The World Baseball Classic is AWESOME + American League East Predictions - Ep. 94

In today's episode, Clay and Tyler breakdown the USA vs Dominican Republic semifinal matchup in the WBC, along with their American League east record predictions. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:27

What is going on, ladies and gentlemen? It's been a while. Well, welcome back to the Let's Talk About It podcast, the podcast where we cover all things MLB related. We got you with the latest news, rumors, drama, in-depth, in-depth analysis, and all that good stuff. For I am your co-host and creator of the podcast, Tyler Barbaras. And joining with me is my left-hand man, Clay Selgen. Clay, how's it going, brother?

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Brother, we're doing great. We watched a hell of a ball game last night. Uh, can't wait to talk about it. But it's it's it's been a while since we've recorded the Let's Talk About It podcast. So it'll be nice to uh gear to all the other 29 fan bases that get sick of our talkings.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

That is true. You know, Clay, you you you took the words right out of my mouth. That game that we saw last night between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic was ridiculous. And we're gonna dive into that. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more home runs. But speaking of home runs, I got to give a quick shout out to O Squared Residential Design because they hit it out the park with their kitchen and bathroom renovations. Whether you need to restore, replace, or completely remodel, they have got Maryland cover. Check them out at osquaresign.com. That's osquedesign.com. That game last night was unreal. Two to one finish. Our boys in the red, white, and blue take it home. You know, first off, I just want to say the environment in that game was ridiculous. Um, it seems like every player on that field was like, that was the best environment I've ever played in. And some of them have played in World Series and World Series games, they've played in game sevens, they've played in playoff games, they've played in the college baseball world series. It is truly a one-of-one tournament, and I really, really, really hope that they continue to build the world baseball classic because Dominican Republic, their fan base, special. Puerto Rico, their fan base, special, Venezuela, special, Japan, special, Netherlands, special. I mean, that Wol Your Abreu home run to go ahead against Japan in the seventh inning, electric. Electric. And I don't see fans care this much about their own organizational baseball team than they do their own country's baseball team. I just want to say that I think the world baseball classic is awesome, and I want to see this happen every year, not just once every what? Is it three years? I don't want to see that. I want it every year. This shit is fucking awesome, and I need more of it. Clay, your thoughts.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Yeah, I you took the words out of my mouth. You know, I I see people, you know, in the arguments online, if you play it every year, we'll take the excitement out of it. I think no. I mean, you see how much these guys care about their countries. I mean, it's we're talking about it's March, it's March 16th, and we just watched the most exciting baseball we're gonna see probably until October.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

October.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

You know, and and even then, you know, those games like the Dominican versus Puerto Rico, Dominican versus you know, XYZ, all these you know Spanish-speaking countries, they obviously show a ton of emotion. We've seen it this entire tournament, we've seen it in past years. You know, it it's something it was electric in Miami last night. When Julio Rodriguez robbed that ball in center field off Aaron Judge, I I mean that was one of the loudest, you know, crowd environments I've ever heard. And you know that Fox kind of tones down the the crowd noise too. And the fact that it was that loud on TV, it's incredible, dude. I mean, the USA, you know, thank God we won, you know, and it was great. You know, but this is just something that I think unites people, I think it brings people together, and I think, you know, from the climax of the world we're in at the moment, I think it would be even better just you know to do this every year. You know, it's it's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

You know, one thing that I love about this tournament is that teammates are like fuck you if they're not on the same team. Like Cal Rowley and like Randy Rosarena, like Randy went for a fist bump, and Cal said, no, it's business. Like that's what you kind of gotta do, you know, like especially especially when you got your country across your chest and on your back. It's like, man, it's it's it's those boys in the locker room and no one else. And um, you see that in like the World Cup, you see that in, you know, the Olympics and in like the four nations, but like that's that's the beauty of it, you know. I remember in what the 2012 20 2008 Olympics, uh, when Kobe and Team USA were playing uh Spain in like the semifinal, and Kobe told LeBron, I'm gonna run through Palgasol, I'm gonna put that motherfucker on his ass. And he did it, and they were teammates, best friends. Pal.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Palgasol takes care of Kobe's daughters now that Kobe's unfortunately gone.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

