<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png" alt="EWFI" width="590" height="206" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-242076" srcset="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png 590w, https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi-300x105.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" /><br /> Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens (accompanied by podcast scorekeeper <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ewstats.com" target="_blank">Chris Hanel</a>) play “College Baseball Player or Driver in a Formula 1 Support Series” (5:07), banter about an auction for Team Italy&#8217;s WBC espresso machine (10:09), explain the fourth annual preseason predictions game (19:20), and then make 10 bold predictions apiece (22:20) about baseball in 2026, to be <a href="https://www.ewstats.com/" target="_blank">voted on by listeners</a>.</p> <p><strong>Audio&nbsp;intro</strong>: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fe79WqDT_GXFX_lxicx_kPv11RE0Q1tf/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)</a>&#8221;<br /> <strong>Audio&nbsp;outro</strong>: Kite Person, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ShNIfvqdt84DII-pVYvCp32cIpVIP2V5/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;<br /> <br /> <a href="https://ewstats.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to vote on predictions</a><br /> <a href="https://effectivelywild.fandom.com/wiki/Preseason_Predictions_Game" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to preseason predictions game wiki</a><br /> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12gaIzddpZMCgbpnwwS7voPRToYBDuGOi/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Anton&#8217;s mash-up song</a><br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEAowPzDnaw" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to original song</a><br /> <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2383-how-to-call-a-collapse/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to EW Episode 2383</a><br /> <a href="https://effectivelywild.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Baumann#College_Baseball_Player_or_X" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to &#8220;College Baseball Player or&#8221; games</a><br /> <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2022/08/17/f1/formula-one-american-drivers-logan-sargeant-colton-herta" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Baumann on Herta</a><br /> <a href="https://auctions.mlb.com/2026-world-baseball-classic---home-run-celebration/isynmv1/aucd/6131691" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to espresso machine auction</a><br /> <a href="https://auctions.mlb.com/iSynApp/allAuction.action?sid=1101001&amp;rc=24&amp;fsList[0].strValue1=caf_teamname_s&amp;fsList[0].strValue2=italy" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to other Team Italy items</a><br /> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7129663/2026/03/18/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-cy-young/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ohtani Cy Young story</a><br /> <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2107-the-mascot-menu/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ohtani email episode</a><br /> <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18612895/new-york-mets-pitcher-robert-gsellman-secret-exposed" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Sam on Gsellman</a><br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>For All Mankind</em></a><br /> <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/fg/mlb" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to FG playoff odds</a><br /> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-roll-out-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-launch-pad-rcna264106" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Artemis II story</a><br /> <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/gaylord-perry-hits-home-run-just-minutes-after-neil-armstrong-moon-landing-c2433" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Perry/moon landing story</a><br /> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/neckzilla.official/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Neckzilla</a><br /> <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Frank-Schulte/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Schulte&#8217;s SABR bio</a><br /> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6520855/2025/07/28/bryce-harper-rob-manfred-mark-derosa-mlb-clubhouse-confrontation/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Manfred/Harper/DeRosa story</a><br /> <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to AO3</a><br /> <a href="https://theanalyst.com/articles/new-managers-2026-mlb-season-nine-teams" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to new managers story</a><br /> <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Team" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team WAR projections</a><br /> <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?lg=all&amp;qual=y&amp;ind=0&amp;stats=fld&amp;pos=2b&amp;sortcol=5&amp;sortdir=default&amp;startdate=&amp;enddate=&amp;month=0&amp;season1=2024&amp;season=2024" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to 2024 2B innings leaders</a><br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_franchise_postseason_droughts#Longest_current_postseason_droughts" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to active postseason droughts</a><br /> <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/war?lg=&amp;teamid=7" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to 2025 Royals WAR leaders</a><br /> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1rwsxwd/comment/ob23yol/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Garcia breakout comment</a><br /> <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=y&amp;type=8&amp;ind=1&amp;stats=sta&amp;startdate=&amp;enddate=&amp;age=43%2C56&amp;month=0&amp;season1=1871&amp;season=2025" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to old-SP leaders</a><br /> <a href="https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-7-1933-ageless-spitballer-jack-quinn-finally-runs-dry-at-50/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Quinn&#8217;s SABR bio</a><br /> <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tigers-justin-verlander-flashes-star-204138477.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Verlander outing article</a><br /> <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aw3RFaTI6mne_jV1Mu5yt2pfu4vRNXREgsXO1-cA75o/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to young, homegrown SP leaders</a><br /> <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/things-we-learned-about-pirates-starting-pitching-this-spring" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Pirates SP article</a><br /> <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/we-finally-found-a-version-of-carmen-mlodzinski-that-works/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Baumann on Mlodzinski</a><br /> <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-names-polymarket-exclusive-prediction-market-exchange-partner-and-signs-agreement-with-cftc-to-establish-iintegrity-framework" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB partnership announcement</a><br /> <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48248176/mlb-reaches-agreements-polymarket-federal-commission" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB partnership announcement info 1</a><br /> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7131682/2026/03/19/mlb-deal-polymarket-prediction-markets/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB partnership announcement info 2</a><br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQWTneirnPc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB partnership announcement info 3</a><br /> <a href="https://ewstats.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to vote on predictions (do it!)</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.patreon.com/effectivelywild" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" height="18" src="https://i.imgur.com/hT2AX6G.jpg" style="width: 18px;height: 18px" width="18" />&nbsp;<strong>Sponsor Us&nbsp;on&nbsp;Patreon</strong></a><br /> <a href="https://patreon.com/effectivelywild/gift" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" height="18" src="https://i.imgur.com/xQIHgp3.png" style="width: 18px;height: 18px" width="18" />&nbsp;<strong>Give a Gift Subscription</strong></a><br /> <strong><a href="mailto:[email protected]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="18" src="https://i.imgur.com/tNOGFnG.png" style="width: 18px;height: 18px" width="18" /></a>&nbsp;Email Us:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><br /> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/effectivelywild/" target="_blank" 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