Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

As America celebrates its birthday, fantasy managers are getting ready for the second half of the baseball season. This week, Eno and DVR take a closer look at what's behind Paul Skenes' recent struggles, and whether his declining fastball velocity helps explain the dip in results. Then, they size up several players around the league to determine who could be worth targeting in a trade. Plus, they wrap up the show by highlighting the best waiver-wire pickups on both the hitting and pitching sides ahead of the holiday weekend.
Rundown:
2:52 Concerns About Paul Skenes
14:40 Trade Activity Picking Up in Second Half
20:40 Which Lagging Bats Should Be Targets?
24:30 Younger Position Players to Trade For
29:02 First-Rounder Challenge Trade - Gunnar Henderson vs. Paul Skenes?
31:36 Plate Discipline Forward Targets
32:41 Pitchers to Deal For: Leaning on ERA-SIERA?
41:25 Is Drew Rasmussen Underrated in Long-Term Leagues?
43:27 Weekend Waiver Targets: Pitchers of Interest
54:47 Weekend Waiver Targets: Looking for Hitters Back After the Break?
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
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Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the weather warms up, the guys are bringing the heat to some intriguing pitching storylines. Eno, Trevor, and DVR examine Tatsuya Imai's inconsistencies and Jake Bennett's promising start to his career. They also explore why Bryan Woo has been so much more effective at home than on the road, whether Brandon Woodruff can continue to thrive with a diminished fastball, and how pitchers can still succeed even without high velocity.
Rundown:
0:58 Brent Rooker’s Season is Over
6:16 Corey Seager Returns to IL
9:15 Ryan Helsley Injured
11:26 Tatsuya Imai: Extreme Command Fluctuations Continue
14:27 Jake Bennett: Seizing Opportunity in Boston
23:57 Is Regression on the Horizon for Jake Bennett?
26:08 Have Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers Found Something?
41:35 Bryan Woo: What Is Driving Road Struggles?
52:30 What Drives Pitchers’ Success When They Lack Top Velo?
1:03:02 Brandon Woodruff: It’s Extremely Difficult to Adjust This Well
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.bsky.social
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
With: Trevor May
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time for a tour around the National League, where every division has its own storylines taking shape. Eno, Jed, and DVR begin in the NL West, where the Dodgers have opened up a sizable lead. They discuss whether the Padres can still make a push, what needs to happen for the Diamondbacks' offense to get going, and where the Giants and Rockies go from here. From there, they head to "America’s Division," the NL Central, where the Brewers and Cubs are battling for the top spot while the Cardinals and Pirates remain in the postseason mix. Finally, they wrap up in the NL East, where the Phillies are gaining ground on the Braves and tightening the division race.
Rundown:
0:45 Jed The Banana
4:28 MLB Baseballs’ Manufacturing Error
6:52 The 2026 Dodgers: The Machine is Working
16:05 The Padres’ League-Worst Offense
25:12 Can the D-backs’ Outhit Pitching Woes?
30:46 Giants Falling to Sellers?
31:46 Rockies Taking Steps Forward
34:37 Should Brewers Go Big with Upgrades?
39:10 Can the Cubs Find Enough Pitching?
44:24 Cardinals Have 34.2% Chance of Reaching Playoffs
48:37 Is Pirates’ Biggest Need a Top-End Reliever?
51:05 Check In on Your Cincinnati Friends
57:25 Philly Closes Gap on Atlanta to 2.5 Games
1:00:28 Phillies Climbing: Where Will They Upgrade?
1:06:02 The Marlins Need Bats: A Sneaky-Good Mid-Pack Team?
1:11:55 The Nats Need Pitching: An Intriguing Deadline on Tap?
1:13:47 Mets Owner Steve Cohen Says Stearns is Safe
Eno’s Article on MLB Baseballs: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7410468/
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
With: Jed Lowrie
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baseballs started flying in June -- and it wasn't simply warmer weather -- it might be a manufacturing error! Eno and DVR explain why changes in drag on the baseball have a significant impact on home runs, and how Major League Baseball's revelation of a manufacturing error may provide some clues as to why we have seen so much variation in how the ball has played throughout the first half of the season. With drag recently returning to the same levels we saw in 2019, they wonder if we're going to see a massive uptick in home runs throughout the second half.

Story from Eno Sarris & Evan Drellich 'MLB sees no link between factory defect and liveliest baseball since year of the homer in ‘19'
Gift Link: https://theathletic.lnk.to/TA26Ball

Rundown
0:17 Breaking News: MLB Reveals Manufacturing Error with Ball
1:44 A Sudden Change: Drag Significantly Dropped in Recent Weeks
6:40 Don’t Forget 2019 When 6,776 Home Runs Were Hit
9:19 Hitters and Pitchers Notice and React to Ball Changes
12:20 Will Barrels Recover?

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time to take a tour around the American League, and there’s plenty to unpack. Eno, Britt, and DVR begin in the AL East, where the Rays have surged into first place as the Yankees try to stay afloat without their captain, Aaron Judge. From there, they head to the AL Central to break down the surprising White Sox, the steady Guardians, and the disappointing Tigers. Finally, they wrap up in the AL West, where the Rangers sit atop the division and the Astros are left trying to prove they still have one more run in them.
Rundown:
1:35 Atop the AL East: The Rays Are Holding On, For Now!
6:09 The Yankees Weathering the Storm Without Aaron Judge
9:54 Jays, O’s & Red Sox Scrambling to Make Up Ground
12:25 A Case for the Blue Jays to Continue Buying
17:22 Most Likely to Rally: Blue Jays, Orioles, or Red Sox?
21:15 Key Injuries for Boston
22:15 Cleveland Pitching, Again
27:43 Can White Sox Build On a Surprising Start?
32:16 Eno’s Bold Prediction on the Tigers
38:23 The Twins Aren’t Bad: But Are They Stuck in the Middle?
46:04 What If Wyatt Langford & Corey Seager Get Healthy?
50:06 Does Anyone Still Like Houston?
59:59 Future Autopsies: 2026 Royals and 2026 Angels
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Britt on Bluesky: @brittghiroli.bsky.social
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
With: Britt Ghiroli
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.