Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Tom Hamilton and Len Kasper join Starkville! This week, Jayson and Doug sit down with the longtime voices of the Red Sox and White Sox to discuss the matchup between two teams that have taken different paths but built their success the right way. They break down why America needs this series, whether any non-playoff teams could surprise everyone and make the postseason next year, and the emergence of José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and other young players making their mark. They also discuss the early injury chaos, the contrasting pitching staffs, and the importance of trust when managing new coaches and young players. Plus, Jayson and Doug highlight players who deserve more attention, including Brayan Rocchio, Joey Cantillo, Tristan Peters and Sam Antonacci. And in Strange But True, the guys explore the Pope factor and his unexpected influence on the action in the field.

Rundown:
03:36 Am I Wrong?
05:41 Losing Left Handed Leverage
08:35 UP NEXT
09:04 Tom and Len Visit Starkville!
12:04 Why America Needs This Series
19:48 The Game of Predicting Playoffs
24:46 Chase Delauter and Parker Messick
27:11 Crazy First Inning Injuries
28:19 Contrast Between Pitching Staffs
31:15 Role of Trust in the Game
36:37 Players We Should Know Better
42:19 The Pope Factor In This Series
46:21 UP NEXT

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

The NLDS is here. DVR and Eno preview Braves-Dodgers and Padres-Brewers, breaking down the pitching matchups, lineup weaknesses, bullpen advantages and X-factors that could decide both National League Division Series.

Can Atlanta find a way to slow down the Dodgers? The Braves took five of six from Los Angeles during the regular season, but the postseason pitching staffs look very different. DVR and Eno examine how Chris Sale could be deployed, why J.R. Ritchie could become a surprise weapon for Atlanta and how the Dodgers’ collection of high-velocity arms could attack one of the Braves’ biggest offensive weaknesses.

The Dodgers finished among MLB’s leaders in 95+ mph fastballs, while Atlanta posted a .295 wOBA against those pitches during the regular season. Which Braves hitters can handle premium velocity? Plus, how healthy and effective will Shohei Ohtani be, and can Freddie Freeman bounce back after a difficult September?

Then it's Padres-Brewers. Milwaukee owns the top seed, but San Diego enters the NLDS after a huge second half and a Wild Card Series win over the Cubs. DVR and Eno dig into Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Milwaukee’s pitching plans, Mason Miller and the battle between two deep bullpens.

The Brewers' offense might also be more dangerous than its reputation suggests. Milwaukee combines on-base ability, bat speed and aggressive baserunning, while both the Brewers and Padres finished among MLB's best teams against 95+ mph fastballs. Could that become a major factor against Misiorowski and San Diego's power bullpen?

Finally, it's time to Close the Tab on the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies. After another disappointing October exit, DVR and Eno discuss how the Bryce Harper era should be evaluated, an aging roster, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, Andrew Painter and whether Philadelphia should keep pushing its chips in for another championship run.

Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!

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 & Editor: McEnroe Francis

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:46 Braves-Dodgers: Setting Up the Series
05:46 How Atlanta's Rotation Could Line Up
09:10 Could J.R. Ritchie Be Atlanta's X-Factor?
11:44 The Dodgers' Pitching Advantage
12:34 Atlanta's Problem With High-Velocity Fastballs
17:06 Shohei Ohtani & Freddie Freeman Questions
20:18 Braves-Dodgers Predictions
21:05 Padres-Brewers NLDS Preview
25:26 How the Schedule Impacts Jacob Misiorowski
27:49 Milwaukee's Rotation After Misiorowski
32:45 How Dangerous Is the Brewers Offense?
35:24 Can San Diego Stop Milwaukee on the Bases?
36:59 Breaking Down the Bullpens
39:36 Milwaukee's Bullpen vs. Mason Miller
41:12 Brewers & Padres Can Both Hit Velocity
42:40 Padres-Brewers Predictions
43:19 Closing the Tab on the Phillies
47:23 Evaluating the Bryce Harper Era
48:12 What Should Philadelphia Do Next?
52:11 The Phillies' Aging Lineup
55:29 A Wild Trade Idea for Philadelphia
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The MLB Wild Card round comes down to one final elimination game — and Rates & Barrels is going LIVE for Phillies-Braves Game 3.

Join DVR and Eno starting in the 7th inning as Philadelphia and Atlanta battle for a spot in the NLDS. We’ll react LIVE to the biggest moments, pitching decisions and late-game strategy as the final Wild Card series is decided.

Then we turn our attention to the American League Division Series.

The ALDS matchups are set:

⚾ Yankees vs. Rays
⚾ White Sox vs. Guardians

How do the Yankees match up with Tampa Bay after advancing through the Wild Card round? Can the White Sox keep their surprising postseason run going against Cleveland? Which rotations, bullpens and lineup matchups could ultimately decide each series?

We’ll break down both ALDS matchups, identify the biggest players and X-factors to watch, and get you ready for the next round of the 2026 MLB Playoffs.

Bring your questions and reactions to the LIVE chat as we watch the end of Phillies-Braves and turn the page to the Division Series.

Like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss any of our LIVE postseason coverage!

Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!

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/

#MLB #MLBPlayoffs #Phillies #Braves #Yankees #Rays #WhiteSox #Guardians #ALDS #Postseason #RatesAndBarrels
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 MLB Wild Card Day 1 is in the books and what a day it was— Rates & Barrels will be back with you LIVE to break down everything from Day 2 of the Wild Card Series.

Join DVR and Eno during the 7th inning of the final game of the day as they recap all four Wild Card matchups, react to the biggest performances and turning points, and break down what's next for each series.

Which teams put themselves in position to advance? What did we learn from the pitching matchups? Which decisions could shape the rest of the Wild Card round? And what should we be watching when the teams get back on the field Thursday?

Bring your questions and reactions to the chat as we recap Day 2 and get you ready for Day 3 of the MLB postseason.

Like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss our LIVE Wild Card coverage Wednesday and Thursday.

#MLB #MLBPlayoffs #WildCard #Postseason #Baseball #RatesAndBarrels
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 MLB Playoffs are underway — and Rates & Barrels went LIVE to break down a wild Day 1 of the Wild Card Series.

DVR and Eno recap all four Wild Card Game 1s, reacting to the biggest performances, turning points and decisions that shaped the opening day of the MLB postseason.

Austin Riley delivered a huge three-run homer to lift Atlanta past Philadelphia, the White Sox knocked off Houston, the Yankees shut out Boston in the Bronx, and Michael King dominated as San Diego rolled past the Cubs.

What did we learn from the pitching matchups? Which Game 1 performances are sustainable? And what adjustments do the Phillies, Astros, Red Sox and Cubs need to make with their seasons now on the line?

DVR and Eno break it all down and preview Wednesday’s four Game 2 matchups.

Bring your questions and reactions to the chat, and make sure to like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss our LIVE Wild Card coverage Wednesday and Thursday.

#MLB #MLBPlayoffs #WildCard #Postseason #Baseball #RatesAndBarrels
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.