The National League standings are a war zone right now. Can the Dodgers be dethroned by October?

Start [Music] what is up everyone you are tuned in to the dnvr Rockies podcast brought to you by bet 365 use code dnvr 365 when you sign up choose your offer and find out why it is never ordinary with bet 365 well we've got some breaking news to start off the show it's not baseball related specifically but it is sports related According to Pete thill the singer rapper songwriter Mr worldwide himself Pitbull is purchasing the naming rights to fiu's football stadium he's expecting to pay the school $1.2 million per year for 5 years for the rights of his stadiums it will officially be called Pitbull stadium that is uh that's some sports news to start our show there producer kale um I don't really know how I feel about that that it's the first time that we've ever seen a a person name a stadium after themselves as like a personality good good for Mr worldwide good for Mr if I had that type of money and could do whatever I want I'd put my name on a stadium also like $1.2 million feels cheap like I feel like it feels reasonable well it feels reasonable for one person but like I I I would imagine Kors is paying more than $1.2 million per year I would think I don't know but Kors so Kors the Rockies didn't do this right cuz uh when they built the stadium Kors got lifetime rights so like they like I think they're still paying the same rate they were in like 98 when the stadium opened but they also but those well see that it's interesting because they've got like the the Kors Rooftop Bar and they've got like different KS sure they're like naming the they have to pay for the new stuff but I think like they literally signed a lifetime deal when they opened the stadium so unlike the Broncos who every five years get a new huge chunk of cash from whoever's willing P EMP Power Sports Authority or what every five years they get a new chunk of cash um I think Kors is uh I think Kors is signed on for life let me see if can look up how much they pay a year yeah I mean I also like how much in return is Mr worldwide getting out of having a Stadium named after him like it is FIU Stadium it's in Florida we know we know you know he's a big Miami guy probably couldn't afford the stadium rights for Miami so Kors Brewing purchased a lifetime naming rights for a one-time fee of $30 million wow so they paid $30 million in 1991 I feel like got a deal K got a deal so they're paying nothing yearly now that's insane $30 million also is like nothing to Kors soct like that's so they in 91 they were like sure and just lifetime interesting yeah I mean I know in the offseason we'll inevitably do a show about you know the the different stadium names and you know the weird names that we see in minor league parks and all that kind of thing but that's crazy to me I so I I just felt the need to throw that out there of course our breaking news is always brought to you by and listeners of the show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at National League West Warzone indeed.com All City terms and conditions apply need to hire you need indeed well as much as it is really fun to talk about Pitbull Stadium um we got some baseball to talk about because it is a war zone right now in the National League I don't know if you guys have looked into the standings very recently um but the National League West and the national league as a whole is heating up and there are teams that are playing each other right now specifically the Dodgers and the Phillies who played each other last night who it's feeling like we're in September right now like I don't really know how many times we get a chance to see two two teams with two of the best records in all of baseball playing in early August with potential playoff implications I know we're a long way out but these are two teams that we're going to be seeing playing in September and October um and we got to see them last night the Phillies and the Dodgers went head-to-head the Dodgers ended up coming away from that game Victorious they won the game 5 to3 um it was two Stellar arms facing off Aaron Nola and Tyler glassnow going head-to-head and look it's a game that I had circled on my calendar at least for you know the last week or so because uh it it it really has that feeling of September to it because you've got the Phillies who have the best record in the National League and you've got the Dodgers who are pretty much right behind that the Phillies are 66 and 45 the Dodgers 65 and 47 and you've got some of the best players in baseball sh Otani Bryce Harper uh you know and a mix of other really deep tradition or deep um additions to those teams that continue to play some of the best baseball that we see so anytime you get a a squad like the Dodgers and the Phillies facing off you're going to draw some eyeballs and it didn't really disappoint Dodgers like I said came away with the win 5 to3 but you got a show he Otani home run Freddy Freeman got back in the lineup it was uh Freddy Freeman's first game in over eight games I believe or eight days um he had to step away because of some health complications with his son Max who um we've gotten word is is feeling a little bit better he's still in the hospital right now with his wife Chelsea um but he's improving enough for Freddy to get back into the Dodgers lineup and so a really emotional moment I I actually posted about it on Twitter at cjjs you can go and watch it there there was a standing ovation from everyone in Dodgers Stadium both Phillies and Phillies fans Philly players Dodgers fans Dodgers players um just got getting on their feet and making some noise for Freddy Freeman it looked like he was kind of brought to tears even and then he had to go get in and hit and he ended up striking out in that at bat which I don't blame him cuz God talk about a wild roller coaster of emotions that he's going through he was just um you know spending the week basically at at the bedside of his his child son um in the hospital I know I was listening to the broadcast and Joe Davis was talking about how him and his wife were taking 8 hour shifts where one of them would stay for8 hours during the you know during the day while the other um you know slept and then they would flip-flop and I I mean it's something that no parent would ever should ever have to go through and so our hearts go out to Freddy and his family but really cool to see him back in the lineup for the Dodgers and I said in my tweet it's the only time I'll ever get behind a standing ovation for a Dodger is a moment like that so you know we're going to spend the rest of the show talking about the Dodgers and the struggles that the Dodgers are having but I wanted to start on a positive note by saying that really cool to see Freddy Freeman back in the lineup he did end up getting a single um in his next at bat of course you know the crowd loved that and he got a hug from Bryce Harper um you know over at first base and uh so pretty cool to see that for for Freddy Freeman but I wanted to talk specifically to start about Clayton Kershaw because Clayton Kershaw has been synonimous with one of Is Kershaw over the hill? the best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball for close to a decade now Clayton Kershaw has been pitching for a long time and he has been literally one of if not the best pitcher in all baseball now we can talk about his issues in the postseason and has he been able to live up to the hype and is you know he's a pitcher that has pitched in one of the best um statistic um stat lines in all of regular season but can he pitch in the postseason that is a conversation for a different time but no one can argue that Clayton K Kershaw will be a unanimous Hall of Fame vote uh Hall of Fame decision when he retires he will be respected as one of the best pitchers in our era he has some of the nastiest offe speed pitches that I've ever seen in all of baseball but there Comes A Time in everyone's career where you have to start having the conversation of how much more can we get out of this guy and the Dodgers I think are in that position right now Clayton Kershaw was returning from in injury he's missed most of this season with a shoulder injury required surgery he returned in July he's made two starts he has a 5.87 erra and he had a terrible game in San Diego just about a week ago and his off speed pitches haven't been doing what they're they're wanting to do his fast ball has been tailing up in the zone and look I get it he's coming back from injury you know it's it's easy to say well he's just he's just taking a little bit of time to kind of get back into the swing of things but I would argue that almost any Hall of Famer who gets to the end of their career hits a certain point where they get maybe a minor injury or a big injury that kind of derails their career look at Chris Bryant who had so much success for the Cubs before getting traded to the the Giants initially and then coming to the Rockies you know he went through that little injury moment before making the transition in the trade to the Rockies and not been the same player since he came back from injury and has added about 50 more injuries down the road Russell Wilson switching Sports Wilson you know had his what was it a thumb injury or something like that when he was in Seattle he you have those images of him warming up for the Seahawks going out there when he was still hurt and you know putting his headphones on before the game and doing the the mock drills and uh you know people like to make fun of him for that it's Russell Wilson we can make fun of him now since he's not a Bronco anymore um but I would argue that that injury changed the trajectory of his career coming to the Broncos and then not being the same player that he was before that so for Kershaw can he come back and become the player that he was before the injury I don't think so and I think we're witnessing we're going to start seeing a significant decline to one of the greatest pictures of Our Generation Um and that's something to be noted and I'm not the only one who's noticing that either according to Bob Nightingale of USA Today who came out who released an article on Sunday he said future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is reportedly drawing worries from members of the Dodgers leadership team the Dodgers are privately concerned about Clayton Kershaw who was rocked in his second start against the Padre's lasting just three and two thirds Innings and for the first time in his career he failed to strike out a batter it ends his record of 423 games in a row with at least one strikeout it's the longest streak since the uh since the mound was moved back to 60' 6 in in 1893 I is that correct is that 1893 that feels like a really long time ago did I write that that is a wild number but I believe it like baseball's been around a really long time it's been around a really long time I'm wondering if I might have missed the the 1893 to 1993 so hop over in the Toyota comments if I'm totally wrong on that but uh Kershaw like I said he's he's missed most of the season but he had his first game without a strikeout in 423 games