The Jimmies 2026 Predictions!

Slay Dude, Pops, and Josh predict the awards winnders from each league and the division winners.

The Jimmies also pay homage to a Texas legend.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Baseball fans and baseball lovers, good day. The 2026 baseball season is upon us. We are just a day or two away, depending on when you're listening to this. The season starts on Wednesday. Um, and uh it's gonna be on Netflix, boys. Opening day. Giants and uh and the New York Yankees at Oracle Park on Wednesday. Um, Teddy's birthday, by the way. Shout out little Teddy Bear. He will be two years old. Yeah. Um, so I'm gonna convince him that for his birthday he wants to watch a baseball game. So we'll see how that goes. Um, but it is time for our 2026 predictions. We're gonna go through all of the awards and we're gonna go through uh who we think is gonna win the divisions. Um, and boys, this one was uh kind of by far our best performing episode of uh last season. So um hopefully we can get another big boost here. But let's get into it. All right, Pops, Slay Dude, it's good to have you back today, Slay Dude. We missed um Pops is decked out in his Cardinals gear. I got my Rangers gear on, Slay Dude Sporting Rangers and the Mean Green, University of North Texas. Um, all right, so we're gonna start with American League. We'll do some awards, we'll talk about our division winners, and then we'll go into the National League, and then we're gonna pay a little homage to a Texas legend who was born in Oklahoma. And no, it's not Wendell Pops Patterson, it's a Texas legend. Um, so AL MVP. And honestly, for both MVPs, it's probably a little difficult to bet against any uh to bet against Judge or Otani. Um, but uh I mean let's see what you got uh for the American League. Um I guess if all of our picks are gonna be judged, then maybe we can all just give a if they're all gonna be judged in Otani, we can just give a dark horse, you know. Say, God forbid Otani blows an arm out and he's done for the season, or uh judge, you know, tears an ACL, you know. Hopefully none of that happens, but we'll give a dark horse who who we think if those are gonna be our picks. So Pops, we'll start with you as usual. Who do you got for AL MVP?

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So I think uh I I think I took him last year, and then uh, although um we've talked about him, he he did not have a season that everybody thought he would have, although he still had a really good season. So just to not pick Aaron Judge, I'm going to pick the other guy in the American League that can hit over 300, and that is Bobby Whitt Jr. Okay. Um, you know, I mean, man, that guy can pick him at shortstop. He plays a high profile position. Um, I I think uh you know, hopefully the Royals can have a better season than what they had last year, had had last year. And uh if if they do, I think we may see some judge fatigue and uh some somebody wanna let uh let somebody else in in into play. And you know, I think we talked a little bit about it last year. I I think you know, around Labor Day or so, I'd I switched over to uh after supporting Judge all year in his 330 batting average, I switched over to the Cal Raleigh. And then, you know, basically that was the kiss of death because I think that was the last day that Cal Raleigh got a hit. And you know, but I I do think if Raleigh had wound up hitting 260, 265, he'd have he might have changed that. Um it was real close even with him batting 240. Dynamic a little bit, but uh yeah, but when he when he dropped below 250, that was kind of kind of the end for him. But I I think there's a little bit of judge fatigue, and I think if Bobby Witt um comes along and you know has another three, has another 3030, then I I think he could get into the conversation pretty pretty pretty easily.

SPEAKER_03 4:05

Okay. How about you, Slade?

SPEAKER_05 4:09

So uh just to be different, because that was gonna be my dark horse pick as well. I don't, you know what? I mean, it's uh such a small sample. You don't know if uh the WBC hangover is gonna be there for Judge. He obviously, and you know, he you know quieted a lot of his critics last year by having a pretty decent postseason, although they didn't make it past the divisional round. Uh but yeah, simply because of the batting average, and then you know, we saw Bobby Wood make some amazing plays in that WBC, and he's just you know, a down year for Bobby Witt was still like you said, 300 or over or whatever it is, and leading the league in hits with what 186, which was sad because it used to be always well over 200. Yeah. But um, shoot, man, I would say if not Bobby Witt after old old uh Judgy Judge, who the heck would it be? So let's say, and not to be a homer because you know maybe White Lang forgets a little bit of he hasn't definitely needs a show me season his third full year here. So hmm, if not Witt Jr. I would say, you know what, it's gonna do it. He's not gonna hit 60 home runs again. Uh it's just too demanding of a position. He didn't have a great WBC either, didn't even, I think, play in the in the semifinal or championship game. They put Will Smith in over him, but give me the big dumper. Give me him for ALMVP. Okay, but kind of pop saluting. I think it's gonna be a mid to high 200, 270, maybe 280 average, 45 bombs, 135 RBIs, and for a team that is, I think, right now the third favorite to win the World Series, Seattle Mariners. So give me give me the big dumper.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

All right, big dumper. Well done, Slade. Um, so I'm gonna say for sure, Judge. Uh, with so Cal Raleigh had had to have literally the best offensive season by a catcher ever in history to even make it a close race. Um, and then Judge, all he did was break history himself or make history himself by hitting the most home runs ever out of a batting champion with 53, by the way, and batting 330. Um, and for much of the season, remember, it was getting close to the all-star break, and this guy was batting 400. Um, so he did, he had the was it a shoulder or an elbow? It was some kind of injury that took him out for a little while. So I think that probably helped Cal a little bit. Um, but I mean I know what you're saying, Pops, about judge fatigue, but we talked a little bit about it dur as the season went on last year. Hopefully, hopefully, we don't get any judge or shohei fatigue because it's just kind of amazing what these guys can do. Like, I when we were watching Miguel Cabrera or Albert Pujols hitting, like, I did you ever get tired of them getting MVP votes? I mean, they didn't win it as many times as Judge is probably going to. But um, I mean, I don't we weren't fatigued of Barry Bonds. He won four in a row, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Well, you know, I I think the um the fatigue comes in on the part of the riders, the voters. Um, but you know, I I think um, you know, if Bobby Whitt was ever going to unseat Judge as the MVP, it would have been at 24 when he led the league in hits with 211, 45 doubles, 32 home runs, 109 RBIs, and uh won the batting title at 332. And if you're still gonna give Judge the uh MVP on top of that, then you know you might as well just uh write that into his contract for the next five years because he's gonna win it for every year, right? Yeah, but I think you know, another potential dark dark horse, if um Detroit lets him go and pitch a few extra innings, uh, you know, we could see a double out of school. Yeah. M MVP and and uh and uh and Cy Young, and you know, same same as we when we get there with the National League with uh with schemes, if they kind of take the reins off of him a little bit. So yeah. All right, well, take a massive performance done see uh the incumbents.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, well, I am taking judge, um, but my dark horse is gonna be a guy that I think is just going to have a massive year. Uh, he just got a massive contract, um, left a team that I don't think really appreciated him, at least the organization, um, and going to a team that I think he's going to see great improvements in, that we're gonna see great improvements in this year. And I'm taking Polar Bear for my dark horse.

SPEAKER_05 9:07

Oh, coming over to the American League. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

I think Pete Alonzo um is going to have a stellar year in Baltimore. Um, I think he can relax a little bit, you know, and now that his his free agency stuff is over for the next several years, he's got his nice big bag of money. Um, and he's wearing the number 25. So let's go. Let's do this.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

Let's just know what I'm changing my mind simply because of that.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

All right. Uh, let's go to the AL Cy Young. Um I mean, it's kind of tough to go against Scoobyl, kind of like it's tough to go against Judge, but um, I think pitching wise, you know, there are some other names out there that do make it a little bit closer than anybody makes it with Judge uh going against them. So who do you take for the AL Cy Young Pops? Last year, Terek Scuble, obviously, his second in a row. I think Crochet finished second and Hunter Brown finished third. I'm going by memory there, so forgive me if I think that sounds right.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Yeah, I I think it's just it's so hard to do this kind of stuff three years in a row, but of course that's what the same thing we for a pitcher for sure. Um but uh you know I'm gonna I'm gonna take the crotch rocket. Uh I do see that there are some web websites that have um McKenzie Gore as a dark horse. So that would be cool.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

That would be a real dark horse, but um for me, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna take the the the crotch rocket.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

I like remember we we talked at the end of the season and it didn't end up when we really looked at the the stat line, it wasn't as close as as I thought it was gonna be. Um crochet against uh against Scuble. Scoobyl ended up kind of blowing him out of the water still, but well, not blowing him out of the water, their stats were close, but Scuble beat him in everything, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:10

So um and and with a lot stricter pitched out and any count than than Crotchrocket had for sure. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

Uh who do you think, Slade?

SPEAKER_05 11:20

AL CIM. Easy to pick the Crotch as number two, and like Wendell said, it and you don't get because Scoobyl is not the name that Judge and Otani are, so I don't think we have that fatigue there. And I think Scoobyl has every bit of motivation like he needs anymore because of them signing Framber to that huge deal and not extending him and and things like that. Greg Crochet, Hunter Brown, yeah, are are definitely there. And I really like Pop's point. And I was, you know, Sim, I think in the same thing of we could have the the Cy Young MVP as well, you know, from from Scoobo. I mean, he's obviously the heavy favorite. Hunter Brown, I mean, it just depends kind of on his health, depends on what the rest of that rotation is gonna do. So And are the Astros gonna win any games? Mm-hmm. Exactly, right? So, you know, it's it's not the sexy pick, you know, but I mean I think I think it's Scoobles. Obviously, it's his his to lose, and that's that's who I'm gonna pick to get it. So okay.

SPEAKER_03 12:28

All right. I think you're kind of I think you're kind of right, Slay dude, but I I don't want to uh I I I'm gonna do kind of a dark horse pick, somebody that I think um is going to be so freaking important to his team, especially since there's some um like injuries kind of hanging over their head, and they have some pitchers that are going to be coming back eventually. Um and but we don't really know how they're gonna do when they come back. Um, but I'm gonna say Max Freed. Okay. I think he's gonna carry that Yankee team um all the way through until Cole and uh Rodon get back. Um and he's gonna he's gonna show everybody why he got paid and why he's uh why he's the ace of that staff. So he's gonna be like I said, it's it's tough to go against Scoobyl, but if I gotta pick a dark horse, um and I I do think it is the pitching race is closer than than the the position player race. So I'm going Max McCreed. We all picked lefties, how about that? Well, I they're shit, they're the best ones in the American League, though. So you know nobody picking Nate Dog Eavaldi or Jacob de Grom, huh? I really wanted to, and obviously I'm a homer now.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

It would have been interesting had um Ivaldi pitched more and pitched more edges. Yeah, he he would have made it a conversation, even uh, you know, even with the 500 baseball team, you know, for for sure, because he was, I mean, the ERA that he had even versus Scuba was just like stupid. It started at a 1.3 ERA over a course of you know, I mean, that's that's Bob Bob Gibson territory from 1968 where they changed the the rules of the game.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

He was so freaking unhittable last year. I mean, it was just it was it was it was fun to watch, even though the Rangers were losing half of their games. Um, all right, so we got the big awards out of the way. How about reliever of the year American League? Who are y'all going for reliever of the year? No more Emmanuel Class A, so you can't pick a guardian. He's out for long.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Um who's the dude in Seattle? Senior Smoke, Alfredo Munoz. I'm taking smoke. Oh me, all the smoke.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

I believe it's Alfredo. Is that Alfredo? I don't know. His last name's Munoz. I'll just do a Munoz because I don't remember his first name. Andres Munoz?

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Thank you. Let's see what does. Although they've been full of shit a lot. Um baseball reference, but yes, it is Andres Munoz. They're not umlauts, whatever the Mexican version of Umlots is.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Oh yeah. Umfredo Munoz converted, like, I want to say the first 19 or 20 opportunities last year. Is that right? Before he ever blew one, him and Josh Hater, I think both went a really long time without giving up, uh, without blowing a save. Who do you think, Slay dude? I like Senior Smoke. That's a good pick. You go on Robert Garcia?

SPEAKER_05 16:10

What are we yeah, no, Robert Garcia?

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Lou Jackson, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 16:15

Uh yeah, or him. So him, or who is our uh Chris Martin?

SPEAKER_01 16:24

There you go. There you go. Josh Martin will be the best pitcher out there for eight games this year.

SPEAKER_05 16:31

Yeah, until he gets hurt during his warm-ups again, right? So let's see. The AL starting pitcher, y'all. Munoz is gonna be a good one. It's Emmanuel Clase. You said did you just say he's not there anymore, Josh?

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Yeah, no, he he's the one that got yeah, he got he got two to one odds that he would not play baseball ever again. So he took it.

SPEAKER_05 16:51

Yeah. Old uh old Chappie rolls Chapman. Yeah, never know about that guy. Man, he's such a wild card. But I guess if you keep pumping in those undetectable steroids in your body, maybe you can teach Profar a little something about that. You can keep going until you're 45.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Yeah, you know, don't us.

SPEAKER_05 17:10

Yeah. Uh what about who's the closer for Toronto?

SPEAKER_03 17:14

Is it I think they've got Hoffman slated as the closer, right?

SPEAKER_05 17:19

I'm looking up and says a guy named Jordan Romano. Or did he get slated? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

I think he came over from Philly, maybe. Who was the guy that pitched the ninth inning for the oh for Venezuela?

SPEAKER_05 17:34

Or USA? Yeah, the guy from Venezuela thinks a cubby because they I think they told him the only way you're allowed he you're allowed to pitch him is if you have a lead and it's a safe situation, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Who pitched the ninth for the USA? Was it what was his name?

SPEAKER_03 17:49

It was Mason Miller and Garrett Whitlock. Whitlock semifinal and the final, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Where does Whitlock pitch?

SPEAKER_03 17:57

Where does he pitch? He moved this season. Garrett Whitlock.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

There he is. He has a red Red Sock.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

Oh, see, I was I was gonna say White Sox, and I was like, that's not right, they don't have any good players. Um so last year's reliever of the year, um Chapman.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Oh, yeah, Whitlock's not gonna get any save opportunities ahead of Chapman unless Chapman just shits the bet again. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:34

Chapman had 32 saves to the 1.17 ERA last year. Too many Christmas career year at 37 years old. Um, and then did I say Edwin Diaz was the National League? That was his third award, but uh Andres Munoz was runner-up last year, Carlos Esteves out of Kansas City was third in uh in AL.

SPEAKER_05 19:02

What about this guy, my Tom Crap Felix Batista out of Baltimore?

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Is that how they have Batista slated as the closer this year? They're reliever right now. So Ryan Helsley, I would assume, is gonna be the closer. He's gonna be the closer, right? Yeah. Reliever of the year is typically typically gonna be the best closer in the game. It I think it used to be the um it's called the Mariano Rivera Award and the Trevor Hoffman Award for the American League and National League. So it's it's more of a closer.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

You gotta have the the measurable numbers, right?

SPEAKER_05 19:45

The measurable numbers get me Munoz. Give me Munoz. You go on Munoz too?

SPEAKER_03 19:50

Okay, okay. Andres Munoz. Um reliever of the year. Um, just because I think they're gonna have such a good year, and he's just a guy that um he no matter what team he plays for, he just freaking gets it done. Um Kenley Jansen for the Detroit Tigers. I think he's gonna go out there with that.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

That's gonna be pitch for somebody really crappy like that.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

And I think he's gonna break. Yeah, the LA Angels of Anaheim and still picked up almost 30 saves.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Yeah, and he already it's is it 500 saves he's going after this year, or is it 300? Yes, no, it's 500. 500, that's what I thought. Yeah, he's going after his Hall of Fame credentials this year. I think he's in the 470s pops, if I remember right, but yeah, I'm going to go. It's right at 30 or maybe a little bit less, but yeah, it's in that ballpark. He should get it with Detroit.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Yeah, and I think that's gonna add to his uh stock a little bit when it comes to the reliever of the year award. Um, he breaks a record, or not a record, but gets a huge milestone like that. Um, then I think we're in pretty good shape. All right, up next, our last. Wait, did I do that right? Rookie of the year. Um, next to last award. Let's do rookie of the year. And then after rookie of the year, our last award will be Comeback Player of the Year. So Pops, rookie of the year. Last year it was Nicholas Kurtz, number one. Um, I don't remember who got number two because oh, I think was it Jack Wilson? He got number two, his teammates?

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Yeah, I think they were teammates, right?

SPEAKER_03 21:54

Yeah. So who do you think for AL rookie of the year? It's so weird. Like rookie of the year predictions are hard because like who's who are they going to to really bring up? You don't really know when or what kind of timeline or what kind of uh motivations are behind those decisions, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Yeah, I think I'm gonna take you savage. Nice. Man, you took away all my predictions on the divisions. How am I gonna know?

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Yeah. Oh, I was I thought you were doing that for a joke.

SPEAKER_05 22:44

No, he said that way I knew what to pick.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

Right, that's why that's why I thought it was a joke. Um, I could probably plug him back in, Pops. I think I'll be right back. Oh, that's fine.

SPEAKER_01 22:55

We'll just keep it as we go.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Okay. Um, so all right, you're taking your savage for rookie of the year. Slay dude.

SPEAKER_05 23:03

Yes, Savage. Definitely a good pick, but I will go with his teammate. Oh, the guy who will be replacing Bachet, or they're hoping. Mr. Kazu Kazuma Akamoto.

SPEAKER_06 23:20

Nagasaki.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Kazuma Okamoto. Okay, very nice. I do he's he's he looked pretty good. He got a couple hits off some some really solid pitching. I I think he may be um a good fit in that Toronto lineup. He's got good bat-to-ball skills. Um, AL Rookie of the Year. Hmm. AL Rookie of the Year. It's kind of a tough one. You've got you've got all those players that came over from the NPB are all in the AL, right? MI's with Houston, Murakami's with Chicago, and he's actually kind of a young kid. Okamoto with Toronto, they're all like in the 24 to 28 um age range. Um let's see, we talked about Roman Anthony. He does not qualify, or he would kind of be a no-brainer, right?

SPEAKER_05 24:29

Yeah, yeah, that would have that's who I was going to pick before, y'all. Let me know that he was not qualified. Yeah, yeah. Um, Rankers won three, two, all right. It doesn't count, but it's cool.

SPEAKER_03 24:46

Um, I got I got two that I like. McGonagall or the Tigers.

SPEAKER_05 24:53

I was thinking about McGonagall, but there's just a lot of buzz around Nagasaki. Yeah. No.

SPEAKER_03 25:01

Um, I think I'll think I'll go kind of the same, but kind of different. I I think Munutaka Murakami is gonna have a great season for the White Sox this year.

SPEAKER_05 25:14

That might have been who I was thinking. They all just sound the same to me, you know. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

So you took the third baseman for the Blue Jays. Yes, no, I knew who I took it.

SPEAKER_04 25:24

I'm taking the first baseman for the White Sox.

SPEAKER_05 25:27

I like that. I like that pick, and like you talked about the whole time, man. If that guy has a good season, hey, at least it's gonna be a lot of merchandise sales there on the south side. Yeah, I don't think I spelled his name right on here. Well, oh yeah, yeah. Pops was he texted me that said Josh can't even spell that guy's name right. Like we know how to spell his name. Come on, all right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Uh, I think I got it right, but we'll we'll clean it up. Um, all right. Uh AL Comeback Player of the Year. So this one's typically awarded to a guy who was hurt in the previous year, um, and then come back. It was Nate de Grom last year. Um wow, Nate de Grom? Jake de Grom. Nate combined our two. Uh Jacob de Grom and um Ronald Acunia Jr. last year.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

I think this is uh fast and the furious between Jordon and probably Garrett Cole. And uh, I'm going to take your Don.

SPEAKER_03 26:31

Oh man, that is a good freaking pit pops. He is gonna tear it up, and he was gone pretty much all season. 199 PAs last year, that was it. Yeah, oh wow, actually, I didn't think it was that many. That was me, I thought because he came back and then I thought he like stepped on the plate really weird and immediately went back on the I.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

Yeah, and then I think he made played maybe a little bit in September too.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

September call-up, huh?

SPEAKER_05 27:07

Well, since you know, Jordan can suck it as far as I'm concerned. My my heart would like, even though he's also on the division, uh, Mr. Michael Trout to prove something out there. But I think that it's gonna be the other guy, Pops said, I think it's gonna be Gary Cole.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

He does have that Yankee uh what do they call that, Pops? A little bit of favoritism, I guess, maybe. MASH. They like their yeah, they like their uh East Coast bias, yeah, yeah, yeah. All that good stuff. Man, Jordan Alvarez is such a good freaking pick. Um, I mean, it's okay if we pick the same thing, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

I don't I don't know how I mean Justin's done it for a whole year. Yeah, I'm going Yordon. There's just I don't know how it would be anybody else. Unless Jordon's just hurt again. Yep. All right. Um, so now let's get on to our division winners. Um, Pops will start with you, and we'll start with the AL Beast. Who are you taking in the AL East?

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Oh, um, if I remember my pick from the last one, I kind of went out on the limb. Um, and I I took I I took the Red Sox. Okay. Not mad at you for that one. That's I'm not going chalked. Everybody's going to go Yankees or Jays. I'm gonna, I'm I'm gonna take the Red Sox.

SPEAKER_03 28:51

Yeah, last year you picked Baltimore, which for no fault of your own was a bad pick because they just injuries wore their their starting rotation out and Baltimore.

SPEAKER_04 29:03

Yeah, I mean, just uh that was stupid.

SPEAKER_06 29:09

Uh Slade.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

I think we were all wrong on that, right? Justin, you and I picked Baltimore, and Johnston, you picked the Yankees. No, Josh picked Boston. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:18

And yes, I definitely picked Baltimore. We had all the reason the world to pick Baltimore, and no one had a damn reason to pick Toronto, I'll tell you that much.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

Who you going with, Sladey?

SPEAKER_05 29:29

I think the World Series hangover is a real thing. Not saying Toronto's not going to be in the dance, not gonna make it to the playoffs. Man, that's a loaded division. Yeah, you know, and call me stupid again at the end of the season. Josh, you have your dark horse MVP candidate playing there now. They've got a new manager, they had their off year. They got Gunner fully healthy. Let's just, and he had a great WBC. He they started playing him at third over Bregman. I think it's because you know he's shrinking, as Pops alluded to, when he gets older. But you know what? Let's just get three different picks in here, maybe, man. Uh it's a run the Baltimore Orioles back, huh? Let's do it. Give me the O's, baby. Yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_03 30:24

All right. Um, all right, so Boston and Baltimore, and we are gonna have three different picks um because I am taking Toronto. Um I think that although there was a certain amount of lightning in a bottle, I think all those guys, the skills that they possess, not just bat-to-ball skills, but also uh with run prevention and the moves that they went out and made, um, I think they are gonna be a force to reckon to be reckoned with. Um I think they're gonna challenge the tigers all season long for the best record in the may in the American League. I'm going with Toronto boys. Um not a bad thing. Not a bad I do believe, like you said, Slay, in in the uh um World Series hangover, but I also believe that the right guys can get over it. And when you got a guy like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in your in your clubhouse pumping you up every day, I think that's uh that's a big difference maker. Um and I mean look at who we're talking about, World Series hangovers, Dodgers just won back to back. You know what I mean? So um maybe it hurts him. Um maybe it's five in the last eight. I don't know. Nah, I think you're right. Yeah, I'm going with Toronto. Pops, who you got in the AL Central?

SPEAKER_01 32:01

I still can't believe that they didn't win it last year. So um I'm taking the Tigers. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 32:11

All right, Sleigh dude. Give me the Guardians. Okay. I don't think they're gonna have the slow start. I don't think that they're gonna need a massive winning streak coupled along with a horrible tiger losing streak. I think that they are going to grab it, stay on top. And again, you know, I know Ramirez and Kwan, and yep, that's probably about it. But they usually do good, they're usually in the dance, and I think when that guy named Tarek Scuble is not on the mound when they are playing Detroit, they're gonna give them all kinds of bits.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Okay, all right. Um, I am gonna go with Detroit also. Not only do they have probably the best pitcher in the major leagues right now, but they got a pretty good, pretty damn good number two in Fromber Valdez. Um, with the exception of maybe Wheeler and uh Sanchez over there in Philadelphia, which Wheeler's not even gonna get a start until probably May. That's probably best one-two punch in the bigs right there.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Um, and then you added or re-signed, I think, uh Clarity in there at number three, and then you got uh J JV is your fourth starter to try to, you know. I think he's gonna teach them, you know, he's got some rings.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

He's gonna teach them boys how to win them, get over the top. And then you got Kenley Jansen, also has rings. You've got um what I don't know why the eighth inning guy is uh escaping me. They did they just re-signed him in the offseason, but because Cleveland made him his bitch, but yeah. Um but also Slate, like there's like no slash line or stat that supports your reason for pitching Cleveland whatsoever, other than the fact that they've been in the playoffs every year for the last decade. Right? They just do it. I don't know how. Yeah. Um, so all right, I'm going Detroit Pops, AL West. Who are you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 34:12

I think you know, I think it's really hard to go against uh the Mariners. I think they got even a little bit better than what they were last year. I think you know, they gotta hope uh uh Wu has as good a season this year as what he did last year, you know, coming back from from inner injury and what have you. You know, I think uh you know Munoz is solid. Um Brendan Donovan is, you know, he's he makes them stronger at third than than what Suarez did, you know, power aside. Um so and Rosarina and Cal seem to have uh just and made up. So you know that's all yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:50

Okay, that's all Rainy was still talking shit in the media. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Um they both uh you know apologize to each other and they're all good at uh the MLB is bigger than the WBC and they all love each other and whatever. But uh, but yeah, I'm taking the mirrors.

SPEAKER_03 35:12

Okay. Slay dude.

SPEAKER_05 35:14

Hate to do it, especially with our Rangers, but I mean Seattle got as close as you could get to getting to you know the World Series and just had a great year. They got a great bullpen, they've got obviously, like I said, Raleigh or Rosarina, they you know, Crawford, they just I mean, yeah, you can't pick against the Mariners, not just so much for our division, but maybe even in the American League. So give me the Mariners, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

All right. Well, I gotta do the same, guys. Um, I will say because I number one, I picked the over for them uh and they won 90 games last year. But um, much to my dismay, I later found out that the Seattle Mariners have not won more than 90 games since like 2002, 2003.

SPEAKER_05 36:10

I think their last divisional championship was 2001. Yeah. When they won 114 or whatever. The Yankees beat them in the divisional round or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

Yeah. Um, all right. So, Pops, who are your wild card teams in the American League?

SPEAKER_01 36:30

I I don't see how it's anything other than Toronto. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

So you got three coming out of the ALBs. Again. Who's your third wild card spot?

SPEAKER_01 37:05

It's gonna be Kansas City.

SPEAKER_05 37:11

Okay. Play dude, who's your wild card? Yes, and the more I was thinking about this, because we've gone back and forth, four teams could come out of the same division. We have three wild cards, don't we?

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Yeah, there's three wild cards. And technically, technically, yes. So I would be hard. Yes, we we looked over that.

SPEAKER_03 37:35

Did we look over it? Because I thought when Slay, when you said it's not mathematically possible, I thought you meant you you're the numbers guy. I thought you meant you actually crouched the map.

SPEAKER_05 37:45

That was a long haven't been a corporate accountant for like eight years, dude.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

I would I would say this it would take were there to be four playoff teams out of the out of the same division, they would have to just kill the other two divisions, right? I mean and go 500 against each other. And then basically play 500 against all amongst them.

SPEAKER_05 38:08

Maybe that's what my former accounting brain thought was you play your division so much, how the hell can three teams, three wild cards plus the division winner come out of that thing? Yeah, that's why that's the question. They don't play each other as much as they used to because they interly play, so that does help, but still, five teams in a division that that makes it tough. So I had Baltimore going, obviously. So that's the division winner. Give me uh for sure Toronto. Okay. For me, it's a toss-up between New York and Boston, but give me New York. Okay, so I do have three coming out of the East, including the division winner. And just because I'm a massive homer, and I think I picked them to win 89 or 90 games, give me our Texas Rangers as the third wild card.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Wow, so you got the Detroit Tigers setting it out this year.

SPEAKER_05 39:11

I do, and I got a feeling I'm gonna look real stupid in about 26 weeks, but we'll see what happens.

SPEAKER_03 39:22

You might look a little stupid when this thing releases tomorrow, I don't know. I love the fact that you picked Texas. You are definitely a diehard fan, and I love that about you.

SPEAKER_05 39:40

Um but hey, I didn't pick DeGrom and I didn't pick Seeger like I did last year. So come on, give me a little, and I didn't even pick us to win the damn division.

SPEAKER_03 39:48

So come on, give me some credit. But Slate, dude, think about this. If if Seager would have played 30 more games, dude, he had a six war in a hundred games. That's on pace for a nine-war season. That's why he needs to be our first baseman. Yeah, I mean, he won't rack up the war as a first baseman like that, but he'll at least be in the game and rack up the slash line.

SPEAKER_05 40:11

So, what's his what's the most important thing for Seager? Four at bats a game. Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 40:17

Um, all right. Toronto, Detroit, and Seattle is who I picked for my winners. I gotta go. I'm going Yankees because I do, I mean, I picked Max Fried as my Cy Young because Gary Cole coming back in that rotation, too, right? Yeah. Uh Boston. It's hard to bet against them. I'm going Boston. And then for my last wild card spot, um, I think this is the first year in a long while that we don't see the Guardians in there. And I think Kansas City's kind of on fire right now. You got a bunch of guys from Team Italy that just got through tearing it up and embarrassing the United States. Um, and they're moving the uh the fences in. So I think Pasquatch, it's very likely that he could be a 40 home or 120 RBI guy. Um Michael Garcia could be a 20-30 guy. Um, you've got two Golf Gloves on the left side of that infield. Um, they've got a catcher. Uh, I can't remember his name, forgive me for that, but the guy that's going to be backing up Salvi a lot um is is a freaking ball player. Um, and then you got Jackie Caggs. Um, you got Isaac Collins from Milwaukee, Jonathan India, maybe playing a little second, maybe playing a little left field. Um I'm going Kansas City. I think that's my last pick. So pops, you got Boston, Detroit, and Seattle taking the divisions, and then Toronto, Baltimore, and Kansas City in the wild cards. Slade, dude, Baltimore, Cleveland, Seattle for your division, Toronto, New York, and Texas. Nice for the for the wild card. And I got Toronto, Detroit, and Seattle, and then the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Royals make it in and as wild cards. All right, very nice.

SPEAKER_05 42:26

Hey, we all got very different predictions. So that's yeah, yeah, that's good. Except for that stupid team in the ALS called Seattle, right?

SPEAKER_03 42:34

Yeah. Um, all right, let's move on to a little national league. Um, NL MVP. If you're not going Shohei, or give me a dark horse, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 42:49

So I, you know, I just it's hard to go anything other than Shohei.

SPEAKER_03 42:57

Um in all likelihood his fourth MVP in a row this year.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yeah. Um man.

SPEAKER_03 43:09

Uh last year it was Schwarz. Right. MVP two. Soto. He's gotten Soto was MVP three last year. He was two stolen bases away from 40-40, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 43:30

I would, I would, I would, I would say uh Junior Kevin Yarrow, but he plays in the American League.

SPEAKER_03 43:36

So there's a win the NL MVP, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:39

He might get traded.

SPEAKER_03 43:41

Yeah, he does play for Tampa Bay. But he's not he's a watcher for sure.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

You know, I w I w I w would kind of like to say Corbin Carroll, but he's got that hemi bone. I don't know. So I'm going to take Shohei, but we'll put down Corbin Carroll as the dark horse.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

Okay. He was up there too. I think he was like MVP six or seven in the National League last year. How about you, Slade? No surprise.

SPEAKER_05 44:21

Obviously, the number one is Shohei. I think he's going to win it again. But if I had to pick a dark horse, it's going to have to be between F that guy, Juan Soto. Yeah. And maybe a healthy Ronald Acunya Jr.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

Oh, I like that one, dude. Ronald Acunya Jr. is a game-changing.

SPEAKER_05 44:44

Can he stay healthy? Can these Braves get back to their winning ways? So my dark horse is going to be Acunya Jr., but I think Shohei will win it.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

Speaking of the wouldn't be his first.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

He won an MVP when he was 40-70, right? Wasn't that his MVP year?

SPEAKER_01 45:07

That is correct. 2023. Yeah. Yeah, it's because Shohei was in American League. Yeah, pretty much. 41 homers, 106 RBIs, 73 stolen bases.

SPEAKER_05 45:19

Wow, that's that's just uh that's video game stuff.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

Yeah. Well, you know what's crazy? So obviously he led the league in steals, but he also led the league in caught stealing. That just tells you that and he didn't get caught a lot, right? He got caught 14 times, so he still was like uh 85% success, right? So at that time, was that probably was that the first year of the bigger base and some of the and the rules around, I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 45:47

When did he win? 2023?

SPEAKER_01 45:49

Three, yes.

SPEAKER_05 45:50

Yeah, that was the first year when you get when you had to it was the pitch clock, the no shift, and the bigger bases, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 45:57

So no nobody, nobody was, you know, that was when nobody was running, right? But but yeah, yeah, I couldn't I couldn't use a solid pick.

SPEAKER_03 46:06

Yeah, speaking of Atlanta Braves, you know uh Spencer Strider starting the year on the I saw that come through, John Cloud still hanging over Atlanta.

SPEAKER_05 46:19

That damn oblique stain, dude. It'll get you. So Wendell said, I just can't pick Atlanta, they got a shit cloud over him.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

They kind of do. They just you know, from Profar not being smart enough to figure out what he's what he's taking.

SPEAKER_03 46:33

The exact same thing is happening as as what happened last season. Yes, there's there's starting gone, profar's on PEDs. The only difference is he's got the full season where he's gone now, right? So um, all right, so we got Corbin Carroll and Ronald Cooney Jr. for our dark horses. Um, Shohe, yes, definitely. I think we'll win his fourth in a row. As far as a dark horse, um dark horse MVP. Um, I think it is very possible. Yeah, I mean, it's gotta be Ju Soto for me. And y'all know I'm not a huge Juto fan, but no, you're not. I think he's gonna have just as good of a year as last year, and I think the Mets are gonna be in the playoffs this year. So um, I think he's he's headed straight for an MVP two. All right, uh, NL Cy Young pops. Last year, obviously, it was Paul Skeens. Uh, Christopher Sanchez got number two, and I do not remember who got Cy Young three.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

Oh, I'm gonna go way out uh on uh OLM. And uh this is a a team that the media loves to love, so he'll have a lot of that going for him. Uh, but I am giving me Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs.

SPEAKER_03 48:20

Okay, Cade Horton. Really, I think when he went down last year, Pops, that was the that was the end of the Cubs season that that put the Cubbies in a hole. Yeah, because he kind of carried them down the stretch. 11 and 4. Yeah, pretty crazy. Slate did what do you think?

SPEAKER_05 48:46

Another team that people love to love. Gimme Yoshinibu Yamamoto.

SPEAKER_03 48:53

Oh, nice Yoshi. He was thinking you reminded me, he was the one who was Cyon 3 last year. Yoshi.

SPEAKER_01 49:04

Yeah, and and he he pitched, you know, his World Series stuff was a throwback, and people love loved that, you know, the saves and pitching on you know, short rest and going all the way. And uh, you know, he um yeah, it's pretty badass.

SPEAKER_03 49:21

Yeah, um, I'm sticking with the same guy that got it last year. I think y'all are a little bit crazy, even though those guys are good. I'm going with Paul Steens again. I think he's gonna get his second in a row, and I think the Pittsburgh Pirates are gonna be a lot better than last year, so maybe he'll be even more impressive than he was. Um, you get Connor Griffin in there playing shortstop every day. Um then uh I I think him playing meaningful baseball might have lit a fire under his butt. And I think he sees maybe uh maybe he sees some of the moves that were made, and maybe he's got this generational type talent behind him at shortstop, and maybe it lights a fire, and he's even better than he was last year, if that's possible. Um, but yeah, I'm going Paul Skeens again for a repeat. Um, all right. How about NL Reliever of the Year?

SPEAKER_01 50:20

Last year was I'll eat my hat if it's not him again going to the Dodgers. He may save a hundred games.

SPEAKER_03 50:32

He has won it three times before.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 50:37

What do you think, Slade?

SPEAKER_05 50:39

Give me a new face in a new place. Mason Miller.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Oh, very nice pick. That is who I was gonna pick.

SPEAKER_01 50:52

What's his name? Danny Danny Placenta or whatever his name is for the Cubs.

SPEAKER_03 50:58

Yeah, Danny Palencia for the Cubbies. That that would be another good choice. Um, I but I think uh that I think what's gonna hurt Mason Miller Slate News the fact that he plays for San Diego, and I don't think they're gonna be very good this year. Um unfortunately for him. It it's still gonna be the best bullpen in baseball, I think, but you know, ultimately the bullpen doesn't matter if you don't have the lead. Um yeah. Uh gosh. Edwin Diaz is great, Mason Miller's great. Um reliever of the year. Why don't we go with and guys? I think we're gonna see a comeback year out of Devin Williams for the New York Mets.

SPEAKER_05 51:54

You know, I would agree with you if I didn't watch as we're on this podcast, Jock Peterson hit a game tying home run against him.

SPEAKER_03 52:09

Yeah. Um, yeah, I think Devin Williams is gonna. I think he's gonna come back and do it for the for the Mets. Um, all right, on to NL rookie of the year.

SPEAKER_01 52:26

I'm going to weather fielder holder for the Cardinals.

SPEAKER_03 52:31

So we'll go with JJ Weatherholt. Yes, that guy. Yeah. Oh god, y'all missing by that month. These freaking names y'all are making me spell tonight. Weatherholt, Yamamoto, Monacata, Okamoto. Nagasaki is every one of them. Just write down Nagasaki. All right. NL rookie of the year, I think, you know, you got a lot of you got McLean, you got Jonah Tong, Andrew Painter for the Phillies, you got Connor Griffin. We were just talking about Weatherholt for the Cardinals. They there's a lot of up-and-coming talent in the uh in the National League. I would have even said Hurston Waldrup if he wasn't out for the year for the Braves, because he looked solid as hell last year at the end of the season. Um, yeah, who do you think, Slade?

SPEAKER_05 53:26

I like Griffin a lot. I know Justin Crawford got a pre-kick-ass name and a cool dad. Yeah. I think because the way the Cardinals are gonna be, they're gonna probably be horrible. And I think that Weatherholt is going to be a spark. He's gonna get a lot to hit. Not really gonna try to not pitch to him in any game because I don't think it'll ever be close enough for them to say this guy can't get on base. I think he's gonna get plenty of opportunities. So give me a weatherholt.

SPEAKER_03 54:04

Okay, all right. Definitely am not spelling his name correctly, and um Jordan Walker over there in St. Louis, too. Is he a rookie or does he have too many bats? I don't think so. I would say I would say almost certainly not. You've been there a minute, guys. I think I'm taking the big dog on campus. I'm going Connor Griffin.

SPEAKER_01 54:37

Oh, just so you know, I mean, obviously you could that could change, but he is starting the season in triple A. He hit 171 in the spring.

SPEAKER_03 54:45

Yeah, but I think he goes down for three or four weeks, and they bring him up. I I think it, I guess it he's only 19, but I I think it will depend on how the Pirates are doing, and if they're in it whatsoever after those first three or four weeks. Um, remember what was it last year they slay dude? They started off like 12 and 24 or something like that, their first five games or something. Yeah, they started off real bad, but um, yeah, I'm going, I'm going Connor Griffin. But there's like I said, there's a lot of options. Painter has been a top prospect um for the in the Phillies organization for a long time, so we'll see how it goes.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

You know, it's interesting. You you know, you mentioned Jordan Walker with the Cardinals, and uh so this is he's actually heading into his fourth fourth year. Oh, geez. In the big leagues, and I I was at a at a game out there with my cousin Jeff and his wife and uh and Carrie and saw him make one of the best catches ever and right field. Yeah, but he's had a negative war all three years of his career. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 56:05

Well done, Jordan Walker. Okay. All right. Um now let's go to NL, Comeback Player of the Year.

SPEAKER_02 56:27

It's a little tough, huh?

SPEAKER_03 56:34

Yordon Alvarez was kind of out there slapping you in the face in the American League.

SPEAKER_01 56:38

Yeah. Yeah, I think there's probably gonna be a lot of people talking about uh Wheeler. Um but you just you don't even know when he's coming back. Um, right? I mean, like you said, what May is the target. Um, I think another one I'll I I I think I'll take Banaya of the Matt.

SPEAKER_03 57:07

Okay. That's who that's who I was kind of thinking too, Sean Mania. God, how do you spell that last name?

SPEAKER_01 57:15

All right, M-A-N-A-E-A.

SPEAKER_03 57:26

They auto-corrected to Munama.

SPEAKER_05 57:29

I thought it might have auto-corrected to Maniana, right?

SPEAKER_03 57:35

All right, who you think it's like Spencer Strider would have been probably a pretty good one if he's not starting the year on the freaking IL again.

SPEAKER_01 57:42

Yeah, and any anybody with the Reds with the or excuse me, anybody with the Braves.

SPEAKER_05 57:48

Yeah, right. So is Zach Wheeler eligible? He pitched.

SPEAKER_03 57:57

Yes. There's no real there's no real eligibility requirements. It's just basically what it says is a player who made a like a huge jump from last season to this season. But typically it goes to someone who was either injured most of the year or didn't play at all and then had a great season. That's typically how it goes. But there all have also been awards that have been given out to someone who was just had a terrible season, like they played the full season, but was just horrible, and then they came back and had a really, really good year.

SPEAKER_01 58:37

So Wheeler's interesting, you know. I've seen him as the favorite in a couple of places, but you know, he was 10 and 5 with the 2.71 ERA. He played two-thirds of the season, he he started 24 games, yeah. And and and it's usually it's about third 30 is is the season, and he had a five war. So, you know, it's not like he just his entire season was gutted, it was just the most important part of the season that he missed. But you know, he did so it it so his um like you say, eligibility is not the right word, but his consideration I think would certainly be interesting.

SPEAKER_03 59:14

Yeah. Well, and I mean who who was who was who was hurt and missed a good chunk of the season last year.

SPEAKER_01 59:24

Yeah, I'm trying to think down the National League, and I just I don't Snell? Uh yeah, but he's gonna he's gonna do the same thing this year. You know, he's gonna be oh my my my elbow hurts until September, and then he's gonna go out and do whatever. Oh, that's glass now you're thinking of. Oh, that's the same guy, same fucking guy. You know, this goofy looking bastard.

SPEAKER_03 59:50

Uh Justin Steele, I think, is slated to come back at some point this season for the Cubbies.

SPEAKER_01 59:59

Is that the pitcher?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:00

Yeah, the lefty.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:01

He he was their ace, you know, before that would that would be a pretty pretty good pretty pretty good bet.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:10

Pretty good bet, yeah. Um, I'm just trying to think of guys that were like that were hurt. Did Michael Harris for the Braves get hurt last year? No, he just did not.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:21

He just had a really crappy first half. Six months, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:24

Except for against the Rangers. Yeah, well and they they kick started him. Yeah, he kicked the crap out of us that weekend, even though we switched out.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:35

Give me uh give me Soda, Shoda Immanaga. He did miss, I think, quite a bit of playing time, right? A couple of stints on the I.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:49

Michael Harris has already run rookie of the year, so why not win comeback player of the year?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:54

Yeah, yeah. Let me give me Shodah. Give me a covy for old TJ.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:00

Alright, I like that. Showda's a good pick.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:05

Hmm.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:07

Yeah, I think. Yeah, I'm going Blake Snell. He's gonna be number two in that rotation and gonna carry the damn Dodgers all the way to 100 freaking wins. Um, all right. Now on to the division winners and uh and wildcard pops. Start with you, NL East. Who are you taking?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:34

So I am taking the New York Mets. I think they just did too much. They got a lot, they got a lot of playoff tested folks in there. From uh, you know, I I think Dimeon was um not in a good place in Texas. I think a fresh start will be good for him. I think he'll be back to where he was when he came to Texas in 2022. Um, you know, I think Freddie Peralta is a big deal. You know, obviously they lost they lost Diaz, so that's significant, but they got Bachete. And Williams Lever of the Year, so and and Devin Williams. So um and I just I I think that um I don't I don't think the Phillies did enough to get any better. And you know, there's this, you know, again, the the dark cloud over over Atlanta. So give me the Mets.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:25

Okay, Slade.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:28

I guess I could just say Ditto. I mean, I was gonna pick the Mets, but I was also gonna make the good point of I don't really think Philly did anything to improve the roster, but uh you kind of took that from me. But Zach Wheeler is coming back, got Schwarber re-signed. But again, I mean if we're looking at it from that standpoint of who stayed the same from personnel standpoint and who got better, give me the Metropolitans.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:53

Okay, and I hate the Mets, just so you know, and I don't really know why. I just do.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:59

Yeah, I don't know why I hate Juan Setto. It's that whole city, dude. I don't like any team in that city, okay?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:06

So all right. Uh yeah, I'm going uh definitely the New York Mets. I think even with I guys, I think Pete Alonso is such a huge loss for the New York Mets as far as the numbers that he can put up. Um, but I think they did a little bit in the way of run prevention, um, getting Freddie Peralta, excuse me, Tobias Myers, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams. Uh, so I think they've made some good strides. They've got three or four good young pitchers, and let's not forget they've also got Sean Manaya, who should have uh full resurgence this year. You've got Kodai Singa, who, when he does pitch, he would have been a good comeback player of the year, too. Um, when he does pitch, he is lights out. Um, so run prevention looks good, and then I think they got a lot better on the contact side and and reducing the amount of strikeouts. Um, Pete does strike out quite a bit. You got Michette, you got Tito Polanco, Simeon, Lynn Moore. And I also think um Luis Robert Jr. coming over from the White Sox, maybe the maybe the biggest pleasant surprise coming out of that lineup um for the Mets. So that's who I'm going with. New York Mets. How about the Central Pops?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:31

Yeah, yeah, I think it's it's it's hard to go against the Cubs. Um they were already really good. Uh, I think you get a full year uh of uh Horton. You get uh hopefully, you know, you get Steel back. Um you know um Bregman, obviously. You know, you lost Tucker, but you know, they were they were already uh four deep. They were four deep in the outfield already. Um so um, yeah, hard hard to go against the Cubs for me.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:04

Slade Dean? We were talking earlier this year and we were I don't know, we weren't doing predictions. We were just talking about who are our winners and losers, I guess, the offseason. We're all pretty high on the Cubs. Hard to go against them. I think that to you know, a little bit more consistency, the hot start coupled by kind of mediocre baseball after that, but they still kind of surprised us all by taking Milwaukee. I think they took them all the way to five games after being down 2-0 in that series. So I think they can build on that. I just saw it come across my phone. I don't know what it was, but I think the Cubs and PCA are finalizing a new contract as we speak. Oh wow. So but you know, just it's hard to go against the Cubs. I don't see anybody else. I don't see the Reds. I don't see Milwaukee where you talked about that. I thought that was a kind of a fluke season for them last year. Reds snuck in, but they're missing best their best pitcher until probably around the all star break. So St. Louis, we know about them. Pirates, you never know. But I think it's this is an easy one. I think it's the Cubbies.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:12

Um, I am also going with the Cubbies. Um, I have um been a big proponent of theirs throughout the offseason because I think they just did so much to make their team better with Bregman and uh Cabrera with all of our good bullpen guys from Texas and and signed them.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:33

Um yay, Max, it has three speeds.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:41

So uh yeah, I'm going Chicago Cubbies, and I I think um I think they are going to kind of steamroll the division there. I don't think there's anybody that's excuse me, that's gonna come close to them. Um Pops, who you got in the NL West? Probably a dumb question.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's it's really hard to hard to go against the Dodgers. Um you know they as good as they were, um they were still strike away from losing the World Series. And um won Mickey Row away, yeah. Yeah, and but um somehow they managed to get better with with Tucker and Diaz. Uh you know, so I just you know they they I say they only won uh you know 90 93 games last year. They still they won, they still won the division. Um I think everybody was expecting them to win 110 games, certainly north of 100. And you know, they they fell short of that, but I just I just don't see how they uh they don't win the win the division again.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:03

We did our over-under for the Dodgers last week, and I just did it based on their win total from last year. Uh you know, you know what fangrafts has their over-under win total at for the upcoming season 103.5. Holy shit.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:21

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:23

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:24

Yeah, I might drop a dime on the on the under on that one. But uh Slate, who do you got?

