Bases Loaded Fantasy Baseball Podcast · Fantasy Baseball | Mike Kurland | Age of Radio

EP. 200: EARLY Observations, Closer Carrousel, and More!

·1 hr 16 min·5 clips

George says José Berríos changed his zone rate from 37.5% to 46.8% across two starts.

1. Bases Loaded Fantasy Baseball Podcast episode 200 focuses on early-season fantasy baseball decisions, closer turnover, and pitcher trend-chasing. 2. Mike hosts with George Montanez, the co-host who tracks relievers for GTE and is getting married in a few days. 3. The episode asks what early April and early-season data can actually change, and whether fantasy managers should act before samples stabilize. 4. Mike recalls starting the show in 2019 with a solo episode, a sleepers-and-busts format, Josh Bell as his first sleeper, and Alberto Mondesi as his first bust. 5. He and George explain that they met through Twitter, including the wrong-number text to the wrong George Montanez and the dog they named Dinger. 6. The hosts also show an old podcast logo and joke that episode 200 still feels like a small celebration. 7. They move into the pitching environment, where Mike says the ERA and ratios are getting “absolutely decimated” across fantasy leagues. 8. George describes tilting every night over a different pitcher getting hit and says injuries have added to the early chaos. 9. Mike points to velocity changes, domes, and weather as reasons he is checking every start more granularly. 10. George says he is not chasing categories blindly, but he is watching where his teams are falling behind. 11. Mike brings up Luis Garcia of the Astros and notes that his four-seam fastball was living “middle-middle” in the zone. 12. George ties Garcia’s problems to command, fastball location, and outings where missing spots gets the pitch crushed. 13. Mike and George use Justin Steele, Sonny Gray, and Kevin Gausman to show how performance can swing quickly in either direction. 14. They discuss Edward Cabrera, who improved after changing his pitch mix and cutting down walks in two later starts. 15. George gives José Berríos a detailed read, citing a zone-rate jump from 37.5 to 46.8 and weaker contact as signs of progress. 16. He also says Berríos’s last two starts look more like a correction than a full return to peak form. 17. The tone stays conversational and process-driven, with Mike pushing examples and George answering like a daily bullpen and starts reporter. 18. The format blends nostalgia, strategy talk, and current-player breakdowns, with several detours into lineup mistakes, waivers, and roto standings. 19. Managers in deeper fantasy baseball leagues who track pitchers daily would get the most out of this episode. 20. Managers wanting polished show history or quick closer rankings may skip the longer back-and-forth.

As heard by us

A milestone episode that stays loose, practical, and useful for fantasy managers weighing pitching risk and FAAB bids.

Episode 200 feels like a small milestone, but it still sounds like two managers talking through real problems rather than dressing up the moment.

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Why you'd press play

Episode 200 is a candid check on a young arm's pitch count, innings risk, and whether the ratios and strikeouts are worth the stash.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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