Some notable Stuff+ sightings this spring Nick Lodolo 139 Richard Fitts 130 Ryan Weathers 121 MacKenzie Gore 116 Matthew Liberatore 114 Jose Soriano 109 Max Meyer 108 Jose Berrios 85 JP Sears 88 Kirby Yates 91 Drew Rasmussen 92 updated the google doc linked here www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

Nine young pitchers that could break out this year www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social, @iamtrevormay.bsky.social and I discussed Max Scherzer's return to the Jays, the innings projections for Shohei Ohtani, and trends we're monitoring this spring.... Audio: pod.fo/e/3980e9 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

I'll be in Phoenix, Arizona for the SABR Analytics conference (AL-LABR draft Saturday, panel Saturday) and so we will meet up, if you like, to have suds and talk, at The Whining Pig (downtown one), Saturday night, 6pm-8pm.

No surprise that, given how nasty he looked, Ryan Weathers joined the top ten starting pitchers in spring training Stuff+. Might be surprised by the other Yankee next to him though.

this is so god damn funny

I'll be in Phoenix, Arizona for the SABR Analytics conference (AL-LABR draft Saturday, panel Saturday) and so we will meet up, if you like, to have suds and talk, at The Whining Pig (downtown one), Saturday night, 6pm-8pm.

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social discussed a few rebound hitters, my mixed LABR squad, and most importantly, we previewed the Astros with @chandlerrome.bsky.social.... Audio: pod.fo/e/3960d4 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

It looks like the ABS action will be at the top of the zone, with fastballs. On who might benefit from the challenge system this year, with @ctrent and @DanHayesMLB www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I continued our team preview series with help from @brendankuty.bsky.social on the Yankees, @melissalockard.bsky.social on the A's, and Arte Moreno quotes on the Angels.... Audio: pod.fo/e/39569d YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social caught up on a little bit of news before previewing the Cubs w/@sahadevsharma.bsky.social, the Reds w/@ctrent.bsky.social & the Padres with Dennis Lin.... Audio: pod.fo/e/393af3 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

chatting www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

Trying to use Bat Speed, Swing Tilt, and Intercept Point to identify potential breakouts. www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

FanGraphs projects the Red Sox to have an 18 fWAR from their rotation, tops in baseball. Detroit ranks second at 17.3. Both staffs have big aces, solid veterans and strong depth. @enosarris.bsky.social compares each projected SP to determine which rotation is better www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Who you got for best American League rotation: Red Sox or Tigers. With @jcmccaffrey.bsky.social and @codystavenhagen.bsky.social t.co/rnMkIAA6dC

The fantasy draft kit has started giving goodies at @theathletic.com -- rankings from @allinkid.bsky.social and @dvr.bsky.social and me, and today: staff pitching sleepers www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I discussed the stunning news of Tony Clark's expected resignation and continued our Team Previews series with the Orioles, Brewers, and Rockies.... Audio: pod.fo/e/391705 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I started our Team Previews -- the D-backs, Braves & Royals got us rolling.... Audio: pod.fo/e/390bc7 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

On the pod yesterday w/ @iamtrevormay.bsky.social we talked about simple youth coaching takeaways from stuff+, how Johan Oviedo used seam-shifted wake to improve his fastball, & how Brewers & Cubs are chasing the same pitch, just by different names -- Cut Ride or Riding Cutter? youtu.be/vwiWKKpwQXU

Baseball music

I wrote about a scouting lesson I only fully learned after writing one of my worst reports. This is a fun one: blogs.fangraphs.com/my-worst-rep...

I don’t think this is the silliest story I’ve covered in my life but that’s only because I did local news in northern Indiana

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social, Jed, and I discuss hamates (Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, and Jackson Holliday news), a Schwelly setback, the Brewers-Red Sox deal, and our growing interest in first-base coaches.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/38dedd

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I wade through the Relief Pitcher pool, where my Draft-and-Hold patience this winter might prove costly this season.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/38c4d0

Good piece by @vorosmccracken.bsky.social on Sprint Speed and Bolts here open.substack.com/pub/vorosmcc...

I'm a bit over my skis here, but: I got really interested in batted ball spin. pebblehunting.substack.com/p/baseball-i...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ It's Pitcher Week! @enosarris.bsky.social and I discuss the Starting Pitchers typically going inside the Top 100 overall of early drafts. (Ep. 1 of 3) Fresh rankings ($): www.nytimes.com/athletic/701... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/38758a

Refreshed Stuff+ training set, removed 2020-2021 to reflect changing pitch environment. Batters have seen the sweeper, and adjusted, so Stuff+ should too. Biggest Stuff+ losers below, some sweeper-guyers there. Will be on FanGraphs shortly, in meantime on ranks here: www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I discussed Ohtani and this year's UT-only players, before covering the final segment of late outfielders.... Pitcher Week begins tomorrow! YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/386904

The value of #MLB Barrel% is going down. But really, it had problems from the very beginning. www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

This is such a good beer imo. If @firestonewalker.bsky.social made it regular aging I’d be buying it again.

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I continued our Position Preview series with part 3 in the outfield.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/384a74

doing The Craft live, now, with @nickpollack.pitcherlist.com for PitchCon, for a good cause: t.co/mZa5YAK3Bv

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social, @iamtrevormay.bsky.social & I discussed José Ramírez's extension with the Guardians and the team's seven-year WS outlook, and how low Z-Contact% numbers for hitters can be misleading.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/3839b2

Adam Ottavino is joining PitchCon now for pitching talk! Closing in on 40% of our $10,000 donation goal! www.twitch.tv/pitcherlist

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @keithlaw.bsky.social joined @enosarris.bsky.social and I to discuss several prospects from his recently published Top 100 list, and the possibility of a fast track to Pittsburgh for Konnor Griffin.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/382b95

Congrats to all the finalists for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards! sabr.org/latest/annou... Voting for the winners begins next week. Thanks to @baseballprospectus.com, @fangraphs.com, @sportsinfosolutions.com, @ibwaa.bsky.social for their contributions to the selection process.

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I continue our 2026 Position Preview series at first base.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/37e9db

MacKenzie Gore is pretty good. He's been fiddling with his curve to kill horizontal, make it more Kershaw-like (he has some release similarities). His 4s has always been above-ave. Maybe just settle on this curve shape & just try to command it a little better, because 4s/CU/SL should be enough.

In fantasy auctions, you generally want to avoid buying the last guy in a tier because you'll generally end up overpaying for that player. Cody Bellinger fits that rubric for me. Might like this deal the least of the offseason.

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social continue our 2026 Position Preview series with catchers. (If you want to get into a lot of YouTube thumbnails, have a trident in your post-HR celebration.) YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/37cee1

The Mets could start Bo Bichette (0 MLB games at 3B) & Jorge Polanco (1g at 1B) at 3B/1B on Opening Day Only team in last 100 years to start 2 non-rookie INFs on Opening Day w/1 or 0 prior MLB games at that position: 1948 Dodgers: Jackie Robinson 2B, Billy Cox 3B @EliasSports

"This suggests that Tucker could lose as much as 3 mph of bat speed over the next nine years" this part in particular i would push back on, i think that aging curve is much too aggressive. @enosarris.bsky.social www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

Good stuff from @enosarris.bsky.social Tucker's very, very good. Elite plate discipline, good launch angles. But his defense is in decline, he's not the most durable & he's already got 50th percentile bat speed a few years out from the age when it starts to tank. www.nytimes.com/athletic/687...

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ Super bonus emergency pod! @enosarris.bsky.social and I discussed Kyle Tucker's four-year, $240M deal with the #Dodgers, plus the three-team swap between the #Reds, #Rays & #Angels. Oh yeah, and Willi Castro.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/379e6b

Position preview time on the pod. Pod is LIVE- third base today - pod.fo/e/378b90

Great to see @michaelrosen.bsky.social dive into something that's been a big topic of discussion lately — teams aren't using linear $/WAR to value free agent relievers, and there's good reason for that.

Here's more on the Red Sox signing Ranger Suarez www.nytimes.com/athletic/678...

Thanks to @derekcarty.bsky.social, a look at some key Royals' projections before and after the announced park changes to Kauffman. Most interesting might be what the park does to pitching strategy and vibes on the free agent market, though: www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...