1
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,560
Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Hammer Territory Podcast.

2
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,480
Speaker 1: This is episode two zero two. I am your host,

3
00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,360
Speaker 1: Brad Rowland, coming to you on a Wednesday evening, and

4
00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,200
Speaker 1: I'm joined as I always am, by Scott Coleman. Scott

5
00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,680
Speaker 1: recording about two hours earlier than expected because the Braves

6
00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,920
Speaker 1: decided to get rained out today in the Nation's capital.

7
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,760
Speaker 1: That never happens at DC, does it?

8
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:47,120
Speaker 2: Never? Brad, Never, life, death taxes, braves getting rain delayed

9
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,560
Speaker 2: or rained out. You could tell me that Washington, d C.

10
00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,360
Speaker 2: Was the rainiest place on planet Earth, and I think

11
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,480
Speaker 2: I'd probably believe you. It's funny. Earlier today, I tweeted, Hey,

12
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,800
Speaker 2: the weather forecast tonight kind of sucks. We'll see if

13
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,880
Speaker 2: they play, And somebody who lives in the DC area

14
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,199
Speaker 2: was like, every single time the Braves come up here,

15
00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,440
Speaker 2: there's terrible weather during the series, but the series is

16
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,280
Speaker 2: always book ended by like perfect weather days, so it's

17
00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,199
Speaker 2: not just like anecdotal. It feels like every single time

18
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,240
Speaker 2: these guys go play the Nationals, it is bad weather.

19
00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,360
Speaker 2: But you know, hey, hopefully when these two teams play

20
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,240
Speaker 2: again come September, the Braves are in a better spot

21
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,319
Speaker 2: and maybe the Nationals are just kind of going through

22
00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,720
Speaker 2: the motions and kind of giving up on the season.

23
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,759
Speaker 1: Let us hope and you just said that this game

24
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 1: has been rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on

25
00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,200
Speaker 1: September sixteenth, a long time from now. One of those

26
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:42,760
Speaker 1: times we'll look at the schedule, we'll say, why do

27
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:44,800
Speaker 1: they play a doubleheader today? Then we'll remember that back

28
00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:46,199
Speaker 1: in May there was a right now in the middle

29
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,080
Speaker 1: of the series. For those asking the fact somebody did

30
00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,160
Speaker 1: ask that today was actually a Brace fan that lives

31
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,480
Speaker 1: up there wanting to go to the game on Thursday, Like, hey,

32
00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,200
Speaker 1: they're gonna plan on Thursday. As of Wednesday night, it

33
00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,120
Speaker 1: looks a little better than it did today. I don't

34
00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,200
Speaker 1: know if that's gonna get anything. It would not shock

35
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,720
Speaker 1: me if there was a delay or issues on Thursday,

36
00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,400
Speaker 1: but as of now, let's hope they play baseball because

37
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,240
Speaker 1: you don't want back to back rain now, So just

38
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,800
Speaker 1: schedule wise, just odd. They would have been off for

39
00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,400
Speaker 1: three out of four days to situation.

40
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:19,280
Speaker 2: And a double header in September is not exactly ideal. God,

41
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,880
Speaker 2: we saw the disaster that was last year's September with

42
00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,960
Speaker 2: the rainout against the Mets and everything. Hopefully it's not

43
00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,040
Speaker 2: going to become a theme. I think the Braves have

44
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,960
Speaker 2: been relatively clean on postponements this year. I think this

45
00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,160
Speaker 2: was maybe just the second time a game has been

46
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,120
Speaker 2: rained out, which is nice considering we're two months in

47
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,800
Speaker 2: and regionally the Braves are always playing in rainy areas,

48
00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,560
Speaker 2: not a lot of domes, all of those things. But hey,

49
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,080
Speaker 2: the day off, the team just played a lot of games,

50
00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,079
Speaker 2: and maybe they'll use it to kind of recharge the

51
00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,320
Speaker 2: batteries even more and hopefully when on Thursday night at

52
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,400
Speaker 2: least split the shortened series.

53
00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,800
Speaker 1: Yes, one more with the Nationals coming up on Thursday.

54
00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,880
Speaker 1: Where to take the opportunity on this particular episode to

55
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,480
Speaker 1: answer some mailbag questions because it's a rain now, it's

56
00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,040
Speaker 1: a good opportunity we have. We have a stockpile, we

57
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:05,840
Speaker 1: asked for some more and people are gracious enough to

58
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,680
Speaker 1: send those in. We don't always do mailbag calls, but

59
00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,720
Speaker 1: we're always open for bud back questions. If you follow

60
00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,560
Speaker 1: us on social media, send it to us. We might

61
00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,000
Speaker 1: file it away or answer it in real time or whatever,

62
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,160
Speaker 1: so keep them coming. We definitely appreciate all the questions.

63
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:19,679
Speaker 1: We should also say on the top of the show

64
00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,560
Speaker 1: we are part of Folid territory. As a network, we

65
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,880
Speaker 1: are Cold Hammer Territory. We cover the Braves all year round.

66
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,360
Speaker 1: And we had a show from the two of us

67
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,320
Speaker 1: on Sunday evening for about an hour covering a lot

68
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,400
Speaker 1: of different things, and then our colleagues Shna Steven recorded

69
00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,720
Speaker 1: on Tuesday evening after a frustrating loss. To be fair,

70
00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,320
Speaker 1: unless you really want to talk about that game, what's

71
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,560
Speaker 1: just not because they covered it in detail, I recommend

72
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,560
Speaker 1: people listening to that show. But it was also one

73
00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,000
Speaker 1: of those nights that we would like to forget.

74
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,360
Speaker 2: Probably, Yeah, weird baseball game on Tuesday. Seven runs in

75
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,840
Speaker 2: the first two innings and then I mean for both sides.

76
00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,119
Speaker 2: Basically nothing else doing other than an insurance run late

77
00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,240
Speaker 2: for Washington. But yeah, Tuesday Night's game will not be

78
00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,760
Speaker 2: one that we look back on in six months ago.

79
00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,960
Speaker 2: You remember that night in Washington, d C. That was

80
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,640
Speaker 2: that was pretty forgettable. Last night.

81
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,440
Speaker 1: One thing we didk good questions about not really a

82
00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 1: full and mailback question, but was about Strider. Basically I

83
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,200
Speaker 1: know that Steven and Shaan talked about it, but we

84
00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,080
Speaker 1: got even more. We put the call today. Don't if

85
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,440
Speaker 1: they didn't show yesterday or not, But did you have

86
00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,960
Speaker 1: any reaction to Stratder not looking the sharpest in his

87
00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 1: first outing and basically a month Like, what was your

88
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:22,839
Speaker 1: reaction to that?

89
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,000
Speaker 2: So I didn't think that Spencer looked particularly sharp, but

90
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,560
Speaker 2: it was also I think what was more than fair

91
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,520
Speaker 2: to expect for a pitcher who I mean, let's be real.

92
00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,760
Speaker 2: I mean, this is basically I don't want to say

93
00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,080
Speaker 2: ground zero for Spencer, but second start of the year

94
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,440
Speaker 2: a hamstring injury is not exactly something. It's not like

95
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,480
Speaker 2: he just rolled an ankle and it was I mean,

96
00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,880
Speaker 2: he missed a month with a hamstring strain. And Spencer's

97
00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,719
Speaker 2: not a big guy. I mean, he uses every single

98
00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,720
Speaker 2: ounce of his lower body strength to deliver the ball

99
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,880
Speaker 2: the way he does. Velocity A little bit of a concern,

100
00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,159
Speaker 2: I know, that was all everybody was talking about last night.

101
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,359
Speaker 2: But again, and only second start of the year, first

102
00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,080
Speaker 2: start in a month. He missed all of last season.

103
00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,080
Speaker 2: So really, the last time Spencer Strider was throwing competitive

104
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:14,159
Speaker 2: pitches regularly was September and October of twenty twenty three.

105
00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,600
Speaker 2: That's a long time ago. Brad nineteen months ago, So

106
00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,640
Speaker 2: I think my take on Strider, let's see how the

107
00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:26,040
Speaker 2: next month goes. If Spencer's velocity is still in the

108
00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,800
Speaker 2: low mid nineties at the end of games a month

109
00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,360
Speaker 2: from now, then I think it's time to really kind

110
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,080
Speaker 2: of panic. But I know Spencer didn't have Tommy John surgery,

111
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,400
Speaker 2: but he had a similar procedure. This is generally pretty

112
00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,880
Speaker 2: common for pitchers coming back, and I think it's just

113
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,200
Speaker 2: a matter of building up strength and really just having

114
00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,680
Speaker 2: confidence in his elbow and his hamstring to feel like

115
00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:48,200
Speaker 2: he can really let loose out there.

116
00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he did sit. He actually ended up averaging

117
00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,800
Speaker 1: ninety five with the fastball, which is below where you

118
00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,320
Speaker 1: want him to be for sure. But if you just

119
00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,040
Speaker 1: followed the discourse, it was like he was throwing eighty

120
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,240
Speaker 1: nine and he wasn't he was throw ninety five. It's

121
00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,239
Speaker 1: like that's a he can live there. There's the debates

122
00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:03,599
Speaker 1: that you had, and we want to see more data

123
00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,440
Speaker 1: about like what that looks like long term. I am

124
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,760
Speaker 1: not particularly alarmed, as you are not either. You know,

125
00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,279
Speaker 1: the choice went went because he struggled, and because they

126
00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,680
Speaker 1: lost the game. People were loudly wondering should he have

127
00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,240
Speaker 1: gone how to rehab start. You know, should write over

128
00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,000
Speaker 1: thrown in the game whatever. I don't really got. I

129
00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:22,960
Speaker 1: thought it was a little bit overblown. Again, like he

130
00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,320
Speaker 1: wasn't a disaster. They were in the game, they were

131
00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,480
Speaker 1: competitive in the game, they didn't lose ten nothing. He

132
00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,680
Speaker 1: wasn't perfect. But I want to see three starts of

133
00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,400
Speaker 1: Strider before I really think about much of anything. No, look,

134
00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,400
Speaker 1: if his next turn is a disaster, you know, obviously

135
00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,880
Speaker 1: you get a little bit more concerned and incorrendally so.

