Baseball Beyond Batting Average

Baseball Beyond Batting Average

An introduction to advanced baseball metrics, one stat at a time. Mark and Andy investigate the meaning and history of advanced baseball stats in an effort to shine some light on the "new" ways of evaluating players.

Episodes

80 - 1999 Hall of Fame Ballot

August 16, 2026 • 101 mins
Mark and Andy take on a new type of topic: the players that make up--or were excluded from--the 1999 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. This particular ballot was chock full of players who eventually were elected to the Hall of Fame, as well as plenty of others who have come very close. Your hosts highlight a player at each position whose career was noteworthy for one reason or another. As usual, they wrap it up with a scintillating rou...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

79 - Batting Average

July 6, 2026 • 60 mins
Three years to the day since their last episode, Mark and Andy come back with an episode that may seem to defy the spirit of the show. However, maybe one cannot go beyond batting average without fully understanding batting average. Our hosts explore the genesis of the stat, why it has persisted despite its flaws, and which players have made it their calling card--as well as those for which the Mendoza line was a constant measuring ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

78 - The Voices of Baseball

July 6, 2023 • 85 mins
Mark and Andy are joined by special guest Kirk McKnight, author of The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect on America's Pastime to talk about the newest edition of the book, as well as the usual assortment of baseball statistics, odds, and ends. McKnight brings to the episode a wealth of knowledge about MLB's teams, players, and stadiums culled from dozens of interviews with the broadcasters baseball fans h...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

77 - Boones vs. Bells

June 21, 2023 • 68 mins
Mark and Andy determine once and for all who the first family of baseball is, the Boones or the Bells. Taking into account multiple pieces of data, both stats-based and otherwise, the competition between these uncannily-matched combatants comes down to the wire and a surprising finish gives a slight edge to the gang you might not expect. Your hosts finish up the episode with a less-close round of Roll The Stat, America's Favorite B...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

76 - 2001 Mariners

February 11, 2022 • 75 mins
The 2001 Mariners won as many regular season games as any team in baseball history, but fell short of playoff success. How did a team without Griffey, A-Rod, and Big Unit reach such heights? Mark and Andy are back to do a statistical deep dive into the winningest regular season team in history, position by position and player by player, and leave no stone unturned. Along the way, questions emerge: Who was Charles Gipson? Was Paul A...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

75 - Forgotten Stars of the 1980s

November 20, 2021 • 89 mins
Mark and Andy are back for another episode of your favorite advanced stats baseball podcast. This time they are highlighting forgotten stars of the 1980s. While it may seem that the 1980s were just a few short years ago and thus none of the stars was forgotten, your hosts attempt to find some names that may be underappreciated or that produced some seasons that may not be remembered as well as they should be. Enjoy remembering some...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

74 - 20 Runs, 162 Games

July 31, 2021 • 81 mins
Mark and Andy are back for another installment of their baseball stats exploration. Andy explores the list of the 70 20-20 seasons in baseball history. No, not home runs and stolen bases, but 20 batting runs and 20 fielding runs. Mark takes a look at noteworthy accomplishments in the first 162 games of players' careers. Who had the most hits? The most home runs? The most strikeouts? What happened to Kal Daniels? You'll get answers ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

73 - 100 RBIs and Pitcher Hitting

March 21, 2021 • 77 mins
Mark and Andy are back with their latest statistical explorations into baseball's history. This time, Mark looks at some of the most extreme--and worst--100 RBI seasons ever put together. Let's just say Tony Armas figures prominently. Andy takes on the scorching hot topic of pitchers hitting, both the best and worst of all-time. Randy Johnson falls into one of those categories. It all wraps up with a round of Roll The Stat, in whic...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

72 - Adam Darowski

March 6, 2021 • 94 mins
Mark and Andy are joined by Adam Darowski of Baseball Reference to talk about some advanced hitting stats that were recently added to players' pages, rBat+ and rOBA, as well as many other baseball-related topics, including his Hall of Stats site. Learn how these new stats are calculated, how they came to be on the page, and where the all-time greats rank according to the measures. Use your newfound knowledge to play along with a ga...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

71 - Manager Stats & Game Scores

February 21, 2021 • 67 mins
Mark and Andy pare down their normal gargantuan episodes into one that can be digested in a shorter amount of time. The topics this time are "manager stats"--really an investigation into a team's actual performance vs. their record based on their total WAR--and game scores, the Bill James stat used to evaluate starting pitching performances. Both topics are revelatory and fun, and lead to another round of Roll The Stat, this time g...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

