Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Which players actually won fantasy baseball leagues in 2026?

DVR and Eno look back at the biggest fantasy baseball values of the season and build their 2026 All-ROI Team — highlighting the late-round draft picks, waiver-wire additions and overlooked players who dramatically exceeded expectations.

The guys also revisit their fantasy draft strategies and the lessons they’ll take into 2027. When should you prioritize floor over ceiling? Is “skills over roles” still the best way to find late-round breakouts? And can this year’s success actually help us identify the next Pete Crow-Armstrong or Jacob Misiorowski?

Niv Shah joins the show to examine the most profitable players in Ottoneu, including PCA’s enormous return, the difficult keeper decisions coming this offseason and whether there’s a blueprint for finding 2027’s breakout stars.

Plus, it’s the final Taste the Majors review of 2026! The Philly Dog gets put to the test, and the crew has some ideas for how MLB’s ballpark hot dog series can take another step forward next season.

Before Fantasy Friday begins, DVR and Eno break down the final weekend of the MLB regular season. The Phillies are still fighting to secure their playoff spot, their offense ranks near the bottom of MLB, and using Zack Wheeler on Sunday could complicate their Wild Card rotation.

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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
Guest: Niv Shah
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

00:00 Intro
00:32 The Final Weekend of Fantasy Baseball
02:38 What Did DVR Learn This Fantasy Season?
04:40 Rethinking Draft-and-Hold Strategy
06:15 Can the Phillies Survive the Final Weekend?
10:13 Philadelphia’s Offense Has Been a Disaster
11:20 MLB’s Final Playoff Spots
13:50 Do You Need Home Runs to Win in October?
17:17 Fantasy Friday: The 2026 All-ROI Team
17:58 Fantasy Baseball’s Biggest Draft-Day Bargains
18:48 Waiting on Catcher Paid Off
20:50 Jordan Walker’s Massive Return
22:19 The Best Waiver-Wire & Late-Round Finds
23:01 Jake McCarthy & Carson Benge Deliver
25:37 Sal Stewart Rewards the Skills-Over-Roles Approach
26:42 Brandon Lowe & Luis García Jr.
29:09 Otto Lopez’s $26 Fantasy Season
31:28 Is Kevin McGonigle Too Expensive for 2027?
32:05 Miguel Vargas Was a League Winner
34:22 Nolan Arenado’s Forgotten Bounceback
35:38 Jake McCarthy Thrives in Colorado
38:02 Ben Rice & Other Mid-Round Wins
39:27 Randy Arozarena’s Big Season
39:59 The Biggest Out-of-Nowhere Breakouts
40:29 Liam Hicks Comes From Nowhere
43:00 Ezekiel Duran’s Breakout
46:10 Finding Deep-League Unsung Heroes
47:03 Niv Shah Joins Rates & Barrels
47:23 Ottoneu’s Most Profitable Players
50:03 Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Massive Profit
51:52 The Mason Miller Keeper Decision
53:18 Difficult Keeper Decisions for 2027
53:56 How Did PCA & Misiorowski Break Out?
58:47 Can You Find the Next PCA?
59:20 Why Fantasy Success Isn’t Always Repeatable
1:00:46 A 2027 Anthony Volpe Rebound?
1:02:50 Taste the Majors: The Philly Dog
1:03:16 What Is Actually on the Philly Dog?
1:09:26 Our Hot Dog Plea for 2027
1:13:32 Building the Ultimate Ballpark Hot Dog
1:14:25 Farewell to Taste the Majors

#FantasyBaseball #MLB #Baseball #FantasyBaseball2027 #RatesAndBarrels
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The Colorado Rockies are headed toward a fourth consecutive 100-loss season — but for the first time in a while, there are signs that the organization may actually be moving in the right direction.

DVR, Eno Sarris and Trevor May close the tab on the 2026 Rockies and examine Colorado's emerging roster-building philosophy. The Rockies dramatically reduced their hitters' strikeout rate, added more contact-oriented bats and began changing how their pitchers attack hitters at Coors Field. But what would an organization truly built to exploit baseball's most unusual environment look like?

Trevor uses his experience pitching at Coors to explain which traits could actually work at altitude, while Eno digs into pitch design and whether velocity, gyro sliders, splitters and different types of changeups could provide Colorado with a sustainable pitching strategy.

Before that, it's time to close the tab on the Miami Marlins. Miami could finish with a positive run differential for the first time in a full season since 2010, while players such as Otto Lopez have emerged from an extremely inexpensive roster. But does Miami have enough impact talent to take the next step?

Plus, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is facing criticism over comments about his massive Blue Jays contract following a disappointing 2026 season. The guys discuss what Vlad meant, the timing of his comments, his injuries and why baseball's salary structure makes the situation more complicated than the reaction suggests.

00:00 Vlad Jr., Marlins & Rockies
00:38 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Faces Criticism
01:33 Did Vlad Jr.’s Comments Go Too Far?
07:52 Comparing Vlad Jr. to Miguel Cabrera
08:38 Did Injuries Derail Vlad’s Season?
10:55 Why Aren’t the Reds the Brewers?
11:34 Is Reds Ownership Part of the Problem?
17:37 Why Some Small-Market Teams Keep Falling Behind
20:41 Marlins Preview
21:22 Closing the Tab: Miami Marlins
21:44 Are the Marlins Better Than Their Record?
22:46 Miami’s Offense Is Finally Improving
26:30 What Is the Marlins’ Identity?
31:13 Could Miami Use Starters Out of the Bullpen?
32:18 Injuries Hit the Marlins’ Pitching Prospects
33:03 Otto Lopez’s Breakout Season
34:27 Can Starters Really Pitch Between Starts?
38:55 Does Miami Finally Need to Spend?
41:15 Is Miami’s Farm System Good Enough?
43:51 Closing the Tab: Colorado Rockies
44:31 The Rockies Are Actually Getting Better
46:34 Colorado’s New Offensive Philosophy
46:53 Rockies Dramatically Cut Their Strikeout Rate
48:38 Colorado Is Changing Its Pitching Approach
49:24 What Actually Works at Coors Field?
53:27 Building Hitters for Coors
54:27 Colorado’s Veteran Pitching Strategy
57:37 How Should the Rockies Develop Pitching?
59:41 How Do You Build a Pitcher for Coors?
1:05:08 Are the Rockies Finally Moving Forward?

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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 & Trevor May
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis

#MLB #Baseball #Rockies #ColoradoRockies #Marlins #MiamiMarlins #BlueJays #VladimirGuerreroJr #RatesAndBarrels
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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
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 & 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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