1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Big Fish Small Pot. I'm Andrew Wordahl and 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: this is March thirtieth. Before we get into it, today 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: is an off day for games at the major league 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: level of the Grapefruit League for the Marlins, so pretty 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: relaxed day here. At seven pm, we'll have Fish Stripes 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: Live and some discussions about this roster. I know Kim 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: Ang talked about bringing in a Bolton arm, so maybe 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: that's something you'll hear more of tonight. But as always 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: on Wednesdays and Fridays, I'm talking about this offense. 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 2: And what I want to talk. 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 1: About today is the general stress of high performance, and 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: that leads pretty well into how I think this roster 13 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: is built to withstand that stress. It's pretty innate to baseball. 14 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: We have in like our everyday language. The idea of 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: performing at the top of your game is something you 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: see from a very early age. 17 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: This is like the sport. 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: That twelve year olds might be playing on ESPN at 19 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: a sort of global stage in the Little League World 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: Series after being placed on your like local All Star team. 21 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: And these kids haven't even. 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: Graduated middle school already dedicating so much of their life 23 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: and all of their summer to the sport outside the 24 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: baseball world in America, we're talking about like handshake agreements 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: between MV organizations and players as early as fourteen, and 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: their academy like settings that you might find with like 27 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: IMG and Bradenton, and that is the literal growth of 28 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: a sports agency, as well as complexes like the Marlins 29 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: new facility in the Dominican Republic where educational, living and 30 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: nutritional needs are met through the facilitation of baseball and 31 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: the majors. 32 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: So the demands are there. 33 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: At fourteen, we're talking about the sport like its an 34 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: athletes life. 35 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: We're talking perfect game showcases. 36 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: To have the opportunity to light up the radar gun 37 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: of a scout or blaze a fifty yard dash in 38 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: a tryout, and college programs will host summer camps, a 39 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: major incentive getting eyes from the coaches who might then 40 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: offer you a scholarship, to have the opportunity to show 41 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: what you can do and develop your skills, ensure save 42 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: costs on education. 43 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 2: But let's not mistake that any. 44 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: Of these players are holding out for anything but the 45 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: dream of playing in the major. 46 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: Leagues from that early age. 47 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: That like All Star team at twelve, you're told that 48 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: you're good at something, and it is still from that 49 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: only the most talented that have a shot at the 50 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: majors without taking on major risk of like years without 51 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: much money in the bank account through your early twenties, 52 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: mid twenties and beyond. So you know, like the draft 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: and the bonuses help mitigate that risk for some of 54 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: the prospects, but it's like still, it's such like a 55 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: difficult scale to fathom that like a week in the 56 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: majors would pay more than a couple of years in 57 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: the minors. But it is the case to be like 58 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: a twenty four year old baseball player. You've made a 59 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: lot of distinct choices, and there's a lot of pressure 60 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: to those choices to perform highly and make that workout. 61 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: Not only do you want to, but at a certain 62 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: point you've really played into it. One Soto fairly and 63 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: arguably the best hitter right now. 64 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: He can do it all. 65 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: Miguel Rojas on the Chris Rose Rotation compared Sodo's vision 66 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: to MLB the show's k box in real life, and 67 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: he has like the flexible, practiced musculature to deliver an 68 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: impact to any pitch within that he can react to 69 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: that curveball or a slider that's been tunneled with one 70 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: hundred mile an hour fastball. He can stay on a changeup. 71 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: He's a guy who walks fifty percent more than he 72 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: strikes out, and he holds the Courier three zero one 73 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: batting average. But with everyone else in the major leagues, 74 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: you're talking about like less than Soto, no matter how 75 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: many years or thousands of bad bats, even top all 76 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: time hitters like Miguel Cabrera lose a bit of their 77 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: force due to years and the physical height that's present 78 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: and your baseline major league baseball player. We saw it 79 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: recently with Lewis Prinson. He was one of those players 80 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: that proved his obvious talent at an early age, became 81 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: a first round draft pick because of the scarcity of 82 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: his tools, and became the centerpiece of a low cost 83 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: roster because of that potential. And for a couple of 84 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: weeks in twenty twenty one, it looked like he figured 85 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:30,559 Speaker 1: out how to impose himself at the plate, particularly making 86 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,239 Speaker 1: gains with his swing and hitting that low inside pitch 87 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: early in August, hitting it sharply down the line to 88 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: third more regularly, well, staying on the outside pitches and 89 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: hitting those for power. 90 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 2: He even was able to stay pole on pitches outside 91 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: the zone. 92 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: But on August fourteenth against the Cubs, they kind of 93 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: offered him an inside changeup, a bit of a pivot 94 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: from what he'd been getting for the two weeks prior. 95 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: Change ups like forced Blue to react off of the 96 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: fastball such that he was out of his more practiced swing, 97 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: like kind of preparing for a change up jam shot, 98 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:19,239 Speaker 1: kind of cheating himself in the box towards the plate 99 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: as opposed to his more natural and authoritative stance he 100 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: was doing beforehand. 101 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 2: One of these pitches. 102 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: Couldn't get extension on he jammed it and caused frustration. 103 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: He threw his bat down, tripped over it, and Cubs 104 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: pitchers had found just a finesse way to over extend 105 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: Lewis Brinson's outstanding tools and sophisticated approach. But that burst 106 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 1: of anger, the manifestation of the stress to reform, is 107 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: something this Marlin's twenty two roster has been built to mitigate. 108 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: With four major veteran hitters brought in along with some 109 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: non roster invitees to camp, there isn't a player on 110 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: the roster expected to hold down their position every single day. 111 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: There will be days off. 112 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: In room for the developing hitters to adapt day to 113 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: day in ways that aren't even present in that perfect 114 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: game showcase where you have to show it and prove 115 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: it in that moment. The ability to adjust and adapt 116 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: is critical to facing the three hundred something pitchers in 117 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: the major leagues, who all have different methods and abilities 118 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: and tricks to send you back to the dugout. Even 119 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: with a deep roster's ability to hide a hole in 120 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: a swing or a flaw and an approach, and some 121 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: non one Soto hitter, there's room to navigate around those 122 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: discrepancies while still bringing home wins. Will shelter during those 123 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: deeply talented players who still need enough of a chance 124 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: to reach the limit of their potential. It doesn't take 125 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: an all Soto offense to bring home a trophy. It 126 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: takes an offense that can reliably score more than your 127 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: pitchers allow. Some contributions will be necessary from the organization 128 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: of talent, but the team is structured in a way 129 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: that the offense could unferl over the course of the 130 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: year as developments take form, as the team is still 131 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: looking for that star, production that you see on your 132 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: championship roster. But for now the offense has plenty of 133 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: teeth with which to bite. The Marlins have found themselves 134 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: in a position where they don't need every bat to 135 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: work out and give themselves the chances, but the ones 136 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: that are most. 137 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 2: Important to them to take those strides forward. 138 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: So today that day away from the games for the Marlins, 139 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: they'll be back to morrow and again to night seven 140 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 1: o'clock Fish Drives Live. 141 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 2: Check it out. I have been Andrew Werdall, thank you 142 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 2: for listening.