Alex Cohen Interview + Cubs Opening Day Preview

Opening Day is days away, so we bring Marquee play-by-play broadcaster Alex Cohen on to put real numbers behind our 2026 Cubs predictions and the storylines that can drive a division run. We also react to late spring news like Seiya Suzuki’s likely IL stint and what it means for roster decisions right now. 

• Alex Cohen’s path from the Iowa Cubs to Marquee and what availability and relationships change in a career 
• Seiya Suzuki injury update and how an IL move reshapes the bench options 
• Javier Assad versus Ben Brown as a role and development debate 
• 2026 Cubs win total predictions and why pitching depth changes the ceiling 
• Michael Busch as home run leader and the importance of his splits versus lefties 
• Nico Hoerner runs scored and stolen base outlook in a contract season 
• Pete Crow-Armstrong growth case through home runs plus steals 
• Cade Horton innings target and the ace mentality discussion 
• Justin Steele win total expectations once he returns 
• Daniel Palencia save totals and what makes closer stability rare 
• Craig Counsell ejections and how fire shows up in modern managing 
• Alex Bregman workload planning with DH days and Matt Shaw’s multi-position role 
• Broadcast prep routines plus how to build better on-air chemistry 
• The no-hitter story and how announcers handle pressure midgame 
• Plans for additional programming and quick-hit game reactions 

Check it out on Amazon.com for all your fulfillment needs 
I should have an opening day recap show available Thursday midnight 
Just keep your eyes peeled for this stuff 

Thanks for tuning in! 

- Carl & Mahoney

Transcript

Opening Day Special Kickoff

SPEAKER_02 0:04

And we're clear. Good morning, good afternoon, and evening Chicago Cubs fans, and welcome back to the Monday Morning Cubs Show opening day special edition. Monday, March 23rd. This will be our last episode before we go live against the Washington Nationals this Thursday. Mahoney, it's great to see you. We have a very special episode lined up for the Maniacs.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Very, very special episode, Carl Ditto. Likewise, great to see you as always. And I will say this one of my favorite Mondays of the year with opening day right around the corner. It's baseball week, folks. Let's get rolling. I'm so excited. I know you're all so excited. I know Carl's so excited. And I'm just so excited to bring you guys this episode today.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Little peek behind the curtains here. It is this is probably the most challenging episode because it's the opening day. Everybody's excited, but there still isn't that much to talk about, except for predictions, except for what we think is going to happen and what we anticipate should happen this season. And so when Mahoney and I put our heads together on who would be the best person to talk to about where the Cubs are going to be this year, what to expect, the different storylines. Why not somebody who watches them for a living, describes them for a living? Uh, why not bring on Alex Cohen, one of the most knowledgeable Chicago Cubs guy I personally know for what turns out to be a home run interview?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

The interview, and not only did he just come prepared and hit it out of the park, Carl, but the fact that, yeah, we looked to see who would be the best. It was him, fully entrenched with the Cubs, the minor league system, calling big league games now, knows anything that you need to know about every other player, constantly watching them. Alex Cohen brought it in. Yeah, the predictions are phenomenal. I cannot wait for you guys to get to this portion of the show.

SPEAKER_02 1:57

And so he had spent a good chunk, obviously, in spring training watching guys. So we get a nice mix of insight from what is seen at spring training, a nice mix of what the buzz is around spring training, what the buzz is internally. Now, the interview portion with Alex is a two-parter. The first, I guess really three-parter, because the first we got to throw him a couple softballs, and then we get into a very long prediction process for the 2026 season, which is more of a round table than a true interview with him. That's where we just sit down, go through Danzby Swanson batting average, Michael Bush against lefties. We go through everything we think is going to happen through the 2026 season, almost two dozen prediction categories, and then Mahoney, you pitch clock the shit out of him about the broadcasting experience in the career. So there is that interview portion that I think is, I mean, besides the opening predic, like, of course, we're here for opening day, but damn, that prediction that the broadcasting stuff with him was so interesting.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Dude, honest to God, too, from like more of a personal standpoint in the non-baseball stuff, because a lot of what he said we can apply to our everyday lives in terms of preparation, just being around the right people, getting good feedback, him talking about everything, you know, just absorbing it. He'll go to every single media day, off day, even when he's not working. This is the type of guy that's put himself in a situation to be doing what he loves and what he's wanted to do. And I think throughout that conversation, you all are going to see and hear why and how he got there. And that was really the coolest part to me. Always somebody looking to get better. It's why he's in the position he's in. And it really is what once we talk to Alex, you realize what separates those dudes from the rest in terms of broadcasting. And then the predictions, we all we just get into it.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

It would that was a wild one. Meaty, very meaty. And the last thing that I thought was interesting with Alex is we get in, you know, I don't think a lot of people are aware he spent seven years with the Triple A Iowa Cubs doing everything booking travel, booking hotels, uh, obviously calling the games, doing the interviews, getting to know these players. So it's really that's probably the most amount of credibility or insight that he brings to the table is having watched so many of the guys on this team and being part of the organization at a broader level for close to a decade now. So it's that's the part I I think I left away being surprised was just the depth of the insight when we're talking about the specific players. So again, not we we got to listen to the interview first before we start telling me.

Thirsty Vaquero Sponsor Spotlight

SPEAKER_00 4:28

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SPEAKER_02 4:29

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SPEAKER_00 4:47

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SPEAKER_02 5:30

And this this Alex Cohn interview is another good step in the direction. We've talked to people about where we want to take the Monday morning cub show. This is a great community of maniacs. I think this conversation with Alex Cohn is indicative of where we want to take it. But again, I'd be remiss just to say we're not taking anything anywhere without Thirsty Vacero by our side, enabling this. And the last thing is it is it pertains to Thirsty Vacero. You know, as I'm getting older, I just turned 39. And at the end of the day, of course, you want to reach for something. And one of the transition points you go through when you're obviously you're not reaching for those cold ones, is like, I want a little flavor, I want something, I want something to sip on. Like Thirsty Vacaro has the range to be something at the end of the night you can sip on comfortably, sitting on the couch, feel great about yourself. It also has the range to show up for launch it with it with a nice fucking sandwich. Watch my F words. I mean, it has so much range, and I think that's applicable to the 2026 Cubs as we get into the predictions. Thirsty Vacaro, all bite, no rattle, organic agave, organic ingredients. It's healthy for you. It's good for you. You're gonna love it. Check it out on Amazon. Thirsty Vacero.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

All bite, no rattle.

Seiya Suzuki Injury And Roster Fallout

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Say it as much as you want, Mahody. Give it to me one more time. All bite, no rattle. All right, we're gonna get to Alex Cohn interview first. Just a couple things quickly. News in between the time we recorded with Alex to the time we're sitting here now. Saya very likely seems he's going to the IL. He will not be playing an opening day. So there's just a little implication if Saya goes on the I. L, other than obviously it blows. But then there's two, there's an extra roster spot, and there's nobody to fill it from spring training. I mean, we don't have we we can bring up Al Canter if we want to to start the season. Doesn't sound like he's necessarily earned it. Dylan Carlson, who has big league experience but hasn't been good in three, four, five years. And then Scott Kingry, who has a 38% strikeout rate in spring training. One of one of these guys uh is absolutely gonna be on the roster if Saya cannot be.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

And now, correct me if I'm wrong, I did read something the other day that Conforto could likely be added as well, given that Saya's not likely to start opening day. Is that still in an additional roster spot or is that in the mix as well?

SPEAKER_02 7:47

This is what I'm seeing from Jordan Bastion, who's saying there's two roster spots for camp still open. My notes are given. Technically, just one between these three, which I suppose I could stomach. You just know that there's gonna be some turnover, whatever, but like this kind of sucks for me because I've been looking at spring training the whole offseason going, well, it's nice, we don't really have too many questions. We got to be tight around the 25th, 26th, man. We have to be tight at the end of the roster. That's all I ask. And this is a situation where okay, if say it starts on the IL, obviously didn't see that coming, that blows, but uh, you know, we we should be tighter at the back end.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

No, yeah, you ain't kidding. And I think one of the you know the shining lights from this whole thing is that say Suzuki's injury can be retroactive to you know, in spring training or whatever. So if it's a 10-day, you know, he might be available after the first series, even and it doesn't sound overly serious. So goods with the bads, bads with the goods.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Yeah, but then it's like the first however many 10 days ice cold, wriggly field. I mean, sure, the weather was great this past weekend, but yeah, it isn't what we want, it isn't where you want the injury to start the season. It's just we didn't want to see him go on aisle at all this season. Inevitable with him at this point. I hate complaining about players' injuries because these guys try so hard and there's so much work. It's not like he's a dog or it's 20 years ago and guys were doing steroids, and that was enough for them to take care of their body, so they stopped doing mobility work and you see hamstrings pop every fucking week in the big leagues. This is way different. There's so much more information about preparing your body. And the guys just got bad luck. It's like a slide, it's not even uh it's upsetting, Tim.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

It is, it's upsetting, it's not what we wanted to see, especially starting on opening day with you know one of our guys that was critical to this team out.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

That said, we played cupcakes to start the season. Like, if there's a time you're gonna miss your biggest bat in the middle of the lineup, I suppose fine, rationalize me into this. And we don't already have a multiple game lead division. You know, it's not September. I don't know how to rationalize this one. I suppose it's okay to start the season that the teams we're playing stink. I suppose it's okay that like Matt Shaw's got you know a little extra pep and a step to start the year. You want to offer up an I suppose here?

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Well, yeah, I also suppose that there's a 50% chance of rain coming to Wrigley on opening day, and that could push things back. It doesn't look too extreme. But the temperature shouldn't be too bad as of right now. It was 60% last night. We went down to 50. So I mean, we don't want to rain out on opening day, but if it does happen for whichever reason, it might give Suzuki an extra day of rest.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

All right, last thing before we get to Alex Cohen. I'm not cheering for a raid on opening day.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

There's too many I'm not cheering for it. I'm just trying to give people the information. I will update you accordingly as this forecast changes throughout the week, which it will. And what I was looking when I was analyzing some of my charts, it looks like that rain might be coming overnight and it might be like just a drizzle, you know, at opening pitch, but they're gonna be playing baseball, they're gonna squeeze that in, you know, that's just a good hypothetical.

