WEBVTT - 283 | One Surprise Performance for Every Team 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:19.400 Gods the stage, lay Cracker, bring. 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:39.880 We will sue you to the corner. Welcome to hang out. Thursday, 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:42.880 August eleventh, New day on the Just Baseball Show. New 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:46.760 background for both Peter Apple and arm Laden Arm and 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:48.600 I just got down recording to call up. Now Peter 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:50.760 and I are recording the Just Baseball Show. You guys 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:54.080 are using the same background because you are at Just 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:57.840 Baseball's new offices, and it's not like you guys are 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:00.560 in a basement. You guys are on the twentieth floor. 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:05.400 That's sick thirty eighth Street, eighth Avenue. 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:05.640 Just Baseball. 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:07.560 For all those on YouTube, check out the graph I'm 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:08.319 making with my hand. 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:10.119 Yes, what's going up? 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:13.600 He answers, redline up. Also shout out den of Geek. 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:15.880 We're also in their offices too. We split it with them, 0:01:15.959 --> 0:01:19.280 our media partner here at Just Baseball. They're phenomenal. That's 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:20.920 why you see some funkos. That's why you see a 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.800 little bit of Marvel. Go check out denogeek dot com. 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:25.880 One of our favorite people to work with. 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.920 Oh yeah, I love the you know the index, Jen 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.679 and Pete? How about Mark Wright? How about all of them? 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:31.960 Baby? 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:37.760 Chris Longo are duco stud Koby Olsen also fully employed. 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:40.160 Like he gets benefits I think from den of Geek. 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.720 Yeah, we don't need guy's rolling in health insurance right now, 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:46.399 rolling in it. He could go to the dentist once 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:47.240 a week if you wanted to. 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:49.960 What an asshole I want he should do that just 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:55.280 to show off. Yeah, benefits you guys. Whatever, what we're 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:57.480 gonna do. We're gonna walk through a surprise for each team, 0:01:57.520 --> 0:01:59.480 and we're gonna go pretty rapid fire through that. It's 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:01.800 just a guy that we've been really impressed by because 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:03.880 you know, like I feel like we've done a lot 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:08.239 of negative commentary on some teams recently. We're kind of 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:11.200 due for a scrubbing. We're due to like burn some 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:15.160 sage and just say positive things about thirty people. So 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:18.360 I've got the NL, Peter's got the AL But first, 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:24.359 I'm still buzzing about that Mariner's Yankees game on Tuesday Night, 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:28.000 thirteen innings, the Mariners walk it off one nothing. That 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:32.480 was Luis Castiover's Garrett Cole Part two. Part one, Luis 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.320 Castillo took the Hill in the Bronx already up six 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:39.359 to nothing. Part two was as advertised that was an 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:42.880 ace off Andres Munoz had a dick on the table. 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:46.639 Ninth inning for Seattle, Matt Brash shut it down where 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:50.440 all As Chapman looked good. That really really felt like 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:52.919 I was watching it and I could see the breath 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:56.280 of these guys like that felt like cold weather, late 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:57.320 October baseball. 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.600 I think you are exactly right. But the Yankee had 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:03.480 so many opportunities to put runs across the board and 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:06.720 they did not. One of the worst base running performances 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.520 I've seen by a team maybe this year. I mean 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:12.880 the Yankees, it felt like, made six to seven outs 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.000 on the bases that could have resulted in runs. Should 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.359 the Yankees have won, probably, but it's baseball, and the 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:21.960 Mariners won, And that just goes to show that the 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:27.239 Mariners are truly a playoff caliber team when you can 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:30.160 go and face the Yankees with Garrett Cole on the 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:32.800 bump and you have an ace to be on the 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:36.680 same side and be pretty much better than him. And 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:39.760 on that front, if the Yankees play the Mariners in 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:41.640 any of these series, Let's say the Mariners make it 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:45.120 out of the Wild Card, they should go in fully 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:48.600 confident that they can bang with the Yankees. They've proved 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.240 it during the regular season, they've proved it in that 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:55.080 ace off, and the Mariners are legit. Yankees, You're in trouble. 