Down on the Farm Podcast

Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley break down each week in Minor League Baseball, sharing the insights of the Oyster Model. Who should fantasy savants, front offices, and baseball-obsessed fans be locked in on? downonthefarm.substack.com

  1. 20h ago

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/29/26: Playoff Pitchers Playing Up, Late Callups Make Impact

    The minor leagues have finished, but our podcast continues! This week, we break down one of our first articles: an analysis of pitch sequencing, stuff, and longevity. With the all-out four- to five-inning playoff starting pitching strategy, which pitchers could benefit (or lose out) from the shortened workload? We also cover a series of late-season call-ups and assess their 2026 play, their fantasy impact, and how we project their real-life and fantasy futures. We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/29/26: Playoff Pitchers Playing Up, Late Callups Make Impact

  2. Sep 22

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/22/26: Former Angels P Ryan Smith Hops On the Pod

    This week on the Down on the Farm podcast, we’re excited to interview former Angels pitcher Ryan Smith, who plied his trade in the Angels farm system from 2016-2023. We start by talking about his late-blooming pre-professional career and how Smith grew from a low-80s tossing arm into a high-level college pitcher. We then discuss the Angels’ organizational philosophies, the tension between stuff development and strike-throwing, and how “being a dawg” never stops being important. We move to the difficulty of pitch development in the minors, and how experimentation to improve your arsenal can impact current performance, even if the new stuff could lead to better long-term results. We finish on our Oyster standard questions, including what makes the elite players elite, what Ryan would do if he were commish for a day, and Ryan’s World Series pick. We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/22/26: Former Angels P Ryan Smith Hops On the Pod

  3. Sep 15

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/15/26: Streaks Retrospective, In-Person Balance, Bounce Backs

    After the final week of the MiLB regular season, we take the time to look at our small-sample streak modeling to see who we got right, who we missed the mark on, and what our hits and misses say about our modeling strategy (NOTE: Baseball America is bearish, not bullish, on Franklin Primera’s future behind the plate; Max got his words mixed up). Then we transition to our in-person scouting implementation to supplement our research, and how we balance mechanical observations from small samples with large-sample data. We finish by talking about a pair of MLB players who rebounded from below-average starts to finish strong, and whether they’re fantasy-relevant heading into 2027. We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/15/26: Streaks Retrospective, In-Person Balance, Bounce Backs

  4. Sep 8

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/8/26: Labor Day Special! CBA Negotiations, Cap or No Cap, and is Baseball a Bubble?

    We’ve got a special episode this week, as we discuss the current and future state of the MLB CBA negotiations. We start with the main issue: the battle over ownership’s push to institute a hard salary cap in the next CBA. We discuss the rhetoric from both sides, how salary caps impact parity, and how a cap is a must-have for ownership and a must-prevent for players. We then evaluate the transparency gap between the two sides, focusing on contextualizing the asset valuation, upsides, and downsides of MLB ownership. We finish with a discussion on the potential for a “baseball bubble”: is this a reasonable concern, or are MLB teams a highly stable asset? We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/8/26: Labor Day Special! CBA Negotiations, Cap or No Cap, and is Baseball a Bubble?

  5. Sep 1

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/1/26: Montes Mania, Strong Arms in RF, Marlins’ Scouting Strategy

    This week on the Down on the Farm podcast, we begin by making the case for our #8 overall prospect, the just-promoted Lazaro Montes (SEA). While many aren’t sold on his high-power, big-whiff profile, we outline the reasons why we believe in the young slugger. Montes also has an elite-level arm, and in our second segment, we discuss the validity of putting your strongest-armed corner outfielder in right field. Is the baseball adage old-school wisdom, or misplaced attention (or is it both)? We finish by sharing our thoughts on the Marlins’ decision to fire most of their pro scouting team. What does pro scouting look like in the modern era? How has extensive video coverage changed the job? And why do the analytically forward clubs vary wildly in their “boots on the ground” scouting capacities? We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 9/1/26: Montes Mania, Strong Arms in RF, Marlins’ Scouting Strategy

  6. Aug 25

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/25/26: DSL Standouts, Regretted Deals, What’s the Deal With Fielding Grades?

    As the DSL regular season concluded last week, we start this week’s podcast by reflecting on three prospects who stood out for their balanced, five-tool teasing approaches. These guys are far from stardom, but they’ve shown enough upside to get us excited! We then move on to a discussion on the ins and outs of fielding grades. Are outlets faithful to the 20/80 scale? Are we projecting a prospect’s fielding “ceiling” or merely their “expected outcome?” And what should our biggest takeaways from fielding grades be? We finish by talking about prospect-focused trades, which recent trades have aged poorly for the prospect-trading franchise, and what current deadline deals could spur some future buyer’s remorse. We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/25/26: DSL Standouts, Regretted Deals, What’s the Deal With Fielding Grades?

  7. Aug 18

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/18/26: Back to Normalcy, Top Catchers and Fantasy Assets, Reports Revisited

    It’s back to normal on this week’s pod, as we return to the tried-and-true format. We start with a discussion on which players still in the minors could boost your fantasy championship push, and how prospect pedigree doesn’t always mean immediate production. Then we move to each of our personal top prospect catcher lists and discuss the ceilings, floors, and injury risks of the top young backstops. We close with a revision of old scouting reports, highlighting the challenges of scouting and how similar toolsets can result in different outcomes, even when we ourselves are the evaluators. We hope you enjoy. Thanks, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/18/26: Back to Normalcy, Top Catchers and Fantasy Assets, Reports Revisited

  8. Aug 11

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/11/26: Mariners Field Coordinator Jake McKinley Joins the Pod

    We’ve got a special guest on this week’s edition of the Down on the Farm Podcast, as Jake McKinley joins the pod! We start with a discussion on his playing and early coaching career, and how his previous experience prepared him for his MLB gig. We then move on to the unique nature of his Field Coordinator role, where player-coach trust, a focus on fundamentals, and a relationship-centered analytical approach are all key to positive career outcomes. We then bring things home with a conversation on smart decision-making and Jake’s “welcome to the show” moment. We hope you enjoy. Thanks to Jake for coming on the podcast, and, as always, to Laura van der Heijden for her stellar jingle work! Link to Thinking in Bets, mentioned by Jake as an inspiration for his decision-making framework. Get full access to Down on the Farm at downonthefarm.substack.com/subscribe

    Down on the Farm Podcast 8/11/26: Mariners Field Coordinator Jake McKinley Joins the Pod
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley break down each week in Minor League Baseball, sharing the insights of the Oyster Model. Who should fantasy savants, front offices, and baseball-obsessed fans be locked in on? downonthefarm.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Josh
  • Show Website
    Down on the Farm Podcast