136
00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,359
Speaker 1: But for now, it's just me like kind of shrugging

137
00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,720
Speaker 1: more than anything, because of the talent level that he

138
00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,120
Speaker 1: has and also the competitor he is. And Hope Shawtz

139
00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,160
Speaker 1: talked about it a lot, like his quotes after the game,

140
00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,680
Speaker 1: he knows man like, this is a guy who's a

141
00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,400
Speaker 1: he's a pretty buttoned up fellow. He's not gonna be

142
00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,760
Speaker 1: sugarcoating anything. And he wasn't happy, and neither was the team.

143
00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,960
Speaker 1: I'm sure, but it's just went out.

144
00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,800
Speaker 2: Nobody on the planet want Spencer Strider to be more

145
00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,120
Speaker 2: successful than Spencer Strider does. He is a competitor in

146
00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,080
Speaker 2: the greatest of ways. I think, honestly, I like that.

147
00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,040
Speaker 2: I thought his candid comments after the game about hey,

148
00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,720
Speaker 2: I kind of sucked tonight and we sent down Bryce Elder,

149
00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,440
Speaker 2: who had been throwing the ball, well for me to

150
00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,040
Speaker 2: make a start and I need to be better. And

151
00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,520
Speaker 2: if folks miss those, I know the video clips were

152
00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,200
Speaker 2: circulating of Spencer's comments worth watching. But yeah, give me.

153
00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,080
Speaker 2: Let's see mid June. If we're at mid June and

154
00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,320
Speaker 2: he's still struggling, then I think we can have a

155
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,920
Speaker 2: different conversation. But give it a couple more starts, let

156
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,160
Speaker 2: him ramp up, and we'll see where he is at.

157
00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,400
Speaker 1: With Schreider on one side of things, the guy who

158
00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,000
Speaker 1: had returned, let us discuss Ronald Cuton Junior. He's not

159
00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,480
Speaker 1: quite back yet, but he is also part of our

160
00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,760
Speaker 1: inaugural Arena Club Spotlight segment. So obviously Ronald Cuton is

161
00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,320
Speaker 1: a big deal. Not a huge surprise. We wouldn't be

162
00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,560
Speaker 1: talking about most guys doing rehab assignments in the first

163
00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,360
Speaker 1: segment of a podcast, but he's a big deal. He

164
00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,080
Speaker 1: did play to Guinnett's on the road. He went with them.

165
00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:04,880
Speaker 1: There's a little bit of cold water that I know.

166
00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:06,480
Speaker 1: It was discussed a little bit last night too, Like

167
00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,720
Speaker 1: Alex kind of gave a probably not Friday night kind

168
00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:11,320
Speaker 1: of thing when I think a lot of us were

169
00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,640
Speaker 1: hoping for Friday, even some buzz some reporting ish about

170
00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:20,160
Speaker 1: Friday night as a target for Ronnie. It is interesting, however,

171
00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,000
Speaker 1: that it's he looked good today again, Like he stretched,

172
00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,520
Speaker 1: he looked at a double, he sent the ball very well.

173
00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,320
Speaker 1: His ops is like fifteen hundred in Gwinette. That's not

174
00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,360
Speaker 1: a huge surprise. But the big obstacle for Ronnie is

175
00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,120
Speaker 1: basically can he play a full game or two or

176
00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,680
Speaker 1: three in the outfield? And I think, look, I didn't

177
00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,000
Speaker 1: watch this, I as at work today. By the box score,

178
00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:43,520
Speaker 1: he didn't come out of the game, So I'm assuming

179
00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,200
Speaker 1: he played all night innings in the outfield. And that

180
00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,280
Speaker 1: is the first time that's happened. So that would be

181
00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:48,360
Speaker 1: a nice step forward.

182
00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a nice little box to check in Ronald's recovery.

183
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,360
Speaker 2: We'll see what Thursday holds, and then I think the

184
00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,440
Speaker 2: first time the Braves have a decision to make is

185
00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,800
Speaker 2: potentially Friday. Now. If you believe what Alex Andthopoulos said

186
00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,320
Speaker 2: on local radio a couple of days ago, Alex poured

187
00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,480
Speaker 2: a whole bunch of cold water. On Ronald being back,

188
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,440
Speaker 2: he didn't rule it out, but it did. He wasn't

189
00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,360
Speaker 2: exactly saying, yeah, buyer tickets now, Ronald's coming back. But

190
00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,839
Speaker 2: we also know that Alex is not exactly the most

191
00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,160
Speaker 2: truthful and forthcoming and frankly, things might actually change between

192
00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,640
Speaker 2: I think Monday morning when he had that radio interview

193
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,360
Speaker 2: and Friday night when the Braves are back home against

194
00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,680
Speaker 2: the Padres. But yeah, nine innings, defensively, Ronald continues to

195
00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,640
Speaker 2: really hit the ball. I mean, he looks he's close

196
00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,640
Speaker 2: to ready, and we'll see what the Braves and the

197
00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,800
Speaker 2: medical staff ultimately decide. But even if it's not this weekend,

198
00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,520
Speaker 2: I would sure think within the next seven eight days

199
00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,600
Speaker 2: would almost certainly I think Ronald will be back.

200
00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, ween, that's on the road for a while. Longer

201
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,240
Speaker 1: they play again on Thursday, we'll see if he's in

202
00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,840
Speaker 1: the lineup on Thursday. As we're talking, it's Wednesday night.

203
00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,480
Speaker 1: But yeah, there isn't a whole lot he has to

204
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,800
Speaker 1: prove at the plate by all accounts, like he's ready

205
00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,400
Speaker 1: to go as a hitter. It's just everything else, and

206
00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:08,240
Speaker 1: that's frustrating for Brace fans. I do understand that the inkling,

207
00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,719
Speaker 1: especially especially on night like Tuesday, when they fill a

208
00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:15,080
Speaker 1: score after a little bit of early flourish, everyone kind

209
00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,120
Speaker 1: of rests up the intensity and the anchor level to say,

210
00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:17,400
Speaker 1: why is.

211
00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:18,000
Speaker 2: It running back?

212
00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,480
Speaker 1: I will just I'm not I'm not always an appeal

213
00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,520
Speaker 1: to authority person Scott, but on this one, I will say,

214
00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,600
Speaker 1: if the doctors and trainers think that he was ready

215
00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,480
Speaker 1: to go in the majors right now, he'd be in

216
00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,160
Speaker 1: the majors. That'd be my guess. So if he needs

217
00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,200
Speaker 1: another week, well another week. That's kind of where I

218
00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:36,800
Speaker 1: am right now.

219
00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,120
Speaker 2: Have to be careful. I mean, dear God, let's hope

220
00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,080
Speaker 2: that Ronald's knees are fine. Another reinjury would be devastating.

221
00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,400
Speaker 2: And if that means that you have to give him

222
00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,040
Speaker 2: a few extra reps and really build up strength and

223
00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,480
Speaker 2: have them play nine innings in the outfield a couple

224
00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,480
Speaker 2: of times, and keep on having appearances in the batter's

225
00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,720
Speaker 2: box and everything you need to do. I'm starting to

226
00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,400
Speaker 2: think that Ronald is not going to run a ton

227
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,280
Speaker 2: on the bases. Agreed, there's no direct sourcing on that,

228
00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,240
Speaker 2: but I would guess that they're going to tell Ronald

229
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,720
Speaker 2: to chill on the bases a little bit. He's still

230
00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,240
Speaker 2: probably going to steal some bases because he's a maniac

231
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:13,920
Speaker 2: and he wants to go out there and win and

232
00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,199
Speaker 2: be competitive. But I think, I mean, I don't think

233
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,600
Speaker 2: Ronald's going to go out there and steal forty bags

234
00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,720
Speaker 2: over the final four months of the season. Maybe I'm wrong.

235
00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,080
Speaker 2: I was wrong a couple of years ago, though, after

236
00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,800
Speaker 2: the acl tair the first time in twenty twenty two,

237
00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,600
Speaker 2: he ran quite a bit. Yeah, you know, that could be.

238
00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:33,320
Speaker 2: We'll see. Well, I guess we'll know within a week

239
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,360
Speaker 2: or two if Ronald's running on the bases. But yeah,

240
00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,320
Speaker 2: defense probably not going to be great out there to start,

241
00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,240
Speaker 2: but I'll take the bat all day long, and maybe

242
00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:45,360
Speaker 2: Michael Harris can step a couple to his left and

243
00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:46,760
Speaker 2: help Ronald out in the gap.

244
00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm excited, we all are. That's our daily Ronald

245
00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,920
Speaker 1: mcunya junior update. That's going to be probably coming until

246
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,000
Speaker 1: he returns, honestly, because that's just the nature of the beast.

247
00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,200
Speaker 1: With the top five player in baseball on the precipice

248
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:03,079
Speaker 1: of returning. In the meantime, let us check out. Actually,

249
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,480
Speaker 1: a little word from our friends at Arena Club and

250
00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,840
Speaker 1: it's actually a slab pack that we ripped and we

251
00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:09,960
Speaker 1: get the opportunity to showcase that on our screen right

252
00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,160
Speaker 1: now if you're watching on YouTube. We got an Austin

253
00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,120
Speaker 1: Riley pull here and we'll talk about Riley later on

254
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,320
Speaker 1: in the podcast. Actually got a mail that question about him,

255
00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,480
Speaker 1: but of course he's a two time All Star, two

256
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,200
Speaker 1: types Silver Slogger winner. It's pretty excited to get that

257
00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,880
Speaker 1: in kind of our first public pool here at Arena Club.

258
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,240
Speaker 1: I've been checking out for a while. It's a fun thing.

259
00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,520
Speaker 1: And also if you wanted to, we can also use

260
00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,280
Speaker 1: the buyback program at Arena Club to get Ronald mccoutney's

261
00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,760
Speaker 1: card instead of Austin's. Are In addition to Austin, there's

262
00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,720
Speaker 1: all kinds of like things there at Arena Club, So

263
00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,400
Speaker 1: check all of that out. I'd recommend that at the

264
00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,000
Speaker 1: absolute highest level. And right now, you get twenty percent

265
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,360
Speaker 1: off your first slab pack or car purchase by going

266
00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,960
Speaker 1: to Arena Club dot com slash foul and use codefoul.

267
00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,280
Speaker 1: That's Arena Club dot com slash foul code foul for

268
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:58,640
Speaker 1: twenty percent off your first purchase. All right, So the

269
00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:00,800
Speaker 1: news is out of the way. There was no game

270
00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,680
Speaker 1: to discuss yesterday. All stuff from Tuesday happened on Tuesday.

271
00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,520
Speaker 1: It was broken down game. We lay our guys, Steven

272
00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,520
Speaker 1: and Sean. So, Scott, are you ready to tackle some

273
00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,160
Speaker 1: mailbag questions on a Wednesday night?

274
00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,600
Speaker 2: Let's do it. We have not done a full on

275
00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,559
Speaker 2: mailbag segment in a while. It is I know people

276
00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,800
Speaker 2: will be appreciate you sending questions. I will say, you know,

277
00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,280
Speaker 2: once we get into the season, it's just so much

278
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,360
Speaker 2: to talk about with the games. So this will be

279
00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,040
Speaker 2: fun to kind of break up the show and do

280
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:27,840
Speaker 2: a little bit of a different segment from what we

281
00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,080
Speaker 2: generally do in the middle of a road trip.

282
00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:32,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, and every once in a while we'll start weaving

283
00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,600
Speaker 1: in some not necessarily specific questions on our game breakdowns,

284
00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:37,800
Speaker 1: but like topics that are obviously people are asking us about.

285
00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,600
Speaker 1: We'll hit on those, but these are more specific pulled

286
00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,400
Speaker 1: from you guys to listeners and watch this podcast. We'll

287
00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,400
Speaker 1: be already teased. Let's just do this right now. It

288
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,520
Speaker 1: comes from Kenneth who says, should we'd be worried at

289
00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,360
Speaker 1: all about Austin Riley? And Kenneth says he hasn't felt

290
00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:56,760
Speaker 1: like himself this season, so interesting enough, Austin has not

291
00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,160
Speaker 1: been the Capitol Letters version of Austin. I think any

292
00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:03,240
Speaker 1: look at the numbers would tell you that before we

293
00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,880
Speaker 1: dive into some of the more interesting granular data here.

294
00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,080
Speaker 1: What was your innational reaction to this, Like, are you

295
00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,680
Speaker 1: worried at all before we talk about some data on Austin.

296
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,640
Speaker 2: No, I'm not worried necessarily about Austin, although I think

297
00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:19,640
Speaker 2: it is fair to say that he has really been

298
00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,320
Speaker 2: fighting it the last couple of weeks. I mean, he

299
00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,640
Speaker 2: just I mean, frankly, Austin looks a little lost up

300
00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:25,560
Speaker 2: there right now.

301
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's definitely fighting it right now. That is like

302
00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,600
Speaker 1: very evident. I Mean the numbers in may look okay

303
00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,000
Speaker 1: on the whole for the month, but that was really

304
00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,640
Speaker 1: very concentrated at the beginning of the month and it's

305
00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,360
Speaker 1: been a little bit shaky since then. I Mean, we

306
00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,280
Speaker 1: all know this story with Austin to some degree. He

307
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,600
Speaker 1: had the big breakout and was really a superstar level

308
00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,560
Speaker 1: player for three seasons in a row from twenty one

309
00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,080
Speaker 1: to twenty three. He averaged like thirty six one months

310
00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,320
Speaker 1: a season, like a five six win player. Each and

311
00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,400
Speaker 1: every season one thirty six rc plus combined for three years,

312
00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,280
Speaker 1: like a superstar level player got the extension all that stuff.

313
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,160
Speaker 1: The last two years combined, the numbers are fine, Like

314
00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,320
Speaker 1: they're good, they're not superstar good, and they're a kind

315
00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,200
Speaker 1: of a step down for him. And you could say,

316
00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,600
Speaker 1: and I think rightly you would want to say, he

317
00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,960
Speaker 1: got hurt last year in the middle of a hot streak.

318
00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,440
Speaker 1: He actually was playing much better. Maybe that continues, you

319
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,200
Speaker 1: don't know that for sure, but like he got hurt,

320
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,440
Speaker 1: and over the last basically year and a half, he's

321
00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,880
Speaker 1: played about a full season worth of games. Last year

322
00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,440
Speaker 1: played like like one hundred and ten this year forty eight.

323
00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:30,359
Speaker 1: That's one full season, and he has twenty seven home runs. Basically,

324
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,080
Speaker 1: it's looking's down a decent chunk from previous levels, and

325
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,440
Speaker 1: he's a one to sixteen WRC plus over that year

326
00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,440
Speaker 1: and a half sample size. And this year, like some

327
00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,000
Speaker 1: of the bat of ball data is still good, but

328
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:47,520
Speaker 1: also he's chasing more and walking less and striking out more,

329
00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,720
Speaker 1: and that's not a combination you want to see. That's

330
00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,200
Speaker 1: kind of like some reversion to his early days when

331
00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,120
Speaker 1: he was a little bit shak year before the breakout,

332
00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,240
Speaker 1: so you know, some of the Babbitt numbers are actually

333
00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:00,960
Speaker 1: not that encouraging across this year, so he is fighting it.

334
00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,720
Speaker 1: It is a small sample size, and I tend generally

335
00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,800
Speaker 1: speaking to lean towards what we've seen over a bigger sample.

336
00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,440
Speaker 1: And the bigger sample is good with Austin, for sure.

337
00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,680
Speaker 1: But if you were worried, I would alwayst understand. Not

338
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:14,800
Speaker 1: like worried is like he's going to be awful, but

339
00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,160
Speaker 1: maybe he's not actually going to be back to the superstars,

340
00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,440
Speaker 1: like somewhat of a question to be I don't know.

341
00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,680
Speaker 2: I think the fairest thing to say here is the

342
00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,840
Speaker 2: Braves need more out of Austin Ryland. Yeah, someone biggest

343
00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,920
Speaker 2: contract ever ten years, two hundred and twelve million dollars

344
00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,360
Speaker 2: and Riley, I mean sure, if he didn't have that

345
00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,600
Speaker 2: massive contract in the massive expectations, his stats are fine.

346
00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,160
Speaker 2: I mean he's fifteen percent abovely gaverage. And I think

347
00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,320
Speaker 2: blindly if you said, all right, Scott high or lower

348
00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,440
Speaker 2: one fifteen WRC plus the rest of the way, I

349
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,400
Speaker 2: would confidently say it's going to be over. I think

350
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,400
Speaker 2: you would too, bread based on your comments and when

351
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,280
Speaker 2: you look at Riley's page in his profile and his

352
00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,720
Speaker 2: bat at bald data, and it is it's a weird

353
00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,400
Speaker 2: pro fall right now, because when Austin's making contact with

354
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,560
Speaker 2: the baseball, good things are mostly happening. He has the

355
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,320
Speaker 2: highest bat speed of his career, and there's more and

356
00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,440
Speaker 2: more and more data every year that shows that bat

357
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:18,000
Speaker 2: speed is like the most direct linear connection to high performance.

358
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,199
Speaker 2: That's good, his exit velocity, his barrel rate, all of

359
00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,040
Speaker 2: the things you want to see from a slugger like

360
00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,440
Speaker 2: Riley are all trending in the right direction eighty fifth,

361
00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,920
Speaker 2: ninetieth percentile or better. But he's swinging and missing way

362
00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,480
Speaker 2: too much. You mentioned the sliders down in a way,

363
00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,000
Speaker 2: which was really the one big flaw he had early

364
00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,840
Speaker 2: in his career. So I don't know. Maybe it's mechanical,

365
00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,040
Speaker 2: maybe it's mental. Maybe it's just a bad stretch of games,

366
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,560
Speaker 2: because we have certainly seen when Austin Riley is hot,

367
00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:47,960
Speaker 2: he can make up a lot of ground in a hurry.

368
00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,240
Speaker 2: But every night it feels like Austin is coming up

369
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,040
Speaker 2: with a chance to drive in runs, and for the

370
00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,280
Speaker 2: most part, he just hasn't been the Austin Riley that

371
00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,879
Speaker 2: we expect in the Braves frankly need if they're going

372
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:02,520
Speaker 2: to keep winning games and get back into the playoffs.

373
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:04,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, last two weeks he has a

374
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,600
Speaker 1: six thirty two ops it slugging like three hundred in

375
00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,680
Speaker 1: that sample. Like, that's not very good. It's only two weeks,

376
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,960
Speaker 1: but it is what it's got cold right now. The

377
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,639
Speaker 1: one thing I will not and maybe this is actually

378
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,280
Speaker 1: optimistic if you want to frame it in a positive light,

379
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,080
Speaker 1: his infield fly ball rate is like sky high this year.

380
00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,359
Speaker 1: A lot of pop ups, And that might be just

381
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,239
Speaker 1: like a small mechanical thing, like if you if you're

382
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,200
Speaker 1: still hitting the ball hard, that's one of those things

383
00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,199
Speaker 1: like when you're when you're in a slump, you're barely missing,

384
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,000
Speaker 1: and like maybe one one good batting practice session or whatever,

385
00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,600
Speaker 1: one good KG session you fix something like that. Like

386
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,160
Speaker 1: I think he's always been a hot and cold hitter.

387
00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,000
Speaker 1: I mean, something we should talk about at some point

388
00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,679
Speaker 1: here is that he tends to heat up later in

389
00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,920
Speaker 1: the season. If you will get his career like month

390
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,840
Speaker 1: by month, splitz his month. His best month is July.

391
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,959
Speaker 1: The second best month is August. So like he's more

392
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:53,440
Speaker 1: of a second half hitter than the first half hitter.

393
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,679
Speaker 1: And he's always been streaky, like he'll go crazy, like

394
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:58,320
Speaker 1: you said before, like two weeks will be kind of

395
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,320
Speaker 1: in the in the ether, and then suddenly he'll just

396
00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,200
Speaker 1: go nuts for him one so one of these hot

397
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,960
Speaker 1: streaks and everyone looks totally fine for for rather, which

398
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,040
Speaker 1: is why I'm not terribly worried. I just we definitely

399
00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,000
Speaker 1: agree though, like he and this is not just him,

400
00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,560
Speaker 1: I mean, this is this is the case for Olsen,

401
00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:15,320
Speaker 1: this has been the case for azuonat times this year.

402
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,439
Speaker 1: The Braves can't afford with the way their lineup has

403
00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:23,280
Speaker 1: been looking san Zacunya Sands Profar even like some of

404
00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:25,040
Speaker 1: the guys that have a line up every day, the

405
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,880
Speaker 1: stars need to be stars or the offense doesn't work

406
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,520
Speaker 1: the same way. And Riley is a case number one

407
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:31,320
Speaker 1: baby event.

408
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,399
Speaker 2: And just two very recent examples with Riley and just

409
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,679
Speaker 2: kind of what he's fighting right now. On Sunday against

410
00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,720
Speaker 2: Brian Bao, the Braves had two runners on and Bo

411
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,040
Speaker 2: threw an eighty five mile an hour cement mixing slider

412
00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:49,720
Speaker 2: middle middle, and even in real time, I was like,

413
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,359
Speaker 2: how did Riley not destroy that ball and send it

414
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,679
Speaker 2: over the green monster in left field. He ended up

415
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,879
Speaker 2: filing it off. And then on Tuesday night against Mitchell Parker,

416
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,560
Speaker 2: Parker left a belt high eighty four mile an hour

417
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,680
Speaker 2: curveball and it was It wasn't necessarily right in the

418
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,800
Speaker 2: middle of the plate, but that is the sweet spot

419
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,600
Speaker 2: for a right handed hitter belt high. Riley should have

420
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,679
Speaker 2: barreled that ball into the gap or over the fence,

421
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,840
Speaker 2: and he swung and missed on a relative meatball. I

422
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,199
Speaker 2: think those two plate appearances are kind of summary of

423
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,879
Speaker 2: Austin right now. I really do think he's gonna figure

424
00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,640
Speaker 2: it out. But it's been a weird I mean, frankly

425
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,800
Speaker 2: for the whole team. It's been a weird two months

426
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,240
Speaker 2: so far, and I think Austin is maybe the poster

427
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,320
Speaker 2: child of the results haven't been terrible, but they should

428
00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,280
Speaker 2: be a lot better than what we've seen so far.

429
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,679
Speaker 1: I guess on the hole here, should you be worried?

430
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:42,479
Speaker 1: I would say no. But also there's a little bit

431
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,280
Speaker 1: If you want to see what you want to see here,

432
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:45,680
Speaker 1: you can probably find it.

433
00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 2: Sorry, Herd just flew into my window and scared the geeze.

434
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:53,639
Speaker 2: Holy cow, that.

435
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:54,920
Speaker 1: Was a good sensor job by you.

436
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:55,240
Speaker 2: As well.

437
00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,240
Speaker 1: This is all staying in the podcast. For the record,

438
00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,760
Speaker 1: this is all staying in anyway. That was a fun

439
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,920
Speaker 1: little D two or on the podcast. Scott was terrified

440
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:06,080
Speaker 1: on the camera, but Austin Riley still good. Hopefully it's

441
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:07,800
Speaker 1: gonna better than he's been so far. That's kind of

442
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,159
Speaker 1: a good synopsis on that one, Scott.

443
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,040
Speaker 3: You need to check out this Roeback hoodie I have.

444
00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,240
Speaker 3: It's eighty five plus degrees here in Florida. Look lightweight,

445
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,879
Speaker 3: feels great, cool colors, perfect for those hot Florida days.

446
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,840
Speaker 4: I agree, aj color looks fire and you can get

447
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,680
Speaker 4: your own sweatshirt polo hoodie. Go check out Roeback and

448
00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,399
Speaker 4: if you do, in your first time customer rowback dot

449
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,520
Speaker 4: com using the code foul gets you twenty percent off

450
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,359
Speaker 4: your first purchase r H O B A c K

451
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,960
Speaker 4: dot com code f o U L get after at FTFAM.

452
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,320
Speaker 1: This will be a quick one, I think, but I will.

453
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:48,920
Speaker 1: Let's just answer it real quick. Here from Cecil who

454
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,120
Speaker 1: says who will end the season with more plate appearances?

455
00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 1: Eli White or Alex Ferdugo. And the question I think

456
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,400
Speaker 1: is here because they almost are exactly the same right now,

457
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,280
Speaker 1: so far as we're talking on Wednesday night. White has

458
00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,960
Speaker 1: won twenty one plant appearances this year. Dugo has one

459
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,880
Speaker 1: hundred and eighteen. Verduo has actually played more than White

460
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:09,720
Speaker 1: since he got here, because Berdugo, of course, was a

461
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,720
Speaker 1: late addition to the roster. White's been much better than

462
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:15,959
Speaker 1: Verdugo this year. But I think what we was one

463
00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,840
Speaker 1: is coming up is not only Ronnie coming back, which

464
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:20,560
Speaker 1: takes away one of the corner affold spots which they've

465
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:22,800
Speaker 1: been basically occupying most nights. It's been Dug and White

466
00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,440
Speaker 1: in some form other than the Stuart Fairchild experiments that

467
00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,600
Speaker 1: we've seen, but I mean profiles coming back to at

468
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,320
Speaker 1: some point like within about what's six weeks. You're supposed

469
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,440
Speaker 1: to have a Kunya and profar back in about six

470
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:39,040
Speaker 1: weeks here, which means no more starting spots. That means

471
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,639
Speaker 1: pinch hit duty or pinch run duty or whatever. So

472
00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,199
Speaker 1: what do you think, because I obviously do Berdugo has

473
00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:48,960
Speaker 1: a much more famous player, bigger name, but White's been

474
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,200
Speaker 1: better and has maybe more ancillary skills.

475
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,959
Speaker 2: What do you think? Yeah, I think for exactly that reason,

476
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 2: I would lean towards Eli White getting more plate appearances

477
00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:02,800
Speaker 2: than Verdugo now Dugo has the advantage of being left handed. Yep.

478
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,000
Speaker 2: So the Braves might say, well, Ridugo is gonna get

479
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 2: more at bets because you're gonna see more righties than lefties.

480
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,560
Speaker 2: But I think Eli White has a better chance at

481
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,200
Speaker 2: playing time, if that makes sense. Obviously a much faster

482
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,720
Speaker 2: base runner and a really good fielder. I think that's

483
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 2: kind of one of the more under the radar stories

484
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,679
Speaker 2: that we've seen these first two months. Everybody knows the

485
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,080
Speaker 2: offensive impact that Eli White has had, but his defense

486
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,120
Speaker 2: is really impressive. He was flying around Fenway Park over

487
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,879
Speaker 2: the weekend, which is a tough park to field, especially

488
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:35,920
Speaker 2: in right field because of some of the weird dimensions

489
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 2: over there. So it's kind of a tough one because

490
00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,520
Speaker 2: I do think Ridugo is going to be the primary

491
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,879
Speaker 2: left handed pinch hitter off the bench, But I mean maybe, well,

492
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,800
Speaker 2: but they got Drake Baldwin too, so if Baldwin's not playing,

493
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,640
Speaker 2: I think And then let me ask you this, Brad.

494
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,800
Speaker 2: This was not a mailback question. Do you think that

495
00:23:55,320 --> 00:24:00,000
Speaker 2: Profar comes back and plays every single day? No questions asked,

496
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,760
Speaker 2: I I don't know.

497
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,960
Speaker 1: Number one, which is interesting, like I don't want to

498
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,080
Speaker 1: say like, I like, I know, I think he will

499
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,920
Speaker 1: play a lot in part because of Look, the reality

500
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,639
Speaker 1: is that you don't have to like this, not use

501
00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:22,160
Speaker 1: going anybody. They've committed money to him for multiple seasons.

502
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,280
Speaker 1: If he was on a one year deal, it would

503
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:27,440
Speaker 1: be a lot more perilous, I would, I'd be less

504
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,840
Speaker 1: sure he was gonna play. But because of the three

505
00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,160
Speaker 1: year investment. Yeah, I know there was a post bad blood,

506
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:35,119
Speaker 1: but I would imagine we saw this with a Zuna. Honestly,

507
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,679
Speaker 1: it's a different situation. Of course was gone like people

508
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,800
Speaker 1: on the outside were mad at Azuna. It seemed like

509
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,440
Speaker 1: the locker room clubhouse didn't really have a problem marself.

510
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 1: And I don't know if this is different with its PDS.

511
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:47,840
Speaker 1: It might be different, but I could I could see

512
00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,480
Speaker 1: the Braves Clubhouse kind of rounding a round profar and

513
00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 1: having not be an issue. And look, we'll never know how

514
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,719
Speaker 1: much it is gonna effected till he plays. Like how

515
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,520
Speaker 1: much of the breakout year last year had had to

516
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,600
Speaker 1: do a PDS. It's hard to say of it, but

517
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:01,960
Speaker 1: it's hard to say all of it. You know, you

518
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,760
Speaker 1: don't know. We just don't we don't know, Yes, we

519
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,840
Speaker 1: all have our assumptions, but they did pay him. He

520
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 1: does walk, which is not a pee thing, like he

521
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:14,080
Speaker 1: does get on base, and look, especially LUCKYLI White, like

522
00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,440
Speaker 1: are they really gonna are they really gonna sit there

523
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 1: and like, you know what, Profar, We're gonna play you

524
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,560
Speaker 1: out whatever you regularly. I don't know if that's good.

525
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,560
Speaker 1: Maybe it'll happen. I don't if Eli is still cooking

526
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:25,160
Speaker 1: at that point in time. And look, he has cooled

527
00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,080
Speaker 1: off quite a bit, which is gonna happen almost certainly.

528
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,359
Speaker 1: But I tend to think he's gonna play a lot.

529
00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:31,560
Speaker 1: But maybe the maybe what will happen is they play

530
00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,760
Speaker 1: Profar a lot, and if it doesn't go well, maybe

531
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: the leash is shorter than it would have been without

532
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,040
Speaker 1: the suspension and all of that. Maybe maybe that's my

533
00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:41,600
Speaker 1: actual guess.

534
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,440
Speaker 2: For now, it sounds fair. I mean, I think they

535
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,160
Speaker 2: have to play Profar when he comes down.

536
00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,160
Speaker 1: They can't not play him at all. Just I've seen

537
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,840
Speaker 1: Braves fans being like, well screw that guy, I get it.

538
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,480
Speaker 1: I promise you I get it. But they do have

539
00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,639
Speaker 1: to pay them in for the next two and a

540
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,120
Speaker 1: half years after it comes back, and they're not gonna

541
00:25:59,119 --> 00:25:59,480
Speaker 1: not play.

542
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,359
Speaker 2: I shocked, Yeah, just curious. No, it's interesting.

543
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, one note actually on the on the left right thing,

544
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,720
Speaker 1: it's funny. Eli White had a weird career. It's not

545
00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,480
Speaker 1: an Eli White breakdown, but he hasn't played that much,

546
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: as we all know.

547
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:14,160
Speaker 2: But if you.

548
00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,240
Speaker 1: Take it's like career plate appearances, which is like a

549
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,879
Speaker 1: like a seasons worth of starting plate appearances. Basically he

550
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,359
Speaker 1: actually has a reverse platoon split.

551
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:21,600
Speaker 2: I don't know.

552
00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:23,159
Speaker 1: I don't know how real that is, to be one

553
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,399
Speaker 1: hundred percent candid with you, and I do think that

554
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,800
Speaker 1: Snit in the end is going to default to platoon

555
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,160
Speaker 1: stuff even blindly more than he maybe should a lot

556
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,600
Speaker 1: of the time. But there's a world in which Eli

557
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,600
Speaker 1: White actually has reverse platoon split, and maybe that actually

558
00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,440
Speaker 1: makes it lean even further in his direction. I think

559
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 1: that if you gave me a guest right now in

560
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,600
Speaker 1: a big spot, let's say ball one's either unavailable or

561
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,040
Speaker 1: already playing, and they have to pinch it one of

562
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:50,639
Speaker 1: them against a righty, it's probably gonna be a verdugo

563
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,080
Speaker 1: based on Snit's try record. If I had to guess just

564
00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,280
Speaker 1: for the platoon split, but why it's gonna run though,

565
00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,280
Speaker 1: I mean, if nothing else we've seen, Sni is not

566
00:26:58,320 --> 00:26:59,760
Speaker 1: afraid to pinch run. In fact, I probly does a

567
00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 1: two E whit. It's gonna be your pitcher runner or

568
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:03,960
Speaker 1: what everybody's back at nothing else.

569
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, And it's not like Verdugo exactly mashes right

570
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,200
Speaker 2: handed pitching either. I mean, I think, look, man, Verdugo,

571
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,080
Speaker 2: he was a godsend for about two and a half

572
00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:19,280
Speaker 2: weeks for this lineup. Yeah, it's yeah, not a coincidence

573
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:21,359
Speaker 2: that when Ridugo came in and started running like a

574
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,040
Speaker 2: four hundred on base, the offense took off and the

575
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,960
Speaker 2: Braves started winning. But over the last week or two

576
00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,960
Speaker 2: you can kind of see why that Ridugo was unemployed

577
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,800
Speaker 2: until the middle of March. He has some real flaws.

578
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,720
Speaker 2: Not a very good defender, basically a single walk or

579
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,120
Speaker 2: bust type of player. I think Verdugo has like two

580
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:43,360
Speaker 2: doubles since he joined the Braves, and they were both

581
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,959
Speaker 2: at opening week when he joined. I mean, there's no power. No,

582
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:47,639
Speaker 2: it's not even like he's hitting the ball to the

583
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,560
Speaker 2: warning track and it's just missing. You know, Verdugo is

584
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,040
Speaker 2: a fine fourth outfielder. I think Eli White is a

585
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,159
Speaker 2: totally fine fourth outfielder. But to put a bow on this,

586
00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,880
Speaker 2: I think you have to probably play profar and hope

587
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,600
Speaker 2: that his breakout at age thirty one was not entirely

588
00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,600
Speaker 2: ped fuel. I think we.

589
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,320
Speaker 1: Agree holdhartedly on that. And just to answer the question plainly,

590
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 1: are we both going to guess White gets more play

591
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,919
Speaker 1: appeances by end just wrong play appearances? My guess is White.

592
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,760
Speaker 2: I think Eli has won himself some favors with snit,

593
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,840
Speaker 2: and I think that carries a lot of weight with snicker,

594
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,679
Speaker 2: And yeah, I would say Eli White by a.

595
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:27,480
Speaker 1: Knows also sneaky. I'm not fresh much this earlier. If

596
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 1: Michael Harris got hurt for two weeks, I think it'd

597
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,040
Speaker 1: be Eli White center field.

598
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, Oh, Verdugo definitely couldn't cover center.

599
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,240
Speaker 1: Which means I mean, and Michael may not miss any

600
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:38,960
Speaker 1: time this year, But if he does, that's even that's

601
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,680
Speaker 1: just basically going to be Eli White every day if

602
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,480
Speaker 1: I had to guess, because Ronnie can't play there anymore,

603
00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,479
Speaker 1: There's obviously things. All that said, that's just one other

604
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:49,719
Speaker 1: wrinkle that might be a swing in that direction. All right,

605
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,000
Speaker 1: question from Ian this is actually on topic right now.

606
00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:57,080
Speaker 1: How much did Bryce Elder's recent run change your mind

607
00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:03,200
Speaker 1: about what he can do moving forward. So we've been Look,

608
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,400
Speaker 1: we've been very positive Bryce the last couple of weeks.

609
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,800
Speaker 1: Of course, he just went down to make room for Strider.

610
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:09,200
Speaker 1: I don't know that you and I covered that in

611
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,160
Speaker 1: depth on our show because it was happening in between

612
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,240
Speaker 1: our podcasts. But it was like, I thought it was fine.

613
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,720
Speaker 1: I agreed with the decision. You don't love it because

614
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,200
Speaker 1: Elder was pitching well, but I mean of the options,

615
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,800
Speaker 1: I was totally fine with it. But it was controversial

616
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 1: in some course, Like I think there's always been a

617
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,080
Speaker 1: lot of Bryce older believers out there, and because he did,

618
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,480
Speaker 1: he did string together five pretty good starts in a row,

619
00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,600
Speaker 1: and the timing because of that got a lot of

620
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,120
Speaker 1: attention and it was even more magnifizeds we referred to

621
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,560
Speaker 1: this earlier. What's ratter struggled. It's like, oh, if that

622
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,000
Speaker 1: would have been Bryce, they hadn't won the game, Like

623
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,840
Speaker 1: I wouldn't have said that, but uh, that's the tee up. Scott,

624
00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,440
Speaker 1: what do you think of this question in general? Like,

625
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:47,200
Speaker 1: did he change anything in your mind about what he

626
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:47,680
Speaker 1: actually is?

627
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,520
Speaker 2: I don't think Elder necessarily changed much in my mind.

628
00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,800
Speaker 2: I think Bryce is a totally fine and frankly pretty

629
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,960
Speaker 2: good sixth starter. I don't think he's a big leaguer

630
00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 2: every five days. I know he's shown flashes of doing

631
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,840
Speaker 2: that at times, but I think as long as Elder

632
00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,840
Speaker 2: is put in a situation to be successful, which is

633
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,880
Speaker 2: making starts against the Pirates and the Nationals, the Marlins,

634
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,040
Speaker 2: the Reds, teams that are not very good offensively, I

635
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,120
Speaker 2: think Bryce is totally fine making a spot start or

636
00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 2: filling in for a couple of weeks because of an injury.

637
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,160
Speaker 2: Teams do not have nine goods starting pitchers just waiting

638
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,800
Speaker 2: in the wings help. The Dodgers spent like a billion

639
00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,440
Speaker 2: dollars trying to do that, and three fifths of their

640
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,200
Speaker 2: opening day rotation is hurt right now, and the Braves

641
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:40,000
Speaker 2: don't have the unlimited money the Dodgers have. So would

642
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,640
Speaker 2: I be confident giving Bryce Elder the ball in Yankee

643
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:46,800
Speaker 2: Stadium tomorrow? No, that would be terrifying it or any

644
00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:50,760
Speaker 2: against any good team. But teams need a Bryce Elder

645
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,200
Speaker 2: in their organization and the fact that he's been a

646
00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:57,280
Speaker 2: good teammate, A good soldier doesn't pout about going up

647
00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:01,080
Speaker 2: and down somebody, maybe Wily Ballard on the broadcast said

648
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,360
Speaker 2: that Bryce was a professional and handled everything the right way.

649
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,160
Speaker 2: And I mean, frankly, if Bryce Elder wanted to make

650
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,040
Speaker 2: a little bit of a stink and be like, guys,

651
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,560
Speaker 2: I've made five really good starts in a row, why

652
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,280
Speaker 2: are you sending me back to the minor leagues again? Yeah,

653
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,040
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone would necessarily blame him, but it

654
00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,480
Speaker 2: sounds like he's a good dude. He understands his role.

655
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,920
Speaker 2: He's not you know, he doesn't have illusions of something else.

656
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 2: And hey, Bryce is shown at times over the last

657
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,800
Speaker 2: three years that he can get big leaguers out as

658
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,960
Speaker 2: long as the situation is the right way.

