2024 Predictions Check-In, The Rangers & Reds Reach a Fork in the Road, and Pitching to Steven Kwan

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://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5571107 13:00 Bold Predictions: Midseason Check-In 24:58 How Well Is Information Being Communicated to Players? 34:37 The Rangers at the Fork -- What Will Texas Do at the Trade Deadline? 44:11 The Reds at the Fork -- Is a 2024 Playoff Berth Still In the Works? 54:47 The Game Plan: How To Pitch to Steven Kwan Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us at 1p ET/10a PT on Wednesday, July 3rd for our next livestream! https://www.youtube.com/c/ratesbarrels Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Suárez: No. 1 SP in Player Rater for 2024 (So Far) 11:15 Accounting for Wins in a Player Rater 15:15 Adjusting Ratio Baselines for Run Environment 18:08 Which Hitter(s) Are You Targeting? 25:14 Brice Turang's Step Forward and Projecting Ceiling Comps 34:11 Which Pitcher(s) Are You Targeting? 41:35 A Case for Joe Ryan 43:55 Weekend Waiver Preview: Jhonkensy Noel & Heston Kjerstad 54:32 Weekend Waiver Preview: David Festa & Hayden Birdsong\ Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Perry Minasian Lead the Rebuild? 17:00 Fast Promotions for Zach Neto & Nolan Schanuel 21:00 Angels Prospects Nearing an Opportunity 26:11 Arte Moreno's Decision to Take the Team Off the Market 31:09 Mike Trout's Future in Anaheim 41:10 José Soriano as a Key Piece of the Core? Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Sam on Twitter: @SamBlum3 e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Max Scherzer: Picks Up Victory in Return from IL 15:02 Jesús Luzardo Likely Out 4-6 Weeks 22:36 Giancarlo Stanton's Quietly Good 2024 30:25 Which Early-Round Player(s) Are You Avoiding in Trades? FanGraphs Player Rater: https://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy-tools/player-rater  45:45 Where the Money Went 58:05 Weekend Drops Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 runners, and which pitchers battle back most often from difficult counts. Rundown 1:34 Takeaways From Thursday's Game at Rickwood Field 8:16 The 2024 MLB Run Environment 13:29 Is Talent Being Maximized More Effectively Now Than Ever Before? 21:24 Eno Is Ready to Adjust the Mound 26:58 But, What is a Reasonable Adjustment 30:52 Looking at 3-0 Counts & Pitcher Mindset 44:27 Why You Should Care About Inherited & Bequeathed Runners 55:14 Relievers Adapting to Current Stolen-Base Environment 59:00 Bob Feller's Fastball Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Away at 93 13:41 Gerrit Cole Returns From the IL 19:25 Kyle Bradish Undergoes Tommy John Surgery with Internal Brace 24:02 Max Scherzer Returning Saturday Against the Royals 30:56 Jake Bloss Getting a Call to Houston 35:42 Jordan Lawlar On Minor-League IL with Hamstring Strain 39:45 Dylan Crews Joins James Wood at Triple-A 43:15 Other Prospect News & Notes 51:47 Daniel Schneeman Getting a Look in Cleveland 56:35 Ben Rice and Other Bats to Consider 1:01:45 Tobias Myers Roster Rates on the Rise Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 surprise visit to the Brewers broadcast over the weekend.  Rundown 1:12 Pat Hoberg Disciplined by MLB for Violating Gambling Rules 10:31 Can Hoberg's Appeal Actually Change Anything? 12:50 Mid-June Parity: Love It or Leave It? 28:57 Remind Us if This is Still Happening in September 34:05 Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Quiet Move Back Toward Stardom 42:36 Jurickson Profar's Amazing 2024 46:05 Snoop Dogg Dropped by the Brewers' TV Booth Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghiroli e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Strain 24:01 Corbin Carroll Leaves with Oblique Injury 25:50 Trea Turner Returns; Is the Outfield A Possibility? 28:00 Bryan Woo's Forearm Discomfort 30:51 Tough Ranks: David Fry, David Hamilton & Addison Barger 46:57 Manny Machado & Playing Through Injuries 53:05 Where the Money Went: Saves in Seattle & Toronto, Cade Povich and DJ Herz 1:08:20 Weekend Drops of Note Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! https://www.youtube.com/c/ratesbarrels Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/rickwood-field-birmingham/ Rundown 3:52 Rickwood Field Hosting Cardinals-Giants Next Week 8:57 Where Else Should MLB Play Regular Season Games? 10:56 Trevor's Case for the Giants to Rebound Into 2024 Contention 18:33 Eno's Case for the Pirates 23:30 DVR's Case for the Reds & Attempting to Understand Andrew Abbott 38:06 How to Hit Against Luis Gil 54:54 Listener Question: Intangible Aspects of Playing 162 Games Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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...Right? 6:18 Julio Rodríguez & Dansby Swanson 10:53 The 'Don't Buy' Lows 17:32 Corbin Carroll v. CJ Abrams in the Past Calendar Year 23:26 Is MJ Melendez the Opposite of Isaac Paredes? 30:09 What's Going on with Pablo López? 34:25 FanGraphs Custom Leaderboards as Watchlists 37:15 Should the Dodgers Target a Shortstop Instead of an Outfielder 44:51 Weekend Waiver Preview 55:14 First Impressions of Drew Thorpe Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices