*/ ?>

Professional

Yahoo Sports MLB: The Bandwagon

Dust off the bobbleheads and display your hat collection. It’s time to hop on The Bandwagon. Join Yahoo Sports’ Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer for a weekly conversation about the rapidly evolving world of baseball. From the bullpen to the front office, Hannah delivers perspectives from inside MLB organizations, and Zach goes full moneyball to provide the analytics angle as they critically dissect the stories and topics guiding baseball each week. Closing out each show, they hop on a new bandwagon and tell you the team or player for whom you should abandon your hometown allegiance and become the ultimate fair-weather fan.

Latest Episodes:

2023 World Series recap: Texas defeats Arizona 4-1 in Rangers' first title Nov 02, 2023

It's over! The Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night in Phoenix with a 5-0 shutout and etched their names into World Series lore.

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer report from their hotel rooms in Arizona after the jubilant and bear-soaked celebration of the Texas Rangers cementing their first World Series win in the team's history.

They chat about Game 5's epically tight pitching matchup (despite the epically not-tight final score), whether the Arizona Diamondbacks can rebound with more playoff appearances in the future, how Texas' roster-building strategy paid off and how much longer Bruce Bochy will manage the team after his mind-blowing fourth World Series win.

0:15 - Rangers defeat Diamondbacks in World Series on Wednesday night

11:45 - What's next for the D'Backs?

18:50 - What's next for the Rangers?

32:25 - Bruce Bochy's fourth and final World Series win?

38:40 - Goodbye to the 2023 season

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

2023 World Series preview: Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Oct 25, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer recap the ALCS and NLCS before previewing the World Series matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

00:00 - Banter

01:20 - SF Giant hire Bob Melvin

18:15 - ALCS Recap

37:00 - NLCS Recap

45:35 - World Series preview

62:00 - Victory lap

Hannah and Zach kick off this episode of The Bandwagon by wondering if the World Series matchup tells the narrative story of the 2023 MLB season and then they try to come up with a catchy name for the series.

Before we dive deep into the playoffs, there’s some news! San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin is about to be named San Francisco Giants manager. It’s weird! Hannah and Zach talk about why it’s happening and what it will mean for the Padres and Giants going forward.

Hannah attended all of the ALCS games in Houston and Arlington, so she does her best to recap the series that saw the Texas Rangers defeat the Houston Astros in 7 games, including a detailed breakdown of the pitch that was thrown at Adolis Garcia and everything that happened after. Was the pitch intentional? There’s a lot of evidence that says it probably was!

Meanwhile, Zach attended all of the NLCS games in Philadelphia and Phoenix, so he recaps a strange series and attempts to explain how the Arizona Diamondbacks made an adjustment and stopped what looked like a playoff juggernaut in the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hannah and Zach then preview this World Series matchup, which is filled with exciting young players but lacking in star power, and tell neutral fans which team they should probably be rooting for.

Before the episode ends, we’ve got a clip for you from a past episode of The Bandwagon, when Hannah and Zach were talking about a couple of teams that they really liked at the start of the season: The Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Postseason 2023: Phillies & Rangers up 2-0, Marlins & Kim Ng 'part ways', Red Sox can't find a GM Oct 18, 2023

The ALCS & NLCS have both completed two games and, in keeping with this postseason's apparent theme, it hasn't really been close. The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers are both up 2-0 on the Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros, respectively, and barring any major surprises, it's hard to see how they won't be facing each other in the World Series in one week's time.

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer are back to check in on these two series and take the temperature on a drama-less postseason. Before diving into the two championship series, they dive into a few news stories. First, the Miami Marlins "parting ways" with general manager Kim Ng, after she guided the team to their first postseason berth in years. They also chat about the Boston Red Sox seemingly being unable to fill their open GM role. They close out the news section rehashing Trevor May's choice words for Oakland A's owner John Fisher in which he opined, "sell the team, dude."

For the latter two thirds of the episode, Hannah & Zach look deeper in to the ALCS and NLCS. First, can the Diamondbacks stop the Phillies' bombardment of home runs? Zach also explains why some pitching decisions in Game 2 are potentially setting up Arizona for failure in Game 4.

On the ALCS side, Hannah talks about why Texas seems like the team of destiny, but also fears for Max Scherzer's first start in over a month in Wednesday night's game.

0:00 - Introduction

2:06 - Kim Ng "parts ways" with Miami Marlins

13:45 - Boston Red Sox having trouble with finding a new GM

18:35 - Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher gets slammed by retiring Trevor May

21:45 - Philadelphia Phillies up 2-0 over Arizona Diamondbacks in NLCS

36:45 - Texas Rangers up 2-0 over Houston Astros in ALCS

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Playoffs 2023: Phillies/Braves drama, ALCS preview & our favorite postseason storylines Oct 12, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer are back for another episode of The Bandwagon, recapping three of the Division Series and digging into the drama between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves after game 3.

00:00 - Introduction

00:50 - Phillies / Braves drama

14:10 - Diamondbacks sweep the Dodgers

26:20 - Rangers sweep the Orioles

35:20 - Astros defeat the Twins

43:00 - Our favorite playoff storylines

On this episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah and Zach start off by digging deep into the very silly drama between Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and Orlando Arcia of the Atlanta Braves. Why was this a big deal? And what should the Braves have done in response?

We then go series-by-series recapping the division series, starting with a surprising sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Los Angeles Dodgers. This leads to a longer conversation about teams not being accurately defined by their regular season record, especially in the case of the Dodgers, who fell apart at exactly the wrong time.

Speaking of teams that are outperforming their regular season record, the Texas Rangers swept the Baltimore Orioles! Zach has a theory as to why their bullpen is turning into less of a weakness in the postseason than it was in the regular season, and he also has an interesting comparison that might make them a bigger contender to win it all that many would think.

In the way of the Rangers is the Houston Astros, who are headed for their 7th straight ALCS after defeating a young and talented Minnesota Twins team. Just like every year, the Astros seem inevitable, but there is reason to believe that the Rangers have just as strong a chance at winning that series as the Astros do.