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:58.760 Can I just say that the bullpens before Jonathan Lewizaga 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:02.000 in the thirteenth combined for eight no hit innings or 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.800 eight one hit innings pardon because Chappin allowed to hit. 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:08.720 The Yankees had three hits, all three were singles in 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:12.680 that game. Looking at the Mariners, Luis Castillo eight innings, 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.840 three hits, seven punch outs, Andres Muno struck out the 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:18.000 side in order in the ninth. In the tenth, Paul 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:20.560 Seawold a one two three inning with a punch out, 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:24.400 Matthew Festa in the eleventh a one two three inning, 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:28.680 and then Matt Brash two hitless innings with three punch outs. 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:33.360 That bullpen, like we talk often about the improvements that 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.000 they made with Castillo. You know, we even talk about 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:38.400 au Hineo Suarez a good bit because he's turned into 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:40.840 a really solid power bat for them. But a guy 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.000 popping up like Festa, a guy having the type of 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:48.440 year like Seawald is having, Andres Munoz who felt like 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:52.280 a throw in in the Austin Nola deal with ty 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:53.279 frant and Tremall. 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:58.040 Dude is just Edwin Diaz two point zero, a young 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:01.000 version of him. It seems like on the on the Mariners, 0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:05.400 he blows cheese and he's got the same sort of 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.279 breaking ball. Is he Edwin Diaz? Not, of course, not 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.799 relax Mets fans, but he looks like a young version 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.320 of him, and the Mariners had that young version in 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:18.000 Edwin Diaz. He's on the fast track to being one 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:19.239 of the better relievers in the sport. 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:23.560 He is absolutely incredible. So that game was awesome, and 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:27.320 no timely hitting certainly helped the cause. But I am 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.360 a sucker for the low scoring games. I know a 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.720 lot of people like offense, A lot of people like 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:34.599 the long balls, and I like offense too. I like 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:38.480 when offenses are clicking, but games like this. There are 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:41.720 some really enjoyable nine to eight games in the postseason, 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:44.039 but I feel like the most enjoyable games in the 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:47.119 regular season are not nine to eight. They're one nothing 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.760 at thirteen in eights. That's why we're baseball freaks, because 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.320 we would rather watch one zero game. I mean, I'm 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:54.520 aware of about prize picks, Hat Shutout prize picks. Use 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:57.640 Just Baseball if you'd like to download play Daily Fantasy 0:05:57.839 --> 0:06:00.200 hosting a Twitter space every day at five pm. Dude, 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:00.480 it's gone. 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:04.360 That's what they call me, mister corporate on a lot 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.120 of these spaces because I you know, I use our code. 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:07.400 Might as well use our code if you want to 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:10.360 full deposit match, might as well. But one of my 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:12.760 favorite bets of the year. You know, we even tracked 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:17.000 them last year. Unders were my most profitable because I 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:19.520 target the pitchers. You know, I like a game that 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:23.920 lacks offense, and I target those because everybody usually likes overs. 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.440 So what I'm saying is we're the baseball freaks where 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:28.440 we'd rather enjoy some of this. But I have to 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.080 say there's nobody on the East Coasts for the Yankees 0:06:31.480 --> 0:06:33.800 who enjoyed that game last night. I don't care who 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:35.720 you are, because there's just no way. It was good 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:38.720 to see Garrett Cole turn into seven inning, four hit, 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:42.000 no run, eight K type performance, But to stay up 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.240 till three in the morning just to see a base 0:06:44.320 --> 0:06:49.080 hit loss is not what Yankee fans signed up for, 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:51.400 and especially when it's at two thirty in the morning. 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:55.080 West Coast baseball not ideal, but for West Coast fans 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:57.960 of the Mariners as about as ideal as it gets. 