With less than two weeks until the 2018 postseason, the Atlanta Braves seem to be the favorites to take the NL East crown, despite having the eighth best record in baseball since July 1. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers try to figure out how the Braves have been able to overcome a mediocre second half and why Ronald Acuña Jr. is integral to Atlanta's postseason plans. Later in the show, the Statcast guys discuss the best team in baseball that isn't the Red Sox and why the Dodgers' pitching staff is intriguing and they introduce the newest Statcast metric.

Among the powerhouse offenses in baseball, over the last 30 days, the Oakland A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays have come to the forefront as being the best in the game. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers examine how these two unlikely teams are putting up big numbers, just in time for a weekend series in St. Petersburg. Later in the podcast they discuss how the Mets have become kind of good, what’s going on with Marcell Ozuna and if Eric Hosmer is finally trying to get the ball off the ground. 

The Angels and Shohei Ohtani received disappointing news on Wednesday when Tommy John Surgery was recommended for the star Japanese hitter and pitcher. The news didn't seem to slow Shohei down, as he went 4-for-4 with two home runs against the Texas Rangers following the diagnostic. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discuss how the Angels might proceed with Ohtani if he gets the surgery and why making him an opener could make sense. Also on the podcast this week they break down Trevor Story's epic three-home run night, why the Astros' bullpen is fascinating and the first MLB home run from Statcast podcast darling Yandy Diaz.

On the latest edition of the Statcast podcast, host Mike Petriello is joined by White Sox play-by-play man Jason Benetti as they discuss a slew of ChiSox storylines, including the White Sox current rebuild, Michael Kopech’s impressive control and a few things you might not know about legendary broadcaster Hawk Harrelson. They also talk about where the White Sox rank in MLB with their stat knowledge and reminiscing about the 2018 Home Run Derby.

On a very special episode of the Statcast Podcast, 14-time All-Star Alex Rodriguez joins host Mike Petriello to discuss a multitude of topics including his opinion of the shift, if it's harder to be a hitter now compared to earlier in his career, how he prepares for broadcasts and much more. Also on the podcast, Mike and national editor Matt Meyers discuss an unexpected outcome of the Rays opener experiment, Michael Kopech making his debut with the White Sox and four players that are turning their seasons around. 

The A's are winning games in the most 2018 way possible, and they're on track to set the weirdest possible record, weird enough that Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers actually start talking about bunts. Also, what's wrong with Luis Severino? Mike and Matt dig into the data, then check in on exit velocity metrics from young hitters Kyle Tucker and David Bote, then welcome in MLB Network host Brian Kenny to discuss Friday's Mets vs. Phillies "SABRcast."

Javier Baez has been a fixture in the Cubs lineup for the past three seasons and has earned a reputation for swinging and chasing pitches during his at-bats. However, this season, the usual heavy swinging Baez is swinging even more, and it just might be the reason he’s having an MVP caliber season. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers examine how Baez has dropped his strikeout rate and upped his slugging by swinging at more pitches than he’s done in the past. Later in the podcast they talk about Joc Pederson and Bryce Harper turning their seasons around, Harrison Bader becoming the most interesting outfielder you don’t know and what the Rockies are doing for their rotation that pretty much no other team is doing. 

As the 2018 non-waiver trade deadline came and went this past week, we saw a flurry of moves throughout baseball including some surprising deals and others that were inevitable. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers take a look at some of the deals that went down, including Chris Archer to the Pirates, Mike Moustakas and Jonathan Schoop to the Brewers and Tommy Pham to the Rays. They also discuss a little later on if a new team has risen to the top of the rankings for best defensive outfield in baseball. 

The Yankees have arguably made the biggest trade of the season so far by acquiring Zach Britton from the Orioles in exchange for three minor leaguers prior to next weeks deadline. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers break down the deal that will make the Yankees already dominant bullpen that much stronger and how Aaron Boone will manage it. They also talk about what's going on with the surging Oakland A's and if Bryce Harper could be a trade target, a couple teams that don't necessarily need to make a move before the 31st and a few trade predictions.

