Playing the Long Game with Stars, The Aging Curve & Delayed Breakouts

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

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 to a top-five position on Keith's updated in-season prospect list. Rundown 2:07 Charlie Condon v. Travis Bazzana 9:06 Nick Kurtz and Risk/Reward of a First Base Prospect Early 11:59 Chase Burnes v. Hagen Smith 19:01 The Increasingly Difficult Adjustment Phase for Rookie Hitters 30:35 Paul Skenes Meteoric Rise To Ace Status & Pittsburgh's Pitching Development 42:59 Does Luis Robert Jr. Make Sense for the Pirates? 52:14 Noah Schultz & James Wood Move Up the Prospect Ranks Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw 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

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-player-poll-overrated-underrated-worst-organization/ Rundown 2:27 The Others Receiving Votes for 'Best Player in Baseball' 9:45 Who Do the Players Think Is the Most Overrated Player in Baseball? 14:53 Who Called Yordan Alvarez and Juan Soto Overrated? 19:58 'Anthony Rendon Was Right -- The Season Is Too Long' 25:53 Where Do Players Want to Play, Removing a Few Variables 31:45 Organizations with Bad Reputations Among Players 39:40 Taking a Pause for the 2028 Summer Olympics? 46:34 The Impact of Analytics on Your Career Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Katie on Twitter: @katiejwoo 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 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 Locklear's Short-Term Fit in Seattle 21:15 Carlos F. Rodriguez: On Track for Tuesday Debut 28:05 Is Player Development Too Narrowly Focused in Some Organizations? 37:02 Promotions by Necessity Rather Than Desire? 41:06 Freddy Peralta's Poor Outings & Connection to Velocity Drops 44:50 Heliot Ramos Joins the Shallow League Fray 49:13 Finding Value in Max Meyer, Jake Irvin, Simeon Woods Richardson, David Peterson and JP Sears 56:53 Chas McCormick: The Healthy Drop of the Week 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 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 1:18 MLB Returns to London with Phillies-Mets 12:21 Paul Skenes v. Shohei Ohtani 18:41 The Game Plan: How We Would Pitch to Ohtani 28:11 At the Fork — The 2024 Blue Jays 32:44 It’s Not (All) Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Fault 41:37 At the Fork — The 2024 Cubs 50:31 Adding From the Inside: Cade Horton in the Second Half? 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 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 Good to Great 11:42 Cooper Criswell Remains Interesting, Brandon Pfaadt Changes The Mix 15:16 Gavin Stone's Quietly Strong Season for the Dodgers 17:54 Stuff+ Fallers From April to May 22:44 A Willingness to Trade Shōta Imanaga? 26:05 YTD Performance vs. Initial Projections (from The BAT) 34:44 Project Prospect: A.J. Blubaugh's Future Path to the Astros' Rotation 39:18 Cade Povich's Similarities to Robert Gasser 44:25 Will Joey Cantillo Earn a Second-Half Rotation Spot in Cleveland 47:23 The Early Days of Justyn-Henry Malloy & Connor Norby in the Big Leagues 52:37 José Miranda, Blaze Alexander & Enmanuel Valdez 1:00:47 Tylor Megill Underrostered in Shallow Leagues 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 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 Colton Cowser to Fallers From April to May 43:04 May Barrel Rate Risers 49:04 May Hard-Hit Rate Risers 52:04 Full-Season Projections v. Performance to Date 1:07:45 Is a Randy Arozarena Rebound On Tap? 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 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 Gets the Call 12:38 Royce Lewis' Return Bumps Edouard Julien to Triple-A 23:19 Connor Norby: Promoted by Orioles 29:08 Adam Mazur: Gets the Call to San Diego 31:42 Question of Our Times: Timing Value Drops for First-Half Stars 42:31 Which Pitchers Are You Most Worried About? 53:38 Where the Money Went: Yimi Garcia, Matt Vierling, Mark Vientos & David Hamilton 1:02:00 Reid Detmers' Long-Term Outlook 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, 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 Happening in Atlanta's Lineup? 20:27 Teams Are Pitching the Braves Differently 25:17 Can Hitters Adjust Quickly to a Change Like This? 28:25 A Closer Look at Matt Olson 34:15 Practice Swings Revealing A Hitter's Plan? 37:40 Confidence Levels in Albies, Riley, Harris, Kelenic Getting to Power Again? 42:49 When Careers Reach Pivot Points 57:20 Who Is Your Favorite MLB One-Hit Wonder? 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