Finally, Hannah and Zach identify their favorite playoff storylines from the Rangers, Astros and Diamondbacks and explain which teams they’re pulling for and why.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Playoffs 2023: The best division series ever? Oct 06, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer break down the news of New York Mets GM Billy Eppler resigning before recapping what happened in the Wild Card round of the MLB Playoffs and previewing each of the four division series that start tomorrow.

00:00 - Banter

04:20 - Mets GM Billy Eppler resigns

08:30 - Wild Card round recap

18:25 - PREVIEW: Minnesota Twins vs. Houston Astros

24:45 - PREVIEW: Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles

36:50 - PREVIEW: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

45:35 - PREVIEW: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves

Yahoo Sports MLB writers Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer are back with another episode of The Bandwagon to help recap what happened in the Wild Card round of the 2023 MLB Playoffs, but first they spend some time talking about Billy Eppler’s sudden resignation from the New York Mets and speculate a little on the investigation the league is doing into him and the team.

Hannah and Zach go through each of the sweeps that happened in the Wild Card round and tell you their quick thoughts on each one, including why the Toronto Blue Jays are the new Minnesota Twins, before diving into previews for each of the four Division Series.

The Minnesota Twins actually do have a chance against the juggernaut Houston Astros, and neutral observers will likely be tuning in to see if they can pull off the upset.

The Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles are each back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but they took very different paths to get here and they are both built in very different ways. Can the Rangers keep hitting HRs when the Orioles (and Camden Yards) are built to suppress them?

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the same position the San Diego Padres were last year: Finishing 2nd in the NL West with a chance to knock off the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs. If they do it, it’ll be because the Dodgers’ pitching situation is a bit unstable. And if the Dodgers make it all the way to a World Series, there’s a chance that their ace could walk away into retirement this offseason.

Finally, the series we’ve all been waiting for. The World Series that baseball fans deserve is going to happen between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Hannah and Zach explain why this series will be so good, who neutral observers should be rooting for, and tell you which team they think is going to win (and why).

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB playoffs 2023: Previewing each Wild Card series Oct 02, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through all four of the MLB Wild Card series and tell you what the series is going to be about and which team neutral fans should be rooting for.

03:05 - SF Giants fire Gabe Kepler

08:10 - NY Mets fire Buck Showalter

18:55 - Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins

26:55 Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

38:45 Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies

46:50 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers

On this episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer break down the early managerial changes with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, one of which makes sense and the other one very much does not.

After that, Zach and Hannah go series-by-series with a preview of each matchup. Find out why Zach thinks the Blue Jays and Twins could be the most interesting and entertaining of these matchups, and find out why Hannah is about to become bulletin board material in the Miami Marlins clubhouse.

For each series, they explain what the motif will be, which team neutral observers should root for (and why), and give predictions as to which team will advance to the divisional round of the 2023 MLB Playoffs.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Acuña joins the 40-40 club, plus the wild AL West Sep 26, 2023

In the last regular season episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer talk about the NL MVP race and try to make sense of the wild AL West.

04:15 - Ronald Acuna joins 40-40 club

12:50 - AL West

15:55 - Rangers

26:40 - Mariners

33:20 - Blue Jays

For the last regular season episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah and Zach dig in on the incredible season Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. is having. Not only is he the 5th MLB player to get 40 HRs and 40 steals in the same season, he’s made his own 40-60 club and is working his way towards 40-70.

After that, they try to make sense of an AL West race that is very much still up in the air, partially because the Texas Rangers have once again caught fire. Could it be because of standout rookie OF Evan Carter?

The Seattle Mariners are currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, but they’ll have plenty of chances to get back in between now and the end of the season. Unfortunately, they haven’t been playing very well since the calendar turned to September. Could Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh be their key to finding playoff success again this season?

Finally, the Toronto Blue Jays aren’t in the AL West, but they’re fighting off teams from that division for one of the last AL Wild Card spots. How good are the Blue Jays? A better question might be how good can they be in the playoffs. Are we looking at a repeat of the 2022 Phillies?

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Astros / Brewers playoff bandwagons & Padres internal drama Sep 20, 2023

Before bandwagoning the leaders of the AL West and NL Central, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through all of the MLB news of the week, including Shohei Ohtani’s sudden disappearance and infighting between the manager and front office of the San Diego Padres.

00:55 - Shohei Ohtani to the IL

08:00 - Red Sox fire Chaim Bloom

16:00 - New Rays stadium

16:55 - Padres internal drama

40:20 - BANDWAGON: Astros

53:35 - BANDWAGON: Brewers

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer are back with another playoff preview episode of The Bandwagon, kicking off this one with the story of Shohei Ohtani’s locker being emptied before the Angels put their star pitcher/designated hitter on the injured list for the rest of the season. (NOTE: This was recorded before the confirmation that Ohtani has had a procedure done on his elbow.)

The Boston Red Sox fired Chaim Bloom for doing the exact thing that he was hired to do, which was reduce payroll and build up the team’s farm system. Zach and Hannah how much of Bloom’s fate was sealed when he traded Mookie Betts after taking the job.

The Tampa Bay Rays seem confident that they’re getting a new stadium built by 2028…in the same place where their current stadium sits, which seems like it would solve few of their issues with drawing fans to the ballpark.

The San Diego Padres are watching a very disappointing season come to a close and all of baseball is wondering where it all went wrong. Now we’re seeing articles blaming A.J. Preller and Manny Machado, while Bob Melvin wonders if he’s about to be fired. Where did it go wrong for the Padres and how can they fix it? Should they run back the same group next season?

The playoff bandwagons continue, this time with the last two potential division winners. The Houston Astros (Hannah’s bandwagon) and the Milwaukee Brewers (Zach’s bandwagon) are completely different, but both teams are headed for the postseason and both teams are loaded with interesting talent, not to mention a couple of highly-regarded managers.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Phillies / Rays playoff bandwagons & Mets hire Stearns Sep 12, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through the MLB news of the week, including a new man in charge of the New York Mets, while also previewing two more teams that are likely to be in the MLB playoffs (the Phillies & Rays).

15:00 George Kirby

25:40 BANDWAGON: Philadelphia Phillies

40:15 BANDWAGON: Tampa Bay Rays

51:40 BREAKING: Mets hire David Stearns

Before getting into the big topics of this episode, Hannah and Zach talk about visiting their childhood homes, the 90s movie Little Big League and the Brewers’ “failed” no-hitter. It’s a lot. And it leads us into a conversation about George Kirby, who has been getting crushed by former players and media alike for saying that he didn’t want to pitch the 7th inning of a recent game.

