Episode Details

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Yusei Kikuchi’s (and other players’) sleep habits and the possibility of a three-way AL West tie with no tiebreaker game, then (28:28) answer listener emails about surprising team assignments in Baseball-Reference headshots, a player who replicates the talent of the player who started in the same lineup spot the previous game, making mound visits to the opposing pitcher, a GM who can predict UCL tears and call up a replacement for the pitcher who’s going to get hurt, whether prospect-promotion incentives could delay the call-ups of the top two prospects in baseball, and retirement-tour qualifications, plus Stat Blasts (1:16:53) about on-base streaks to start a career, all-sweep season series, the best leaguewide power-speed seasons, pitchers who make switch-hitters sacrifice the platoon advantage, and José Abreu and the biggest year-to-year offensive changes.

Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to first McGrath thread
Link to second McGrath thread
Link to Apstein article
Link to info on Ohtani’s sleep
Link to more on Ohtani’s sleep
Link to even more on Ohtani’s sleep
Link to Nootbaar on Ohtani’s sleep
Link to article on Trout’s sleep
Link to article on Verlander’s sleep
Link to article on Cruz’s naps
Link to article on Smith’s naps

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