With the 2018 mid-summer classic in the rearview mirror, teams aren't holding back on making deals to bolster their clubs before the trade deadline. Just in the past few days, the Dodgers landed Manny Machado from the Orioles and the Indians picked up Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the Padres. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discuss the latest moves and how it will affect the pennant race down the stretch. Later in the podcast they talk about a few relievers you probably don't know that might get traded, what contenders have the biggest holes they need to fill and a recap of All-Star Weekend.

On this episode of the Statcast podcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers are joined by former Mets Sr. Director of Baseball Operations and former Braves assistant GM Adam Fisher to the podcast to discuss working in a baseball front office and what the trade deadline season, from a front office perspective, is like. They also talks about what it was like for Adam to work in the sport when the statistical revolution got started, the deadline moves that he was a part of that helped propel the Mets to the 2015 World Series and what the next advantage that front offices might start utilizing in the future. 

The Washington Nationals were supposed to be the lead dog in the NL East for the 2018 season. Instead, they currently find themselves seven games behind the divisional leaders Atlanta Braves in third place. Because of that, the Nationals could very well become sellers at the trading deadline. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discuss why Washington may consider trading upcoming free agent Bryce Harper and what kind of return it could net the Nats. They also talk about a few dark horse trade candidates, something you might not know about Aaron Judge, the most interesting minor league pitcher you probably don’t know and why the return of Luis Perdomo to the bigs has Matt excited.

Freddy Peralta might be someone you’ve never heard of, but what he’s accomplishing for the Milwaukee Brewers this season is remarkable. Even though Freddy has only been in the bigs for a short time, he’s become the only pitcher since 1908 to strikeout five or more batters and give up three or fewer hits in his first four starts. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers take a look at how Peralta has managed to be so successful with the Brew Crew despite throwing his 91 mph fastball 80% of the time. Later they discuss four hitters who are turning it around despite their rough start, the Tampa Bay Rays having some of the best pitching stats since their “opener” experiment began and Mike Trout’s still doing crazy good things. 

The defending champion Houston Astros play in a ballpark that has had the stigma of being hitters park. With the "Crawford Boxes" being only 315 feet down the left field line, one would think it's safe to make that assumption. However, after much research, Statcast host Mike Petriello takes a look at why Minute Maid Park has in fact become the opposite and how the numbers can back that up. Mike also discusses some of the notable Statcast moments from this past week, if Giancarlo Stanton is starting to turn it around, another ridiculous stretch of games from Mike Trout and a conversation between the Dodgers Max Muncy and MLB.com Dodgers beat reporter Ken Gurnick. 

When Cardinals pitcher Jordan Hicks exploded onto the scene this season by throwing the fastest pitches in 2018, topping out at 105 MPH, many people asked themselves “who is this guy?” As a prospect that was in the Single-A ball in 2017 and was the first player cut from the Cardinals 2018 spring training camp, Hicks has become a bright spot for St. Louis’ pitching staff this season. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers talk about what Jordan is doing to be so successful in the bigs and why the change to his slider has been key. They also discuss the most improved pitchers this season in baseball, hitters that aren’t living up to their projected stats and why Max Muncy has been one of the best hitters in baseball.  

Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts are a big reason for the Boston Red Sox success in 2018. After both played through injuries during the 2017 season, they've statistically become the more improved hitters this season. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers examine how they've gotten better, as well as a surprising addition to the list. Later in the podcast, Mike and Matt discuss if the Brewers have the best defense in baseball, the Rays pitcher who has had the best start this season and why you should know who Daniel Palka is. 

When the Dodgers placed Clayton Kershaw went on the DL earlier this month for left biceps tendinitis, there was a sense of panic. However, despite losing their ace for the majority of May, the blue crew has managed to not just survive but also thrive. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers talk about how the Dodgers have been able to stay afloat despite the rash of early season injuries that they've experienced. They also talk about who the most underrated slugger in baseball is, the hot start that Gleyber Torres has gotten off to and who is baseballs most dangerous catcher.

