WEBVTT - O's First Half Awards 0:00:07.640 --> 0:00:11.160 It's the latest edition of Birdland Territory, an all Star 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:15.160 break edition, and a chance to hand out some first 0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:19.840 half awards. Now we know the math means it's past 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:24.160 the first half. It's baseball's first half, not the mathematical 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:27.280 first half. As to aur sometimes never the same. In 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:31.680 this year, they're not. So guys, let's get right into it. 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:35.479 We're gonna go over a couple different awards, and the 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:39.400 first one for this show, as we talk about the 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:42.680 first half here at the break, is the first half MVO. 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:45.640 That's the most valuable Oriole. This is an award voted 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:47.520 on by the media at the end of the year. 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:52.600 So this is our unofficial first half award. And Brad, 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:55.240 why don't you give us your top three so far? 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.440 Yeah, So my top three for like you said, a 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.760 little bit past the first half here, I have Pete Alonso, 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:05.000 Ali Rushman, and Taylor Ward. I just think, you know, 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.840 Pete has done everything that they expected him to do 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:09.360 and has kind of been a leader on this team. 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:12.119 And I think his defense has been way more than 0:01:12.160 --> 0:01:15.480 advertised also, and he's had a great first half defensively also, 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:17.520 But when you look at his numbers, he's leading the 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:19.880 team in RBIs. He's leading the team at home runs, 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:23.319 and I think he's second in batting average right now too, 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:25.679 behind Taylor Ward. So I think he's done everything that 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.560 the Orioles could have expected when they sign him to 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.120 this contract, and he's been great. Obviously, Atli made the 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:33.319 All Star Game. He's done a great job. I'm kind 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:35.640 of biased towards catchers also, just being a former pitcher, 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:37.679 he's got a lot on his plate, He's dealt with 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:40.560 some injuries, and he still has had a great first half. 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:42.880 And then Taylor Award to me, has just been a 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:45.440 consistent guy on the top of the lineup, leads a 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.560 team in batting average, He's played good outfield in a 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:51.520 tough left field now the way that Kim Yards has 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.840 configured it, and I just think he's done a great 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:57.680 job just kind of being a constant source at the 0:01:57.720 --> 0:01:59.440 top of the lineup. Has been there every single game 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:02.160 pretty much. And I feel like those three have just 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:04.680 been consistently in the lineup. Like I said, outside of 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:07.080 at least a couple of little injuries he's had, I 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.480 think those three have really just kind of kept this 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:12.120 boat to float for the Orioles and kind of kept 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.600 them here in the in the playoff hunts so far 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:16.600 in the first half of the season. 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:21.639 Yeah, we get the same top two, Brad Pete Alonzo 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:26.040 being number one and Pete. That was their first big contract, 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:29.120 this new ownership group that they have given out and 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:32.639 so far, he's been everything they could have won out 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:36.040 of Pete Alonso. He's been Pete Alonzo leading the team 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:40.000 in home runs with twenty one RBIs with sixty five. 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:44.880 He's gotten eight to twenty ops, which is tops for reals. 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:47.880 And also and this was expected out of Pete because 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:49.120 it's just his reputation. 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:51.800 He's at the post. He's played every single. 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:53.880 Game, guys, like, and that's what you want out of 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:57.239 Pee Alonzo, representing that leadership there and he's second on 0:02:57.280 --> 0:03:00.400 the team and walks and gosh, I'm just really excited 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:02.799 to see what he's going to do after the All 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.880 Star break. Is forty home runs in the picture. I mean, 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.639 he's well on pace to hit over one hundred RBIs. 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:11.919 But it's been a monster year for Pete Alonso thus far. 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.920 And what I really like about Pete, guys, is his 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:18.880 numbers continue to go up. You know, he had the 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:23.440 rough first month March April six sixty eight ops, then 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:26.800 at eight forty in May nine to forty seven in June, 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:29.760 came back a little bit. I'm using air quotes here, 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.280 just in eight ninety five OPS in July. So he's 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:37.360 doing really, really well. I have Adle as my number 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.320 two as well. The only knock on him, and it's 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:43.320 not his fault. Of course, he's missed a lot of games. 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.120 You know, he's he's played in sixty five of ninety 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:50.160 seven games. But gosh, has hist impact been huge. He's 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:54.320 got forty seven RBIs in sixty five games. That's a 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:55.680 fantastic ratio. 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:56.120 Guys. 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:59.640 He's second on the team in RBIs despite missing all 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:03.600 of those games. And defensively he's been excellent. He has 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:07.600 been excellent behind the plate for sure, throwing out runners. 