Expand The Zone

Topics in this edition include: - Dodgers overpower Rays in World Series to snap their 32-year championship drought (0:58) - Is the Clayton Kershaw postseason narrative finally finished following his brilliant October? (9:05) - Will the Rays ever live down their decision to remove Blake Snell after 73 pitches in Game 6? (16:38) - Should Randy Arozarena's postseason records come with an asterisk given the unprecedented number of rounds this October? (25:27) - Justin Turner mars celebration by joining teammates on field after testing positive for COVID-19(28:56)

Topics in this edition include: - Recapping the tightly contested ALCS (1:03) and NLCS (7:34) - Previewing the Rays-Dodgers World Series with position-by-position breakdowns (11:04) - Predictions for the World Series (42:30)

Topics in this edition include: - Recapping the league division series matchups, including Dodgers-Padres (1:28), Braves-Marlins (9:50), A's-Astros (19:16), Rays-Yankees (29:43) - Previewing the NLCS(16:11) and ALCS (39:06) - Predicting the pennant winners (41:25)

Topics in this edition include: - Identifying each team's X-factor for the league division series round (1:04) - Which Astros hitter could be a difference-maker? (1:04) - Can Gary Sanchez contain the Rays' running game? (6:53) - Is Mike Clevinger healthy enough to keep Padres alive? (13:19) - Braves tab big question mark for Game 3 (20:49) - Predictions for each series (26:57)

Topics in this edition include: - Takeaways from each wild-card series matchup, including Rays vs. Blue Jays(3:17), A's vs. White Sox (9:56), Twins vs. Astros (15:05), Indians vs. Yankees (20:46), Dodgers vs. Brewers (26:05), Braves vs. Reds (30:49), Cubs vs. Marlins (35:09), Padres vs. Cardinals (40:35)

Topics in this edition include: - Breakdowns for each team in MLB's expanded, 16-team postseason, including the Brewers (4:28), Reds (8:02), Marlins (10:19), Cardinals (12:09), Padres (14:18), Cubs (16:54), Braves (19:52), Dodgers (22:58), Blue Jays (25:38), White Sox (29:04), Astros (31:26), Yankees (35:15), Cleveland (37:29), Twins (40:12), Athletics (42:57), and Rays (45:17) - Predicting the pennant winners in each league, as well as the World Series champion (49:51)

Topics in this edition include: - Breaking down the postseason outlook for Blue Jays, Cubs (3:52) - Handing out the year's major individual awards (9:56) - What we got wrong in 2020(24:23)

Topics in this edition include: - Breaking down the postseason picture following clinches from the A's, Padres, and Yankees (1:08) - Can you name any players from the last Padres team to make the postseason? (6:11) - What lies ahead for 37-year-old Justin Verlander as Tommy John surgery looms? (10:15) - How does Verlander's injury impact the Astros' outlook? (19:26) - Who finishes with more career homers: Edwin Encarnacion or Nelson Cruz? (24:19) - Are the 2020 struggles of superstars like Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant predictive? (29:51)

Topics in this edition include: - White Sox, Rays become first AL teams to clinch playoff berths (1:48) - What impact will a permanent 16-team postseason have on baseball's players and fans? (5:53) - Breaking down 2020's most surprising performances (17:59)

Topics in this edition include: - Examining the unique circumstances of the 2020 postseason (2:03) - Cubs righty Alec Mills joins list of improbable no-hitters (7:21) - Mets finally get new owners, usher in new era (17:38) - Can the Padres overtake the Dodgers? (29:45)

Topics in this edition include: - Will the MLBPA sign off on the club's postseason bubble plan? (1:05) - Favorite factoids from the Braves' historic 29-9 thumping of the Marlins (4:40) - Identifying the X-factors for every fringe contender in the National League (6:59) and American League (28:41)

Topics in this edition include: - Can Mike Trout reach the elusive 700-HR club? (1:04) - Can the scuffling Yankees still win it all? (11:11) - Who will win the AL MVP? (30:12)

Topics in this edition include: - Remembering Mets icon Tom Seaver, who died this week at age 75 (1:06) - Drafting lineups for the non-existent 2020 All-Star Game(5:20)

Topics in this edition include: - Breaking down the majors deals leading up to Monday's trade deadline, including the Padres' blockbuster for Mike Clevinger (1:06), the D-Backs' curious offloading of Starling Marte (8:57), and the Blue Jays' glut of low-cost, high-upside additions (14:46) - Yankees curiously decide to stand pat (23:04) - Should the Rangers have traded Lance Lynn (27:56) - Is Tommy Milone a difference-maker for the Braves (30:15)

