Listen up—a top five of baseball podcasts

Feb 2, 2023 - 6:29 PM

My preferred mode of exercise is daily walking. Whether my shirt is dripping wet or the snot is freezing in my nostrils, I’m out pounding the pavement. For awhile, that time was filled by music—but now I’m of the age where the bulk of my music palette lies behind me (not ahead) and one can only listen to so much 80s pop or 90s country.

So, the last 3-4 years have seen me dive headfirst into the world of podcasts. I tend towards ephemeral listens—pop culture, film/TV, & nostalgia—as opposed to news, politics, or true crime, and of course I follow a bunch of baseball-themed shows. Here are my top five of that realm, perhaps helpful in getting you through the last stretch of miserable Minnesota weather before Opening Day...

#1: Gleeman and The Geek (Hosts: Aaron Gleeman & John Bonnes)

Basically the Holy Grail of Minnesota Twins podcasts. Bonnes is one of the creators of Twins Daily and ultimate Twins fan, while Gleeman covers the club for The Athletic but does so from an analytics/blogging background (not the “crusty old beat writer” stereotype). The duo often have very different opinions about the club and aren’t afraid to bicker through them, but it’s hands-down the best Twins discussion you’ll find in the podosphere.

#2: Effectively Wild (Hosts: Ben Lindbergh & Meg Rowley)

I use this pod to keep up with MLB-in-general. Though ostensibly structured around analytical-based discussion ala our own JohnFoley, I actually find it to be the perfect mix of baseball current events, deep-dives, and even a touch of irreverence. You won’t miss anything important happening in the hardball world with this thrice-a-week show.

#3: Lost Ballparks (Host: Mike Koser)

Somehow, Koser procures interviews with top-shelf former players & personalities (Cal Ripken Jr., Andre Dawson, Rod Carew, Bob Costas, Jon Miller, etc.) and the conversations always center on their experiences at an old ballpark. Absolutely perfect for a “see a game in every stadium” bucket-list guy like me. I’m still waiting on a Metrodome episode...

Photo by Jack Rendulich/Icon SMI/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images

#4: MN for the Win (Hosts: David Kuhfuss & Dan Thompson)

I stumbled across this one last year and loved the series-by-series recap format. I think baseball is best digested in this fashion—”just win the series” being a core conceit and all—and these two really nail that. Please keep this one going, David & Dan!

#5: Take Me In To The Ballgame (Hosts: Ellen Adair & Eric Gilde)

Baseball films are always a popular topic around these parts. Though I’m usually not a fan of 90+ minute episodes, Ellen & Eric do a wonderful job of discussing and analyzing some of the great baseball flicks. Yes, Little Big League has been covered!

Photo by Paramount/Getty Images

Seeing as how baseball is often dubbed “the greatest conversational piece of all-time”, it isn’t surprising it does well on the pod airwaves. If you have other favorite baseball-themed listens, feel free to drop them in the comments!