Ducksnort Baseball Podcast

Greg and Wayland are back to discuss the fallout from the Astros cheating scandal, including the firings of A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora, Carlos Beltran, and Jeff Luhnow. We contrast their rule-breaking to the steriod era and compare the resulting actions from MLB. Plus we look at 6 takeaways from the biggest moves of the offseason. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg and Wayland look back on the end of the 2019 World Series, including their EXTREMELY wrong opinion from May that the Nats were done. We also look ahead to the free agencies of Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon, and discuss the Cubs’ David Ross hiring. Plus we consider the end of a decade of baseball: what will we remember from the 2010’s? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With only three teams left in the hunt for the 2019 World Series, Greg and Wayland discuss whether the Nationals have a shot against the superior-on-paper Astros and Yankees. Plus: is it a mistake that both AL teams are going with a bullpen game in Game 6 instead of turning to Gerrit Cole or Luis Severino on short rest? Then we talk about whether Joe Maddon is the right man for the Angels’ complicated managerial job. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg and Wayland review this year’s extremely exciting Division Series round of the playoffs, including collapses from the Dodgers and Braves, continuing disappointment for the Twins, and domination by Gerrit Cole. Then we preview how things could go in the next round. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The playoffs have officially begun! Relive the crazy Nationals-Brewers ending as Greg and Wayland experience it live, while making their playoff and World Series predictions. Plus we recap the quickly spinning the manager carousel, and Wayland gives his thoughts on the end of the Joe Maddon era at Wrigley. And quick thoughts on the end of the 2019 regular season. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christian Yelich, Javier Baez, Jose Ramirez, and Shohei Ohtani are among the stars that are out for the rest of the season/playoffs because of injury. The Ducksnort boys discuss how the playoff races are being affected, and speculate whether baseball’s shift towards higher effort swings and pitches means we’ll see stars go down more often. Plus we analyze the Red Sox’ surprising firing of GM Dave Dombrowski just 10 months after winning a World Series. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys catch up on the playoff chase, including a discussion on how the lack of close races is hurting the season as a whole, as well as the past and future of Bryce Harper. Then we draft two teams of under-25 stars to see whether the next five years of baseball are in good hands. (Spoiler alert: they are.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Mets are red hot, and the Ducksnort boys break down whether their streak will take them all the way to the playoffs. Plus we talk about the ridiculous starts that rookies Bo Bichette, Yordan Alvarez, and Aristides Aquino are having to their respective careers, and touch on the suddenly tight race between Minnesota and Cleveland in the AL Central. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys recap an interesting if somewhat slow trade deadline, including the big deals involving Zack Greinke, Trevor Bauer, Yasiel Puig, Marcus Stroman, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon. We also ask why the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and other contenders didn’t make bigger (or any) moves. Plus quick thoughts on the Reds-Pirates brawl. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Live from the brand new Ducksnort studios, we pick which borderline contenders should buy and which should sell. Plus we pick some good targets for each. With thoughts on the Angels, Rangers, Giants, Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, Mets, Reds, and Pirates. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys break down the winners and losers from the first half, with the help of Off The Bench’s Max Frankel. We also make our picks for which teams need to make a big move at the deadline, and who they should target. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys break down the All-Star rosters, including our thoughts on the new voting system, who got snubbed, and who won our bet on the vote. Then we talk about the Yankees-Red Sox series in London. Was it a success for MLB? And should they be more ambitious and creative with their plans to expand the game globally? With thoughts on Xander Bogaerts, Max Muncy, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Lucas Giolito, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wayland’s back from Peru, so Ducksnort is back in action. We update our bet on the leading All-Star vote getter, then break down the Rays’ absolutely nutty plan to split time in Montreal. Plus the Dodgers are awesome, and the rest of the NL is very closely matched: does that mean LA has an easy path to the World Series? Then thoughts on the future of analytics! Give it a listen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ranking the five best organizations in baseball when it comes to player acquisition and development, in order to wash our mouths out from talking about the Marlins last week. Plus we place a bet on who will be the leading All-Star vote getter. With thoughts on Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Paul Dejong’s surprise season, the Yankees’ struggles with health, Avisail Garcia, the Astros’ dominance and more.Programming note: We'll be off the next two weeks while Wayland visits Peru. Everyone tell Wayland to have fun. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We look at the Marlins, Orioles, Royals, and Tigers to figure out whose future is bright and whose is bleak (but it’s fun, we promise). Then Favorite/Least Favorite returns with the players we love and hate from the Toronto Blue Jays franchise history. With thoughts on Derek Jeter’s leadership, whether the Royals should trade Whit Merrifield or Hunter Dozier, the sad endings of Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, and (as always) Frank Thomas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We break down the surging Phillies and the struggling Nationals, as well as argue about whether the NL East will end up with the best division race. Plus tangential conversation on the NL Central and AL East, a rant about the White Sox, and a roundup on some random MLB news. With thoughts on Edwin Jackson’s sojourn, Mike Fiers’ second career no-hitter, the NBA playoffs, Dave Martinez vs. Dusty Baker, Jason Heyward’s leadership and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We take a look at the surprising under-the-radar success of the Minnesota Twins and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Who’s driving these teams? And is it sustainable? Then we discuss the juiced ball, which has been introduced at AAA this year and led to a home run boom similar to the one we’ve seen in the majors the past few seasons. With thoughts on Nelson Cruz, Zack Greinke, Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios, Jarrod Dyson, Willians Astudillo, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re back from a one week suspension for violating the unwritten rules of podcasting. Greg and Wayland break down the Tim Anderson/Royals brouhaha, then dive into a variety of hawt baseball topics: how the Aaron Judge injury affects the decimated Yankees, if Christian Yelich is officially the second-best player in baseball, and what to look forward to when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes his major-league debut. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are the Mariners a force to be reckoned with? Will the Red Sox reach .500? Will Mike Trout be a 19-win player? Will Chris Davis ever get another hit? We take on these questions with some first week overreactions for the 2019 baseball season. Plus we pick our favorite and least favorite Minnesota Twins of all time. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re back with our first episode of the 2019 season! Greg Nix and Wayland McQueen make predictions for the playoffs, awards, and much more. Plus we review the slow offseason and the general three-way tension between labor, ownership, and fans. With thoughts on Mike Trout, Justin Verlander, Cleveland’s lack of ambition, Paul Goldschmidt, the Cubs’ and Dodgers’ wars of attrition, Eloy Jimenez, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, the Astros’ dominance, and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What’s the best way to heat a stove? A fire (sale)! At least, that was the Mariners’ answer. We debate whether Jerry DiPoto and company made the right devision in trading Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, James Paxton, and Jean Segura. Plus we look at the Mets’ side of the Cano deal, and speculate what the new front office is thinking regarding Noah Syndergaard. Then we pick our favorite and least favorite Arizona Diamondbacks of all-time, which includes thoughts on Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Paul Goldschmidt, Zack Greinke and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2018 baseball season is over. We pour one out with our thoughts on the World Series, including why we may have underestimated the Red Sox and how Dave Roberts impacted the Dodgers’ chances. Then we discuss how the series impacted the careers of Chris Sale and David Price, as well as the upcoming free agencies of Clayton Kershaw, Nathan Eovaldi, and Manny Machado. We’ll be back throughout the offseason with our thoughts on the awards picks, hot stove, Hall of Fame results, and more -- thanks for listening and stick around! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian Rhea Butcher (Three Swings Podcast) joins us to reflect on the LCS and preview this week’s matchup between the Dodgers and Red Sox. We talk Manny Machado’s dirty play, Mookie Betts’s position switch, Dave Roberts’s over-managing, Chris Sale vs. Clayton Kershaw, Craig Kimbrel vs. Kenley Jansen, and pick our favorite/least favorite World Series players. Plus Rhea tells us about growing up in Akron rooting for the Indians, and discusses the team’s controversial logo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We break down the remaining playoff teams, who are all locked in tense battles. Wayland believes the Astros and Red Sox are basically playing for the World Series title, while Greg defends Craig Counsell’s managerial maneuvering. We both agree the Dodgers are underwhelming, but can’t quite pinpoint why. With thoughts on Josh Hader, Mookie Betts, Justin Verlander, Roberto Osuna, Christian Yelich, Max Muncy, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We pick our favorite and least favorite parts of the playoffs so far, which have been a tad disappointing -- even though Wayland attended a Dodgers-Braves game. Then we keep the fav/least fav train rolling by picking players from our surprisingly personal histories with the Philadelphia Phillies . With thoughts on Christian Yelich, Clayton Kershaw shaking off his playoff curse, Chris Sale, Justin Verlander, the Rockies’ paper thin lineup, Mike Schmidt, Jamie Moyer, Chase Utley, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys make our playoff picks, despite Wayland trying to avoid jinxing the Cubs. Can the Astros repeat? Who’s the NL favorite? Only we have the exact correct answers. Then we pick our favorite and least favorite Miami Marlins of all-time. With thoughts on Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Christian Yelich’s recent dominance, Chris Sale’s shoulder, Alex Cora, Liam Hendriks’s Wild Card start, Hanley Ramirez, Dontrelle Willis, Gary Sheffield, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We check in with how Wayland is feeling about the NL Central Race to see if he’s still not scared of the Brewers. Plus we say farewell to Hawk Harrelson, then make our awards picks among some surprisingly cloudy races. With thoughts on Mookie Betts, Mike Trout’s curse, Justin Verlander, Corey Kluber, Jacob DeGrom’s brilliance, pitcher MVPs, the insane similarities in Ronald Acuna vs. Jose Soto, Javier Baez, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys open the show with a solemn nod to Baltimore’s terrible season, then ponder whether the Angels should convert Shohei Ohtani to a full-time outfielder. Plus with the Brewers closing the NL Central gap, Greg asks Wayland whether he’s still more scared of St. Louis. And our favorite and least-favorite Cardinals ever. With thoughts on Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, getting no hit, Stan Musial’s greatness, Ozzie Smith, Jim Edmonds’ Hall of Fame case, Dumphouse, whether Mark McGwire can be appreciated, Butts Wagner, Yadier Molina, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg and Wayland break down the Josh Donaldson, Andrew McCutchen and Gio Gonzalez deals: Can Donaldson put the Indians over the top? Will McCutchen continue the grand tradition of annoying Yankees veterans? Is Gonzalez enough for the Brewers? Plus we review the ceremonies from Hawk Harrelson Day, and talk about whether Minnesota GM Thad Levine’s service time comments will contribute to labor unrest. With thoughts on Byron Buxton, Eloy Jimenez, Tony Clark’s (false) cowardice, Christian Yelich’s MVP candidacy, Curtis Granderson’s leadership bona fides, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg and Wayland debate who has been the MVP among players traded at the July 31st deadline, then make fearless predictions for who will make the playoffs in the National League. Plus we pick our favorite and least-favorite Cleveland Indians of all-time. With thoughts on Cole Hamels, Manny Machado, J.A. Happ’s acedom, Kevin Gausman, Nolan Arenado being underappreciated, the struggling Phillies, Jacob DeGrom, Matt Carpenter, Matt Holliday’s return to Colorado, Jim Thome, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, and how Andrew Miller changed baseball. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By trading Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams, the Nationals seem like they’re throwing in the towel, but like most things this season they’re not great at it. On this week’s episode, we try to figure out what they’re thinking. Plus Greg is disappointed by a rain-shortened Michael Kopech Day for the White Sox, and the A’s (temporarily) catch the Astros in the Al West. Then we pick our favorite and last-favorite Texas Rangers of all-time. With thoughts on Bryce Harper, Matt Chapman, Kris Bryant’s debut game, Gio Gonzalez, Juan Gonzalez, Blake Treinen’s huge season, Addison Russell, Ivan Rodriguez, Trevor Cahill, Nolan Ryan, Rougned Odor, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys convene to rank which playoff races are most interesting (hint: not the AL Central). Plus we break down the wide open NL MVP chase, and discuss what MLB alerts are most likely to make us tune in to a game. Then we pick our favorite and least favorite Detroit Tigers of all-time. With thoughts on Freddie Freeman, Javier Baez, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander’s height, Kenley Jansen, the diaspora of great White Sox Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee, and Frank Thomas, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Kenny Rogers’ Roger Clemens-iness, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys break down why this year’s Red Sox are so much better than last year’s Red Sox, and whether they can’t count themselves World Series favorites. Then Greg rants about the White Sox’s refusal to call up their top prospects, and Wayland questions if baseball should eliminate divisions. Plus we pick our favorite and least favorite San Francisco Giants of all-time. With thoughts on Barry Bonds (duh), Mookie Betts, Chris Sale’s September troubles, Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Jeff Kent, what Ken Griffey Jr.’s nickname should/could have been, Madison Bumgarner, Willie Mays, J.T. Snow, the Yankees’ rotation troubles, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort Boys convene with instant reactions on all the trade deadline deals, including the Pirates puzzling acquisition of Chris Archer, the Rays’ savvy deals for Tommy Pham, Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows, and the Brewers loading up on infielders with Jonathan Schoop and Mike Moustakas. Plus thoughts on Manny Machado, Kevin Gausman, Adam Duvall, J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn, Zach Britton, Roberto Osuna, Ken Giles, Cole Hamels, Wilson Ramos, Asdrubal Cabrera, Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, Ian Kinsler, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Off the Bench Baseball’s Sean Morash joins Ducksnort to share his interview with Hall of Famer Dave Winfield and Don Baylor Jr. Winfield talks about memories of the All-Star game, being drafted by the Vikings without even playing football in high school, and what he misses about baseball. Then Sean asks Greg and Wayland the questions he forgot to ask Dave. Plus the Ducksnort boys break down the biggest deadline trades so far, and pick their favorite and least favorite Cincinnati Reds of all-time. With thoughts on Manny Machado, Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia, Francisco Mejia, Joe Morgan’s terrible announcing, Barry Larkin, Michael Lorenzen’s punchable face, Corey Seager, the Mets terrible ownership, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week’s episode, Greg pitches Wayland some ideas for how All-Star weekend can be improved. Plus we break down why the Cardinals’ decision to fire Mike Matheny is good for baseball, as another crusty baseball crank bites the dust. And we pick our favorite and least favorite Seattle Mariners of all-time, amidst numerous baseball tangents. With thoughts on Bryce Harper, Dexter Fowler, the World Baseball Classic, Javier Baez, Yadier Molina, Ichiro Suzuki’s singular greatness, Carlos Guillen, Bo Jackson’s aging process, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey going back-to-back, the ‘94 strike, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a weeklong vacation to rival Bones conventions, the Ducksnort boys are back in action. We pick the most pleasant surprises and biggest disappointments from the first half, plus eulogize Alcides Escobar’s consecutive games streak. Then we pick our favorite and least favorite New York Mets of all-time, which turned out to be harder than it sounds. With thoughts on Yoenis Cespedes, endless Manny Machado updates, Salvador Perez, Nick Markakis, Rick Reed’s unlikely All-Star career, the Wilpon family, Pedro Martinez, the Nationals becoming boring, Carlos Beltran, R.A. Dickey, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s been a season of small stories, so the Ducksnort boys try to figure out which one has been the biggest. But not before we break down the race between Mike Trout and Jose Ramirez for the title of best player in baseball. Plus producer Joe Weber stops by the studio to help us pick our favorite and least favorite Milwaukee Brewers of all-time. With thoughts on Miguel Sano, Prince Fielder, Bob Uecker’s icon status, Robinson Cano, Juan Soto’s unbelievable start, Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, Robin Yount vs. George Brett, Freddie Freeman, Greg Vaughn, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rumors are flying about the possibility of expansion and realignment in Major League Baseball. Greg and guest host Eric Acosta (Rick and Morty) break down the possibilities, including possible cities, the elimination of the American and National leagues, and a league-wide DH. Plus, we talk about the Mariners surprising start and whether they can keep it up. Finally, in a special edition of our “favorite/least favorite” series, Eric picks his favorite and least favorite White Sox of all-time. With thoughts on Robinson Cano coming back, Freddy Garcia, Gordon Beckham, the World Cup, Mark Buehrle, Paul Konerko, whether Felix Hernandez should get a playoff start, Nick Swisher, Jean Segura, Joey Cora, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The two best pitchers in baseball continue to defy age and physics -- but who will be better over the rest of the season? The Ducksnort boys choose between Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Plus, Shohei Ohtani’s elbow injury is a huge blow to the Angels’ chances and raises some questions: Is his 2018 season a disappointment? And how should the Angels approach his recovery? Finally, we pick our favorite and least favorite Dodgers of all-time. With thoughts on Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, hometown teams, Magglio Ordonez, Mike Piazza, Kevin Brown, Jackie Robinson’s Hall of Fame talent, Jeff Kent, Justin Upton, Eric Gagne, the Mariners’ insane record in one-run games, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Who’s going to win the NL West? That’s the big question on the Ducksnort boys’ minds, and we try to figure out an answer in this week’s episode. With the Diamondbacks struggling, the Dodgers surging, and the Rockies and Giants maintaining, we guess who will come out on top and whether it will be any fun to watch. Plus Wayland surprises Greg with a quick draft of the funnest players in the league, and we pick our favorite and least favorite New York Yankees of all time. With thoughts on Paul Goldschmidt, Francisco Lindor, Cody Bellinger’s struggles, Andrew McCutchen, forgetting about Shohei Ohtani, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Nick Swisher’s bro-iness, Madison Bumgarner, Bernie Williams’s terrible music, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2018 season is ⅓ of the way complete, so it’s a good time to check which teams are overperforming or underperforming, and guess how things will go from here. Plus the transaction market is heating up a earlier than usual, with interesting trades between the Mariners-Rays and Padres-Twins, as well as the Red Sox cutting bait on Hanley Ramirez. And the Ducksnort boys pick their favorite and least-favorite Kansas City Royals of all-time. With thoughts on Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna’s nasty-looking knee injury, Bruce Chen, Alex Colome, Phil Hughes, a RuPaul’s Drag Race update, George Brett’s stories, Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, Alex Reyes’s insane rehab assignment, Mitch Moreland, Scooter Gennett, Lorenzo Cain, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robinson Cano got popped for steroids, and we're kind of bummed about it. Greg and Wayland break down why this one hurts a little bit, and what the Mariners can do in his absence. Plus the Rays get weirder than ever by starting Sergio Romo in two straight games, but they might as well, since they’ve got nothing to lose. And the Ducksnort Boys pick their favorite and least-favorite Chicago White Sox of all time. With thoughts on Dee Gordon, James Paxton, Juan Soto’s early call-up, Kevin Cash, A.J. Pierzynski, Gordon Beckham’s mediocrity, Frank Thomas, Adam LaRoche, Michael Barrett’s sucker-punch, Joe Crede, Nelson Cruz, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Indians are hovering around .500… and in first place. The Royals have won 13 games… and aren’t in last place. So what’s up with the AL Central? Greg and Wayland break down how concerned Cleveland and Minnesota should be about their slow starts. Plus the Ducksnort Boys start a new project: picking favorite and least-favorite players for every franchise in the majors, starting with Wayland’s beloved Chicago Cubs. Then Justin Volman, CEO of the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network, joins the pod to explain his ambitious goals for changing how MLB teams scout the draft. With thoughts on Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Grace, Byron Buxton, Kerry Wood’s chubby face, Francisco Lindor, Jose Altuve, Mister Cub Ernie Banks, Corey Kluber, Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Cabrera’s rebound, and Slammin’ Sammy Sosa. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ducksnort boys dive into a packed week of MLB news, including Albert Pujols’s 3,000th hit and Ichiro Suzuki’s retirement. Greg and Wayland bid a fond farewell to Ichiro, then debate exactly how meaningful Pujol’s milestone is and what the rest of his career might look like. Plus Clayton Kershaw’s injury means the Dodgers are even more fucked than they were before, and raises the question of whether he’s still the best pitcher in the world. Finally, Wayland rants about the pace of play initiative (again) and points out that Rob Manfred’s war against inaction could mean the end of the home run trot. With thoughts on Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Mike Trout’s unbelievable season/career, Wade Boggs, perfect games, Walker Buehler, Yadier Molina’s VERY unfortunate testicular trauma, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg and Wayland react to the news that Corey Seager will miss the rest of the season, and break down exactly how much trouble the Dodgers are in. They also compare the rosters of the Astros and Angels to try and figure out whether Los Angeles can keep pace with Houston. Then friend of the podcast Evan Riney stops by to talk about his beloved Braves, who recently called up super-prosect Ronald Acuna Jr., and are surprising contenders so far in the NL East. Finally, the whole gang offers their Caray family power rankings. With thoughts on Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, whoever Rene Rivera is, Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, whoever Keynan Middleton is, Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Kenley Jansen’s struggles, Ian Kinsler’s Hall of Fame chances, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Off The Bench co-founder Max Frankel stops by to discuss his latest roster experimentation project in Out Of The Park Baseball, and play a game of Player Pick ‘Em. Plus the Ducksnort Boys recap Sean Manaea’s no-hitter, Wayland rants about how Alex Rodriguez is ruining the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball booth, and Greg invents a formula for inventing your own Curacao baseball name. With thoughts on Dylan Bundy, Jose Berrios, Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Shohei Ohtani, James Shields, Homer Bailey, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Athletic’s Levi Weaver joins Ducksnort to explain how Major League Baseball is artificially deflating minor league salaries through political lobbying, and the ways in which Commissioner Rob Manfred justified the behavior when questioned. Plus Greg and Wayland explore how the playoff teams from last year are underachieving, potentially restoring some competitive balance to the 2018 season, and try to comprehend how what Shohei Ohtani is could change baseball forever. With thoughts on Kenley Jansen, Giancarlo Stanton’s swing-and-miss game, Justin Turner, Asdrubal Cabrera and the Mets’ surprising success, Jose Quintana, the division-leading but not fear-inducing Pirates, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wayland and Greg are guest-less, so they cozy up together and talk about the extremely cold start to the 2018 baseball season. They also break down Charlie Blackmon’s contract extension with Colorado, wonder whether he could end up as the best Rockie of all-time, and guess what it portends for other non-Harper/Machado free agents. Plus a run-down of early MLB weirdness like Alex Bregman’s walk-off pop up and the Phillies hanging a 20 spot on the Marlins, as well as our slogans for teams in the NL Central. With thoughts on Todd Helton, Andrew McCutchen, Lorenzo Cain, A.J. Pollock, Eric Hosmer, Lewis Brinson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Actor/writer Sandeep Parikh stops by to discuss growing up as the son of Indian immigrants and becoming a Red Sox fan as a survival mechanism. He and Wayland also debate Boston’s 2018 outlook with Greg as the judge. Plus the Ducksnort boys weigh in on the season’s first weekend by reviewing the highlights and lowlights, and guessing which hot bats are most likely to finish the year among the league leaders. And they drop their homemade team slogans for the NL East, including a healthy dose of Gabe Kapler shade. With thoughts on Dustin Pedroia’s laser show, Wade Boggs, David Price, J.D. Martinez, Roger Clemens’s rice-punch training regiment, Ichiro Suzuki, Matt Davidson’s power surge, Bryce Harper, the Royals’ terrible pitching staff, Christian Yelich, Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen’s slow start, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sean Morash, the co-founder of Off The Bench Baseball, dials in from the Pirates Spring Training facility to help launch a new partnership between his site and Ducksnort. Together, we make the standard preseason predictions -- playoffs, World Series, awards -- and some not so standard ones (3rd place in the Cy Young voting?). Plus Wayland and Greg talk about the excitement and disappointment of the first few weeks of any MLB season, and continue their project writing promotional slogans for every Major League franchise with the teams in the AL West. With thoughts on Shohei Otani, Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Sale, Robbie Ray, David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Corey Seager, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Miguel Tejada, Corey Kluber, Eloy Jimenez, Ronald Acuna, and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.