The ABS Strike Zone is Crushing Some Pitchers, How Can They Adjust?
Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball
The Athletic
4.7 • 875 Ratings
🗓️ 21 May 2026
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Little League homers are making a comeback — at least for now — as the numbers have spiked across MLB this season. Eno, Trevor, and DVR break down what’s driving the surge in inside-the-park home runs, which pitchers have been hurt most by ABS, and who the most underrated relievers in baseball are in 2026. Later, the guys answer a Discord question about how MLB’s paternity list works and what it’s like balancing fatherhood with life in the big leagues.
Rundown:
0:30 Little League Home Runs: Are They Way Up This Season?
7:36 ABS Zone Impact: Which Pitchers Are Getting Hurt Most?
15:42 More Walks From Lefties?
19:46 Will Depth of Arsenal Guide Rebounds?
28:15 Who Succeeds at the Top of the Zone?
30:28 Underrated Relievers
51:30 Paternity List & Baseball Dads: How Does It Work?
Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social
Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social
Follow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.bsky.social
e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris
With: Trevor May
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today on Rates and Barrels, we wonder, is it just us or are Little League homers up this year? |
| 0:05.2 | Automated balls and strikes has given us a new strike zone. |
| 0:08.3 | Who's it hurting? |
| 0:09.4 | And let's talk about some of the most underrated relievers in the game right now. |
| 0:13.8 | Let's go. |
| 0:25.2 | Welcome to Rates and barrels. It is Thursday, May 21st, Derek Van Riberino-Seres, Trevor May here with you. |
| 0:30.2 | Getting started today, is everybody going to hit a Little League home run this year? |
| 0:34.6 | I did see this very thought that I had recently pop up on Reddit this |
| 0:38.7 | morning in the R baseball section. Is it just me or have there been an insane amount of Little |
| 0:44.7 | League home runs in the 2026 MLB season? There were two yesterday alone, David Hamilton and Dominic |
| 0:51.1 | Smith each had one. Shohei had one against the Angels over the weekend. |
| 0:55.3 | I think there were one or two other ones within the last couple of weeks. |
| 0:58.4 | It just, it seems like a fluky weird thing, but at the same time, I'm here for it, Trevor. |
| 1:03.8 | Give me more Little League home runs. |
| 1:06.1 | I mean, that's what the people want. |
| 1:07.5 | It's exciting. |
| 1:08.9 | It's exciting. |
| 1:09.9 | Run it. |
| 1:10.7 | I was watching the brewers |
| 1:12.3 | cups yesterday when hamilton hit his and uh just seeing his eyes light up when he saw the |
| 1:17.3 | ball go by arguably one of the best center fielder's in the league defensively like a guy a ball |
| 1:23.0 | gets by a pca you better you better go uh that was a weird game just in general. There was there was |
... |
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