The 101st episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Matt Mervis, Cubs

Interview

• Arizona Fall League 2022
  • The experience
  • Undervalued players
• The most influenctial person in Matt’s career
• How Matt signed with the Cubs
• Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week
• Analytics / tools used to prepare for games
• Is preparation about harnessing stregnths, fixing flaws or exploiting opponents’ weaknesses?
• World Baseball Classic
  • Team Israel
• How will the new MLB rules affect the game (banning the shift, pitch clock, etc.)?
• Goals for the 2023 season
• Undervalued players in the Cubs organization
• Plans until spring training
  • Cubs Con
  • Duke First Pitch Banquet
• Major league players that Matt loved watching growing up

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The 100th episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals

Interview

• Highlight of career thus far
• Difference between major leagues, minor leagues and college
• Analytics / tools used to prepare for games
• Is preparation about harnessing stregnths, fixing flaws or exploiting opponents’ weaknesses?
• Goals for the 2023 season
• Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week
• How or will Vinnie change his batting approach without the shift?
• Why did left handed hitters not attempt to bunt against the shift?
• How important is it to interact with the fans on social media?
• Who is an undervalued player on the Royals?
• The most influenctial people in Vinnie’s career
• Vinnie’s love of Vinny Testaverde and the Jets
• The toughest pitcher that Vinny has faced in the majors
  • What makes Justin Verlander so good?

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The New York episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Danielle McCartan (WFAN, NY)

Latest on the Carlos Correa saga

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

New York Mets

• What are the Mets still missing for 2023?
• How will the Mets catching situation shake out in 2023?
  • What are the plans for prospect Francisco Alvarez?
• How will Tylor Megill and David Peterson fit into the Mets plans for 2023?
  • What will be their roles?
• Kodai Senga
• Could Shohei Ohtani sign with / be traded to the Mets??

New York Yankees

• What are the Yankees still missing for 2023?
• How will the shortstop playing time shake out this year?
  • Who will be the opening day SS?
•  Who will be the Yankees’ closer in 2023?
  • How will the saves shake out?
  • Undervalued for 2023: Tommy Kahnle
• What will the Yankees do with Aaron Hicks this season?
• Will Gerrit Cole’s HR rate rebound?

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The General Manager episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Steve Phillips, Former New York Mets General Manager

Interview

• How has the General Manager’s job changed since the late 90s?
  • How has the use of analytics changed?
  • Do ballclubs still use any quick simple stats (ERA, wRC+ etc.), or do they use complicated arrays of stats?
• Has the recent free agent signings alligned with new age analytics, or have we gone back to the older style supply/demand economics and marketing?
• Which teams and players have been the winners of winter meetings / free agent signings?
  • Are the Yankees losers of the Winter Meetings (since the team hasn’t improved on paper)
• Which player has more risk for 2023 – Justin Verlander or Jacob deGrom?
• Will there be any reprecussions of the Mets going over the highest luxury tax penalty level? Is this good for Major League Baseball?
• Potential free agent contracts for Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in 2024.
• New Major League Baseball rules
  • Are these good for baseball?
  • What are some effects?
    • Will pitchers change their repitoires?
    • Will / how will infields & outfields start to shift?

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The Pitch Clock Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Andy Andres

Strategy Section

• Large free agent pitcher signings
• Who has more risk – Justin Verlander or Jacob deGrom?
• 185+ IP Pitchers
• Do we need to take an ace starting pitcher in drafts?
• Will streaming be a poor in-season strategy in 2023?

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The Beat the Shift Podcast – LIVE from First Pitch Arizona Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guests: Tristan Cockcroft & Derek Carty

2023 Projections

• How will projections handle the new MLB rule changes?
  • Hits due to banning the shift
  • Stolen Bases
  • Balanced Schedule
• Will fantasy players overreact to the changes?
• How did 2022 projections handle the universal DH?

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

Strategy Section

• What makes a risky player?
  • Can we determine / quantify player risk?
    • ATC Parameter Risk
• Should we be avoiding risk more in drafts, particularly in the early rounds?
  • Should reliable Freddie Freeman be a top-6 draft pick?
• Should risk be looked at on the (fantasy) team aggregate level, or only on an individual player basis?
  • Mike Podhorzer’s risky LABR team
• Corner Infielders in 2022 – Where was the value?
  • Where will the value be for corner infielders in 2023?

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The End of Season Wrap-Up Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Ian Kahn

Most memorable moment of the season

Fantasy MVPs

• Drafted Hitters
• Undrafted Hitters
• Drafted Starting Pitchers
• Undrafted Starting Pitchers
• Relief Pitchers

Strategy Section

• Which is more important – the draft, or in-season play?
• Should we be avoiding risk more in drafts, particularly in the early rounds?
  • Should reliable Freddie Freeman types be pushed up in drafts?
  • Jose Ramirez vs. Trea Turner vs. Aaron Judge for 2023 drafts?
• Lessons learned in 2022
  • What was the optimal closer strategy in 2022? Will it change in 2023?
  • What were some waiver wire strategy lessons learned from 2022?
  • Was the market premium for speed justified in 2022?
  • Were catchers worth taking early in drafts? Will they be worth taking early in 2023?
  • Was starting pitching worth buying early in drafts in 2022? Where should we look to purchase pitching in 2023?
• Who are some potential “Spencer Strider” type candidtates for 2023?

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The 2022 Home Stretch Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Baseball Section

• Most Valuable Player – Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani
  • What will be the terms of Judge’s next contract?
• Albert Pujols resurgence
  • Who else can join the 600 HR club?

Strategy Section

• Last two weeks FAAB
  • Leagues restricting the picking up of already dropped players
• Making sure your roster has backups at every position
• 2022 differences
  • Ending the season mid-week
  • Smaller September rosters
  • Upcoming IL stints in the final week
• Know your league settings

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The Trading Ethics Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Strategy Section

• The ethics of making late season trades
  • Trading in redraft leagues late in the season – trades between a top team to a middle/bottom team
• What should a team well out of the money be compelled to do down the stretch, and what should they not be allowed to do (if any)?
• The Mathematics of a Fair Fantasy Sports Trade (article linked)
  • Making a team “better” – is it a higher points total potential, or a higher probability of winning / cashing in a league?
• Measures that we can take to prevent late season ethics issues, and still keep engagement
  • Changing trade rules
  • Adding engagement deterrents
  • Penalties for bottom finishers

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The Reflection Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Patrick Davitt

Strategy Section

• Successful fantasy strategies in 2022
  • Spread the risk at auctions
  • Not overpaying for stolen bases
  • Find the hotspots
  • Staying away from higher risk players at the top
  • The aggregation of small value gains
• Kevin Gausman’s high BABIP
• What was the ideal closer strategy in 2022?
• Unsuccessful fantasy strategies in 2022
  • Pocket Aces
  • Taking on too much injury draft capital
• What can we do better in 2023?
  • Not relying on closers from the waiver wire
  • More stars & scrubs in mixed leagues
  • Waiver Wire
    • Not bidding too high
    • Being more patient
• How to handle starting pitchers late in season with poor upcoming matchups
• Activating starting pitchers immediately upon return from injury

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