659
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,000
Speaker 1: Right, And I do think that it's worth keeping in

660
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,000
Speaker 1: minds a lot of the data points that have happened

661
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,480
Speaker 1: along the way, Like I think that the Braves kind

662
00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:39,680
Speaker 1: of told us what they what they thought of Bryce,

663
00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,400
Speaker 1: not in a negative way, but only but all spring

664
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,760
Speaker 1: and into April they were treating Bryce. He was the

665
00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,000
Speaker 1: seventh or eighth guy honestly in the rotation like and

666
00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,360
Speaker 1: that was I think I thought appropriate. That doesn't mean

667
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,160
Speaker 1: he's useless because he's not like you I agree with

668
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:56,880
Speaker 1: all of what you just said. A lot of teams

669
00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,000
Speaker 1: would like to have Bryce over. Honestly, he'd be a

670
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,840
Speaker 1: fifth starter for a lot of teams. He'd be a

671
00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,040
Speaker 1: four started for a lot some bad teams. Like he's

672
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,440
Speaker 1: a very useful pitcher to have an organization. But it's

673
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,440
Speaker 1: also undeniable that over a twenty seven start stretch that

674
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,479
Speaker 1: covered about a year and a half, maybe two years

675
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:17,000
Speaker 1: calendar wise, he had an ERA over six from mid

676
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:21,480
Speaker 1: July of twenty three until late April of this year,

677
00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 1: twenty seven starts six point one to nine ERA five

678
00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,760
Speaker 1: point twenty six FIP. Like, that's a pretty big sample

679
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,160
Speaker 1: sound of him being pretty bad at the bijor league level.

680
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,720
Speaker 1: And now look, if you gave me true cerium and

681
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,000
Speaker 1: said in his next twenty seven is he better or

682
00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,000
Speaker 1: worse than that? I would say better. I think he's

683
00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:39,560
Speaker 1: better than that.

684
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:39,960
Speaker 2: I do.

685
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,880
Speaker 1: But I also would take the over on what he

686
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:44,680
Speaker 1: just did over five starts, which was a three point

687
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,120
Speaker 1: one ERA and a three point seven to eight FIP.

688
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,080
Speaker 1: That was good to see, but to your point, he

689
00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,160
Speaker 1: only faced one good offense in those five starts. It

690
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:53,760
Speaker 1: was a Dodgers. It was a great Honestly, he was

691
00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,400
Speaker 1: great in that game. I was really impressed by that,

692
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:59,560
Speaker 1: by that start. But the other four starts came against Washington, Pittsburgh,

693
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:06,200
Speaker 1: COO in Saint Louis. That's part of this. So all told, like,

694
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,520
Speaker 1: I wasn't offended he went that he went down. I

695
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:12,320
Speaker 1: think that he did change my mind. Maybe it bolstered

696
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,960
Speaker 1: me and reminded me a little that he's not just

697
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 1: awful like and I never I never thought he was awful,

698
00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:18,120
Speaker 1: just be very But I'm just just to use in

699
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,240
Speaker 1: that language flippantly like maybe we were a little bit

700
00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:23,960
Speaker 1: too low on him at times on the podcast. I'll

701
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,360
Speaker 1: raise my hand and say that. But I don't think

702
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,160
Speaker 1: that he's suddenly a guy that you have to throw

703
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,400
Speaker 1: every five days in the majors if you can, if

704
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:32,320
Speaker 1: you have better options. So that's it's somewhere in the middle.

705
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,880
Speaker 1: But I again, one more time, hat did the Bryce Elder.

706
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:36,800
Speaker 1: He did a really good job for about three weeks

707
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,080
Speaker 1: that was very, very valuable. And if they did him again, Look,

708
00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,080
Speaker 1: there's a world in which they moved grand homes to

709
00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 1: the bullpen, Bryce goes back up or whatever you're gonna do.

710
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:46,680
Speaker 1: But there are options here. That might happen.

711
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:47,000
Speaker 2: He might.

712
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,680
Speaker 1: In fact, I almost would. I don't want use the

713
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:51,480
Speaker 1: I don't want to use the word guarantee. I would

714
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:56,040
Speaker 1: predict Bryce makes multiple more starts this year in Atlanta.

715
00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:00,440
Speaker 2: So yeah, he almost, That's what I mean. So yeah, yeah,

716
00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,200
Speaker 2: hey skid, we want to go the next four months,

717
00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,360
Speaker 2: no pitcher injuries. Amazing, let's do it. But yeah, so

718
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 2: I think we all know something's gonna come up.

719
00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 1: I agree.

720
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,440
Speaker 4: I just want to say, before Arena Club, if you

721
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,640
Speaker 4: were trying to very actively buy sell trade, it was

722
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,040
Speaker 4: very complicated and used a lot of mail that was unnecessary.

723
00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:22,239
Speaker 3: I don't know I even know how to do it.

724
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:23,960
Speaker 3: But I'm glad we have Arena Club now because it's

725
00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,000
Speaker 3: a one stop shop for everything card related.

726
00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,600
Speaker 4: It is, and right now you can get twenty percent

727
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,320
Speaker 4: off your first slab pack or your first card purchase

728
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,879
Speaker 4: by going to Arena club dot com. Slash foul, use

729
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:38,520
Speaker 4: code foul. If you're a collector, you've got to check

730
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:40,920
Speaker 4: out Arena Club. Go get after it.

731
00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,560
Speaker 1: Okay, Scott, And to not go super duper long here,

732
00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,279
Speaker 1: we'll do at least one more, maybe super all about

733
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:48,879
Speaker 1: you decide, but one that we wanted to talk about

734
00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,400
Speaker 1: a little bit that we talked about briefly before we

735
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,520
Speaker 1: started recording. Goes from Turner who says, would you move

736
00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,680
Speaker 1: Michael Harris to the nine hole when Acunya comes back?

737
00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 1: And Turner also says he thrived while they were before

738
00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,200
Speaker 1: and had the protection of the top of the lineup

739
00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,240
Speaker 1: behind him. So interesting hypothetical here. Michael has been better lately,

740
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,720
Speaker 1: though not great lately still, but better, showing more signs,

741
00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,440
Speaker 1: taking more walks like approach has been better. But the

742
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,600
Speaker 1: nurse of the season are pretty rough. And all I'll

743
00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,000
Speaker 1: say to you up skys that if you look at

744
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,719
Speaker 1: just the splits in his career, Harris's best numbers are

745
00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:26,400
Speaker 1: in the ninth hole. I don't know if that matters,

746
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,040
Speaker 1: I really don't, but that is just the cold hard data.

747
00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,279
Speaker 1: His best batting order slot is number nine. So what

748
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:33,120
Speaker 1: do you make of this?

749
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:38,080
Speaker 2: It's an interesting idea, So Michael Harris to the nine spot.

750
00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:42,200
Speaker 2: There has been some recent data and I'm blanking on

751
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,719
Speaker 2: the Baseball rider who was talking about it, but some

752
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:49,000
Speaker 2: recent data that you actually want the worst hitter in

753
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:54,719
Speaker 2: your lineup to bat seven in terms of run optimization,

754
00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,120
Speaker 2: and that you actually do want a pretty solid hitter

755
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,879
Speaker 2: batting ninth. Again, conventional wisdom, your ninth hitter is only

756
00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,879
Speaker 2: your ninth hitter until then, your leadoff hitter, your second hitter,

757
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,880
Speaker 2: your third hitter. So the idea of getting Michael Harris

758
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,960
Speaker 2: some real protection with Ronald a'cunya Junior, then the leadoff

759
00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:17,360
Speaker 2: is interesting. If Michael Harrison keep improving and up that

760
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,279
Speaker 2: walk rate, then you get him on base with his

761
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:23,000
Speaker 2: speed ahead of Acunya and Riley and Olsen and Ozuna

762
00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,600
Speaker 2: and the catchers. So that's interesting. But there's also a

763
00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,640
Speaker 2: part of me then that knows that you're voluntarily going

764
00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:33,640
Speaker 2: to be giving Nick Allen more played appearances every night

765
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,520
Speaker 2: than Michael Harris. I don't know, there's probably pros and

766
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,719
Speaker 2: cons to both, but I think it's at least interesting

767
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,440
Speaker 2: and not totally far fetched. And if the Braves want

768
00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,120
Speaker 2: to try it when Acuna comes back, then sure. But

769
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,080
Speaker 2: if they also just want to leave Mike in the

770
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,920
Speaker 2: sixth spot or the seventh spot, then that'd be fine too.

771
00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,360
Speaker 1: Yeah. I to to agree with you. The theory of

772
00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,800
Speaker 1: the offense when Ronnie comes back is that the only

773
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,359
Speaker 1: bad hitter on paper in your brain is Snick Ollen,

774
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,000
Speaker 1: and so that's the one spot you're worried about. Do

775
00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:06,120
Speaker 1: you where do you want Nick Allen hitting? It's not us.

776
00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:07,640
Speaker 1: That's almost more of the question than where you want

777
00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:09,920
Speaker 1: Michael Harris hitting. As funny as that sounds, like, if

778
00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:13,280
Speaker 1: you are prone to what you if the bravest analytical

779
00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:15,640
Speaker 1: staff or the front office believes what you just laid out,

780
00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:17,279
Speaker 1: and that maybe if they agree with that and say

781
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:18,800
Speaker 1: that your worst hitter should beating seventh or eighth to

782
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,640
Speaker 1: the seven, ninth, nick Allen is in the worst whatever

783
00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:23,520
Speaker 1: the worst spot is, is where Nick Allen should be hitting.

784
00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:25,160
Speaker 1: Do you respect to Nick Allen? We're all enjoying the

785
00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:27,919
Speaker 1: account experience. Defensively, he's done a great job this year.

786
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:28,759
Speaker 2: He can't hit.

