The Ringer MLB Show

Latest Episodes:

Marly Rivera on the Lives of Latino Players (Ep. 85) Jun 22, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman potentially moving to third (01:00), then bring on ESPN's Marly Rivera to discuss the Béisbol Experience project (06:00), why baseball's native Spanish speakers still aren't covered enough (09:30), the drawbacks and benefits of Latino players' paths to the majors (16:00), how teams are trying to make it easier for Latino players to learn English and adjust to American culture and food (20:00), differences among countries in off-the-field challenges and on-the-field playing styles (23:30), leadership questions and cultural cliques in the clubhouse (26:00), why baseball players rarely talk to the media (or each other) about politics (33:30), and more.

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Baseball Biomechanics and the Secrets of Statcast (Ep. 84) Jun 19, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about balding and baseball hairstyles (01:00), then bring on Kyle Boddy, founder of data-driven training facility Driveline Baseball, to talk about how independent instructors work with teams and college programs (03:45), how Boddy is trying to turn Driveline into baseball's DARPA (12:45), myths about baseball training (16:00), the future of biomechanics in baseball (24:00), and the latest on launch angle and spin rate (26:00). Then, they ask RotoGraphs writer and xStats founder Andrew Perpetua about Statcast's improvements and limitations (32:00) and how he uses Statcast stats to assess skill and project performance (34:00). They wrap up with a brief discussion about the struggle to stay curious about baseball (50:00).

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The Michael Baumann Battle (Ep. 83) Jun 15, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about Michael's recent power rankings (01:15) and Carlos Ruiz's pitching appearance (04:00), then bring on ... Michael Baumann, a college pitcher whom the Orioles just selected with the 98th overall pick in the amateur draft (05:00). Later, Ben and Michael (the first one) play a game of "Is This Reliever Currently Good?" (19:30) and end with an Aaron Judge Minute (42:00).

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Setting the Scene for the Amateur Draft (Ep. 82) Jun 12, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to FanGraphs lead prospect writer Eric Longenhagen about why this draft class is unusual, the class's strengths and weaknesses (02:30), the prominence of two-way players (10:00), the pros and cons of potential top pick Hunter Greene (12:00), which teams have the most at stake in this draft (19:30), how the first several picks are likely to play out (26:00), how much college reputations matter for player development (35:15), the influence of analytics (37:30), which draftees are the best bets to make their major league debuts first (41:15), the draft's unpredictability (44:00), and more.

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The Uneven Easts and Noah Syndergaard (Ep. 81) Jun 08, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the AL East's historic strength (03:00) and the NL East's historic weakness (with a focus on the Phillies' stalled rebuild). They they speak to injured Mets starter Noah Syndergaard about his health (12:15), the Mets' struggles this season (15:00), his pitching approach (18:30), how he spends time in New York (27:00), and trends in home runs and strikeouts (30:00). Lastly, Ben and Michael talk about the incentives that often lead to injury for hard-throwing pitchers (34:00).

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When Albert Arrived (Ep. 80) Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about college baseball (01:00), Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen's two-way opportunity (02:00), Jon Lester's triumphant pickoff throw (03:30), and Albert Pujols's 600th career homer (08:15). They then bring on longtime Cardinals executive John Vuch to talk about Pujols's origin story as a 13th-round draft pick (11:00), his rapid ascent to the majors (25:00), and his St. Louis peak (30:00).

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The Impervious Astros and the Rebuilding Reckoning (Ep. 79) Jun 01, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter how poor pitcher hitting affects the DH debate (02:30) and Mike Trout's injury (06:00), then talk to The Crawfish Boxes managing editor Ryan Dunsmore about whether the streaking Astros have a weakness (11:15) and what they can do to distance themselves further from the field (14:15). Lastly, Ben and Michael discuss whether the success of the Astros and Cubs has overfly inflated fan expectations for rebuilding teams (38:20) and whether the current, copycat crop of rebuilders can count on such short paths to the playoffs (42:30).

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The Unfailingly Friendly Fly-Ball Debate (Ep. 78) May 29, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk to FanGraphs writer/fly-ball believer Travis Sawchik and 'FiveThirtyEight' writer/fly-ball skeptic Rob Arthur about hitters who've broken out after aiming for the air (03:00), other hitters who've declined despite elevating their batted balls (13:00), how teams are trying to teach the uppercut swing (15:00), whether the "fly-ball revolution" explains the big leagues' record home run rate (24:00), and whether pitchers can counter batters' altered approach (33:00).

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Tom Verducci on the Curveball Comeback (Ep. 77) May 25, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann start off with a quick edition of "College Baseball Player or Fictional Racing Driver" (02:30). Then they bring on Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and Fox Sports/MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci to discuss his new SI cover story about the high-tech ways in which teams are evaluating breaking balls (04:30), why the curveball is becoming more common and disrupting traditional pitch-usage patterns (06:00), how an emphasis on spin rate could affect the pitcher-batter balance (18:00), and how Verducci reports on trends that teams could consider competitive advantages (28:45).

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The Red-Hot Rangers and Dissatisfied Stanton (Ep. 76) May 22, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about a fun fact and then talk to WFAA Rangers reporter Levi Weaver about how the irrepressible Rangers have won without big contributions from their projected best players and whether they can sustain their success (06:00). Then they bring on Sun Sentinel Marlins beat writer Tim Healey to discuss Giancarlo Stanton's vocal frustration with the state of his team (27:30), how his contract affects his future (30:30), and the Marlins' depressing prospects of success (46:00).

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