70 - Forgotten Stars of the 1960s

February 8, 2021 • 125 mins
Mark and Andy are joined on this episode by baseball stats guru Jim Passon. The hosts and their guest take turns highlighting some of the less-remembered stars of the 1960s. As over 50 years have passed since the primes of their careers, players like Floyd Robinson, Don Mincher, and Jim Maloney are not household names. They all had their moments of glory, however, and this episode serves to remind us of those moments. Stay to the e...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

69 - 1990 National League

January 19, 2021 • 100 mins
Mark and Andy are joined by Mark and Jeff from the Two Strike Noise podcast to create a foursome of podcasticness never seen before. The topic? The 1990 baseball season, a subject so nice they had to record it twice. While the National League portion of the season is discussed here, the AL happenings will be discussed on a subsequent episode of Two Strike Noise. Here, your hosts cover the stats and the stories, from the dominance o...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

68 - The 2020 Fourth Annual Inaugural BBBA Awards Show

January 3, 2021 • 93 mins
The 2020 calendar year and season can finally be properly wrapped up, as Mark and Andy are back for their fourth installment of the BBBA Awards. This time, along with giving their takes on the existing inferior awards (MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young), your hosts attempt to rename those awards to give it a more BBBA flavor. And as always, they give their own awards to players for accomplishments both good and bad. Returning awa...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

67 - 1987

November 29, 2020 • 112 mins
The year was 1987. Mark and Andy were 10 years old and baseballs were flying out of ballparks. Your hosts take a look back at that wondrous time in their youth and try to gain a better understanding of who really were the kings of the diamond that season. Each team gets discussed in some detail, as each host takes a league and looks at the standings and the stars. Some names are expected, like McGwire and Dawson, while others are n...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

66 - Rickey Henderson & Tim Raines

October 18, 2020 • 92 mins
Mark and Andy do another in-depth examination of two players, this time the similarly-skilled Rickey Henderson and Tim "Rock" Raines. While Mark takes on Rickey in all his glory, Andy handles the under-appreciated star Raines. Although the players' careers spanned the same time period and their skills mirrored each other, Rickey was in a league of his own. Find out where his value came from and how Rock measures up as a hitter, bas...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

65 - Forgotten Stars of the 1970s

September 7, 2020 • 96 mins
Mark and Andy tackle a new kind of topic for the 65th installment of the podcast. This time, they're looking for stars from the 1970s who have been forgotten or overlooked. Although some of the players mentioned are not all-time greats, several others deserve serious Hall of Fame consideration. Just as the hosts did, hopefully you too will gain a newfound appreciation for the players they mention, such as Ken Singleton, Wilbur Wood...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

64 - Statcast Fielding Measurements

August 5, 2020 • 73 mins
Mark and Andy resume their exploration of Statcast measurements by focusing on fielding. Although the data is not readily available for most of it, arm strength, distance covered, and pop time form the foundation for what will come when they look at fielding metrics. The lack of data allow Mark and Andy to discuss some other baseball topics, including their thoughts about MLB's rule changes. The hosts do spend time looking at the p...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

63 Wade Boggs & Tony Gwynn

July 10, 2020 • 111 mins
In the latest in their Second Look series, Mark and Andy dive into the careers of Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn to try to better understand the two players who became synonymous with batting titles in the '80s and '90s. Both were hailed as excellent players during their time, so what can we learn? Advanced stats shed some light on just how excellent they were, and allow us to evaluate their all-around game. The hosts wrap it up with an...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

62 - Statcast Pitching Measurements

June 11, 2020 • 76 mins
Mark and Andy are back for another installment in their exploration of Statcast measurements. This time, they focus on the pitching side of things. We always hear about velocity and spin rate, but do we really understand what makes a pitcher effective? Your hosts attempt to sort through all the numbers and determine what it all means. What they find is that it is not always clear what makes an effective pitcher. Looking at other me...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

61 - The Wax Pack

April 22, 2020 • 90 mins
Mark and Andy are joined by special guest Brad Balukjian, the author of the exceptional new book The Wax Pack. Mr. Balukjian gives some insight into how the book came about and what makes it so special. The hosts help him break down the players featured in the book, both personally and statistically. While Mr. Balukjian is able to show a side of the players that makes them more human, Mark and Andy attempt to reduce them down to a ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Crime Junkie

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Breakfast Club

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Betrayal Weekly

    Betrayal Weekly

    Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Wearables

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices