Ben and Sam banter about a hard-to-believe baseball ad, then answer listener emails about the NL Central, GM metadata, Aaron Sanchez, deceptive debuts and more.
Ben and Sam discuss Jonathan Lucroy, Rich Hill, the rebuilding Yankees, the price of relievers and multiple trade-deadline rumors they had trouble believing.
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about player development what-ifs, Aroldis Chapman and elite relievers, a team that could control the weather, Mike Trout and Barry Bonds, and more.
Ben and Sam banter about the Hall of Fame and Jon Lester, then discuss Chris Sale’s jersey tantrum, Shelby Miller trade rumors, and the Cubs-Yankees Aroldis Chapman deal.
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron about his probably-not-entirely-inaccurate predictions for the upcoming non-waiver trade deadline.
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s new job at The Ringer, a distressing Jose Altuve video, and Clayton Kershaw, then answer listener emails about dugout pranks, contracts and the Hall of Fame, tattoos of players, how to manage managers, and more.
Ben and Sam talk to BP’s Ben Carsley about the Drew Pomeranz trade, David Price and David Ortiz, the Bogaerts/Betts debate, and the impact of Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington on Boston’s 2016 team.
Ben and Sam banter about box scores and the All-Star Game, then answer listener emails about alien abductions, odd career arcs, Clayton Kershaw, and being above or below .500.
Ben and Sam banter about Sam’s move, the Waxahachie Swap, and Ryan Webb and Matt Albers, then discuss how much several contenders should be willing to trade to improve their playoff odds.
Ben and Sam banter about their All-Star selection philosophies, then answer listener emails about the DH, the trade deadline, hidden knuckleball benefits, the virtues of tanking, and more.
Ben talks to Joe Sheehan about the AL East, wrapping up a five-episode series on the state of each division as the regular season’s midpoint approaches.
Ben and Sam discuss their fatalistic feelings concerning Noah Syndergaard, banter about fun facts and Fernando Abad, and talk about impending trade-deadline decisions for the White Sox, Yankees, and Pirates.
Ben and Sam talk to Professor Alan Nathan about the physics of knuckleballs, then talk to WFAA’s Brett Shipp about his reporting on public funding for the Rangers’ new ballpark.
Ben and Sam banter about Steven Wright and knuckleball physics, then answer listener emails about the least interesting inning, the one-baserunner leash, an all-or-nothing Ichiro, Mike Trout’s hypothetical twin and more.
Ben and Sam banter about Clayton Kershaw and clarify five-man infields, then discuss who would be on a baseball Mount Rushmore and dig through Sports Illustrated’s archives to pinpoint what makes Vin Scully so great.
Ben and Sam talk to Warren Friss, the founder of GameHedge, a new ticket vendor that promises to issue 50 percent refunds when the home team loses by five or more runs.
Ben and Sam discuss the Diamondbacks’ bench (literally), Johnny Cueto’s varied deliveries, Zack Cozart’s incredible power, the demise of David Wright, Ichiro and Rose, and Kershaw’s unjust walks.
Ben and Sam banter about Dodgers injuries, home run derbies, and the new TV show Braindead, and answer listener emails about intimidation tactics, scouting trade targets, baseball’s best commercial breaks, and more.
Ben and Sam banter about a wide range of topics, including Ray Searage and the struggling Pirates pitching staff; the pitcher home run derby; rehabilitating Ben Cherington; the amazing Matt Shoemaker; Clayton Kershaw; crowd chants, and a bad fun fact.
Ben and Sam do an all-banter episode about the standings through the first 40 percent of the season, Yordano Ventura’s suspension, and the unchanging closer role.
Ben, Sam and FanGraphs writer August Fagerstrom banter about the allure of Kelly Johnson and the Indians’ plan for winning without Michael Brantley, then talk about big league candidates for untried defensive alignments.
Ben and Sam banter about the brawl between the Orioles and Royals, then answer listener emails about Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester, beating the shift, and how bad they would be at calling balls and strikes.
Ben and Sam talk to ESPN Stats & Info’s Mark Simon about fun-fact philosophies, David Wright, Daniel Murphy, and other notable players, and his new book, The Yankees Index.
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers’ double and a Stompers success, then discuss the privacy/performance implications of new tracking technology employed by big league teams.
Ben and Sam banter about old business, then answer listener emails about deceptive defenders, gold chains, nature vs. nurture, strikeout records and more.
Ben and Sam talk to Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough about the arrival of Julio Urias, the struggles of Yasiel Puig, the excellence of Clayton Kershaw and, reluctantly…politics?
Ben, Sam, and listener Corey McMahon plug the Saberseminar, then answer listener emails about automated strike zones, Jackie Bradley, Mike Trout, Bill Wambsganss, Willians Astudillo and more.
Ben and Sam banter about burning clubhouse belongings and banning intentional balls, then discuss the shaky starts to the season by Matt Harvey, Sonny Gray, and Dallas Keuchel.
Ben and Sam talk to former Sonoma Stomper (and The Only Rule Is It Has to Work character) Santos Saldivar, a pitcher they discovered on a spreadsheet last summer who was just signed by the Brewers. (No book spoilers.)
Ben and Sam talk to Tadeo Varela, sabermetric analyst for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League, about the team’s pursuit of a statistical advantage.
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about trading Mike Trout, David Ortiz’s impending retirement, analyzing scouts, judging batted balls on TV, Clayton Kershaw and more.