Topics in this edition include: - Why this year's trade deadline will be unlike any other in MLB history(4:28) - Predicting the fates of several potential trade chips, including Trevor Bauer (6:38), J.T. Realmuto (11:40), Mike Clevinger (15:39), and Andrelton Simmons (26:26) - Is the psychological effect of being baseball's villains affecting the Astros? (37:26) - Which Blue Jays legacy finishes with the most career WAR: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, or Cavan Biggio? (41:24)

Topics in this edition include: - Should baseball start limiting defensive shifts? (1:16) - Did Fernando Tatis Jr. breach the unwritten rules? (10:28) - Are the floundering Angels actually cursed? (25:06) - What kind of contract does DJ LeMahieu get this offseason? (35:28) - Does Clayton Kershaw have another Cy Young in him? (38:32)

Topics in this edition include: - Will Charlie Blackmon finish the 2020 campaign with a .400 batting average? (1:13) - Parsing the two distinct brawls (and the ensuing punishments) that the Houston Astros have been involved in so far. - Who finishes with a better record: Miami or Boston? Milwaukee or Detroit? Colorado or Houston? (23:17) - Can the St. Louis Cardinals still play 60 games this season?(36:19)

Topics in this edition include: - Will Major League Baseball's second COVID-19 outbreak impact the season at all? (4:15) - Are Shohei Ohtani's days as a two-way player over? (15:24) - Determining which notable starts - from the likes of Cody Bellinger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Mike Yastrzemski, among others - are for real (24:57)

Topics in this edition include: - Can MLB navigate its first in-season COVID-19 outbreak? (1:07) - Highlighting notable starts from Shohei Ohtani, Yoenis Cespedes, Luis Robert, and Craig Kimbrel, as well as forearm injury that felled Astros ace Justin Verlander (14:22) - Is the new extra-innings rule here to stay? (25:15) - How many World Series titles do the Dodgers win over the next dozen seasons with Mookie Betts (28:07) - Breaking down the expanded 2020 postseason (35:21)

Topics in this edition include: - Predicting the division winners for the truncated, unprecedented 2020 season (2:22) - Which teams sneak into the wild-card game? Which teams make it to the Fall Classic? Which team hoists the Commissioner's Trophy come October? (36:37) - Which players take home baseball's major individual awards?(41:55)

Topics in this edition include: - Who leads MLB in homers in 2020, and how many bombs does he hit in 60 games?(3:37) - Rampant COVID-19 testing snafus intensity anxiety as Summer Camps get underway(6:27) - Cleveland mulls nickname change(18:36)

Topics in this edition include: - Is baseball going to seem normal at all this year? (2:30) - Would you opt out of the 2020 season, like several prominent players - including Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond - did? (9:27) - Melky Cabrera, Matt Kemp find new homes as roster freeze is lifted (12:34)

Topics in this edition include: - Should baseball be played in this climate, with the coronavirus still raging throughout the U.S.? (0:58) - What will this unprecedented, 60-game 2020 season look like? (7:23) - Will records made this season actually count? (18:18)

Topics in this edition (ft. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki) include: - Breaking down the dramatically shortened - and decidedly wild - 2020 MLB Draft (3:21) - Will No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson play third base for the Detroit Tigers? (7:51) - How will MLB determine the 2021 draft order without a 2020 season? (15:40) - Longtime Philadelphia Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki joins us to discuss his new Roy Halladay biography entitled "Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay" (23:03)

Black Lives Matter. We stand with those protesting against systemic racism and police brutality. Below you'll find a non-exhaustive list of activist groups and community funds dedicated to championing social justice and serving the Black community. If you're able, please donate. - Black Lives Matter (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019) - The Movement for Black Lives (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/movement-4-black-lives-1) - The Organization for Black Struggle (https://www.obs-stl.org/about-us/) - Say Her Name (https://aapf.org/supportshn) - NAACP (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1) - National Bail Fund Network (https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory)

Topics in this edition include: - How promising does a 2020 season look in the wake of the league's sliding-scale financial proposal to the MLBPA? (3:40) - Was Trevor Bauer right to call out Scott Boras for "meddling" in MLBPA affairs? (12:45) - This Legend is Overrated: Catfish Hunter (17:29)

Topics in this edition include: - As momentum builds toward a potential 2020 season, can the league and the MLBPA reach a new financial agreement? (2:24) - How can MLB enforce its staggering number of health-and-safety protocols?(16:03) - This Legend is Overrated: Tom Glavine (21:22)

In today's crossover episode extravaganza, Jonah and Michael join the Pound the Rock lads, Joe Wolfond and Joseph Casciaro, to discuss whether Michael Jordan - who unexpectedly retired from basketball in 1994 to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional baseball player - would've made it to the big leagues had he not returned to the Chicago Bulls after one season in Double-A.