Final Bullpen Spot Assad Or Brown

SPEAKER_02 11:02

It's a good hypothetical to consider is if delay because of weather helps say a Suzuki overall helps the team. Am I willing to cheer for an opening day raino? That's like I can't. I'm sorry, Jed. I know your right fielder's banged up, he's got bad obliques, doesn't know how to slide, can consistently shelf on the I.O. But I will not cheer for tens of thousands to descend upon Wrigleyville only to be met with cancelable weather. No right, no way, no way. All right, last thing for Alex Cohn is just this quick little like uh Javier Asad versus Ben Brown for the last bullpen spot. I I'm a coin flip on this. Do you have anything stronger than a coin flip?

SPEAKER_00 11:49

I I'd rather have a sod just based off of our general feeling towards Ben Brown, but I have you know read some quips that Ben Brown did pack on some weight, he's a lot bigger, and I can't reference the article off the top of my head, but some of the quotes he was taking accountability for everything last year. So I I think he might have seen somebody you know off the field to help with his mindset because it was a different type of player than what we had saw. Hey, I'm just saying, maybe he's just trying to get back to the world. I mean, that's like he has like it was all on me, and yes, it was. And now let's see if you make the team, I think it's gonna be a pre-shorleash.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

He has to go see a sports psychologist. I don't mean that to be disparate. Most of these guys are talking to people on a regular basis about their performance and dealing with the mental side of the sport, and not like the mental side, like I'm sad, I'm down in the dumps or anything. Just like that preparation and being a professional because it is very isolated. So I'm giggling about Ben Brown because hopefully this offseason that's where he spends the bulk of his time. The last thing that he needs is help with his stuff, which jumps out again with the AC interview because it pops up when we talk about the best stuff in camp, like who would you say it's easily this, this, this. And the fact that Ben Brown's name comes up in that conversation. If Alex is saying that the guys in the front office for the Cubs are saying it, the coaching staff is saying it, that Ben Brown does have some of the most elite stuff. Javier Assad is just such a fan favorite. And I use this term loosely in game it with baseball players, but like he is a certified gangster, like he doesn't give a fuck, man. Like he'll he'll pitch anywhere, anytime against anybody. Um, and he doesn't take a back seat. But I think like having a sad and triple A making starts and maybe Ben Brown in the bullpen, because you can't have I think Ben Brown is a bullpen arm, and I think if you go to triple A and he has to start making starts, I think if we can agree that Ben Brown is a bullpen guy, that's his best fit for 26, that's his best fit to make steps as a starter, as a pitcher in the big leagues, I should say, then he should be in triple A as a bullpen guy. Javier Assad should be the long relief guy in the bullpen because ultimately Ben Brown can't execute long relief situations. We shouldn't be asking him to do that. We need to start developing Ben Brown to be somebody who could pitch in the seventh inning and get strikeouts with runners on first and second, nobody out.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

And having Assad starting games in triple A would be fine from that long relief situation where he'd be asked to at the big league level. So it would be where they need to be. Is that what you're saying essentially?

SPEAKER_02 14:18

Ultimately, I think Javier Assad should be in the big leagues as the long reliever because he has less to develop. He has a he right is who he is. And Ben Brown should be in triple A, but not as a starter, as a late game reliever, and get him as many reps as he can at the end of the game. He has to accept that for himself. We've always said that with Ben Brown. He has to accept his role with this team.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

So best case scenario, I think, for Ben Brown is to develop into that high-leverage reliever situational stuff. So we'll see what happens in. Yeah. Them's the brakes right now for Cub Spring training and what's going to be coming from a news standpoint, Carl.

Alex Cohen Joins The Show

SPEAKER_02 14:56

I said I wanted to do 15 minutes with you before we get to Alex Home. We are like on the dock. Damn. Again, guys, this interview is brought to you by Thirsty Vicero. Check him out. A Mexican style soda with a signature spicy finish that's all bite, no rattle. We're very delighted to present this to you guys. So without further ado, here's Alex Cullen. All right, we're in the interview portion of today's show, and we are joined by Chicago Cubs broadcaster Alex Cullen. And I have to ask you off the top, like when you meet a stranger in an airport or something, they ask you what you do for work. Do you say I'm a Chicago Cubs broadcaster?

SPEAKER_01 15:32

What's the I'll say that I'm in communications. I I I'm in communications. But no, it's it's actually been cool. I've walked through O'Hare a couple times, and uh, you know, since I've gotten this job and I go through security and the TSA gives me a puppy goes, go cubs, go. I'm like, oh nice. This is fun. But like, do you have an official title? Yeah, it's just play-by-play broadcaster on Air Talent. Um, so I get to fill in as a play-by-play broadcaster, then do some podcast stuff, pre-impost. So kind of the the benzobrist. That's that's what I strive to be for Marquee. So oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

I think there's a lot of credibility off the top, knowing that you watch this team professionally. So we do have a great season prediction segment prepared. Um, we're gonna do some pitch clock with you, talk about your broadcast experience. But before we do, let's just like get a couple softballs going. So at the time of recording, how many Chicago Cubs games have you broadcasted?

SPEAKER_01 16:24

I have broadcasted 40 regular season games. I did four in 2024, and then I did 36 last year.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

That's 40 more than anybody listening to this. I can absolutely that's a fact, Carl. Absolutely. How many years have you been calling baseball?

SPEAKER_01 16:40

I started broadcasting baseball in 2011. So, yeah, carried the two. What's that? 15 years? Yeah, long time. A long time.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Alex, Monday morning Mahoney here. Is this the only sport that you call? No.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

No, actually, baseball was the last sport that I ever broadcasted because I played in high school. So my buddies and I, and this is actually a cool story. Uh, we started the sports broadcasting club at our high school. Um, it's three of us, and all three of us are still in the industry. Um, Steven Watson, who Supreme postgame show host for the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks, also does PGA Tour Live and does some ESPN events, and Josh Getzhoff is the TV play-by-play broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins. All three of us started our broadcasting club at our high school. Dude, the club, unbelievable. And did everything. Our first event that we ever did was powder puff football. It was awesome, electric. I hope they burned that video.

unknown 17:32

But it was great.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

It was great. Uh, but did you know hockey, field hockey, softball, lacrosse, wrestling, swimming, golf, you name it, we did it. Um, and then I did broadcasting uh at Indiana University, and that's where I really got into like softball and baseball. Um, and then 15 years later, here we are.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Here we are. And would you say that baseball is your favorite sport to call? Yeah, hands.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

I mean, like I've done 1600 games in my life, so it better be. Yeah. Yeah. I I mean, like, I played it growing up. I used to listen to it every day. It's what I knew that I wanted to do when I realized, like, hey, I throw an 83 mile per hour fastball, probably not gonna cut it.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

I don't want to reach, but I I just feel like the broadcasting role within baseball just affords you such a closer relationship with the audience and all the other sports.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Yeah, I mean, it's three hours a day for 162 games plus playoffs in a span of 178 days. So it's so intimate, it's thorough, it is continuous, it's consistent, um, and it's something that you could build day after day after day, something that you can't do in football, hockey, or basketball or the other sports.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

So when we get to pitch clock, we've got some specific broadcasting stuff I'm excited to dig into. But I think initially I'm just interested in how many like how many years have you been with Marquee Network now?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

So I started broadcasting spring training games in 2023. So 2023, 2024, I did spring training games with them. Um that's when I was living in Iowa, broadcasting for the Iowa Cubs. Uh, then I did the four games in 2024 in the big leagues regular season. And I'd already made up my mind that, you know, we were probably going to move to Chicago. And you know, Marquee basically said, Hey, like, no promises, but we're gonna use you a lot more if you are four minutes away than if you are four hours away. And that's the call that I needed. And after 14 years in the minor leagues, say, let's go. So we moved, and five months later, we hammered out an agreement saying that I'd be the fill-in play-by-play broadcaster. And I did 36 games last year, and Cubs were 23 and 13, by the way, in those games. I thought I was counting.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

I'll take it.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Yeah, not that I was counting. You know, one one eight street to finish off the year, no big deal. But it's been a great move. We love the city of Chicago. Um, my wife's from San Francisco, I'm from Philadelphia, meet in the middle in Chicago, and um, yeah, we love it.

How Alex Built A Broadcast Career

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Because I think that's like a real popular question is how did you get the job in the first place? So you would you'd been calling Iowa Cubs games for years. So were you just like, is that how it works? Your natural fit to go into marquee.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

I mean, that's it's years and years of networking. It's year, it's you know, four years of me on an off day for the Iowa Cubs if they're on a 12-game road trip and it's six games in Columbus and it's six games in Louisville, and you have an off day, that off day I spend in Chicago and I go to the studio and I hang out with people and I talk to people and I listen, and it's all about relationships, it's all about reliability, it's all about availability. So the the best ability in broadcasting is availability. So making sure that I'm there anytime that they need me and I show that I was able to do that, and I moved up to Chicago, and here we are.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

So now that you are in the Cubs booth, do you spend the offseason like crushing research on the team? How deep do you go in research, I guess, is what I want to know. Really, it in terms of like how comfortable are you going to be making these predictions with me and Carmel coming in?

SPEAKER_01 20:45

It depends on the day. I mean, I definitely dive into baseball pretty often. Um, do I do it on a Sunday during the fall? Probably not. Do I do it on a Saturday during the fall? Probably not. But I research as much as possible. And what I really try to do is I try to talk to other broadcasters. I really try to talk to people who I trust. I listen to my tape. I try to figure out what I'm doing well, what I'm not, what I can work on, what I want to keep doing. And then I have like a circle of trust of three or four broadcasters that I'll send my tape and say, rip me a new one. And I will take 10% of what they say and try to apply it to my broadcast the next year. So, like, let's say, hypothetical, send my broadcast tape out to Adam Amin, Joe Davis, Boog Shambi, Pat Hughes. Not that I have done this before, but if I did, they all give me critiques. I will take 10% of what Pat says, I'll take 10% of what Boog says, I'll take 10% of what Adam says, I'll take 10% of what Joe says, apply it into my broadcasts, and I will be a 40% better broadcaster the next year. I mean, that's just the math. That's how it works.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

No, I have a prediction. We're gonna get to our 2026 season predictions, but now I guess here's my first one. This is not scripted, but now that we're talking, I'm wondering. Do you have a prediction for how many games you're gonna call this year? Uh, I will go with 35. Okay. And we're gonna get into To the roles of like how that works. We're going to do that. But what I really want to do is talk about the ball club because you know the maniacs are showing up. People are we're just scratch, we have been scratching the itch all offseason. This is our opening day show. Cannot wait for baseball at Wrigley Field, even if they're playing a lot of it early in the season.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

That's okay. No, there's not there's nothing like a March 26th game at Wrigley Field. It's gonna be beautiful, 72 degrees. It's gonna be amazing.

