WEBVTT - D-backs' Biggest Weakness Exposed vs. Nationals; 10 Rental Trade Targets 0:00:09.160 --> 0:00:12.399 Hello, and welcome to another episode of Snake's Territory, part 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:14.680 of the Foul Territory Network. Be sure to like this 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:17.599 video on YouTube, subscribe to our channel, and if you 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:19.759 like what you hear, maybe leave us a five star 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:23.120 review wherever you get your podcasts. I am Jesse Friedman 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:27.040 alongside Jack Summers and Jack the vibes around the Arizona 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:31.360 Diamondbacks have fallen off here over the past couple of days. 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:34.920 D Backs had won ten out of twelve games after 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:39.000 their win on Friday, but they lose the final two 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.519 games of this series against the Nationals. Of course, that 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:45.559 means they lose the series and it also means they 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:48.400 lose the season series in the process. 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:52.080 Yeah, for whatever reason, the Nationals seem to always play 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.760 the Diamondbacks quite tough. I think they are now three 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.800 and eight in or last eleven against them. They lost 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:01.720 the season series, as you said, four games to two, 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:06.560 and all time they're like over twenty games under five 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:09.520 hundred against the Nationals, which is that goes back to 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.080 nineteen ninety eight, even when they were the Expos. So 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.120 you know, it's it's been a tough organization for them. 0:01:15.280 --> 0:01:18.880 Hard to say why, but especially lately. You know, where 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:20.959 the Dbacks have had a better team, you would expect 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:23.880 them to do better against the Nationals than they have. 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:29.400 The Diamondbacks offense certainly was not perfect in this series. 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:31.560 There were some roughed bats here and there. We'll talk 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:34.040 about that more a little bit later in the show. 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:37.720 But the key storyline of these last two games, Jack 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:40.480 certainly was the pitching for the Diamondbacks. They lose the 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.959 finale of this series by a score of ten to seven. 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:47.039 Of course, Mitch Bratt had a rough one on Saturday, 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.680 gave up five runs in five innings there and on 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:53.920 Sunday in the finale of this series. It you know, 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:56.520 Cole Drake certainly was not great. He gave up four 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:59.800 runs and four innings, but it also wouldn't be totally 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.960 to blame this all on him. The Diamondbacks bullpen was 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:07.680 unusually not good in this game either. Jonathan Elisaga gave 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:11.280 up a couple of runs, Brandon Garcia gave up several 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.239 as well. Kevin Ginkle gave up a solo home run late. 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:18.280 So all in all, just a rough series for the 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:21.799 Diamondbacks pitching staff. And you know, I think if any 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:25.360 of us were skeptical about this Washington Nationals offense. I 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:27.760 think we've all seen kind of the hard way here 0:02:27.800 --> 0:02:31.639 that this Washington Nationals offense is truly everything that the 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:32.840 numbers say it is. 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:35.920 Yeah. Well, I mean, you're over one hundred games in 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.360 and they lead the league in scoring, and they're right 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:40.480 there at the top and just about every major metric. 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:42.480 I don't think there was really much doubt that they 0:02:42.520 --> 0:02:45.040 had a very good offense. You know, you just look 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:47.000 at the players and how they're hitting, and of course 0:02:47.720 --> 0:02:50.919 James Wood and c. J. Abrams are having phenomenal seasons, 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:54.280 but their surrounding casts a bunch of good hitters, and 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:56.080 so we just got to see a lot more of 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.760 it up close and personal as far as how good 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.799 the abats were, how aggressive they are when they get 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:03.720 their pitch to hit, and what they were able to 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:08.839 do with it. So, you know, that's not surprising at all. 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:14.200 What's disappointing is, unfortunately, you know, the rookie pitchers aren't 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:16.280 able to throw strikes at the right times in the 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:21.800 right places. And that's not surprising their rookies, right, they're 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:25.720 young pitchers, they're young left handers. But heading into this series, 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:28.720 you know, when I wrote my series preview over on 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.919 Diamondbacks on SI, you know, I kind of felt like, Okay, 0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:35.040 we're probably going to see a bit of a bounce 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:38.600 back outing from a Dwarter Rodriguez. I thought they would 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:41.080 score a little bit more in that first game than 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:43.600 they managed to do. But they held on and the 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:47.720 bullpen was great. But yes, yesterday and today, you know, 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.920 we kind of got what we expected, which was the 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:54.120 best offense in league, beating up on a couple of 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:55.320 rookie starters. 