Episode 54: Have These Teams Changed Their Narratives?

The Jimmies discuss all the teams that have surprised us so far this season.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

Baseball fans and baseball lovers, good day. Thank you for joining us for another episode of the MLB Clubhouse with the Jimmies. I'm here with the Slay dude, Justin Slay, Wendell Pops Patterson, and I am Josh Patterson. And we had some great baseball. We had some late inning heroics. We've had some young guys and some old guys just getting the job done. And we've had some really surprising, I would call it, results so far earlier in the season. A lot of teams that we thought were going to be winners have not been that so far. So let's get into it. Boys will start off with a little AL recap. Baltimore at Cleveland for a four-game set. Parker Mesick takes a no-no into the ninth, and the bullpen tried to blow it, but the guard dogs did end up hanging on. Baltimore took game two thanks to a big three-run Jimmy Jack by Jeremiah Jackson. A lot of J's in that sentence. Games three and four were all guard dogs. Cleveland took three out of four in that series. Royals at New York, and the Yankees steam Royal the Boys and Boys in Royal Blue. Ben Rice is one of the best hitters in baseball. Don't know if anybody had that going into the season. And Kansas City can't score runs to save their lives. Yankees end up sweeping that set. Boston walks off game one against Detroit because that's just what they do in their green unis. Scoobyl shut them down in game two, and Garrett Crochet got pumped for five runs in game three. Earlier in the week, he also gave up 10 runs, the worst of his career, to the Minnesota Twinkies. The Tigers took two out of three over the weekend, and game four was tonight. And Popshi said Boston took that one, right? So they split split the four game set. Cincinnati at Minnesota. The Reds are 10 and 0 in games decided by two runs or fewer. That's how you stay atop your division. Kind of the opposite of what's going on in Kansas City. They sweep the set as Minnesota, Minnesota reverts to the mean. St. Louis at Houston. Mason Wynn comes home to H Town, and the Redbirds sweep the Astros. Jordan Walker is tearing the cover off the ball. JJ Weatherholt is starting strong. Big question is will the pitching hold up for St. Louis? San Diego at the LA Angels of Anaheim. Jose Soriano throws another gym. In game one, he shut them down. San Diego is just so fire right now as they took the last two games of that set, and they are the best team, not known as the LA Dodgers. The Chicago White Sox and the Not Sacramento Athletics put that in my veins. Two very exciting young offenses. Davis Martin threw seven strong innings in game one, and Murakami hit a grand salami. You like that? And that one still hasn't landed. The other Max Muncie walked off game two with a sack fly. And then Vargas, Murakami, Montgomery, and Hill all homework for Chicago three to back the six ten rookie, Noah Schultz. I'm sure there's going to be some Randy Johnson comps coming later on as he throws 98 miles an hour. The Sox end up taking two out of three there. And then our boys visit their own personal version of Hell, Safe Co Field. DeGrom looks study in game one. We won a game, buddy. He threw four shutting in game one, but Seattle took the next two and the series. Fun fact, Texas is 10 and 40 in Seattle since 2020. That's pretty awful. That's all I got. Who's got some standings for me in the AL?

SPEAKER_05 3:55

All right, and the AL. So um kind of coming back to the norm, what we were all kind of talking about at the beginning of the season here in the East. We got the Yankees there at 10 and 9. You know, they've won three in a row. Come fresh off the sweep. They're doing great. And then, you know, we always kind of talk about this with Tampa Bay, Josh, right? Like, how are they doing it? But right now, they are yeah, yeah, they're they're right there. I mean, they are a game out. You know, keep in mind we're we're 21 games in the season, 19 games, 21 games in the season. But it's uh kind of unbelievable what these guys just keep on doing. Baltimore after a hot start, you know, four and four and six in the last 10 and lost two in a row. And Boston, Toronto kind of sitting right there. No, we're gonna talk about uh these teams uh later, but in the central tigers back over 500 at 12 and 11. But who is in first place in the central? Josh, it's our team. Yeah, the ones that we're like, what do they do? How do they do it every year? And the team that I refuse to call the Guardians, because to me they're always gonna be the Indians, and they are kicking some buttons. We might talk about them later when we talk about the players of the week, just so y'all keep that up. But they're doing great. Minnesota is kind of coming back down to earth, coming back to what we thought they were. They've lost four in a row. Yeah, so you've got the twins, and you know, no surprise.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

And I think that's one of the things after beating Stubel, then Fromber, and then Garrett Crochet.

SPEAKER_05 5:26

Yeah, and then they lose four in a row. You know why? Because the only guy on the team I then had the real name I know is Buxton. And I wish he would have hit a home run against uh Venezuela and done some good things, but and then let's look at the West here. We have exactly in the West, do not call this the AL Central. Zero teams that are above 500 right now. So we have the not Oakland, not Sacramento, not Las Vegas A's, who are at 11-11. And there they are, you know, Texas at 11 and 11 as well. You know, Houston starts out slow every year, right? They did win tonight, they're three and seven, their last 10. But with their injuries and everything going on, I mean, and and this is a team that historically starts bad, tend to win the division. They didn't make the playoffs last year. I don't know, and this is not just the home or me, because we're gonna talk about the home or me in a second. They've got some problems down there. I mean, this is this is tough. They don't have the guys they used to have, they don't have the playoff pedigree they used to have, and I don't know. I hope they don't get it right here in a couple weeks before we play them, but uh hopefully they stay down there at the bottom. But they are they're struggling, they're struggling three and seven.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

Yeah, and they've got an entire rotation on the I. Tatsuya Imai just went on the I. And apparently he's having some some clubhouse struggles too. I I heard he's on his third interpreter and just not liking life. Well, you know, it's because he does not like life in the United States.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

He he's he's had uh he's had a lot of he's had a lot of diarrhea. Chanhoe Park, anyways, in case you're wondering. But um, you know, and I'm always glass half full here, guys, but you know, Rangers are 11 and 11. We just came off of a 10-game road trip. Yeah, we went four and six, but we're 11 and 11. We've only played six games at home so far. Now we're three and three at home. I'm not saying that we're oh wait, wait till we get home, you know, but we survived possibly the toughest part of our schedule for the entire season. So that's encouraging. But the fact that you know the central is doing so much better right now than the uh than the west is surprising. But you know, we talked about it. I think Minnesota's coming back down to earth, that the Yankees are what they are. Tampa Bay, I think, will come back down to earth after being in second place. I think Toronto's gonna be on their way up, but we'll just kind of see what happens. But that's what I got for the standings in the L.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

All right. Thank you for that, Slade. One thing that I didn't hear you say, I believe the Kansas City Royals are in dead last, worse than the Chicago White Sox. Is that right? Or did that change today?

SPEAKER_05 8:28

Nope. They are 7 and 15. Josh, you're exactly right. They are one game behind. Yeah. Unbelievable. But at least, hey, for all of us, we knew the White Sox were gonna suck, so that's good. But Josh, I think maybe you, I don't think it was you, Pops, but Josh, I think, did pick Kansas City Kansas City to win central, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:49

I picked them to be a playoff team. I didn't pick them to win, but okay.

SPEAKER_05 8:52

So both y'all are wrong so far.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

But I didn't, but I did. But you know, the the White Sox have their team batting average is less than 200.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

Yeah. They have like 196 or something like that, and they're still yeah, it's it's kind of crazy, Pops, because they like they have the guys like Colson Montgomery and Murakami and Miguel Vargas, who can really smash, like just really knock the ball out of the park. But like Murakami's numbers, his his chase rate's pretty good, his walk rate's pretty good. But what's really bad is his um how often he swings and misses at pitches in the zone. That's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Well, I mean, that was kind of that was the scout, that was the scouting because he's not used to these these high velocity, the high velocity that he's gonna be been facing over here instead of all the breaking stuff that he faces in Japan.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

Yeah. Pops, you and I both chose Kansas City.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

To win or just to be in the playoffs?

