1 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: What's up, everybody. 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 2: Welcome into another edition of Crush City Territory. I'm channel 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 2: the room along with Tyler Stafford, following what I believe 4 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 2: is one of the best baseball games you can ever watch. 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 2: It lasted two hours and eight minutes. There was great pitching, 6 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 2: there was an intriguing managerial decision in the eighth inning, 7 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 2: with Joe A. Spotta letting from Berveldez face Bobby Witt 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 2: Junior for a fourth time, and there was a thrilling 9 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: ending as Esak Paratus hit his first career walk off 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 2: home run into the Crawford boxes and the Ashers eked 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: out a two to one win against the Royals to 12 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: put them at twenty one and twenty. They're a little 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: bit over the quarter pole of the season, Tyler, but 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: this is our podcast, so we're just going to say 15 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 2: that this is the quarter pole of the season. 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 3: Mm hmm. 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. It was a fast one. I mean it's ten 18 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 4: fifteen right now and you're back home recording a podcast, 19 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 4: which I don't think either one of us expected for 20 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 4: a seven o'clock game. So congrats on the fast game. 21 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 4: But yeah, I feel like I blinked and it was 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 4: the fifth inning. I looked up tonight was a preschool 23 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 4: graduation for my kids, like their end of the year things. 24 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 4: So I got back and you know, it was like 25 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 4: seven to twenty and we were already in second inning, 26 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 4: third inn. You know, by the time we got them 27 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 4: into bed, it was like the sixth I was like, 28 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 4: what what happened? So I was in and out for 29 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 4: a lot of the game today, But I texted you 30 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 4: during the game. Promber's stuff was unbelievable today. I mean 31 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 4: it's not just you know, the results that he was getting, 32 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 4: but the movement of his pitches today was insane? Did it? 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 4: Did it look like that? Live too? 34 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: To pull the curtain back after the third inning, when 35 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: Fromberveldez had gotten nine outs on twenty three pitches, I 36 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: had four paragraphs written of the note bitter story. I 37 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: had looked up. I had looked up how many guys 38 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: had thrown more than one. I had looked up what 39 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: this would have been an astro's history, Like I had 40 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 2: it all because it looked that good, like it's your fault. 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 4: Everyone, we can agree it's Chandler's fault. 42 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: Yeah it is, it's my fault. 43 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: But the stuff looked that good, like he looked like 44 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 2: vintage from Or. 45 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: They were swinging early. 46 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: It was all ground balls. He got twelve ground ball 47 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 2: outs tonight. The Royals swung seventeen times against his curveball 48 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: and whifted eleven times. This was vintage Fromber. It was 49 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: as vintage as it can get. And it's why Joe 50 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: Aspotta let him face Bobby Witt Junior in the eighth 51 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: inning with the go ahead run at second base. He 52 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: had Brian Abrady hot in the bullpen. But as he 53 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: said after the game, this is Fromber's game and he 54 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: I mean, we don't need to relitigate the why they're 55 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: not going to trade him piece of this. But I 56 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 2: think if anyone thought they were going to trade him, 57 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: if they were in contention at the deadline, the last 58 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: two or three starts have settled that unless you want 59 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: Aj bluebott pitch game two of a Wildcard series. 60 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: Did that interest you at all? 61 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 4: No? I'm good, Yeah, thank you. 62 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: Aj blue Balls a very nice young man. 63 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 2: Though, who knows, given the Astros pitching infrastructure, he'll probably 64 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: be pitching like Game four the Alds this year. 65 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: Sure, given how that works. 66 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 2: Like we mentioned, the Astros have approached and maybe even 67 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 2: exceeded the quarter pole a little bit. They're twenty one 68 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: and twenty I think, Tyler, if my math is right, 69 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 2: that means they're on pace to go eighty two and 70 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: eighty could be wrong, but who knows. To me, like it, 71 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 2: it feels like this is where they should be. Like 72 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: I don't look at this season and I say, and 73 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 2: I see games that, oh, they gave that game away, 74 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: that's a game. 75 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: They shouldn't have lost. 76 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: Or in conversely, like I don't see many wins they've 77 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: gotten where I'm like, man, like they had. 78 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: No business winning that game. Like this feels right. 79 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: Twenty one and twenty after forty one games kind of 80 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: feels right for this team. 81 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's I mean, it's one of those things that 82 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 4: we talked about where I think last year, watching them 83 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 4: stumble out of the gate, you kind of looked at 84 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 4: the team and we're like, man, this seems really underperforming, 85 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 4: Like things are weird. But yeah, this year they just 86 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 4: I mean, they came into the season feeling like a 87 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 4: eighty two to eighty five win team and they're playing 88 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 4: at that pace. And I think it's just been so 89 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 4: long in Houston that we've actually watched an eighty two 90 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 4: win team that everybody's got a little shell shock of, 91 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 4: just like, wait, is this like what these teams look like? 92 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 4: You know, because I will say it makes the regular 93 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 4: season really fun. I know we've mentioned this before, but 94 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 4: I mean every game is a big game, and you're 95 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 4: like into it and you care about decisions that you 96 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 4: know in twenty seventeen, you know, twenty nineteen, I was 97 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 4: not caring about who the third reliever brought in in 98 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 4: a six to one ball game was. But I ca 99 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 4: now I'll let you know, I'm upset when the guy 100 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 4: that I didn't want comes out. So it's been it's 101 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 4: been really fun in that aspect. I'm sure people are 102 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 4: already commenting it hasn't been fun. What are you talking about? 103 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 4: But in that aspect, it's been fun. 104 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 105 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 2: I had to tell someone on X the other day 106 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: and I was. 107 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: Very polite about it, but. 108 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 2: They they it was in the middle of I think 109 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 2: the Ryan gust when Ryan Gusto got lit up in 110 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 2: the first game against Kansas City, gave up seven runs 111 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 2: and two and two thirds innings, and someone someone replied 112 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 2: to like the line Gusto as long as like, ah, 113 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: you know, this team is just maddening. 