1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Hey, Hi, Hello, I'm Andrew Wardall and you're listening to 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: the Big Fish Small Pod. I'm with you every Wednesday 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: and Friday throughout the season talking about the latest in 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: Miami Marlins. Specifically, I'm interested in taking a deeper look 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: at these Marlins baths, so throughout the year I'll be 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 1: really focusing on that. And since it is like the 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: week of the start of the year, as some might 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: know at opening week, but I'm still just not quite 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: with it, still in a state of disbelief about baseball 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: being back. Like I said, I'm Andrew Wardahll. I'm on 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: Twitter as well. I've written for Fish Stripes off and on, 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: mostly off, but on in like twenty thirteen and this 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: past year or so. Around that time, I've also worked 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: in I worked for an independent baseball team for a 15 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: summer as well as I worked for a college team. 16 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: Spent some time in the dugouts. Really not much, almost 17 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: like a fly on the wall that could shark pitches 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: or film matters. Certainly, it was like the sort of 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: thing where I'd be in the dugout and I'd like 20 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: be like, hey, was that that slider? I couldn't really 21 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: tell the spit on it, and I, by all means 22 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: do no my limit in that regard. I'm far from 23 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: a major league hitter, aren't we all? So I do 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: take like a particular interest in it. I followed the 25 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: sport for years, gosh, like over a decade. That sorry 26 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: for that personal moment of mine. I want to keep 27 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: the focus on the sport period. I like to watch baseball. 28 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: It's like fun, relaxing thing to do for me. It's 29 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: just like a good like escape from the day to 30 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: day and going to a game is like great, so 31 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: much to just enjoy about the sport. And like always 32 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: these players are doing something really impressive, really something that 33 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: we all can't. There's an amount of like a role 34 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: model thing to that. I think, especially towards like hitters, 35 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: I'm really into that. I like that they're like constantly 36 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: against something that's almost overwhelming. There's just this incredible force 37 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: coming at them. By the picture on the mound in 38 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,559 Speaker 1: the major leagues, that's always someone who's you know, ridiculous 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: at what they do. They throw like ninety six at 40 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: at you and that's like the start of an at bat, 41 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: and I like, for for me, that'd be absolutely overwhelming. 42 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: But the hitter that just like stays in that at 43 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: bat and perseveres against the picture. It's really like really 44 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 1: excit and really something to bold. I think that's the 45 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: really neat thing to have as like to get like 46 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: really into it, like as a part of a culture, 47 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: but more than that, just like something to tune into 48 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: most nights of a year. So I'm really glad to 49 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: have baseball back. Today, April sixth is actually the last 50 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 1: day we can really say that will be without major 51 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: League Baseball for the foreseeable future. Unquestionably the foreseeable future, 52 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: because who knows what November may bring. But it's April 53 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: and the year is about to get started. So where 54 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: I'm at today, along with just like having talked about 55 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: these batters a bit and ahead of like a real 56 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: like lineup announcement, roster announcement any or really like solidify 57 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: that that we should to fate in the coming days, 58 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: what I want to talk about today is take a 59 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: look ahead at just what exactly these hitters are up against, 60 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: again keeping the focus specifically on the hitter. Yeah, I 61 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,799 Speaker 1: want to talk about what the hitters are up against. 62 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: So like opening night for the Marlins four PM, or 63 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: Cell Eastern Standard time, the Marlins will be facing the 64 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: San Francisco Giants and Logan Web. Logan Web's like a 65 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: right handed pitcher twenty five. He's been in the league 66 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: for a couple of years, and we really saw him 67 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: take off last year. He always like has been like 68 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: a three pitch pitcher at the major league level with 69 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: a slider, a change up in a fastball. But over 70 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: the years what's really like brought him to that next 71 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: level is his sinker. So in doing that, it's like 72 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: probably the bulk of what he throws with this slider 73 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 1: and change of like real solid, like two in three pitches, 74 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: major parts of his game like fully built around it. 75 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: His slider has a fifth percent of almost fifty, so 76 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: like half the time someone screinging and missing because he 77 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: can just pitch it out of the zone in that 78 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 1: typical slider sort of way, like a righty facing a 79 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: right handed batter, putting it outside the zone, making the 80 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: batter reach and miss for it. Of course they think 81 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: it's coming in to like the heart of the zone 82 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: because he shows all these different looks off of the 83 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: fastball with a sinker, a foresmer and a cutter. Cutter's 84 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: really just like an option he'll throw in there forcing fastball. 85 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: Generally speaking, he uses that like in one of those 86 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: like sorts of counter he's just trying to like get 87 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: one past you. Think like if you're down like he's 88 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: down three and oh, he's just trying to get one 89 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: over the plate, or if he's like up like one 90 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: two and just trying to surprise you with something. What 91 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: we're seeing with like Logan Webb is a really like 92 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: badly pitcher, meaning that he throws a lot of strikes. 93 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: Baseball Savant has him at like the eighty fourth percentile 94 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: in walks aloud, So he's really keeping the ball in 95 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: the zone, getting batters out, and staying in those out bats. 96 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: He doesn't really overwhelm in the same way last year's 97 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: like opening the opponent Tyler Glass now does with that 98 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: ridiculous heat and slider and other pitches. He's less of 99 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: your power pitcher. He's more of a guy looking to 100 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: just outright trick you at the plate and you have 101 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: a lot of different pitches to make sure you don't 102 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: see the same thing twice, and also to just keep 103 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: you on your toes every step of the way. Obviously, 104 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: as a hitter you want to be on every pitch 105 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: and facing Logan Web. What that means is that you 106 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: have to be really like you can't be me in 107 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: the box. You have to like know what pitch is 108 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: coming by looking at it. And what you need to 109 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: do is just keep him honest to the zone. So 110 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: that slider that's going to go away, you got to 111 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: work his pitch count up on instances like that, and 112 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: the sinker that will grow in the heart of the plate, 113 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: you have to be really aware of that really on 114 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: that try to like smack it really one way or 115 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: the other because the inclination to maybe get under it 116 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: is going to be that's just such a tricky thing 117 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: to do. He gets ahead of you is really like 118 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: key to facing Logan Web. Like two thirds of the 119 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,559 Speaker 1: time he gets that first pitch strike, so the hitter 120 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: is always for most of the time behind. So from 121 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: that point Logan can really do whatever he wants. And 122 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: the fact that he throws a sinker helps to minimize 123 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: the damage of like a slugger. I think like someone 124 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: who's like a bat that can put a lot into 125 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: it and maybe that's something discern and behind it, like 126 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: like Avy Garcia up there at the plate, he'll throw sinker, 127 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: but if you're just looking fastball, which you really can't 128 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: do much more than like that, and he gives a 129 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: couple of looks off of it, so it's open to 130 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: just the bat not quite making the right contact with 131 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: the ball, more than likely getting over it, getting on 132 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: the ground, getting out. He doesn't allow that much hard 133 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: hit contact with the sinker, which is very dangerous. The 134 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: changeup also can be a swing and miss pitch, at 135 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 1: least in the look with a very substantial vertical drop. 136 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: What you're looking at with Logan Web is a guy 137 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: who just has so many different ways to get you out. 138 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: And what we'll expect this Friday is a real battle 139 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: for these Marlins bats, not so much in the sense 140 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: that they need to reach the same physical height of 141 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: a tidler glassnow, but that they need to meet such 142 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: a baseball height of a Logan Web with these like 143 00:09:53,080 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: gritty battles at the plate where every moment you'll see 144 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: something different, and the bat's ability to stay fully aware 145 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: of that and just on it every second and take 146 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: advantage of whatever mistakes might come your way will really 147 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: be what can shift the game in the Marlins favor. 148 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: Assuming Logan's as locked in as he was for most 149 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: of last year, the Marlins will really be stretching it 150 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: this Friday. So that's all I have for today. I'll 151 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: be back with you on Friday to talk more about 152 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: the upcoming season, but for now, I've been Andrew Rdahl. 153 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: Check out Fish Stripes Live today at seven for a 154 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: little bit more from us at Fish Stripes. But we 155 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: will be back to your ears for the podcast tomorrow 156 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: with another episode of Big Fish, Small Pot.