{"podcast":{"title":"Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball","slug":"rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652","podcast_index_feed_id":692652,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879","website_url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcasts/","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/1774225915041-25aacc15-e115-4d2e-b3fa-72decc9773cb.jpeg","author":"The Athletic","episode_count":1068,"summary":"In baseball, numbers are everywhere. But they’re not just numbers. For Derek VanRiper and Eno Sarris, they’re the keys to solving the most fun problem in sports. Every weekday, join DVR and Eno as they unpack baseball in ways you’ve never heard before, endeavoring to figure out all they can about a sport that’s constantly changing. Alongside contributors Britt Ghiroli, Trevor May and Jed Lowrie, the Rates & Barrels crew breaks down all the latest MLB news through an analytical lens, feeding your unhealthy addiction to numbers, while helping you master your fantasy baseball GM skills. But wait, there's more: come back for Saturday mornings in Starkville, where Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville talk to some of the most important players, coaches, and thought leaders in the league. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-26T10:19:52.816182+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652"},"episode":{"title":"Can You Predict the World Series Winner in Early June?","slug":"can-you-predict-the-world-series-winner-in-early-june","published_at":"2026-06-03T19:31:06+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652/can-you-predict-the-world-series-winner-in-early-june","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652","url":"https://shows.acast.com/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball/episodes/can-you-predict-the-world-series-winner-in-early-june","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a207d857eeca370806e1bae/media.mp3","summary":"It’s June 3, which means it’s time for everyone’s favorite game: Four vs. The Field! Today, Eno, Jed, and DVR debate whether the combination of baseball’s four World Series favorites will ultimately take home the trophy, or if the rest of the league is the smarter bet. Then, they discuss whether the Tigers can get revenge for last year’s late-season swoon by tracking down the Guardians in the AL Central. Later, the guys examine the best and worst users of ABS and discuss how teams are adapting to baseball’s challenge system. Rundown: 0:36 Four vs. The Field: Can You Pick the World Series Winner with Four Teams? 10:25 Banking on Buyers: Trade Deadline Opportunities to Make Strides 14:59 Projected fWAR: A Better Option Than Choosing World Series Probables? 19:04 Chasing Cleveland: Will the Tigers Turn the Tables on the Guardians? 25:38 What’s the Number? Playoff Odds Necessary for Tigers to Buy at Deadline 34:08 ABS Challenges: Who Is Doing Well, Who Is Struggling So Far? 44:42 Strategic Approaches: Is Marlins’ Catcher-Led Volume Approach Ideal? 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.","meta_description":"It’s June 3, which means it’s time for everyone’s favorite game: Four vs. The Field! Today, Eno, Jed, and DVR debate whether the combination of …","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3431,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652/episodes/can-you-predict-the-world-series-winner-in-early-june/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652/can-you-predict-the-world-series-winner-in-early-june.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}