Win Total And Offensive Leaders

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Now it is a little daunting when we talk about like how are we gonna totally predict the season or preview the season? And what I thought would be interesting with you, because of so much Cubs that you watch, sure, we should just do a quick little round table and by quick little, this is the meat and potato of having you on the show. Love it. So the way the season prediction segment's gonna work, I've got a list of almost 20 things here. I'll start, I'll introduce it and we'll see what Alex has to say. I'll throw in, obviously. And I know Mahoney's got scorching hot takes. So the number one thing anybody gives a shit about is how many games do you think the Cubs are gonna win this year, Alex?

SPEAKER_01 22:58

I'm stuck between two numbers, and I've thought about this before. I'm gonna go, I'm in between 94 and 68 and 90 and 72. I'm gonna go 90 and 72.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Ooh, 90 and 72 is significantly under where I have the team, but I'm like brutally optimistic. I have it at 98 if they're healthy because of the pitching depth. Yeah. You know, I know it's huge. That's a huge swing, the difference between 90 and 98, but like I've really sunk my teeth in to the depth and the pitching depth, but like now that say is hurt. So there's some injury questions here. If we're healthy, I'm going 98.

SPEAKER_01 23:33

If Edward Cabrera can be a one or Kate Horton can be a one, I'm going 94.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

I thought I was the optimist on the Monday morning cub show. And when I saw your prediction or heard it here at 98, I have 96 wins, and I'm happy to hear you're at 98. I like Alex at what 90. So I like being a little bit in between, but 96 is a number that kind of just was jumping out and in my dome.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

Alex, do you have to fight any like bias? Is it improper for you to come on here and say I think they can win 110 because of this and that?

SPEAKER_01 24:02

No, I mean, like if I thought that they were gonna win 100 games, I'd tell you that I think they had win a hundred games. I'm not gonna go out there be like they're winning 104 uh because the Dodgers were the dream team last year, 198. So it's really difficult to win 100 games in a regular season to go 162. Like that's not an easy thing to do. So I do think if they are healthy and one of those starting pitchers, whether it's Edward Cabrera or Kate Horton, can take that next step into being an ace, they're a 94 to 95 win team to me. But we're all in agreement this is a playoff team. This is a playoff team. Agreed. I think they're gonna win the division.

SPEAKER_02 24:36

So this one's a little harder here. The next prediction, I'd like to figure out who's our home run leader. It's Michael Bush.

unknown 24:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

It's Michael Bush. I mean, the fact that he had over 30 last year while not playing specifically against left-handed pitchers, now he'll at least get like a little bit longer of a leash to do that. I'm not saying he's gonna play every day against lefties and I'll need off days, but I would imagine Michael Bush will play somewhere in the 135 to 140 range at first base in terms of games. Um, I think we'll hit 40. I think he's gonna 40. Do you think he's leading off? I think he'll possibly lead off against righties. I would imagine it would either be Michael or Ian Hap. And also if Alex Bregman's on like an on-base streak and he's he's really seeing the ball well, he could possibly lead off. But I think you'll see Michael Bush 25, 30 games lead off against right-handed pitcher. Love it.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

See, for home runs, I want it to be Saya. Like, if I could just pick one thing, it would be that for sure at the start of the season, guarantee that Saya plays 145 games because then he would be our home run leader. But I'm gonna take the safer bet and go with PCA just because the swings I've seen from the world baseball classic. Like it wasn't a fluke. He's actually trying to drive the ball. And so it's only gonna take just that little hot spark.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Yeah, you know, hitting two strike pitches, two you know, decks into Dykin Park. Yeah, that'll that'll work.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

I wanted to say PCA, but uh, I'm gonna go with AC here. I have Michael Bush as leading the team in home runs, and I I did have that 40 number circled in my head when I was sharpening my pencil earlier today. So I hope Michael Bush is gonna be hitting 40 dingers for us. I want them all to, but that's who I'm going with on the home run leader for the Cubs.

SPEAKER_02 26:10

My number one thing with Bush is him playing every day consistently in the years. We'll get into it. Some of these other predictions, but I think an interesting thing as we talk about this Cubs team is there isn't an obvious person, right? Like if you ask this about the Phillies, if you ask this about the Yankees, if you ask this about the Dodgers, there are just such clear answers. So I think that's it's almost like a strength to the Cubs that there's a number of people that could lead the team at home runs.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Here it's three. And there's a couple journalists out there that have said that Dansby Swatson's gonna go 30-30 this year. So if Dansby Swanson goes 30-30, maybe they do win a hundred games. But I'm listening. Sierra Santos, I I watched, I heard what you said, and and I'm all for it if Dansby could do that. But I think it's Michael Bush, especially with getting more at bats against left-handed pitching.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Now, what about this prediction? This is something I think people should talk more about because it's such a valuable statistic when you talk about players' careers in the aggregate. Who do you think leads the Cubs this year in runs scored?

SPEAKER_01 27:05

That is a good one. It's going to be somebody who hits at the top of the order, plays a lot of games. I'm in between two. I'm gonna go with Nico Horner. Safe. I think he's been above like 85 runs each of the last four years in 2020. I think it was 2023 at 98. Last year at 89. If you can get into that 90, 100 run threshold, like you're doing work. So I I think I think it's Nico.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

And I'm very interested to see where he settles in the lineup because the guy doesn't hit for power. He doesn't strike out a ton, he's not this very intimidating presence, uh, but just this ability to hit line drives and use the whole field. It would be great to see the Cubs just the whole season hit him at the top of the lineup.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

But yeah, I mean, his situational hitting is among the best I've ever seen. Just the way that he works counts. And even if he doesn't draw a walk or gets out, I mean, it's six, seven pitches. You get the pitcher that throws a kitchen sink against him, but then he has to go to the next guy, which could possibly be Alex Bregman or say a Suzuki. Good luck. So um I was going back and forth between Nico and PCA, but I think it's Nico.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

See, now I'm gonna say Michael Bush here because of the on base, and I think the quality of the hitters around him where he's not relying on one guy. He's gonna have two, three, four guys behind him that can hit with two outs. That's my expectation. That's a bold reach because Michael Bush, first baseman, not the best rudder on the team. Yeah, but I think he finds himself in scoring position more often than anybody else. And I think this is a bounce back year runners in scoring position for the Cubs. Mahoney, who do you have?

SPEAKER_00 28:33

I have Peter Crow Armstrong, PCA, and funny enough, it has nothing to do with any of the situational stuff or who's surrounding them. I just have a feeling he's going to be legging out a few more and getting home quicker than the other guys. I do have a feeling that he will be in the situations enough to score. So honestly, I have PCA, and that is my prediction for the run scored leader of the 2026 campaign.

Cade Horton Usage And PCA Growth

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Now, looking at the pitching staff, the number one thing that jumps out to me, more than the depth, you know, more than showdown a contract, bounce back, weird situation, what's going on? The number one thing to me is just how do we use Cade Horton? Like last year on the pitch count, last year on the inning limit. Very interested because he's just so utterly dominant. And I feel like Cubs fans are waiting. Just take the training wheels off this guy. Let him let him do the John Lieber 140 pitch complete game, right? So I guess the next prediction I'm just asking generally, how many innings do you think Cade Horton pitches in 2026?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Uh, I think we'll be over 150, um, which will be a nice stride for him. I I'm gonna go with 156. 150. That would be incredible. I think he'll be over 150. I mean, he looks really healthy. You talk to Cade right now, and there is a certain amount of focus that he's ready to take that next step. He wants to show that the second half of last year was not a fluke. And I think the fact that he's you know going out there and punching out 10 in spring training and throwing 98.6 mile per hour BBs, like that shows he's healthy, he's ready. I don't think there'll be any sort of training wheels. And uh yeah, I think he'll be over 150. That's amazing. My heart's pumping a little bit. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Here, Harold, your arm sticking up a little bit. Yeah, very, very much. Do you think his demeanor is underrated? I have this aspect from the couch, and I think Kate Horton is what has like one of those ace mentalities. They come in a couple different ways, shapes, or forms, but like I don't know the guy personally. But when I'm looking at him, like that guy has every single thing I want from a starting place.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

You know, it's it's one word dog. Dude's a dog. He's a dog. I mean, he there's a little Jake Arietta to him with with all them out. If he has his ace stuff, you're not touching him.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Yeah, I just want to color in on this because knowing Jake personally, when he was really in his stretch and it was like, so how do you attack a lineup? He's like, I I I make my pitches and good luck.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:51

The Scott and Report, I need to know is who hits left-handed, who hits right hand. Like he's when you're that good and dialed in, yeah, you're not really care too much about what the book says about the hitter. Now, speaking of hitters, the Cubs' most dynamic player is Pete Crow Armstrong. The prediction I'm trying to figure out is what do you think his combined PCA home run and stolen base count is this year? I think this is particularly interesting because of his relationship between slugging percentage and on base percentage. Yes. So, where do you have this?

SPEAKER_01 31:23

So last year he was what 31 homers, 35 stolen bases. Simple math tells me that's 66 total. And I remember asking him at the beginning of the season. I'm like, how many bases are you gonna steal? And he had a lofty number. He said 63. Well, he had 35 last year. Um, I think he's gonna get on base a little bit more. I'm not saying he's gonna be a 365 OBP guy, but I think he'll be in the 300s. So I think he'll steal over 40, which means that that total is gonna be over 70. I'm gonna go 72.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

I have it right underneath 72. I have it at 69, and I'm not doing that as a joke. I would like to see him crack 70. I think that's a really good way to look at PCA at the end of the year, simply. Just how many home runs, how many stolen bases. If he's in this, if he's at that 70 range, you're seeing obviously we want to see the growth from last year, this year, but the thing when I talk about the slug and on base, if he is an on-base guy with the weak slug like you saw early in his career, where you looked at this guy and we're like, maybe he could hit 15 home runs, maybe, you know.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Yeah, I mean, he'll he'll never be a weak slug guy because he has just so much raw power and athleticism in that swing. I don't know if he'll hit 30, but he doesn't have to to be a valuable player. If he steals 46 bags and hits 25 homers, he's a seven war player when you combine the defense and the added-on base. So he doesn't have to hit 30 home runs to be a stud. Mahony got number?