The MLB playoffs are right around the corner, which means Hannah and Zach are about halfway through previewing every single team that is going to make it to the postseason.

With the NL Central and the AL West still very much up in the air, we decided to go with the two teams most likely to get a Wild Card spot: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Phillies are a lot like Mario Kart, according to Zach, and you’ll have to listen to figure out why. They also have great vibes and a superstar player in Bryce Harper that seems very determined to get his first World Series ring.

The Rays, on the other hand, are a fun and talented team that has lost some of its star power, a lot of its good vibes and most of its great starting pitching. But Tyler Glasgow is still there!

Finally, before we wrap the podcast, Hannah and Zach react to the breaking news that the New York Mets have hired David Stearns from the Milwaukee Brewers (and formerly from the Houston Astros) as their President of Baseball Operations to oversee Billy Eppler’s front office.

Shohei Ohtani’s body double, Twins & Orioles playoff bandwagons Sep 06, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer bandwagon a couple of more playoff-bound teams, this time focusing on the Twins and Orioles, but not before they break down the news of Julio Urías’ arrest and Shohei Ohtani’s photo day body double.

00:00 Banter

06:30 Shohei Ohtani

23:30 Dodgers SP Julio Urías arrested

33:25 BANDWAGON: Minnesota Twins

49:30 BANDWAGON: Baltimore Orioles

On this episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer had to start with the two biggest stories in baseball.

First, Shohei Ohtani’s agent spoke with the media about the superstar’s torn UCL and tried his best to rebuild some of the value lost to injury on the free agent market. This led to speculation as to why Ohtani doesn’t speak to the media, but that conversation quickly gets derailed as we go through the story of Angels’ “photo day” and the team using a body double in place of Ohtani.

The other team in Los Angeles is also having a bad time, as Julio Urías was once again arrested for domestic violence and might never pitch again for the Dodgers (or in MLB, for that matter). We go through some of baseball’s history in dealing with domestic violence to help predict the future.

In our continuing preview of the 2023 MLB Playoffs, Hannah tells listeners why they should be rooting for the Minnesota Twins in the postseason. They have good pitching, as well as some really fun players that can’t seem to stay healthy. If they manage some luck on the health side, they could be dangerous in October.

Zach picked the Baltimore Orioles to bandwagon, a team that is so young and inexperienced that they don’t know how to lose. They’re doing it a bit different from other teams around the league, but history says they might just be the next Houston Astros.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

2023 MLB Playoffs Preview: Braves & Dodgers Aug 29, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through all of the news in a busy week for baseball before starting their team-by-team MLB playoffs preview with the two best teams in the National League: the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

02:00 Shohei Ohtani torn UCL

14:00 Julio Rodriguez is on a tear

26:00 GAME: Best player on a bad team

35:00 BANDWAGON: Atlanta Braves

44:00 BANDWAGON: Los Angeles Dodgers

55:30 Who would win? Braves vs. Dodgers

Hannah and Zach start off this episode of the podcast talking about Shohei Ohtani’s torn UCL, a likely 2nd Tommy John surgery, and what it all means for his future and free agency in the upcoming offseason.

They then move on to the Seattle Mariners, who have caught fire and overtaken the AL West, and young phenom Julio Rodriguez. He’s on fire right now and the M’s are now in a much better position that they were even a year ago.

Hannah came up with a game where she quizzes Zach on who the best player on some of baseball’s worst teams are. The answers are surprising but, as per usual, Zach gets most of them right.

As a way to preview the upcoming playoffs, Hannah and Zach are each bandwagoning for teams that are going to be in. The two teams with the easiest path to win their divisions right now are the Atlanta Braves, who have one of the best young players in baseball in Ronald Acuña Jr., and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who might have one even better in Mookie Betts.

After discussing the teams themselves, Hannah and Zach wonder which team would win in a playoff series (and maybe in their regular season series later this week).

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB’s biggest disappointments and surprises in 2023 Aug 22, 2023

With the MLB playoffs just weeks away, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through all 30 teams and determine if they have missed, met or exceeded expectations this season.

03:00 AL East

15:45 AL Central

27:30 AL West

37:00 NL East

47:20 NL Central

54:10 NL West

On this episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah and Zach go through all 30 MLB teams and determine if they have missed, met or exceeded expectations this season.

The New York Yankees are where we start, as we’re going from the bottom of each division up, and there is some debate over the last time they finished below a .500 record. They’re definitely going to miss the playoffs this year, which means we’ll get back to talking about them in the offseason.

The same is true for a few other disappointing teams, such as the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

There have also been a good amount of teams exceeding expectations, from teams that are expected to make the playoffs (Texas Rangers) and some that may not (Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks).

This podcast is a great primer if you’re looking to get a good look at the league before everyone gets ready for the postseason push.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Wander Franco rumors, Michael Lorenzen’s rare feat & the AL West race heats up Aug 15, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer are back with another episode of The Bandwagon, going through the MLB news of the week before going deep on the exciting AL West playoff race.

04:00 Wander Franco placed on Restricted List

09:30 Michael Lorenzen

18:30 Joey Votto has a question

27:00 Hannah’s Ballpark Game

35:00 AL West discussion

59:30 BANDWAGON: Clayton Kershaw

Hannah Keyser is in Arlington, Texas, which is not her favorite city in the world. She talks a little bit about Arlington with Zach Crizer before they discuss the allegations and rumors surrounding Tampa Bay Rays SS Wander Franco.

Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies after being traded there at the deadline and, as a result, created some of the rarest stats we’ve ever seen.

Joey Votto wants to know how good normal people think they would be if they were given the chance to stand in the box against MLB pitching, and both Hannah and Zach are amused at how bad people are at understanding the difficulty of playing Major League Baseball.

Hannah was up for a game this week and she leaned into something she’s not very good at: Ballpark names.

Hannah is on the road covering the AL West, watching the Los Angeles Angels play against the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, and so we spend a lot of time in this episode talking about the excitement at top of the division and the sadness at the bottom of it.

