Surprising Teams & The Cubs’ Unusual Path to the Middle

Surprising Teams & The Cubs’ Unusual Path to the Middle

From Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball by The Athletic

June 9, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

The episode discusses Manny Machado's frustrations with analytics, analyzes surprising teams in the season, and features an interview with Patrick Mooney about the Cubs' struggles and playoff prospects.

Is Manny Machado really mad about analytics, or is a tough season at the plate fueling the frustration? Today, Eno, Britt, and DVR unpack Machado’s comments and discuss whether advanced stats can help him break out of his prolonged slump. Then, they look at three of baseball’s biggest surprises this season: the White Sox, Cardinals, and Nationals. Are these teams legitimate contenders, or should they sell at the deadline? Later, Eno and DVR are joined by Patrick Mooney of The Athletic to discuss the Cubs’ disappointing season, what’s gone wrong, and whether there’s still a path back into the playoff race. Rundown: 0:36 Brewers-A’s Goes PCL: Outdoor Baseball in Vegas in June, Yikes! 7:48 Manny Machado’s Frustration: Was Analytics Rant Just Venting? 15:20 It’s About Communication: Always Has Been, Always Will Be 22:10 Longer Road Trips? Would Teams Benefit From Less Back-and-Forth? 26:13 Should They Be Buyers? Watching White Sox, Cards & Nats Closely 41:36 Braden Montgomery Gets the Call 43:58 Patrick Mooney Joins the Show 44:18 An Unusual Start: Making Sense of Cubs’ Streaky Path to 34-22 46:32 Sitting in Discomfort: Believing in the Core to Click Despite Early Struggles 49:25…

People in this episode

Hosts: Eno, Britt, DVR

Guest: Patrick Mooney

Topics covered

  • analytics in baseball
  • team performance
  • playoff race
  • Manny Machado
  • surprising teams
  • Cubs season analysis

Keywords

  • Manny Machado
  • analytics
  • Cubs
  • White Sox
  • Cardinals
  • Nationals
  • playoff race
  • trade deadline
  • baseball surprises

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Athletic, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs

Places: Vegas

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