SPEAKER_00 32:46

My number was 70, so I came smack dab in between you boys. And Alex, it was because I added up last year. I saw 66, and I do feel that Pete's gonna be a shade better this year and maybe slightly more aggressive, but it does go back to that slugging. How many opportunities is he gonna have to steal bags if he's standing on second and third and what have you? So that was how I came to my number 70, and that's my prediction for the 2026 Pete Crow Armstrong home runs plus stolen bases.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

And let the maniacs know we didn't plan this in the green screen beforehand. Like we're actually this is this makes me feel good that we're kind of in the similar ballpark for the first four line for sure. Question Did you call PCA at all at Iowa?

SPEAKER_01 33:25

Oh, I did. So remember when uh Willie Peralta threw two pitches behind his back and then he pimped the home run in Iowa? I was one on that call, and two, I had 103-degree fever and laryngitis, so my voice cracked like a 13-year-old. Jordan flu game. People don't forget. That's great. I probably watched that clip like five times. Yeah, people don't forget. I was sick as a dog, but that was sick. It was so much fun.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Are you surprised from the player that you saw in AAA with the power, just specifically to power?

SPEAKER_01 33:52

Yeah. I mean, I'm surprised that he had 30 home runs at age 23. But I thought at the end of his career, like if you were looking at Pete Crow Armstrong 12 years into his career, you would have two or three years of 25 to 30 homers. I didn't think it would come this soon, but the raw power and just like his raw ability is off the charts. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

So good. We have some other stuff, obviously, jumping into, but it would be impossible for me to just move on so quickly from Pete Crow Armstrong. Yep. Just the point I want to make is that I love that he exists in the modern game because 20 years ago, if he was coming up, just the way player development was, the way organizations were run, minor league coaches, just the presence, the men that ran baseball, yeah, they would only give him playing time if he was showing himself to be an OBP guy who's hitting the ball the other way and slapping it the other way. Like the fact the modern game embraces a strikeout is something that's okay. Yeah, it's almost like it reduces the risk.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

And like if he goes one for four with three Ks and a three-run bomb, that's a good day.

SPEAKER_02 34:51

Right. Where if it's 1996, they were saying, like, hey, a guy like you should never strike out three times. You need to be putting the ball on the ground, young man.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

Yeah, it's it's it's like the Wooly May says you put the ball in the air, you have to do 20 push-ups. Yeah, that's not that's not how it is in 2026, fortunately.

Steele Wins And Palencia Saves

SPEAKER_02 35:07

All right, so going back to the mound, and this is disrespectful when I brought up Kate Horton, because you know, people forget. People listening to this forget. Justin Steele is on this team. Justin Steele is our best starting pitcher. How many wins do you think he has in 2026? And before we get to this prediction, I have to tell people why this is an important question. I bump into Justin Steele over the summer while he's rehabbing. I see him at a restaurant in Chicago. Quick catch up. Hey, how you doing? And my immediate question was how much does it suck that you aren't pitching with this team behind you? This is by far the best team behind you on the mound. And his immediate reaction was, just imagine how many wins I would have by now. I love that. And that's something Steele would say. For maniacs and baseball fans, we have completely discredited the win. People have gone out of their way to say wins don't matter. The first thing out of his mouth, how many wins do you think I'd have on this team?

SPEAKER_01 36:05

So that's why if wins didn't matter, then why is like wins a threshold to get into the hall of fame and to make millions and millions and millions of dollars?

SPEAKER_02 36:14

I've always said if it matters to the players, then that's an important statistic. If the players want a win, then that's important. Yeah. How many wins does Justin Steele have in 2026?

SPEAKER_01 36:24

11. I think he gets the double digits after seeing his live bullpen last week, getting uncomfortable swings and misses from Michael Bush and Jonathan Long. I think that if they wanted to be aggressive with them, he could. But I think that the Cubs pitching depth gives him the ability to be like, hey, we want you to be ready for October. Because we we are expecting to be in October. But I I I think he gets to double digits and think he'll be part of the starting rotation once he gets back and healthy. And this team is going to win a lot of games, so I think he'll win some games too. I'll go with 11.

SPEAKER_02 36:55

See, we're right on it again because when I did this exercise, I said I expect 10 because if he's gonna make double if he's gonna make 20 starts, I expect 10. 12 would be great. So I came on eleven.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

Okay. I had 10 as well. I wish I had 11 so that we could be completely in unison, boys. But you know, just looking at it, if he does start in maybe in June and then gets 20, I just picked that he's gonna win half the games. But I also did not have the privilege of witnessing his latest bullpen session. So it was really good. I if I could change my my number, I would go to 11, but for the sake of the show.

SPEAKER_01 37:35

We have some video of it on Marquis Sports Network. If you really want it, I know a guy.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

I'll be back.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

I'll be back. Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

Yeah, and I will I'm putting this out now publicly. I do wanna, I do want to interview Scotty Chags this year. That's like he's my golden goose. I cannot wait to sit down with you.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

He's gonna be my favorite person in the city of Chicago. That's great.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Yeah, quick non sequitur. Can you introduce Chags to the people who aren't really familiar with him?

SPEAKER_01 37:58

Scotty Shags is basically like the heart, the soul, the heartbeat, the do-it-all Barkey Sports Network. He was cameraman, he is photographer, he is engineer, he is content guru, he does he is the hardest working man in the you know, in the city of Chicago. Like he he bust his ass and he deserves all the credit, all the glory um that he gets or that he should get. Like he's one of my favorite people.

SPEAKER_02 38:24

I had like a bi-weekly reminder reminder to quote tweet Scotty content and encourage people to follow him. So keep your eyes peeled.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

So the Scotty in Japan. People were coming up to us and taking pictures like we were celebrities because it was two bald white guys in Japan. It was great. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 38:40

We're staying on the mound here. Uh prediction time, Daniel Palencia saves in 2026.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

That's a good one, too. Uh, I'm gonna go with 32 because there are multiple games where with the Cubs that they won last year and with this high profile of an offense that they have might not be safe situations.

SPEAKER_02 38:58

I have it at 36, but I'm in line with you that I don't he's not gonna have as many opportunities. Yeah, I also think there could be some management with how deep the bullpen is. Yeah, might might see guys go two innings to close those games out, or I don't think they overuse Ponce. I think he's like a rising star that they want to make sure is full throttle towards the end of the season. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

Also 36, which is kind of getting ridiculous now. I promise I didn't count your homework. What are we doing? And I'll tell you my reasoning later for at question number 18.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

Well, I I was hoping that you would go over 40, or one of the three of us would go over 40 and really embrace this. Like Daniel Plencia is gonna be a break, is he gonna be the breakout MLB closer? I like you see it with Venezuela, it was awesome, pounding his chest. It's like the just the best experience you could ask for your closer going into opening day.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

But I mean it's just health. I mean, you want to make sure that I mean he's had some shoulder issues in his career. Nothing like too bad, but when you have a guy who's max VLO, max intensity, throwing 100 to 1001 and doing it back-to-back days in March and three out of four and five out of seven, like let's just make sure that we're good going into October.

SPEAKER_02 40:03

Would you comfortably say he has the best stuff in the Cubs organization?

SPEAKER_01 40:08

Uh that's a that's also a really good question. I think Ben Brown's stuff is nasty, especially when you get into like the secondary pitches and like the curveball for Ben is elite. But in terms of like explosive fastball, just like, hey, here's good old number one. You hit it, you can rename it. I'm taking Danny.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

And I'm circling Palency because I think it really could be one of those things that just at the end of the season, you look back, you're like, thank God Palencia stepped up. Thank God we found him. Finding a closer in Major League Baseball is a lot harder.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

You see the splitter that he threw last night, threw a couple splitters to left-handed hitters and made my jaw drop. But just remember, like, kudos to Jed Hoyer here, Andrew Chaffin for Greg Dykeman and Daniel Palencia back in 2021. One of the best trades of his career. That's a huge one. Mahoney talks about that one all the time.

Counsell Ejections And Infield Bets

SPEAKER_02 40:55

You ain't kidding. How about this for a prediction? This is our eighth prediction for the 2026 season. Craig Council ejections. Craig Council ejections. If I should give some context, he's been ejected six times as a Cubs manager, three times in each season, once on back-to-back days. And the most he ever got ejected in Milwaukee was five times, twice in uh, I believe 2017 and again in 2021.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

It's it's year three of the deal. I think you know he's pulling up the sleeves a little bit, unbuttoning the collar. I'm gonna go with five. I have it at six.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

I'd like to see six. Yeah. But there are higher expectations for this season. So you could see him, and he's very protective of his guys. And most of his ejections, it's because he's defending either a check swing when Madrigal got hit with the bases loaded. You know, there's plenty of examples. Nico Horner getting called out on a bad strike against Jack Flaherty and the Tigers in a rubber match. So there's like a lot of times it's because he's standing up for his guys.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Well, also, like Nico getting tossed there for saying, like, that that was a bad call. Like it was the most like polite thing. And that kind of aligns with what Nico does, but him getting ejected there was outrageous. Outrageous. Outrageous.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

And Craig, I don't believe he had gotten ejected until the second half of last year for the first time. And I believe with the introduction of the ABS system, I'm having Craig's ejection sitting at two. Because he's pretty calm, cool, and collected. I do want to see six, don't get me wrong. I want to see, you know, a little bit of that pizzazz, but if he doesn't have to, there's no reason for him to remove him from the dugout either way. So I'm going with two this year, boys.

SPEAKER_02 42:29

It is something to keep your eye on, though, because like what most Cubs fans say, you know, is like we'd like to just see a little more fire. You know, it's like show a little more fire. But his style is obviously take it day by day. It's hard to criticize a guy who's got like a 15-year MLB career.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Yeah, I mean, he's pretty well respected in that clubhouse. And I'm not just saying that because he's the manager of the Chicago Cubs. I mean, I've seen big league managers, um, not specifically to the Cubs, but at other big league teams, like not as respected. Like he carries big weight there and he he does it right.

SPEAKER_02 42:59

The one word I use, if someone, if if he had to just say like credit counsel in a nutshell, I'd just say just a prepared manager. He's ready every single day.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

I'll go with smart.

SPEAKER_02 43:10

Yeah. Really smart. Really smart human. We're gonna get to this stuff with the broadcast. I'm very interested in those relationships behind the scenes. Let's say prediction this one I think is interesting. This about Danzby Swanson, yeah, who has hit 244, 242, 244 in his three seasons with the Cubs. He's still been valuable. I love him. By far the most respected player on the team for me. But the prediction I have is what do you think Dansby Swanson's batting average is at the end of 2026?