Topics in this edition include: - Does Sammy Sosa belong in the Hall of Fame? (2:18) - First impressions of KBO play (7:09) - Momentum builds for MLB start even as COVID-19 situation worsens in U.S. (19:23) - This Legend is Overrated: Fernando Valenzuela (25:16)

Topics in this edition include: - Which baseball story - or character - deserves a docuseries a la "The Last Dance"? (3:28) - Breaking down the new plan for a late-June start - and a radical division realignment - that's generating optimism among MLB officials (7:01) - What could de-legitimize a shortened season? (16:02) - This Legend is Overrated: Kirby Puckett (20:00)

Topics in this edition include: - Did the Red Sox get off easy with MLB's sign-stealing investigation? (6:58) - Will Alex Cora work for a big-league organization again? (17:23) - This Legend is Overrated: Luis Aparicio (22:31)

Topics in this edition include: - How feasible is MLB's plan to start the season in May, with all 30 teams playing in Arizona while leaving in isolation? (2:31) - This Legend is Overrated: Cy Young(18:15) - Who will win each division and major award in 2025? (27:33)

Topics in this edition include: - Is it fair if former Astros manager A.J. Hinch and former GM Jeff Luhnow serve their suspensions during a cancelled season? (3:02) - Will Dusty Baker manage a single game with Houston? (7:57) - Should MLB adopt an extra-innings Home Run Derby to decide games in 2020, as Justin Turner suggested? (9:25) - Jonah and Michael draft baseball's all-time best lineups (14:39)

Topics in this edition include: - What does the new MLB-MLBPA 2020 contingency agreement mean for service time? Compensation? Draft-eligible amateurs? - Is Red Sox ace Chris Sale, who is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, the best pitcher to never win a Cy Young? - How will the New York Mets fare without Noah Syndergaard, who will miss all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery?

Topics in this edition include: - Is a shortened season now inevitable for MLB? - What could a shortened season look like? - Could the World Series be played in a neutral zone? - How will the MLBPA deal with service time in a shortened campaign? - What are some of the casualties of a shortened 2020 season?

Topics in this edition include: - Breaking down the impact of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Major League Baseball - Should MLB postpone Opening Day amid the growing public health concern? - How could MLB make up games following an extended postponement?

In the fifth and final episode of our second annual season preview series, we're getting you ready for the 2020 campaign by discussing the contenders, with bold predictions and players to watch for each team projected to finish first in its respective division. Clubs discussed in this episode, with projections provided by PECOTA, include: - New York Yankees (2:23) - Minnesota Twins (13:48) - Houston Astros (23:04) - New York Mets (34:17) - Cincinnati Reds (40:21) - Los Angeles Dodgers (46:57) And if you haven't yet filled out our anonymous listener feedback survey, you can find it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXgDKGcmMWMzxSrZ-Dh_NZkIQzxdrOQsp1ry3sQrDEcXwEHA/viewform

In the fourth episode of our second annual five-part season preview series, we're getting you ready for the 2020 campaign by discussing the wild-card contenders, with bold predictions and players to watch for each team projected to finish second in its respective division. Clubs discussed in this episode, with projections provided by PECOTA, include: - Tampa Bay Rays (1:59) - Cleveland Indians (12:42) - Los Angeles Angels (20:56) - Washington Nationals (27:41) - Chicago Cubs (32:29) - Arizona Diamondbacks (38:32)

In the third episode of our second annual five-part season preview series, we're getting you ready for the 2020 campaign by discussing the middle-of-the-packers, with bold predictions and players to watch for each team projected to finish third in their respective division. Clubs discussed in this episode, with projections provided by PECOTA, include: - Boston Red Sox (8:34) - Chicago White Sox (16:16) - Oakland A’s (23:27) - Atlanta Braves (30:07) - St. Louis Cardinals (36:11) - San Diego Padres (44:10)

In the second episode of our second annual five-part season preview series, we're getting you ready for the 2020 campaign by discussing the also-rans, with bold predictions and players to watch for each team projected to finish fourth in their respective division. Clubs discussed in this episode, with projections provided by PECOTA, include: - Toronto Blue Jays (2:59) - Detroit Tigers (14:16) - Texas Rangers (23:40) - Philadelphia Phillies (28:50) - Milwaukee Brewers (37:43) - Colorado Rockies (44:46)

