Who's Better Baseball

Teams are showing more flexibility with making early trades before July -- Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres, for example -- and several clubs could begin wheeling and dealing as early as this week. Would the Houston Astros dare deal Alex Bregman? Which middling NL West club -- Arizona, San Diego or San Francisco -- could survive a selloff? Do the Marlins have anything else to offer? Plus, which NL Central is in worse shape this season: St. Louis Cardinals or Cincinnati Reds.

Chris Sale is off to a fantastic start to the 2024 season with the Atlanta Braves, but is he the runaway favorite to be this year's NL Comeback Player of the Year? Could Tyler O'Neill of the Boston Red Sox and Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins challenge New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón? Plus, hosts Ryan Finkelstein (@FinkelsteinRyan) and Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) discuss the most underrated players in baseball, Kyle Tucker. Just how good many player are definitively better than the Houston Astros' 27-year-old slugger? The answer will surprise you. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7XSbr8OdO0

The MLB trade deadline may still be nearly three months away, but the Luis Arráez trade to the San Diego Padres has expedited the conversation. Plus, with Robbie Grossman headed back to the Texas Rangers, we started thinking: could we see some old faces reunite with their former clubs? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein (@finkelsteinryan) and Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) discuss some trades that would make the season a bit more exciting in the second half. Could Justin Verlander return to the Detroit Tigers? Would the Miami Marlins be willing to deal Jazz Chisholm Jr.? Is it that obvious that Kenley Jansen will go back to the Los Angeles Dodger? And what destination could be intriguing for Alex Bregman? Plus, we take a look at the latest World Series odds. Who's the outright favorite to win a ring? Which team is a bargain? And who should have much longer odds after their rough start?

On today's show, hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons each draft their picks for the five best shortstops in baseball who are currently 25 years old or younger. Who is the best in the game, Bobby Witt Jr, Gunnar Henderson, or Elly De La Cruz? Is CJ Abrams or Anthony Volpe the headliner of the next tier? They discuss all of this and more, as each drafts their teams.

Mike Trout appears to be back and better than ever, even without Shohei Ohtani. Juan Soto is in another new location, but is the Bronx and the New York Yankees where he'll win his first MVP Award? Patrick Lyons and Kevin Henry discuss who's the best player in the American League, which club in the AL East has the least issues and which players have had deceiving stat lines so far (lucky and unlucky). For more audio content, listen and subscribe to the Who's Better Baseball anywhere you can find podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-better-baseball/id1667996878 For more baseball news on X: @justbb_media @WhosBetterBB @FinkelsteinRyan @PatrickDLyons @KGH23

Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons discuss who has the best rivalry in Major League Baseball today. They also look into some slow starts this year both from pitchers and hitters and break down who will bounce back soon to be better.

Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons discuss the latest in baseball, from injuries to a couple of White Sox stars, to Trevor Story on the shelf. Also with so many pitchers on the IL who's the next crop that gets elevated in 2024? Which managers are on the early hot seat? Who will be the best of the three rookie studs named Jackson. Who's Better: the Yankees or the Orioles?

Now through more than a week of the MLB season, who are some of the best young stars who are making a name for themselves in 2024? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons break down the best up-and-coming players in each league. Also, they touch on the latest in the Tommy John epidemic, with both Shane Bieber and Spencer Strider now dealing with elbow injuries. As well, as discussing which AL Central team looks better right now, the Detroit Tigers or the Kansas City Royals?

Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons will discuss the following topics on the latest edition of Who's Better Baseball! Which Teams Are Best Prepared to Shake Off Their Rough Start? Who Will Be Better in 2024: Pirates or the Brewers? Who’s Hot Start is Real: Tyler O’Neill or Michael Conforto? Early Returns Have Been Great on MLB's Converted Relievers Who's Better: Shota Imanaga or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

Is Mookie Betts the best player in Major League Baseball? How Are the New Aces in New Places Faring So Far? How Good Can the New York Yankees Be? Will Shane Bieber be a top trade chip at the deadline? How Much Does Royce Lewis' Injury Hurt the Twins? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons answer all of these questions and more as they react to the first weekend of baseball during the 2024 season.

Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons go through each division in Major League Baseball and break down which teams improved the most this winter.

Which division will be the best in Major League Baseball during the 2024 season? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Patrick Lyons go through all six divisions and discuss which will be the best this year.

There has been a lot of debate about whether Major League Baseball's new playoff format is fair, or if it makes things too easy for their Wild Card teams. With a Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks World Series, the question is if this format is the best thing for baseball. Host Ryan Finkelstein breaks down his latest article on why there is no problem with the current playoff format, but how a few small tweaks can make it even better. https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/fixing-what-isnt-really-broken-mlbs-new-playoff-format/

Bryce Harper proclaimed that teammate Bryson Stott is the best second baseman in baseball. Where does he really rank among the MLB's best? Host Ryan Finkelstein breaks down a rough list of the top second basemen in baseball right now and how Stott trails behind players like Jose Altuve, Marcus Semien and Ketel Marte at his position, yet still finds himself among the top 10 in the game. Read the full article: https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/could-bryson-stott-really-be-the-best-second-basemen-in-mlb/

If the Philadelphia Phillies advance past the Braves again, all three Wild Card teams that made it to the divisional round will have advanced to the Championship League Series. Why are they finding so much success under the new playoff format and do changes have to be made? Host Ryan Finkelstein breaks down why these teams have advanced and why history tells us that this format is yielding no different results than what we saw previously.

The Texas Rangers have pulled off two upsets so far in the playoffs and have done so in convincing fashion, sweeping both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles. Now heading towards a potential ALCS matchup against their division rival, the Houston Astros, can the Rangers keep this rolling and advance to the World Series? Host Ryan Finkelstein breaks down his article on the Rangers advancing to the ALCS and what it would take for them to keep winning moving forward. Check out the full article here: https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/texas-rangers-too-dominant-to-be-underdogs-anymore/

The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to face of their division rival the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are heavy favorites in the NLDS. Led by the presumptive NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll, the D-Backs will look to topple a Dodgers team that features two MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Does Arizona really have a chance to pull off the upset? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Elijah Evans break down what would have to happen for the Diamondbacks to make it out of the NLDS. For the full written series preview: https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/nlds-playoff-preview-arizona-diamondbacks-vs-los-angeles-dodgers/

The Texas Rangers are riding some momentum after beating the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALWCS and now get their chance to topple another AL East giant in the Baltimore Orioles. Can Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi pitch the Rangers past the Orioles and into the ALCS? Hosts Ryan Finkelstein and Elijah Evans give a full series preview on the Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles. https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/alds-playoff-preview-texas-rangers-vs-baltimore-orioles/

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies upset the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS and went on to play in the World Series. Can they do it all again this year? In a great NLDS rematch, we will again see these two NL East rivals go head-to-head in a grudge match that could decide who will represent the NL in the World Series this year. Host Ryan Finkelstein previews the series between the Braves and Phillies. For a full written preview of the series: https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/nlds-playoff-preview-atlanta-braves-vs-philadelphia-phillies/

While the Minnesota Twins have advanced in the playoff for the first time in 21 years, they still are 21 years removed from their last appearance in the ALCS. Is this the year they get it done? The task will be tough as the team standing in their way is the Houston Astros, who have made it to the ALCS in each of the last six seasons, advancing to the World Series four times during that span. Host Ryan Finkelstein breaks down his full series preview on Twins vs. Astros and why the underdog just might win out this year. Read the written preview here: https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/alds-playoff-preview-minnesota-twins-vs-houston-astros-2/