The increased number of home runs hit in baseball has become a hot button subject with many searching for answers, including Commissioner Manfred. That’s why he put together a committee of scientists to try and find out what has caused the baseball to fly out at such alarming rates. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers are joined on the podcast by the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Alan Nathan, a professor of physics emeritus at the University of Illinois. They discuss the groups findings, along with what expectations he had going into the study and how they put the committee together. Later in the podcast, Mike and Matt talk hot defensive takes on Manny Machado, Mike Trout and Josh Donaldson, along with which team should be next to try the Tampa Bay Rays/Sergio Romo starting experiment. 

The surprising Atlanta Braves currently own the best record in the National League and have some of the most exciting players in baseball on their squad. With the call-ups of Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna, along with the already established stars like Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis, the Braves are trying to prove the naysayers wrong. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers take a look at why the Braves have been so successful and if they can sustain it through the rest of the season. Later in the show, the Statcast crew examines if the Cleveland Indians offense is back to what people expected and they talk about all the new shift data courtesy of Baseball Savant. 

Didi Gregorius had a fantastic month of April and currently leads the Bronx Bombers in batting average, runs scored, home runs and RBI, all the while being named the American League Player of the Month. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers, using Statcast data, explores why Didi has been crushing it at the plate this season and isn’t only a product of Yankee Stadium. They also take a look at James Paxton’s no-hitter against the Blues Jays, who the best reliever in baseball is, the Rockies success at the plate on the road and why getting 3,000 hits is bogus. 

As the calendar turns to May, the majority of MLB teams have already played out roughly 20 percent of their schedule so now is a good time to examine which outfield defenses have improved the most in 2018. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers, with the use of Statcast metrics, take a look at why certain teams outfield defense has gotten better and what factors might be playing a part in that. They also discuss the early impact of the D-Backs using a humidor in Arizona, why Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies have made the Braves so interesting, five young hitters that are intriguing and much more.

Giancarlo Stanton was arguably the biggest acquisition by the New York Yankees this past offseason. While it was unrealistic for Stanton to pick-up where he left off following his 2017 MVP seasoe, he has struggled since joining the Bronx Bombers. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers examine the early season struggles from Giancarlo, as well as other players like Yu Darvish and Lucas Giolito, and what we can conclude from the Statcast data. Later in the podcast, the guys take a look at what player has added the most speed to his game this season and some interesting notes about the Padres’ Franchy Cordero. 

With the first month of the baseball season past the halfway point, the Statcast crew examines some of the best small sample sizes they’ve seen so far. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discusses small sample sizes from Brandon Nimmo, Adam Ottavino, Rick Porcello, Craig Stammen, among others, and how much stock one should take in these early samples. Later in the podcast they discuss the DJ LeMahieu’s impressive start to the season, buying or selling the Atlanta Braves hot offense, a reliever you need to know about and the rollout of the 2018 sprint speed leaderboard.

When the Phillies signed Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal this past offseason, many thought there would be some pressure to make a good, first impression with his new club. However, Carlos has gotten off to a rough start at the dish but how much of that has been bad luck? Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers talk about why Santana is leading the way as a hard luck hitter this season and why Phillies fans should still be encouraged in his production, despite his numbers being down. Also in this weeks podcast, they chat about how the Mets created two great relievers for their bullpen, the most interesting reliever that nobody has heard of, an important reliever you should be worried about and an update on Shoehi Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani was one of the biggest storylines going into the 2018 season, and he hasn’t disappointed only a week in. After an impressive first start on the mound, Ohtani followed up by slugging his first MLB career home run on Tuesday night. Statcast host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discuss the “Japanese Babe Ruth’s” first week in the bigs and if he was more impressive at the plate or on the mound. Also in this weeks’ podcast, they talk about elite exit velocity following Giancarlo Stanton’s home run at Yankee Stadium and an update to hit probability. Finally, Mike sits down with the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins to chat about how he developed his swing, how he positions himself in the outfield and playing for a manager who is more analytically focused.