that's insane um but also I'm not basing my you know his entire decline just on that right there but I think what the Dodgers front office is starting to see is his stuff just doesn't look the same and that's going to be the biggest area of concern now am I going to start overreacting and saying are we going to move Clayton Kershaw to the bullpen are we not going to see Clayton Kershaw pitching in the postseason no Clayton Kershaw is still going to be a dude for the Los Angeles Dodgers but or as my counselor likes to help me say and I also think he isn't going to be the same pitcher that he was before so does that mean he's going to be a little more limited maybe he'll have a shorter leash maybe that does mean we start to see him starting to transition to a bullpen roll over the coming years maybe um I just think it puts a Target on his back a little bit more I think he's starting to get into the range of like a Madison bumgardner where it's like yeah maybe he's still got some good outings in him but we've got to be cautious of how if we're the Dodgers of how we we go about using him so keep an eye on Clayton Kershaw because we might see some things moving around for the Dodgers uh and speaking of that the Dodgers are in kind of a tough place now I know they just beat the best team in baseball right now in the Phillies or at least record-wise in the National League but I think that was a very good game where the Dodgers played really well but the in the month of July the Dodgers have not had the success that they have wanted they have had injuries Kershaw coming back from injury to Tony Galan Dustin may will be missing almost all most of if not all of the season um the Dodgers have been making things interesting if you had talked to me a month ago and said you know hey the Dodgers are going to be only five games up in the National League West I would have said well okay what happened like what something had to have happened to get them there well the Dodgers went 11 and 13 in July and to put that into perspective your Colorado Rockies went 11 and 16 in the month of July they just played a couple more games um yeah bur says I'd be surprised if the Dodgers brought him back speaking of Kershaw next year um I think they're going to bring him back but I think it might be a different role and I don't know if Kershaw is going to be the guy that Are the Dodgers screwed? wants to come out of the bullpen maybe he accepts where his career is headed and says uh you know what if I can come in and get two maybe three good Innings maybe even just one good inning that's good enough for me um but I do think the Dodgers will bring him back he is a Dodger he will be a lifelong Dodger um but the Dodgers are in a challenging spot right now where I I'm not saying that they won't make the playoffs the Dodgers are still the Dodgers like they're going to make the playoffs but I do think we're in a position right now where we might see some other teams specifically the Diamondbacks and the Padre's fighting for that National League West spot the Dodgers or excuse me the Padre's and the Diamondbacks are currently tied for second place in the NL West they are just five games back of the Dodgers which is not that far out given how much baseball we still have remaining on our schedule and I I I just think that the Diamondbacks are playing some of the hottest baseball in all of MLB right now the Padres as well I wouldn't be surprised if we saw one of those teams if not both make the run at the National League West title and just a reminder if you win the national league west you do get a buy to start the teams that go into those those Wild Card spots those two wild card um matchups it's a three-game series so there is a race to the playoffs for the Dodgers the Padres and the Diamondbacks unfortunately for the Rockies they're 24 and a half games back so Rockies aren't getting there this year guys um I know we all were really excited about the way we came back out of the All-Star Break um it was my first week covering the Rockies and they they won two series and had some some fireworks works but in true Rocky's fashion they went on a six-game losing streak right after that and we're kind of back to where we were so the Rockies we we'll shift into a conversation more about like what is the rest of the season going to look like for the Rockies what types of things do we need to focus on we're going to talk about that towards the end of the show but uh I think the the main focus right now is what is happening in the NL West and so let's look at the national league Wild NL Wildcard Card the NA national league wild card is wild right now our friendss over at phnx are living life because the Diamondbacks are unstoppable the Diamondbacks cannot be beaten right now they are swinging the bats hotter than any team in major league baseball their pitching is superb they are going on a tear the Dodgers are slowing down the Padre's they're heating up I wouldn't say they're you know exploding right now but they're they're getting better um but they are all tied right now Braves Padre's and Diamondbacks are all tied for the top three spots in the Wild Card Mets Cardinals and Pirates and Giants are all five games back or less and I wouldn't be surprised to be completely honest with you if a team like the Pirates or even the Mets maybe snuck in that wild card race there at the end now the Giants just got over 500 congrats to the Giants they are mediocre so if you're a San Francisco Giants fan like a lot of my family back home shout out to the Giant for hitting the 500 Mark it's a it's a feat