787
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:32,600
Speaker 1: I'm sorry everybody, he can't hit, but it's fine. That's

788
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:33,920
Speaker 1: the whole theory of his team is you're gonna have

789
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,880
Speaker 1: one bad hitter and it's supposed to be nickout. And

790
00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,440
Speaker 1: if look, if Michael's comfortable on that spot. He's had

791
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,520
Speaker 1: the most career plant appearance, not just the numbers like unsuccessful,

792
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,279
Speaker 1: he actually has the most career plan appearances in his

793
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,560
Speaker 1: career at any spot at ninth.

794
00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:50,200
Speaker 2: So if he likes that.

795
00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,680
Speaker 1: If Snith likes that, I don't mind it at all,

796
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:57,800
Speaker 1: doesn't bother me. I'm also I am prone to believing,

797
00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,600
Speaker 1: honestly that this is not that big of a deal

798
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:03,160
Speaker 1: in any direction. So if they want to try it

799
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,160
Speaker 1: and it works, one thing I will say about snid

800
00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:06,640
Speaker 1: if it's something's working, he'll leave it.

801
00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:08,719
Speaker 2: He'll just leave it, absolutely.

802
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,759
Speaker 1: So if they try it it works, that's gonna be

803
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,040
Speaker 1: it for a while, which is fine with me.

804
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:16,480
Speaker 2: Was it last year or the year before when Matt

805
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:19,200
Speaker 2: Olson was kind of in a funk and then he

806
00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:22,160
Speaker 2: either moved from fourth to second or second to fourth,

807
00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,719
Speaker 2: I can't remember which way, or third he moved his

808
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,920
Speaker 2: batting order spot, and then Matdilson went on a tear

809
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:30,719
Speaker 2: and everyone was like, Oh, it's because he's batting in

810
00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:31,640
Speaker 2: this spot now.

811
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:33,520
Speaker 1: Which is not. It's just not. I'm sorry, it's not.

812
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:36,680
Speaker 2: I mean, in your reality, it's probably a mixture of baseball.

813
00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:39,840
Speaker 2: And it was learned later that Matdilson said that Marcelo

814
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:43,279
Speaker 2: Zuna noticed something with his hand placement. Matt moves him

815
00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,280
Speaker 2: around some mechanics and then he went on a tear.

816
00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,200
Speaker 2: The rest of the way. Hey, maybe Marcel can find

817
00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,480
Speaker 2: something wrong because we could use MVP level mad Olson

818
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,279
Speaker 2: as he was two years ago. So yeah, I mean,

819
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,719
Speaker 2: if if you could simulate one hundred and sixty two

820
00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,239
Speaker 2: games with different lineups, awesome, of course teams would it,

821
00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:04,320
Speaker 2: But obviously you can't do it. Hey, if you're telling me,

822
00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:06,560
Speaker 2: at some point in the next couple of weeks, snit

823
00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:09,160
Speaker 2: throws a lineup out there with Michael Harris patting ninth

824
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,920
Speaker 2: behind Acunya or I guess ahead of a Kunya in

825
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,480
Speaker 2: that situation. Sure, and if the Braves scored two runs

826
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,120
Speaker 2: that night, we will never see that lineup again. And

827
00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,560
Speaker 2: if they scored eight runs that night, that's probably going

828
00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:22,320
Speaker 2: to be the lineup until August.

829
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, as much as I don't really care that much

830
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:27,320
Speaker 1: about line up stuff, I care about some stuff, But

831
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:28,799
Speaker 1: you don't want to have bad hitters in the two

832
00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:30,680
Speaker 1: hole like that used to happen, the Dano Castro thing

833
00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,560
Speaker 1: that we yelled about for years, oh long and long ago.

834
00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:37,560
Speaker 1: That's most of the like crazy crazy stuff doesn't happen anymore.

835
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:39,480
Speaker 1: That's the reality. Like we used to do a lot

836
00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,239
Speaker 1: more line up construction stuff on this podcast, honestly, like

837
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,040
Speaker 1: ear nine years ago on our on our old show.

838
00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:48,840
Speaker 1: But like generally speaking, teams don't do insane things anymore

839
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,879
Speaker 1: with a lineup, and I don't think that Nick Allen

840
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,120
Speaker 1: hitting the eighth and harrisoning knife would be insane. I

841
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,839
Speaker 1: think it'd be totally reasonable given what Michael's not done

842
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,680
Speaker 1: so far. Try if you want to, and also if

843
00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,160
Speaker 1: they don't, I won't really care either, to be honest

844
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,279
Speaker 1: with you, all right, last one here, Scott before we

845
00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,720
Speaker 1: go crazy long on this podcast comes from Ron, who says,

846
00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,239
Speaker 1: I realized the Braves have played better, but how much

847
00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,759
Speaker 1: are you worried about missing the playoffs? Every time I

848
00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,960
Speaker 1: look at the standings, I get queasy about the Mets

849
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,880
Speaker 1: and the Phillies. And hey, that's a reasonable thing to

850
00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:23,920
Speaker 1: get worried about, because the Mets have just lost their

851
00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:25,719
Speaker 1: games in a rows. But talking, but they've been really,

852
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,600
Speaker 1: really good, and the Phillies are thirty and eighteen, so

853
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:32,040
Speaker 1: like the Braves are in a division right now. And look,

854
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:33,919
Speaker 1: it's been so early that we haven't talked about this much,

855
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,360
Speaker 1: but they are two of the top three teams in

856
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,160
Speaker 1: the National League right now, the Phillies and the Mets,

857
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: and that does matter in pursuit of the division title,

858
00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,880
Speaker 1: all that stuff, but the question was about the playoffs.

859
00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:45,200
Speaker 1: To be fair, we also got a related question that

860
00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:47,360
Speaker 1: I'll throw to you before we answer this one. It

861
00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,160
Speaker 1: came from a quote depressed Braves fan on Twitter which

862
00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:55,120
Speaker 1: made me laugh, And basically the question was if one

863
00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:59,280
Speaker 1: was a bottom feed and ten was a World series

864
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:02,200
Speaker 1: like Favorite Slash Contender, where would you rate the Braves

865
00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 1: right now? So these are kind of the same question

866
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 1: in some respects. It's like, basically, Scott, how good are

867
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: the Braves? Like, where's your confidence level? Like it's been

868
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,080
Speaker 1: forty eight games of twenty four and twenty four thirty

869
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,200
Speaker 1: percent of seasons over, how are we feeling? Big picture?

870
00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,680
Speaker 2: So all right, So Fangrafts is at sixty seven percent

871
00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,360
Speaker 2: to make the postseason right now, so two out of

872
00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,799
Speaker 2: three yep. I would lean on the overside of that,

873
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,600
Speaker 2: I'd probably say more like seventy seventy five percent. I

874
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:31,439
Speaker 2: think the fact that this team has been a five

875
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:36,239
Speaker 2: hundred team with no Acunya, basically no Strider, no Lopez,

876
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,239
Speaker 2: no Profar, and I just I have to think that

877
00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,680
Speaker 2: when you get Acunya back, and I really do believe

878
00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,400
Speaker 2: Strider is going to be better. I think that's really

879
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,919
Speaker 2: going to give them a boost. I think the Mets

880
00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,560
Speaker 2: and the Phillies are good, but they are hardly uncatchable,

881
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,760
Speaker 2: and neither team has put a ton of distance between

882
00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:56,239
Speaker 2: themselves and the Braves. Last time I looked, I think

883
00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:58,960
Speaker 2: it was a five game deficit in the East. And

884
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,160
Speaker 2: the Braves have only played the Phillies three times and

885
00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:04,560
Speaker 2: they have not played the Mets yet, So there's still

886
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:07,960
Speaker 2: so much baseball to be played. There are still things

887
00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 2: I really worry about with this team. Is it a

888
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,120
Speaker 2: perfect team? No, Frankly, this is probably the worst team

889
00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:19,799
Speaker 2: we have seen since twenty eighteen. Is that fair at

890
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,600
Speaker 2: least to start? I mean twenty twenty one, that first

891
00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,680
Speaker 2: half was so frustrating, But knowing how that story ended

892
00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:31,239
Speaker 2: kind of makes it tough to say. But regardless, I do.

893
00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,120
Speaker 2: If I had to put every dollar to my name,

894
00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,200
Speaker 2: will the Braves make the playoffs this year as of

895
00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,920
Speaker 2: May twenty second, yes, I would say yes, they might

896
00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,160
Speaker 2: be a wild card, but that truly means nothing. We know.

897
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,680
Speaker 2: Just get into the dance, get hot for a month,

898
00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:50,160
Speaker 2: see what happens. But I'm also not going to be

899
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,880
Speaker 2: naive and say this team is all good and dandy,

900
00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:55,719
Speaker 2: and Acuni is gonna come back, and then they're gonna

901
00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,600
Speaker 2: rip off twenty out of twenty four and ind in

902
00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:00,680
Speaker 2: first place by fourth of a lot.

903
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:03,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we're in the same spot for the

904
00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:06,120
Speaker 1: most part, which is of course bad pass bad podcast,

905
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:07,840
Speaker 1: and we should be more first take style will just

906
00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:09,319
Speaker 1: take a position. I'm not going to do that though,

907
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:11,400
Speaker 1: And by the way, we'll never do that. I'm kidding.

908
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,919
Speaker 2: Never. That is our guarantee to you. Somebody will log

909
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:17,719
Speaker 2: us out of the podcast app before we turn into

910
00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:19,040
Speaker 2: a Steven A. Smith style.

911
00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:21,200
Speaker 1: I will not. None of us are going to take

912
00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:22,520
Speaker 1: a position just to take a position. We have to

913
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,000
Speaker 1: believe what we say, and we're always going to believe

914
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:27,719
Speaker 1: what we say. I find it interesting actually, as person

915
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,960
Speaker 1: who regularly brings up brings up the betty market on

916
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,440
Speaker 1: this podcast, the Braves are a little bit lower in

917
00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:34,399
Speaker 1: the betty market than they aren't Fangrafts. Right now, They're

918
00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,839
Speaker 1: still favorite to make the playoffs, but not by a lot.