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:01.520 That's why we love this sport in I mean, we 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:05.680 love it because but like it rips our heart out 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.400 as fans, you know what I mean. It is such 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:12.800 a ruthless sport and it makes you stay up until 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:14.640 two thirty in the morning to watch a four and 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:18.400 a half hour game, and it like the beauty is 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:20.520 you come back and you've got another game at four 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.480 to ten the next day. It is awesome. This sport 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:28.800 is is awesome in that regard. One more thing before 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:32.280 we get to our surprise on each team. We've got 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:35.000 the Field of Dreams game coming up tonight. That's the 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:39.480 Cubs in Reds and Dyersville, Iowa. And I remember why 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.560 you're looking at me like that, isn't it Friday? No, 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:43.280 it's Thursday. 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:47.360 It is Thursday. Yes, sue me. I'm not a real 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:50.000 baseball guy, just not a real baseball guy. What I 0:07:50.040 --> 0:07:53.200 will say is Drew Smiley and Nick Lidolo being the 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:57.320 pitching matchup is objectively hilarious in Iowa because if we had, 0:07:57.440 --> 0:07:59.160 I like, I can't think of. 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:02.720 A better one. You've just got two lanky load of 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:06.560 mid nineties left handers that like might get some strikeouts, 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.040 but for the most part, it's ground balls and fly balls, 0:08:09.040 --> 0:08:10.560 and there will probably be a couple of balls hit 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:13.160 into the corn. The reason I bring this game up 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.240 is because last year, and this is one of the 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:20.720 very few times we've ever done this, I had a 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:23.960 game that night. I think you had another obligation that night, 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.480 and we were both going to be watching the Field 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.679 of Dreams game passively. But before any of this happened, 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.319 just watching the build up to White Sox Yankees, We're like, oh, 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:34.600 this is going to under deliver, you know, Like Field 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:37.040 of Dreams. It was a fine movie, but I don't 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:38.079 know how I can live up. 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:38.600 To the hype. 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:42.000 Obviously, the game was great, but the theater and the 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:46.680 presentation that Fox put on proved us so ridiculously wrong 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.400 that I got back. Yes, if I got. 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.840 Back, I did like it. I did like it a 0:08:52.880 --> 0:08:54.880 lot more than I thought I would, But I still 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:56.880 didn't love it, because I'm not the biggest fan of 0:08:56.920 --> 0:08:59.600 that movie. But to your point, it did surprise me 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:02.160 how much I liked it versus what I thought going in. 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:04.840 Yes, it surprised both of us to the point where 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.560 I got back from my game at like twelve thirty 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.280 that night, right after Ta hit the walk off home run, 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:14.240 and I recorded something. I recorded like thirty sec. I 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.160 recorded a thirty second disclaimer saying, like we fucked up. 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:22.960 We were so wrong about this. This was awesome. Disregard 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:25.319 ten minutes of commentary about the Field of Dreams game 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.280 before we even watched the Field of Dreams game, so 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:30.360 that even though it's Drew Smiley and Nick Lidolo, I 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:32.320 am going to watch the shit out of that game. 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:34.360 I'm going to watch the shit out of it. Not 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.960 because of those pitchers, although Nick Lidolo is incredibly fascinating 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:43.880 as a left hander, but Manfred's overnighting juice balls over 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:46.920 to the Futures game. Combine that with the corn humidity. 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:49.360 ARM and I were talking about that just an hour ago, 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:52.200 about the cornfields. How that adds a little extra juice 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.080 in there. There will be balls of fly in at 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:55.840 the Futures game. 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:57.720 Right the Field of Dreams game. 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.679 What did I say, Field of Truth game. I'm in 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.120 my prospect arm and I were just talking prospects as well. 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:05.600 From the futures game. I got a little different hats on, 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.240 but prijepects is the hat I'm currently wearing. US coaches 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:09.439 Baseball God. 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:13.839 Corporate, You're ridiculous. All right, let's get into the surprises again. 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:16.720 One surprise every team ALE or NL. 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:20.480 First, let's go with the AL. 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.360 Why now First, Okay, you're gonna lead us through the AL. 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:25.319 I'm gonna lead us through the NL. We're gonna go 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.440 pretty rapid, fire man. I mean, it's gonna be like, 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.760 you know, you name the guy sentence I give you, 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:32.640 you know, not even a rebuttal, just like, hey, he's 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:33.920 been really good, and then we move on. 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:37.440 He's been really good. And also another disclaimer. I came 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:39.560 in with the ALE, he came in with the NL, 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.320 so there could be slight disagreements, but I feel like 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.880 we're pretty we're hand in hand in some of a 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:46.960 lot of these things. I usually start with the ALE East. 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:49.000 I'm gonna start with the AL West this time. Let's say, 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.199 whoa dude. I know, I'm throwing us off a little bit, 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.520 making Yankee fans weight, making oriole fans the hottest team 0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:59.720 in baseball. Waight, yeah, Astros, I'm going with Christian Javier. 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.480 He's earned it third in starter era on the Astros 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.920 that includes Justin Berlander and Framber Valdez, but he leads 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:11.520 all of the Houston Ashros starters in strikeouts per nine innings. 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.600 Christian Xavier in his three point one four era has 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.920 not only proved me definitely wrong, but he has been 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.120 just one of the better pitchers in the American League overall. 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:23.480 Is this you waving the white flag? Or do we 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:25.640 have to wait until his fifteen year career is over. 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:28.800 I I was talking about with Colby just an hour 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.439 ago as well, we have to wait until the Hall 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:35.200 of Fame ceremony for me really to wave the white 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.640 flag because with Andrew ben attendee, I called it early 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.760 and then he went on a really good road stand 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:46.640 with the Yankees road trip. Christian Xavier, now that he's 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.720 playing really well, I'm going to extend the timeline. And 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:52.440 I feel like I'm being very fair, very fair. 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:54.520 No, you're being super fair. So as soon as a 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.680 guy goes over four, if you said they're going to suck, 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:00.000 you know we can call it. Say hey, I told you. 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:02.080 But when you say that a guy is not as 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.000 good as you think yet he is putting together one 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:07.120 of the better seasons among starting pitchers in the American League. 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:08.840 We gotta wait, we got to see this thing through 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:09.560 to the finish life. 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:13.840 Put me on MLB Network. There we go, next one, 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:17.959 next one, Seattle Mariners. We were just talking about him. 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:21.480 Au Henny O Swarez. I think has been the biggest surprise. 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:25.400 Remember when the big trade was for Jesse Winker. Au 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:28.200 hen Swarez has been straight up better. He's walking at 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:30.080 a twelve percent rate, one of the highest in his 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.080 career besides that twenty twenty season, and he's tied for 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:36.960 the team lead in home runs with Julio Rodriguez at eighteen. 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:40.560 We still have pretty much two months left of the season. 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:43.560 I think he's going to approach thirty home runs. He's 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.280 been one of the Mariners' best hitters in a lineup 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.840 that really does need him. Yeah. 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.560 I think the other argument could be made for ty 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:56.120 France because I wasn't expecting ty France to do that, 0:12:56.200 --> 0:13:00.160 though I was, I was surprised by it. But I'm 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:03.560 a little bit more surprised that a Henio Suarez is 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:06.280 as good as he is, because again, he was an afterthought. 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.360 He was a salary dump in that deal. He might 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:12.040 have depleted the return. It was Williamson. They might have 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:14.440 gotten more for a winker if they left Suarez out 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:17.280 of the deal. But Suarez has been really good. I 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:20.160 mean what, he's fourth among the Mariners in war I 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:21.839 think too, Yeah. 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:25.160 He's he's he had below the Mendoza line for the Reds. 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:29.160 Last year. He was terrible. He's terrible, He's a salary dump, 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:31.040 and now he's one of the better hitters on the Marions. 