It's family, but when you're playing for your country, when you're you know, you know, like Paul Skeen said, there's nothing more important. It's it's it's awesome to watch, you know. And people, I saw a couple last night with with Fernando Tatis trying to dap up Will Smith, and it's like you guys really fucking hate each other from March to October. What the hell are you trying to dab me up today for? Like it's not like but but in the same aspect, you're watching, you know, you watch Red Sox and you watch Roman Anthony and Aaron Judge share the same outfield, you watch Gunnar Henderson share the field with Bobby Witt, two guys that are compared to each other constantly. But yeah, for a moment they're teammates. For a moment, Paul Skeens and Terek Scuble, who bitched out, you know, they they were teammates. The two best pitchers in the world were on the same team. Now we're stuck with guys like Tim Hill and Jeff Hoffman, you know, in the bullpen.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

But you know, you know, you're okay with it. I mean, you have Mason Miller, so it all so it's all okay in the egg.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Yeah, you got a guy coming in throwing 103 and then and you know just painting the black.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

I mean, yeah, like good luck hitting that. But like, I mean, well, the world baseball classic has generated so many memories this year. Ozzy Albis's walk-off, William Brayu's go ahead, uh Acunya hitting a leadoff. That was electric. Acunya hitting a leadoff bomb, and then Shohei following it up with his own leadoff bomb.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

We got to see we got to see Alexi Ramirez and Ruben Tejada in the Lord's year 2026. I mean, how can you ask for something?

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Vance Worley, like God, talk about names, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Talk about names. We're seeing guys that we never thought we'd hear of again, and all of a sudden they're pitching for their country. Not really their country, especially like with Team Italy.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

I mean, it's just a bunch of guys from New Jersey, but you know, a bunch of white dudes from Jersey like Jack Caglio and like.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

That's why that's why it's awesome. It's awesome though. I mean, you're playing for your heritage, though, even though you're not playing for your country, you're playing for your heritage. So, I mean, there's a there's a family tie to it, and uh I mean we'll get into it, but I hope Venezuela wins tonight just because I think I think it would be more electric, even though I would want revenge on Italy. But I also think playing Italy would just be like the United States versus New Jersey, like it was like the board of education, like or this not the board, this the Supreme Court. Like you're it's literally just a court case New Jersey versus yeah. Like it's I want to see Venezuela. I mean, shit. I mean, think about how electric that is. Not to get political. We fucking went into their country and took their leader in January. That would be a fucking all of a sudden now Tuesday night in Miami, like fighting out of the red corner, you know. I mean, shit. You talk about storylines.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

It's uh I can't want to come over here. It's like Rocky and like Yvonne Drago, and it's like or look, it's like club or lane, like, yeah, dude. It's it's the world baseball classic generates these storylines like out of their ass.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

And it's Drago Drago kills fucking Apollo Creed. Now Rocky goes into Russia and beats him in front of his own crowd. Like, that's you can't make this shit up. It's cinema.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

And that's what the world baseball classic has that you know, not a lot of other sports have. Like, hockey, I have newfound respect for, not only because the sport is mentally and physically grueling, but because how much they care and the culture behind it. And it's like the storylines between Team USA and Canada is insane. It's it it's so deep-rooted, and now it's like USA versus like the DR couldn't could be a new deep-rooted one because of how dominant the Dominican Republic will be for the next decade. I mean, yeah, like they have young guys, they have old veterans that are still gonna play when till they're 40. Like, Manny Machado's not going anywhere soon. Now, he had a pretty underwhelming classic, but he's not going anywhere soon. It's like all these players, Julio Rodriguez, Tatis, Junior, Camonero, like, they're all still so young. That's the scariest part of all of it, too. And same with the USA, they're still young too. Gunnar Henderson, Roman Anthony, like Bobby Witt. I mean, these guys are so Paul Steens, Bobby Witt. Yeah, it's you know it's never-ending, and and it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