SPEAKER_03 9:55

To be in the playoffs. I think we picked him on the wild card. We we both picked the pick the tigers, picked the tigers to win the division.

SPEAKER_05 10:01

Man, 22 games in. This guy chose the team that's won in the central, in case you're wondering.

SPEAKER_03 10:07

22 games in 24 games in. 24 games in. Me and Pops look real bad.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

I sent you the winning percentage of my playoff teams the other day. That was pretty brutal, wasn't it? Especially the American League.

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Well, yeah, you know what? I'll take it three weeks into the season, guys. I'll take being the smartest guy on this podcast, okay?

SPEAKER_03 10:25

Yeah, and then it didn't say Pops, you have no teams in the playoffs. I have one.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Slate is uh oh, which which one no? Come on.

SPEAKER_05 10:35

No, it's gotta be more now. Everybody picked LA. You talking about American League?

SPEAKER_03 10:40

Just in the American League, okay. Yeah, yeah. Um, but I don't d I don't think the NL is gonna get much better.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

I mean, I think you and I both picked the Mets and we both picked the Mets, them and their biggest.

unknown 10:54

Right.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah. Um, but yeah, so Slay would have one, two, three. Well, Texas Texas is tied for first with not Sacramento, right? Yeah, right. So you would have three sleigh dudes.

SPEAKER_05 11:09

I've literally tripled y'all's guesses, so that's good.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

You you picked uh the Mariners and the Rangers, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:16

I sure did. Out of the West because I'm a homer.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

I we uh Pops, I think you and I picked Seattle, and then we didn't pick another West team. So I think we took Kansas City and Detroit, and then I think we took a couple from the AL ALB.

SPEAKER_05 11:34

Just to make myself and feel worse and y'all feel better. I definitely picked Baltimore and they're coming back down to earth or third right now, 10, 12. But last week they were in first. That shows how quick this all stuff can change, right? So well, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

I mean, and at one point in time I had the blue jain and the Red Sox, and they're like fourth and fifth, right? Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

Yeah. Um, all right, so Slay Dude, one of the things we want to talk about is if any of these teams have changed their narrative for the good or for the worse. Um, so we've talked a little bit about um everybody going over the standings and the recaps, but specifically in the ALEs, Toronto and Tampa Bay, right? Toronto's defending AL champs, and they are currently in last place or fourth place in that division?

SPEAKER_05 12:23

They are in last place, you're right.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

Last place, and then Tampa Bay, who at one point last week was in first place in that division after finishing last um a year ago. Um, have these teams changed the narrative? Was Toronto just uh a one-hit wonder, lightning in a bottle last season? Or what do you think?

SPEAKER_05 12:45

So I'm gonna say no. I think they still got it right. So, but I guess to be the devil's advocate here, I mean, we got to look at a team that two years ago wasn't in the playoffs, you know. But I don't think that um I think they still got plenty to be excited about, and I think they're gonna be just fine, you know. They um, yeah, they're under 500, they're in last place, but I mean everybody is within two games of each other, basically, in the American League, right? So I'm not really worried about that. Tampa Bay, no, not changing my narrative. Um, they're not gonna be a playoff team, in my opinion. They have a good start with 24, 22 games one or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

Um you see they actually have fans in the stands right now. That's a big deal for them.

SPEAKER_05 13:32

It is. I think it's more excitement that their stadium is actually open. They're not playing George Steinbrenner Stadium down there in Florida. Yeah, I think that has probably more to do with it than them actually having fans in the stands. Right. But you know, it shows how much we know, right? I mean, we thought that they were still gonna play down there last or the rest of this year. So but no, I think that uh Toronto very early, first you know, 20, 20 days of the season is still a team to beat there in AL. So I'm not really worried about them. If they're gonna come off to a slow start, now's the time to do it. You know, get that crap out of your way, figure out you know what your rotation is gonna be, you know, with you Savage and those guys and uh Cease and things like that.

SPEAKER_03 14:17

You know, I'm the IL, right?

SPEAKER_05 14:19

So they're gonna be fine, and we all know early in the season they're always playing their their um division teams, stuff like that. So no, I think Tampa Bay is gonna be Tampa Bay, and I think Toronto's gonna creep up. If they don't win the division, I think they're gonna be a playoff team.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

All right, good deal. Now, over to the central Minnesota and Kansas City. Minnesota had a nice little run, um, but they are reverting back to the mean, like I said, but they're still in third place above the White Sox and the Royals, and not a whole lot of spread between them and the guard dogs. Um, do you think Minnesota is a team that people should be excited about or or worried about if their teams are making a playoff, playoff run?

SPEAKER_05 15:07

They should not be excited about Minnesota at all. I mean, now keep in mind they are in the central and they've been playing central, right? So let's see what happens when they play the east.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:17

I can't really say too much about the West, considering no one's over 500 in the West, but they again kind of same as Tampa Bay. They're they're kind of beating up on each other over there in their own division. So besides Byron Buxton, I mean, I just I think they've come down to earth, they've lost four in a row that could that could balloon, in my opinion. And I really think that they might be the worst team in the American League when it's all said and done. So I'm not too much worried about Minnesota. It was fun last week or whenever it was when they were in first or second and tied for first, whatever it is. But Kansas City, though, is surprising to me, Bobby Wood Jr. You know, he's just um some of these guys aren't getting going. They are in they are in last, Josh, like you said, by uh by a full game. They are already four games out. This is a team that if they're gonna make a move, this is one of those kind of like Atlanta last year, and Pops will get into NL standings here in a little bit. That shit clouded and looking so shitty right now over in uh Atlanta or Marietta, Georgia, wherever they're playing. But um, you know, Kansas City's gotta fix something. They gotta get it right right now. They're not scoring a lot of runs.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

I think that last week, Slay dude, that Bobby Witt has been in scoring position 30 times and he was stranded 29 times. I think somebody sent that out in the group.

SPEAKER_05 16:36

Well, I mean, I mean, almost by far, y'all, they have the the least runs scored in the entire American League. And didn't surprise you that they're in last place. So if they can't, and their pitching isn't exactly excellent either. So if if Kansas City didn't figure it out quick, we could be looking at Detroit and Cleveland running away with this thing, and and Kansas City not beating it very, very fast. I mean, we're looking at a from a last year standpoint, a brave type deal where you know, a month and a half in, you're 10 and a half games out, and it's it's kind of getting to that point. So they better figure it out. They better figure out how to get some runs in. And and Wendell, you've always alluded to this, and it's it's about moving these runners around, right? Instead of playing this, these freaking freaking money ball bullshit, no money ball bullshit's when they need to play, but instead of this, let's just you know get Salvador Perez or the Pasquatch or whatever it is, and and um I don't know, is Pasquatch even play for them anymore? I apologize. Okay, but yeah, so all right, I was right on that.

SPEAKER_03 17:43

He hasn't been playing very well, he hasn't played.

SPEAKER_05 17:44

Yeah, but instead of just trying to get these guys to freaking hit it in the outfield or worrying about your launch angle and all that shit, and laying down some bunts and getting some run scored because this thing could get away from Kansas City very quick.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

You know, they're in a seven-game losing streak and they've they're negative 31 uh run differential worse than the White Sox. And yeah, you wonder if them moving the fences in has affected those guys' swings. Yeah, yeah. Uh Sally got all mad because he took a day off. The manager said he needed a mental health day, and he said, The hell with that. I don't need no days off. It's uh wonder if there's something broken on the inside there too.

SPEAKER_05 18:23

No, it's affecting other teams more than it is them, and not in a good way.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

So yeah, yeah, it's probably made their pitching stuff worse because you know, three years ago, two years ago, right? They had like one, two, and four or something like that. Yeah, yep.

SPEAKER_03 18:39

So well, and and interesting, not scoring a lot of runs, as as we all know, is is okay as long as you're still scoring more than the other team, like the Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds, who pops you're gonna talk about later.