that the Rockies unfortunately won't be able to hit this year most likely um but there are a list of about seven teams right now in the National League wild card that could very much sneak their way into contention for that wild card those Wild Card spots so it brings up the question of what is the best division in baseball well let's go over it AL East The best division in baseball? Orioles and Yankees currently tied for first place in the AL East the Orioles and Yankees and Yankees what a fun team what fun teams to watch right now Yankees whatever but like the Orioles the Orioles have been a blast I know Caitlyn one of our uh one of our account managers here at dmvr she's a big Orioles fan um they have been a ton of fun to watch over the last couple years but there's been some interesting moves in the front office I know we had those that weird situation with the broadcaster last year like there's been some some kind of behind the- scenes stuff that's that's put a little bit of a damper on their their Seasons um and I think they're looking for some Redemption after getting an taking an early exit to the postseason last year so they are heating up in the AL East um Boston Tampa and Toronto are kind of meddling in the middle to bottom part of the AL East the AL Central Cleveland they pretty much have a a commanding lead a four and a half games up over the twins with the Royals tigers and white socks God we'll talk about the right white socks here in a bit in a minute um they are they are just fighting for last place basically um or second to last I should say in the AL Central so AL Central is whatever AL West that is going to be something in the American League that you want to keep an eye on the Mariners are one game up over the Astros and the Mariners have been all over the place they had a good successful trade deadline um but they are they're going up against a very challenging Astros team um Rangers defending world series title contenders and champions the Texas Rangers uh the angels and the A's they're all kind of in that bottom spot there but the Mariners and the Astros they're going to be a lot of fun to watch obviously the NL East Phillies six games up over the Braves they're going to take that division pretty handedly I would think but I think the Braves the Mets uh the Braves and the Mets are going to be fighting for that wild card spot Nationals and Marlins down there at the bottom NL Central Brewers up five games over the Cardinals Pirates could make a run for it but the Cubs and the Reds kind of meddling there at the bottom and then of course the noos which we just talked about Dodgers up five games over the Padres but you've got Arizona and San Francisco they're all fighting for those uh those Wild Card spots so right now I know it's early but I just think it's it's important to keep an eye on where the where everything is in the standings because things are heating up and we are just a month away from September to where we're going to really start talking about about this um and it's going to get exciting I know Eric Simmons says I think the Yankees and Orioles will compete for the American League East title I agree um I think the Orioles have the depth to get that done um but the Yankees are formidable I just think the Yankees are streaky and that's where the Yankees have to overcome some of their their consistency issues but that is going to be an interesting matchup as we continue speaking of interesting matchups though we got to talk about this new partnership that we have here at dmvr and that is with our friends over at UC Health they have a new partnership with Coach Prime himself and Coach Prime is doing what he does best and that is encouraging col radens to get out and be their healthiest selves so what is coach Prime doing well he's the new Chief motivation officer at UC Health's Ready Set Co challenge that's a title that I want by the way can I be the chief motivation officer for anything in life like and to be fair if there is one title that really encapsulates who coach Prime is he is the chief motivation officer is in in anyone anyone that's around him can say that that that is his title so UC Health has made the most of that for chief for Coach Prime and they have come up with The Ready Set Co challenge the goal is to get Colorado back to its rightful place as the healthiest state I'm actually surprised kale that we're not the healthiest State like I go around Denver and Colorado it used to be us for years that's what I mean like who's who's beating us because I I feel like I look around and you all are beautiful people out here in in Denver and and Beyond in Colorado and we're a very healthy State we were we were we're going to get to the bottom we're going to get to the bottom of this because I'm surprised that there is someone healthier oh I guess uh in 2023 Hawaii passed us is still number two Colorado's still number two come on you ser out there anyone who surfed though knows that is is a really challenging thing hey Washington shout out I there are a lot of similarities between Washington and Colorado I will say but Colorado is a very healthy state but we've got to got to get over that last little hump and get to the healthiest state in Colorado beat those Surfers come on skiers and snowboarders step up we got to be the healthiest State and you got to do that with through the UC Health Ready Set Co Statewide challenge it's it's here to help all col radens live their healthiest lives using a combination of nutrition exercise sleep and mindfulness Prime helps explain how to dive into living your healthiest