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:33.240 To your point, though totally agree, like ty France is 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:36.920 an honorable mention here. But I felt like at the 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:39.960 beginning of the season we were all so pro ty France, 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:42.600 like we've bet Arham has been pro Ty France. It 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:44.840 seems like since he was on the Padres as a prospect, 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.560 as a dude who just continues to hit, so we 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:49.640 maybe we didn't imagine that he'd be one of the 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:52.160 best overall first basement in baseball. But I think we 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:54.360 all thought that he would be really good. That's the 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:58.120 only reason I didn't Adam, Yeah, I understand. Moving on 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.040 to the Texas Rangers and this one I was talking 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:04.079 with Colby because you could say brock Burke who's been 0:14:04.120 --> 0:14:08.480 a phenomenal rookie reliever for them. But you could say 0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:11.040 Jonah him their catcher. But I think a lot of 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:13.760 people thought he would take the next step. He's always 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:15.880 been a great defender. But a one eighteen WRC plus 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:18.319 for him. But I think the answer is clear here, 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:22.280 Jack Martin Perez, are you kidding me? Remember when he 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.080 was on the Red Sox and was an absolute afterthought 0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:27.600 and now he was an All Star, shoved in the 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:29.640 All Star Game, and he's been one of the best 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:33.000 pitchers in the American League this year. He's a full 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:35.520 win better than any pitcher in terms of f War. 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.920 He's the era leader in terms of starters on the Rangers. 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:43.600 Martin Perez to just continues to say, f the numbers. 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:44.640 I'm that guy. 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.760 You've got no rebuttal For me, I have no rebuttal. 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.560 I did not expect Martin Perez to be a good 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:54.840 major league starting pitcher this year, and he's a great one. 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:59.960 I almost laughed when they signed him Angels. This one 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:03.880 is also pretty easy for me because he's been overall 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:07.640 one of the best players on their team. Taylor Ward, 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:11.440 the dude has been better in the WRC plus department 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:14.400 than sho Hao Tani. He's been better in the f 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:18.640 ward department if we're just talking hitting than sho Hao Tani. 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:22.520 Borderline All Star. Been one of the bright spots on 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:26.840 a really disappointing Angels team. But at least they found 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.640 another guy. Also want to shout out Luis ran Hifo, 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:33.240 who's been great as of late. But over the full 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:38.160 season from April to August eleventh, Taylor Ward has been 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:40.640 one of the better players on this team, probably the 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:42.120 third overall best player. 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:45.520 Yeah, the team that has run out Andrew Velasquez for 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:49.960 ninety eight games, who has an OPS that is four 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:55.840 ninety Yeah, that's incredible. Taylor Ward is performing well. And 0:15:55.880 --> 0:15:57.960 I think that a lot of people thought that Taylor 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:00.560 Wood was going to be good this year. Nobody thought 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:02.800 that Taylor Wood was going to do this this year. 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:04.840 They thought it was gonna be Marsha n Adell and 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:07.600 Taylor Ward might be that fourth outfielder and he would 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.000 be good. He would solidify a spot on the bench. 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.920 Taylor Ward has now solidified a spot in the lineup 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:14.120 every day dude. 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:17.440 The Angels next year with Mike troutcho Oh Tawny, Taylor ward. 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:20.240 They're gonna be great. They're gonna be so good, coolproof. 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:22.760 There's no shot they missed the postseason. 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:25.560 God damn it. I hate that team all right. I 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:27.440 lost all my buddy of them too. Just burn my 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.360 wind total ticket. I've talked about this podcast before moving 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:32.040 on to the Oakland A's There's a lot of good 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:35.800 options here. I've been very intrigued with what a guy 0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:38.920 like Jeams Kaprillion has been able to show lately overall, 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.880 but and Paul Blackburn, of course has been great, but 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:45.880 he's been regressing a ton lately. I was surprised to 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:48.920 see that he is a four to eight ERA right now. 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.960 So the guy I went with, Cole Irvin hit a 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.960 four to eight e RA last year, two nine to 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:01.200 four ERA this year. He leads all Oakland starters in ERA. 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:05.480 You should see this man at home in front of 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.240 forty people. This could be the greatest picture on the planet. 