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:59.440 The fifth inning was really the big hinge point in 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:02.040 the finale of this series. Diamondbacks had a four to 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.600 two lead. At that point, things were looking pretty good. 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:09.640 Cole Drake had you know, sort of let the Nationals 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:11.600 tie the game a couple of times after the d 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:14.120 Backs had taken the lead. But then in the fifth 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.360 inning is where things really got a little bit out 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:19.160 of hand. D Backs again with a four to two 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:24.080 lead entering the inning, as I said, and yeah, things 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:24.839 were not great there. 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:25.200 Jack. 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:30.159 It all started with Nasim Yunez, the Nationals number nine, 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:32.960 hit or drawing a walk, which it feels like that's 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:37.400 oftentimes how big time rallies begin. And then James Wood 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.159 followed that up with a two run home run to 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:42.960 tie the game. Three batters later, cj. Abrams did what 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:45.280 he's been doing a whole lot of lately, which has 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:49.360 hit a two run home run that came against Jonathan Elizaga, 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:52.200 who had then entered the game at that point, and 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:54.599 then things just kind of continue to get out of 0:04:54.680 --> 0:04:57.960 hand from there. Brandon Garcia gives up three runs in 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.039 the seventh, Kevin Ginkel gives up another run in the eighth. 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:04.599 Dbacs did make it a little interesting in the ninth inning. 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:08.400 They did get the time run on at first base. 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:12.640 Tyler Locklear represented the winning run with the bases loaded 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:16.000 in two outs, but unfortunately he grounded out and that 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:17.080 was the end of this one. 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:22.159 Yeah, I think you know, when we talk about the bullpen, 0:05:22.240 --> 0:05:25.279 I mean, for all year long, the bullpen's been really good. 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.960 But the fact is is lately not so much. Although 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:32.760 the bullpen was great on Friday night, if you go 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:37.680 back to July twentieth, and I'm not sure if you 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:41.320 have that table up, let's see there it is there 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:44.400 we go. Okay, so you know, I looked I kind 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:47.479 of broke this out two ways, which is the previous 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.800 six games to Sunday and then Sunday and then the 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:55.160 total because obviously Sunday was especially bad and it really 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.760 inflated things. But you know, if you look at their 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:01.720 previous six games, which includes the excellent Friday work, they 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.000 still had a five two four e er in their 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:07.240 previous six games out of the bullpen as relievers. And 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:11.320 then Sunday, of course, was four innings, ten hits, six runs, 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:14.320 five earned, and that unearned run was due to Brandon 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:17.599 Garcia's own throwing error. And so you know, over the 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:21.160 last seven games, the bullpen is really starting to fray 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:24.360 a bit. We see thirty five hits and twenty six 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.400 and a third innings, We see four home runs, we 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:31.360 see a six to one five era. The strikeout to 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:34.000 walk ratio is still pretty good, but you know, they're 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.920 falling behind accounts when they shouldn't be, and they're giving 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:38.880 up a lot of base hits and giving up some 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:41.360 home runs. You know, it's not only been a Pulsea 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:44.640 wall problem. It's kind of we're seeing guys taking turns 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:48.520 now getting shaky and that may just be workload, you know, 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.320 and getting a little freight at the edges. We know 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:54.680 that they've been working really hard to try to maneuver 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.039 through what has clearly been a tired bullpen and they're 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:01.599 just not getting enough innings from the starters to allow 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:04.520 for that to happen. And no, they still have three 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:06.720 more games before they have a day off. They got 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.800 to hit into Pittsburgh. So yeah, they have pitching was 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:11.760 I mean, you know, they got two rookie starters that 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.600 aren't performing and walking too many guys. They got a 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.480 bullpen that's really paying the price for a workload and 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:21.000 now really starting to fray at the edges. They need 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:22.720 to make some moves and we're going to talk about that, 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:28.440 but it's pitching that's driving the concern right now. 