Zach has one specific reason why he is bandwagoning Clayton Kershaw on this episode, and it is likely something that every fan can get behind.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Baseball dysfunction vs. the VERY functional Atlanta Braves Aug 08, 2023

Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer start off by recapping a wild week in the baseball world, including the best baseball fight in years between Jose Ramirez and Tim Anderson, New York Yankees reliever Keynan Middleton speaking on the Chicago White Sox culture, and the Yankees' piling health issues that are starting to affect their ability to contend for a World Series. Later, Hannah and Zach keep things positive by discussing the most impressive team in baseball: the Atlanta Braves and break down Ronald Acuna Jr's historic season. The hosts finish things off by discussing the controversy surrounding the Baltimore Orioles ownership after they suspended their announcer Kevin Brown for some comments he made about the team on-air.

1:35 - Tim Anderson and Jose Ramirez got in one of the most notable brawls in recent memory after Ramirez claimed Anderson tagged him too hard. Hannah thinks this was less about a tag and more about bad blood brewing between players over time, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

12:15 - Yankees reliever Keynan Middleton made some interesting comments about the culture of his former team, the White Sox, claiming that players were sleeping in the bullpen. This sparks a discussion between the hosts about who is responsible for creating a "good" culture on a baseball team, and how culture-building can come from players as easily as coaches or organizations.

21:35 - Speaking of culture and the Yankees, concerns have risen about the team as Zach points out that almost all of their biggest stars are battling injuries. Given the team's lack of aggression at the trade deadline, it's hard to tell whether the Yankees truly have their sights set on a World Series this year, or if they're just trying to survive given their injuries.

38:30 - It's time to talk about the most impressive team in baseball: the Atlanta Braves. Zach quizzes Hannah about some stats from star Ronald Acuna Jr's historic season, and the duo discuss how the Braves look to be on their way to a successful postseason and another World Series appearance.

1:01:00 - The Orioles disciplined their broadcaster, Kevin Brown, after he said the team struggled against the Tampa Bay Rays in previous years. Given the full context of the situation and the respect Brown has in the baseball world, this is a horrible look for the owners, who seem to have made an "unforced error," as they now are receiving public backlash.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Trade Deadline Recap: Ohtani stays with the Angels, Mets send out Scherzer & Verlander Aug 02, 2023

Following the MLB trade deadline passing, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer get together to recap the biggest moves and talk about which teams had the best (and worst) time reshaping their rosters for the playoff push.

01:15 Los Angeles Angels

04:30 New York Mets trade Scherzer & Verlander

18:10 Texas Rangers

20:40 Houston Astros

26:55 NL West - Padres/Dodgers

41:00 Chicago Cubs

42:05 Miami Marlins

44:35 New York Yankees

51:05 Zach’s favorite deadline team

52:05 Hannah’s favorite deadline team

On this special episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah and Zach get together to talk about all of the news coming out of the MLB trade deadline.

They start off by discussing the Los Angeles Angels, who became buyers at the deadline in hopes of making the playoffs and re-signing Shohei Ohtani this offseason.

They’re opposed by the New York Mets, who decided to sell both of their top pitchers (Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander) along with some of their better position players and relief pitchers, and look poised to build a young/talented roster the same way the Dodgers have.

The Texas Rangers are going all-in, having acquired Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery to pair with closer Aroldis Chapman, but first they’ll have to hold off the Houston Astros in the AL West.

The Houston Astros are the defending champions and, while they haven’t had the strongest season so far, they’re adding Justin Verlander back to a roster that is getting healthy and starting to look an awful lot like last year’s team. (NOTE: This podcast was recorded before Framer Valdez’s no-hitter.)

The San Diego Padres decided against selling on Blake Snell and Josh Hader and instead of hoping that they can catch the Los Angeles Dodgers, who followed a disappointing offseason with a disappointing trade deadline.

The Chicago Cubs are also going for it, mostly because they went on a winning streak, and the Miami Marlins frustrated Zach by moving around deck chairs at the deadline.

The New York Yankees did a whole lot of nothing at the deadline, and they’re a team that needed to do something. Their fans are angry and the media is left scratching their collective heads.

To end the podcast, Zach and Hannah both explain which teams had their favorite collective trade deadlines and why.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Trade Deadline: Would you rather? Jul 24, 2023

The MLB trade deadline is still a little over a week away. Last week, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer talked about which teams should be buying and when. This week, they play a game of “Would you rather?” when talking about the players most likely to be traded at the deadline.

02:45 BANTER

13:05 Shohei Ohtani Stay-O-Meter

19:40 WOULD YOU RATHER: Trade Deadline edition

46:00 BANDWAGON: Bryce Harper & Noah Song

Hannah and Zach start this episode of The Bandwagon with an important conversation about Taylor Swift’s music, due to its apparent influence on Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo’s offense, and why players only seem familiar with her early albums.

They continue bouncing around MLB, talking about the Reds shopping Jonathan India, the Orioles taking 1st place in the AL East away from the Rays, and we get an update on the Shohei Ohtani Stay-O-Meter from Zach.

We thought it would be fun to play a game of “Would you rather?” to talk about some of the best players that are likely to be available at the trade deadline. For instance, would you rather trade for Blake Snell or Marcus Stroman (the two best pitchers likely to be available)? Stick around for Hannah’s theory on sabbaticals for veteran players.

Finally, after a long weekend of watching Phillies games with her dad, Hannah decided to bandwagon Bryce Harper (now playing first base!) and Noah Song, who the Phillies are still working to steal from the Red Sox.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Trade Deadline Preview: Buyers, sellers & everything in-between Jul 18, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer play a game to remember the first time Shohei Ohtani was a “free agent” in MLB and then talk about which teams should be buyers, sellers and everything in between heading into the trade deadline.

05:30 GAME: Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, the prequel

20:40 MLB Trade Deadline Preview

60:00 What do you want to happen with Shohei Ohtani?

Hannah and Zach are back with a new episode of The Bandwagon, even if Hannah is under the weather for this one.

There’s no real news that we didn’t cover in last week’s episode, so Hannah makes up a game to remember when Shohei Ohtani was picking who his first MLB team would be to see if we can learn anything that might give us a clue on where the best player in baseball might sign this offseason.