You you mentioned Tyler talking about hockey and how how great the Olympics was in four nations. I think it's funny the personal tie I felt to it because you know, my mom's been doing this buildup program the last like two years where we've had like kids that play junior hockey living, you know, at the house. And you know, the one kid that's you know, my buddy Bray, I mean, he's lived with me for two two years now. You know, Johnny Gadreaux's brother Maddie that died, that was his coach. Like, he had a personal tie to that. And seeing seeing watching the game with someone that you know knew the Goodreads and knew them well, and then especially you know, with my mom living in South Jersey. I mean, this this community really cares about the Gaudreaux. I mean, it's a it's a big deal. So watching them bring out you know Johnny's daughters and and kids, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

That was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

It was such a tie. And and and last year, you know, a good friend of mine, Caesar, he lived with us and he's from Sweden. And so all of a sudden, you know, I we still talk every day, and it's like I I get to see, I've gotten to meet people with different views, different, you know, backgrounds, and and you know, how much Sweden cares about hockey, how much you know, Finland cares about hockey, meeting kids from Lithuania, Latvia. I mean, it's it's everyone cares, bro. They care so much. And it's it's like just seeing how much it affects them, and it's like when when people mention, oh, the USA doesn't have the kind of energy, and it's like, you know, we finally got to see some sort of energy last night, but like I agree. I mean, you see the Dominican Republic, you see Venezuela. I mean, when William Breyu hit that homer the other night off the Japanese threw his bat 60 feet in the air. I mean, Jesus, like, I mean, it was a piss missile. I mean, like, like it was insane, and and it's like just something like just seeing like these countries care, and especially like you you got smaller countries, the Dominican, like these countries are smaller nations, and they just produce just absolute weapons.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

So cool to get it. Yeah, yeah. That's that's honestly a really good way of putting it. They're all absolute weapons, and so like, how the hell is Junior Camanero so good at hitting baseballs? I mean, we were talking about it earlier, like the pitch that he hit out last night on Paul's schemes. I don't know how he hit that out.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

I mean, that is just that's a 20 what a 21 or 22-year-old just doing you know, guy throws 102 and then a 90-mile-an-hour sweeper, and you and you take a ball, a sweeper on the outside corner and pull it 400 feet. Like, who's doing that?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Who's doing that? Junior Camonero, a future MVP, that is for sure. Junior Camonero, if he can have a little bit of defense as a future MVP because of his hitting profile. Now, I will be in now. I was a little bit skeptical coming into this season prior to the world baseball classic about if junior is like actually a really, really good hitter or if he's just uh product of a minor league ballpark. And after watching the world baseball classic, this guy's a really good fucking hitter. That guy can do it, dude. And it's funny. Consistently, it's it's ridiculous to play.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

It's it's like watching like last night, like David Bednar had guys on second and third and two outs, and Catel Marte came up, and I'm like, Mike, well, who's next? Maybe we could walk Catel Marte because he's a hell of a baseball player and see who's next. And I'm like, I look at the box score and it's Ju Soto, and I'm like, well, fuck.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

You can't you can't walk him.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

You can't like if this gets to Ju Soto, this ball's gonna land in Cuba.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Like, it's like no, you I think you said it perfectly. The DR produces weapons. Um, but like somehow Luis Severino is their ace.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

It's like how we have hitters, but you know, skiing's in Scoobyl, yeah. We have Tim Hill coming out of the bullpen.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Yeah, well, I mean, the DR had Christopher Sanchez, who excuse me, they have Christopher Sanchez who was nasty, but he pitched the day before. Um, so he wasn't able to go. USA also has Logan Webb, but like Nolan McClain getting the start in the championship for team USA is not gonna lie, it's scary, but well, you know how I you know why I'm confident in him?

SPEAKER_00 13:48

He's one of the only pitchers in this world Michael Elias has ever drafted. And well, didn't sign him, but you know, the fact that Michael Elias drafted a pitcher that kind of tells me this guy has to be somewhat decent. So, you know.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Well, Michael Elias doesn't have the best luck with drafting pitchers.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Well, because he's only drafted four of them, you know. If he drafted a few more, maybe one will hit, but you know.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Who knows, man? I mean, Nolan McClain, like, I got faith in the guy. Um, he has a great last year. He was, and um, like if Roman Anthony can, you know, have uh 1,000 OPS at 21 years old in this first world baseball classic, why can't Nolan McClain go four innings of scoreless ball?

SPEAKER_00 14:32

That's all you need four or five innings is get to the pen. And the way the pen looked last night, I have a lot of confidence in this. But you know, it's you know, the way I look at it, you know, if you play Venezuela, you know, you're gonna have an exciting game, and I think we can pull it out. If you play Italy, you're playing for revenge. I think the storyline's great no matter what.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

So uh I mean the USA bullpen is would be the best bullpen in baseball. Okay, wait. Is the USA's bullpen better than the Padres bullpen with the healthy with the healthy Jason Adam?

SPEAKER_00 15:03

No, because they have Jeff Hoffman. There's no bullpen that Jeff Hoffman can be a part of that I'll say is the best ever.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

The Jeff Hoffman hate agenda will will never, never end.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Like, I I'm not gonna lie to you. Like, obviously, of course, I want the USA to win tomorrow and I'm gonna be cheering hard, but like if there was a scenario where Jeff Jeff Hoff Hoffman could give up a brand slam and then we come back and Gunner hits a walk-off and saves his ass. Like, I I love watching Jeff Hoffman fail. Like, even the Dodgers are like the root of all evil when it comes to baseball at the current moment, and watching Jeff Hoffman give up, you know, a home run, you know, to blow the World Series, like it doesn't get better than that. It doesn't, but it might tomorrow. But you know, so far it doesn't get better than that.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

If there was one thing that you could say to Jeff Hoffman, what would it be?

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Go fuck yourself. I hope your arm breaks, you know. I hope I hope the MRIs are true, dude. There's two teams failed your failed your physical, physical.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

That is true. And then he's out here blowing kisses to the sideline.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

I mean, yeah, like go fuck yourself, dude. You literally, you're a four-e RA pitcher. You failed in Philly, you know, besides one year, you know, you you fucked up a World Series, you're never gonna live that down. So, you know, I hope you can go blow kisses to someone else who's banging your wife or something.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

All right, there you go. Clay Selgin has a personal hatred for uh Mr. Jeff Hoffman. We're gonna take a quick break. Then when we return, we will be giving our American League predictions for all three divisions. Stick right with us. You're listening to the Let's Talk About a podcast. One more time for our friends at O Square to Residential Design. If your kitchen or bathroom needs a championship level makeover, these are your MVPs. Family operated, serving excellence, serving the state of Maryland. Hit them up at osquaresign.com. That's osquaredesign.com. All right, baseball season is officially here, so we have to give our division predictions. We got three of them, Clay. I hope you did a little bit of research and and and wrote some of this stuff down prior to this.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Luckily for me, I already posted all of my American League predictions on um Instagram throughout the past month and a half of the American League. So I am going to start with the American League East. I can break it down, then you can follow up. We can just go who we have at one. Actually, we'll just do it. I'll say my five, you say your five, then you can ask me a question about my list and why you can ask you.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Wins and losses, or just you want wins and losses.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Wins and losses. Wins and losses, uh, wins and losses, and where they're at, and then we can give a little explanation on why they are there. Good. All right. Predicting the American League Yeast for 2026. Coming in at first, I have the New York Yankees at 94 and 68. Um kind of hard to doubt the Yankees again, even with a lot of injuries. I still believe in uh in what they got going on. Then coming in at number two, I got the Toronto Blue Jays at 90 and 72. Um after making the World Series last season. They have been aggressive in free agency, and I think that aggressiveness will pay off, but I think it's gonna cost them a little bit, especially after losing some key pieces. The chemistry isn't where it is, and I don't expect players like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, or Nathan Lucas to produce for them in the same way that they did in 2025 here in 2026. At third, I got the O's at 88 and 74. I think it's good for a wild card berth. However, I just think this division is so competitive. Uh, their bullpen worries me. Um, and I don't really know how to view their offense outside of really only two to three players in Henderson, Alonzo, and like Wart. Everything else is kind of question marks there for me. I love the O's. I love what they've done this offseason. I just don't know if they're gonna be consistent enough to win this division. At number four, I have the Boston Red Sox at 83 and 79. Um their rotation is good. It's honestly really, really good. But this offense is gonna take a significant hit, in my opinion. Um, they lost a lot in that department after losing Bregman. I don't really know how Jaron Duran is gonna do, how well how Willie or Breu is gonna do. But if there's one thing I know that Roman Anthony is gonna be a dog, um Wilson Contreras, or was it William Contreras that they added?