SPEAKER_05 1:08:33

Thank man, I think we're all gonna be in agreement in this entire national league. It's yeah, can you go against the back-to-back World Series champs who just added Kyle Tucker to their roster? I mean, and I already picked their uh MVP and Cy Young to be on the same team as well. So it's uh the Dodgers for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:54

I mean, how how crazy would that be, right? But between D as Yoshi and uh and Shohei.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:01

Yeah, you better think about what we just talked about before you drop that dime on the underwendle, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:07

But yeah, we we under under on 103.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:12

I'm still saying I would think about after everything you just said.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:15

So we had so if we had Yoshi as the Cy Young, Shohe is the MVP DS reliever of the year, and I'm pretty sure I picked Blake Snell for comeback player of the year, all they're missing is a rookie, put somebody up there at second base and yeah, give them an award. Um yeah, that's crazy. Um, but yes, we are all in lockstep on uh the national league, which is crazy because I feel like the national league is a lot more competitive than than the American League. I feel like as a whole, the teams in the NL are better than what we see in the AL. Um, Pops, who you taking for wild cards?

SPEAKER_00 1:09:58

All right. So um, okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:14

Uh you know, I I don't think they did enough to win the division, but I think they're still gonna be in the in the ballpark. Um I'm kind of torn between taking two out of the west or one out of the west and one out of the central. You know, I think the Brewers took a step back, but you know, they were still they're still gonna be pretty good. And uh give me the give me the Giants and the Brewers. So we'll we'll take we'll take two teams from each division, each division. Okay Phillies, Brewers, and Giants as wild card.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:54

Okay, dude, what do you think?

SPEAKER_05 1:10:58

Give me the Phillies. Okay, give me the Giants. Give me not the same as Pops, and I will take three. Give me the Arizona diamondback.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:14

Okay, the only thing that scares me about Arizona is that their bullpen is it's it is yikes, dude. Oh wait, hey guys, Corbin Burns, does he come back this year?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:30

From I don't know who that is. I didn't didn't he play third base for the in major league, wasn't he? The third baseman in major league.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:38

Oh he was the pitcher for Baltimore.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:43

That was uh that was uh Dorn. Yeah, Roger Dorn. Roger Burnson is the actor's name. Oh, okay, okay. See why I know that I can't tell you who's gonna be the comeback player of the year, I can tell you the actor's name of Roger Dorn in Major League.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:02

All right, uh, all right, so oh this is a tough one.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:08

I think, yeah, I mean it's it is hard to bet against the Philadelphia Phillies. Um even though their their INU their lineup might be aging a little bit, I think their pitching still plays. Um definitely San Francisco, I think, made some big strides. Um God, the central I want to say Pittsburgh so bad. I really do. I don't think Cincinnati's in because I think Hunter Green's gonna miss too much time and they're gonna they're gonna tank at the beginning of the season. I just I just don't think even with Foras, I just I don't think they could score enough runs. Yeah. Um gosh dang it. I think I gotta go. I think I have to go Milwaukee again. Atlanta's got the funk. San Diego, I think, is headed straight to a fourth place finish in the NL West. And Arizona, I don't think they have the bullpen to keep them in enough games or to get to keep the lead in enough games. So uh yeah, I guess I gotta go Milwaukee. So pops me and you got this exact same picks in the in the National League this year. All right, is that all of our awards and all of our predictions? Let me just double check. All right. Last thing we want to talk about tonight, guys, and we'll make it quick the passing of a Texas legend that's actually from Oklahoma. Um, Carlos Rey Norris most Norris. Most of you, yeah, most of you know him as Chuck Norris, but he and I were pretty tight, so I get to call him Carlos. Um, but uh yeah, Chuck Norris passed away at age 86. Um, Texas legend, I mean Walker, Texas Ranger, uh Lone Wolf McQuaid, just a martial arts legend, an action film legend. Um, also a legend when it comes to is it memes? Is that what you call Chuck Norris jokes, man? Yeah, Chuck Norris jokes are some of the greatest I've ever heard. I think we should all say our favorite one. That's exactly what I was gonna say. Oh, whoops. Pay some, yeah, pay some respect to the man and let's choose our favorite meme. All right, all right. I've got a couple that I've heard that I really, really like. Slay, you go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:42

My favorite one out of all then is Chuck Norris visited the Virgin Islands, and when he left, they were just known as the islands.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:58

All right, Pops, do you have one? Oh, my favorite one is the most recent one for obvious reasons, but um he didn't lose to the grim reaper, he became the grim reaper.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:15

I remember seeing one that said uh Chuck Norris's tears could cure cancer, but he never cries. That's right. Too bad he never cries. And then I saw one the other day that said Chuck Norris doesn't read books, he just looks at them intently until he gets all the information he wants.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:36

He wears sunscreen to protect the sun.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:42

He doesn't do push-ups, he does earth downs.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:50

He actually wrote a book, and he he took a bunch of those and and and wrote a book called Earth.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:57

Did he really and donated all the proceeds to charity?

unknown 1:16:01

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:03

Good for him, good man, good man. All right, but yeah, passing at the age of 86. Uh, rest in peace. Um, he will be missed, even though he hasn't done a whole lot of work, you know, in the last several years. He will be missed. Hopefully he will see.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:20

One of the last things he did was one of those expendables, wasn't he? Like expendables two or three or you remember the joke on that one?

SPEAKER_05 1:16:27

No, so Stallone said, Man, what are you doing here? I heard you died. He goes, Yeah, I heard that too. Said, I heard you got bit by a cobra. He said, I did. And after three days of agonizing pain, the cobra finally dies. That was in the expendables, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:45

Yeah, that's pretty great. Um, okay, all right. Uh well, that's all I got, fellas. Do y'all have anything? I'm excited about the season starting up on Wednesday. Y'all gonna watch it on Netflix?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:02

Maybe. So I I so what are you what are you what are you doing when uh or third Thursday at three o'clock just in? I can definitely get together and watch Rangers against the city. We need to figure out a plan how to meet up at a Buffalo Wild Wings somewhere. Yep, I'm down for that. Wings and wings and bears. Let me see what I can figure out. Maybe maybe we'll look at that one in uh in Plano that we've been at before off of uh Chase Oaks and 75. There you go. Basically, you know where that's at? You know what I'm talking about, right? Oh, yeah, no, exactly. I've been there.

unknown 1:17:38

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:39

Well, let's uh let me see let me see how the day works out now. We can meet there and have some wings and brews and some stitched leather.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:50

There you go. All right, one last shout out to little teddy bear. He is turning two on Wednesday the 25th. All right, yeah, dude. He went to bed in his little Rangers jersey tonight.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:03

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:05

Um, he does love baseball, he sees it on the TV. If I'm watching spring training or the WBC or something, he sits down and watches it with me. He loves it, he loves watching Preston play. So another baseball lover in the house. It's a good deal. Um, all right. So um also thank everybody for listening. Uh, we have some other cool stuff uh coming up to be released here soon. Um, as always, check us out on Instagram, Facebook, um, X. Uh, but we also have a website that we're launching here later this week. Um, so I'm gonna attach the uh the link to that in the description here so y'all can check that out. We'll be we'll be releasing uh a blog every week to to give you guys a little bit more information. So um check us out here pretty soon. Uh our first one will be released later this week. Um so check that out. Uh if you like what we're doing, support the show. Um get in there and give us a like, give us a subscription, check out the check out the website, and you can uh you'll be able to email us if you if you have any questions or anything you want us want us to talk about. So thank y'all for listening. Um, for the Slay Dude, Justin Slay, Wendell Pops Patterson. I'm Josh Patterson, and we will talk to y'all again next week.