114 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: They're not any good. And I was like, I responded 115 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: very nicely. I was like, this is. 116 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: Normal baseball, Like what they did from twenty eighteen to 117 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two is not normal baseball, Like you are 118 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: living now, how basically twenty eight other teams live all 119 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 2: year where like every game you go into it's a fight, 120 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 2: Like you have to show up, you have to like 121 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: play nine innings. You like those twenty nineteen that twenty 122 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 2: nineteen team, the twenty twenty two team, even twenty twenty 123 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 2: one team. 124 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: At times, like if. 125 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 2: They were healthy and they rolled the balls out there, 126 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: there was an eighty five percent chance they were winning 127 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: that game. And they just they could roll out of bed. 128 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: And win ninety games. 129 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 2: And that's just not how baseball works, Like welcome to 130 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 2: the other side, welcome to how the rest. 131 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: Of the world lived. 132 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: And I agree with you, Like as a writer, as 133 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 2: a reporter, like covering his team, this is much more 134 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 2: fascinating to cover. Just every game means a little bit more. 135 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: There's a lot more intrigue and a lot more weight 136 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 2: behind a lot of moves when you know it was 137 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 2: really hard in like twenty nineteen, like justin Verlander through 138 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: eight scoreless innings again, and then the next day, Oh, 139 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: Garrett Cole through nine through a complete game today, and 140 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 2: then Zach Grienky when. 141 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: He came along. This is a lot more just like. 142 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 2: Intriguing and fascinating because of kind of the machinations going 143 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 2: in behind the scenes. And yeah, they're twenty one and 144 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 2: twenty going into today's game. Baseball Reference has a Pythagorean 145 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: win loss thing that you know, averages out run differential 146 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 2: averages out a bunch of different kind of underlying things. 147 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: Their Pythagorean record was twenty two and eighteen going into today, 148 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 2: which means that maybe they've gotten a little bit unlucky. 149 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: I don't feel that really watching them, but you know, again, 150 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: like we said, twenty one and twenty kind of feels 151 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: like where this team should be at the quarterpole. 152 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 4: Now. 153 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: Very rarely in a baseball season do you get like 154 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 2: an opportunity to like say, all right, like to hand 155 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 2: out like awards like mid season, Like it's always at 156 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 2: mid season, but we're gonna do it at the quarterpole. 157 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: Tyler, who's your quarter pole MVP? 158 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 4: I mean it's got to be Hunter Brown, right, I 159 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 4: mean that's uh that's as good as it can get. 160 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 4: I mean, he's been unbelievable the whole year. We haven't 161 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 4: really seen any real stumbles. He's, uh, you know, there's 162 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 4: not much to say about him other than he is 163 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 4: a leading cy young candidate, which is crazy because this 164 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 4: time last year it was you know, we're we're like 165 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 4: two weeks removed from is this guy gonna get sent 166 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 4: down to Triple A? You know what's going to happen? 167 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 4: And now he is a premier starter, just an established ace, 168 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 4: and it's it's been incredible to watch. 169 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 2: He leads the major leagues with a one point eighty 170 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 2: six FIP. He leads the major leagues with two point 171 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: one b war of all pitchers. So yeah, he is. 172 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 2: He's a bona fide ace. Like and he's gonna face 173 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 2: Jacob de Graham on Thursday, and that'll be a site 174 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: for all to see. 175 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: Because we want to. 176 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 2: Like keep viewers and because we want to keep watching 177 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 2: the show, I'm not going to say Hunter Brown is 178 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: my quarter pole MVP. I'm gonna go Jeremy Pania, who 179 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 2: homered tonight to off of Chris Bubick to get it 180 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 2: at one to one, to tie the game at one 181 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: after Farmer Vell Does allowed a rare run in the 182 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 2: fifth inning. He's been, he's been everything that they everything 183 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 2: that they needed. 184 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 4: He's been. 185 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 2: This is the breakout that you were waiting on from 186 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: Jeremy Pinya. He's got an eight oh seven ops in 187 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: his first one hundred and fifty eight at bats. Since 188 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: he's taken over that leadoff spot, the lineup has really 189 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: really kind of become a little more dimensional and the 190 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 2: run production has tracked up. I mean, they're the offense 191 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 2: is better with him at the top of the order, 192 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: and it's it's all the underlying stuff too, Like he's 193 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 2: lifting the ball more, he's not hitting the ball on 194 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 2: the ground. His walk rate is exponentially higher. He's walked 195 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 2: eleven He's only walked eleven times in one hundred and 196 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: fifty eight at bats. But still, like that's for Jeremy Panna, 197 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: that's that's pretty good a percentage wise, his on base 198 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 2: percentage is over three point fifty, which with his speed. 199 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: They they've been begging for so long for Jeremy Pagna 200 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: to get on base more, show his speed, steal some bags, 201 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 2: and you're just seeing that that this is a guy 202 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: coming into his own, And I think Tyler, it's a 203 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 2: cautionary tale that everyone that you know wants to think 204 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: that this happens quickly, that player development is so linear 205 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 2: that you know, the minute a prospect or a guy 206 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: after his rookie year like flourishes, Like that's not always 207 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: the case, Like it takes time, Like this is a 208 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: hard sport. And Jeremy Payna for as much as he 209 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: did as a rookie, for as good as he was, Tyler, Like, 210 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 2: I don't think a lot of people remember how little 211 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 2: minor league baseball he played, just given he broke his 212 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 2: wrist in twenty twenty one, I believe, had the COVID 213 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 2: shutdown in twenty twenty and then twenty twenty two, he's 214 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 2: starting at shortstop on opening day in the big leagues. 215 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 2: Like this is a guy that didn't play much in 216 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 2: the minor leagues, and it's just a really really personifies 217 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 2: the fact that sometimes it takes a little time for. 218 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: These guys to come into their own. 219 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I mean we've seen just a more mature approach, 220 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 4: which is interesting that moving to the leadoff spot did 221 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 4: that for him, because I feel like, you know, Altuve 222 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 4: has benefited from moving back because it forces him to 223 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 4: be a little bit more patient, and for some reason, 224 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 4: Paynia seems more patient in you know, leading off, similar 225 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 4: to what George Springer did when when they moved him 226 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 4: to the Lydioff spot, and it really helped him cut 227 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 4: down on trying to do too much and just focus 228 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 4: on putting back to ball and waiting for his pitch. 229 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 4: And uh, yeah, we've seen Paya do that so far 230 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 4: this year and he's been very, very good. 231 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 2: Jeremy Penya did not play double A baseball before coming 232 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 2: up to the big leagues. He played thirty games in 233 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 2: Triple A before coming up to the big leagues. Like, 234 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 2: played one hundred and eighty two total minor league games 235 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 2: before he started an opening day in twenty twenty two 236 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,199 Speaker 2: for the Astros major League team. So I think that 237 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 2: gets lost a little bit that this was still a 238 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 2: player that needed experience. I get he was a college draftee, 239 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: but he played at main he didn't face anybody worth 240 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 2: a damn and whatever conference they're in, Like he was 241 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: an older draftye, but this was still a guy that 242 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 2: he needs to kind of figure out who he is, 243 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 2: figure out himself. 244 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: And as we've talked, about before. 245 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 2: You know, his rookie season, everything up until the playoffs 246 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 2: was pretty much what we've seen the past two years, 247 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 2: and then he had a three week heater that just 248 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 2: came at the perfect time. And maybe now we're seeing 249 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 2: a little bit of that heater return to start this season. 250 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 2: So I think Tyler, those two it's kind of unquestioned. 251 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 2: I don't think there's anyone else that can really creep 252 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 2: into MVP discussion at this point. Maybe Josh Hater, but 253 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 2: I mean he just doesn't. I mean, I don't know 254 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 2: how you feel. I mean, we just talked about Hunter 255 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 2: Brown forever, but Josh Hater, you see him so seldomly 256 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: that it's hard for me to give him the nod 257 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 2: over a guy that plays every day and then a 258 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 2: guy that is gonna pitch every fifth day or six 259 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:55,559 Speaker 2: day as a starter. 260 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, but Hater has been unreal. I mean, the whole bullpen. 261 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 4: I mean, if you wanted to lump the whole bullpen 262 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 4: in as a as an MVP of just you know, 263 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 4: they've had to come in and give a lot of 264 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 4: length in certain games, and you know did really well. 265 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 4: I mean, again, we talked about it, but yesterday they're 266 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 4: down seven and nothing in the third inning, and you know, 267 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 4: hold the rest of the game scoreless. And again the 268 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 4: Astros start out with a disaster and make it interesting. 269 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 4: And that only happens because of the bullpen, And that 270 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 4: really speaks to the depth of the bullpen, which is 271 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 4: something that we were concerned about coming into the year. 272 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 4: But they've really been able to have success outside of 273 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 4: just the two guys that you knew you could count 274 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 4: on in a brave you and hater. 275 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 2: And you know one thing that that allowed them to do, 276 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 2: the bullpen threw six and two thirds scoreless in the season. 277 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 2: In the series opener against Kansas City, the offense came 278 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 2: back and that forced Kansas City to use its leverage 279 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 2: arm like Lucas Ursig pitch in a game that the 280 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 2: Broyles led seven to nothing after three innings. Same thing 281 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 2: for Carlos Estevez, their closer. Same thing for John Schreiber, 282 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 2: who's a leverage reliever for them. He had to come 283 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: in the game on Monday and get a few outs. 284 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 2: Guess who he saw Paratus at the walk off homer 285 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 2: on off all of on Tuesday, John Schreider. And I'm 286 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 2: not saying that one led to the other, but he 287 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 2: wasn't as fresh as he would have been if maybe 288 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: the bullpen comes in, gives up a bunch of runs 289 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 2: and that's a twelve to nothing game that none of 290 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 2: the leverage reliever's pitch in. So everything's kind of connected, 291 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: especially in these big seventeen days in a row stretches. 292 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: We just talked about the good. 293 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 2: We're going to talk about maybe a little bit less 294 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 2: good right after this message from our friends at foul 295 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 2: Territory ft FAM. 296 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 5: Let's talk about the HOF app. If you're into parlays 297 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 5: but sometimes you're missing the mark more than you would 298 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 5: like to. Can I introduce you to some serious analytics 299 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 5: on an app that is easy to read and comprehend. 300 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 5: And I'm sitting next to a man who knows how 301 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 5: to play a parlay. 302 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, and the biggest thing is breaking down a parlay. 303 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 3: With this Hall of Fame app, there's the situations that 304 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 3: you'll be you'll find easier to do. It's very helpful 305 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 3: and understanding. And if you like, you know, gambling, sometimes 306 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 3: this is really good to know. So get on there, 307 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 3: get on that Hall of Fame app and check it out. 308 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 5: Yeah, this is info that will help you. Okay, with 309 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 5: a four point nine rating in the app Store and 310 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 5: over six thousand and five star reviews, safe to say 311 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 5: that HOF has already helped a lot of people that smarter. 312 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 5: For a limited time only, FT listeners can get a 313 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 5: seven day free trial and fifty percent off their first 314 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 5: month when they use code foul at check out. Download 315 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 5: the HOF app on iOS or Android. Enter code foul 316 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 5: and you're all set. 317 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: That one feels a little too on the nose for today. 318 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: Todd, Yeah, real quick, Peter Rose, a Hall of Famer. 319 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 4: No, I mean, we can get into this elsewhere. But 320 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 4: I mean, look, if you're if you're running a Hall 321 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 4: of Fame, like the one thing aside from the off 322 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 4: the field things, which is a totally different discussion, but 323 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 4: you can't bet on the sport that you're involved in it. 324 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 4: That just you can't allow that. I mean, that would 325 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 4: ruin the integrity quicker than just about anything. So no, 326 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 4: come at me, people, I mean I view the. 327 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 2: Hall of Fame for what it is. It's a museum 328 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 2: in New York that honors baseball players. 329 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, that we're true. I would agree with you, but 330 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 4: it's not it it becomes a different thing. I know. 331 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 4: That's what it's supposed to be, but it has become 332 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 4: a different thing. 333 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 2: I think the best baseball players should be in the 334 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 2: Hall of Fame. That's why I think Barry Bond should 335 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 2: be in. That's why I think should be in. That's 336 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: why I think Pete Rose should be in the Hall 337 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 2: of Fame. What he did, and I think it should 338 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 2: be reflected on his plaque when he is enshrined, if 339 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 2: he is enshrined that he did receive a ban for 340 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 2: betting on the sport. I think you can do this 341 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 2: two ways. You can acknowledge that this man is the 342 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 2: greatest hitter or one of the greatest hitters that has 343 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 2: ever lived. You can also have his transgressions on his plaque. 344 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 2: Who's stopping that? Like so, you can do the same 345 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 2: thing with Barry Bond. You can do the same thing 346 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 2: with Roger Clemens. You can do the same thing with 347 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 2: whomever you think shouldn't be in. Because of whatever you 348 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 2: can have, there's nothing stopping them from writing on the plaque. 