SPEAKER_00 19:55

They added uh Wilson. Wilson Wilson.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Right. So we'll see how Wilson does it. I think he he can, you know, help them for sure, but bullpen still is a question mark, offense is still a question mark, and um I think a lot of these pitchers like Ranger Suarez, they're gonna get shelled when they're at home. So that's why I have him at 83 and 79. And then coming in at fifth, I got the Tampa Bay raised at 76 and 86 at fifth in the AL least. I like what they're doing, I like their direction. If they're rookies and Carson Williams and you know Xavier Isaac, if they can ball out, then great. They could be an 81 team. If Sheen McClanahan can return back to Cy Young form, they could be an 85-win team. But I just don't see all those things happening. So for that, I got them winning 76 games, coming in at fifth. So to recap, got the Yankees at one, Blue Jays at two, Orioles at three, Red Sox at four, and uh Tampa Bay Race at five. Clay, your list.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Yup. So starting off, and it's probably gonna sound a little biased, but I have the Orioles winning the division.

unknown 21:03

All right.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Look at that. You know, I think the Chris Bassett signing kind of I don't think it pushed the needle for postseason wise, but I think it gives them that stability that they needed. I have the Orioles going 99 and 63 in a very, very tight division race. I think it comes down to the last weekend, and it wouldn't shock me if if the Orioles finished in second or third, but I I just think that they have the best lineup in the American League East, and I think that their pitching is enough to get them over the hump, especially because I think they have the pieces that they acquired at the deadline last year to be able to acquire guys at this year's deadline to get them over that hump. Uh second place, I have the Red Sox. I have the Red Sox going 97 and 65. I think the Red Sox are gonna be very, very good. Like we talked about earlier today. You know, Roman Anthony's been incredible, and and that team acquired Ranger Suarez. You know, we'll you know, we'll wait to see how that plays out. But I think that team is is very, very good. I think that they have the bullpen. I think their bullpen's improved over the years, their rotation's deep. Their bullpen's good enough to win them games. It's not going to be what hinders them. Just like we talked about that being the Orioles' biggest concern, I don't think that that is going to be what holds them back. Third place, I have the New York Yankees going 95 and 67. The reason I don't have the Yankees winning the division is because I don't think that their rotation is there. You know, you got they didn't really pick up anybody this year that to me, besides I mean Ryan Weathers, I don't think anything really changes. Garrett Cole is coming off an injury and he's a year older. Carlos Rodan's a year older. Max Fried's a year older. You're going to be counting on a lot of guys, and I think they're going to win games, but I just don't think that they're going to win 100 games, and I don't think that their lineup is going to produce the same way it has the last two years. It's just, I don't think Jas Chisholm's the 30-30 guy. I don't think Trent Christmas's the guy he was last year. Um Blue Jays. I got the Blue Jays coming in fourth winning 91 games. I think the Blue Jays are another.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

You have four four teams in this division winning 90 games.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

I 1000% do. I think this is the best division in the American League. And I think, you know, the West, the way the rest of my standings look alive, you're probably going to see four teams from the American League East in this playoffs. Because I think the American League East did the best job this year in offseason to get better. These teams are all good. The Orioles would have been in it last year, too, if they hadn't got hurt and shit hadn't hit the fan as bad as it did. To me, the Red Sox are a year older and they're going to be just as good, even without Alex Bregman. Hey, you know, if they stay healthy. So I've got the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_01 23:31

