Episode Details

Are Trea Turner, Manny Machado and José Ramírez beginning to show real signs of decline — or are MLB’s aging stars poised to bounce back in 2027?

DVR, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie dig into three veteran hitters on the wrong side of 30 and examine what the underlying numbers tell us about where their careers are headed. José Ramírez continues to provide plenty of fantasy value despite an injury-altered season, while Manny Machado’s declining hard-contact numbers raise questions about how much elite production remains.

Then DVR takes a deep dive into Trea Turner’s surprising 2026 season. Turner’s bat speed still looks healthy, but his production against fastballs has fallen, his swing decisions have changed and his overall offensive production has dropped significantly. A surprising comparison with Xander Bogaerts may also offer a better idea of what Turner could look like over the second half of his long-term contract.

First, Baseball News You Should Know covers another huge moment from Junior Caminero, Pete Alonso’s return to Citi Field, the Guardians-White Sox playoff battle and a razor-thin AL West race between the Astros and Rangers.

Finally, Closing the Tab heads to Washington. The Nationals have made a massive offensive leap in Year 1 under their new front office, but questions remain about their pitching development. DVR, Eno and Jed look at what changed in Washington, the next wave of pitching prospects and the rapid ascent of 18-year-old Eli Willits.

Plus, Jed puts a new spin on Name That Dude with the help of a pack of 2026 Topps Chrome.

#MLB #FantasyBaseball #TreaTurner #MannyMachado #JoseRamirez #RatesAndBarrels

00:00 Intro

02:03 Junior Caminero Is Fearless at the Plate

04:42 Pete Alonso Returns to Citi Field

08:31 Guardians-White Sox Delivers Again

11:29 Astros & Rangers Battle for the AL West

15:09 What's Going On With Wyatt Langford?

16:49 Decline or a Cliff?

17:12 Is José Ramírez Finally Slowing Down?

25:32 What’s Happening to Manny Machado?

37:39 What Happened to Trea Turner?

38:59 Turner’s Fastball & Swing-Decision Problems

40:25 Trea Turner vs. Xander Bogaerts

45:45 Closing the Tab: Washington Nationals

49:50 Can the Nationals Fix Their Pitching?

57:14 Eli Willits’ Incredible Rise

57:34 Name That Dude: Topps Chrome Edition

1:00:40 The Mystery Player Revealed

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/

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis

Editor: McEnroe Francis

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