Then, instead of simply listing buyers and sellers for the upcoming trade deadline, Hannah and Zach throw most of the MLB teams in categories depending on when they should be ready to go all-in. For some teams, that’s this year. For others, maybe not for another 3-4 years.

Finally, after talking about what the Angels could (or should) do with Shohei Ohtani at the last trade deadline before he hits free agency, we each pick out what we want to happen with Ohtani for the rest of this season.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

All-Star week takeaways: Shohei Ohtani hysteria is only just getting started Jul 12, 2023

All-Star week is in the books but there was plenty of action that took place in Seattle that will have a lasting impact. Yahoo Sports MLB writers Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer recap their biggest takeaways from their trip to the Pacific northwest and what storylines from this week will shape the rest of the baseball season.

Keyser and Crizer start the pod by sharing their behind the scene observations and happenings at All-Star week before discussing the fever pitch hysteria surrounding Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency. Both believe Ohtani speculation will dominate every and all baseball conversations the rest of the season.

The two then talk about their biggest takeaways from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's press conference where he defended the current state of the pitch clock. Both believe there will be no changes to the pitch clock heading into the stretch run and postseason.

The two end the pod by discussing their conversations with older All-Star players and how the game has changed over the years with technology and analytics and why it's unfair to compare different eras of baseball.

3:13 - What people don't see at the All-Star game

5:58 - Ohtani talk dominates All-Star week (and baseball in general)

13:20 - Weird observations from the home run derby

20:00 - Rob Manfred presser reactions: Could we see longer pitch clock in postseason?

26:45 - All-Star trivia game: Who's been in more?

32:10 - We asked All-Stars how has the game changed the most in recent years

41:23 - Will we lose 'diamond in the rough' superstars with a smaller draft?

50:55 - Our Bandwagon of the week: Seattle

Trout’s broken wrist, 1st half look back & All-Star Game suggestions Jul 06, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer record just before leaving for the MLB All-Star Game festivities in Seattle and use the opportunity to look back at the first half of the season, suggest changes to the All-Star Game itself and talk about Mike Trout’s broken hamate bone.

03:20 Mike Trout’s broken hamate bone

08:30 Dodgers’ pitching staff injury woes

11:30 Hannah’s game

20:20 Swipe right teams

26:50 Swipe left teams

34:30 Missed connection teams

39:00 Worst flop team

42:30 Most visited Baseball-Reference player page

47:45 Signature stat

50:45 Manager doing the most

55:45 Second half forecast lightning round

59:10 Biggest player that will be traded

62:10 Will the World Series take place in Houston?

63:40 BANDWAGON: Changes to the All-Star Game

Hannah and Zach kick off the podcast with news, namely the broken hamate bone in the wrist of Angels’ superstar Mike Trout. Not only is this a terrible time for Trout to get injured, it once again robs us of time with both Trout and Ohtani playing together.

The Dodgers are also facing a bunch of injuries to their pitching staff, leading us to wonder if they’re in for a slide down the standings in the second half of the season.

Hannah came up with a game to test Zach’s knowledge from the first half of this MLB season, leading to a conversation on if the Rays are purposefully getting pitch clock violations.

To look back at the first half of the season, and make predictions about the second half of the season, Hannah and Zach go through a litany of categories and name the teams they’ve fallen in or out of love with, teams they haven’t watched much of and talk about a team that has completely flopped this year.

Finally, Zach has some ideas for changes to the All-Star Game and the MLB all-star process in general. Hannah disagrees with them and ends up siding with former MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Yankees miss Judge, Rays bench Franco & an Immaculate Grid Jun 27, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer tackle the MLB news of the week, including the New York Yankees struggling with Aaron Judge out, the Tampa Bay Rays benching Wander Franco and the different paths MLB teams take to contention.

00:30 Yankees struggling without Aaron Judge

06:10 Rays bench Wander Franco for being a bad teammate

11:50 Pirates likely to trade McCutchen (again)?

16:00 MLB announces game in Birmingham, AL

18:55 The “Built Different” HR Derby

23:25 Hannah’s Immaculate Grid

27:30 The baseball Rorschach test

49:10 BANDWAGON: Seattle Mariners

Hannah and Zach kick off the podcast by talking about the Yankees offense that is struggling without Aaron Judge, who hurt his toe ligament and isn’t yet able to run.

They quickly move on to Tampa Bay Rays star SS Wander Franco, who was benched for being a bad teammate and apparently still has some sort of beef with Randy Arozarena.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are rumored to once again be shopping Andrew McCutchen and Zach envisions a scenario where they use the last few years of McCutchen’s career to add talent to a team that still needs it.

MLB played a series in London, neither Zach nor Hannah watched, and announced a game next season to be played at a Negro Leagues stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. This is great news and both Hannah and Zach can’t wait to watch it (and possibly attend).

In the final installment of “Built Different”, Hannah and Zach try to imagine HR Derby contestants who are outside the box (and could maybe fix their swing with the HR Derby).

In the second half of the pod, there is a discussion about knowing when you die and how it relates to building a baseball team. Would you rather have the big swings of the Mets and Padres? Or the steady drum of a team that wins 90 games each year?

Speaking of, we’re still unsure what to make of the Seattle Mariners, and Hannah is hoping they turn it on in 2023 to make their 2022 postseason appearance mean even more.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Luis Arráez, Shohei Ohtani & the future of two-way players in MLB Jun 20, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer talk their way through Rob Manfred’s tone at press conferences, Shohei Ohtani’s free agency (and current season!), Luis Arráez’s incredible hitting season and a lot more on this episode of The Bandwagon.

02:30 Cardinals manager couldn’t find a bagel in NYC

06:00 Rob Manfred’s press conference

12:15 Does Las Vegas want an MLB team?

13:20 Built Different

19:30 Hannah’s Game

29:05 Shohei Ohtani & the future of two-way players

39:00 Ohtani’s free agency

45:00 BANDWAGON: Luis Arráez

Hannah kicks off the podcast with a new requirement for potential MLB managers. You should be able to find a bagel in NYC, and it is patently absurd that the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals couldn’t figure it out.

Rob Manfred had yet another press conference that pissed off baseball fans, so Hannah and Zach discuss his issue with tone and his lawyer-like mentality and how it is occasionally both good and bad for the sport.