SPEAKER_05 18:53

Yeah, but we're looking at the Guardians, man, they've scored 97 runs, and you're looking at Kansas City scored 71.

SPEAKER_03 18:59

Right, right. So um I'm thinking I'm thinking more run differential. But like if you've got good pitching and solid defense, which is exactly how um Cleveland does it, and then you've got good pitching, good defense, and very, very timely hitting, which is what Cincinnati does, um, then it works out a lot better um than getting a guy to second base 30 times and him only scoring once.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Well, I mean the the Guardians are basically scoring a run a game more than the the Royals and their and their run differential, they've given up about the same amount, but and the run differential is negative, there's 25 runs difference. Yeah, I mean you're negative seven and royals are negative 32.

SPEAKER_05 19:48

Yeah, Cleveland's leading the division with a negative seven run differentials.

SPEAKER_03 19:54

Right, right. But the and that but that's how Cleveland does it, right? One run ball games, close ball games, they kill it. So, all right, yeah. How about uh AL Janson?

SPEAKER_05 20:08

Man, I tell you, so as we talked about, Josh, I mean, Houston is surprising to me. You know, these guys are just they're scoring a lot of runs, but obviously they're giving up more. I mean, they've got, you know, as far as uh runs scored, the you know, the best in the entire West. And it's by a lot. I mean, these guys are doing great, but it's exactly that's your on, yeah. It's like it's it's like the the mid 90 Rangers team, right? You gotta win nine to seven every game. And we see in this in this league now with these pitchers, and Josh, you've always alluded to it, and I get so mad about everything, but it's hard to score runs off these pitchers now. Everyone's throwing, I mean, every bullpen guy is throwing 97 miles an hour, your starters throwing 94. Right. I mean, we saw de Grom. We're talking about a second ago, Josh, when he went through the recap, and de Grom went four and two thirds, didn't even get the win. That's the only freaking game we won in Seattle. Right, and he didn't even go enough innings to get the win as a starter. So um, it's it's that's what's surprising. I think Seattle's coming up, you know. They obviously took two from us, but I think the A's are what's more surprising, and and from the A's standpoint is their pitching. Yeah, their pitching has been way above what any of us thought, I think. And Wendell and and and you included, it's just we knew they were gonna score some runs, obviously, with uh with Big Amish up there, and uh these guys are scoring some runs, and it was a crazy comeback the Rangers had in game four to split that series, but I don't think it's a coincidence either that these runs are all getting scored in Sacramento. Yeah, did y'all watch that day game where the Rankers

SPEAKER_00 22:00

The wind.

SPEAKER_05 22:01

Well, the best part of that was you know, we scored the most runs in that series with our best offensive player on the bench and Seager. They gave him a day off. And Duran, there's a routine fly ball hit shortstop. He loses in the sun, but his glasses are on top of his hat. Well, then O'Neill Cruz, huh? Yeah. So it's but other than you know, I mean Seattle, they're they're gonna come back. They're historically slow starters, and man, was uh not so much. I mean, I'm proud of the Rangers for what they did, and they at least forced them into a save situation on Saturday where the bases were loaded with two outs. They had to they had to bring the closer in, right? But Wu looked freaking phenomenal. Who's the dude who pitched Saturday? Same guy that George Kirby. Yeah, Kirby threw eight innings against the Rangers on uh and where we beat them three to two or four to two. Isn't that like a career 1.3 ERA against I think he's giving up like four runs and six star or five starts this year? So I mean it's not so much, so but um I think that Seattle's gonna be coming up, and we need to be worried about them, right? Because you got guys like J. Rod who are always historically slow starters and they're gonna come up. But Josh, you freaking nailed it. If freaking the big dumper doesn't get on it, that team goes the way he goes, and he has not been on it this year. So if he doesn't get on it, good for the Rangers, bad for the Maryans. If he gets on it, we could see a team that could possibly run right with this division.

SPEAKER_03 23:40

Oh, yeah. He as of right now, he's batting 159 with two homers and 11 RBIs, yeah. With an OPS of about 5'11. That's OPS, not OBP. OPS is 5'11. OPS plus is about 50. So he is really struggling. It is early. He had a real long hard year last year. He played um all those games that he played, and about 80% of them were behind the plate. Plus, he had um, you know, the playoffs where he went, not only did they go deep into the playoffs, but I want to say they went six or seven games in the last uh six plays.

SPEAKER_05 24:27

They're gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Yeah, they went seven games and then uh and he caught every one of them. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Um so you know, who knows what kind of toll that took on Cal. Hopefully, he gets he's an exciting player to watch. So hopefully he does get it turned around and return to the Cal Raleigh. I don't think he's gonna be the 60 homer Cal Raleigh, but I think he could very easily turn it around and be a 35 homer within 10 RBIs, you know.

SPEAKER_05 24:54

It's a historic season that he had last year, and 20 days into the season, my sleeper for ALM VP. Not looking real good right now.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

So here we go. Yeah. All right. So um the only team we didn't really talk about there is the LA Angels of Anaheim. Um pitching has always been their Achilles' heel. Uh, they got Jose Soriano who's pitching out of his dome right now. Uh he's got an ERA of about 0.25. Um, Mike Trout is back to being Mike Trout. Did y'all see the game where him and Judge both homered twice?

SPEAKER_05 25:31

And yes.

SPEAKER_03 25:32

Uh pretty.

SPEAKER_05 25:33

He's not he's yeah, not so much being just back to being Mike Trout, but he's being back to elite. And if it wasn't for some guy that maybe one of the two or three guys we know in that Cleveland team, Hint Hent might be the player of the week, but uh it's you know, keeping that guy healthy, like I said, we've always talked about this. We said what's the best position Mike Trock plays? We talked about him moving from center to right last year, this year back, and the best position he has is four at bats a game.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

Yep. And if he feels better about going out there in center field, really getting after it and stealing bases and playing hard, then go do it.

SPEAKER_05 26:17

Stars should be up on nothing, I think.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Yeah, you see uh you see guys like Aaron Judge, right? Like he has a gear that he normally plays in, especially in the outfield, right? And then you can see him kick it up a notch every once in a while, but for the most part, he's like he's not diving around the outfield, he's not running into walls because he is Aaron Judge, he is the guy that carries. So um when you see that far ahead of me.

SPEAKER_05 26:51

Dang, that was like 20 seconds, Wendell.

SPEAKER_03 26:56

Um, but when you see the the big dogs and the and the elite players, like you know, the judges, the shohays, the trouts, the harpers, even Buck Daddy, you know, he's he got to play 130 games last year in center field and ended up having an amazing season. So I think there's something to letting these guys just go out there and be who they are. Um, so yeah, I think the Angels we'll see how their pitching holds up, but I think they have a very exciting offense. Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Joey Dell, um Jorge Soler hits the ball so freaking hard.

SPEAKER_05 27:31

Um sometimes, you know, we'll see how you got a manager and a pitching coach who are playing for their jobs. So and and you know, not so much Mike Maddox, uh you know, a freaking savvy veteran, but yeah, Suzuki there who it's he's younger, more relatable. We talked about that the same exact freaking thing with Skip Schumacher being with the Rangers. And if these dudes like him and want to play for him, shoot, who knows what's gonna happen, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Right, absolutely. All right, let's get into the NL recap and see how our National League teams did this week. We'll start it off with New York Mets at the Chicago Cubbies. It's a good time for anyone to be playing the Mets right now. Uh the Cubbies end up completing the set. Um, and the Metropolitans are on an 11-game skid. Um, Atlanta at Philadelphia. Former Ranger Great Martin Perez threw a six shutdy because that's just what he does. Um is he still in the league? He's only 34. He's not that old.

SPEAKER_05 28:37

So was he 16 when he came up instead of two or what?

SPEAKER_03 28:42

Yeah, so he shut down a pretty potent Philadelphia offense. I don't know if you've heard some of those guys in their lineup like Schwarber and Harper, Trey Turner.

