Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

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.

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First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
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e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
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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
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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.

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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: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
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
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The Braves have clinched the NL East and the Red Sox secured a Wild Card berth in the American League as the playoff picture continues to come into focus. Eno and DVR discuss the final-week battle for playoff spots and seeds, and what they need in order to come away with fantasy baseball championships in the remaining days of the season.

Plus Chris Solomon (Soly) of 'No Laying Up' joins the show to close the tab on the 2026 Reds. Beyond a pair of arm injuries for Hunter Greene, what else has kept the Reds from making another run to October this season? Looking forward, is there enough of a core in place with Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Chase Burns, and Greene to build for the immediate future during the winter?

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Rundown
00:41 The Braves Clinch NL East: Seventh Title in Nine Years
02:13 Tyler Mahle: An Overlooked Trade Addition?
09:22 Jesús Luzardo: Plays Catch, Could Return in Bullpen Role
11:47 Alex Bregman: Day-to-Day After Getting Hit by Foul Ball
13:04 The Red Sox Clinch Wild Card: Historical Comeback From 32-46 Start
16:02 Félix Bautista: Returns After Second Lengthy Absence
17:56 Four-Team Battle for Three Remaining Spots?
21:22 AD BREAK
21:27 Where the Money Went & Final Week Needs
32:16 Coming Up: Closing the Tab, 2026 Reds w/Soly
32:20 Welcome, Soly! (Chris Solomon, No Laying Up)
32:59 Closing the Tab: A Hunter Greene Season They Couldn’t Afford
37:20 Long-Term Lineup Issue: Why Do the Reds’ Lineups Lag?
43:18 Another Brutal Trade: Mike Sirota Blossoms in LA
46:10 Time for More Changes? Is Tito Still the Right Fit in Cincinnati?
49:15 Can They Build Around and Win With Elly De La Cruz?
52:21 Beyond the Core: Flaws Up and Down
55:13 Pitching Rebounds? Can Nick Lodolo Bounce Back in 2027?
1:05:23 A Puzzling Decision: Why Did CES Get DFA’d?

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: [ratesandbarrels@gmail.com](mailto:ratesandbarrels@gmail.com)
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
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: Matthew Chilelli

#MLB #MLBPlayoffs #Reds #FantasyBaseball #RatesAndBarrels

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Tony Gwynn Jr. and Mark Grant, the voices of the San Diego Padres, join Starkville!

This week, Jayson and Doug sit down with Tony and Mark to break down how the Padres went from losing a bunch of games to becoming one of the best teams in baseball, whether San Diego fans are getting spoiled by AJ Preller’s annual wheeling and dealing, and the teams that have stood out most to them this season.

Plus, the guys discuss the Padres’ massive sale, what the new ownership group has in mind, the atmosphere at Petco Park, and why other small market teams can’t seem to replicate San Diego’s success.

Later, the guys head to Strange But True for an unbelievable minor league twist, where Hickory Crawdads teammates Brady Ebel and his brother Trey somehow combine to finish the same at bat.

Rundown:

0:00 Today’s Lineup
00:37 Welcome to Starkville
8:33 UP NEXT: TONY GWYNN JR. AND MARK GRANT
5:33 Padres - What Happened?
17:05 Are San Diego Fans Spoiled By AJ?
23:26 Stand out Teams for Mark and Tony
25:09 SD Team Sold for 3.9 Billion!
27:53 Can Other Small Markets Copy SD?
31:03 New Manager, New Process?
34:05 Mark Grant Makes Good Impression
38:39 UP NEXT: STRANGE BUT TRUE
38:47 Strange But True Trey and Brady Ebel finish the same at-bat

Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.social

E-mail: starkville@theathletic.com
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
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Which players have emerged as unexpected fantasy baseball difference-makers down the stretch? DVR and Eno look back at the biggest surprise producers of the last 30 days before digging into the final Weekend Waiver Preview of the 2026 MLB season.

First, Baseball News You Should Know covers the possibility of Garrett Crochet returning as a bullpen weapon for the Red Sox, Willson Contreras dealing with a bruised hand and the Nationals discussing a potential contract extension with Cade Cavalli. DVR and Eno examine Cavalli’s breakout, the impact of adding a cutter and what a long-term deal with Washington could look like.

Plus, Walbert Ureña continues his impressive rookie season after seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against Minnesota, Jared Young is dealing with concussion symptoms after a scary collision at first base and the latest developments surrounding Mark Walter.

The mailbag tackles Dillon Dingler’s second-half decline, how a potential delay to the 2027 MLB season could impact veteran pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler, and one of fantasy baseball’s most frustrating problems: What do you do with the player you can never seem to start at the right time?

Finally, DVR and Eno search the waiver wire for the last players who could help fantasy managers win their leagues. Ryan Johnson, Cristian Javier, Griffin Conine, Adael Amador, Jonah Cox, Henry Bolte and Victor Mesa Jr. are among the late-season options discussed — along with several players who could carry intriguing value into 2027.

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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: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
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
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

#MLB #FantasyBaseball #WaiverWire #MLBProspects #RatesAndBarrels

00:00 Intro
00:34 Baseball News You Should Know
00:59 Could Garrett Crochet Join Boston’s Bullpen?
02:24 Willson Contreras Day-to-Day With Bruised Hand
05:33 Nationals in Extension Talks With Cade Cavalli
07:14 How Cade Cavalli Changed His Arsenal
09:21 MLB’s Biggest Strikeout-Rate Risers
11:43 Walbert Ureña’s Breakout Rookie Season
14:36 Jared Young Injured in Scary Collision
15:55 Latest Developments Surrounding Mark Walter
18:10 Mailbag
18:24 What Happened to Dillon Dingler?
21:24 How Could a Delayed 2027 Season Impact Pitchers?
26:53 The Fantasy Player You Can Never Get Right
29:38 DVR’s Cam Smith Problem
32:07 How to Handle Frustrating Fantasy Players
35:17 Sage Performance Review
35:39 Surprise Hitters of the Last 30 Days
37:40 The Hottest Pitchers of the Last 30 Days
41:11 Final Weekend Waiver Preview
41:37 Late-Season Starting Pitcher Adds
47:43 Final Waiver Wire Hitters
48:04 Griffin Conine Is Getting an Extended Look
50:01 Middle Infield Waiver Options
52:28 Late-Season Outfield Adds
53:12 Is Jonah Cox a 2027 Sleeper?
54:22 Henry Bolte & Victor Mesa Jr.
56:12 Final Thoughts
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