575 episodes

Eno Sarris and Derek VanRiper discuss advanced stats and fantasy baseball strategy, prospects, and more. From the first move of the Hot Stove season to the final pitch of the World Series, join us for year-round baseball talk. 

Rates & Barrels The Athletic

    • Sports
    • 4.8 • 672 Ratings

Eno Sarris and Derek VanRiper discuss advanced stats and fantasy baseball strategy, prospects, and more. From the first move of the Hot Stove season to the final pitch of the World Series, join us for year-round baseball talk. 

    How to Build an Elite Bullpen, the Pirates' Paul Skenes Plan & Another Jordan Walker Demotion

    How to Build an Elite Bullpen, the Pirates' Paul Skenes Plan & Another Jordan Walker Demotion

    Eno, Trevor and DVR discuss Jordan Walker's demotion, the Pirates' plan for building up Paul Skenes' workload while trying to backload his innings, and the key ingredients to building an elite bullpen.

    Rundown
    0:43 Make It Make Sense: Jordan Walker's Demotion to Triple-A
    6:31 Falling Between Organizational and Individual Coaching
    15:34 Tracking Workloads: The Pirates' Plan for Paul Skenes
    21:41 In-Game Monitoring Technology
    29:51 Building an Elite Bullpen
    30:17 What Traits Do You Want In a Closer?
    35:03 How Many Defined Roles Do You Want?
    46:13 Unintended Consequences with Limited Pitcher Availability?
    56:19 Command Thresholds For Elite Relievers

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
    https://www.youtube.com/c/rates&barrels
    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels 
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    • 1 hr 3 min
    The New Challenge of Being Patient with Prospects & When to Worry About A Contender's Slow Start

    The New Challenge of Being Patient with Prospects & When to Worry About A Contender's Slow Start

    Eno, DVR and Britt discuss another excellent showing from Jared Jones and an impressive outing from Mason Milller in the Bronx on Monday afternoon. With teams having greater incentives to bring prospects up when they are ready, the new challenge is having a plan to change course if they struggle. Plus, is there legitimate reason to worry about the slow start of the Astros (7-16 entering play Tuesday) or the Cardinals (10-13)? And, is Blake Snell's bumpy start in San Francisco the byproduct of a late-spring signing?

    Rundown
    4:10 Jared Jones & Mason Miller Continue to Impress
    13:50 An Ump Show in the Bronx
    17:52 Jackson Holliday's Early Struggles & When to Adjust a Plan
    28:45 Having Defensive Value to Fall Back On
    36:53 What's Different About the 2024 Astros?
    49:35 The Cardinals' Offense is Going to Wake Up (Right?)
    58:01 Is Blake Snell Struggling Because of Signing Delay?

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghroli
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
    https://www.youtube.com/c/ratesbarrels

    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Early Season Starting Pitcher Risers

    Early Season Starting Pitcher Risers

    Eno and DVR discuss news and notes from the weekend including an encouraging diagnosis for Spencer Strider before examining several risers from Eno's first in-season update of his 2024 starting pitcher rankings. 

    Rundown
    4:20 Underwent Internal Brace Procedure Rather Than Second Tommy John Surgery
    7:28 Another SP Injury for Arizona: Merrill Kelly
    13:10 Francisco Àlvarez: Out 6-8 Weeks
    21:46 Eno's Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings
    ($) https://theathletic.com/5426812
    27:31 Reid Detmers' Early Success
    32:22 Casey Mize: Will Strikeouts Show Up With His New Arsenal?
    38:09 Javier Assad: What Eno Likes About Him
    40:51 Brady Singer: Moves Up Slightly!
    44:21 Zack Littell: LODEM Goodness?
    48:56 Paul Skenes: Callup Coming Shortly?
    53:47 Where the Money Went: Looking Back at Weekend Pickups

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!
    https://www.youtube.com/c/ratesbarrels

    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Buying High on Surging Starting Pitchers, Future Power Sources & Recent Debuts

    Buying High on Surging Starting Pitchers, Future Power Sources & Recent Debuts

    Eno and DVR discuss Tanner Houck's excellent start to 2024 on the heels of a 'Maddux' against the Guardians on Wednesday. Plus, they look at the ongoing health struggles for Kris Bryant in Colorado, Yu Darvish's move to the IL, hitters with a path to develop more power over time, and a few recent callups including Jack Leiter, Andy Pages, and Landon Knapp. 

