Effectively Wild Episode 2497: Follow the Bouncing Ball

EWFI
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Ben Lindbergh and Ben Clemens banter about some suspicious variability in the ball’s behavior and whether the low-drag, high-home-run-rate times of the late 2010s have returned, Carlos Mendoza’s “departure” from the Mets, the Blue Jays’ dominance of “Phase 1” of All-Star voting, the hitters and pitchers who have most overperformed and underperformed their projections through the halfway point of the regular season, forsaking single-team fandom, platoon god Paul Goldschmidt, Dalton Rushing’s clash with Shohei Ohtani, the Pope’s audience with A.J. Pierzynski, MLB’s economic proposals, and more, plus Stat Blasts about an unusual homestand and the Nationals’ latest, not-so-greatest bullpen blowup(s).

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLFAD scoreboard
Link to bouncing ball wiki
Link to Savant drag dashboard
Link to ball carry analysis
Link to Nathan post 1
Link to Nathan post 2
Link to Nathan post 3
Link to Nathan post 4
Link to March/April scoring
Link to May scoring
Link to story about May offense
Link to June scoring
Link to MLB/Rawlings story
Link to scoring/attendance research 1
Link to scoring/attendance research 2
Link to scoring/attendance research 3
Link to scoring/attendance research 4
Link to Mets announcement tweet
Link to Mets announcement post
Link to MLBTR on Mendoza
Link to MLBTR on Green
Link to Rosenthal on Mendoza/Stearns
Link to Ben L. on team turnover
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to Phase 1 ASG voting results
Link to Sogard contest post
Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard
Link to 2025 trade value series
Link to Dan S. on batter ZiPS movers
Link to Dan S. on pitcher ZiPS movers
Link to batter preseason projections
Link to batter pace leaders
Link to batter paces vs. projections
Link to pitcher preseason projections
Link to pitcher pace leaders
Link to pitcher paces vs. projections
Link to MLBTR on Ragans
Link to Cashman on running back the roster
Link to Goldschmidt tOPS+ query
Link to Goldschmidt sOPS+ query
Link to 1B JAWS leaders
Link to Petriello on Goldschmidt
Link to Other Ben’s VEB archive
Link to Jensen HR off of Kimbrel
Link to Rushing/Ohtani video
Link to Rushing quotes
Link to Rushing postgame video
Link to Ohtani postgame video
Link to Roberts postgame video
Link to contested challenge clip
Link to dugout conferences clip
Link to mound conference clip
Link to costly missed catch
Link to Rushing bench reaction
Link to Ohtani’s Smith/Rushing splits
Link to Rosenthal on Pope/Pierzynski
Link to Papal infallibility wiki
Link to MLB proposals article
Link to MLB proposals tweet
Link to MLBPA response
Link to article on player aging
Link to aging curve research 1
Link to aging curve research 2
Link to late homestands spreadsheet
Link to BP on the Phillies comebacks
Link to Langs on the Phillies comebacks
Link to 2026 team RP WAR
Link to worst-ever team RP WAR
Link to Phillies comeback gamer
Link to last-strike-comebacks data
Link to non-Einstein quote investigation
Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen
Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen again
Link to Rockies comeback gamer
Link to Other Ben on inherited runners
Link to Stat Blast on inherited runners
Link to listener emails database
Link to SCG Con
Link to MLBTR on Minasian/Mozeliak
Link to Miz 105.5 mph story
Link to fastest tracked pitches
Link to Miz postgame comment
Link to Miz postgame clip