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:13.240 He's got a one six six ERA at home, absolutely 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:17.639 dominates in the coliseum that is falling apart. Cole Irvin 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:20.520 doesn't care. He like sleeping in his own bed and 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:24.720 shoving in Oakland and overall over this full season he's 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:26.639 been one of the better left handed pitchers in the 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:28.639 American League. He truly has been if you're looking at 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:29.440 the production. 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:31.359 Yeah, I'm kind of all the way in on what 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:33.480 Cole Irvan has done so far this year. And I 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:35.840 was gonna say Blackburn because Blackburn was the All Star, 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.040 but Cole Irvin, Like at the end of the year, 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:40.960 if you were to guess who the All Star was 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.240 on this team, it's it's that guy. Cole Irvin has 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:47.240 been phenomenal for them this year. He has been the 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:49.760 one phenomenal player for them this year that is still 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:53.920 on the team. I mean, they're in a really bad spot. 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:55.719 I was also just looking at the a's head shots 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:59.560 and Paul Blackbird and AJ Puck look way too similar 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.760 Amish with the red long beard, pretty gross, So I'm 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:06.320 gonna go with the guy that is a bit more 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:07.119 cleaner kept. 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:10.080 Also, AJ Puck has been good too. 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:13.400 Puck's been good. Puck Puck has been good. They drafted 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.400 him as a starting pitcher, like who's what fifth overall 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.320 and now he's resurfaced as a bullpen guy. If he's 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:24.400 a bullpen guy, great, but this is in underwhelming development 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:25.120 for AJ Puck. 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:27.280 I'd say I just really liked him in college, and 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:29.639 I was afraid that he was gonna bust and he 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:32.800 believes it hard. At least he's found a role though, 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:35.600 Like he's not a I never made the major leagues 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.360 and never made it at all. Like he can still 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:41.680 be really, really nasty, and I'm just I'm excited for 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.199 a guy that I rooted for in college. Move on 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:49.439 to the Al Central. Twins was tough. Twins was tough, 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:54.639 but I went with Luisa Rise. Yeah, is it that 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.960 surprising that he's hitting three twenty nine. I think it is, 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:00.560 But this is a guy who's hit in this sort 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:03.119 of range. Last year he hit around two ninety four. 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:06.080 But the WRC plus is what I'm looking at. He's 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:09.000 always around one hundred to ten. Now he's got a 0:19:09.080 --> 0:19:13.120 one forty WRC plus. Luisa Rise has not only been 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:15.520 one of the best hitters in the Vision, he has 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:18.160 been one of the best overall hitters in baseball. This year. 0:19:18.720 --> 0:19:21.880 Has the lowest amount of strikeouts of any hitter in baseball. 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:26.480 Great contact bat reminds you of old baseball Tony gwyn 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:30.120 He's not Tony Gwinn, I know, but the guy who's 0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:33.560 hitting three thirty who doesn't strike out at least reminds 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:34.680 you of that type of hitter. 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:39.080 Yeah, I will say that I was not expecting Joan 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.840 Doran to be this good in this role. I think 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:45.400 Doran is probably the guy for me. I also think 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:48.000 the other guy for me in a positive light is 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:50.480 Nick Gordon. I was not expecting Nick Gordon have a 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.600 seven to fifty ops And I thought Nick Gordon was 0:19:52.600 --> 0:19:54.720 a waste of a roster spot and they were out 0:19:54.720 --> 0:19:56.600 of options for him, so they were just holding him 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:59.680 and there were better options elsewhere. No, Nick Gordon should 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:01.480 be playing for a team that's good. 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:04.240 Yes the way I looked at it. And there will 0:20:04.280 --> 0:20:07.280 be a reliever on this list. The only way I 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:12.720 would put a reliever is if he was other worldly dominant. 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:15.639 And Douran has been otherworldly dominant has he? 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:18.639 Though, Like if you look at you know, some era leaderboards, 0:20:18.640 --> 0:20:20.159 you know he's over two and there are plenty of 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:24.200 VRA guys who are under two. He has been phenomenal. 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:27.320 He's been the best reliever in that pen. But I 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:31.439 just didn't put him there because Luisa Rise hid three thirty. 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:34.040