Before picking the guys that were “Built Different” this week, Hannah wonders aloud if there are any actual baseball fans yearning for an MLB team to come to Las Vegas.

After Hannah’s Shohei Ohtani-inspired game, her and Zach discuss Ohtani’s season, his impending free agency, the playoff chances of the Los Angeles Angels, and the future of two-way players in MLB. They also explain why more two-way players don’t come through minor league systems and why Ohtani’s unique path was required for unique results.

Finally, Luis Arráez is having a marvelous hitting season with the Miami Marlins and Zach focused on him for this week’s bandwagon. Not only is Arráez currently hitting over .400, his era-adjusted hitting metrics are even better than that.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

A's are winning, Mets slumping & baseball ghosts with Michael Clair Jun 13, 2023

Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer discuss the latest happenings around the MLB, including Jacob DeGrom undergoing elbow surgery, the New York Mets slumping, Shohei Ohtani carrying the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics going on a winning streak. Later, they are joined by MLB.com's Michael Clair to discuss the biggest ghost stories from around the league, particularly a haunted team hotel in Milwaukee.

00:40 - Texas Rangers' Jacob DeGrom undergoes elbow surgery. DeGrom is an interesting case of what can happen when you throw at very high velocity over time. Does DeGrom deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame already, or does he have more to accomplish when he returns?

8:50 - The Mets are slumping after having lost eight of their last nine. Hannah and Zach try to determine whether the problem is a slump that the team can bounce back from, or if it's a symptom of an aging roster.

17:45 - Built Different: Zach highlights Cincinnati Reds standout Elly de la Cruz, while Hannah picks Washington Nationals prospect James Wood.

25:30 - Zach quizzes Hannah on a few of the first prospects to make it to the majors from the birth year. How many can you get right?

30:05 - MLB.com's Michael Clair joins to discuss the ghost stories swirling around the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, which has been the sight of numerous ghost sightings by MLB players and coaches staying there for road games against the Milwaukee Brewers. Michael gives detailed accounts from players and the trio discuss what to make of the reports.

46:45 - The Oakland A's are winning?? Hannah and Zach discuss how the Athletics are finally getting some wins leading up to the anticipated "reverse boycott" night against the Tampa Bay Rays, where the stadium will be packed. The hosts discuss what the reverse boycott could mean for the team and its future.

MLB’s TV plan, A-Rod’s LinkedIn, new pitch types & women’s college softball Jun 06, 2023

Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer go through all of the news of the day (NOTE: This podcast was recorded before the news broke about Jacob deGrom needing Tommy John surgery) before diving deep into pitch types and welcoming on Natalie Weiner to talk about the women’s college softball championship series.

00:30 Yet another A’s to Vegas update

02:45 Padres / MLB TV rights update

09:45 Aaron Judge ran through a wall

10:55 Walk-off Wild Pitch

12:55 GAME: Post-playing careers

24:00 Built Different

29:30 Pitch Types

45:00 BANDWAGON: Women’s College Softball

Hannah and Zach are back with another fun episode of The Bandwagon! They kick off the episode with an update on the Oakland A’s, whose move to Las Vegas seems to once again be stalling out. This time, they talk about what they would like the A’s to do (instead of what the A’s are currently doing).

Diamond Sports Group is going bankrupt amidst a fight over streaming broadcast rights and that’s why the San Diego Padres are now being broadcasted by MLB itself. This is good news for fans that have long wanted rid of local TV blackouts and is a sign of things to come.

Aaron Judge hurt his toe running through the Dodgers Stadium outfield and the AL Central could end up being decided by a wild pitch. Hannah and Zach touch on both of those stories before moving on to this week’s game.

While thinking about what Albert Pujols is going to do now that he’s retired from baseball, Hannah came up with a game about players who had famously different post-playing careers. Let’s see how many Zach can guess!

Hannah and Zach use the new Built Different segment to call out some preseason predictions they made that are both going well, thanks to the Diamondbacks and Rangers.

Zach has been studying pitch types, new and old, and learning everything there is to know. He gives us a peek into that very interesting topic before we welcome Natalie Weiner onto the show to preview the women’s college softball championship series between Oklahoma and Florida State.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

MLB Post-Memorial Day check-in: Are the Rangers ready to dethrone the Astros? May 30, 2023

Some say you can't even think about MLB standings till after Memorial Day weekend. With that benchmark behind us, it's finally time to determine what's real and not so real so far this baseball season.

On this week's Bandwagon, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer begin the pod discussing if base stealing has gotten out of control with the new rules and which mid-season returns could have the biggest impact on contending clubs.

The two then play a game of 'real or not real' on some of the biggest storylines that have developed so far this season. Keyser believes this may be the wildest and most tightly packed NL Wild Card race we've ever seen. Crizer believes the Texas Rangers are ready to dethrone the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Keyser ends by imploring managers to challenge close plays more than they're currently doing and calls out two underperforming teams in the process.

3:02 - Why the Rays-Dodgers series displayed baseball's stolen base silliness

16:14 - The Reds might have the next superstar on their hands

18:40 - Chicago White Sox's Liam Hendricks makes inspirational return

27:29 - Trivia game: Atlanta Braves Michael Soroka has been out for HOW LONG?!

34:49 - Post-Memorial day: What's real, what's not so far this MLB season?

36:45 - Real or not real: The Nationals batters leading the league in strikeout rate

43:25 - Real or not real: Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez becoming an ace*

47:24 - Real or not real: The NL Wild Card race being a logjam of mediocrity

55:23 - Real or not real: The Rangers being a threat to Astros in AL West

1:00:58 - Bandwagon: Managers need to be challenging close calls way more than they are

*Podcast recording took place prior to Rodriguez's injury update

Padres slumping, Cards’ cheeseburger phone & chatting with Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder May 23, 2023

Hannah and Zach are back with more baseball fun and games, as well as a long conversation with Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder about the frequency of pitcher injuries in today’s MLB.

01:20 Cardinals cheeseburger phone

06:50 The Padres are bad

15:00 Andrew McCutchen wants more rule changes

20:50 Hannah’s Game: Walk-up music

35:51 Tampa Bay Rays Pitching Coach Kyle Snyder

66:51 Bandwagon: Ronald Acuña Jr.