    Rundown
    1:45 Tanner Houck and Buying High on Surging Starting Pitchers
    9:35 Ryan Weathers Makes DVR Look Dumb
    15:02 Yu Darvish & Kris Bryant Land on the IL
    27:25 Finding Power that Follows Contact Skills
    37:08 Jack Leiter Gets the Call
    40:31 Andy Pages & Landon Knack Join the Dodgers
    47:02 Jonatan Clase Lands in Seattle
    51:16 A Very Quick Look Ahead at Weekend Waiver Consideration

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!

    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 54 min
    John Sterling Retires, Rivalry Heat Check & A Case for the Cubs

    John Sterling Retires, Rivalry Heat Check & A Case for the Cubs

    Eno, DVR and Britt discuss John Sterling's abrupt retirement after 36 years with the Yankees, the Marlins' surprising decision to send Max Meyer back to Triple-A, the current state of baseball rivalries including a few potential new feuds that could develop. Plus, they discuss the Cubs as a potential top-five team for the next five years, before a round of 'Buy, Sell, Hold'. 

    Rundown
    1:07 John Sterling Abruptly Announces Retirement
    6:03 The Changing Role of Baseball Broadcasters
    11:25 Why Did the Marlins Option Max Meyer to Triple-A?
    17:50 Baseball's Rivalry Heat Check
    24:20 New Rivalries On the Horizon?
    29:30 The Case for the Cubs as a Top-Five Team for the Next Five Years
    43:46 Buy, Sell, Hold: Tyler O'Neill's Excellent Start in Boston
    47:29 Buy, Sell, Hold: Francisco Lindor's Quiet Bat, When to Actually Worry About Early-Season Slumps
    56:21 Buy, Sell, Hold: Joe Musgrove

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghroli
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes!

    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Exercising Caution with High Velocity Starters, Tough Early Holds & Drops

    Exercising Caution with High Velocity Starters, Tough Early Holds & Drops

    Eno and DVR discuss the idea exercising more caution with high velocity starting pitchers in the future, weekend news and notes, several recent drops and difficult holds amidst early struggles, and where the money went in weekly free-agent pickups from the weekend. 

    Rundown
    2:28 Jackie Robinson Day, 2024
    8:20 Another High Velocity Starter (Bobby Miller) Heads to the IL
    15:40 Will Trends Make Starters with Slightly Less Velocity (93-94 mph fastballs) More Popular?
    20:28 Justin Verlander Nearing Return
    31:25 Surprising Drops & Difficult Holds
    43:23 A Pod Divided: Brandon Pfaadt in Shallow Leagues
    56:07 Where the Money Went: Colton Cowser, Kirby Yates, Jeff Hoffman and Jose Buttó 

    Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
    Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
    e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

    Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

    Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! https://www.youtube.com/c/ratesbarrels

    Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 9 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
672 Ratings

672 Ratings

Johnsonville50 ,

This podcast is good stuff+

A great blend of smart guys who use the deep analytics but just enjoy the game and like to talk ball.

bob ben luke ray ,

most informative

i listen routinely to just two fantasy baseball podcasts. rates and barrels and baseball hq radio. they both deliver content without the bro-chatter, and their hosts and guests track their biases - signaling their respect for the challenge it is predicting and projecting players’ success. that’s important to me, as a consumer of baseball skills analysis who hasn’t got the luxury of time to do the kind of in-depth research that eno sarris and derrick van riper are able to.

but when it comes to pitching analysis, eno sarris may be the most down-to-earth among independent pitching skills analysts. he knows he’s speaking to a broad audience. he offers hands-down pithier descriptions of a pitcher’s skills, supported by the evidence he generates with his stuff and location models, by comparison to what some other pitching analysts do with theirs. and he is regularly careful to define his terms. as a non-expert, when i tune in to listen to Rs

HeyHeyGoCubs ,

DVR = Homer

BAN DVR FROM MENTIONING ANYTHING BREWERS RELATED.

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