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.080 My number three man. I was going back and forth 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:12.960 this morning, I really was. I was cycling through names. 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.440 I'm like, I really want to have Brandon Young in there. 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:17.679 I couldn't get Brandon Young. I wanted to have Blaze, 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:21.320 I couldn't. Really, I'm gonna give it to Samuelpisio. I 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:26.599 really am. And I just think that he's grown so much, 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:30.440 and I think the turning point of his season was 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:34.160 that series in Kansas City where he came up with 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:36.960 that big time hit in the ninth inning, that big 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.000 time hit in extra innings, and ever since then he's 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:42.840 been awesome. And you know this kind of goes hand 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:45.960 in hand with Adley, right, Adley missing a lot of games, 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:48.760 Sam's had to really step up. He's played in eighty 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:51.520 three games and he's really picked up the slack. He's 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:55.720 third in RBIs, third in homers, third in ops, and 0:04:55.960 --> 0:04:59.000 not to mention he's grown a lot defensively as a catcher. 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:02.760 I mean, gosh, every single time Trevor Rodgers starts a 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:06.960 game and Samuel Passillo is catching him, he always points 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:11.120 out the impact that Sam had on Trevor Rodgers starts. 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.720 So I got Pete, Adley and Sam for my one, 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.400 two three. 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:19.880 And we should let the viewers know we didn't compare notes. 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:22.040 We started recording and we don't know what the other 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.440 guys are going to pick, but I'm gonna make it 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:28.480 a clean sweep. I also had Pete Alonzo first. He's 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:31.280 on a pace for thirty five homers, one hundred eight RBIs. 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:34.440 That's exactly what they penciled him in for beyond that, 0:05:34.680 --> 0:05:38.080 his defense has been better than we thought. We were 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:40.960 not told. We were told it's shaky. Hasn't really been 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.600 that maybe rare instance here or there. In fact, that 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:47.360 cast and Range factor grades him in the top fifteen percent. 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:51.359 It was fifteen percent of mean. He gets around better 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:54.080 than you think getting that ball. And we've seen the scoops, 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:56.400 which we heard he was good at. And beyond that, 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:59.919 the leadership obviously has been tremendous. We've noted many ways 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.120 that's shown itself, including how he's getting out in the 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:06.640 community and doing things for the Baltimore community, and beyond 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:10.240 what he's doing at the ballpark. So Adlee number two 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:13.760 for me, I love the play discipline this year when 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.919 he's at his best. High walk rate and ten point 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:21.359 two is above average. Low strikeout percentage fourteen percent is 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:24.560 way below average. He's getting back to the ball and 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:28.479 he's framing ninety seven percentile, he's throwing out runners, he's 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:30.840 doing it all. I got blaze third, which you might 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:32.159 be hard at the end of the year if he 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:35.000 misses a lot of games, maybe he falls off the ballot. 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.600 The other thing I think, guys, is with a team 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.480 having a bad year and they are to this point, 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:43.520 there's a lot of candidates for this, and my ballot 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:46.800 leaves off Prasiah, leaves off Brandon Young. No one's even 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:49.320 mentioned Gunner, which shows you the tough year he's had. 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:51.279 He's not in the top five or six if you 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:53.760 think about it right now. So think about what the 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:56.440 season could be if he gets it going when they 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.840 resume on Friday night. So a lot of good candidates. 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:03.600 It was it for us. Unbeknownst before we started recording. 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.719 We have a clean Sweet Bears pedal Lines of first Half, 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:11.160 mbol Most Valuable, Oriole. We'll give out some more awards 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:13.480 in a moment here on Birdland Tarantory. 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:16.160 Many people have this problem. I want to eat healthy. 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.360 I have the willpower, I don't have the time and 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:21.400 the organization. I need help. What do you do? 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:24.600 I mean you go to factor. I got two boys 0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:26.520 that are looking for the gains and they always come 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:30.840 in the house. I'm looking for food. 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So we're building towards one thousand, We're 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:48.680 over eight hundred. We're charging towards our goal. So help 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:52.800 keep help A brother and two other brothers out subscribing 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:56.959 to Birdland Territory. If you haven't already and on with 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.319 the award. Yeah, it's a simple click helps us first, hafo, 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:05.240 Cy Young, Tim, what do you got on that one? 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:07.719 I gotta give it to Brandon Young, right. 