1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: Hey, fish fans, Welcome to a new edition of Big 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Fish Small Pod on the Fish on First Podcast channel, 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: presented by MPT College Consulting. This is Eli Sussman hosting 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: the Small Pod for you, where every weekday we get 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: you caught up on the very latest Miami Marlins news 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: and trending topics in ten minutes or less, available on 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: our channel wherever you get your pods, including on YouTube, 8 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: so rate, reviewscribe, etc. On here. For this one, I'm 9 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: recording on my final night in South Florida, my week 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: long trip to soak it all in every single year. 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: It's been a great trip overall, and I wanted to 12 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: just give you my three biggest takeaways from all the 13 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: time spent down here almost every single day at the 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 1: ballpark in Jupiter. Number one has to be the one 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: player who really has changed my opinion of him in 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: this brief window six to do Sanchez. I saw two 17 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: appearances of him, one of them in person on Wednesday 18 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: at Roger Dean and then on Sunday he pitched a 19 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: televised game at Port Saint Luci and I've been a 20 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: skeptic of him for I guess the better part of 21 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: a year he's been so far removed from his shoulder surgery, 22 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: is that if his stuff didn't come back in twenty 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: twenty three, I doubted that it ever would. And even 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: if it did, like how exactly would he translate to 25 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: from life as a starting pitching prospect to being a reliever? 26 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: Would he be able to recapture what elements? Would he 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: be able to finally magically recapture after so long away? 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: The track record of guys missing as much time as 29 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: Sixto has in coming back and being productive major leaguers, 30 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: it's a really scary track record. There not much precedent 31 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: for him having much of a career after this, and 32 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: yet this was an incredible week for him. First on Wednesday, 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: the scintillating ending of baseball that I saw this past 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: week was his first ending in relief of that game, 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: where he was sitting in the high nine nineties and 36 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: locating his fastball really well. Is change up with nasty 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: in that appearance too, with a combination of commands and 38 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: his v low getting at least in the same general 39 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: area as to what it was before his injuries, that 40 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: was extremely exciting. He ended up throwing two scoreless endings 41 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: on Wednesday. Then he came back on Sunday, working on 42 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: just three days rest, something he had never done during 43 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: his professional career, and he throws two more scoreless sendings. Now, 44 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: his v low did come back down more towards the 45 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: mid nineties, and overall, I've had an analysis on the 46 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: side about this. He's still pretty far away from recapturing 47 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: all the stuff that made him one of the very 48 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: best young pitchers in baseball as of twenty twenty and 49 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: entering twenty twenty one. That being said, he is out 50 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: of minor league options. He has not a let to 51 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: run so far this spring. Like this has been an 52 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: audition in every sense of the word, to show something 53 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: after being so much time away, And you have to 54 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: hand it to him. He is in six scoreless sendings 55 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: this spring, very few balls hit out of the field 56 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: against him. He has essentially clinched the spot, I would say, 57 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: in the Marlins opening day bullpen. So a couple more 58 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: appearances to come for him this spring. But this has 59 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: been a really great story from somebody that understandably a 60 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: lot of us had counted out as being a viable 61 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: member of this Marlins pitching staff. I'm eager to see 62 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: exactly how the Marlins used him at their bullpen entering 63 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four season. Second big takeaway, the Marlins 64 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: really should have gotten an extension done with Luisa Rise 65 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: even before I came down. The couple games before that, 66 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: he had multi eight games and he just stayed scorching 67 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: hot this past week. During the four games between this 68 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: past Monday and Sunday, went seven for twelve with four doubles, 69 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: doubles in every single game, zero strikeouts as usual. Overall 70 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: his last six games, he is twelve for eighteen. You 71 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: could probably do the math six sixty seven hitter over 72 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: his last six spring games, again zero strikeouts during that time. 73 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: From my live looks at him, it is just breathtaking 74 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: the way that he's able to adjust to any pitch 75 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: type in any location, not just any part of the 76 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: strike zone. He is such an aggressive guy and so 77 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: in tune with his swing that he relishes and sometimes 78 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: chasing pitches out of the zone, especially up and in. 79 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: There were a couple instances during this past week seeing 80 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: him take those pitches up and in, sometimes even with 81 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: two strikes, and somehow bring his hands all the way 82 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: in to keep the ball fair down the first base 83 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: line while also hitting it hard enough to get it 84 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: through the enfield. So a lot of those doubles were 85 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: ones that were just well placed grounders or low line drives. 