life with The Ready Set Co mindset if you want to join UC Health's Ready Set Co challenge click on the link in the show notes of this podcast or go to UC health.org readyset Co spelled Co like Colorado also cannot get through a show without giving a big shout out to our sponsors over at bet 365 they are one of our favorite sponsors for the show because at bet 365 they don't do ordinary we believe that every sport every single sport Rockies included should be epic right now new customers can choose between two offers when they open an account at bet 365 use code dmvr 365 to sign up deposit $10 and choose between either a bet and get or a first bet safety net offer hey look Rockies are playing some baseball at K field today guys we are going to get to go watch base at C's field for the first time in 11 days and what's better about watching baseball at Co field than getting to bet on some baseball at K field so with the MLB early payout offer bet 365 uh has this offer where if your team goes five runs ahead or more you get an instant early payout parlay and same game parlay selections will be marked as winners here at bet 365 we don't do ordinary every day we power up the odds on hundreds of bets to give you a chance to win over 10,000 boot boosts each month so see why it is never ordinary to bet 365 use code dmvr 365 when you sign up you must be 21 plus uh 21 or older physically located in Colorado please gamble responsibly if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants to help call or text 1 1800 Gambler I got to get a little refreshment here before we talk about the white socks because our hearts go The White Sox out to White Socks fans all over I would like to say that we as Rockies fans have been there but actually unfortunately well fortunately for us we haven't been there the white socks have lost an historic 21 games in a row which honestly deserves a round of applause because that's impressive like I I tweeted yesterday that we are collectively rooting now for the white socks to lose because when a franchise becomes that bad especially when it's not your own franchise like it's almost fun to see just how oh how disastrous that has been um and the white socks lost again to Oakland last night one of the other really bad teams in Major League Baseball and then they have a chance to establish themselves as bur says as one of the worst teams in all of baseball with the longest losing streak of all time they are the third team in history to lose 21 in a row it's the first team since 1988 which is a long time ago to have lost 21 games or more in a row but I wanted to pose the question of like as a rocky or as a Rockies fan as a white sock fan what do you even do about that like your team has lost 21 straight how do you handle that like what's going through your mind do you still go out to the game cuz here's the difference for Rockies like we're obviously not we're not losing 21s 21 games in a row but we're not like winning every game right like we're not going to the postseason this year but K field is one of the most gorgeous sporting venues in all of baseball in all of the country so it it's really easy to say ah you know our team isn't doing great but why not just go spend $5 for a ticket use the game time app go spend $5 for a ticket and go out and watch some some beautiful baseball hang out with friends and just have a good night if you're in Chicago I don't think that's the same Vibe like I I've never been to the white sock Stadium I know our friends over at chgo um you know they spend their their Summers out there I don't even know what wh sock stadium is called to be honest is it just wh sock Stadium I have no idea um I would imagine it's not the same feeling as going to a Rockies game at C's field so what do you even do if you are a White Sox fan and your team is losing 21 games in a row are you rooting for more losses are you just putting your head in your hands is that is it that Meme of dline with his head in his hands at the Broncos game just like wondering what is happening with your life like can we get a new meme of that but with one of our chgo guys like how do you handle that and also I'll go one beyond that like as a player how how do you keep a level head can you imagine being a player that just got traded to the white socks on the trade deadline like you're living your life on God I don't know some competent franchise and all of a sudden July 30th comes around and hey pack your bags buddy you're going to Chicago oh we're going to to to the Cubs no you're going to the other Chicago You're Going to the White a team that hasn't won a game in 21 appearances and has maybe 2,000 people going to their sporting events uh but good luck go get them tiger take G crochet for example Garrick crochet it's 25-year-old Stellar pitcher for the white socks one of the bright spots in that white socks uh lineup and he was someone that was expected to get traded I mean he's 25 years old he's his first year as a starter he's 6 and8 right now he's got a 3.19 ra an American League leading 162 strikeouts dude's crushing it but you know people were expecting kind of like okay well the white sock need to sell so get rid of him get a lot of value for that and move on well unfortunately for Garrett crochet he didn't get he didn't get traded so he's still on the white socks and uh I can't imagine IM what's going through his mind right now saying you know like I got to be here for at least another year that's tough that's tough so our hearts go out to the white sock fans and team and it brings up the question of like who who's the most