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:10.520 I was trying so hard to put him in the 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:14.679 ballot for MVO, just because I think that highly of 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.199 the season that Brandon Young has had. And when you 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:21.760 go back to last year and the era is being 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:27.080 so inflated at over six to what he's done now 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:31.080 with a three four to two er and a step 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:35.560 further and even Craig Albert has acknowledged this much. On Friday, 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:39.040 his last start prior to the break, he's got a 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:42.320 twelve and three record. This club is five games below 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:46.840 five hundred and the Orioles are nine games above five 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:50.960 hundred in which games that Brandon Young starts. And you 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:53.680 just look at some of the pitch repertoire, like this 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:57.160 isn't someone that's throwing gas, but that four seam fastball 0:09:57.200 --> 0:10:00.000 has been one of the best four seemers in the game. 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:03.520 Wh Ungs is starting pitching, batters are hitting below two 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.880 hundred off his four seamer. We know he changed that 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:10.640 splitter grip going back to May, and how much of 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:13.800 an impact that that has had for him. There's so 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:17.920 many pleasant surprises on this Orioles team, but Brandon Young, 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:20.600 he's way up the list for me, and I think 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.400 he's well deserved of the O saw Young in the 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:23.959 first half. 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:26.640 Yeah, Yeah, that's a great pick. 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:29.640 I tried not to repeat everybody, so I have Brandy 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:31.360 Young a little bit later on in our show. But 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:34.160 I picked Kyle Bradish and I just think it's I 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:36.559 just think him coming back from the injury and then 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:39.319 kind of with Trevor Rodgers getting hurt there for a 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.600 little bit and kind of getting below his normal standard 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.760 we expected. I think Kyle bradis really stepped up to 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:46.960 the plate and that's why I kind of chose him. 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.600 I think he's just gotten real efficient here this last 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:51.800 two months. I feel like he's gone six seven, eight 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:54.079 innings every out and he's gone out there and it's 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:58.079 really kind of just solidified with Trevor Rodgers coming back 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:01.240 to himself. I just think he really solid the rotation. 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.640 Brandy Young is a great pick also. I think he's 0:11:03.679 --> 0:11:06.280 been outstanding for this team. But I just think when 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:09.160 you look at the expectations for the team and Kyle 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.160 Bradish kind of has lived up to that bill to 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:13.559 this point. So I kind of went with Kyle Bradish 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:16.480 just because he's up there in innings pitched. We don't 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.120 know where that's gonna go in the second half, So 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:21.360 I just think he's done everything we expect him to do, 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.000 and maybe a little bit more at this point, like 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:24.720 I said, coming off the injury and just kind of 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:26.760 being able to go out there every five days and 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:30.199 no injury concerns, and he's gone really deep in games 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.920 and he's really really helped the bullpen a lot of 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.800 outings here, especially the second half of the first half. 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:37.760 He's done a really good job getting deep in games. 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.760 I just think he's done what they needed him to do, 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:42.880 and kind of, like I said, I've mentioned it with 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:46.199 Pete and with these guys in the MVP MVO Award, 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:48.200 just kind of kept the boat to float and they're 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.040 they're right there, and I think Kyle Bradish is a 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:50.960 big reason for that. 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.400 I'm gonna go Brandon Young here. I would say there's 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.240 no question Kyle Bradish is the most talented pitcher on 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:00.760 the Orioles. We've seen a lot of evidence so that lately, 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.880 the guy's busting ninety five, ninety six deep in his 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:07.560 starts to two breaking balls. I mean quality of you know, 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:11.240 best stuff on the team. That's probably not up much 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:14.200 for debate. And if you were get truth seerum every 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.800 player in the clubhouse, they probably say the same thing. 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:20.719 But Brandon Young, what he's done has been remarkable. And 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:23.319 I'm a big believer in a stack that really is 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:25.960 a little out of a pitcher's control. What's the record 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:29.040 when he starts last year with a six ERA, it 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:32.520 was three and nine. Now it's twelve and three, twelve 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:35.720 and three. Again. You gotta have defense, you gotta run, support, 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:38.040 a lot of things that Brandon Young can't control. But 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:41.199 from May sixth the June tenth, they won seven straight 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:45.360 Brandon Young starts, and there's just a confident feeling when 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:47.719 he's on the mound right now, it feels like you 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:50.280 got an ace out there. And so again we know 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:53.760 Bradish's number one, but this guy's won maybe one A 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:56.280 and I'm going to give him the first half. Cy Young, 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:59.120 he came out of nowhere. For me, I didn't expect 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.520 anything like this. I had him as a fringe guy, 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.120 maybe help a few starts here and there, and look 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:07.280 at what he's done. So Brandon Young, all credit to you, buddy. 