Effectively Wild Episode 2206: By the Skenes of His Teeth

August 21, 2024

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether the custom-painted bats featured during Players’ Weekend should be usable all season, Alex Verdugo’s batting-glove allergy, Rich Hill’s predictable-yet-curious choice of team, where the Rookie of the Year races stand, how the Pirates should handle Paul Skenes down the stretch, the magnitude of the Skenes Day attendance boost, the active player who possibly best embodies replacement level, a (slightly) better proposal to promote pitcher’s duels, the unsung skills of Carlos Santana and José Soriano, the pros and cons of this season’s post-superteam standings, and more, plus a postscript.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to custom bats roundup
Link to another bats roundup
Link to bat company article
Link to Players’ Weekend explainer
Link to Players’ Weekend wiki
Link to Verdugo article
Link to compression neuropathy
Link to Trumbo bathtub post
Link to Ringer on Caped Crusader
Link to MLBTR on Hill
Link to Episode 1780 Stat Blast
Link to rookie hitter WAR leaders
Link to rookie pitcher WAR leaders
Link to pitcher WAR since 5/11
Link to Dunne’s Skenes cosplay
Link to Rosenthal on Skenes
Link to Skubal usage info
Link to team SP WAR
Link to Ben on pitcher draws
Link to FG on Merrill
Link to MLBTR on McKinney
Link to Tango on Bloomquist
Link to Jeff on Bloomquist
Link to ESPN on six-inning starts
Link to Sheehan on six-inning starts
Link to Sheehan on pitcher’s duels
Link to Santana’s Savant page
Link to 1B OAA leaders
Link to end of end of Pujols SB streak
Link to projected team wins
Link to Neil’s Substack
Link to Passan’s tweet
Link to Jaffe on struggling top teams
Link to MLBTR on Freeman
Link to MLBTR on Riley
Link to prior plaque talk
Link to Beltré Rangers event
Link to Wade/Ward wiki
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form