helpless franchise uh I know I know we have a lot of reactions and feelings about the Rockies and our franchise and you know the decisions that have been made and have not been made over the years but I excluded the Rockies from this list The most helpless franchises because not just because I cover the team but also because I think there is a direction for the team although we have an ownership and front office that isn't as aggressive at going out and getting prospects um and making those moves there is still a direction that the team is headed in and we have a very good farm system which we are going to talk about today um that we are moving forward towards but look at teams like the A's I I ranked the A's as number one um in most helpless franchises because the A's I mean they had a movie made about them about their front office and since then they have still not been able to figure it out and they don't have a Direction they don't have like this oh we're going to be like building up a bunch of young guys or oh we're going to be playing The Money Ball and you know going with work with the stats like they feel directionless so if you're an A and also they their ownership is tanking the team so if you're an ace fan I'm sorry sorry John fiser is absolutely screwing you over and now the team's going to be going to Vegas so maybe things will change in Vegas I doubt it but the A's rank as my number one most helpless franchise the Angels number two you had the best players in all of baseball on your team for years and you haven't even been able to Eclipse a wild card team a wild card spot so whether you have direction or not and I don't think they do but you know if you argue that they have Direction cool they're not going anywhere the Angels number two Marlins number three you had Derek Jeter become like a partial owner everyone was like oh maybe you know this former player can get us where we need to go unfortunately being a great player does not make you a great owner the Marlins again no Direction so those are my three most helpless franchises the white socks are getting up there though the only difference is the white socks I think are starting to realize they're bad and are Maybe going to have some changes that are going to be made um coming up here soon so we'll keep an eye on that because that's tough that is tough wrapping up our topics though on non- Rockies related baseball did you guys see the other day that Ben Joyce the the Fastest pitch in years closer threw a ball 104.7 miles hour that's insane I I I don't know what to make of that if someone the the fastest I ever saw was 98 and I almost [ __ ] my pants I mean Todd hton literally said that he retired after seeing a 100 mph fast ball from AAL aralis Chapman coming straight at his head and he said yep I'm done I'm gone I'm retiring now if I ever had to face 104.7 miles per hour even if it's right down the middle I am stepping out of that batter's box and walking down to first base because I don't I don't want to or I'll walk back to the Dugout even I don't want to see that um Ben Joyce has the top three fastest pitches ever all of them over 104 miles hour and this is kind of funny on June 14th he had a 22.5 erra throwing 105 miles an hour and since then he has had hasn't given up a run in 18 appearances so just an interesting little uh side note there because that's still insane to me that pitchers are throwing over 105 104 miles an hour um but yeah crazy to me and uh I do want to transition though here in a moment to talk about some of the upcoming prospects for the Rockies because we've got some exciting stuff happening in the farm system right now for the Rockies we've got some guys that might be making their debut on the Rockies in a couple weeks maybe so we'll talk about that in a second but first we got to give a shout out to our friends over at game time I was talking about you know the fact that the Rockies are back at home starting today and so if you want to get out to Kors field and you should because the weather is beautiful right now well you got to use game time because they have the best tickets on the market game time is an authorized ticket Marketplace of Major League Baseball which makes getting tickets faster and easier prices on the game time app actually go down the closer you get to game time so if you want to go to the Rockies game tonight it starts at 640 against the Mets it is a crucial game for the Mets by by the way um well you know as you get closer to the game even if you don't want to make the decision right now check the game time app as you get closer those those tickets should be going down as the game gets closer and by six o00 you you're still going to be able to get some good seats to go watch the Rockies play the Mets using the game time app with killer last minute deals all in prices views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee game time takes the guesswork out of buying and Major League Baseball ticket so take the guesswork out of buying those tickets with Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code dnvr for $20 off your first purchase terms and conditions apply again create an account and redeem code dnvr for $20 off last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed well we already talked about them today too but but our friends over over at K's light when you're at the game after you got those tickets on game time you got to head up to the the rooftop bar to pick up some $3 CS light anytime before before first pitch you get that $3 CS light up on that Rooftop Bar there is no better combination