This week’s Bandwagon kicks off the best way possible: With a long conversation about the St. Louis Cardinals finding a cheeseburger phone and turning their season around in the process.

Zach argues that the San Diego Padres, the biggest disappointment in MLB as of right now, could use a cheeseburger phone of their own. Or maybe they are just lacking the depth needed to compete after making so many big trades the last few years.

Andrew McCutchen proposed another rule change, while MLB is considering rule changes, but Hannah and Zach are pretty sure they know what his motivation is for this one.

Hannah came up with a fun game about the walk-up music players use for their at-bats and coming out to pitch, and Zach learns that MLB players tell you a lot about themselves with the music that they pick.

Before Zach gets to his bandwagon of the week, this one highlighted by Ronald Acuña Jr. stealing a base after a walk, Hannah sits down for a long conversation with Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder to talk about how he got into coaching and how he balances trying to get the most from his pitchers with the likelihood of them injuring themselves.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Aaron Judge’s side-eye, AL East supremacy & bandwagoning Zac Gallen May 16, 2023

Hannah and Zach go through the news of the day, including Aaron Judge looking sideways during an at-bat and causing controversy in the process, before playing a game and then discussing how great the entire AL East has been so far this season.

01:30 Aaron Judge’s side-eye

14:05 Wilson Contreras is catching again

14:20 A’s buy (other) land in Las Vegas

16:45 ZACH’S GAME: Non-Shortstops that have played shortstop

25:40 AL East supremacy

30:15 Baltimore Orioles’ Bird Bath Splash Zone

37:00 Is it too easy to win the AL Central?

41:00 AL East predictions

44:35 BANDWAGON: Zac Gallen

49:30 What we’re watching this weekend

Hannah and Zach kick off the podcast by addressing the storm that Hannah walked into last night when she posted a gif of Aaron Judge looking out the side of his eye during an at-bat that ended in the HR. Was it cheating? What was he doing?

They quickly skip over the news of Wilson Contreras moving back to catcher and mostly dismiss the news about the Oakland A’s purchasing yet another plot of land in Las Vegas that could potentially be their future home.

Zach is intrigued by Mookie Betts playing SS for the Los Angeles Dodgers, so he quizzes Hannah on some famous non-shortstops that have played the position in the majors.

The AL East is really good. There’s an argument that the entire division is better than even the best team in the AL Central. As such, Hannah and Zach try to talk their way through the division but get distracted by “Mr. Splash” and the Baltimore Orioles’ Bird Bath Splash Zone.

Finally, Hannah’s bandwagon this week hits close to home. South Jersey’s own Zac Gallen has been bandwagoning himself, and is even better this season after being great last year, so Hannah is jumping on board and hoping that this is another Sandy Alcantara-like season in the works.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Contreras vs. Cardinals, Juan Soto’s trip to the pet store & Craig Goldstein defends umpires May 09, 2023

This week on the Bandwagon, Hannah and Zach try and figure out how Juan Soto ended up in a Petco for his calendar shoot, explore the already tumultuous relationship between Willson Contreras and the Cardinals, and chat with Craig Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus about appreciating umpires.

00:40 Juan Soto & the fish tank

06:11 Cardinals-Wilson Contreras situation

20:00 GAME: Actually Angels or Tungsten Arm O’Doyle?

27:15 New MLB Rules / State of Play

43:15 BANDWAGON: Umpire! (feat. Craig Goldstein)

This week’s Bandwagon starts with a bang, with Hannah and Zach going deep to try and figure out how Juan Soto ended up getting his picture taken in a Petco near a fish tank for his “Padres Puppies Calendar”.

They then discuss the news of the week, which is the St. Louis Cardinals moving newly-acquired catcher Willson Contreras to the outfield and then deciding they’d rather teach him how to play catcher instead. It’s all very weird and is another bad look for the Cardinals in the midst of a bad season.

It was Hannah’s turn to come up with a game and she showed up with “Actually Angels or Tungsten Arm O’Doyle?” This game is meant to show off Zach’s memory and also the greatness of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout (while the Los Angeles Angels struggle to win games).

A little more than a month into the regular season, Hannah and Zach look into the numbers to see if the new rules have had a huge impact on MLB and what that impact might be. Stick around for Hannah’s own ideas for new MLB rules, they’re very outside-the-box.

Finally, Baseball Prospectus Editor-in-Chief Craig Goldstein joins the show and bandwagons for umpires. Yes, baseball’s cops. Craig says they’re better than they get credit for and that we should be empowering them instead of tearing them down. It’s a controversial take, but one with some merit.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Josh Gondelman hates the Yankees, Max Scherzer hates the rain & MLB’s sticky situation May 03, 2023

Hannah and Zach talk about Bryce Harper’s very quick return to baseball after Tommy John surgery, Max Scherzer waiting for the rain to return from suspension, and baseball’s issue with sticky stuff before chatting with writer and comedian Josh Gondelman.

01:00 Bryce Harper’s return

09:30 Jacob deGrom to the IL

13:30 The near no-hitter that nobody saw

14:10 Aaron Judge to the IL

16:20 ZACH’S GAME: Scherzer & Verlander’s award-winning teammates

25:15 MLB’s sticky stuff enforcement

45:00 Josh Gondelman on the Red Sox / Yankees rivalry

56:30 BANDWAGON: Unionizing Baseball

The Bandwagon podcast starts off with Hannah and Zach talking about Bryce Harper returning to the Philadelphia Phillies just 160 days after Tommy John surgery, setting a new MLB record, and discuss how his legacy has changed over the course of his career.

They also discuss Jacob deGrom’s trip to the IL and how he reminds them of Punxsutawney Phil (yes, the groundhog) before discussing Aaron Judge’s injury and the New York Yankees’ faulty roster construction.

Zach is enamored with just how many Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have had as teammates, so he made a game out of it and Hannah has to try and weed out the fake ones from the real ones.

Speaking of Max Scherzer, he’s still serving a suspension for using “sticky stuff” to help him pitch. It’s a sticky issue and one with no obvious solution, so Hannah and Zach try their best to talk through the situation and what MLB is trying to do to solve for it.

