Effectively Wild Episode 2368: F Everything, We’re Doing Five Taters
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about John Brebbia’ (https://www.fangraphs.com/players/john-brebbia/12777/stats) s return to the big leagues, Kyle Schwarber (https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kyle-schwarber/16478/stats) ’s four-homer game, the potential for a position-player-pitcher-assisted five-homer game, Heliot Ramos (https://www.fangraphs.com/players/heliot-ramos/22515/stats) and dingers on extremely slow pitches, an interminable inning, whether the playoff race is over and, if so, whether that’s an indictment of the 12-team format, and the profusion of recently promoted pitchers potentially in line for postseason starts, then (55:50) answer listener emails about season-ending injuries, accounting for player intention in WAR, “rounding home,” giving pitchers tall shoes, making baseball less random, the worst on-field feeling, pitcher aesthetics, and mid-PA pitching changes, plus (1:36:34) follow-ups.
Audio intro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VtGnSCg2jHV4rEAyhuDuD1WHJrnluwXp/view?usp=drive_link) ”
Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EquxhP2rk11C79uLJ6UGylakDUOcbvzY/view?usp=drive_link) ”
Link to MLBTR on Brebbia (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/08/braves-select-john-brebbia-2.html)
Link to The Onion headline (https://theonion.com/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades-1819584036/)
Link to four-homer-games query (https://stathead.com/sharing/0ewuJ)
Link to Schwarber’s dingers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PykbuCVEvag)
Link to article on Suárez game (https://www.mlb.com/news/eugenio-suarez-four-homer-game)
Link to Ramos homer (https://www.mlb.com/giants/video/reese-mcguire-in-play-run-s-to-heliot-ramos)
Link to slowest HR pitches (https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_search?hfPT=&hfAB=home%5C.%5C.run%7C&hfGT=R%7C&hfPR=&hfZ=&hfStadium=&hfBBL=&hfNewZones=&hfPull=&hfC=&hfSea=2025%7C2024%7C2023%7C2022%7C2021%7C2020%7C2019%7C2018%7C2017%7C2016%7C2015%7C2014%7C2013%7C2012%7C2011%7C2010%7C2009%7C2008%7C&hfSit=&player_type=batter&hfOuts=&hfOpponent=&pitcher_throws=&batter_stands=&hfSA=&game_date_gt=&game_date_lt=&hfMo=&hfTeam=&home_road=&hfRO=&position=&hfInfield=&hfOutfield=&hfInn=&hfBBT=&hfFlag=is%5C.%5C.hit%5C.%5C.into%5C.%5C.play%7C&metric_1=api_p_release_speed&metric_1_gt=&metric_1_lt=40&group_by=name-event&min_pitches=0&min_results=0&min_pas=0&sort_col=velocity&player_event_sort=api_p_release_speed&sort_order=asc&chk_event_release_speed=on&chk_is..hit..into..play=on#results)
Link to Rob Arthur on exit speed (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-baseballs-exit-velocity-is-five-parts-hitter-one-part-pitcher/)
Link to pitch-count tweet (https://x.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1960773762019942431)
Link to Nats-Yanks game (https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA202508270.shtml)
Link to pitch-count query (https://stathead.com/sharing/2YsDY)
Link to Keyser on the playoff race (https://bandwagon.substack.com/p/65-whats-left-to-decide)
Link to Sheehan on the playoff race (https://www.joesheehan.com/2025/08/newsletter-excerpt-august-29-2025-gotta.html)
Link to Baumann on the playoff race (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-playoff-odds-think-this-season-is-boring/)
Link to Andrews on the playoff race (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/unless-the-reds-do-something-wild-the-nl-playoff-race-is-over/)
Link to the AP on strikeouts (https://apnews.com/article/mlb-strikeouts-singles-batting-average-6c9fb47d4523e9ef3e59d340cee98e26)
Link to McLean info (https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2025/08/13/nolan-mclean-new-york-mets-top-pitching-prospect-mlb-debut-saturday/85642594007/)
Link to Tong info (https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/101095/the-call-up-jonah-tong-new-york-mets-debut/)
Link to Tolle info (https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/101086/the-call-up-payton-tolle-boston-red-sox-debut/)
Link to Baumann on Rodriguez (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kyle-bradish-is-back-and-hes-hungry-for-outs/)
Link to Marucci email (https://imgur.com/hBVOXAY)
Link to Seinfeld clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRdx1FSiGaw)
Link to possessions info (https://x.com/NateSilver538/status/1954698251703402815)
Link to Ben on mid-PA pitching changes (https://www.theringer.com/2019/07/26/mlb/mid-plate-appearance-pitcher-change-john-cohen-mississippi-state-kentucky)
Link to listener emails database (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8lpspHQuR5GK7S_nNtGunLGrx60QnSa8XLG_wvRb4Q/edit?usp=sharing)
Link to Rounding Home book (https://www.abebooks.com/9781733027700/Rounding-Home-Memoir-Love-Betrayal-173302770X/plp)
Link to Rounding for Home book (https://www.amazon.com/Rounding-Home-Deltry-Ocelots-Book-ebook/dp/B0DQFQW8Z1)
Link to Rounding Home movie (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0483090/?ref_=ttpl_ov_bk)
Link to “Rounding Home” headline (https://marinersblog.mlblogs.com/logan-gilbert-rounding-home-stretch-in-strong-form-d4a811deb34…