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:32.440 I think at this point my concern level with the 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:36.640 bullpen is not all that high. You know, you look 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:39.640 at the eras that these guys have even after this game, 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:41.680 Like Brandon Garcia is still at a two two eight, 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.600 Kevin Ginkles at a three two five, Jonathan Maliseaga has 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:47.960 been unreal lately. He's at at two four one, Ryan 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.600 Thompson at a pretty reasonable three point seven to six. 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.440 And you know there are some some runs in those 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.400 past seven games that came at a time where the 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:59.360 game didn't really matter, like Iildomara Vargas gave up a 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.720 couple runs because the d Bacs had him pitch the 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.160 ninth inning. The other day, Ryan Thompson gave up four 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:08.040 runs in a game against the Cardinals when the game 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.280 was pretty much out of hand. So not to say 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:13.240 there isn't some regression happening, I think there clearly is, 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:15.920 and the workload probably has something to do with that. 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:19.880 But the starting pitching is really the concern for me 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:23.720 right now. The fact that the Diamondbacks have two rookie pitchers, 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:26.800 as you said, in Cole Drake and Mitch Bratt, who 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:31.000 just do not really look like big league ready starters. 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:34.000 Mitch Bratt in particular, Jack, I mean, at least cold. 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:38.360 Drake pounded the zone for the most part in this 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:41.240 Sunday game. I think his zone rate was fifty five percent. 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:43.520 I know there were some lapses here and there, like 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:47.599 the Walkton Nuniez, which isn't great. But Mitch Bratt on Saturday, 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:50.120 and it's kind of been a trend for him in 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.360 the few winnings that we've seen this season, he was 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:56.120 just all over the place, and after the game, he 0:08:56.240 --> 0:09:00.360 talked about how he thought, he said a lifetime record 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.360 and walks with five walks, and at least in his 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:06.240 professional career that was definitely the case. He's never had 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:09.000 five walks in a game in the majors or in 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:12.680 the minor leagues. So with Bratt, I think maybe there's 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:15.520 I'm certainly not giving up on him as a prospect. 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:18.840 I think the track record there speaks to a guy 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:21.600 whose command ought to be better than what we've seen, 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.640 but we haven't seen it at all in the big 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:27.040 leagues at this point. He really has been spraying the 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:28.040 ball all over the place. 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.080 Yeah, I mean it's a bit of confirmation bias for me, 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:33.520 and I want to fully admit that. You know, I 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.480 didn't watch his entire career, and I haven't watched every 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.480 start he made in tripa A this year, but I 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:41.040 watched at least three or four of them, and it 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:44.440 just seemed like, Wow, these misses are like, you know, 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:48.720 armside misses way up and out and you know curveballs, 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:51.880 spiked it fifty six feet into the dirt, and I 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:54.520 just saw a lot of that, and yet he would 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:56.400 still somehow get back in the zone and get it 0:09:56.480 --> 0:10:00.160 out you know, his pitching lines were good, but I did, 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.760 you know, I wasn't seeing even when I was watching 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:06.120 this minor league starts, I wasn't seeing like pinpoint command, 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:08.520 Like the pitches that miss are just off the plate, 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:12.120 that kind of stuff. They're non competitive pitches. Yeah, and 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:14.680 so that had kind of had a little bit of like, 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:18.200 that's not what I was expecting to see based on 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:22.120 his reputation before he was even promoted. And then since 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:26.160 he's been promoted, we've seen more of that non competitive pitches, 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:30.480 plus just a lot of walks. You know. So he's 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:32.480 supposed to be a command and control guy who's not 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:35.400 commanding and controlling the baseball. I'm not saying you can't, 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:37.720 not saying you won't, not saying that I have the 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:41.240 definitive understanding of this pitcher. I have not watched enough 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:45.760 of him, but I want to see that because otherwise 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:47.840 I don't want to hear about him being a command 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.040 and control guy anymore until he actually shows that he is. 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:56.200 Yeah. Yeah, I think that's totally fair. Diamondbacks score seven 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:59.360 runs in the Sunday games. Certainly the offense is not, 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:02.079 you know, does not take most of the blame for 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:06.160 a ten to seven loss, but there are some trends 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:08.480 with the offense that we wanted to get to. After 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.600 this break, we're going to talk a little catel Marte, 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:13.360 and then later in the show we're going to dive 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:18.000 into some trade candidates, get into some actual names here 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:20.080 for really the first time on our show. So don't 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:28.959 go anywhere. We'll be back with more right after this. Well, 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:32.360 if you are looking to take in an Arizona Diamondbacks 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:35.680 game when they return home next week, or not just 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:39.400 a baseball game, but a concert, any kind of event 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:42.720 that you're looking to attend, sea geek is the place 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:45.560 to go. With over thirty five million download, seageek is 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.520 the number one rated ticketing app. There are more than 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:52.640 seventy thousand events listed on seakiek, including concerts, sports, festivals, 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:56.240 and more. And hey, if you are interested in going 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.520 to a Diamondbacks game here in the near future, Jack, 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.080 you found this ticket for? Is that one of those 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:04.000 one of those games when they first come back. 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:08.640 Yeah, it's the Tuesday game against the Padres. And this 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:10.960 looks like a great deal. Just an example of the 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:14.080 things that you can find. Section one eighteen, row twenty one. 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:19.319 That's the first row overlooking the walkway and it's two 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:21.800 seats right there at the front for fifty eight bucks. 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:24.520 Sea Gek's awesome, man like, you can really find so 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:28.480 many great deals. I happen to just pop on there. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:30.520 I wanted to look at what the Padre series look like, 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:32.560 and I saw that for Tuesday's game. 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:35.560 There you go a lot of great tickets to be 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:39.160 had over there. Of course, we have a code for 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:41.960 all of you to use. You can use code Territory 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:44.079 ten for ten percent off your next set of MLB 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:47.320 tickets at Sea Geek. That's ten percent off any MLB 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:50.640 tickets with promo code Territory ten. Make sure you click 0:12:50.679 --> 0:12:52.920 the link in the description to download the app and 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.880 have the code automatically added to your account so that 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:58.600 you can use it later. Thank you Sea Geek. 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:01.320 Well Jack. 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:04.199 As I said before the break, d Backs scored seven 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:08.120 runs on Sunday, you usually hope that that is enough 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.240 to win a game. And yet I think it is 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:15.839 time to have a conversation about Kateel Marte because even 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.000 though Ktel's numbers for the year, he's still been an 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.560 above average hitter. He did hit a home run in 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:24.000 this game, so Admittedly, we're maybe picking a strange one 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:27.640 to talk about his season, but there were some troubling 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.720 at bats from Katel in this game. In addition to 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:34.920 the home run, there's one that stood out from the 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:39.360 very ending of this game. This was in the ninth inning. 