Writer and comedian Josh Gondelman joins the podcast to talk about loving the Boston Red Sox, hating the New York Yankees and the importance of unionizing for minor-league players and (maybe) MLB front offices.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

The (Las Vegas?) A’s, promising young Pirates & Orioles’ team celebrations Apr 26, 2023

00:45 - Pirates extend OF Bryan Reynolds

11:00 - Drew Smyly lost his perfect game after being tackled by his catcher

14:20 - Sticky stuff! Max Scherzer & David Cone

20:30 - HANNAH’S GAME: The 1st month of the MLB season

28:20 - DISCUSSION: The Oakland A’s buy land in Las Vegas

48:30 - BANDWAGON: Baltimore Orioles’ team celebrations

Hannah and Zach talk their way through some (surprisingly) good news for a Pittsburgh Pirates team that is seeing results from building a young core of solid players and extending them before catching up on Drew Smyly’s lost perfect game and the stickiness of rosin (as demonstrated by David Cone).

After the news, Hannah has come up with a game to show that April results are both valuable and not valuable at all. Zach is surprisingly good at it.

Dan Moore, who has recently written about the Oakland A’s pursuit of a stadium (both in the Bay Area and now in Las Vegas), joins the show and talks about the long journey it has been for fans of the team and where they might actually end up playing (long-term and short-term).

Finally, Zach decided this week to bandwagon the very fun team celebrations that the Baltimore Orioles have displayed this season. First, there was the “dong bong”. Now, they have unveiled “the sprinkler” for guys hitting doubles with men on base. This is wildly entertaining, every team should do it, and it’s just one more reason to watch the young Orioles team.

Referenced in this episode:

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Tatis Jr. set to return, the Rays’ winning streak is over & a possum in Oakland Apr 18, 2023

02:45 - Fernando Tatis Jr. set to return

07:00 - Juan Soto and the Padres lineup order

16:00 - Oakland’s possum & MLB animals

26:50 - The Rays winning streak is over (but did it mean anything?)

53:40 - Bandwagon: Toronto Blue Jays

67:10 - Mets, Angels calling up top prospects

Several players will be joining MLB teams in the coming week, including Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. and a couple of top prospects for the Mets and Angels. Hannah and Zach talk their way through that news while also spending quite a bit of time talking about MLB animals (thanks to the possum living in the A’s ballpark), the no-longer-streaking Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays, who have a very bright future ahead.

The Padres’ big spending explained, Oneil Cruz’s broken ankle & James Outman’s pet rock Apr 11, 2023

The show kicks off with a conversation about artificial intelligence and the pope’s clothes, as many baseball podcasts do, before Hannah and Zach turn their attention to the momentarily-fun Pittsburgh Pirates who are now less fun following Oneil Cruz’s broken ankle.

Hannah and Zach then discuss Cardinals OF Tyler O’Neill getting called out by his manager for not hustling, wondering if that was a good or bad piece of managing and what comes next for the crowded St. Louis outfield.

This week, Hannah came up with a game regarding news stories we were discussing a year ago to see if they were impactful enough for Zach to remember them a year later.

The bulk of the episode centers around the San Diego Padres, who went from 27th in payroll to 3rd and are the talk around baseball. What should their expectations be? How long can they keep this up? Will it change how other small and mid-market teams think of their own spending? And why don’t billionaires spend more money on fun things?

We close the episode by skipping over the “dong bong” and talking about Dodgers rookie OF James Outman and his pet rock, Rocka.

Stories referenced in this episode:

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

New rules = more stolen bases, Rendon’s suspension & bandwagoning the (Devil) Rays Apr 04, 2023

Hannah and Zach are back with their first episode since the start of the baseball season, leading to a fun conversation at the beginning of the episode about what each of them did for MLB Opening Day this year.

About a week into the season, they agree that the new rules have been a success in terms of speeding up the game and creating more small-ball. Specifically, teams are attempting steals at rates we haven’t seen in over a decade and succeeding at rates we haven’t seen since even longer ago. That’s good! Right?

Zach comes up with a fun game before he and Hannah discuss Anthony Rendon confronting a fan in Oakland and getting suspended as a result.

Before bandwagoning the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays, Hannah and Zach dive into the story of MLB pitchers being told to throw the first pitch of each at-bat right down the middle of the strike zone, explaining why it is probably a good idea and if we can expect more widespread adoption from the rest of the league.

00:30 what did you do for opening day?

04:20 A lot of stolen bases!

12:20 Zach’s Game: Did this happen in an Orioles/Rangers game?

19:50 Do We Care? Anthony Rendon fights a fan

24:15 We Were Wondering: Throwing pitches down the middle

43:00 The Bandwagon: Tampa Bay Rays

Links to stories mentioned in this episode:

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

2023 MLB Season Preview: World Series matchups we want to see Mar 28, 2023

The podcast kicks off with Hannah and Zach closing the book on spring training and telling some of their favorite stories that they never got to write about, including one possible advantage for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also discuss the secret videos of prospects being told that they’ve made the opening day roster and why they like them so much.

While picking World Series matchups, Hannah goes with Mariners/Padres in the “every outcome is a good outcome” series and Zach picks a sequel to the Yankees/Mets Subway Series because baseball is more fun with a villain (or two) to root against.

Finally, they both bandwagon for some old pitchers in the upcoming season. Zach is watching and rooting for the future HOF pitchers that we’ll get to watch this year (Kershaw, Verlander, Scherzer, Greinke) while Hannah has her eyes set on Johnny Cueto of the Miami Marlins.

00:45 Closing the book on Spring Training

04:30 Secret videos of prospects finding out they made the team

15:25 World Series matchups that we want to see

36:00 Bandwagon: HOF Pitchers

44:40 Bandwagon: Johnny Cueto

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

WBC injuries, an AL West race & the 2023 MLB Narratives Draft Mar 21, 2023

For the very first episode of The Bandwagon, Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer get together to talk a little bit about the World Baseball Classic (mostly about the injuries to Edwin Diaz and José Altuve) before drafting their favorite narratives that they’d love to see during the 2023 MLB season. Finally, each one of them “bandwagons” for something new heading into the season.

The Bandwagon premieres Tuesday, March 21st Mar 07, 2023

Subscribe now to hear The Bandwagon on Tuesday, March 21st.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Yahoo Sports MLB: The Bandwagon

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected