Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Should the Los Angeles Dodgers actually consider BENCHING Shohei Ohtani? The Milwaukee Brewers have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, Cleveland has stolen Game 1 of the ALCS from Tampa Bay, and the New York Yankees are facing some uncomfortable questions after another disappointing October.Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris and Britt Ghiroli break down the latest MLB playoff action on Rates & Barrels, including Milwaukee's formula for beating the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani's struggles, Cleveland's pitching strategy against the Rays, and a deep dive into what went wrong for the 2026 Yankees.Milwaukee has taken the first two games of the NLCS despite facing Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. What's making the Brewers so difficult to beat?Looking ahead to Game 3, can Blake Snell and the Dodgers turn the series around against Robert Gasser?The Guardians stunned Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 1, rallying against Drew Rasmussen and the Rays' bullpen.Did Kevin Cash leave Rasmussen in too long? How did Cleveland use Tampa Bay's platoon weaknesses to its advantage? And can the Guardians maintain their momentum against Freddy Peralta in Game 2?DVR, Eno and Britt examine Cleveland's aggressive approach at the plate, Parker Messick's workload, the impact of Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey, and Junior Caminero's injury scare.Another 90-win season. Another October disappointment. And another winter of questions in the Bronx.Britt Ghiroli examines the Yankees' lack of accountability, the health concerns surrounding Aaron Judge, and why the organizational culture may no longer resemble the Yankees teams that won championships.Should Aaron Boone return? What changes should Brian Cashman make? Can the Yankees build a roster that wins with contact, defense and situational baseball instead of relying so heavily on power?What do you think? Should the Dodgers bench Ohtani? Are the Brewers the NL favorites? And what needs to change for the Yankees to win another World Series? Drop your thoughts in the comments!👍 Like, subscribe and drop us a comment!💬 Join the Rates & Barrels Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe📰 Subscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels👕 Rates & Barrels Merch: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/Follow Rates & Barrels:Derek VanRiper on Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/dvr.bsky.socialEno Sarris on Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/enosarris.bsky.social📧 [email protected]: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisContributor:Britt GhiroliExecutive Producer & Editor:McEnroe Francis#MLBPlayoffs #Brewers #Dodgers #ShoheiOhtani #Yankees #RatesAndBarrels00:00 – Guardians Win Game 1; Brewers Take Control of NLCS02:34 – Did Kevin Cash Leave Drew Rasmussen in Too Long?06:55 – How Cleveland Exploited Tampa Bay's Platoon Weaknesses13:43 – Guardians' Aggressive Approach Against Rasmussen15:18 – ALCS Game 2 Preview: Parker Messick vs. Freddy Peralta21:43 – Brewers Lead Dodgers 2-0 in the NLCS23:24 – Milwaukee's Winning Formula: Plate Discipline and Baserunning25:40 – Shohei Ohtani's Health and Dodgers' Offensive Struggles26:28 – Why Milwaukee's Fastball Strategy Is Working28:15 – How the Dodgers Attacked Jacob Misiorowski30:17 – The Brewers' Dominant Bullpen32:17 – William Contreras, Christian Yelich and Cooper Pratt38:39 – What Went Wrong with Yoshinobu Yamamoto?39:57 – Why Haven't the Dodgers Used Edwin Díaz?44:57 – NLCS Game 3 Preview: Robert Gasser vs. Blake Snell48:05 – Should the Dodgers Bench Shohei Ohtani?50:40 – Closing the Tab: The 2026 New York Yankees01:02:36 – Are the Yankees Behind Baseball's Contact Revolution?01:03:36 – Is the Yankees' Culture of Accountability Gone?01:06:30 – The Yankees' Success Since Their Last World Series01:08:12 – Final Thoughts and What's Next Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 ALCS is set! The Cleveland Guardians completed an incredible comeback against the Chicago White Sox, erasing a 2-0 ALDS deficit to advance to the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. But after surviving Chicago, does Cleveland have enough pitching left to take down Tampa Bay?Derek VanRiper and Eno Sarris deliver their complete **Guardians vs. Rays ALCS preview**, breaking down projected starting pitching matchups, bullpen depth, lineup advantages, platoon strategies, X-factors and predictions for the best-of-seven series.José Ramírez delivered one of the most remarkable home runs in postseason history, Gavin Williams dominated Game 5, and Cade Smith has been nearly unhittable. Now the Guardians face a Rays team that won five of their six regular-season meetings and has a very different approach to managing its pitching staff.Can Cleveland navigate a potential bullpen game against Drew Rasmussen? How will Parker Messick and Gavin Williams match up against Tampa Bay's starters? And will Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz or an unexpected Rays role player become the difference-maker?Who wins the ALCS — Guardians or Rays? And how many games will it take? Drop your predictions in the comments!**👍 Like, subscribe and drop us a comment!⚾ First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026💬 Join the Rates & Barrels Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe📰 Subscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels👕 Rates & Barrels Merch: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/Follow Rates & Barrels:Derek VanRiper on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dvr.bsky.socialEno Sarris on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/enosarris.bsky.social📧 Email: [email protected]🎧 Rates & Barrels — The Athletic's Baseball PodcastHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer & Editor: McEnroe Francis#ALCS #Guardians #Rays #MLBPlayoffs #RatesAndBarrels00:00 – Guardians Complete an Incredible ALDS Comeback01:43 – Cleveland's Pitching Exposes Chicago's Biggest Weakness06:56 – José Ramírez's Unbelievable Game 5 Home Run11:45 – Guardians vs. Rays: Projected ALCS Pitching Matchups14:24 – Comparing the Starting Rotations and Bullpens16:22 – How Cleveland Can Attack Tampa Bay's Platoons22:33 – Rays Dominate the Regular-Season Matchups25:44 – Cade Smith and the Guardians' Bullpen Challenge28:23 – Which Guardians Hitters Must Step Up?33:14 – Breaking Down the Game 1 and Game 2 Matchups39:36 – Tampa Bay's Pitching Depth and Defensive Advantage42:16 – Why the ALCS Schedule Could Hurt Cleveland44:40 – ALCS Predictions: Rays in Six?49:24 – The Junior Caminero Trade Comes Back to Haunt Cleveland51:29 – ALCS X-Factors and Unexpected Difference-Makers52:18 – Could Tampa Bay's Outfield Defense Be Exposed? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Kurkjian and Eduardo Pérez return to Starkville! This week, Jayson and Doug welcome the baseball insiders to break down the wildest moments of the postseason, from Eduardo’s Dodgers and Yankees fumble to the best stories of October, including Bryan Baker’s buddies and the Tampa Bay Rays’ growth. They discuss the craziest things they’ve seen on the field, questionable umpire predictions, the Yankees’ wall controversy, and the lawyer explanations that followed. Plus, they dive into the baseball insanity surrounding the Guardians and White Sox, the challenges of retractable roofs in Tampa and Milwaukee, and Eduardo’s memorable encounter with a D-ring. And in Strange But True, a fair or foul call involving Milwaukee’s roof takes center stage. Finally, Tim and Eduardo share stories from their travels around baseball, including what makes Tim Kurkjian such a legendary storyteller.Rundown:00:33 In The Booth05:59 Up Next06:03 Tim and Eduardo Visit Starkville!13:48 Best Thing This Postseason23:36 Craziest Things Seen30:21 Guardians and White Sox42:25 Let’s Talk About Roofs47:41 Elite Shortstop Explanation51:49 Top Tales About Traveling With Tim and Eduardo1:00:00 Up Next1:00:35 Strange But True01:12:26 Wrap UpFollow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.socialFollow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.socialE-mail: [email protected] Hotline: (347) 313-8371Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Jayson Stark & Doug GlanvilleWith: Tony Gwynn Jr. & Mark GrantProducer: Matthew Chilelli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Dodgers have the star power, the Cy Young-caliber rotation and seemingly endless pitching depth. But are the Brewers actually the perfect team to beat them?Eno Sarris and Trevor May preview the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS, breaking down a loaded Los Angeles rotation featuring Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow and how Milwaukee's contact-heavy, low-chase offense might attack it.Can the Brewers grind down L.A.'s starters and reach the vulnerable portions of the bullpen? Is Jacob Misiorowski the great equalizer? How important will Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill be in a seven-game series? And could simply getting one blowout win — and saving the high-leverage arms for another night — ultimately swing the NLCS?Plus, Eno and Trevor reveal their X-factors and make their picks to reach the World Series.Who wins the NLCS: Dodgers or Brewers?Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!e-mail: [email protected] our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsRates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/00:00 — Dodgers vs. Brewers NLCS Preview03:47 — Can Milwaukee Crack the Dodgers' Rotation?09:03 — Breaking Down the Dodgers' Bullpen11:47 — Is Edwin Díaz Back?16:25 — What's Wrong With the Dodgers' Offense?19:25 — Dodgers vs. Brewers Offense23:03 — Jacob Misiorowski & the Brewers' Rotation25:34 — Where the Dodgers Have the Pitching Edge26:55 — The Key to the Series28:06 — Brewers Bullpen & Aaron Ashby31:33 — Death By A Thousand Cuts32:20 — How Milwaukee Can Attack Dodgers Pitching36:35 — Can the Brewers Grind Down Skubal?38:41 — How Milwaukee Can Slow Down an Ace41:20 — The Left-Handed Matchup Game43:41 — NLCS X-Factors48:54 — Trevor & Eno Make Their Picks51:15 — Why Is Postseason Offense Disappearing?58:13 — Has Baseball Come Full Circle?Hosts: Eno Sarris & Trevor MayExecutive Producer & Editor: McEnroe Francis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Championship Series field is starting to take shape.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rays are moving on after a massive day of postseason baseball, while the Guardians kept their season alive and forced another game against the White Sox.DVR and Eno recap all four games, breaking down the biggest performances, pitching decisions and moments that decided each matchup. They look at how Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay punched their tickets to the next round, what Cleveland did to extend its series with Chicago, and what it all means as the MLB postseason moves one step closer to the ALCS and NLCS.Plus, who earned a 🥂 **Toast of the Game** after a full day of October baseball? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.