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:43.600 Diamondbacks had the bases loaded and nobody out. It's a 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:46.600 ten to five ball game at that point, so you're 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:49.640 just looking to kind of keep the line moving. Nationals 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:53.040 had just brought in their closer, Clayton Beater, and Katl 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:56.240 swings at the first pitch. Granted it was a slider 0:13:56.679 --> 0:13:58.640 that was up in the zone, but it was on 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.760 the upper inside corner, not really the type of pitch 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:04.520 you can do damage on, and Kutel just hit a 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:07.520 little pop fly on the infield that went for an 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.880 out and kind of hindered the Diamondbacks as they were 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:13.760 trying to put together a run there a couple of 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:18.520 innings earlier. This was maybe the real backbreaker. Runner at 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.840 second two outs in the top of the seventh, Gabby 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:23.960 Moreno had just hit a double count starts three to 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:27.240 zero with three pitches that are nowhere even close to 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:32.240 the zone, and then kateel Marte just becomes unglued on 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:35.320 a three to zero fastball that was down and inside, 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:37.840 it was not in the zone. He swings and misses, 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.360 kind of looked like he might have tweaked something on 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:43.000 the swing, which you never loved to see. And then 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.560 he comes back and swings at the next pitch, a 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.560 curveball in the dirt, and he takes strike three, called 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:52.760 to envy at bat. And at that point he had 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:56.120 seen five pitches, all of them out of the strike zone. 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:59.440 And this is all just indicative, of course of the 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:01.840 season that Katell has had Jack where he is just 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:04.760 chasing pitches out of the zone, far more than we've 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:05.520 seen in the past. 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:11.760 Yeah, I mean, Chris Garagiola I tweeted this out during 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:17.000 the game. Chris Garagiolo commented on the broadcast, Katell's his 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:21.480 own worst enemy at times, and that certainly rang true 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:24.040 to me when I looked at this, you know, and 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:27.360 I've looked at these numbers before. This is really pretty 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:31.720 pretty simple, you know. And I want to start off 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.800 by repeating what I said in tweet. It seems harsh 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:36.920 to be critical of a guy who has two walks 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:39.200 and a home run today. Okay, So I want to 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:43.000 acknowledge that. You know, it's he's a phenomenal player. He 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:45.760 can do amazing things, didn't. 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:47.920 I think Katell just had the home run, right, I 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:49.720 think he was one for five. I don't think he 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:50.880 drew walks in this one. 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:54.320 If I remember directly, you know what, I misread my 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.720 score sheheet. That's correct. He was one for five, So 0:15:56.760 --> 0:15:58.440 that tweet's wrong, thank you, Jesse. 0:15:58.960 --> 0:15:59.680 Sure, sure. 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.720 But the point, the overwriting point here is the numbers 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:07.640 on the screen show his chase percentage. That's the percentage 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.600 of pitches that he swings at that are outside the 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.600 strike zone. In twenty twenty three it was twenty four 0:16:13.680 --> 0:16:16.760 point three percent. Twenty twenty four is twenty five point 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.680 nine percent. Twenty twenty five it was twenty four point 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:23.720 seven percent. In twenty twenty six, it's thirty two point 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:27.440 three percent chase. In other words, he's increased his chase 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:29.960 rate by over thirty percent from what it was the 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:33.760 year before, you know, straight up seven and a half 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:37.280 percentage points. But that's about a thirty percent increase from 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:40.280 the year before, and we're just seeing that that completely 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:43.520 matches the eye test. You know, he's just been swinging 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:48.120 the balls outside the zone repeatedly, and you know, I'm 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:50.840 catching a little flak on Twitter. Well, you know, if 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:52.440 you'd got that hit, if you got a hit on 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:55.280 that pitch, you know, in the ninth inning, you know, 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.480 I wouldn't be saying anything. But think of the context. 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:01.640 You're down by five runs. The best possible outcome in 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:04.840 that at bat is a grand Slam homer, and you'd 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:07.400 still be losing ten to nine. The only way you're 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:10.040 going to come back from a five run deficit here 0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:13.639 is to move the chain, right. They had just walked 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:15.960 the bases loaded. Now you got a new pitcher coming 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:18.800 in and he throws a slider up and in, and 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:23.639 you're hacking at that pitch. Take a pitch, take a pitch, 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:28.719 move the chain, grind out in a bat, you know. 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.800 And he just wasn't willing to do any of that 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.000 when he had the other at bet that you highlighted. 