivery? 8:05 Getting Away From the Curveball 10:40 The Development of the Changeup 16:00 Shortening Arm Action & Improving...

Keith is joined by Stephanie Apstein, senior writer at Sports Illustrated to discuss Kim Ng's career as a pioneer in baseball, the Astros' reaction to the Brandon Taubman story, Jose Altuve's case of the yips, and more.  Rundown 2:15 Kim Ng’s Career as a Baseball Pioneer 7:33 Reducing Barriers for the Next Generation of Female Executives 10:59 Facing Criticism from the Astros After the Brandon Tau...

Keith is joined by Julie DiCaro, senior writer and editor at Deadspin, and author of 'Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being A Woman in America' to discuss why Aroldis Chapman's past matters, how league policies could shift fan attitudes about domestic violence and sexual assault, the complication of lifetime bans, and more.  Rundown 2:11 'Why Should I Care About Aroldis Chapman’s Past?' 5:35 Can L...

Keith is joined by Tim Grierson, Senior U.S. Critic for ScreenDaily.com, co-host of the Grierson & Leitsch podcast, and author of the recently released book 'This is How You Make a Movie' to discuss his new book, this year's Oscar nominations, and his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.  Rundown 2:43 Inspiration for ’This is How You Make a Movie’ 9:31 Appreciation of Great Techniques From Less Than G...

Keith is joined by Cleveland pitcher Triston McKenzie to discuss his path into baseball, adjustments he's made as a pro, how he's trying to hold his velocity deeper into starts, his choice between going pro and attending Vanderbilt after being drafted, and his involvement with True2U in Cleveland. Interview w/Triston McKenzie 3:48 Triston’s Path into Baseball & Development as a Pitcher 7:03 Cl...

Keith is joined by Aaron Fitt, editor at D1Baseball.com to discuss Kumar Rocker vs. Jack Leiter atop the 2021 draft board, the strengths of the 2021 draft class, Tommy Mace’s move up the board, comps for Sal Frelick, Mississippi State’s loaded rotation, and more.  Rundown 2:40 Kumar Rocker vs. Jack Leiter at No. 1 Overall 5:14 Strengths of 2021 Draft Class 7:18 Will Teams Prefer High School Player...

Keith is joined by Blue Jays VP of International Scouting Andrew Tinnish to discuss the unique challenges of scouting international players, and several current members of the organization including Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno, Orelvis Martinez, and more.  Rundown 4:24 Andrew’s Background in International Scouting 7:21 Projecting Physical Growth From Younger Players 9:56 Evaluating Players with...

Keith opens up the mailbag to discuss several prospects -- including expectations for JJ Bleday's arrival in Miami, Spencer Howard's ceiling, Nolan Gorman's long-term position -- and a mix of board game questions.  Rundown 2:00 Expectations for Atlanta Prospect Bryce Ball 3:34 D.J. Peterson & Mitch Garver, Hitters in New Mexico 6:50 Prospects w/Biggest Growth Potential  8:18 JJ Bleday’s Timeta...

Keith is joined by Bobby Heck, special assistant to the general manager for the Tampa Bay Rays to discuss Wander Franco, a shift in the Rays' recent draft philosophy, what they saw in Randy Arozarena before acquiring him from St. Louis, and the scouting process behind George Springer and Dallas Keuchel from Bobby's tenure as the Astros' scouting director.  Rundown 2:49 Getting Wander Franco Into t...

Keith discusses a few omissions from his recently released Top 100 prospects list before Mariners pitching prospect Adam Macko joins the show to share the early chapters of his journey into baseball from an unexpected starting point.  Rundown 1:01 Notable Omissions From Keith's Top 100 Prospects 8:38 Adam Macko's Unique Path Into Baseball 14:05 The Process of Learning Different Pitches 21:22 Early...

Keith is joined by Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic to discuss her experiences as a woman covering baseball for more than a decade — including an unfortunate familiarity with the Jared Porter story — before discussing the latest chapter in the MASN saga, and spring training plans as potential delays loom.  Rundown 1:39 The Unfortunate Familiarity with the Jared Porter Story 5:14 The Tip of the Iceber...

Keith opens up the mailbag for several baseball questions before discussing some of the top books of 2020 with Ron Charles of The Washington Post.  Rundown 1:05 Baseball Mailbag! 10:17 Interview w/Ron Charles 11:34 "Parnesi" by Susanna Clarke 14:56 "Utopia Avenue" by David Mitchell 18:03 "Jack" by Marilynne Robinson 20:26 "Here We Are" by Graham Swift 23:05 "The Glass Hotel" by Emily St. John Mand...

Keith is joined by Tony Paul of The Detroit News to discuss the Tigers -- including what it's like to cover a bad team, how the franchise missed its window to trade Matthew Boyd, and the struggle to develop position players in recent years -- diversity in baseball, and sushi.  Rundown 2:40 The Unique Challenge of Covering a Bad Team 8:45 Showing More Patience with Young Players 12:10 Missing the W...

Keith is joined by Red Sox VP of Scouting Mike Rikard to discuss the development of Jarren Duran, Jay Groome's return to health, the unique challenges in Boston's recent draft classes, big changes in scouting and player development around baseball, and more.  Rundown 4:01 Jarren Duran’s Development & Recent Swing Changes 6:46 Jay Groome is Healthy & Has Added a Slider 9:02 Unique Challenge...

Keith is joined by Bill Baer, author of the Baer in Mind newsletter, to discuss Drew Smyly's quick move to Atlanta, the unusual position of fans taking the side of MLB owners over the players, and the Phillies' current GM vacancy and near-future direction.  Rundown 3:10 Drew Smyly to Atlanta & Pillow Deals 4:40 Marcus Stroman Accepts the Qualifying Offer 8:14 The Puzzling Nature of Fans Backin...

Keith is joined by Meg Rowley, Managing Editor of FanGraphs and a co-co-host of the Effectively Wild podcast, to discuss expectations for free agency, big cuts in baseball operations, and MLB’s need for revamped hiring processes in the wake of Tony La Russa’s move to the White Sox.  Topics 2:53 Free Agency Expectations  8:24 The Impact of Future Non-Tenders on Current Free Agents 12:41 In Consider...

Keith is joined by Sarah Langs of MLB to discuss this winter's free agent class.  Rundown 2:09 Overall Assessment of This Year’s Free Agent Class 4:09 J.T. Realmuto & Catcher Aging Profiles 7:58 The Market for Marcell Ozuna  12:33 Jackie Bradley’s Foray Into the Open Market 15:51 Andrelton Simmons & The Value of Defense 20:50 Trevor Bauer vs. Marcus Stroman 26:14 Chris Archer & Potenti...