The only time four teams in the same division have won 90 plus games in MLB history was in the 1978 American League East. Yankees won 100 games, Boston Red Sox won 99, the Brewers won 93, and the Orioles won 90. That's crazy. I that that would be something else, Clay.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

Because to me, here's the thing: now that we don't play everybody 18 games a year, all of a sudden it opens that path to playing. You're playing a couple more games a year against the Rockies, you're playing a couple more games a year against you know shittier teams from the National League. So that opens up that ballpark of beating up on bad teams. So I I think the Blue Jays, like I've said, you know, I I hate them. I don't think their bullpen's gonna be that good. That's why I have them in fourth. Um, but you know, I just I think that that's they they got the hitting, they got the starting rotation. 91 wins is good. Uh and then the then the Rays I have at 75 and 83. I I think that you know they take a step, but not that big of a step. And Junior Cameron Arrow leads a pretty shitty team.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Fair enough. I um you know the the the Red Sox thing really, really questions me because how good do we think that offense can be? Like, is Roman Anthony gonna be uh like an MVP level player? Is he is he gonna have the year that like Under Henderson had in in his second full season? Is he gonna be a Bobby Witt type player? Is he gonna be like I I I think that team goes wherever Rome goes. Um, like you know what you're gonna get with with Jaron Duran, you're gonna get a seven more season, great defense, uh 270 to 290 batting average with a slug in the or with an OPS uh hovering in the high 700s, low 800s. Sedan Raphael is gonna play great defense for you. Well, your Brayu's gonna hit you 20 home runs, but it's like at first base, what like what are they gonna do there? Like, do you have that much taste? Yeah, right. Is Casas healthy, which he never is? Can Trevor Story stay healthy? Who's your everyday second baseman? Is it Christian Campbell? Where is Marcelo Meyer gonna be? You have no third baseman. How good can Ranger Suarez be? He he's looking all training.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

I mean, I just think if things are so many question marks, but I also think looking at that bullpen, signing Danny Cool and getting a rollest chapman. If our oldest chapman can be half of what he was last year, that's still a very good closer. They have lockdown lefties in that pen. They have guys that throw gas out of that pen from the right side, and they got a deep rotation. Ranger Suarez, Brian Bayo, Sonny Gray, Peyton Toll. They got guys. I mean, it's it's a deep, it's a deep rotation.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Yeah, you know, I I I wouldn't be shocked if like one of these ALE's teams signed Lucas Giolito just because he's still a free agent. He already has some ALE's experience being with the Red Sox. Like, why don't the like I mean, every AL East team has depth, it feels like in their rotation, though. Um, but G Lio is a guy that could like very, very well come in and be a number four starter for a team. And if he doesn't play good, you just DFA him and you just eat his one-year contract. But he I I'm pretty sure he has like a 2.6 career ERA against the AL East, which is phenomenal. Um, and he was on he was on the Red Sox last season and he ended the year great for them.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Um how is Michael Kopek still unemployed?

SPEAKER_01 27:07

Right, yeah. Michael Kopek is another guy that a lot of these AL East teams could use, a high velocity flamethrower uh coming out the bullpen. He he had like a he hasn't pitched a lot of innings for uh the Dodgers over over the past two seasons, but he has like a 29% K rate. It's just the wall crit that is very, very concerning for him, which I think is a big reason as to why no team wants to take a waiver on him.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Yeah, I completely agree.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

But I honestly just made the executive decision that we're not gonna dive into the other American league teams. I want to save those for um other episodes. Um we'll we'll fill in the two other American League teams in our next episode, and then we'll do one big National League team just because I wanted to talk about USA versus the Dominican Republic and and those types of games.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