349 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 2: This happened, This happened, and this happened because again, what 350 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 2: is the Hall of Fame. It is a museum, and 351 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 2: museums are there to depict history and that is part 352 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 2: of their histories, and it's going to be forever intertwined 353 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 2: with their histories. 354 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 1: To avoid us. 355 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 2: Getting into a knockdown drag out about this, who's your 356 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:52,719 Speaker 2: LVP at the quarterpole? 357 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: Who's your least valuable astro at the quarterpole? 358 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 4: Do you know what a baseball reference says is the 359 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 4: least volleyball player? 360 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: It's probably not who I think it is. Is it? 361 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: Is it Altuve? 362 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 4: Yep, yep, negative point four? Or I'm not gonna pick 363 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 4: hose al to be because I'm not an idiot. I'm 364 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 4: gonna go with Christian Walker. He started to look a 365 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 4: little bit better in the past couple of weeks. But 366 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 4: I do feel like I have a lot of things 367 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 4: going on in life right now. You know, work has 368 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 4: been stressful. My wife is gonna have a baby at 369 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 4: any minute. I mean, we might don't even finish this 370 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 4: episode because I got to go to the hospital. And 371 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 4: to add to that, three times a night I have 372 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 4: to watch Christian Walker with runners on first and second 373 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 4: swing and miss or ground out to the picture. There's 374 00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 4: there's too many other things that I have to worry about, 375 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 4: and I feel like I've had to do that a 376 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 4: whole lot, and for that reason alone, he is going 377 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 4: to wear the unfortunate crown of LVP for me. 378 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: Do you want to know probably the most obscene stat 379 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 2: from his start that probably contributes to why you have 380 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 2: this visceral feeling. He has struck out forty seven times 381 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 2: this season. Cool, thirty of them have come with a 382 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 2: runner on base. 383 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 4: That makes sense, That's what it feels like. 384 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 2: And you know, like again, like I agree with you, 385 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 2: he's looked better, Like he has looked better the last 386 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: three or four weeks. Like it looks like he is 387 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 2: rounding into something that resembles the guy they thought they 388 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 2: were signing. 389 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 1: His ops is up to six forty. 390 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,239 Speaker 2: Again, he was he started so bad that it's going 391 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 2: to take a while for the counting stats and the 392 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 2: round numbers to get up. But yeah, it just seems 393 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 2: like he's he comes up so much with runners on 394 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 2: and again, we're not sitting here asking him to hit 395 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 2: a home run. We're not asking I mean, the ashers 396 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 2: aren't asking for doubles like put the ball in play, 397 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 2: like move the baseball advanced runners. 398 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 4: I'd take a flyout to left field at this point 399 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 4: and at least give me hope you know, maybe they 400 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,439 Speaker 4: can tag up. Even if they don't, I'd take that 401 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 4: at this point, but that has not happened often. 402 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 2: My LVP is going to be an interesting maybe choice 403 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 2: given I'm not gonna go al Tuvey, but I am 404 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 2: gonna go you, Gordon Alvarez. He I look, I don't 405 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 2: think the askers expected Christian Walker to come here and 406 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 2: struggle this badly, But I do think there is And 407 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 2: you've seen this. You saw it with Hoaseiah Bray. You 408 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 2: see it like across the sport, like when a player 409 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 2: signs a massive free agent deal that is not show 410 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: heyo tani, take him out of it. When a player 411 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 2: signs a big deal, like their first month two months 412 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 2: at a place can be a little rocky because introduct 413 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 2: like it's a new place, new set, new surroundings. Christian 414 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 2: Walker didn't have a spring training like I could get 415 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 2: on board with the fact that he struggled. There's no 416 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 2: real excuse for Jordan Alvarez. I mean, he is he 417 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 2: He's got to be the guy that carries this lineup, 418 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 2: and it just it has not manifested that way. You 419 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 2: can you can blame the hand, you can blame the 420 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: top of the hand, the strained muscle that still has 421 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 2: him on the IL. But you know, if he was 422 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 2: that hurt, then he should have not been playing for 423 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 2: much longer before they put him on the IL a 424 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 2: couple of weeks ago. I mean, he's he's slugging three 425 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 2: forty and he's hitting two ten. He's got an eighty 426 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 2: four ops plus he's got I mean, he's hit three 427 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 2: homers all year like that. That just that can't happen 428 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 2: for a guy that is making the money he's making 429 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 2: because his extension is getting toward the back end where 430 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 2: the money increases and the presence he is in the 431 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 2: middle of the order, and and understanding that they let 432 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 2: Kyle they traded Kyle Tucker this offseason, they let Alex 433 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 2: Bregman walk. The pressure went squarely to Jordon Alvarez, and 434 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: quite frankly, he hasn't responded. And again it's early, it's 435 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 2: forty one games. We don't know how much the hand 436 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 2: has really been impacting him. We don't know if that's 437 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 2: been a real, real sticking point as to what's going on. 438 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 2: He Jordan has not spoken to the media since going 439 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 2: on the IL, so it's hard to know, but it's 440 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 2: not like either it's not like he's been getting unlucky Tyler, like, 441 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 2: there's there's just a it has not been a Jordan 442 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 2: Alvarez esque starts this season, and it's been pretty dis 443 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 2: It's been the biggest, maybe the biggest disappointment through forty 444 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 2: one games. And Christian Walker and we just talked about him, 445 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 2: but to me, Jordon Alva has been the biggest disappointment 446 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 2: throughout the first forty one games of this year this season. 447 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean relative to what you expected coming in. Uh, yeah, 448 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 4: I mean it just looks weird to see him not 449 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 4: even just human, but not even replacement level, which is 450 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 4: what he's been for the you know, the year so far. Yeah, 451 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 4: I mean, you hope that it's the hand. You hope 452 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 4: that that was bothering him and then something can change. 453 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:28,959 Speaker 4: The weird thing is like his numbers don't look that different, 454 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 4: Like his strikeout percentage is up a hair but not 455 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 4: you know, not anything crazy. And his exit his average 456 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 4: exit velocity is higher than it's been the last two 457 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 4: years too. The thing that he's missing is the like 458 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 4: the hard, hard hit stuff, the maximum exit velocity. He 459 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 4: really hadn't come close to the MAXIV that we've seen 460 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 4: him do and so you know, you hope that it's 461 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 4: just the hand or something. But the real issue is 462 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 4: that last season he hit three to eighteen on fastballs. 