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:10.079 You really know how to pitch. Scouts pointed that out 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:11.840 to me in the first half. This guy knows what 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:14.160 he's doing out there. And then when he changed his 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.520 grip and a week later made it work in a 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:18.560 game that was kind of a stunning thing too. 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.160 I think one more point just to put a bow 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:24.480 on Brandon Young, because I remember, especially early on in 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:26.960 this show and in April and May, when you have 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:30.920 the Jeremiah Jackson's the Noon Yez is the Leodi Tavers, 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:35.040 like all of these guys taking advantage of their opportunity. 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:39.280 If this oriole starting rotation didn't have the injuries that 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:43.440 they had, and of course that's totally unfortunate, Brandon Young 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:45.920 would not have had this opportunity. Yeah, you know, he 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:50.120 was behind Kate Povich. She was probably their number eight starter. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:53.000 Dean Kramer got sent down at the beginning of the year. 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:56.440 Of course, Eflyn got heard underwent Tommy John after a 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.560 star Bassett got banged up, Kramer went on the il 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:03.880 and that really gave Brandon Young an opportunity than Boy 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:04.719 did he run with it. 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:08.320 He sure did. More awards to give out here on 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:19.640 this edition of Birdland Territory. Hey time now for our 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.200 Daily Dinger's segment, presented by Fandel, We're going to nominate 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.400 Adlie Rutchman as he heads to the All Star Game. 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:28.000 Maybe not necessarily to hit a home run in the 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:32.280 All Star Game. That's really asking a lot, but you know, 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.920 maybe to you know, to get it going with something 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.000 in this game or in the first few games out 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:40.800 of the break. I mean, the guy's really been swinging 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:44.920 it all year. He's the Orioles only All Star. Hey, guys, 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:47.120 well rounded game from athlete. We touched on it a 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:49.640 little bit earlier, but it's been so big because some 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:52.280 people were thinking this was not in him anymore. It's 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:54.040 been a while since we'd seen it. 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:57.760 Yeah, And I think after last year's season, it was 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:00.320 kind of what's going to happen, Like is he going 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:01.960 to take a step forward? Is he going to be 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.120 the same play we expected from previous years? And he's 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.960 shown all that and more. And I think the real 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:09.920 unfortunate injury he had this year was when he got 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.200 hit on that air and throw at Dodger Stadium. It's 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:14.720 just kind of wiped out ten games or ten days 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:17.320 on his season, and who knows what his numbers look like. 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.280 At this point, it was obviously good enough to make 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:21.280 the All Star Game, but you had ten more games 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:23.640 where I feel like he was really coming into his 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:26.880 own And just like Steve said earlier, just his plate 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:30.040 discipline has been awesome at the plate this year, and 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:32.960 then behind the plate, I feel like he's really stabilized 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:35.560 this rotation with Tim. Like you mentioned, all the injuries 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.680 they had with the restarting rotation and all these new 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.000 arms that they have in the bullpen and what roles 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:42.080 they're coming in at, and it kind of has kind 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:44.480 of been a little chaotic, and the one constant I 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:46.600 feel like has been Adley and saying behind the plate. 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.840 But really, ADDI, I think with just his leadership and 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:51.960 kind of think showing Sammy the ropes with how to 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:55.760 call pitches, how to block pitches, how to really understand 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:59.160 a pitching staff. And Adli still young in his own right, 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:01.200 but he's a vetter on this team when it comes 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:03.320 to the catching side, and I just think when you 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.240 throw all that together, it creates an All Star player, 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:07.680 and that's what you have with Adley three out of 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.040 four years now. Going to the All Star Game, and. 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:10.920 He's really a leader. 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:13.000 I feel like he's more of a silent leader on 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:14.360 this team. I don't think he's really going to be 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.280 one that you know, is a big rah rah guy 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:18.320 or he's going to make all these quotes in the 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:20.960 papers and stuff. But you know, the staff low is 0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:22.680 throwing to him, and when he's at the plate, the 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.520 team's really confident. You can put him anywhere from leadoff 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:28.080 hitter to number five and you feel confident having him 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:29.400 in the lineup and he's going to produce. 