Effectively Wild Episode 2504: I Choo-Choo-Choose You

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen banter about Zack Wheeler declining MLB&#8217;s last-minute All-Star invitation, JJ Wetherholt&#8217;s long-term contract extension, and how the Futures Game and amateur draft fell flat as spectator events, then discuss the top tier of draft picks, some surprising picks and revamped approaches by teams under new management, why better data hasn&#8217;t made teams much better at drafting, why no team has tried blowing by its bonus allotment, and more, plus closing banter about Bryce Harper&#8217;s explanation of his video message for a sports-betting addict. Audio&nbsp;intro: Nate Emerson, &#8220;Effectively Wild Theme&#8221; Audio&nbsp;outro: PJ Harding, &#8220;Effectively Wild Theme&#8221; Link to The Simpsons clip Link to Wheeler article Link to MLBTR on Wetherholt Link to Wetherholt&#8217;s draft outfit Link to Baumann on the spectator experience Link to Cooper on the spectator experience Link to Manfred mispronunciation article Link to celebrity golf tournament Link to Futures Game FAQ Link to draft viewing FAQ Link to Brendan on the Futures Game Link to Eric&#8217;s draft preview Link to The Board Link to Baumann on big draftees Link to MLB draft tracker Link to FG Day 1 draft recap Link to The Athletic on Schaffner Link to Crotchfelt vs. Titsworth post Link to Angels picks Link to Ball&#8217;s draft study <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/107