literally both physically and emotionally than Rocky's Baseball and C's light and C's light has you covered it's going to be warm out there today although not a million degrees like it's been but it's going to be warm out there today and so if you want to cool down chill out and cool down and embrace the chill mindset with a cold refreshing C's light beer make the most out of the times you choose to chill choose K's light get C's light delivered straight to your door with instacart by going to KSL light.com dnvr celebrate responsibly KS Brewing Company Golden Colorado well before we go into all of the the news and headlines on where the Elly De La Cruz interview Colorado Rockies are in the minor leagues right now who's making the rehab and who might who we might be seeing coming up to the big leagues soon um I wanted to talk about a interview that I saw Jeff passen recently interviewed Ellie De La Cruz who is one of the bright upand cominging stars if not already a star I would argue he is already a star in Major League Baseball and he asked De La Cruz who is the most exciting baseball player right now playing right now so of course De La Cruz being a swaggy guy said it's me duh you know what who else would it be uh and I think he's got an argument that De La Cruz is one of the most flashy players um playing right now but I want to actually I want to ask you guys that you guys in the in the chat Eric Simmons bur all of our friends I know will Carpenter jumps into the into the chat every once in a while um Joker hey we got a little sore Shuffle conversation going on over there I know joic he's been fun to watch over the last few hours but what do you guys think who's the most exciting player in major league baseball right now because I think you can make an argument for Ellie De La Cruz but personally after having watched jiren Duran play in Colorado in a series in which the the the Red Sox actually Lost the series to to to the Rockies jiren Duran to me is the most exciting player that I have been watching and him and Bobby Whit Jr are right up there uh with the top two for me and most exciting players to watch in all MLB right now they are so much fun but jiren Durant I mean the combination of speed power and also during that little scuffle with the whole Cal quantro Ree McGuire thing I mean jiren Duran was losing his mind and I think when you when you look at a guy who you want on your team that has not just the talent but the energy to be that player to be a guy that you want to play with jiren Duran is so much fun to watch guy plays like he's out there playing in a video game he is just running around the field at 110% at any given time so jiren Duran would be my pick most exciting baseball player right now Bobby Whit Jr a close second Ellie De La Cruz up there as well and can we give a shout out to our boy uh Brenton Doyle I would argue Brenton Doyle most exciting player to watch at least in the month of July I on defense it's hard to beat I mean he covers more ground than anybody at Kors and he does it in spectacular fashion regularly well I was going to talk later in the show about you know is there a possibility that Bretton Doyle gets a gold glove and let let's have this conversation now I agree Bretton Doyle he's he is one of the most fun outfielders young outfielders He commands center field up there with the best of them especially in the national league right now well I mean he literally has to cover more ground than anybody cuz is the biggest center field in baseball and uh you it feels like every fifth game he's making some insane diving or jumping up the wall catch or something like that to rob a play like he just he does it constantly I I think he's a shoeing for a gold glove I agree and he had that amazing home run catch that he robbed um in the Padre series and so I agree with you completely but also I mean we talked on yesterday actually that you know about Brenton Doyle winning the uh National League player of the month of July and how that puts him into kind of rare territory only 12 other players or 11 other players have won that award in franchise history for the Rockies and what does that mean for Brenton Doyle and for the Rockies as a as a franchise I think putting a gold glove on the hand of Brenton Doyle is that cherry on top of yet another phenomenal season for this young future of the franchise for the Colorado Rockies I would put Brenton Doyle in the echelon of like a Trevor story maybe even a Nolan Aeron in what he does and what he means ryac up there as well what he means to the franchise if you look at the next 5 to 10 years for the Rockies he should be a pivotal piece and so giving him an NL player of the month the gold glove I think just adds to that resume I mean starting if he does end up winning a gold glove this year which I think he will um I mean starting starting your career getting called up and immediately winning back-to-back gold gloves is pretty would be pretty impressive it'd be pretty cool that would be very impressive yeah and and Brenton doy has taken over really what I think was a kind of is a team that is struggling to find its identity you know there are a lot of guys in the miners who are playing really well right now but like as a whole the Rockies haven't quite nailed down what their identity is as a as a current team and so for him to lock down the Outfield in the way that he has is is awesome and I think it's something that is being starting to be become recognized in the National media as well we're starting to see brenon Doyle getting interviews on MLB network and on National broadcasts