<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png" alt="EWFI" width="590" height="206" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-242076" srcset="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png 590w, https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi-300x105.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" />
Ben Lindbergh talks to two pitchers who topped out at Triple-A in 2025, which was a demotion for one and a promotion for the other. First, he brings back Rangers pitcher <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/declan-cronin/25645/stats/pitching" target="_blank">Declan Cronin</a>, the only major leaguer alum of Ben&#8217;s high school, to discuss a setback of a season that included a mysterious hip injury, compromised mechanics, diminished stuff, a cutthroat release and, finally, Tommy John surgery. Along the way, they cover the urge to play through injuries, joining the Rangers after being unceremoniously jettisoned by the Marlins, what tearing a UCL feels like, the incentives that lead to elbow problems, Declan&#8217;s plan to bounce back from a challenging year, MLB-NWSL romances, and competing with other players for wedding dates. Then (1:05:45), Ben talks to White Sox pitcher/sportswriter <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/duncan-davitt/sa3020394/stats/pitching" target="_blank">Duncan Davitt</a> about becoming a journalist on the side, being on both ends of interviews, being blacked out of baseball broadcasts, the plight and importance of local media, his deceptive delivery, being traded and making a 40-man for the first time, what he has to do to earn a call-up, whether pitchers wear protective cups, and much more.
Audio&nbsp;intro: Ian Phillips, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WrPfzMAqjbs7sudd3ufBF9DQ6CUJQBgI/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;
Audio&nbsp;outro: Jonathan Crymes, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17xCKWhVd_jYCsHmnzYS21kpPsWJ2zj73/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme 2</a>&#8221;

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_come_(publishing)" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to &#8220;TK&#8221; journalism term</a>
<a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/athletics-tyler-soderstrom-agree-to-seven-year-extension.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLBTR on Soderstrom</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regis_High_School_(New_York_City)" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Regis High School wiki</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2040-the-trade-deadline-deals-pt-1/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Declan&#8217;s first pod appearance</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2216-fish-food-for-thought/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Declan&#8217;s second pod appearance</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5966716/2024/12/17/baseball-weddings-november-december/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to article about baseball weddings</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Declan-Cronin-Baseball-T-Shirt/dp/B0F59V56N7" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Declan t-shirt</a>
<a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/declan-cronin-undergoes-tommy-john-surgery.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLBTR on Declan&#8217;s TJ</a>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gQujXQQGOVNaiuwSN680Hq-FDVsCwvN-3AazykOBON0/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to list of TJ surgeries</a>
<a href="https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/the-dizzy-dean-injury-cascade/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to cascade injury article</a>
<a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/rangers-declan-cronin-agree-to-two-year-minor-league-deal.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLBTR on Declan&#8217;s deal</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg=all&qual=0&type=3&season=2025&month=0&season1=2025&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&stats=rel&sortcol=1&sortdir=default&pagenum=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team RP WPA</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2025&month=0&season1=2025&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&stats=rel&sortcol=20&sortdir=default&pagenum=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team RP WAR</a>
<a href="https://treadathletics.com/our-team/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to staff page at Tread</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Zombro" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Tyler Zombro wiki</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-scout-the-players-coming-over-from-asia/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Paige Monaghan wiki</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paige_Monaghan" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Paige&#8217;s wedding post</a>
<a href="https://www.goal.com/en-ae/news/uswnt-mallory-swanson-dansby-swanson-chicago-cubs/bltc4e61589e3cfd89d" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Dansby/Mallory article</a>
<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/astros-shortstop-jeremy-pe-engaged-213723513.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Peña/Grosso engagement</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlHxB50WicM" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan strikeout reel</a>
<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/baseball/2025/12/17/duncan-davitt-sports-reporter-chicago-white-sox-minor-league-baseball-indianola-indepedent-advocate/87703381007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=undefined&gca-ft=0&gca-ds=sophi" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Register feature on Duncan</a>
<a href="https://soxmachine.com/2025/09/new-white-sox-prospect-duncan-davitt-is-trying-to-author-a-story-that-ends-in-chicago" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Sox Machine feature on Duncan</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRKeBGTEQs5/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan&#8217;s wedding post</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/tampa-bay-rays-top-56-prospects/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Rays prospect ranking</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ranking-the-mlb-prospects-traded-at-the-2025-deadline/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to traded prospects ranking</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/minor-league?pos=all&level=0&lg=2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,14,12,13,15,16,17,18,30,32&stats=pit&qual=y&type=0&team=&season=2025&seasonEnd=2025&org=&ind=0&splitTeam=false&players=&sort=14,1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to minor league IP leaders</a>
<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2021/09/28/mlb/yusmeiro-petit-deception-pitching-delivery-velocity-biomechanics-invisiball" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ben on deception</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/site/about.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Indianola IA website</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianola,_Iowa" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Indianola wiki</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2190-if-you-call-him-he-will-pitch/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to J.D. Scholten appearance</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/sports/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Indianola IA sports page</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/sports/indianola-boys-fall-in-tight-game-to-norwalk-after-win-over-lincoln/article_362cc5e3-2968-468c-8a1d-74b9d672bbd9.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan&#8217;s boys&#8217; basketball article</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/sports/indianola-girls-fall-to-norwalk-after-dominating-lincoln/article_ea8f5dc4-cfab-447f-8c8d-dfa526ad3da4.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan&#8217;s girls&#8217; basketball article</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/opinion/duncan-davitt-finding-your-path-in-the-offseason/article_20ea3038-e70e-11ef-8fd5-a7da3d65ac44.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan on the offseason</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/opinion/duncan-davitt-quick-change-from-rays-to-the-white-sox/article_63513cd2-1a46-4fef-9938-32b83866012b.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan on the trade</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/opinion/duncan-davitt-thanks-to-the-village-who-got-me-where-i-am-on-the-40/article_26d2e428-f0ac-4573-b916-70ce81b6aa45.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan on the 40-man</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/opinion/duncan-davitt-pitching-at-aaa-brings-closer-look-at-the-big-leagues/article_733c7ac4-fdb5-4fb6-a3b4-6731fc262997.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan on Triple-A</a>
<a href="https://www.indianola-ia.com/opinion/duncan-davitt-belief-bordering-on-delusional/article_043d9c3a-893b-4638-b632-c2b0870490bf.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Duncan on big league belief</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-notes-wei-en-lin-and-jo-hsi-hsu-will-be-taiwans-wbc-pitchers-to-watch/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Laurila&#8217;s notes column</a>
<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2025/03/26/mlb/mlb-prospect-promotions-minors-to-majors-gap-triple-a-mlb-jackson-holliday" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ben on the gap in 2025</a>
<a href="https://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-preview-exploring-minor-league-hitters-major-league-struggles/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ben on the gap in 2015</a>
<a href="https://claydavenport.com/archives/600" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Davenport on the gap</a>
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-schwarber-four-homer-episode-of-abbott-elementary" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB.com on Abbott Elementary</a>
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI202508280.shtml" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Schwarber&#8217;s 4-HR game</a>
<a href="https://imgur.com/AesVAaS" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB survey question</a>

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Effectively Wild Episode 2419: TJ and TK in Triple-A

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