{"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":"The Baseball is Flying Like It's 2019 Again","slug":"the-baseball-is-flying-like-it-s-2019-again","published_at":"2026-06-22T20:49:46+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball-692652/the-baseball-is-flying-like-it-s-2019-again","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/the-baseball-is-flying-like-its-2019-again","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a39982e7f20066fec12e345/media.mp3","summary":"Don't blame us if this episode is a drag — blame baseball. Eno and DVR dig into why drag levels have climbed back to heights not seen since 2019, and what it means for hitters (and pitchers) across the league. They also break down some of baseball's most frustrating bats, identify a few buy-low pitchers worth targeting right now, and discuss the Bryce Harper-Kyle Schwarber show in Philadelphia. Plus, a look at where fantasy managers spent their money over the weekend. Rundown: 2:29 Why is Drag Suddenly Back to 2019 Levels? 7:17 Who Will Be Impacted With Less Drag on the Baseball? 14:43 Most Frustrating Hitters: Who Drives Us Crazy at the Dish? 16:54 Jackson Merrill: Overall, More Aggressive Than Anticipated 26:35 Freddy Peralta: Can He Rebound to Pre-2026 Form? 32:22 Buy-Low Pitchers 38:20 Bryce Harper & Kyle Schwarber Erupt 42:09 The Rays’ Slide: When Things Get Quiet 46:54 Where the Money Went 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 Host: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Editor: Jason Potere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Don't blame us if this episode is a drag — blame baseball. Eno and DVR dig into why drag levels have climbed back to heights not seen since 2019, and what…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3992,"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/the-baseball-is-flying-like-it-s-2019-again/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/the-baseball-is-flying-like-it-s-2019-again.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}