Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Are MLB’s Aging Stars Starting to Decline? Turner, Machado & J-Ram

September 16, 2026·1h 0m
Episode Description from the Publisher

Are Trea Turner, Manny Machado and José Ramírez beginning to show real signs of decline — or are MLB’s aging stars poised to bounce back in 2027?DVR, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie dig into three veteran hitters on the wrong side of 30 and examine what the underlying numbers tell us about where their careers are headed. José Ramírez continues to provide plenty of fantasy value despite an injury-altered season, while Manny Machado’s declining hard-contact numbers raise questions about how much elite production remains.Then DVR takes a deep dive into Trea Turner’s surprising 2026 season. Turner’s bat speed still looks healthy, but his production against fastballs has fallen, his swing decisions have changed and his overall offensive production has dropped significantly. A surprising comparison with Xander Bogaerts may also offer a better idea of what Turner could look like over the second half of his long-term contract.First, Baseball News You Should Know covers another huge moment from Junior Caminero, Pete Alonso’s return to Citi Field, the Guardians-White Sox playoff battle and a razor-thin AL West race between the Astros and Rangers.Finally, Closing the Tab heads to Washington. The Nationals have made a massive offensive leap in Year 1 under their new front office, but questions remain about their pitching development. DVR, Eno and Jed look at what changed in Washington, the next wave of pitching prospects and the rapid ascent of 18-year-old Eli Willits.Plus, Jed puts a new spin on Name That Dude with the help of a pack of 2026 Topps Chrome.#MLB #FantasyBaseball #TreaTurner #MannyMachado #JoseRamirez #RatesAndBarrels00:00 Intro02:03 Junior Caminero Is Fearless at the Plate04:42 Pete Alonso Returns to Citi Field08:31 Guardians-White Sox Delivers Again11:29 Astros & Rangers Battle for the AL West15:09 What's Going On With Wyatt Langford?16:49 Decline or a Cliff?17:12 Is José Ramírez Finally Slowing Down?25:32 What’s Happening to Manny Machado?37:39 What Happened to Trea Turner?38:59 Turner’s Fastball & Swing-Decision Problems40:25 Trea Turner vs. Xander Bogaerts45:45 Closing the Tab: Washington Nationals49:50 Can the Nationals Fix Their Pitching?57:14 Eli Willits’ Incredible Rise57:34 Name That Dude: Topps Chrome Edition1:00:40 The Mystery Player RevealedLike, Subscribe and drop us a comment!First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.socialFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsRates & Barrels MERCH https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer: McEnroe FrancisEditor: McEnroe Francis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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