SPEAKER_01 43:38

I think it'll be somewhere in the 240 range, but it's going to be in the higher 240s. I'm gonna go with 249.

unknown 43:44

Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 43:45

That would be an improvement. Honestly, just incremental improvements in his in his average lead to huge, huge gains in his wins above replacement. If you look at the back to back seasons he played 160 games, 162 games. One year he had almost six war, the other.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

Year was two and a half. He's so durable. He's so good defensively. He's an underrated base stealer, and he hits 20 to 25 homers a year. Like that doesn't fall off of trees.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

I have him at 256, and that is just because it is one thousandth of a point higher than his career with the Atlanta Braves. And I like, we got to have a better season than what he was with the guy it's coming. So I'm going 256. What do you got, Mahoney?

SPEAKER_00 44:22

Yeah what, Carl, I actually have 255. So, you know, just uh a wood chip below your prediction there. And I have 255 because I do want to see him being slightly above his career average for once in a cub uniform.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

Are we in agreement though that like I'll say I love Danzby Swanson? I shouldn't say I love him because I love watching him play baseball. You can love Danzby. It's fine. I love him.

SPEAKER_01 44:45

Yeah, a lot of people do. How could he not? Really good baseball player, widely respected, carries himself like a professional. And again, you look at the raw numbers, like above average defense, plays every day, runs hard down the line, steals 20 plus bags, hits 20 plus homers. Like it's pretty impressive.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

Moving to the other, I should say, the other left side of the infield, Alex Bregman,$175 million contract. The number one question I have in my mind is how many games does Alex Bregman play this year?

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Year one of a five-year deal, um, when you have another third base option in Matt Shaw, but also you do if if if say is a little bit banged up, a spot at DH. I think he plays 154 games, but I think 12 to 17 of those will be as a DH.

SPEAKER_02 45:33

Ooh, that's a nice caveat because I have him at 136 and did not consider him slipping into DH to give himself some time off.

SPEAKER_01 45:42

If you look at his injury history to save the legs a little bit, and when you have a Gold Glove finalist, third baseman, and Matt Shaw who can take the load off for 12 to 15 games.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

So yeah, I had 125, and I did not consider the fact that if you had that 17 of him just being able to DH and not be able to field not too far off, but it was also kind of just a stab in the dark that they're gonna protect the investment over the course of time, which is probably you talk to Bregman.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

He wants to play all 162. He doesn't want to hear any uh protecting of investment. He says this is a team that should win the World Series. I want to be as big a part of that as possible. I just love that so much.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

Now, Nico Horner stolen bases. Next prediction. Going into a contract season, he can swipe a lot. He's I think he's stolen 43.

SPEAKER_01 46:29

Yeah, he tweeted 40 a couple years ago. Um, but he's been anywhere in like the high 20s, low 30 range. I think he goes over 30. I'm probably gonna go 33 for Nico stolen basis. Okay, I have 47.

SPEAKER_02 46:43

I think it is a three-for-all basis for Nico Horner this year. And selfishly for Nico Horner, I think it has everything to do with going into free agency because there is just that incentive to add. You want to add. So there might be moments before we were like, I'm not taking second or I'm not looking at third. You know, Cubs steal third base, 40% more than the average Major League Baseball team under Craig Council, which is crazy. Yeah, but I think Horner's on the go this year. I I have it at 47. Mahoni, what do you got?

SPEAKER_00 47:11

I have it at 39, really, just based off of recent history of him running. I do get it. It's a contract year, and you might see a little bit more oomph there on the base paths. But, you know, I just had it at 39. He got caught what, six or seven times last year. So I think maybe 47 attempts, but I'm circling number 39 at Stolen Base is completed.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

You know what? If Nico Horner swipes 39 to 47 bags or somewhere in between, he will be a seven-war player and he will make a lot of money on the open market. Yeah, 39 gets you paid too. Yeah, he will make a lot of money on the open market.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

What about Michael Bush's OPS plus against left-handed pitching? This is their next prediction. Michael Bush OPS plus against left-handed pitching. They're saying he's gonna hit every day against lefties. We're ready for it. Anthony Rizzo was average against left-handed pitching. If we could get that for Michael Bush, uh, you know, we'd be the luckiest.

SPEAKER_01 48:03

If I'm not mistaken, in his small sample size last year, he was somewhere in the 80s in OPS plus. I think he was like 82, maybe 81. And then you give him more at bat, some more opportunities, but also more exposure points. I think it'll be somewhere in the high 80s. I'm thinking 89.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

89 would be awesome. 89 would be awesome. Yeah. I wrote down 81 would be good enough for him to play every day against left-handed pitching without completely ruining things. If I get 81 from 89 would be incredible, Mahoney.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

I had it at 85 because I'm really just looking for just that slightly, you know, just a little bit more of an uptick against lefties, and that's really all I think that we're gonna need for Michael Bush. So I have it at 85, but I'd love a high 80.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

It could be one of those stories that ends up being a much bigger deal than people realize, is how like even if he's just average, is a huge boost to the lineup construction.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

I mean, his regular OPS was like 660 or 650 against lefties. If he gets that into the 700s, he's getting MVP votes. Ooh, he's getting MVP votes. Not just underrated, he's getting MVP votes. If he's a 700 OPS against lefties and he plays every day or very close to it, that means that he has over, what, 145 games played? He's gonna have 40 home runs. He will be an MVP candidate if he can have a 700 OPS against lefties.

SPEAKER_02 49:25

And if he leads the Cubs in home runs and he leads the Cubs and run scored, like we're predicting.

SPEAKER_00 49:29

So yeah, let's give it to us, Bushwacker.

SPEAKER_02 49:31

What about Matt Shaw? My prediction, or I suppose the talking point here is what innings at what position do you think Matt Shaw plays the most is here? What position does Matt Shaw play the most for the 2026 Cubs?

SPEAKER_01 49:45

It's a good question. Uh, does DH count? Ooh. Because I think that whole DH against left-handed pitching. Really? I'm not gonna use Moyes as a DH against left-handed pitching, or or at least not early on. I thought we were breaking news there.

SPEAKER_02 49:58

I thought I thought there was a little news we're breaking from Cubs King.

Bush Versus Lefties And Shaw Role

SPEAKER_01 50:00

No, I I mean I just think especially early on, like if you look at his data, like Moyes is gonna be his first whole year of the big leagues. I think it'll be he'll be the primary DH against right-handed pitching. His left-handed numbers weren't great, but they weren't terrible. I think Matt Shaw's numbers against lefties were much better. So I would say either DH, but if that doesn't count, probably third. I would imagine he plays like 12 to 15 games at third, around the same at DH. He'll probably play 10 to 15 at second because he'll give Nico a day. And then when they're giving Danzby a day, Nico moves over to short and Shaw plays second. Um, and then I would imagine 10 and right.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

Just so well thought out, Mahoney. Are you listening to this?

SPEAKER_00 50:41

I am, and now I feel like you know I've been had by some of the the media I'm reading just because he's trying out right field and playing it. I had right field in my prediction, Carl. Sorry to jump the gun, but Alex just makes a world of sense.

SPEAKER_02 50:53

I have him in right field too, but that's I think bias of saying me just being salty that he could make it through the world baseball classic without catching a headline. Recency for sure.

SPEAKER_01 51:03

Yeah, I mean, I think he's gonna play a lot of positions. You also could see him in center when when PCA gets days off. And for purposes of that prediction, it's game started. I I understand. Um, yeah, I think you'll see him in center. Like, I think there's a world where Matt Shaw in these five different positions and maybe occasionally at first, he's still gonna get 400 ABs.

SPEAKER_02 51:22

That would have been the better prediction, or I should have had the follow-up prediction as then how many you know played appearances.

SPEAKER_01 51:27

I think the sweet spot is like 375, and I think he's gonna go over that.

SPEAKER_02 51:31

And I think he's got the perfect makeup to play every position on the field. I think that's a guy who just shows up, they go, hey, play second today, you're gonna catch today, you're gonna sell half of the three.

SPEAKER_01 51:39

It feels like little league. I love it. It's carefree. Yeah, I just figure out what glove I'm gonna put on and I go out and play.

SPEAKER_02 51:44

This is a very pro-Matt Shaw podcast, has been since day one. Love the way he plays. Another guy I love watching play. This prediction I think is interesting. Obviously, I fucking wrote him. Uh, Ian Hap, baseball reference wins above replacement prediction. How many wins above replacement? I should say over the last four years, he's been between three and a half and four and a half. Fans love complaining about him on Twitter during games.

SPEAKER_01 52:08

Yeah, I mean, like you can complain about 20 homers and 30 doubles every year if you want to. Like, that's fine. Like, yeah, it's your prerogative. I'm gonna go 4.2.

SPEAKER_02 52:15

Yeah, that's safe and steady. I have 4.7 just because it's like he's due. He's due a 4-7. He's due a 4-7. I don't know if I can ever see him going over five. You know, he does have stretches where he slumps, but generally speaking, I just call him a perfectly consistent major league baseball player. You know what you're getting from Ian Hat. Mahoney, you have him around four. I'm gonna guess you probably have four six.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

No, I got him at five, boys. I think that Ian Hap is gonna be hitting that five mark this year, and I'm gonna and I'm gonna tell you why. Okay, it's because of the contract here, it's because of the talent surrounding him. I don't think the slump is gonna slump as much as it has in the past. In 2026, we're gonna see Ian Hap eclipse that B-war, and that's my prediction for 2026. Five.

SPEAKER_01 52:59

Okay. Would love to see that.

SPEAKER_02 53:01

Let's roll. Now, what about Showday Imanaga? Next prediction. Show to Imanaga first half ERA over under 4.0. Alex is pointing way under for our listeners.

SPEAKER_01 53:13

What was his ERA last year? 3-7? Yeah. And that's when people were like, oh, well, you can't you can't start a playoff game, this and that. And then he comes back to spring training and he's actually throwing 92 to 93 miles per hour, and he got 24 whiffs in his last spring training outing. And he's been a career pitcher where his ERA is well under three and a half, let alone four. I think uh you're looking at like a three, four, two.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

I needed this wake-up call. Yeah. Because I'm sitting here that now I feel like an idiot for making it four points here. So your reaction was own it. Say it with your chest. I think he's gonna have a really great stretch at some point this season. I would like to have it at the start of the year.

SPEAKER_01 53:51

I think you're more likely to have it in the cold, and especially when like your first you have your first home stand, so he's probably gonna pitch. Then you either pitch at Cleveland or at Tampa. Uh Tampa goes back to the dome, so you're not in the minor league ballpark anymore. And then you come back home and pitch in Cole Wrigley Field in April. So your first three starts are in cold weather or pitcher-friendly environments.

