# Are MLB’s Aging Stars Starting to Decline? Turner, Machado & J-Ram

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 16 Sep 2026, 1 h 01 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6aaafe2429018cfb0e4f960b/media.mp3

Are Trea Turner, Manny Machado and José Ramírez beginning to show real signs of decline — or are MLB’s aging stars poised to bounce back in 2027? DVR, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie dig into three veteran hitters on the wrong side of 30 and examine what the underlying numbers tell us about where their careers are headed. José Ramírez continues to provide plenty of fantasy value despite an injury-altered season, while Manny Machado’s declining hard-contact numbers raise questions about how much elite production remains. Then DVR takes a deep dive into Trea Turner’s surprising 2026 season. Turner’s bat speed still looks healthy, but his production against fastballs has fallen, his swing decisions have changed and his overall offensive production has dropped significantly. A surprising comparison with Xander Bogaerts may also offer a better idea of what Turner could look like over the second half of his long-term contract. First, Baseball News You Should Know covers another huge moment from Junior Caminero, Pete Alonso’s return to Citi Field, the Guardians-White Sox playoff battle and a razor-thin AL West race between the Astros and Rangers. Finally, Closing the Tab heads to Washington. The Nationals have made a massive offensive leap in Year 1 under their new front office, but questions remain about their pitching development. DVR, Eno and Jed look at what changed in Washington, the next wave of pitching prospects and the rapid ascent of 18-year-old Eli Willits. Plus, Jed puts a new spin on Name That Dude with the help of a pack of 2026 Topps Chrome. #MLB #FantasyBaseball #TreaTurner #MannyMachado #JoseRamirez #RatesAndBarrels 00:00 Intro 02:03 Junior Caminero Is Fearless at the Plate 04:42 Pete Alonso Returns to Citi Field 08:31 Guardians-White Sox Delivers Again 11:29 Astros & Rangers Battle for the AL West 15:09 What's Going On With Wyatt Langford? 16:49 Decline or a Cliff? 17:12 Is José Ramírez Finally Slowing Down? 25:32 What’s Happening to Manny Machado? 37:39 What Happened to Trea Turner? 38:59 Turner’s Fastball & Swing-Decision Problems 40:25 Trea Turner vs. Xander Bogaerts 45:45 Closing the Tab: Washington Nationals 49:50 Can the Nationals Fix Their Pitching? 57:14 Eli Willits’ Incredible Rise 57:34 Name That Dude: Topps Chrome Edition 1:00:40 The Mystery Player Revealed Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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