Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Pat Murphy joins Starkville! This week, Jayson and Doug sit down with the Brewers manager to talk about Milwaukee’s home run philosophy, the team’s secret sauce for October, navigating tough roster conversations, and his unique leadership style. Murphy also discusses Jacob Misiorowski’s rapid ascendance, the impact a Brewers championship could have beyond Milwaukee, and why mentoring players is one of the best parts of the job. Plus, Jayson and Doug debate the American League LVPs, including Cal Raleigh and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and make the case for what makes a true “winner” in baseball. And in Strange But True, the Brewers clinch the division in a particularly Brewer way. Rundown: 0:00 Today’s Lineup 00:48 Welcome to Starkville 07:31 LVP Awards 14:18 UP NEXT 14:22 Pat Murphy 15:13 Maintaining Pitching Continuity 17:35 Brewers and Home Runs 20:29 Winning In October 24:40 Tough Conversations 26:16 Leadership Style 27:33 Not Satisfied Yet 29:41 “No One Believes in Us” Tactic 32:54 Jacob Misiorowski’s Ascendance 38:41 Impact Outside of Milwaukee? 41:09 Passion for Mentorship 45:36 Pocket Pancakes 46:58 UP NEXT 47:07 Strange But True Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social Follow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.social E-mail: [email protected] Starkville Hotline: (347) 313-8371 Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville With: Tony Gwynn Jr. & Mark Grant Producer: Matthew Chilelli Thumbnail Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which players actually won fantasy baseball leagues in 2026? DVR and Eno look back at the biggest fantasy baseball values of the season and build their 2026 All-ROI Team — highlighting the late-round draft picks, waiver-wire additions and overlooked players who dramatically exceeded expectations. The guys also revisit their fantasy draft strategies and the lessons they’ll take into 2027. When should you prioritize floor over ceiling? Is “skills over roles” still the best way to find late-round breakouts? And can this year’s success actually help us identify the next Pete Crow-Armstrong or Jacob Misiorowski? Niv Shah joins the show to examine the most profitable players in Ottoneu, including PCA’s enormous return, the difficult keeper decisions coming this offseason and whether there’s a blueprint for finding 2027’s breakout stars. Plus, it’s the final Taste the Majors review of 2026! The Philly Dog gets put to the test, and the crew has some ideas for how MLB’s ballpark hot dog series can take another step forward next season. Before Fantasy Friday begins, DVR and Eno break down the final weekend of the MLB regular season. The Phillies are still fighting to secure their playoff spot, their offense ranks near the bottom of MLB, and using Zack Wheeler on Sunday could complicate their Wild Card rotation. Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Guest: Niv Shah Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis 00:00 Intro 00:32 The Final Weekend of Fantasy Baseball 02:38 What Did DVR Learn This Fantasy Season? 04:40 Rethinking Draft-and-Hold Strategy 06:15 Can the Phillies Survive the Final Weekend? 10:13 Philadelphia’s Offense Has Been a Disaster 11:20 MLB’s Final Playoff Spots 13:50 Do You Need Home Runs to Win in October? 17:17 Fantasy Friday: The 2026 All-ROI Team 17:58 Fantasy Baseball’s Biggest Draft-Day Bargains 18:48 Waiting on Catcher Paid Off 20:50 Jordan Walker’s Massive Return 22:19 The Best Waiver-Wire & Late-Round Finds 23:01 Jake McCarthy & Carson Benge Deliver 25:37 Sal Stewart Rewards the Skills-Over-Roles Approach 26:42 Brandon Lowe & Luis García Jr. 29:09 Otto Lopez’s $26 Fantasy Season 31:28 Is Kevin McGonigle Too Expensive for 2027? 32:05 Miguel Vargas Was a League Winner 34:22 Nolan Arenado’s Forgotten Bounceback 35:38 Jake McCarthy Thrives in Colorado 38:02 Ben Rice & Other Mid-Round Wins 39:27 Randy Arozarena’s Big Season 39:59 The Biggest Out-of-Nowhere Breakouts 40:29 Liam Hicks Comes From Nowhere 43:00 Ezekiel Duran’s Breakout 46:10 Finding Deep-League Unsung Heroes 47:03 Niv Shah Joins Rates & Barrels 47:23 Ottoneu’s Most Profitable Players 50:03 Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Massive Profit 51:52 The Mason Miller Keeper Decision 53:18 Difficult Keeper Decisions for 2027 53:56 How Did PCA & Misiorowski Break Out? 58:47 Can You Find the Next PCA? 59:20 Why Fantasy Success Isn’t Always Repeatable 1:00:46 A 2027 Anthony Volpe Rebound? 