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:36.879 I mean that was with two outs and Gabby on 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:39.680 second base, you know, an opportunity to drive in a 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:42.640 run there. You know, maybe that's what he's thinking. I'm 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:45.480 not you know, some people are calling him selfish. I'm 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:49.640 not calling him selfish. I'm just saying he's being undisciplined. 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.520 He's been an undisciplined hitter this year, and it showed 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:56.080 up in the results. I mean, the bottom line is this, 0:17:56.640 --> 0:17:59.679 To tell Marte, the previous couple of seasons was like 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:06.840 a one you know, op WRC plus or OPS plus hitter, Okay, 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:10.920 one forty five and one fifty two. This year he's 0:18:10.920 --> 0:18:15.080 one oh six. And earlier in the season the narrative was, well, 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:18.200 he's hitting the ball hard, you know, he's just having 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:22.359 bad luck, and that was partially true. But as the 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:25.680 season's gone on, this chase issue has just reared its 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:29.639 ugly head over and over and overhead and situationally and 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:32.639 again it's I mean, he's so mercurial, I mean like 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:35.679 he'll hit a walk off home run, he'll do amazing things. 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.040 But he's really cutting into his value by being so 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:41.520 undisciplined this year. And I don't know why he's doing it. 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:43.280 I don't know what got into his head. 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:47.199 I thought it was interesting with the chase rate. His 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.679 chase rate against lefties this year is right around thirty 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:54.880 five percent, which is actually very similar to what it's 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.639 been in past years. It was actually higher in twenty 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:01.280 nineteen at thirty eight point five percent. So we've always 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:04.359 seen this kind of chase happy version of Katel against 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:08.560 lefties because he has this lightning quick swing. The bat 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:10.560 speed is insane, and he can just kind of get 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:12.959 away with it at times. He certainly has this season. 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:16.439 His numbers against lefties are still awesome this year. The 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:19.800 issue is against righty's. His chase strate is thirty one 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:23.600 point two percent this season, and that is like way 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:26.960 out of range from where it's been in recent seasons. 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:30.240 Last year was twenty three point six percent, twenty twenty 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:32.080 three and twenty twenty four it was in the twenty 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:36.240 one percent range. So that's an enormous, enormous difference in 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:41.280 chase against righty's and generally that's been Katel's slightly weaker side, 0:19:41.320 --> 0:19:44.320 where he needs to work counts and get a good 0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.439 pitch to hit more so than he does when batting 0:19:47.520 --> 0:19:50.320 right handed, and of course Jack I mean this kind 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:53.000 of manifests itself in the on base percentage. I know 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:55.320 there's been a little bit of bad luck for Katel 0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:58.000 this year and this number probably could be a little higher, 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.840 but as OBP is three h seven in twenty twenty six, 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:05.879 I mean, that's that's just straight up below average. I mean, 0:20:05.920 --> 0:20:08.640 you look at where it was last season three seventy six, 0:20:09.040 --> 0:20:12.280 the year before three seventy two. It's the lowest on 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:16.080 base percentage that Katel has ever had as a member 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:19.040 of the Diamondbacks. The only time his OBP in the 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:22.280 majors has ever been lower was twenty sixteen, when he 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:24.960 was with the Mariners and still a very very young 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:28.240 player coming up in the league. So it really has 0:20:28.320 --> 0:20:31.879 been uncharacteristic for a guy who has made his living 0:20:32.080 --> 0:20:36.160 against right handed pitching, really seeing pitches and working counts, 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:38.040 and just hasn't happened this year. 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:41.320 Yeah, and again, I don't know why. I don't know 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:44.200 what's up with him. You know, I'm not going to 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:46.520 try to psychoanalyze him. I'm just saying this is the 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:51.680 fact he's chasing like crazy, obviously more so against right 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:55.320 handed pitching, and it's resulted in a low OBP and 0:20:55.359 --> 0:20:58.520 a one oh six WRC plus and you know, he's 0:20:58.520 --> 0:21:00.720 just not and most of that has come out of 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:03.840 the leadoff spot, whereas first batter of the game he 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:06.520 was hardly getting on base at all. You know, his 0:21:06.640 --> 0:21:10.480 better when all those times batting leadoff, most of us better. 0:21:10.520 --> 0:21:13.600 Our batch came second, third, fourth, a bat of the game. 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:17.840 Later, and that takes us to an interesting stat that 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:21.160 you tweeted out earlier. This was entering the game today. 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.840 You tweeted out the Diamondbacks one through four hitters have 0:21:24.920 --> 0:21:28.280 a one to oh three WRC plus this season. League 0:21:28.280 --> 0:21:31.359