ESPN’s Karl Ravech and Justin Musil launch Dirt From The Dugout, a podcast as part of their groundbreaking ecosystem, The Parent Dugout. The Parent Dugout provides unmatched resources and strategies to demystify the often overwhelming journey of youth and high school baseball. Hear expert advice through interactive discussion to help empower parents navigating through their kids’ baseball journeys.
Championship Series Preview: Our Picks & MLB’s New Proposal
On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil break down a loaded League Championship Series slate, with the Brewers-Dodgers NLCS set and the Rays waiting to find out their ALCS opponent after sweeping the Yankees. Musil, drawing on his own front-office experience as a strategic advisor to the Brewers’ scouting department, explains the organizational identity that’s carried Milwaukee through a historic run, while Ravech makes the case that the Dodgers’ financial edge shows up most in a seven-game series, where star-studded depth in the rotation and bullpen becomes nearly impossible to match. The two dig into why both the Brewers and Rays have found success buying low on players other teams gave up on and debate whether having a true horse like Jacob Misiorowski or Junior Caminero changes the calculus against a Dodgers team loaded with $20-30 million players at nearly every position.
They also preview the White Sox-Guardians decider and unpack MLB’s newest labor proposal, including a shortened 154-game season, seven-game Division Series, and the controversial idea of letting higher seeds choose their playoff opponents. Plus: whether it’s time for a change in the Yankees’ organization, and why neither host thinks Aaron Boone or Brian Cashman is the real problem.
Join our growing community today!
https://theparentdugout.com/ (https://theparentdugout.com/)
Subscribe to the podcast!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382)
https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98 (https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98)
Follow our social media channels for more content!
https://x.com/dirtfromthedug (https://x.com/dirtfromthedug)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
8 Oct 2026
Part 2 | Adam Ottavino on the Pitching Lab That Saved His Career
On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil wrap up their conversation with 15-year MLB veteran Adam Ottavino, diving into the career-saving decision he made after a disastrous 2017 season. Ottavino tells the story of building his own pitching lab in a former shoe store in Harlem owned by his father-in-law, training alone in the middle of the night with a high-speed camera and a Rapsodo unit to rebuild his delivery and commit fully to his slider after a Dodger Stadium meltdown nearly got him sent to the minors. He traces the longer arc of learning to trust his own feel over organizational instruction, from the Cardinals trying to overhaul his delivery in the minors to finally rebuilding his entire arsenal around the slider once he reached Colorado with nothing left to lose. Ottavino also opens up about why he never wanted to stop playing, what it felt like to love even the mundane parts of being a big leaguer, and the wild story behind a Buck Showalter autographed ball sitting in his office that predicted the Yankees' 1996 World Series win.
Plus, a rapid-fire kitchen sink round covering his last meal in New York City, his three desert-island artists, and the one thing he'd ban from every MLB clubhouse.
Join our growing community today!
https://theparentdugout.com/ (https://theparentdugout.com/)
Subscribe to the podcast!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382)
https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98 (https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98)
Follow our social media channels for more content!
https://x.com/dirtfromthedug (https://x.com/dirtfromthedug)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
6 Oct 2026
Part 1 | Adam Ottavino on Mentors, Mistakes & Making the Majors
On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil welcome former big-league reliever Adam Ottavino, who pitched for the Rockies, Yankees, Mets, and more over a 15-year career. Ottavino breaks down just how unhittable modern pitching has become, pointing to the explosion in repertoire size, pitch design, and sheer volume of arms hitters now face. He traces his own path from a Brooklyn kid obsessed with emulating big leaguers in Wiffle ball games to a late physical bloomer who got DH'd for as a high school freshman second baseman, through the growth spurt at 15 that finally let his skill catch up to his body.
Ottavino opens up about the mentors and tough-love coaches who shaped him, the advice that convinced him to turn down signing out of high school in favor of Northeastern, and how playing up against older, more advanced competition in New York's travel ball scene toughened him for the grind ahead.
Join our growing community today!
https://theparentdugout.com/ (https://theparentdugout.com/)
Subscribe to the podcast!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-from-the-dugout/id1895617382)
https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98 (https://open.spotify.com/show/0TYMMgoNypFpff5xMkBI98)
Follow our social media channels for more content!
https://x.com/dirtfromthedug (https://x.com/dirtfromthedug)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
16 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Contact Dirt From The Dugout
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