463 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 4: Do you want to take a guess at what he's 464 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 4: hitting on fastballs this. 465 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:13,400 Speaker 1: Year, I'd probably say about two hundred, maybe. 466 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 4: A little bit under one seventy seven. Yeah, which I 467 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 4: don't think that your hot take. I don't think Jordan 468 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 4: Alvarez is going to hit sub two hundred on fastballs 469 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 4: for the year. So again that's why you you kind 470 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 4: of have the hope in the back of your mind 471 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 4: of like, was his hand bothering him, you know, so 472 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 4: he wasn't able to catch up on these or something. 473 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 4: But yeah, I mean it's very very strange to watch 474 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 4: him hit that poorly on fastballs this year. 475 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, his average launch angle is a little bit higher 476 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 2: than normal, resulting in maybe a little and some more 477 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 2: pop ups, some more just not lot those line drive 478 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 2: missiles we see him hit that they go out of 479 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 2: the ballpark having a little maybe more trouble hitting a 480 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 2: lite drives. You know, again, it's it's forty one games. 481 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 2: You don't want to overreact to much. And you know, 482 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 2: if I have faith in anyone to get things going, 483 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 2: it's you're on Alvarez. 484 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 1: But the struggles against fastballs are are a little bit concerning. 485 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 2: And you do have to remember too, when he was 486 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 2: health when we thought he was healthy in April and 487 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 2: he wasn't producing, that was when Christian Walker was probably 488 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,120 Speaker 2: at his lowest in Yiner Diaz was also at his lowest. 489 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 2: There was no one in the lineup hitting other than Altuve, 490 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 2: who hit ahead of Alvarez, so you also have to 491 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 2: factor and that Alvarez wasn't getting anything to hit either. 492 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 2: He was at a place in the lineup where where 493 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: pitchers just weren't going to mess with him. Pictures were 494 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 2: not going to give him much to hit. They were 495 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 2: probably giving him a lot of spin, probably not coming 496 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 2: in zone a lot, which probably led to him expanding 497 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 2: a little bit. Probably also probably felt some pressure because 498 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 2: they weren't scoring runs and he's the guy that they 499 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 2: looked to to drive and runs, So like probably felt 500 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 2: a little bit of that too. But maybe I'm a 501 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: little harsh, But like when you're ard on Alvarez like that, 502 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 2: that shouldn't matter, Like you're if you want, if you 503 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 2: want to be talked about as like a top five 504 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 2: hitter in the sport, like you think pitchers willingly give 505 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 2: Aaron Judge anything to hit or show Heyo Tani or 506 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 2: like those guys like they make do with with They 507 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 2: they get the one pitch that the one pitcher there 508 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 2: at bat they can hit, they drive it and ord 509 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 2: and Alvaz just just hasn't done that. And for this 510 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 2: lineup to go anywhere, for them to get where they 511 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 2: want to go, he's gonna have to be better than 512 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 2: he's been in the first forty one games of this season. 513 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: Yep, Like no no questions asked. 514 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 2: So we're gonna hear one more message from our friends 515 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 2: at foul Territory, and then we'll come back and talk 516 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 2: about the biggest surprises, uh from the first forty one 517 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 2: games of this season. But first a message from our 518 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: friends at foul Territory. 519 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 5: This is a straightforward show, so I'm gonna be very 520 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 5: straightforward with everyone about p XG fast. This way to 521 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 5: improve your performance on the golf course is to get 522 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 5: yourself a PXG golf fitting. Go in there and let 523 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:08,959 Speaker 5: the experts help you. 524 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 6: I've been using PXG for a few years now, Scotti. 525 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,439 Speaker 6: They are perfect. I love the way they feel. They 526 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,160 Speaker 6: fit them perfectly to my swing. They wait at them, 527 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 6: they put grips in them, they put shafts in them, 528 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 6: they use their heads, and they fit my swing beautifully. 529 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 6: They have definitely improved my game. They just recently hooked 530 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 6: me up with their new Alan putter, which is off 531 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 6: the chain. I was draining putts the other day left 532 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 6: and right, so I definitely say go get your fitting 533 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 6: at PXG. 534 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 4: Nobody goes golf the way PXG does. 535 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 5: Yes, and for a limited time you could save up 536 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 5: to twenty percent on your entire order. Head over to 537 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 5: PXG dot com slash foul. That's PXG dot com slash 538 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 5: foul to save up to twenty percent on your entire order. 539 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 5: P XG dot com slash foul restrictions apply see site 540 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:53,679 Speaker 5: for details. 541 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 2: Before we get into like actual players, Tyler, is there 542 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,719 Speaker 2: any like facet of this or maybe like position group 543 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 2: that has surprised you more than others. 544 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 4: I'm surprised us whining about them not opening the roof 545 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 4: before the season didn't work. There's been six or seven 546 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 4: games where it's seventy five and clear outside the roof 547 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 4: is closed. I'm surprised. I thought we had more pull 548 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,120 Speaker 4: than that. I assume that everyone in the Astros front 549 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 4: office is tuning in as soon as we drop these 550 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 4: on YouTube. So that's what I'm upset about, is why 551 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 4: has this not happened? But I mean, we already talked 552 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 4: about it. But the bullpen has been a huge surprise. 553 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 4: That was something that I think we talked about as 554 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 4: a real glaring weak spot outside of Hater and a 555 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 4: bray you and I mean, everybody in that bullpen has 556 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 4: been really really good. I mean, my honorable mention, you know, 557 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 4: shout out player here is Steven Oker has been crazy good. 558 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:16,479 Speaker 4: He actually has a better ERA plus and a slightly 559 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 4: higher war than Josh Hater has so far this year 560 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 4: one twenty three er striking out more than a guy 561 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 4: per inning. In twenty two innings, He's given up three runs, 562 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 4: struck out twenty four, and only walked three guys. So 563 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 4: he he has been so good, you know, And that's 564 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 4: just a surprise because I don't think anybody was expecting 565 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 4: thirty three year old Steven Oker to come in and 566 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 4: just lock down everything here. But he's he's been incredible, just. 567 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 2: Like no one last year was expecting. However, old Taylor 568 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 2: Scott was to or he was thirty one. 569 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: Last year. Taylor Shot was thirty one last year. 570 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 2: No one was expecting thirty one year od Taylor Scott 571 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 2: to come in and do what he did last year. 572 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: There's one of these every year. 573 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 4: And that's that's fellow American citizen Taylor Scott to you. 574 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: A great American brother in arms. 575 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 2: But yeah, Steven Okerk is this year's shaggy left handed 576 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 2: Taylor Scott. I think this may be a little more sustainable. 