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:33.040 Yeah, I still stand by the fact that this was 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:36.880 a pivotal year in Adley Rutchman's career. You know, the 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.400 prior year and a half did not go how he 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:42.600 would want. And you're looking, Okay, are you more like 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:44.600 the year and a half slump or are you the 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:46.400 guy prior to that that was one of the best 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.720 catchers in the game. And he's proving that he's the 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:53.720 prior the guy that is one of the best catchers 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:57.440 in the game. And I also give credit to the organization, 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:01.000 and I know it has frustrated FA at points, like 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:04.080 Adley sitting yesterday, and he sat a lot of games 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:07.399 this year but that's playing the long game and trying 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:09.720 to keep him healthy, because I think a big reason 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.040 for that downturn over the past year and a half 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:14.000 is he was banged up. He got hit in the 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:16.760 hand in the second half of twenty twenty four. He 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:19.160 messed up both o bleaks last year. I know he's 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:21.040 had a couple of eye ol stints this year, but 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.840 when he's been on the field, he has been a 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:26.920 very effective player. And I keep going back to him 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:31.280 driving in runs. You know, forty seven RBIs and sixty 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:35.600 five games last year in his down year, but twenty 0:17:35.720 --> 0:17:40.600 nine RBIs in ninety games. Guys like he's already almost, 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:43.480 you know, coming up on doubling it in much than 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.720 far fewer games. So Adley deserves a ton of credit, 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:49.840 and the All Star birth was. 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.520 Much Yeah deserved. 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:58.480 Three time All Star Adley Rechiman. Our pick for Daily 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:02.280 Dingers presented by head over to FanDuel dot com Slash 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:05.240 podcast to op in for Daily Dingers and make your 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:08.200 free pick on who's hitting a homer, playball and swing 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:11.480 for the fences on FanDuel, an official partner of Major 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:12.280 League based No. 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.800 Purchase necessary, opt in required bonus issue does non withdrawable 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:19.359 profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply, including any token expiration and 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:23.280 max wager amount. See terms at sportsbook dot FanDuel dot com. 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.359 Gambling problem caller tax one eight hundred gambler. 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:30.760 On with our award show for the first half. Biggest 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.679 surprise so far, I'll start this one and I didn't 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:37.800 pick a player here. I broadened it to something bigger 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:43.160 than one player, and it's a surprising not a good way. 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:45.639 And for me, it's the defense and the fundamentals that 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.679 for most of the first half we're so subpar for 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:51.879 this team. Going into the season, there were questions about 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:55.320 the defense, so sudden shouldn't shock us that it's not 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:58.879 up to snuff, But to me, it's worse than I 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:02.600 thought out. The good news is there have been times 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:04.639 in the last month or two when it's cleaned up 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:06.960 in stretches. If the O's could show us in the 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:09.719 second half, we can go a month with few mistakes, 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:13.639 that would really be big. So the biggest surprise to 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:17.119 me is the fundamentals they worked on all spring have 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.480 been a little leaky in the first half. Tim what 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:22.720 do you got, I'm. 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:26.520 Gonna go one positive, one negative, Steve how about positive 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:32.159 first blaze Alexander unbelievable and it's so unfortunate that he 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.480 suffered the fractured hand, and who knows how long he's 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:37.959 going to be out, but it's going to be weeks 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:39.160 before we see him. 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:44.120 But he came into the year as a super utility guy. 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:45.120 He was sort of. 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:47.840 Seen like, all right, can he sort of fill that 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:52.359 ramon Urrius void that was left last year? And he 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:56.520 got pressed into action and he has played so well 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:59.400 that they can't take him out of the starting lineup. 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:03.000 And and sitting three sixty five with a nine to 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:08.119 two OPS since May first, leads the majors in batting 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:10.840 average since May first. But guys, you look at who 0:20:10.880 --> 0:20:15.280 he's has a higher OPS than in that stretch, Freddie Freeman, 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:20.080 Kyle Schwarber, Nick Kurtz, Rappie Devers, That's just the name 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:23.080 a few, And this is Blaise Alexander had a higher 0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:26.679 OPS than all of those guys since May first, hitting 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.200 four sixty two with runners in scoring position. 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:31.960 He's just been fantastic and his. 0:20:31.840 --> 0:20:36.199 Ability to play all over the field, he is just 0:20:36.320 --> 0:20:40.639