SPEAKER_05 28:50

Don't forget about Adolis Garcia.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

Right, yeah, he has not been uh very good at all this year. Um, but he threw six shutdy. Austin Riley had a two-homer game. Dom Smith and Michael Harris Deuce also homered in that one, and Atlanta took it nine to nothing. Uh Chris Sell looked great, and Christopher Sanchez got beat by a lot of really weak contacts, midfield singles, some little bloopers, um, but that was enough for Atlanta to take that one. And then Michael Harris Duke. Deuce homered again in game three, and Atlanta swept the Phillies in Philadelphia. That's a tough go for Philly fans. Um, and then my favorite series of the weekend, Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh. Little interleague action. It's two of the hottest teams in baseball square off. Uh Bubba Chandler shut the race down in game one. O'Neill Cruz hit a big two-run homer in that one. Um rain delay really hurt the Pirates in game two. Skeens was dealing. And then after about a two-hour rain delay, he did not go back out there. And Tampa Bay beat up on the Pirates' bullpen a little bit. Um, ended up going extras. O'Hearn and Ozuna Homered, uh, but Cedric Mullins got the last laugh as he belted a two-run Jimmy Jack in the 13th. Um in game three, Mitch Keller threw seven strong. Uh, York and Horowitz uh contributed with solar homers, and Brian Reynolds had a three RBI day. Um the Bucs took two out of three. Um, San Francisco at Washington. The Giants have finally figured out that those sticks are made for hitting, and they took two out of three. Um, Milwaukee at Miami, future NLDS matchup. We'll see. Uh the Brewers ended up taking two out of the Miami for sure. Right. Um and then LA and Colorado. Uh the Dodgers visit the Rockies up there, and Colorado took two out of three. Um, but Shohei's still Shohei, the best to ever do it, as he has on a 51 game on base streak, and I don't even know what the scoreless inning streak is for his his pitching right now, but just the fact that we can say those two things.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

One of them ended, didn't it? I thought it was maybe the pitching. I thought I could be wrong.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

It would have to be unless today they played and he didn't get on base. I know he got on base every game against Colorado. Look, what is Colorado Rocky?

SPEAKER_05 31:13

This was the main quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s. Who is a color?

SPEAKER_03 31:26

Last but not least, uh the Blue Jays visit the Snakes, and the Snakes took it to the defending AL Champs. Soroka to Lewizega to Seawald is how you win ballgames, fellas. Uh Hoffman thought he was back in game seven of the World Series as he gave up a game losing grand slam to Corbin Carroll in game two. Uh Toronto salvages the set by uh pumping Ryan Nelson for eight runs and a third of an inning. Well done, Mr. Nelson. Um, that's all Gossman needed to finish the job, and but the snakes end up taking two out of three. All right, Pops. What do you got for the NL standings?

SPEAKER_00 32:03

Well, you know, the Braves are on a heater. Six in a row, eight and two. Have a five-game lead.

SPEAKER_03 32:12

I believe that's the biggest in majors right now, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 32:15

I would, I would, I would, I would imagine.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

It's got to be the exact opposite of what it was this time last year for them, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

100%. Yeah. I mean, they're they're running away with the Division 23 games in the end of the season. Nobody else is even above uh 500. The Phillies lead lead the world in strikeouts, and the Mets lead the world in bad trades and signings. Uh Phillies are on a five-game losing streak. Mets are on an 11-game losing streak. They're worse since 2004. We will we will talk about them more in a minute. And then the surprise most surprising division in baseball right now, the uh central division. Every team, minimum three games over 500. The big red machine is leading the way. Looks like I was a year too early on my pick for them to win the division. And Mr. Tito Francona taking everybody to win. Uh, Pirates and Cardinals are uh game and a half back, but the Cubs and the Brewers two games behind. But uh they have a four-game winning streak, a one-game winning streak, and a five-game winning streak uh in the active in the division right now. So that's gonna be fun to fun to see what happens. You know, there's um all the teams that are doing well are I mean, well, everybody's doing well, so we'll see how everybody else holds up.

SPEAKER_05 33:38

Uh and then the dog the the SN or um Milwaukee is in last place.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

They are, but they're they would be the first place in any other division except for the A NL West, I believe.

SPEAKER_05 33:50

Five teams go from one division? I don't know. No, we have been wrong in this podcast. Uh by we, I mean me, multiple times.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

And then and then in the in the in the west, it's kind of uh, you know, the Dodgers only have only half a game lead over the Padres after losing two out of three to the Rockies. Uh Padres have kind of come back. Uh yeah, didn't didn't really think that they would be much, but uh they are, and the Diamondbacks are seven and three in their last ten. Corbin Carroll has come back off the injured list with and he is just raking. And then the Giants uh and the and the Colorado Rocky are tied for last place. So we'll kind of see how the Colorado Rocky. Uh but you know, I mean the Giants are negative 21 run differential, and the Rockies are negative 10. So, you know, they've we talked about it in the preseason that they these guys have you know, they're still not gonna be very good, but they're gonna be better than and have a good direction for the for the franchise.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

So yeah, yeah, Tony Vitello is gonna have to start answering some some questions, too. Um, so uh good stuff. Thank you for that, Pops. Um, we'll start uh with the teams that have surprised us so far and see if they've changed the narrative. Um, you could almost do the whole NL East, but I think we all really know where Miami and Washington's gonna end up. Washington needs a lot more pitching, but I think they've scored more runs than anybody in the majors. Uh Miami is a really fun team. It's a cool story if you have a bunch of those young guys really getting after it. Sandy Alcantra and Yuri uh Perez are very, very good pitchers. So if they have those two guys um really killing it and and their offense, then they're a pretty exciting team. But the and I had Atlanta the shit cloud over Atlanta in our preseason predictions because it started off the exact same as it did last offseason. Like I'm almost identical with the injuries to the pitching staff, jerks and profar getting um uh busted again for PEDs. Um I think a big difference though, and I'll let you get into it. I think a big difference is honestly Walt Weiss, I think, is probably a little bit different in that clubhouse, but also I think Ronald Ocuna Jr. is having him for a full season and him being there at the beginning of the season and playing for um was he Venezuela or was he Dominican Republic? I think it was Venezuela, right? But the WBC and getting a little bit of that camaraderie, I think that's helped some of those guys. But what do you think about uh first we'll we'll tackle Atlanta Pops? What do you think? Have they are they back to being the powerhouse?

SPEAKER_00 36:50

Yeah, it it looks like it, you know, like you said, the the Marlins of the Nationals aren't aren't going to push them. Um you know, the Phillies, again, they just they they strike out, they're striking out so much this year. I don't know if you watched the game last night on Sunday night baseball, but you know, Crooked in Old Philly. He was just he had his head in his hands the whole game, talking about how much they they strike out. And of course, you know, they added like the all-time strikeout king of the in the history of 2024 and 2025, and the Dolas Garcia on top of guys like Harper and Schwarber that already um strike out a ton. Yeah, so um, and their pitching is and the Phillies pitching is in the in the tank. So I just I don't see anybody the Braves definitely flipped it, flipped the narrative, and there's there I don't see anybody in this division that's gonna chase them down. I mean, and again, we're 23 23 games in and they have a five-game lead.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

Yeah, and another big part of it too with Atlanta, Austin Riley seems to be back to normal. You've got Matt Olsen, who never really obviously never takes a day off, but never really took a season. I don't think he's had a bad season since he's been in the league, whether it was an Oakland or Atlanta. Um Ronald Akuja Jr. healthy for a full season. Ozzie Albies is doing good, and then you've got guys like uh Drake Baldwin. It looks like he's trying to make a run for NLP right after after getting rookie of the year last year. Um, and then Dom Smith, who's a great story, um having the a career season at age 31. Um, the only one that's really not been doing well, which is a little surprising, is Yostrimski. Um, but their pitching is getting it done. Um their their offense has been has been great. Uh so they look like the real deal this year again. Uh Phillies, I mean, do you think they're do you think they've changed the narrative? Are these guys just too old? Do they strike out too much? That they can't hit lefties enough? Like what's going on in Philly?