SPEAKER_00 54:12

I have it as under four, and I thought that was a relatively easy threshold to get behind because he does have that chip on his shoulder. We're seeing Shota, who would likely be healthier than we've seen him in over a year. So in the competitor, I see him under four, and that's an easy one for me.

SPEAKER_02 54:29

Now, next prediction is Matt Boyd going to have a better or worse campaign than 2025?

SPEAKER_01 54:35

Define worse or better. Like, are you looking for more wins, lower ERA, strikeout numbers, more innings? Like, what defines worse?

SPEAKER_02 54:44

Hmm. Where you'd look at the end of the season, I'd say I think he pitched better in 2025. I think it's a holistic approach.

SPEAKER_01 54:51

Um, I think the ERA will be around the same. Uh, I would imagine he's in the low threes. Um, I don't think he'll throw as many innings just because um you might see them employ they can be creative and employ six-man rotation because they have depth when it comes to starting pitching that they didn't have last year. I'm not saying that they will, they just have the opportunity to do so. It's tough to say worse, but like I'm not sure if he's gonna be an all-star.

SPEAKER_02 55:16

Yeah, this is a tough one because I don't want to predict regression from a guy who's gotten better since his injuries and has done well under the Cubs pitching.

SPEAKER_01 55:23

Yeah. I mean, I I I think that if you're looking for my prediction on Matt Boyd, I I think that his ERA is gonna be in the low threes, like 3-2-1 or 3-2-8, something like that. I think he'll throw about 160 innings, probably like 145 to 150 strikeouts win-wise, like 13 and 8 sounds right to me. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 55:46

Mahoney, where are you at on Matt Boyd? I'll take 13-8 all day. And I do have it just as like slightly worse, only because it was such a breakout season, the load that he had to carry, more so than his entire career or the past few seasons combined in innings and such. And, you know, that's at all-star and all the other accolades that come with it. So slightly worse, but I do believe it's still going to be steady. So I just think 2025 was a huge year for him. I can't believe he's gonna eclipse that, but I do feel he'll be as competitive as he was, just not as explosive.

SPEAKER_01 56:20

Well, one thing to remember with Boyd, it's like it's not like this year came out of thin air. This is a guy who when he pitched for Detroit, he had over 200 strikeouts in the season. Like he's missed bats. Um, and he has good stuff. You saw him in the world baseball classic. He was hitting 96. He's obviously healthy. He's in a contract year as well. So you could say, yes, slight regression, but not much.

SPEAKER_02 56:38

I'm ultimately on slightly better because of two things. First off, contract year, he has a great chance, I mean, get a hundred million dollar contract. Like he can do that. Not saying it will happen, and I'm not predicting that. But when Matt Boyd takes the field on an opening day, if he has a really good year, he could go out and get himself a bag of money. And after all the injuries and all the teams and all the rehabs and all the different coaches he's had to see, that's the first thing that's on my mind. The second thing is it's just a second year with Tommy Hotovy. It's a second year in the pitch lab. Um, and I really have such a high opinion of the Cubs pitching culture and the run prevention strategy, where it's just like another year in the system. I think I think he's gonna be making, even if it's the slightest adjustments, that's why I'm saying slightly better. Okay, I like it. Second to last prediction is kind of more round table. Like, I'm just curious off the top, do you have any all-stars that you want to say you want to guarantee they're gonna be an all-star this year for the Cubs?

All Stars Picks And Top Storylines

SPEAKER_01 57:36

I think Nico's gonna be an all-star. I think Nico's gonna be an all-star between He's gotten snubbed a little bit. Like he got snubbed for the World Baseball Classic. I think he's generally underrated. Um, he was a top 10 player and B position player in B-War last year. Like one of the 10 most valuable players in baseball. I think it's either 10th or 11th. So I think Nico Horner is gonna be an all-star.

SPEAKER_02 57:57

I'm saying PCA is like a guaranteed all-star for me. I would love to see Nico Horner be one. You know, obviously, like would love to see Bregman be an all-star. He doesn't have to. You know, third base is such a tough position. Michael Bush, first base is such a tough position.

SPEAKER_01 58:11

Bush should get an all-star last year. Bush was better than the guys who were at first uh at the midway point.

SPEAKER_02 58:17

So it's all name recognition for first base.

SPEAKER_01 58:20

It's all like, oh, we're gonna give it to Matt Olson. Well, Michael Bush had a better year.

SPEAKER_02 58:24

So Mahoney, I know you just want to see us well represented.

SPEAKER_00 58:27

I want Michael Bush at first base starting the all-star game this year. And it's because I do, if he does hit that 40 home run mark, as I had stated in my prediction earlier, I think that he's gonna get that. I also feel that Kate Horton is going to be a nationally known pitcher by the end of the first half come all-star break. I do see that Kay Horton not starting the all-star game, but I do see him contributing um another one, Daniel Palencia. If he's at those numbers that we were that we were throwing around, Carl, me and you, what I had him at, both had him at 36 saves. I think if he's on that trajectory with the juice from the Venezuelan win in the world baseball classic, you have to take that into consideration because it is a voter thing. So, hey man, he rides this wave and he actually continues to save games for the Cubs and look good doing it. Daniel Palencia is an all-star. And I I just think PCA has all-star written all over him. You know, he's a perennial in my eyes over the next five, six years, whether that be consecutively or not, I think PCA is on that squad next year, too. So there's a number of players that could be all-stars too.

SPEAKER_02 59:33

So I think that's a cool thing about the Cubs roster.

SPEAKER_01 59:36

Nobody said Saya, and and Seya had numbers last year that indicated that one, he should have been an all-star. And I think where he got votes taken away is people didn't know is he a right field or is he a DH? Well, he's gonna play right field now. So if he puts up, you know, the numbers that he did in the first half last year, um, he will be an all-star in in the outfield.

SPEAKER_02 59:53

And I'm making this prediction now. It's uh March 23rd here. Season hasn't started in half all-star year. Ooh, not a guarantee, just a prediction. Okay, it's fine. This is the last one. This isn't really a, I suppose it is a prediction. Let's give our number one storyline for the season. It's the end of the year we look before the playoffs start. What helped us get to the playoffs, or what was the special storyline? Uh, Alex, what do you got?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:18

For me, it's two words. It's starting pitching. If Edward Cabrera or Cade Horton can be a legitimate one. Like if you said Cade Horton's an all-star. If Cade Horton's an all-star, this team's winning 95 games. That's the difference. Like if they have a dude that is basically like, hey, I'm gonna throw my A stuff, and it doesn't matter what lineup you're facing. If it's the Dodgers, if it's the Yankees, doesn't matter. I throw my A stuff, I'm gonna shut you down every single time. And whether that is Cade Horton or Edward Cabrera, who this is a bull take. Edward Cabrera has the highest ceiling. Highest ceiling doesn't mean it's a guarantee. Highest ceiling for a Cubs pitcher since Jake. Whoa!

SPEAKER_00 1:00:59

Yeah, baby.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:00

Yeah. 99 mile per hour heater, 96 mile per hour changeup when the heater is probably his third or fourth best pitch, highest ceiling since any pitcher since Jake. Oh my gosh. So if one of those two can be the dude, this team will win 95 to 100 games.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:17

And you're speaking from personal experience of having been in spring training and watched Edward Cabrera be around this.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:23

He topped out a 98.7 miles per hour, the spring training start. I saw him, and it looks like he was throwing a beer pod shot. Like it's just so low effort. The the electricity in his arm and pure stuff that he has. I was I was walking back from the backfields, and I see Tyler Zombro walking the other way. And I go, Yeah, what you think? He goes, Well, that was fun. And this guy has seen hundreds and thousands of pitches and arms, and just the arm talent is special with Edward Cabrera. Health is an issue, consistency is an issue, but if they can gather up everything, every ounce of potential, he is more talented than any pitcher that I've seen in this system since Jake Arietta.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:04

You just mentioned his name. I'm just curious, quick insight. Tyler Zombro. That's the guy who was interviewing for the Washington Nationals pitching coach position.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:13

He's gonna be interviewing for a lot of pitching coach jobs.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:16

And the Cubs came back and they were like, we're actually gonna promote you to the executive vice president of pitching development, like almost as if the Cubs developed a spot for him.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:22

He is a lengthy development career, like he was got started with tread, which is you know how you develop you know not only baseball players, but it has a lot to do with arms and building up velocity and recognizing data. I mean, Tyler was a heck of a player in the Tampa Bay race system. Um, he got hit in the head with a line drive, and you know, things went a little bit south for him as a player. Really, really smart, really, really good dude. Um, probably a genius. And and just love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:50

Just knows pitchers. He really does. See, that's just a little behind-the-scenes thing, Mahoney. I was I didn't plan to get that, but we've talked about him before. We made a big deal about when the Cubs uh promoted him and he took his name out of the Nationals pitching coach job. I just love having guys like that in the organization. Mahoney, what's your big storyline for the year?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:10

It's not necessarily just the starting pitching, but it's going to be that starting pitching depth. And it really surrounds the fact that we're adding Justin Steele almost right before the all-star break. So we have Justin Steele coming up, you know, to be another potential sixth starter and just the number of names and arms that we have, what I just heard from Edward Cabrera, I was squeezing onto my chair almost as hard as I could. I was digging my nails in there. So it's gonna be that depth of the pitching staff where if somebody does go down and is out for a month, two, whichever, we have guys that are going to be able to fill that void and do it well, not just fill the starts and be play starters here and there. We have guys that are gonna be out there competing regularly.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:55

So then you have Javier Assad waiting in the wings, a guy who has a sub-3-5 ERA over his career. You have Colin Ray, who was one of their X factors last year, why they got to where they got to, set a season high or a career high in innings pitch, um, was really reliable down the stretch, and then waiting in the wings, it's the top pitching prospect in the organization, Jackson Wiggins arm with a 99 mile per hour fastball. You know, secondary stuff is really good as well, just needs to get more innings under his belt. They're in the best place that they've been in from a pitching standpoint in a really, really long time. Yeah, baby.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:31

My storyline, and I'm gonna be very selfish with this one, is quite simply Moises Ballesteros. I am obsessed with this guy. I have been for years. I have been pounding this guy's drum. I am so excited for this guy to be in the opening day lineup. I love the fact he's breaking into the big leagues as a designated hitter. The pure talent it takes before you get to the big leagues and you catch for a while and you learn how to hit, or whatever it is. You're an injured hobbled first baseman, but you mash left-handed pitch. There's so many routes to becoming a DH. And like the last one is rookie. You just break it. I am so hyped about Moises by Asteros that I think in the second half, we're gonna be looking at this guy like people are gonna be patting Jed Hoyer on the back as hard as they possibly can. I think Moises by Asteros is gonna have a breakout sensational year, and I think people are gonna love him. He fits the Chicago athlete prototype perfectly, chubby, swagger, just so cool. And like he belongs.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:30

No, he's cool, man. Like it's he's the type of person like you wake him up out of bed in a fire drill at 3:30 in the morning in the hotel, and you get to the ballpark for a 120 game, and he's still gonna go three for four.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:42

That's where I'm at with Moises. Now, I would like to tighten up and just conclude this long prediction segment and say we do all agree this is a playoff team. They're gonna win the division.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:52

Yep, division winners, playoff team, hopefully deep run.