86 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: He's still not going to be a big slug presence 87 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 1: on this team, but his floor is so extraordinarily high 88 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: as a player, he is going to make your team 89 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: several wins better as long as he stays on the field. 90 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: For all the other limitations in his game, what he 91 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: provides is a great floor razor for any lineup, and 92 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 1: he carried the Marlins at times last year. Is he 93 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: going to replicate what he did in twenty twenty three. 94 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: I'm skeptical about that about him hitting in the three fifties, 95 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: But in terms of him being one of the better 96 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: on base guys in all baseball, a great situational player 97 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: in maintaining the lowest strikeout rate of any regular player 98 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: in the majors, I think that's a lock. Like his 99 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: skill level is so special, it's not something you can 100 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: really teach to anybody else. For a Marlins team, for 101 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: any smaller market team, you're always thinking about how he 102 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: could potentially replace guys in the aggregate, replace star players. 103 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: When inevitably you can't afford them anymore. And there's just 104 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: no solution to that here. There's no solid backup plan 105 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: that I think you'd feel all that thrilled about if 106 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: he does end up going. We've been over this again 107 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: and again. Just two years of club control left for 108 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: a rise, they took him to an arbitration hearing again 109 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: to keep his salary down. He's been very vocal about 110 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: wanting to remain with the Marlins long term, even after 111 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: just one year with the organization. That's how well things 112 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: get went. That's how much he means to the players 113 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: in this clubhouse and everybody in this organization. There's still 114 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: time between the start of the season when maybe miraculously 115 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: they do come to terms, but right now it seems 116 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: highly unlikely that he gets locked up. And he is 117 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: so good, and I think he's going to continue to 118 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: be so productive this upcoming year. That's just hard to 119 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: see the Marlins affording him throughout the rest of his 120 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: prime years unfortunately. So enjoy him while you can, because 121 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: this is a really special player and somebody that's worth 122 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: the price of admission, which firstly to my third takeaway, 123 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: because the price for admission at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. 124 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: A couple of these games was outrageous. Even this deep 125 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: into spring training, you're partly ever going to see major 126 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: league regular staying in for the entire game, it is 127 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: several innings of backups, not usually top prospects, as those backups, 128 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: either the quality of play due to the circumstances and 129 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: due to the skill level of the guys on the field, 130 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: is a lot lower than any regular season major league game. 131 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: I'd have to say that the worst meal that I 132 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: had at any point during this week would be the 133 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: chicken tenders and fries at Roger Dean, and it wasn't 134 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: the cheapest meal classic stadium pricing given that I didn't 135 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: bring in food from the outside. The one time that 136 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: I specifically got tickets in the shade in or to 137 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: just avoid getting too badly sunburns, the seats that I 138 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: have were directly placed underneath a crackling speaker that was 139 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: really distracting over the course of the game as I 140 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: sat through the whole thing. I want to reiterate that 141 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: the vibes around the spring training facility are awesome that 142 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: in itself has a lot of value to it, but 143 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: when it comes to all these other details around the 144 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: experience not what I was really hoping for. And when 145 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: you consider the price points that for the most expensive 146 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: weekend game an all in price of sixty four dollars 147 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: in fifty cents per person to get inside Man, those 148 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: renovations cannot go soon enough. If that explains why the 149 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: pricing was higher than it had been previously, even for 150 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: some Marlin's home games, which traditionally don't have the same 151 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: demand as Cardinals home games at Roger Dean. Yeah, they 152 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: better put all this money to good use in order 153 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: to make this a more appealing entertainment option for South 154 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: Florida locals. It's just it's hard to really compete with 155 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: other entertainment options that people have down here when the 156 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: pricing is what it is and when some of these 157 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: deficiencies still have not been fully resolved. I hope you 158 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: enjoyed this reboot of the Big Fish Small Pod for 159 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four regular season, as that season is 160 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: just a week and a half away every weekday getting 161 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: these small pods with myself and other hosts on The 162 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: Fish on First podcast channel wherever you get your pod, 163 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: including on YouTube, So rate and review all that stuff 164 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: greatly appreciated, will be ended by MPT College Consulting. Contact 165 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: them today at Mptcollegeconsulting dot com. I have an Eli 166 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: Susman for the small pod. I'll talk to you again 167 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: from back home. I'm at my next opportunity.