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Uh yeah, I mean, I think I think they've got no pitching. Nola's having a bad year. Uh Wheeler's not gonna pitch until they all-star break.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

Um they just Lazardo has not been great like he was last year.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

Yeah, yeah, you know, it's kind of like the same boat Houston's in, right? Houston still has Korea and Altuve, but Korea and Altuve aren't Korea and Altuve. Yeah, and same with the with the Phillies, right? They still have Schwarber and they still have Harper, but Harper in particular, there's they're they're not the Harper and the Schwarber that you know, and I say that with Harp with Schwarber coming off a career year, but anybody who has a career year at 33, he's not gonna have another one, right? There's nowhere to go but down for that guy, you know, and you think about his his career, right? He had that great uh rookie rookie season in Chicago, and then they win the World Series, and he's you know everybody's hero. But then, you know, he he he couldn't even draw a waff for like three years, you know. He was just he was a non- non-factor in the league for anybody, and then he kind of jumped up and found a home in Philadelphia again. So he he can go south in a hurry as well. So yeah, I think they're gonna be scuffling most of the most of the year, especially if that pitching doesn't pick up.

unknown 40:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

Um, let's talk about the New York Mets. What the hell is going on?

SPEAKER_02 40:29

What I think they want to go.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

They want to do over, right? I mean, the longest losing, like I said earlier, longest losing streak since 2004. You know, I sent you guys this side-by-side stat head for Simeon and Nemo, right? Right.

SPEAKER_05 40:45

And I mean, um could you be any happier as a Ranger fan right now? No, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Yeah, no, and then even you know, McNeil, he's doing well in Atlanta or in Sacramento, and then he does what he does, right? Yeah, and then um, you know, Pete hadn't really started to hit much in Baltimore, but you know, he will for sure. Um and then I just and then they're they're scuffling with you know Simeon, who had two hits the other day and raised his batting, it was so bad he got two hits and raised his batting average like 23 points. It was because with two hits, yeah, with two hits, and uh um you know Lindor's having a bad year, and then of course Soto, I guess Soto's supposed to come back sometime this this homestand. So um if if he comes back and makes a bit of an impact, you know, because this 11-game streak basically started when he went when he went on the DL, right? And they were seven and four, and now they're seven and fifteen. Yeah, and crazy though.

SPEAKER_05 41:49

Yeah, though, Josh Right.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Yeah, so we'll we'll we'll see what happens when he comes back. But um that's I guess would be the one reason why you would think that the Mets possibly have not totally just messed things up, but you know, they're they're eight and a half games out, yeah. Pretty yeah, because not only are they having a crappy year that you know the the Braves are the best team in the National League right now, so yeah, yeah. Not that they actually have a one win more than the Dodgers.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

Yeah, we'll see. But this this almost seems like a continuation of what happened to them at the end of last season. Yeah, I don't know if it's uh a dugout issue, a clubhouse issue. Um I think they got rid of Nemo and McNeil and Alonzo because they thought it was a clubhouse issue before. So they were gonna, you know, they had guys like Soto and Lindor that were gonna you know carry the clubhouse and be the leaders. And from what I understand, there's a little bit of beef between Soto and Lindor. And then when you got Soto, who's the best hitter in baseball, not named Judge or Shohei, um, out for a for a couple weeks, and and your pitching's not really doing great. And Bo Bachette hasn't really turned it on yet. Um and their defense has been really, really ugly, man.

SPEAKER_05 43:17

Well, I mean, if Simeon gets two more hits, he's gonna raise his average by 46 points.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

So it's uh it's been crazy. Yeah, yeah, and they're you know, they got three$350 million payroll, and they were already talking about how how nasty it's gonna be. Lit Lindor was talking was talking about how brutal it's gonna be with the fans when they get back home.

SPEAKER_03 43:41

So oh yeah, Phillies were already booing their team.

SPEAKER_05 43:44

Oh, they've been doing this on the road. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

No, the Mets have been on the yeah.

SPEAKER_05 43:51

Oh, yeah, yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_03 43:52

It's gonna be real bad. They may get booed when they announce the starting lineup.

SPEAKER_05 43:57

I mean, I wasn't surprised. Deservedly so, right? I mean, even as a Ranger fan, like a guy like Jock Peterson who was over his first 19 and hits that home run. It's like I want to root for every Ranger, but someone who hits a home run that barely goes over and he yells at the fans, keep talking shit. It's like, dude, you're one for 20 with one RBI and one hit. But it's like, but yeah, I mean, it's it's more brutal than anywhere. Like we were talking about it a couple weeks ago, you know, with Bo Bouchette. You know, a couple hard games in New York, he's getting booed and he's got signing that big contract. I mean, I guess good for Lindor for saying what you said, Pops. And we I mean, I did, I think I picked the freaking Mets to win the East. And if they're doing this, then they need to get booed when they get home because it's a joke with that kind of a payroll, and you're putting that product out there.

SPEAKER_02 44:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:00

One guy, that's one thing about the the many great things, but the one real great thing about baseball is this is not a it's not a one-man team. You can't sign a LeBron or a Luca or uh whatever and just immediately make your team better because you you're batting four times a game, and how many times is the ball getting hit to you? So deservedly so, what happens to them when they get home is gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 45:23

Yeah, absolutely. All right, Pops, let's move over uh to the NL Central, who you talked a little bit about when we went through the standings. Um, there's four teams in the American League with a winning record. There's five teams in the NL Central with a winning record. So uh what like where do you see this going, Pops? Is this something where we're gonna start to see St. Louis kind of falter? And because remember how much shit we talked about, the Cardinals. Um, and those young hitters. I mean, I the pitching's still a little scary, but those those hitters have been getting it done. Um, the Pirates, everybody they acquired has been playing very well. Um, and O'Neill Cruz has figured out how to hit lefties. I mean, and and it's to the point where you've got uh Milwaukee and Chicago in fourth and fifth fifth place in the division, uh, when the Reds, Pirates, and and Cardinals are are at the top.

SPEAKER_05 46:23

So with the Cubbies winning five in a row, by the way, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:27

Right, and Milwaukee winning four in a row, I think, right?

SPEAKER_00 46:30

Yeah, uh, they lost their last one, but I believe do believe that they had won their previous their four prior to that. So, you know, I think the thing with this, it's all everybody's within two games. Uh the Cubs have finally started to hit, uh, although everybody on their on their uh pitching staff just continues to get uh injured from placenta to Tate Horton.

SPEAKER_01 46:54

Oh god, somebody's placenta burst. Yes. Somebody get a doctor on that. So they're all you know, Danny Danny placenta's on the video.

SPEAKER_00 47:04

Um you know, I I don't I don't think the car, you know, I said it last week. I don't think the Cardinals have the staying power. I I think ultimately they're young hitters, the league's gonna get enough of a look at them that they're gonna figure out how to start getting those guys out. The back of the bullpen is is is gnarly uh for the Cardinals. You know, they had a lead uh late in every one of the one of those games against the Astros and then wound up you know, a couple of them they actually pushed into extra innings, or then they're they're holding on by their chinny, the hair of their chinny chin chin. Um in the in the ninth. Uh, you know, the pirates, you know, they have enough pitching to do whatever.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

You know, they added the bats, you know, they you know, and we'll see if they get if it keep they keep doing well, get to the trade trade deadline, and you know, you get somebody like uh, you know, can Kansas City, you know, who knows what if they're still in last place, they're they'll they will sell, right? And then will Houston sell? You know, if they're in the in the tank area tank again. And hope so. And if so, who, right? So uh there could be some more some people in play out there for the for the pirates. And uh a little bit surprised at the Reds, uh what they're uh but you know they just lost the one pitcher, and we didn't really think that they were strong enough offensively. But um, and you know, they're they're not, you know, they're still negative three run differential. They've only scored 84 runs. Uh, you know, they're scoring about four runs a game, a little bit less.

