Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball cover art

Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

By: The Athletic
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About this listen

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.

2025 - The Athletic
Baseball & Softball
Episodes
  • Fantasy Friday | Weekend Waiver Preview: Plenty of Messy Bullpens
    Apr 11 2026

    On this Fantasy Friday, Eno and DVR discuss the latest early-season injuries and what they mean for your roster decisions heading into the weekend. Then, the guys welcome Ottoneu’s Niv Shah for a conversation about the bullpen market, followed by the season's first installment of 'Taste of the Majors.'

    Rundown

    1:20 Corbin Carroll Slowed by Hip Injury

    2:49 Brent Rooker Leaves Game with Core Injury

    5:46 Parker Meadows Suffers Concussion & Fractured Arm

    8:32 Hunter Goodman’s Early Exit After HBP

    10:45 Jorge Polanco Slowed by Achilles Soreness

    20:32 Weekend Waiver Preview

    23:07 Bryce Elder Is Rolling but Eno Is Skeptical

    26:14 Kyle Harrison Has Made Changes

    32:47 Interest in Luis Gil & Jeffrey Springs?

    35:39 Mick Abel’s Turnaround

    37:33 Widely Available Starting Pitchers

    43:09 Niv Shah Joins the Show to Discuss Messy Bullpens

    55:55 Taste of the Majors Is Back! (L.A. & St. Louis Dog Reviews)

    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: Niv Shah

    Editor: Jason Potere

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • How Much On-Field Information is Too Much?
    Apr 10 2026

    Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss a new tool — the Pitching Pairing tool from FanGraphs Lab — as a great visualization for tunneling and a way to better understand how pitchers are attacking opposing hitters. Plus, they explore adjustments that can be made by position on the pitching rubber, which gives pitchers a way to manipulate their horizontal approach angle. Finally, they discuss a recent piece from Ben Lindbergh at The Ringer, wondering if increased on-field information for players and tactics like calling pitches from the dugout have gone too far.


    0:42 Cole Ragans Avoids Major Injury

    5:15 FanGraphs Labs’ New Pitching Pairing Tool

    11:45 Establishing the Fastball

    18:16 How Sandy Alcantara is So Effective

    25:58 Horizontal Approach Angle

    43:20 On-Field Information: How Much is Too Much?


    Related Links

    The Pitching Pairing Tool at FanGraphs Labs: https://www.fangraphs.com/lab/paired-pitches

    “A Visual Primer on Horizontal Approach Angle (HAA” by Alex Chamberlain: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-visual-primer-on-horizontal-approach-angle-haa/

    “Keep MLB Front Offices Away From the Field” by Ben Lindbergh: https://www.theringer.com/2026/03/23/mlb/keep-mlb-front-offices-off-the-field-pitch-calling-scouting-cards


    Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social

    Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Cubs, Astros Weathering Key Pitching Injuries & How to Collect Cards in a Hot Market
    Apr 8 2026

    Eno, DVR, and Jed break down how the Cubs plan to fill Cade Horton’s spot in the rotation after news of his season-ending torn UCL. They also discuss Astros ace Hunter Brown’s status following a Grade 2 shoulder strain, and later welcome baseball card enthusiast Sean Campbell to explore the ins and outs of the card collecting world.


    Rundown


    2:43 Cade Horton Out For The Year


    8:48 Hunter Brown’s Shoulder Strain


    17:25 Other News & Notes From Around MLB


    26:08 Sean Campbell’s Start In Card Collecting


    28:55 Sean’s Favorite Cards


    30:24 Card Grading


    31:42 Goals As A Collector


    35:22 Considerations For Grading


    37:11 Finding Sellers You Trust


    39:51 What To Expect In Cheaper Boxes


    42:17 Understanding Value


    48:16 Advice From An Expert


    53:34 Older Cards


    Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social


    Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social


    Follow Sean on Instagram: @roostercardsandwax


    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 & Sean Campbell


    Editor: Jason Potere


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 3 mins
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