Checking In on Several Young Pitchers
Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball
The Athletic
4.7 • 875 Ratings
🗓️ 28 May 2026
⏱️ 60 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After breaking out last season, Nolan McLean has come back down to Earth a bit in 2026. Today, Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss whether the Mets right-hander still has future ace potential. Plus, the guys dig into Andrew Painter’s progress, Bubba Chandler’s arrival, and what JR Ritchie’s return to Triple-A means for his long-term outlook. Later, they tackle perhaps the biggest question on today’s show: What the heck is going on with Paul Skenes?
Rundown:
1:15 Checking In on Nolan McLean
11:52 Pitches That Move *Too Much*?!
19:32 Andrew Painter’s Progress
26:40 Corbin Burnes’ Fastball Tweaks Might Help
32:23 Bubba Chandler’s Arrival
38:45 JR Ritchie’s Outlook After Return to Minors
46:58 Quick Pitches: Andrew Alvarez, Trevor McDonald & Coleman Crow
53:43 Paul Skenes’ Changes: Is Everything OK?
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.bsky.social
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Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
With: Trevor May
Editor: Jason Potere
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today on Rates and Barrels, we discuss several young pitchers and wonder if Nolan McLean is still on track to become an ace. |
| 0:06.1 | Then we'll talk about all sorts of pitchers you're thinking about dropping or picking up like Andrew Alvarez or Paul Skeens. |
| 0:13.0 | Everything's fine with Skeens, right? Let's go. |
| 0:16.0 | Music Welcome to rates and barrels. |
| 0:27.1 | It is Thursday, May 28th. |
| 0:28.7 | Derek Van Riper, you know, Sarah. |
| 0:29.8 | Trevor May here with you for a pitcher, Jambaru. |
| 0:33.2 | Lots of questions about young pitchers on this episode. |
| 0:37.0 | A mailbag question about Paul Skeens. |
| 0:39.1 | Is something wrong with Paul Skeens? Probably not, but we'll take a look at that a little bit later on in the show. |
| 0:45.6 | Trevor, how's it going for you on this Thursday? |
| 0:47.9 | Good. It's sunny up here, and I hear it's raining everywhere else, which is usually not how this works, so I'll take it. |
| 0:55.2 | Yeah, if it's raining where Eno is and it's nice where you and I are, then we are doing great. Eno, on the other hand, struggling |
| 1:00.6 | as a result. Yeah, rain throws a wrench and everything. The dogs don't want to walk. The kid needs |
| 1:07.6 | a ride instead of riding his bike. Everything is upside down in my house right now. |
| 1:14.1 | Well, everything's been upside down for Nolan McLean over the last two starts, |
| 1:18.1 | which is enough for people to panic about guys, |
| 1:20.6 | even though it's, to me, probably typical growing pains. |
| 1:23.8 | But it's been a minute since we've checked in on his progress. |
| 1:26.6 | He's fourth among rookie pitchers in war so far. |
| 1:30.1 | Parker Messick, Trey, Savage, Peyton Toley are the three ahead of him. |
| 1:33.3 | He's got a 440 ERA and a 109 whip so far. |
... |
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