SPEAKER_03 48:38

So um but pops when you're 10-0 in close games. And that's I mean, that's why they're at the for their their pitching is doing well and their goalpen is doing well.

SPEAKER_05 48:49

It's all about two or three of the wins, isn't it? So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

So ult ultimately, I think by the end of the season the uh standings are gonna be inverted from what they are now. But uh, I think it's gonna be a fun 30 to 60 days for a lot of these teams anyway, for the fans of a lot of these teams, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 49:06

I'll I will say uh Cincinnati. I mean, you're looking at eventually getting Hunter Green back, I think uh like close to the all-star break. So if they're right after, yeah. Yeah, if they're doing well now, then you know if Hunter Green is Hunter Green when he comes back, then that's it's almost like getting a big a big name at the deadline, right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 49:31

The the fact they've done that without him is it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_03 49:35

Yeah, and I mean it's not like Ellie De la Cruz and Gino Suarez are just killing it at the plate, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 49:41

No, I mean Sal Stewart is having a la Cruz has got a he's got an 860 OPS and uh but a two 261 batting average. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:49

Well, 860 OPS, that's pretty good. I didn't realize it was that good of a year.

SPEAKER_05 49:53

Hey, 261 could be like top three in the league at this point. I mean, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

Um, but uh Sal Stewart's making his bid for rookie of the year. He he has been hitting the ball really well. Um, the Pirates, uh, they're a little lefty heavy. That's the only thing that scares me. But O'Hearn and O'Neal Cruz actually hit lefties pretty well, at least they have so far this season. Um, they just need to get somebody in that bullpen to get you from skiings to soda. Yeah, pretty much seventh and eighth inning, sixth, seventh and eighth inning. It's a little bit scary in that bullpen. And then you have to figure Chicago and Milwaukee are gonna be at the top of the division. Chicago is just too damn good.

SPEAKER_05 50:41

Like I don't know about Milwaukee, but yeah, Chicago for sure.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Oh, by the way, I don't think we talked about it last week. They extended Nico Horner. Did we talk about that?

SPEAKER_00 50:51

Yeah, we did.

SPEAKER_03 50:52

Yeah, okay. Yeah, um, Detroit extended Kevin McGonagall eight years.

SPEAKER_05 50:57

Oh, I did see that, yes.

SPEAKER_03 50:59

Two years 150 million. That's pretty good for him. He's he's looked like a real real ball player um for the first month or so of the season. So uh Pops, let's talk a little bit about NL West. Uh, the only one that's really, I guess, surprising in this one is I mean, the Dodgers have been good for a few years in a row. Not the Dodgers, uh, the Padres.

SPEAKER_05 51:25

Yeah, uh, the Dodgers have been okay a few years in a row.

SPEAKER_03 51:29

So everybody knew the Dodgers were gonna be good. The Padres have been good for the last few years. Arizona's always like one of those teams that could be right there at the wild card. Uh, they've been playing well, and even with their terrible bullpen. I guess the surprising teams, one in a good way, one in a bad way, are Colorado. Colorado not being in last place all by themselves, and San Francisco being in last place with Colorado. Um what what is the narrative in San Francisco right now?

SPEAKER_00 52:02

I think for me the narrative is never hire a college coach to manage your major league baseball team because they're they just don't they don't know what they're what they're doing because there's too much talent on that team for it to be, I mean, nine and thirteen. I mean, it's like the Mets, right? Just like, what are we doing here? Um negative 21 run divent differential with a rise and Devers and uh Chapman. Uh, you know, they're not they're not even doing well, what they do well, deep defense, which shouldn't take it, you know, your defense doesn't take a day off. They're not even playing well defensively. Uh, so there's there's something that's not connected there. Um, so you know, that's it'll be interesting to see um how long Fitello lasts, frankly. Yeah, because I think there's something rotten in Denmark. And you know, the the Rockies, I think they they're doing exactly kind of like what we we talked about, right? This is now a professional baseball organization with the semblance of a plan, right?

SPEAKER_05 53:12

They got they got uniforms and everything out there in Colorado.

SPEAKER_00 53:14

Yes, they do, and you know, so it's you know, as opposed to, you know, and um it's just very different this year in the way it's being ran and the way they're they're putting their team together and uh taking on some tella got a win on Sunday, so he's only three away from his win total from last year, four and nineteen or whatever he was.

SPEAKER_05 53:39

But but he made how many starts, right? 30.

SPEAKER_03 53:42

So yeah, yeah, he did. He was out there every five days just getting pumped for seven, eight runs.

SPEAKER_00 53:49

Sounds like an ex-girlfriend of mine, you know. Yeah, and and you know, the Padres, like you said, they've been good, but you know, on the at least uh on this podcast, and we all had uh we're looking at them being fourth place in this division because they just didn't do anything. Yeah, for sure too, y'all.

SPEAKER_04 54:08

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 54:08

But I get apparently apparently they didn't need to do anything, they knew what they were doing, so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 54:14

Or didn't they start last year off? They were like right neck and neck with the Dodgers earlier.

SPEAKER_00 54:20

I mean, just like they are just like that. They they actually were leading the Dodgers, leading the division for like the first month, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 54:28

Yeah, yeah, they're just half a game behind them lower, something like this, something crazy like that. Yeah, so uh yeah, Padres Padres is kind of it is kind of it is very surprising to me because they just didn't do a lot.

SPEAKER_05 54:43

Their words, man. You were like, I can't even put them in third or fourth because they're just not a very good team, but it's super early.

SPEAKER_00 54:51

Yeah, it is, yeah. Yeah, I mean, everybody around them did something, yeah. Except them, even the Dodgers, Dodgers, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 54:59

Yeah, even the Dodgers. Yeah, they just decided to add more to the payroll. Fuck them. Yeah, you know, the Dodgers are waiting.

SPEAKER_00 55:06

Yeah, there you go. You know, we talked about uh Altuve not being Altuve and whatever, and you know, the Dodgers, you know, they've got bets and Freemen who aren't betts and Freemen, but they have so much other young talent around them that the Astros and the Phillies don't, guys like Uncle Oscar and Will Smith and Kyle Tucker now. I mean, it's just very different uh dynamic to the lineup than what is in Philadelphia and Houston right now.

SPEAKER_03 55:31

Yeah, and you've got Andy Paez who he's gonna lead the National League in home runs, apparently, and he's batting seventh in their lineup. Oh, and by the way, that Shohei guy's pretty good. Um he's only 30. So does San Francisco finish the year beneath the color the Colorado? I don't think so. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 55:55

But they might okay.

SPEAKER_03 55:59

Are they are they fourth or fifth in that division?

SPEAKER_00 56:02

Oh yes, okay, the Giants for sure.

SPEAKER_03 56:06

Okay, all right. That sucks because I picked them to go to the playoffs. All right, all right, so let's do some uh boner factories, Slate, dude. Who are our players of the week?

SPEAKER_05 56:19

Well, man, I really hate to agree with MLB, as y'all know by this podcast, but uh dad gum gonna have to. I really wanted Josh to give it to Mike Trout. I really wanted to to the American League, just because I mean the dude went seven for 24, had five home runs, four runs scored, nine RBIs. But my deciding factor just being old school baseball, gotta give it to Jose Ramirez, right? He had basically identical stats, and that's what the MLB picked as well. But do you know what Jose Ramirez had as well? Like eight stolen bases, five stolen bases, that's exactly right. I mean, he just keeps doing it, it just he doesn't look like a guy who can steal bases, but he still bases, he's like Jock Peterson that steals bases, not not like him, but you know what I mean. Yeah, well, maybe that's why I picked him, but so did the MLB, right? Because I'm the same size. We had a lot of short jokes today on the course, and I took all of them, you know, man with the you know, happily. So but uh no, they mean it's unbelievable. It that was that was a tough one for me, but I really do think that uh that guy's unbelievable. He's got a first place team, so good for him, right? And I'm gonna go ahead and say for this national league, TJ, shout out, and uh teams have been real hot, man. So let's go ahead and give it to Nico Hornham, right? And both those are the ones that uh were the players of the week chosen by the MLB, but all he did was go nine for 26, full run score, two homers, 11 ribbies, two stolen bases. So just you know, really, I mean sometimes you know it's hard to pick these guys this week.