1:02:50 Taste the Majors: The Philly Dog 1:03:16 What Is Actually on the Philly Dog? 1:09:26 Our Hot Dog Plea for 2027 1:13:32 Building the Ultimate Ballpark Hot Dog 1:14:25 Farewell to Taste the Majors #FantasyBaseball #MLB #Baseball #FantasyBaseball2027 #RatesAndBarrels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Colorado Rockies are headed toward a fourth consecutive 100-loss season — but for the first time in a while, there are signs that the organization may actually be moving in the right direction. DVR, Eno Sarris and Trevor May close the tab on the 2026 Rockies and examine Colorado's emerging roster-building philosophy. The Rockies dramatically reduced their hitters' strikeout rate, added more contact-oriented bats and began changing how their pitchers attack hitters at Coors Field. But what would an organization truly built to exploit baseball's most unusual environment look like? Trevor uses his experience pitching at Coors to explain which traits could actually work at altitude, while Eno digs into pitch design and whether velocity, gyro sliders, splitters and different types of changeups could provide Colorado with a sustainable pitching strategy. Before that, it's time to close the tab on the Miami Marlins. Miami could finish with a positive run differential for the first time in a full season since 2010, while players such as Otto Lopez have emerged from an extremely inexpensive roster. But does Miami have enough impact talent to take the next step? Plus, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is facing criticism over comments about his massive Blue Jays contract following a disappointing 2026 season. The guys discuss what Vlad meant, the timing of his comments, his injuries and why baseball's salary structure makes the situation more complicated than the reaction suggests. 00:00 Vlad Jr., Marlins & Rockies 00:38 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Faces Criticism 01:33 Did Vlad Jr.’s Comments Go Too Far? 07:52 Comparing Vlad Jr. to Miguel Cabrera 08:38 Did Injuries Derail Vlad’s Season? 10:55 Why Aren’t the Reds the Brewers? 11:34 Is Reds Ownership Part of the Problem? 17:37 Why Some Small-Market Teams Keep Falling Behind 20:41 Marlins Preview 21:22 Closing the Tab: Miami Marlins 21:44 Are the Marlins Better Than Their Record? 22:46 Miami’s Offense Is Finally Improving 26:30 What Is the Marlins’ Identity? 31:13 Could Miami Use Starters Out of the Bullpen? 32:18 Injuries Hit the Marlins’ Pitching Prospects 33:03 Otto Lopez’s Breakout Season 34:27 Can Starters Really Pitch Between Starts? 38:55 Does Miami Finally Need to Spend? 41:15 Is Miami’s Farm System Good Enough? 43:51 Closing the Tab: Colorado Rockies 44:31 The Rockies Are Actually Getting Better 46:34 Colorado’s New Offensive Philosophy 46:53 Rockies Dramatically Cut Their Strikeout Rate 48:38 Colorado Is Changing Its Pitching Approach 49:24 What Actually Works at Coors Field? 53:27 Building Hitters for Coors 54:27 Colorado’s Veteran Pitching Strategy 57:37 How Should the Rockies Develop Pitching? 59:41 How Do You Build a Pitcher for Coors? 1:05:08 Are the Rockies Finally Moving Forward? Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Hosts: Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris & Trevor May Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis #MLB #Baseball #Rockies #ColoradoRockies #Marlins #MiamiMarlins #BlueJays #VladimirGuerreroJr #RatesAndBarrels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pittsburgh Pirates finally fixed their offense in 2026. So why are they still watching the MLB postseason from home? DVR, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie close the tab on the Pirates after a fascinating season in Pittsburgh. The Pirates entered Wednesday fifth in MLB in runs scored after finishing dead last in 2025, while their underlying numbers suggest they may have been significantly better than their actual record. The Pirates have plenty of young pitching behind Paul Skenes. Braxton Ashcraft broke out, Jared Jones returned from Tommy John surgery and Bubba Chandler remains part of a promising rotation. But after another season outside the playoffs, is it finally time for ownership to spend aggressively around this young core? The crew examines Pittsburgh’s defensive problems, high strikeout rate, pitching development and what the Pirates need to add this offseason to finally get back to October. Then, what happened to the Kansas City Royals? Just two years removed from reaching the playoffs, Kansas City took another major step backward in 2026. Injuries to Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic exposed the lack of pitching depth, while a disastrous bullpen helped turn run prevention from one of the Royals’ biggest strengths into their biggest weakness. There are reasons for optimism around Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen, but Kansas City’s pitching numbers tell a much different story. The Royals rank near the bottom of MLB in K-BB%, Stuff+, Location+ and ERA, and their next wave of prospects may still be years away. Plus, Baseball News You Should Know: the Rays clinch the AL East, Andy Green changes course and remains manager of the Mets, Derek Falvey reportedly joins New York’s front office, weather threatens the Red Sox-Cubs weekend series, Shohei Ohtani returns to the Dodgers and Aaron Judge is expected to miss the Wild Card Series. Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Hosts: Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris & Jed Lowrie Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis #MLB #Pirates #PittsburghPirates #Royals #KansasCityRoyals #RatesAndBarrels 00:00 Intro 00:42 Baseball News You Should Know 01:54 Rays Clinch the AL East 05:18 Andy Green Stays With the Mets 10:04 Derek Falvey Reportedly Joining Mets Front Office 12:48 Could Weather Alter Red Sox-Cubs? 15:17 MLB’s Final Playoff Races 16:52 Shohei Ohtani Returns for Dodgers 18:18 Aaron Judge Expected to Miss Wild Card Series 19:12 Closing the Tab: Pittsburgh Pirates 20:03 Pirates Go From MLB’s Worst to a Top-Five Offense 20:25 Oneil Cruz & Konnor Griffin Offer Reasons for Optimism 21:11 Were the Pirates Better Than Their Record? 23:38 Pittsburgh’s Underlying Numbers Tell a Different Story 24:37 The Pirates Have a Defensive Problem 28:10 Is It Finally Time for Pittsburgh to Spend? 30:55 Can Paul Skenes Bounce Back? 32:09 Pittsburgh’s Young Rotation Has Plenty of Upside 32:55 Pirates Ownership Needs to Keep Spending 33:35 Pittsburgh Still Strikes Out Too Much 34:42 Is Pirates Pitch Development Falling Behind? 41:07 How Close Is Pittsburgh to Contending? 42:40 Closing the Tab: Kansas City Royals 43:40 Injuries Expose Kansas City’s Lack of Depth 44:26 Royals Go From Elite Run Prevention to Bottom Six 45:13 Kansas City’s Pitching Numbers Are Ugly 45:49 Reasons for Optimism in the Royals’ Lineup 46:33 The Royals Need to Invest in Pitching 47:19 Where Is Kansas City’s Future Ace? 52:05 How Does Kansas City Fix This? 52:29 Salvador Perez Is Finally Showing His Age 53:12 Royals’ Farm System Is a Major Concern 53:31 Can Kansas City Find Enough Pitching? 59:07 Royals’ Massive Home-Road Split Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What went wrong with the New York Mets in 2026? DVR, Eno and Britt Ghiroli close the tab on a massively disappointing Mets season and examine how a roster built around Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor fell out of contention — and what David Stearns needs to fix this offseason. Injuries certainly played a role, with Lindor and Soto both missing significant time, but the problems went much deeper. The crew examines Stearns’ difficult offseason, the Mets’ next managerial decision and why New York’s biggest question might not be resources — but how those resources are being allocated. Then, what happened to the Baltimore Orioles? A young core that once appeared capable of becoming one of baseball’s most dangerous offenses finished much closer to league average than expected. The numbers reveal a fascinating contradiction: Baltimore ranks first in MLB in bat speed and fourth in barrel rate, but 28th in strikeout rate and only 13th in wRC+. Britt breaks down the Orioles’ player-development philosophy, constant coaching changes and why several talented young hitters have struggled to make the adjustments necessary to consistently succeed in the majors. Plus, Baseball News You Should Know: the Red Sox remove the interim tag from Chad Tracy and give him a three-year contract, while Boston also exercises Craig Breslow’s options through 2030. River Ryan returns for Detroit, Dylan Cease avoids surgery, Trey Yesavage returns for Toronto and Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki and Robert Suarez are all on their way back. Finally, the crew looks at everything still up for grabs during the final week of the MLB regular season, including the AL Central battle between Cleveland and Chicago, the Rangers and Astros fighting for the AL West, Tampa Bay trying to clinch the AL East and the remaining National League playoff positioning. Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ 00:00 Intro 00:34 Red Sox Remove Interim Tag From Chad Tracy 01:30 How Chad Tracy Turned Boston Around 03:17 Red Sox Commit to Craig Breslow 05:12 Why Boston Is Betting on Its Leadership 08:37 River Ryan Returns for Detroit 10:37 Tigers’ Young Rotation Has Huge Upside 12:28 Dylan Cease Avoids Surgery 15:28 Trey Yesavage Returns for Toronto 17:29 Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki & Robert Suarez Return 17:48 What’s Still Up for Grabs? 21:19 MLB’s Final-Week Playoff Races 23:09 Closing the Tab: New York Mets 45:10 Closing the Tab: Baltimore Orioles 45:56 What Happened to Baltimore’s Young Core? 48:46 Britt’s Orioles Rant 49:48 Baltimore’s Revolving Door of Hitting Coaches 50:12 Are the Orioles Too Young Everywhere? 51:13 Baltimore’s Problems Go Beyond the Manager 51:50 Did the Orioles Fall in Love With Tools? 52:07 Mike Elias Begins Making Changes 53:41 The Numbers Behind Baltimore’s Offensive Problems 54:07 No. 1 in Bat Speed, No. 28 in Strikeout Rate 55:16 Did Baltimore Sacrifice Too Much Contact? 58:29 What Does the Orioles’ Offense Need? 59:55 How Baltimore Can Fix Its Lineup 1:01:33 Is the Orioles’ Development System Too Demanding? 1:03:05 Baltimore’s Rotation Still Has Questions 1:03:44 Why Has the Orioles’ Defense Regressed? 1:04:22 Orioles Add Another New Voice to Baseball Ops 1:04:54 Can Baltimore Fix This in 2027? Hosts: Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris Contributor: Britt Ghiroli Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis #MLB #Mets #Orioles #NewYorkMets #BaltimoreOrioles #RatesAndBarrels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.