Pitch Clock On Broadcast Prep

SPEAKER_02 1:05:56

As I said, we are going long. Alice, you have 15 minutes. Can we pitch clock you? Do it. Yeah. All right. So this is a segment that we like to do. We just fire off some questions. Let's do it. On average, how much time goes into preparing for a broadcast?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:10

Uh on game day, probably three and a half, three and a half hours. And it also depends on what part of the season that you're at. Like if it's the first game of the season, I'm preparing six hours. If I'm calling back-to-back games, like let's say I'm on a road trip, right? And it's game four of an eight-game road trip. I'm not preparing us on because then I'm going recall. Hey, this is what the guy did yesterday. Here's what he did two days ago. Here's what he's done over his last five, his last 10. I don't need to research that because I saw it. It's like, oh, this is what Voices by Aceros did on a 2-2 pitch. He fouled off three pitches and he hit a single the other way. I already know that. I saw it. So it really depends on the time of the game, like when it is in the course of the year. Early on in the season, five, six hours. Middle of the season would have done back-to-back games, three and a half.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:59

I got a hypothetical here. So in those situations, say you can't fully prepare. Sure. And travel, whatever. You have 30 minutes, you have to cram. What would be the most important stuff that you're looking at? Stick to the basics.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:13

Yeah, home runs, uh, RBIs, what the guy did in his last 10, what he did in his last five.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:18

Now, this one could be stupid, but what's your relationship with having the quote unquote announcer voice? And can you just like turn that on and off? Like, how does the voice work?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:29

The voice is all about projection. It's not here, it's here. Like if you're getting into a call, like you're getting it from here. You're getting it from your chest, you're getting it from your legs. It's like a full body workout. So if I'm talking to you right now, like I'm not talking from my legs, I'm not talking from my stomach, I'm talking from my voice. But if you're getting into like a walk-off call, like you want to use every ounce of what you got. Like, I'm using all 235 of me right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:56

And you're talking to two guys with two of the worst Chicago accents that are all front of the mouth. I see a point at your lungs. I'm like, that's where I need to be speaking from.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:03

Hey man, like I'm from the East Coast. Like I used to have the long bowels, the home cone phone off me. Oh, I used to do it all. And then, you know, my my dad, who's a lawyer, he's like, You got you gotta cut that shit out. Like, you gotta, you gotta speak neutral. Um, it took some time, but you know, when you get to geographically neutral places, like I've been lucky enough where I broadcasted in and out places where I've obtained and circled through dialects. I broadcasted in Huntsville, Alabama, had a little southern twang for two years. I broadcasted in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I broadcast it in Bowling Green, Kentucky. So I've gotten like the full circle.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:38

Chameleon, yeah, that's unbelievable. Yeah. So, like, what about the play-by-play brain? True. Can you turn that on and off, or do you find yourself calling games when you're with your buddies or you're just on the couch?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:50

And it's more muscle memory. Like, you know, normally, like if I'm talking with my friends, like I am using different language than I am on air. And I when I'm on air, just something kind of clicks.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:01

What's your actual job responsibilities for Cubs games when you're not on the call? Like, is there some kind of emergency protocol, or like what are you doing in the days you're not calling?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:12

I'm going to baseball games for free because I have a press pass and it's awesome. Yeah, it's great. No, I mean what I try to do is I try when, especially when the Cubs are at home. Um, I try to go to media availability every chance that I get. If I'm here, I'm going. If I'm not doing anything, I'm going. Because if I'm not calling games every day, like there's still something that I can learn. Like I go to Crack Council's press conference, I shut up and I listen and I learn something. I go to batting practice and I get to close my eyes. I listen to the sound off the bat of, say, a Suzuki and some of the conversations that they have. I learned something. So I try to be as present as possible without being a nuisance.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:49

If a player had spent seven years, you know, in AAA and they're knocking on the door, that might not be the greatest story. It would be particularly sad, you know, in the long tourneyman career of a baseball player. But you did it as a broadcaster with the Iowa Cubs, and that's endearing and speaks volumes to hard work, etc. But what's the number one thing you have done to get better in those seven years you think that has allowed you to fully develop into that MLB caliber announcer that we all know and love?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:18

I l I listen more. I listen more. I mean, early on in my career, being somebody who loves sports and being somebody from the East Coast and being somebody with a lawyer background, like my entire family of just lawyers, I love to argue. Like I love to shoot the biz with my friends and show them that I'm right and I know a lot. And there came a point in time where you just have to sit back and you have to listen. You have to listen to your tape and see what sticks out in a good way or a bad way. You have to send your stuff out and listen to the people giving you advice. And you don't have to listen to everything. But just like I said to you guys before, like I talk with Boog Shabby a lot. He's probably my biggest mentor, biggest advocate. He's somebody that, like, if I'm looking for a career in baseball, what I want, like, it's his. And you listen to him talk for an hour, you have to take in everything that he says. Take it all in. Maybe implement 10%, but take it all in and just sit back and listen.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:12

In this journey, was there a specific moment that you personally realized that you could do this job very well? Whether it was like a great game you called or a call within a game or a conversation with an industry veteran. Is there like an exact moment you can look back on and be like, that's when Alex Calling really broke through?

No Hitter Pressure And Voice Craft

SPEAKER_01 1:11:31

Yep. November 2019. So I used to call games internationally, and I still do, um, for the WBSC. So before that, they had they really dove into like the world baseball classic, baseball in the Olympics. They still have this tournament, but it's called the Premier 12. 2019 Premier 12, say Suzuki was MVP, Japan won. And I remember I was calling the gold medal game Japan versus Korea. And I was calling the game with Ryan Roland Smith, who used to be a big league pitcher and now does stuff for the world baseball classic. JP Morosi was my sideline reporter. And I remember after that game, we were sitting uh in Tokyo, we were having some post-game refreshments, and I was having a conversation with JP, and he's like, You can do this. Like, you are as talented, you are as prepared as anybody who I have worked with. And I'm just like, all right, I just called Japan Korea, say a Suzuki, MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, called nine games in seven days, still like pack my punch, added gusto to it, and that's what I knew. I'm like, I can do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:31

What's your favorite stat when you're introducing a hitter and pitcher for the first time?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:36

Um, it's a really good question. I think it is totally dependent on the hitter. With Alex Bregman, I am talking about his lack of strikeouts and his consistent odd base percentage. With Michael Bush, I'm probably talking about his home runs in correlation to his on-base percentage. With P. Crow Armstrong, it is the power to go along with the stolen bases, total war, and all of his defensive metrics. With Danzig Swanson, it's his defensive metrics to go along with a slug. So it really depends on the player.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:05

But it is secondhand at this point in your career. You just you just know exactly where you're going.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:09

I mean, I'll sometimes, like, especially when it comes to the other team and their other pitchers, like, I'll study up on it, but I know enough of the Cubs players where, you know, Daniel Palencia, you're talking about swing and miss. Is he getting whiffs? Is he staying in the strike zone? Is he not walking, guys? How low is the whip? So, yeah, I think it it's it's correlated with the pitcher, player, skill set, where they hit the order, everything.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:30

We just have a couple more here. This was this is a fun one. Let's just pretend Mahoney's about to go back to school. He wants to study sports broadcasting. Sure. He he wants to get in the booth, he wants to do your job because he's been so inspired by this conversation. What's the most important piece of advice you could give Mahoney when it comes to interacting with a former player co-host and getting the best stories and the best engagement from the guy next to you in the booth? Listen and ask questions.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:56

Don't talk over them. Like, if you're a play-by-play broadcaster, you're basically a point guard. Like the way that I view play-by-play broadcasting, like, let JD be Steph Curry and let Taylor be Klay Thompson. And me, I'm Mike Conley Jr. I'm gonna I'll go get mine. Like, I'll get my 13 points, but like I want to have as many assists as possible. I want to put Taylor and Elise and JD and Demp in the best possible situation where they can put all the information they want and get all the stories in. And if they feel fulfilled and they get their information out there, I've done my job. I think JD's underrated. I think JD's one of the best color guys in baseball, if not the best.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:39

And I hope that as his career continues with the Cubs, that he goes down the path where the fan base really embraces how lucky we are to have him.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:48

He's so smart and he's funny and he's dry and he gets it. And he's not one of those players where, yeah, the players that were that came up in his era, for the most part, this is a generalization, but for the most part, do not embrace what baseball is in 2026. And he does. He opens up his mind and he listens and he looks at data and he looks at metrics and he thinks that all information is good information. But he's also somebody who, yeah, you know what? Like, I'm gonna look at wins, that's a stat. It's not irrelevant. I'm gonna look at war, that's a stat. It's not irrelevant. I'm gonna look at he's gonna look at it all. Like he's gonna, it's the full package. Like he's not closed-minded, he's open to new ideas. I mean, I think he's the perfect blend of color commentators.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:33

Love it, love it. Alex, you called the no-hitter, uh combined no-hitter, but a no-hitter nonetheless. So, was that your most historical game that you called? And as you do a game of that nature, do you feel any additional pressure as it unfolds?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:48

It's really funny about the no-hitter game. Um, I don't know if you guys remember, but there were two errors over the course of the game that the Cubs committed was by Isak Parades at third. One of them was ruled a hit initially. So it got overturned. It was it was in like the third or second inning. It got overturned to an error in the fifth inning. So I remember looking up in the scoreboard in the third inning, it was like, no runs, one hit, no errors, whatever. And I was like, okay, like fine. And then the six rolls around. And I look up at the scoreboard, it goes, no runs, no hits, no errors. And I look at JD, he's like, Did you know that's bridge? And he's like, I just figured it out. And goes, I go, JD, this is not my booth, this is your booth. What is your rule on saying no hitter in the booth? He's like, say it to your heart's content. I'll I'll go out and say it. No hitter, no hitter, no hitter, no hitter. And that immediately put me at ease.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:38