SPEAKER_03 58:10

It wasn't, but I wanted defense also by Nico Horner, by the way.

SPEAKER_05 58:14

I wanted to give it to Trout, man. Just that guy's been unbelievable, and it's it I hate the Astros so much that I don't hate the Angels that much. We're the same, we're in the same division, so you know, but uh let's go ahead and let's give it to uh for the uh pitching stats, let's go ahead and give it to another guardian, Gavin Williams. All he did was get two wins, 12 innings pitch, three yarn runs, and then let's go ahead and give it in the national league to Mr. Michael King for San Diego, who has been a phenomenal pitcher for them so far, and just kind of said a surprising season out there for them, but all he's done is given up one run, the last 11 innings, two wins, quality start, uh 11 strikeouts. So those are my picks for the week as far as the uh best players, or as Josh likes to say, the boner factories.

SPEAKER_03 59:14

That's right. All right, thank you for that, Slay Dude. Pops, who needs a little help? So I got the Mets just as a team.

SPEAKER_00 59:26

We're done. It should be just just as the team, but uh Mark Vientos, who's apparently does a little bit of everything for them. Um two for 16, 125, right in the middle of a uh the 11-game winning streak. He did have one home run and one one RBI, four strikeouts, but just just a brutal, a brutal week.

SPEAKER_05 59:46

Um Wendell, he had the worst week in the in the league, but maybe the best week for the uh Mets.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

For the Mets. He was player of the week for the he was the Mets player of the week. Um and then you know, I wanted it wanted to give it to this guy for the second time, uh, but I just couldn't because I wanted I had to give it to somebody that I hate. But uh uh the artless artist formerly known as Mike was another uh wild candidate for uh worst player of the week with uh a 120 batting average, one home run, two RBIs, 11Ks. But I gave it to our little buddy uh from down south, Carlos Correa, who went four for 24, 167, 5Ks or 6Ks, uh one RBI, three runs scored uh in the middle of as Houston lost five in a row at some point during the week. Um shout out to Carlos Correa. Thank you for sucking. Yeah, trash can. Yeah, get this guy a trash can.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:53

Turned up that uh pitchcom, they're not that good anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:58

Yes. Uh, you know, pitcher of the week, I went with uh Nola for the Phillies. Uh uh, you know, just he know he only had one start, but it was it was a it was a tough one, and the Phillies needed him. You know, he's five five four five point four ERA, two whip for the game. Um, you know, he just uh eight hits, just you know, just just a bad start when they really needed it. And then uh, you know, I hated to do it to this guy who's had a really a great season, but in the American League, again, just a one-start week. Uh, but uh Max Freed, he got lit. Uh 8.44 ERA. Um, you know, just really, really nothing, none of the counting stats. He just had a bad, a bad, bad go uh for the Met for the Yankees. And you know, they they got back in the first place. But you know, there was a a time when we were wondering if they were ever going to give up a run or not. But uh then they then they kind of rided the ship a little bit. But poor Maxie, he had a he had a bad, bad, bad week.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:07

Yeah, maxi pad freed. I get it, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:09

There you go.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:11

Yeah, his was rough. I'll give I'll give Garrett Crotch Rocket an honorable mention on that one. He had a he had a really, really rough week. So far for the season, by the way, Garrett Crochet has an ERA of almost eight. So I don't know. Pops, we were talking a little bit about it in pregame.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:30

I don't know if he's got some kind of injury or something going on or or what's going on with that guy, but McKenzie Gore could have had some had had something to say about that.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:41

And Pops, I thought you were gonna say besides, I guess, because he took my two starts, but E. O. Valdy, I thought too. So after what he did on Saturday or whatever it was, so it wasn't good.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:53

Yeah, well, his other, I mean, for the week he had a 1.50 ERA and 1.17 because he had he had that a good start in in Oakland earlier in the great start in Sacramento, and then yeah, that's whatn't good after that in Seattle.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:06

So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:08

All right, well, good stuff, fellas. Uh, last thing we'll end it on is uh uh there was a death in the baseball world. Um, Garrett Anderson, um, who obviously we got to see a lot of growing up because he played against our Rangers. Um he spent almost his entire career uh with the Angels, California or LA or otherwise. He was an angel for um, I think 15 of his 17 as well. Oh, he's from there. Yes, yeah. So he was a California Angel, an Anaheim Angel, and an LA Angel of Anaheim. Um, then he was also spent a year with the Braves and a year with the Dodgers. So um, but ultimately, sweet swinging lefty, played a good left field. Um, the year that they went to the World Series in 02, uh, he was MVP four. Uh, but on those really those really scary offensive teams that the Angels had back then, where you had like uh Stammon and Jimmy Edmonds and um Erstadin. Yeah, Darren Erstad was on that team, and then eventually you had Troy Glouse, right? Um, just some teams that could just and I think didn't Ectein start with them? Didn't he start with Dick?

SPEAKER_05 1:04:25

He did, and he won one with them and with y'all St. Louis Cardinals.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:29

Yeah, so um just some real I mean an outfield with Jimmy Edmonds, Garrett Anderson, and Tim Salmon? I mean, that's pretty that's pretty crazy. And that's back when the best players in the league actually batted over 300 and hit 30 homers and drove in 100 RBIs. But um, anything specifically y'all remember about Garrett Anderson?

SPEAKER_05 1:04:53

And I remember Josh, so it was um, like you said, 2002. So it was the 2002 season, which was even though graduate 03 baseball, you know, finishes there in the fall, and it was their their year when they beat Barry Bonds and the Giants in seven and got batted 331 that year, which would be by far the best season anyone's ever had. But uh I don't know, I don't particularly know why, but you know, on Friday I texted the group when I found out that he passed away, and it was just weird. I mean, what 53 years old, just not a not not an old guy, and yeah, and like I like I told you, as much as I hate the the the Astros, I don't hate the Angels that much, and I was cheering for the Angels that year. Maybe it's because the Rangers had done nothing up to that point, but yeah, Josh, we had to. I mean, if we text each other, it cost us about 47 cents a text, so we probably didn't text that much back then. But I just think that you know, looking through all the stats, he he leads the Angles in a lot of offensive stats. Yeah, he's up from a career standpoint and And from all accounts, he was just a good all-around human being. And so, and not knowing he was from LA until I read that article. And you know, it's it's a tragic death for that. But um, I think the Angels did some uh did a good job of honoring him. And it just it's a tough deal, but you know, it's a it's a sad deal with the great ball player, 2002 World Series, like you say, Josh 15 of his 17 years in you know in LA, and with that being where he grew up, I mean not a lot more you can say about that. Just a great career, and what stood out to me was you know, home run derby champion, batting 330, and being a lifelong guy that played for his hometown team.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:48

Very nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:49

Uh how about you, Pops? Yeah, you know, just very smooth. Yeah, I just remember him being very, very smooth in the outfield, just very uh fast, could run run well. Uh didn't really steal a lot of bases for whatever reason, but yeah, just it's kind of a just a solid, a solid guy. You know, but he was a big contributor on that 2002 team uh that won the World Series. Um so just you know he's just he's he's a guy that you knew in the in the league, right? Yeah, um, he's just a guy that you knew and um professional there, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:26

Wendell, as I said, professional at that.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:32

Yeah, all right, good stuff. Um, all right. Little trivia? Sure. If you got some, Garrett Anderson. I certainly don't. All right, let's go. Let's go with some Garrett Anderson themed trivia, not to give away answers or anything. We'll do all-time angels leaders since we're on it, okay. OPS, who's the all-time leader? Albert Poohholes. It's got it's gotta be trout, doesn't it? It is trout. Okay, never mind. Albert Poohs is 15th on that list. Oh, oh, I'm Garrett Anderson is 12th. Uh Tim Salmon's up there. Vlad Guerrero's up there, 927 career OPS. Mike Trout's career OPS, Jiminy Christmas, 977. Is that right? One dot net for his career.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:33

Batting average career leaders for the LA Angels. Ron Carew. He's number two.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:42

Oh, nice one, though.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:52

Hall of Famer, former Ranger, great ranger killer when he played for the Angels. Is that Body? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:00

Three 319 career batting average. And then Carew, and then our boy Garrett Anderson is third all time. Awesome. Yep, then Trout and then Howie Kendrick, fifth all time. Dude, Howie Kendrick did freaking he was good.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:15

He was he was he was there were a lot of a lot of teams that would pick him up. He was the post, he was the postseason killer. Home runs. Is that salmon?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:31

No, he's number two now. Now oh trout.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:36

It's gotta be trout again, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:09:38

Well Wendell said now. I was like, I got this one.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:41

So the longest time it was Tim Salmon.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:46

Oh good Wendell.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:48

Tim Salmon has two number. Yeah, Tim Salmon has 299. Mike Trout has 411. So it's not really close anymore. Garrett Anderson, number three again. He's just number three on every all-time doubles leader, isn't he? Or is that a trivia question? We're about to find out. How about RBI?

SPEAKER_05 1:10:09

Well, Trout, maybe.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:10

I don't know. Trout's number two.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:15

Wally joiner.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:17

Wally joiner is number 11.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:20

Oh wow. So Trout's two. It can't be Vlad.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:24

Vladdy is number eight.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:34

David Anderson now? He wasn't there very long.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:36

Is he current or old timey? Or not current, but old timey or um here's a hint.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:42

He just died. Oh, Garrett Anderson. I don't want to laugh, but Garrett Anderson, number one all time, by a lot. 1,292 career RBIs. And then it's Trout and Salmon, a lot of fish at the leaderboard. And then Brian Downing and Albert Poohs.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:05

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:06

So Ronnie have over a thousand? After Garrett Anderson. After Anderson, yeah. Trout and salmon. The two fish.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:14

How far is Trout behind?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:16

Uh Trout's at 10, uh 1,034, and Garrett Anderson's at 1292. So he's a couple hundred. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he's how old is Trout now? 34? Something like that. Sounds right.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:33

Yeah, and playing because he's 20 years old.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:35

Right, yeah. Sure. He's got a pretty good shot at passing that one. All right, runs. Greg Anderson. He's number two.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:44

Damn it.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:47

Yeah, Wendell, we did it.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:48

I'm telling you, this whole thing is trout, Anderson, and Salmon. That's all I see. Salmon's number three. Uh hits. This one's probably crazy. This this one he's leading by a crazy amount.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:05

Well, that's gonna be Anderson, too, innit?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:08

Yeah. 2368. See, that's a good career, boys. 2300 career hits.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:13

Well, I mean, that's just with one team. I mean, we've played two years, meaning 163, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:19

He didn't even average 200 hits a season.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:23

What a loser. Uh then Mike Trout, uh, 1773. So he's a pretty solid 600 behind Anderson, and then Salmon in third. Doubles. Garrett Anderson. Yes. And then Salmon and then trout.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:45

I just said it before Pops could because he was chewing the sunflower seeds.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:49

Right. Triples. Garrett Anderson is five on this list. So Trout. He's number two. Erstad. Erstad, number eight. Is this Carew? This is no. Carew is 17th.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:11

Holy shit.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:13

Oh wow. Shortstop.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:18

Not next time.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:20

Nope. Earlier. Jim Fregosi. Oh wow. Forgot he even played shortstop for them.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:35

I forgot how much I didn't know that guy's name.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:39

So and then well, he was he should be your, you know who he was freighted for. Uh no, I don't. I believe uh that would have been Norman Ryan. Oh, no.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:54

Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:57

So what? So Houston? Hold on. He went to the Angels. So did the Mets get Fragosi? Is that what you're saying? Yes. Yes. Let's see if you want to play it.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:12

Sam's night.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:14

I was way off. Um, games played. It's uh here's what I'll tell you. The top three is the same top three that it's been in every Anderson, salmon, and trout. Yes, that's perfect. In that order. Well done. All right. Um, that's all I got, fellas. That's enough.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:34

Um here, but I think that I think that really does. Like I said, Josh, I mean I should have known more of them, but I read that article, you know, and then I sent it to you guys about Garrett Anderson passing away. What a what an icon he was, not just for baseball, but but for that franchise. And yeah, yeah, I don't know why. For some reason, when I saw that it was only 53 and he passed, I was like, it kind of hit me hard. So, but what an icon of the game, what an icon of uh because we're we're getting close to that age.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:06

Is that what you mean?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:07

And one of us is older than that age, so that's what made it suck. Yeah you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:14

So oh hell, Terrence Gordon passed away a few weeks ago. What was he, 33?

SPEAKER_00 1:15:20

Yeah, from the guy you spray for Kansas City.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:23

Well, we made it past him, Josh, so we're okay. So yeah, we did, yeah, but yeah, I think it and this you know, I think it's all coin flip at some point, uh unfortunately, because I'm like, this is a professional athlete led this team, and all this from all I could understand, was a good, good, hard work, clean living dude, and that happened to him, you know. I mean, it's just what it is. It's funny Terrence Corer, wasn't he like a suicide or something? No, maybe not, maybe not him, but Garrett Anderson.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:52

He had complications from a surgery. Oh okay, there it was. Um, so uh what's funny though about those the professional athletes that we talk about all the time, like you know the guys like John Crook and Matt Stairs and Rod Beck. They they go out there, do their thing, and then go and drink uh a 12-pack of Budweiser and smoke a pack of Marble Reds. But then you have guys and and they look like it, right? Like the biker looking dudes, right? But then I was listening to an interview the other day, and they were talking about I think it was Eric Davis, and he was talking about, yeah, Cal Ripkin was cool as shit. He drank a 12-pack after every single game. And I mean, Cal Ripkin, if you look at him, like go back, like even to his old age, that dude was a brick shithouse.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:47

Yeah, um, and Wake Boggs from Wake Boggs, Tampa Beta, Seattle, drinking 84 beers or wherever it was, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:56

It's just it's crazy. So they they they're athletes, they're the best that there is, but they also still do some some heavy living.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:05

You know, I think about it, you know, and LO Shoe Great, uh NBA. I mean, it's just uh Pistol Pete Meravidge. He was our age, Josh. I mean, this before three-point line even came into existence, and he leads the NCAA in scoring ever by shooting two-pointers, and he died in a pickup freaking playoff game or pickup basketball game at 40 years old, literally, like had a heart attack, boom, defect. Now I think we got better stuff, but yeah, I think you're exactly right, and I think it's just weird, I guess I think about it. You're right, because he's 13 and 12 years older than us and professional athlete and led that organization, a historic organization, and all these things. And I'm like, I think that's when I sent to you. I was like, he was only 53, but you're exactly right. That's maybe why it hit me a little harder. I'm like, we're we're not far away.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:02

This guy did everything right, he was a professional athlete, right? What hope do we have?

SPEAKER_05 1:18:08

Yeah, we have dozens of listeners, and I'm worried about this, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 1:18:14

Yeah, all right. Well, um, good career, Garrett Anderson. Good baseball guy. Condolences to the family. I'm sure they're listening. They got to be one of our 12 listeners, probably. Um, but that's that's all I got for today, fellas. So um, thank you everybody for listening. Uh, if you like what we're doing, support the show. Check us out on Instagram, uh, X, Facebook. Uh, give us a like, give us a subscription, leave a comment, uh, let us know that uh that you like what we're doing. For the Slay dude, Justin Slay, for Wendell Pops Patterson, I'm Josh Patterson. Thank y'all, and we'll talk to you again next week.