577 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 1: Who knows. 578 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 2: I don't think he's going to strike everyone out to 579 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 2: the to the degree that you just described, but they 580 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 2: seem to really have a nice little leverage. Hierarchy has 581 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 2: established itself of Steven Oker, Brian King, Brian Abrady, Josh Hater. 582 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: Caleb Ort. Occasionally. 583 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 2: His velocity was down the first couple outings after his injury, 584 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: but he's kind of rebounded. 585 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: I think he's I think Joe A. 586 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 2: Spottle wants Caleb Ort to be kind of his fireman 587 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 2: because he doesn't. I mean, he's a hard thrower, can 588 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 2: get it up to ninety eight when he's healthy. He 589 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 2: is excelled in that role before. I think that's the 590 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 2: role that Joe was really looking for him to a 591 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 2: seas he hasn't really done it yet, so I'd probably 592 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 2: put Caleb Ord maybe straddling the line between the high 593 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 2: leverage group and the normal group, if you will. But 594 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 2: they've got, you know, four or five guys on a 595 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 2: given day that they can rely on to get high 596 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 2: leverage outs. And they had the lowest bullpenny in the 597 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: American League. They trailed only the San Francisco Giants, uh 598 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 2: for the lowest era in the lowest bullpenny are in baseball. 599 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 2: To me, Tyler the biggest surprise to me at the quarterble. 600 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: And I don't like. 601 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 2: I thought Estoc Paradis was going to be a decent player. 602 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 2: I didn't know he was this good. And I'll be 603 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 2: quite honest with you, Joe Aspata has even mentioned this 604 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 2: a couple of times on the record. I don't think 605 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 2: the Astros thought Escoc Paradis was was this good And 606 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 2: we're prisoners of the moment. He obviously just hit a 607 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: walk off home or to to to win a game 608 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 2: for the Astros, But I mean he does he have 609 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: the quietest eight h five ops like you have ever seen. 610 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 4: Not only that, but man he is good at third base. 611 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 4: He's so much better at third base than I was 612 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 4: expecting him to be. I don't know, if you know, 613 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 4: maybe the Astros just have some sort of blessing and 614 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 4: curse situation in the corner endfield where you know, the 615 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 4: all of the powers from first base get space jammed 616 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 4: away into whoever's playing third base, and so once Bregman 617 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 4: leaves east Ok, Prates can come in and take over 618 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 4: all of that. But I mean, he's so smooth at thirty. 619 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 4: I mean it seems like he makes one or two 620 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 4: plays a game where he's just like, what in the world, 621 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 4: how did he pick that and make the throw perfectly? 622 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 4: And he just doesn't miss, like it's not like he's 623 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 4: just throwing it and he's wild over there, and sometimes 624 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 4: it works out and sometimes it doesn't, like he is 625 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 4: dead on every time. That has been the biggest surprise 626 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 4: for me. But yeah, of course the hitting too. I 627 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 4: was a little more sure that he was going to 628 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 4: be a pretty good hitter. You know, he has a 629 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 4: one to twenty three ops plus his career was one fourteen, 630 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 4: so it's you know, he's he's a little bit better 631 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 4: than he has been, but he's a good hitter, he 632 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 4: has been his whole career, but watching him at third 633 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 4: has been a huge surprise to me. 634 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 2: It's fun with small sample size, but east Soak Paradis 635 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 2: has been worth two outs above average at third base 636 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 2: to the first forty one games of this season. 637 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: Alex Bregman has been worth zero outs above average at 638 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: third base through forty one games of this. 639 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 4: Season, and Parades didn't make his teammate have to keep 640 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 4: going to the media and saying how much he doesn't 641 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 4: want to play another position. So double win there. 642 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 2: No one's going to confuse heesocked Paradis with Alex Bregman. 643 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 2: I think Alex Bregman is still the far superior defender. 644 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 2: But the thing about Esak, the book on him coming 645 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 2: in that I had heard that the Astros had heard 646 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 2: from just other places he had played, from their scouts 647 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 2: and their analyst guys like that, was that he was 648 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 2: gonna he was gonna field the balls that were hit 649 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 2: to him. He was gonna make every routine play. The 650 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 2: range is or was diminished, and he has worked with 651 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 2: Tony paris Chica, the Ashro's new infield coach, and they've 652 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:32,479 Speaker 2: eliminated a lot of Paradis's like movements as he's going 653 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 2: to the ball. They've kept him very compact because I 654 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 2: have not watched videos of you Sak Paradis playing third 655 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 2: base in Chicago or Tampa or Detroit. But I trust 656 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 2: Tony Paris Chico when he tells me that if you 657 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 2: look at him, a lot of the times when he 658 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 2: would have his first step, or when he would break 659 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 2: one way or the other, his arms would be out. 660 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 1: His kind of he was. 661 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 2: There's a lot of unneeded movements as he's going. And 662 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 2: one thing Tony has told him is stay compared at 663 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 2: stay stay very in inward, and that has helped his range. 664 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 2: You know, he doesn't have the strongest throwing arm. You 665 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 2: see that maybe on play the plays that Bregman made 666 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 2: look so easy. Were the backhands to the back of 667 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 2: the glove or behind the base, and he would just make. 668 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:19,720 Speaker 1: That throw across like it was nothing. 669 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 2: I don't think Estoc Paradus is going to be a 670 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 2: guy that's making those plays. But the closer he is 671 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 2: to first base, and even on those plays where he's 672 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 2: playing maybe off the bag and has to come in 673 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 2: and get the ball, you saw that. You saw that 674 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 2: in the I believe it was the Royals game where 675 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:39,360 Speaker 2: there was a drag bunt laid down. He came in, 676 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 2: made a beautiful bare hand play and throw across the 677 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 2: diamond because he was playing off the bag closer to 678 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 2: first base, and the throw was that you didn't have 679 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 2: to get a ton on the throw. He just had 680 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:52,879 Speaker 2: to come in on the bunt, make the bare hand, 681 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 2: make the throw, and he was. He was excellent at it. 682 00:35:54,920 --> 00:36:00,839 Speaker 2: So he has exceeded every expectation, and I think every way, 683 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 2: because I think maybe he was pigeonholed into just this oh, 684 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 2: like he's gonna hit forty homers into the Crawford boxes 685 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 2: and he's gonna hit He's gonna hit two thirty with 686 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 2: forty homers into the Crawford box and do nothing else. 687 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 2: Like I think maybe we as a as an observant group, 688 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 2: like media fans, like maybe we underrated what his plate 689 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 2: discipline was going to do. But like this dude, like 690 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 2: he gets down oh two and he is still seeing 691 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 2: at least five or six pitches in at bat, and 692 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 2: he is he has really settled into his that three hole, 693 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 2: that that spot in the batting order where you know, 694 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 2: look Pana and al twove probably aren't gonna see a 695 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 2: ton of pitches hitting first and second, you get East 696 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 2: sac Paratus up there, he's gonna see at least four 697 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 2: or five pitches. He's gonna make that pitcher of work, 698 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 2: and you know they're gonna it's not going to be 699 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 2: an easy ending. So to me, he's been far and. 700 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:54,240 Speaker 1: Away the biggest surprise at this quarterpole. 