919
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:39,600
Speaker 1: It's like a minus one twenty five minus one thirty,

920
00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,520
Speaker 1: which is a slight favorite to make the playoffs, like

921
00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:45,239
Speaker 1: but that's well below where fanografts is and by the way, Pakota,

922
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,000
Speaker 1: which is Baseball Perspectives is projection. They have bravees like

923
00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:50,160
Speaker 1: seventy six percent to make the playoffs. That's a pretty

924
00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,759
Speaker 1: high number given where they are at five hundred. I

925
00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:56,120
Speaker 1: am with you. I believe the Breis are going to

926
00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,759
Speaker 1: make the playoffs. Still, there has not been a day

927
00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:02,239
Speaker 1: this season that I thought they wouldn't, which makes me

928
00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:03,920
Speaker 1: maybe an outlier because then I know they were. I

929
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:05,520
Speaker 1: know they were. They were five and thirteen, they were

930
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:08,040
Speaker 1: zero and seven at that point in time, I was

931
00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:12,319
Speaker 1: certainly wavering more than I was preseason, but something in

932
00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:15,719
Speaker 1: my head won't let me get there yet. Look if

933
00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,560
Speaker 1: they're forty eight and forty eight in the next forty

934
00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:20,560
Speaker 1: you know, in the next forty eight games or twenty four,

935
00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:23,280
Speaker 1: if they get to that point, I'll be more worried.

936
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:25,680
Speaker 1: That's that's the reality they got. They gotta start stacking wins.

937
00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:28,840
Speaker 1: But they have played quite well. I got into it

938
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,360
Speaker 1: back and forth on on our YouTube comments with a

939
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,720
Speaker 1: comments or who was incensed that I said the Braids

940
00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:38,439
Speaker 1: were playing good baseball. The Braids were nineteen and ten

941
00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,800
Speaker 1: in twenty nine games when I said that that's that's

942
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,640
Speaker 1: pretty good they've been. They've been pretty darn good now

943
00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:47,520
Speaker 1: for about five weeks now. That doesn't mean anything that

944
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:50,040
Speaker 1: they might lose games now they lost it, frustrating him

945
00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:51,799
Speaker 1: on Tuesday. We covered that in depth on the show

946
00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:56,480
Speaker 1: last night. But yeah, I will definitely say make the playoffs,

947
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:02,000
Speaker 1: and uh division is a big undertaking. I would not

948
00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:04,239
Speaker 1: pick the brains of winning the division right now, just

949
00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,920
Speaker 1: to be very clear now, only the honestly, and the

950
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:09,200
Speaker 1: only reason I'm saying that is because of the depth

951
00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:11,319
Speaker 1: that they have right now. Like I don't. I don't

952
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:14,319
Speaker 1: think that they're any worse still at this moment than

953
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:16,680
Speaker 1: the Phillies and the Mets, but they are six games

954
00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:19,879
Speaker 1: behind the Phillies and that's that's a meaningful difference after

955
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:21,759
Speaker 1: the season. So I wouldn't pick them to win the

956
00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,840
Speaker 1: division right now. They definitely can, but I would with

957
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:26,600
Speaker 1: some confidence say playoffs.

958
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:32,160
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, it's it's man. I am thankful after that

959
00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:35,080
Speaker 2: five and thirteen start. We did that podcast after the

960
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:38,360
Speaker 2: Blue Jays loss. It's like, Brad, I don't know, like

961
00:45:38,640 --> 00:45:39,640
Speaker 2: I really don't know.

962
00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:42,320
Speaker 1: We're wavering for sure. I understand since.

963
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:44,399
Speaker 2: Then they have a top three record, in baseball best

964
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:46,759
Speaker 2: record in the NL, they're close to it, so they've

965
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:48,919
Speaker 2: done a good job making up ground. And the fact

966
00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:50,920
Speaker 2: that when you look at the standings twenty four and

967
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,160
Speaker 2: twenty four, you're not gonna call home tell Grandma about it.

968
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:57,839
Speaker 2: But whenever you start out so poorly like they did,

969
00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,880
Speaker 2: it's gonna take a while, like a considerable while to

970
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:03,919
Speaker 2: get out of this hole and not just be above

971
00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:07,240
Speaker 2: five hundred, but get to five, above, ten, above fifteen above,

972
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:09,239
Speaker 2: which is ultimately what they're going to need to do

973
00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:11,680
Speaker 2: if they want to get into the postseason.

974
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:16,800
Speaker 1: Next absolutely, and look, the journey continues. Slash begins anew

975
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,480
Speaker 1: on Thursday after the rainout today, So hopefully this got

976
00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:22,680
Speaker 1: you through a little bit of the rainout blues on

977
00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:25,560
Speaker 1: a Wednesday night into Thursday. We'll have more coming up

978
00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:28,320
Speaker 1: later on this week. It is Smith Shov against Trevor

979
00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:31,879
Speaker 1: Williams on Thursday. The Braves and NAT's both pushed back

980
00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,400
Speaker 1: their starters. It was supposed to be the big showdown

981
00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:37,640
Speaker 1: between Chris Sale McKenzie Gore on Thursday. Not getting out anymore.

982
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:41,200
Speaker 1: But but I was glad was the Braves pushed sail

983
00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:44,120
Speaker 1: back that the Nationals also pushed Gore back because Gore's

984
00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:46,440
Speaker 1: their best picture, so that worked okay for the Braves.

985
00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:48,600
Speaker 1: It's a rematch what we saw about a week ago

986
00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:51,280
Speaker 1: when the Braves beat the Nationals in the same matchup.

987
00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:53,520
Speaker 1: With Smiths Shower pitching. Well, he's been great lately, so

988
00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:56,800
Speaker 1: hopefully that continues on Thursday. Also kind of it's a

989
00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:59,480
Speaker 1: little bit weird that it's a night game on getaway Day.

990
00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,320
Speaker 1: Usually that's afternoon game. But uh, better for the watching public,

991
00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:05,359
Speaker 1: probably for me honestly, to watch the game in more

992
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:07,640
Speaker 1: depth on Thursday night. So anything you're looking for on

993
00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,799
Speaker 1: that one, Scott, and if not, let us sign off

994
00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:11,520
Speaker 1: on this Wizard night.

995
00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:16,319
Speaker 2: I am looking for no rain please, yeah, please let

996
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,279
Speaker 2: the rain God know. No rain for podcasts too, Yeah,

997
00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:23,920
Speaker 2: no rain between six thirty and ten o'clock tomorrow night.

998
00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:26,759
Speaker 2: But yeah, let's let's get the game in. Let's not

999
00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,560
Speaker 2: do a lengthy rain delay, especially having to then travel

1000
00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:32,040
Speaker 2: back home to Atlanta to play the Padres, who were

1001
00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:34,279
Speaker 2: a good team. Let's get the game in. Let's get

1002
00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:37,919
Speaker 2: a win. Trevor Williams is not good at all. He's

1003
00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:42,080
Speaker 2: been around forever and the Braves should keyword should be

1004
00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,600
Speaker 2: able to hit him pretty hard. They got to Williams

1005
00:47:44,719 --> 00:47:47,239
Speaker 2: last week in a rematch of these two pitchers, and

1006
00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,320
Speaker 2: let's get a win and get back home for a

1007
00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:51,920
Speaker 2: little bit and get the vibes back in the right direction.

1008
00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:55,200
Speaker 1: Co sign that, Scott. I appreciate you being here with

1009
00:47:55,239 --> 00:47:57,840
Speaker 1: me Rain or Shine. I mean, truly, we are always

1010
00:47:57,840 --> 00:48:00,279
Speaker 1: a winner Shine podcast. But we uh, we're like, you

1011
00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:02,440
Speaker 1: know what we're doing the show anyway, mail bad questions.

1012
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:04,640
Speaker 1: We were already planned to record, so here we are

1013
00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:07,840
Speaker 1: earlier than usual on a Wednesday evening. Please subscribe to

1014
00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:13,880
Speaker 1: this show anywhere you find your podcast Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Podbean,

1015
00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:16,719
Speaker 1: pick your favorite podcast player of choice. We're there. If

1016
00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,600
Speaker 1: you're audio listener, smash subscribe on YouTube. If you're a

1017
00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:22,719
Speaker 1: YouTube watcher, subscribe on Apple, on Apple or Spotify as well.

1018
00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:25,520
Speaker 1: Follow Scott if you want to at Scott pulling fifty

1019
00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:29,520
Speaker 1: five on social media. He's a wonderful follow.

1020
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:32,680
Speaker 2: I will I will provide an update on the maybe

1021
00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:36,080
Speaker 2: dead bird that ran into my window midway through the show.

1022
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:39,239
Speaker 2: It was loud. I don't know what happened at poor bird.

1023
00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:43,240
Speaker 2: He's I mean, maybe he just knocked out, but uh damn,

1024
00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:46,560
Speaker 2: that was wild. Anyway, it's a podcast for all the time. Yeah,

1025
00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:46,840
Speaker 2: it was.

1026
00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:48,720
Speaker 1: It was fun to talk with you. As always, Follow

1027
00:48:48,719 --> 00:48:50,480
Speaker 1: Scott if you want to follow me. I I'm up

1028
00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:55,879
Speaker 1: at BT Roland. Our show is at Hammer Territory on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,

1029
00:48:56,120 --> 00:48:58,920
Speaker 1: et cetera. And again, one more time subscribe and look,

1030
00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:02,360
Speaker 1: I'm sure you haven't Raves fan or twelve in your life.

1031
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:05,799
Speaker 1: Tell them about the podcast. Maybe they'll hate it. That's

1032
00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:08,520
Speaker 1: definitely possible. I promise you it's possible. Then wut, but hey,

1033
00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,160
Speaker 1: give it how they give it a chance. That's all

1034
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:14,200
Speaker 1: we're asking. Help us to spread the word on social media, texts, emails,

1035
00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:16,680
Speaker 1: whatever it is in your life sharing the podcast. We

1036
00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:19,080
Speaker 1: definitely appreciate everyone's in the show. As always, we'll have

1037
00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:20,799
Speaker 1: more to come layer on this week and we'll see

1038
00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:21,719
Speaker 1: everybody next up.