Fangraphs Baseball

Episode 875 On this edition of FanGraphs Audio, I welcome senior writer Dan Szymborski back to the program. Dan and I discuss his favorite free agent signings of the offseason so far, the teams that have most altered their 2020 fortunes, and what a busy winter means for the overall health of free agency. I […]

Episode 874 On this edition of FanGraphs Audio, I welcome Craig Edwards back to the program. Craig and I discuss the Astros sign-stealing scandal and how much is too much cheating in baseball, before we turn our attention to the offseason, the free agent market, the motivations of baseball owners, and the troubling trend of […]

Episode 873 Fresh off the conclusion of the 2019 season, FanGraphs’ Lead Prospect Analyst Eric Longenhagen joins the program to discuss a few moments of potentially questionable decision-making during the World Series, some Umpiring Choices during that same Fall Classic, and our experience of robo-umps in the Arizona Fall League and a few prospects who […]

Episode 872 Ben Clemens makes an appearance to discuss the implications of reported changes to MLB’s ownership rules that would make it easier for investment funds to buy minority stakes in teams, before we shift our attention to the postseason. We contemplate the changed baseball and how it has affected our viewing experience, what we […]

Episode 871 Managing editor of The Hardball Times Rachael McDaniel joins the program to discuss some recent THT highlights, the end of Félix Hernández’s career in Seattle, and what delights and dismays us about postseason baseball. You’ll find Rachael’s recent piece on Félix here. Miriam Zuo on the Houston Astros after Hurrican Harvey. Allison McCague […]

Episode 870 FanGraphs senior writer Jay Jaffe joins the program to discuss the current potential for ties, and thus chaos, in the postseason field, Jay’s preference that the playoffs feature match ups of the game’s best rosters, and his predictions for which teams make it to October, and the World Series. We also discuss his impressions […]

Episode 869 I welcome Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann to the program to discuss his recent piece on the Cleveland Browns and football’s burgeoning analytics revolution. We discuss the insights offered by erstwhile baseball executive Paul DePodesta on the lessons he took from the rise of empirics in baseball and the mistakes from sabermetrics early […]

Episode 868 I welcome FanGraphs lead prospect writer Eric Longenhagen back to the program. We contemplate surprisingly expensive adult hobbies before Eric details his recent amateur scouting trip through various Southern California showcases, including Area Codes and the Perfect Game All-American Classic, while I share some take aways from a weekend spent at SaberSeminar. We […]

Episode 867 I welcome FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards back to the program to detail the current playoff landscape, check in on some tight (and not-so-tight) division races, and assess the October chances of Craig’s beloved St. Louis Cardinals. We also, though neither of us were aware of it at the time, engage in a series […]

Episode 866 Prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel returns to the program to discuss the recently concluded Trade Value Series. We discuss Kiley’s process for generating the list, a few players he expects to move into and out of the top 50 next year, the most difficult guys to place on this year’s iteration, and the curious […]

Episode 865 Lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen returns to the program to detail FanGraphs’ recent trip to Cleveland. We discuss his impressions of the Futures Games, as well as what he looks for at showcase events like that, before contemplating the ideal format for the All-Star Game. This host also shares an embarrassing travel story, […]

UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project, Episode 18 This is the 18th episode of a sorta weekly program co-hosted by Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel about player evaluation in all its forms. The show, which is available through the normal FanGraphs Audio feed, has a working name but barely. The show is not all prospect stuff, […]

Episode 864 Rachael McDaniel, the new managing editor of The Hardball Times, joins the program to discuss Vancouver B.C., knitting, and the Blue Jays. We also explore Rachael’s approach to editing and vision for The Hardball Times. We then spend a little time on baseball brawls and feelings, and contemplate a few recent instances of […]

Episode 863 FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe joins the program to discuss his impressions of the recently concluded MLB draft as a non-obsessive prospect observer, the trends and narratives that have most surprised and delighted him in the young season, and also, the free agent situations of Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel. Please note, this podcast […]

The boys are back with thoughts on the drafts of all 30 clubs.

UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project, Episode 16 This is the 16th episode of a sorta weekly program co-hosted by Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel about player evaluation in all its forms. The show, which is available through the normal FanGraphs Audio feed, has a working name but barely. The show is not all prospect stuff, […]

UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project, Episode 15 This is the 15th episode of a sorta weekly program co-hosted by Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel about player evaluation in all its forms. The show, which is available through the normal FanGraphs Audio feed, has a working name but barely. The show is not all prospect stuff, […]

Episode 862 Baseball Prospectus’ managing editor Craig Goldstein joins the program to discuss his new job, his cats, and then, in a far more serious turn, the state of baseball dissembling, including what teams promise, but perhaps really mean, when they prize “financial flexibility,” how we talk about the changes we’ve seen to the baseball, […]

UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project, Episode 14 This is the 14th episode of a sorta weekly program co-hosted by Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel about player evaluation in all its forms. The show, which is available through the normal FanGraphs Audio feed, has a working name but barely. The show is not all prospect stuff, […]

Episode 861 FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards joins the program to discuss various causes of potential baseball panic. For instance, ought we to panic over Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.’s slow start given the early-career performances of other former top prospects? No! Should we shift uncomfortably in our seats over Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s recent acquisition of 21 regional […]