But we'll get the whole squad going to hear what Jake thinks.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Um Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll we'll we'll get a lot of content going for you guys here recently. It's it's ramping up, and trust me, we're we all got our own things that we gotta do, but we are dedicated to making the most MLB content for you guys. We're gonna do our award predictions soon. Be stay tuned for that either um early next week. I think we're probably gonna do it next week, um, just because we're gonna get out our record predictions out first, like what we just did here. Um, but yeah, Clay, our list could not be really any more different outside of Tampa Bay. Like Toronto, Toronto being at four was kind of a shock for me. Um I think their offense is gonna be spectacular once again. I think Kazuma Okamoto is a baller. Um I think when they get Santander back, it'll help them.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

Um when when will they get Santander back? I mean, he's gonna be out, what, five months? Yeah, I mean, my thing with them, and I do think, like I said, I mean, winning 91 games, I think they're gonna be really good. But I think it's gonna take a little bit for guys to get going. I think you know, losing Bo Bachette, you know, guys like Ernie Coleman, to me, I just don't see them replicating what their magical October run. I, you know, winning 91 games, obviously they'll be good, like I said, but you know, they they went on a magical run last year. You know, I didn't see Toronto being a World Series team. I mean, Toronto was, I wanted to say, in the bottom half of predictions to make the playoffs last year. Probably, you know, and but you know, like we talked about, I don't think Dylan Cease is worth the contract he got. He'll be good, you know, but they've got to deal with a lot of injuries. Max Scherzer is about a thousand years old, and that's you know, who they're hoping to round out the bottom of their rotation. Trey Savage, is he gonna be the guy that we saw in the playoffs? I think yes, but it's a lot of question marks. It's a lot of question marks.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

I think it's just really, really hard to you know regress from a World Series team to a team that only wins what on your list 91 games and sneaks playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

That's still more than they won last year, though.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

Is it?

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Yeah, I think that I think they won 89 last year.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Well, they didn't, they won the American League.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

They won the American League East.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

No, they won the American League. He was the one team in the American League. It was them.

SPEAKER_00 30:31

It was them. They finished all right, yeah. They finished with 94, so it'd be a three-game digression. But I mean, look at last year. Blue Jays and Yankees both won 94. The Red Sox won 89, the Orioles won 75, obviously. I think the Orioles are gonna be a 91 team. So I think the Red Sox are are gonna be a game better at least than they were last year. So it wouldn't shock me if there's four teams that win 90 games in the American League East. And you know, we'll get into our no we'll get into our predictions in in the next episode when we have the whole team, you know, for the rest of the American League. But I just I don't see three other teams from the other rest of the American League that could replace these teams as a wild card team this year.

SPEAKER_01 31:11

I don't that's that's one that's my one thing. I got three teams making the playoffs. I got Boston and and Tampa Bay missing out. But like I think the Mariners playoff team, Tigers playoff team, and then it's one of the Guardians Red Sox for the Indians, Red Sox, Rangers maybe. A's, yeah, A's, A's could make it, Astros maybe. I mean, like, there are a lot of people. It's all it's it's all reliant and dependent on health, and that's what a lot of these teams are gonna have to go through this season. But who knows, man? Opening day is, I think, what, 12 or 11 days away. It is a rapidly approaching sooner and sooner and sooner and sooner and sooner. And honestly, I cannot wait to see it all unfold. Um, but that's gonna wrap things up. In our next episode, we will do our American League West and American League Central predictions, and we'll probably talk about the uh world baseball classic championship game then. So make sure you guys follow us on all socials to see our work and content uh that we will be posting throughout this week. Uh at Talk About a Podcast on um Instagram and on TikTok at Let's Talk About It podcast on X and at Let's Talk About a Podcast on YouTube. Make sure to follow us there. Once again, also thank you guys for 1,000 subscribers on YouTube. That has been awesome. Um, made this account, what, 20 months ago? And to be at a thousand subscribers now is awesome. So just want to say I'm super, super blessed, super, super thankful for that. Um, but once again, thank you guys for tuning in. You guys can listen to the Let's Talk About a podcast on all platforms, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts for the whopping price of$3.99.0. So make sure you guys tune in to us there. For Tyler Barbaris and Clay Selgian. We will catch you guys in the next one. Have a great rest of your day and peace out.