Should the Los Angeles Dodgers actually consider BENCHING Shohei Ohtani? The Milwaukee Brewers have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, Cleveland has stolen Game 1 of the ALCS from Tampa Bay, and the New York Yankees are facing some uncomfortable questions after another disappointing October.

Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris and Britt Ghiroli break down the latest MLB playoff action on Rates & Barrels, including Milwaukee's formula for beating the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani's struggles, Cleveland's pitching strategy against the Rays, and a deep dive into what went wrong for the 2026 Yankees.

Milwaukee has taken the first two games of the NLCS despite facing Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. What's making the Brewers so difficult to beat?

Looking ahead to Game 3, can Blake Snell and the Dodgers turn the series around against Robert Gasser?

The Guardians stunned Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 1, rallying against Drew Rasmussen and the Rays' bullpen.

Did Kevin Cash leave Rasmussen in too long? How did Cleveland use Tampa Bay's platoon weaknesses to its advantage? And can the Guardians maintain their momentum against Freddy Peralta in Game 2?

DVR, Eno and Britt examine Cleveland's aggressive approach at the plate, Parker Messick's workload, the impact of Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey, and Junior Caminero's injury scare.

Another 90-win season. Another October disappointment. And another winter of questions in the Bronx.

Britt Ghiroli examines the Yankees' lack of accountability, the health concerns surrounding Aaron Judge, and why the organizational culture may no longer resemble the Yankees teams that won championships.

Should Aaron Boone return? What changes should Brian Cashman make? Can the Yankees build a roster that wins with contact, defense and situational baseball instead of relying so heavily on power?

What do you think? Should the Dodgers bench Ohtani? Are the Brewers the NL favorites? And what needs to change for the Yankees to win another World Series?

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

Contributor:Britt Ghiroli

Executive Producer & Editor:McEnroe Francis

#MLBPlayoffs #Brewers #Dodgers #ShoheiOhtani #Yankees #RatesAndBarrels

00:00 – Guardians Win Game 1; Brewers Take Control of NLCS

02:34 – Did Kevin Cash Leave Drew Rasmussen in Too Long?

06:55 – How Cleveland Exploited Tampa Bay's Platoon Weaknesses

13:43 – Guardians' Aggressive Approach Against Rasmussen

15:18 – ALCS Game 2 Preview: Parker Messick vs. Freddy Peralta

21:43 – Brewers Lead Dodgers 2-0 in the NLCS

23:24 – Milwaukee's Winning Formula: Plate Discipline and Baserunning

25:40 – Shohei Ohtani's Health and Dodgers' Offensive Struggles

26:28 – Why Milwaukee's Fastball Strategy Is Working

28:15 – How the Dodgers Attacked Jacob Misiorowski

30:17 – The Brewers' Dominant Bullpen

32:17 – William Contreras, Christian Yelich and Cooper Pratt

38:39 – What Went Wrong with Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

39:57 – Why Haven't the Dodgers Used Edwin Díaz?

44:57 – NLCS Game 3 Preview: Robert Gasser vs. Blake Snell

48:05 – Should the Dodgers Bench Shohei Ohtani?

50:40 – Closing the Tab: The 2026 New York Yankees

01:02:36 – Are the Yankees Behind Baseball's Contact Revolution?

01:03:36 – Is the Yankees' Culture of Accountability Gone?

01:06:30 – The Yankees' Success Since Their Last World Series

01:08:12 – Final Thoughts and What's Next

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