701 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 4: Yeah for me. Uh. I think the other one that 702 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 4: everyone's thinking of is Jake Myers. Jack Myers is tied 703 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 4: with He's operates for the team lead in ops plus 704 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 4: at one twenty three. Jeremy Page is right behind at 705 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 4: one twenty two. I mean, you know how good Jake 706 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 4: Myers is in center field, but honestly, just taking a 707 00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 4: few months off from the end of the season to 708 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,839 Speaker 4: the start of a new season, my brain forgets how 709 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 4: good Jack Myers is in center field. He covers everything, 710 00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 4: his jumps, make root make plays that shouldn't be routine 711 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 4: look routine for him. So it almost like lulls you 712 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:42,880 Speaker 4: to sleep how good he is in center field, because 713 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:46,399 Speaker 4: he ends up waiting for a ball to fall into 714 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 4: his glove when other people would have to dive for things, 715 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 4: and so that always you know, coming into the season. 716 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 4: But man, he's hitting, he's hitting well, he's and it's 717 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 4: not like he's being carried by you know, nine flu 718 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 4: comb runs or something where you know, his his ops 719 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,960 Speaker 4: is higher just because he's he's run into some of those. 720 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 4: Like he's he looks like a good hitter right now. 721 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 4: His approach looks good. His hands, you know, are not 722 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:23,359 Speaker 4: moving as much, you know, wildly as as they are 723 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:26,000 Speaker 4: when he's flailing a lot where his body kind of 724 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 4: gets out of control and his hands don't say steady. 725 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:31,879 Speaker 4: He's repeating that you know, same thing over and over again, 726 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,320 Speaker 4: and he's laying off pitches and he's he's forcing pictures 727 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 4: to come to him, and he's making really good contact 728 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 4: when he swings, and it looks like a thing that 729 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 4: you know again, I'm not I still would not bet 730 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 4: on him hitting three hundred for the year, but I 731 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 4: mean we said it a bunch throughout the year, like 732 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 4: he just has to be okay at hitting to be 733 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 4: a good player, and he's been well above average at hitting. 734 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:05,920 Speaker 4: So even if he just falls back down to earth 735 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 4: and is an average hitter, that's still a really really 736 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 4: good player. So that's that's been the biggest surprise for me. 737 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 2: He's got a career twenty five percent strikeout rate. It's 738 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 2: seventeen percent this year. He's chasing twenty four percent of 739 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 2: the time after chasing thirty one percent of the time 740 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 2: last season, and he's whiffing twenty three percent of the 741 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 2: time whiffing twenty seven percent of the time last season. 742 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 2: He is making better decisions and when he gets his pitches, 743 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:37,520 Speaker 2: he's not missing them. He is putting the ball in play. 744 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:39,800 Speaker 2: And look, that is the king, that's the key for 745 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:41,719 Speaker 2: Jake Myers. It's kind of the same conversation we've had 746 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:45,400 Speaker 2: by Jeremy Penia. You put the ball in play. He's 747 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 2: faster than anyone like him and Jeremy Penia the two 748 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 2: fastest guys on the team. So really, sometimes all it 749 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 2: takes is just to put the ball in play and 750 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 2: not swing and miss. And you know the thing about 751 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 2: Jake Myers that can get a little bit frustrating for fans. 752 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 2: I guess a little bit his career arc you look 753 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 2: at his career, he is far better historically when he 754 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:07,840 Speaker 2: puts the first pitch of a plate appearance in play, 755 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 2: when he swings at the first pitch of a plate appearance, 756 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 2: or when he puts the first pitch of a plate 757 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 2: appearance in play, his numbers are demotraly better. So you 758 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,840 Speaker 2: do see as a result, you see some first pitch outs, 759 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:23,640 Speaker 2: you see some first pitch swings, and those can comment 760 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:26,120 Speaker 2: some inopportune times. I think there were a couple tonight 761 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 2: actually against the Royals. But I mean that's his career, 762 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:33,359 Speaker 2: that that's just what he does best. He does best 763 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 2: when he ambushes early in the count. You saw in 764 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 2: that in that game of his life he had in Chicago, 765 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,399 Speaker 2: he saw fifteen pitches in the four at bats. Ten 766 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 2: of them came in one at bat and the other 767 00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 2: in the other five came across three. 768 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,160 Speaker 1: So that's just how he is. 769 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 2: And because he's making better swing decisions, because he's making 770 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 2: better choices on what to swing at early in counts, 771 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,320 Speaker 2: it's translating. And like I said, like you said, I 772 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:05,799 Speaker 2: don't think this pace is sustainable. But Tyler, like I 773 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 2: remember writing a story in the offseason right around the 774 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 2: tender non tender deadline for arbitrary, like Jake Myers was 775 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 2: on thin ice because we went to the GM meetings 776 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 2: and Dana Brown was asked as many different ways. He 777 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:22,760 Speaker 2: could be asked about the outfield situation, and he named 778 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 2: every outfielder in the organization, but Jake Myers, and to 779 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 2: see him now do this like he's he's an everyday player, 780 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 2: Like they can't they can't take him out of the lineup. 781 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,799 Speaker 2: He has become an everyday player and it's up. He's 782 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 2: obviously got to produce to keep that moniker. But it's 783 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:41,560 Speaker 2: been quiet. And again it goes back to what we 784 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 2: were talking about with Jeremy Pania, Like these things don't 785 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,960 Speaker 2: happen overnight. Sometimes it takes a couple of years. He 786 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 2: had a traumatic shoulder injury in twenty twenty one, and 787 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,960 Speaker 2: then the GM of the team at the time went 788 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,399 Speaker 2: on the radio and said, hey, we rushed this guy 789 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:58,840 Speaker 2: back and we have to overhaul our entire return to 790 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 2: play procedure because rush this guy back from a traumatic 791 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 2: shoulder injury. And now two and a half years later, 792 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:08,320 Speaker 2: like he looks free, looks easy, looks. 793 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:10,520 Speaker 1: This looks like the Jake Myers I. 794 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:14,080 Speaker 2: Think James Klick envisioned when he traded Miles Straw to 795 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:15,360 Speaker 2: make room for him on the roster. 