{"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":"Justin Verlander's Final Chapter","slug":"justin-verlander-s-final-chapter","published_at":"2026-07-09T21:11:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652/justin-verlander-s-final-chapter","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/justin-verlanders-final-chapter","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a500a0dcc85218e9ce93f0a/media.mp3","summary":"One of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Justin Verlander, has decided to hang up his cleats. Today, Eno, Trevor, and DVR reflect on Verlander's remarkable career, where he ranks among baseball's all-time greats, and the legacy he leaves behind. Then, the guys examine why some pitchers, including Robbie Ray, are targeting the bottom of the strike zone more often and how that approach is changing their effectiveness. Later, they explore whether the data can reveal when hitters are sitting on a particular pitch. Rundown: 0:35 Justin Verlander to Retire 3:40 A Look Back at Verlander’s Career 11:27 Multiple No-Hitters: Rare Air & Near No-Nos 17:58 26 Complete Games! 19:39 The Top of the Zone is Dead! 23:41 Why Losing Part of the Zone Is a Big Deal 35:16 Return of the Sinker 41:53 Do Any Stats Reveal Hitters Sitting on Pitches? 49:35 Tipping Struggles: Looking Back at Ryan Helsley and Jesús Luzardo 52:15 Did the Blue Jays Take Away Roupp’s Best Pitch? 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.","meta_description":"One of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Justin Verlander, has decided to hang up his cleats. Today, Eno, Trevor, and DVR reflect on Verlander's re…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3913,"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/justin-verlander-s-final-chapter/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/justin-verlander-s-final-chapter.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}