And I'm just staying on this nervous thing for a second. Like, do you get nervous before a game? Do you get nervous before a series or something?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:44

I don't feel nervous. The the thing that I can tell is my appetite shrinks. Like, you look at me. Like, I can put down chow. Like, I can eat. I love to eat. Um, but I've noticed, especially early on in the season, before games, like I don't eat as much. Like, I'm not as hungry. Um, and then after the game, we'll just be like, give me pizza, give me brownie, like give me 6,000 calories. But no, before games, I just I'm not that hungry. Um, I'm excited. Like, I'm just excited to call games and you see the lights, you're doing the open, you look at a Wrigley Field, there's 45,000 fans, and I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:19

I think that's the number one thing that comes through in your broadcast, and just the pure excitement and the enjoyment that you have. I was gonna say that for wrapping the interview, but it's here now. Like, just the first time we got introduced to you, your enthusiasm for the game just jumped. This one, I'm I'm really interested in this. Take this for a test drive. Yeah. How much do you interact with players directly when it comes to talking about their approach or stuff they're working on? You know, we'll hear that when we're watching a game. It's like, you know, he's uh he's been in the cage a lot. Yeah. Like, you know, we we we're constantly exposed to like the behind-the-scenes stuff from the broadcast. Sure. So, like, how do you get those insights? Are you getting them directly from players? And do you have to like well?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:59

Basically, it's media availability. So they open up the locker room uh about four hours for four first pitch for 50 minutes. I make sure that I go to that every time, whether I'm calling a game or not. If I'm in town, I try to go to that because I can learn something. And um, anywhere between like five to 20 of the players are by their locker. And if they're not changing or talking to somebody else, you go and you talk with them and um you try to ask simple questions. Hey, like you're hitting 375 over your last 10 games, you're hitting 225 over your previous 10. Did you make any changes? Did you do anything? Did you see anything? Did you talk to anybody? Um, so it's just being a person and like asking simple questions and not trying to dive into life stories. But I think for me, what's really helped was you know being in the Cubs organization for seven years and being in Iowa because you go to this big league clubhouse and there's a lot of people around, like you build those relationships in the minors. Like when I was in the minor leagues, I was not only the play-by-play broadcaster, I was a team's travel coordinator. I was booking the flights for my god, dude. Yeah, booking the flights for the team and booking the puff for the team. So, yeah, like they're gonna be when I'm booking a 6 a.m. flight. And then, you know, when I get them a nice room on the road or I get them a good seat on the plane, they're happy with me. So you build relationships that way. And I'm really lucky that I was able to call games in the big leagues for an organization that I was in the minor leagues for seven years because I go immediately into that locker room. And you know Justin Steele, and you know P. Crow Armstrong, you know Kate Horton, you know Matt Shaw, you know Ian Happ, you know Nico Horner. You're a familiar face. So um I think that's what's really helped. Um, it helps that it's also a great clubhouse for the Cubs. Like they, this is a really good unit of players. Uh, they respect each other, they respect the media, they respect what we're trying to do, and that's not always a guarantee in minor league baseball or even major league baseball for that matter. Like, I've seen situations where that has not gone well, and it has gone very well here.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:50

That's incredible. That's incredible, and that gives me great context for when I'm sitting watching the broadcast and hearing about guys like just knowing that the those relationships are real.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:59

They are, they're they're genuine and they change. I mean, my relationship with Pete Crow Armstrong when he's a 21-year-old in triple A is different than what it's gonna be as a 24-year-old coming off an all-star game at a world baseball classic. That's just the natural progression that it is. Like, I'm not booking his flights anymore. So yeah, but it all comes with respect. And to go off of what Pete does, like Pete hasn't really changed. Like, I would imagine if I were in that spot, if I'm 24, like my head would just balloon. And his isn't. Like, he still talks to fans, he still talks to kids. You still see him chatting with Danzby and Ian and Nico, trying to learn something every day. You still see him at batting practice working his ass off, like with John Malea, with Dustin Kelly, you know, trying to figure out like how can I be better? Like the hunger is still there. And I can't imagine, like, if I'm 24, if I'm thinking that way.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:49

It's awesome. This is our last pitch clock segment. It's actually uh it's actually a Mahoney rapid fire. So these are this is this is pitch clock on steroids.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:58

Real quick, I had five I really wanted to get into. Alex, so your favorite booth outside of Wrigley, besides Iowa, it's gotta be in the big league's favorite booth go.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:07

PNC Park.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:09

Your most influential broadcaster to you personally and your career specifically. Luke. Do you practice a home run call? No. What about tough last names? Are you always 100% confident in the moment?

SPEAKER_01 1:21:26

Uh yes, because I prepare for that before the game. Like I asked the opposing broadcaster and I phonetically write it out in my scorebook.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:33

That's preparation right there, folks. Maniacs, listen to that one. Got to take your notes. So last one I got is it's pretty simple. So, what's it like being just that regular guy? He's been now in the same booth as a Jack Brickhouse, a Harry Carey calling Chicago Cubs baseball games for a living. Is that as sweet as everyone listening could possibly imagine?

SPEAKER_01 1:21:57

It's more. And so, I mean, I remember the first time that I was at Wrigley calling a game, looking out, and hearing Go Cubs go, like it was an intoxicating feeling. Like I always used to say that I just wanted to call one game, one big league game, and I'd be done. Call it a career. Um, after doing that, I want more of that for the rest of my life.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:19

That's incredible. So cool. I mean, from like Jack Quinlan and Jack Brickhouse to Harry Carey, you know, I'm obviously biased. The relationship, I there's maybe people want to make arguments about the greatest broadcasters of all time and the greatest broadcast teams and what all that stuff. I can narrow it to Chicago Cubs and say the broadcast means more to us as fans than any other team in Major League Baseball. I don't care.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:44

It's relatability, man. And like that's a big part of why I do what I do, because I I love baseball. I'm just like you. I just happen to have I'd majored in journalism, I have a little bit more experience in a clubhouse, and I have you know a little bit more clubhouse access. That's it. I mean, like, I I want to be the same person that calls a game and then you can go to Murphy's with after and break down the game with.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:08

You heard it here, maniacs.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:10

If you see Alex out you know on Clark Street, I think people know. People know at this point, like I'll shoot the biz. And if you say something I don't agree with, I'll tell you.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:18

Hey, we really appreciate you coming on the Monday morning cub show and helping us preview for opening day. This is I'm excited. Awesome conversation, and we're very lucky to have as much time as we've had with you tonight.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:29

I appreciate it. Uh, I'm really looking forward to the season as well. Um, I'm I'm telling you, March 26th, we are uh we're gonna go 54 degrees and sunny at Wrigley Field. I'm not gonna shoot for the stars here, but we're all we're all hitting singles. We're hitting singles, we're getting on base. We're we're moving, we're moving the chain. 54 and sunny.

Post Interview Reactions And Next Steps

SPEAKER_02 1:23:47

I love it. Let's end on a great prediction. We're we're gonna have friendly weather at the friendly confines to open the season. Alex, thank you so much for joining the show. Phenomenal. Really appreciate it. Thanks. And that's Alex Cullen, Mahoney. I think just a wonderful man.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:02

Wonderful man. Couldn't be, you know, even just nicer to set aside the time for us and the maniacs, but at the same token, just bring in the energy, bring in the heat, the passion. They said it before in the intro. This is why that guy is where he is. They get they started a club, a journalist, they started a club, a broadcasting club, and that they're all doing it at some professional level today. That's the type of mindset that separates these dudes from the rest. And um, yeah, talk about just insights to our clubs' arms. What he was saying about Cabrera and Ariana? Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:41

Phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:42

We'll have video, I'll post these videos to YouTube at some point. I'm still setting up the page, it's gonna take some time. And but the video reactions, uh my facial reactions is he's making some of these comparisons. He almost fell out of my chair when he said that about Eddie Cabrera because that's just a range you gotta be careful to go to. And he's a seasoned baseball guy, he knows not to really go into that. Also, dude, I love that story of him looking at JD and being like, what do we do here? It's your booth, like that level of respect to JD. 100%. Oh, it's so good. And his enthusiasm does just jump off the charts. And it is nice that we have like sure, our national guy is our number one guy in Boogie is gonna be on national calls. He's gonna miss games and stuff. And the fact that we can tap into an Alex Cohen and he's as good as he is, in my opinion. Uh, is just it's we're just lucky. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:32

It really is awesome. I mean, uh just some of the tidbits too, just not knowing he was really calling the no-hitter until you know inning six because you're in it and you're prepared and you're just doing your job. Uh, very, very cool stuff. What a way to start the week and really what a way heading into opening day with Alex Cohen, Carl, and myself's predictions. Uh, really, really fun conversation all together.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:56

So I should have an opening day recap show available Thursday midnight. I'll do it solo right after the game, 25-30 minutes. And it's gonna head in this direction uh that I'd like to do in YouTube this season of daily videos, still just figuring out the programming. So just keep your eyes peeled for this stuff. But I'm gonna take a stab at it, uh, I believe Thursday night after opening day to just publish some general thoughts and see if we can get some conversations going outside. Listen, I love the Monday Morning Cup show. We're here every single Monday morning. But just the question in our head is how can we add just like a little bit more? Is there a chance to add a little bit more consistent programming? So we're gonna explore that, but we're just gonna do it open-ended, fluid situation here, no promises or commitments.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:42

There you go. So you don't want to set yourself up for, you know, let's temper the expectations, but be prepared because something's coming.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:51

Absolutely, Mahoney. And the last thing I'll say, I just couldn't be happier that I get to do this with you. That we get to be the guys interviewing Alex Cone, that we're putting this together, that we're behind this project, that we have such optimism towards the season. I think this is gonna be a big year, Mahoney. I just want to tell you personally, if there's nobody I'd rather be doing it with you.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:08

Yeah, Carl, Ditto, same difference. And what a way to roll into season three of the Monday morning cup show with uh, you know, AC, yourself, myself. I couldn't be more pumped for this season. I couldn't be more pumped to sit down and do the show with you every Monday. And I can't wait to see some of that additional stuff that you're gonna be bringing, breaking down the games per game. That's to me, that's just unbelievable stuff. It's great for the maniacs, it's great for non-maniacs too, just baseball fans, because you're truly one of the best who does it in this country. So props to you, Carl. Thank you for bringing me along slowly but surely. And here we are going into season three of the Monday morning cub show for the maniacs.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:48

Let's have a great fucking year, boys. Let's do it.