796 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, one stat that I think really speaks to the 797 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:23,439 Speaker 4: change in approach that you're seeing with him this year 798 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:30,440 Speaker 4: is last season. The last two seasons, the percentage that 799 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,160 Speaker 4: he hit just straight back up the middle was thirty 800 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:39,359 Speaker 4: thirty four percent. This season it's forty four percent. So 801 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:43,160 Speaker 4: he is really focused on not trying to pull too much, 802 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 4: not trying to go the other way, just hit it 803 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,239 Speaker 4: back up the middle, and he's been doing that a lot. 804 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 4: You know. I feel like, just like I have the 805 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:53,919 Speaker 4: image of my head of Christian Walker with two men 806 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 4: on and swinging through something, I have the image in 807 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:01,760 Speaker 4: my head of Jake Myers hitting line drive that bounces 808 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:05,400 Speaker 4: in front of second base and trickles into centerfield. That 809 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,759 Speaker 4: feels like the result of most of his abats right now, 810 00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 4: and that's a winning strategy. So if he can keep 811 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 4: that up, he's especially with his speed, you know, he's 812 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:17,959 Speaker 4: gonna beat out anything that either one of the guys 813 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,839 Speaker 4: up the middle have to to go and get. So 814 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:24,399 Speaker 4: certainly something to keep an eye on for the rest 815 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:24,799 Speaker 4: of the year. 816 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:29,280 Speaker 2: As we mentioned earlier, you're going to become a father 817 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 2: again eminently. This will probably be the last podcast you're 818 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 2: on for a little bit. We hope we can get 819 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 2: you back at some point, when everybody's settled down. 820 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,320 Speaker 4: I'll bring a mic into the hospital room cool and 821 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:44,280 Speaker 4: do it from there nice. 822 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,920 Speaker 2: Hopefully, when everyone's happy and healthy and sleeping somewhat, we 823 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:50,960 Speaker 2: can get you back on. But before we let you go, 824 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,080 Speaker 2: I'm gonna give you the floor. Cam Smith at the 825 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:55,920 Speaker 2: quarter pole go. 826 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 4: Hey, you know how he said, Jeremy Pania hadn't played 827 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 4: a lot of minor league games. Cam Smith hasn't either. 828 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 4: And listen, they said it on the broadcast today. You're 829 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:13,200 Speaker 4: too elite to know this, but the rest of us 830 00:44:13,200 --> 00:44:17,880 Speaker 4: pleabs have to watch on TV. Cam Smith has been 831 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,600 Speaker 4: the best defender on the Astros. He's really good, which 832 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:27,080 Speaker 4: again is stupid. He shouldn't be good at right field. 833 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 4: That doesn't make sense. That is proof that this is 834 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:36,640 Speaker 4: an elite athlete who is going to be really good. 835 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:40,640 Speaker 4: And even with the struggles at the plate, and he 836 00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 4: has had plenty, he has not looked good. He has 837 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,520 Speaker 4: the same OPS as jose L Tuve right now, which 838 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:52,440 Speaker 4: again is not saying a ton right now. But even 839 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 4: even with the struggles that it feels like cam Smith has, 840 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 4: camp Smith has a ninety four OPS plus. So if 841 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,440 Speaker 4: this is the worst ever gonna see if Cam Smith, 842 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:03,720 Speaker 4: you know, the first two months in the big leagues 843 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:08,960 Speaker 4: after playing car salesman last year in college. He's holding 844 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 4: his own as an average hitter and is already an 845 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:17,839 Speaker 4: above average defender. If we close our eyes and don't 846 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:23,280 Speaker 4: pay attention to tonight. A really good base runner I forgot. Yeah, Yeah, 847 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 4: that one was rough. We won't talk about that too much. 848 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 4: Really good bass runner, he's gonna be good. Fight me. 849 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 4: I'll still be conducting the hype train from the hospital 850 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:35,680 Speaker 4: room if I need to. 851 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm certainly not giving up on Cam Smith, and 852 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:43,880 Speaker 2: he's he is again. He has handled himself so well 853 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 2: in the big leagues. Just demeanor, persona, like nothing seems 854 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:50,919 Speaker 2: too big for him, even the at bats where he's 855 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:54,839 Speaker 2: not having success, Like you're not seeing wild swings, you're 856 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:57,240 Speaker 2: not seeing just a guy that looks lost. 857 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,560 Speaker 4: But I'll leave I'll leave them with this. I'm about 858 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,520 Speaker 4: to go into the mode for the next couple of 859 00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 4: months where I got to entertain these other two kids 860 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 4: while mom and the baby just get through life. So 861 00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 4: a lot of my job as dad for the next 862 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 4: couple of months is just get these other kids out 863 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 4: of the house and go do something. So after these 864 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 4: seventeen games in a row, Cam, I know you're gonna 865 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:33,759 Speaker 4: need some time to relax. My offer to go to 866 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:36,560 Speaker 4: the zoo and look at penguins with you still stands. 867 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 4: Let me know, you will have to go with my 868 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 4: other daughters because I have to take them out of 869 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:45,839 Speaker 4: the house. But they're chill. They love penguins too. We'll 870 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:49,920 Speaker 4: go there. We'll get your mind off things and reset 871 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,959 Speaker 4: you after that off day. 872 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:55,279 Speaker 2: You better bring a mic and do a podcast for 873 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:58,920 Speaker 2: there as you're looking at penguins with your children and 874 00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:02,080 Speaker 2: Cam Smith who probably you should probably adopt Camp Smith. 875 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 2: I'm president of the fan club. You can you can 876 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:07,879 Speaker 2: be his you can be one of his daddies too. 877 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,320 Speaker 4: Don't like don't like that sentence, but uh, don't listen 878 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 4: to his part. Remember my heartfelt zoo pitch and not 879 00:47:16,719 --> 00:47:18,400 Speaker 4: chance they're calling me daddy. 880 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 2: Please on that note, Tyler, good luck to you and 881 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:26,640 Speaker 2: Alicia in the next in the coming days, hopefully everything 882 00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:30,799 Speaker 2: goes smoothly, everyone is happy, healthy, sleeps through the night, 883 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:35,000 Speaker 2: and we will get you back as soon as the. 884 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:37,120 Speaker 1: Family allows you. And uh. 885 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 2: In the interim, I will be joined by hopefully a 886 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:44,480 Speaker 2: bevy of interesting co hosts, maybe some current members of 887 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:47,280 Speaker 2: the Astros, maybe some members of the Astros traveling Party, 888 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:50,880 Speaker 2: maybe some other media members in Houston that you should 889 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:52,960 Speaker 2: get to meet and get to know. But uh, we 890 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,160 Speaker 2: will still keep Crush Shitty Territory on on the track. 891 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:59,680 Speaker 2: The camp Smith hype train will be going to the hospital, 892 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:03,239 Speaker 2: but we will keep Crush Shitty Territory on track here 893 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 2: even in Tyler's absence. If you want to follow him 894 00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:09,279 Speaker 2: to see what the name is, how everyone's doing, you 895 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:11,879 Speaker 2: can do that at Tyler C. Stafford on x I'm 896 00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 2: at Chandler Underscore Room. Please always rate and review us 897 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,280 Speaker 2: on Apple, subscribe on YouTube so you can get notified 898 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:21,800 Speaker 2: whenever we post another podcast, and one will be coming 899 00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:25,080 Speaker 2: in the next couple of days. Tyler again, good luck. 900 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,359 Speaker 2: I'm happy for you, happy for you and Alicia. Good 901 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:30,560 Speaker 2: luck with everything and we will talk to you guys soon. 902 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:31,000 Speaker 1: Thanks. 903 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:56,160 Speaker 4: Bye,