In the first episode of our second annual five-part season preview series, we're getting you ready for the 2020 campaign by discussing the bottom-feeders, with bold predictions and players to watch for each team projected to finish last in their respective division. Clubs discussed in this episode, with projections provided by PECOTA, include: - Baltimore Orioles(3:26) - Kansas City Royals (12:24) - Seattle Mariners (20:10) - Miami Marlins (29:24) - Pittsburgh Pirates (38:32) - San Francisco Giants (44:53)

Topics in the edition include: - Should Mike Trout still be going first overall in fantasy? - Who should you target to win your league? - Who should you avoid? - Who is this year's Chris Paddack? - Jonah Birenbaum interviews top pitching prospect Nate Pearson from Toronto Blue Jays spring camp in Dunedin, Fla. - Can Rob Manfred make it out of this scandal with his job? - How many brawls do the Astros get into? - Who will join the Yankees and Dodgers as 100-game winners this year?

Topics in this edition include: - Breaking down the restructured Mookie Betts blockbuster (2:06) - Weighing the pros and cons of the radical, 14-team postseason format MLB is currently considering (8:41) - Which new rule for 2020 will be the most impactful? (22:06) - Is Carlos Beltran's Hall of Fame case in jeopardy after the most recent sign-stealing revelations? (24:29) - Why is Yasiel Puig still unsigned?(32:08) - Is there any chance the Rays' sister city proposal happens? (34:04)

We want to hear from you! Be sure to fill out our Expand the Zone listener survey. (Link: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXgDKGcmMWMzxSrZ-Dh_NZkIQzxdrOQsp1ry3sQrDEcXwEHA/viewform) It's completely anonymous so you can slag on us as ferociously as you like! Topics in this edition include: - Breaking the down the Red Sox' disheartening decision to trade away superstar Mookie Betts - Are the Dodgers as good as the Yankees now that they have Mookie Betts and David Price? - Did the Red Sox at least do well by landing Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol? - What's the Twins' outlook after adding Kenta Maeda? - Is Ross Stripling the best starter in the Angels' rotation? How does Joc Pederson figure into their outfield? - Who is the Yankees' fifth starter now that James Paxton could miss two months? - Which is the worst team in baseball?

Topics in this edition include: - How much better does Nick Castellanos actually make the Reds? - Are the D-Backs wild-card contenders after adding Starling Marte? - Is Dusty Baker the perfect hire for the Astros? - Will the Cubs deal Kris Bryant now that he officially lost his grievance? - Which team should a new fan root for?

Topics in this edition include: - Larry Walker finally gets long-deserved Hall of Fame call - Does the fact that Derek Jeter wasn't a unanimous electee matter? - How much worse are the Braves with Marcell Ozuna instead of Josh Donaldson? - What does Ozuna's one-year deal mean for Nicholas Castellanos? - Is Curt Schilling bound for Cooperstown? - Who lasts longer in Colorado: Nolan Arenado or Jeff Bridich?

Topics in this edition include: - Did Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman wear electronic buzzing devices under their uniforms as part of the Astros' sign-stealing enterprise? - Will MLB launch another investigation into the Astros? - If found guilty, what kind of penalties could Altuve and Bregman expect? - Breaking down Carlos Beltran's ouster with the Mets

Topics in this edition (ft. roving co-host Brandon Wile) include: - Was the Astros' punishment for electronically stealing signs too harsh? Was it harsh enough? - What kind of discipline will the now-unemployed Alex Cora face? - Will the fallout have any league-wide consequences? - Should the Mets fire Carlos Beltran, who was implicated in the scandal? - With Josh Donaldson, are the Twins cruising to another division win? - Which Donaldson suitor was hurt the most? Braves? Dodgers? Nationals?

Topics in this edition include: - Where will Josh Donaldson sign? - Will he get the $110-million deal he's seeking? - Who is most likely to be dealt of Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, and Kris Bryant? - How will baseball change this decade? - Is Marcus Semien worth $100 million?

Topics in this edition include: - Can the Blue Jays contend for a wild-card spot after signing Hyun-Jin Ryu? - Are the White Sox division favorites after adding Dallas Keuchel and Edwin Encarnacion? - Who finishes with more wins in 2020: the revamped White Sox or flailing Cubs? - Should the BBWAA take the character clause more seriously when considering who to elect into the Hall of Fame?

Topics in this edition include: - Why would Cleveland trade two-time Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber to Texas for Delino DeShields Jr. and a relief pitching prospect? - Are the Diamondbacks a wild-card contender with Madison Bumgarner atop their rotation? - What would Jonah and Michael, respectively,l take "horse-town discounts" for? - Can the title-starved Dodgers - who missed out of top free agents Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon - still salvage their offseason?