and I think yes being a gold Glover obviously you got to be a good position player but I also o think there is a intangible aspect to being a gold Glover which is just the personality and who you are as a player he is a young bright and up upand cominging Talent on a team that needs upand cominging talent and doesn't have a lot of Spotlight on it right now so when you get to be able to put the spotlight on a team like the Rockies because of some of these young players it makes the entire Rockies organization better as a whole even though the wins haven't matched that yeah I mean and also just moving forward I mean just think about the defense you're going to have up the spine for years to come with Tovar I mean just is you're as far as pure athleticism goes I mean Tovar being backed up by doy I mean that's probably the most athletic spine in all the baseball and it's pretty cool to have that at Coors yeah well and and I was I was going to ask the question here you know at the end of this next segment but we're going to talk here in a moment about the minor league system and some of the players that we might be seeing in IR Rocky's uniform soon the Outfield is an interesting spot for the Colorado Rockies because right now your Outfield as it looks currently You've Got Jake cave kind of filling in filling the gaps Chris Bryant in right field and then obviously Doyle in center field but at the moment you've got Jordan Beck who's currently rehabbing really well right now uh in in the miners he's he got that surgery in his hand he's got a plate in his hand so he's got some time but he is playing very good baseball in the miners in in his rehab assignment he's expected to be coming back into the the starting lineup at some point over the coming months you've got Nolan Jones currently in Fresno also rehabbing very well might I add and then you have Brenton Doyle so what does your Outfield look like if you're Colorado in the coming months where does Chris Bryant go where does Charlie Blackman go Blackman having a little bit of a injury moment with getting hit in the eye um although that doesn't appear to be longterm but you could possibly have an outfield where you've got Beck Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones holding down your three Outfield spots is that the way that the Colorado Rockies want to go do they shift Blackman um to a different role and they maybe make uh a Chris Bryant the DH or do they are they going to have to sit someone in that or kind of have someone become a swing DH cuz toy is pretty much locked down first base I would argue um unless he goes goes on a slump I mean his hitting has been solid so the Rockies have some decisions to A look at the farm make as these players start to progress through their rehab assignment so let's get into it where are we at with the Rockies in their their rehab Andor prospects coming up well I want to start with Drew Romo and he is someone that I think we're going to see coming up into and and wearing a rocky uniform very soon Drew Romo the number nine Prospect for the Colorado Rockies currently playing in AAA and it brings back some emotions for me because of a frustrated deadline where you didn't take advantage of having two current catchers Jacob Stallings who's playing very well I might add and then Alias Diaz I don't know where Drew Romo fits into that do they send Stallings down and they bring Drew Romo up to get some reps do they kind of send elas Diaz back for more rehab work I don't know but I do think that Drew Romo is going to be someone that we see in a Rocky's uniform before the season ends yanel Fernandez just got called up to Triple A on Tuesday he's more of a bat first kind of outfielder but another one of those outfielders that could be vying for a spot it's a very competitive position for the Rockies right now but you might see him make his debut with the Rockies in the next coming weeks or months um he is already on that 40-man roster so keep an eye on Fernandez as he continues Sean Sullivan has been pitching really well in Spokan he got called up to double a he pitched four scoreless innings in double A you might be seeing a triaa uh call up in the coming weeks Jordan Beck I just mentioned he is rehabbing really well Nolan Jones as well Hermon Marquez rehabbing in Anaheim right now probably won't be back for a while um coming back from his Tommy John injury he's someone that I'm looking at more for next year I don't really expect to see him coming back uh this season un but to be completely honest with you I'm okay with that get him healthy get him ready for spring training next year um Hermon Hermon Marquez that's kind of where he's at right now just in kind of a limbo in in Anaheim at the moment senella threw a simulated game on Saturday we'll I'm going to talk to Bud Black uh today to get some more information on his rehab and where he's going we'll know some more steps most likely he's going to be rehabing probably about five to six maybe seven starts before he comes up to get back into the iraqi's uniform but senella again a guy that I'm not in a hurry to see I want to see some of these young guys coming up Chase do doer um Shan Sullivan these are the guys that I want to see pitching when they're ready at the big league level this year um Zack V another one of those guys that's in kind of limbo right now with that right right thumb injury he's currently in double a um and then Charlie Blackman got hit in the eye the other day in that last series not expected to be a long-term issue but something that you want to keep an eye on um so this outfield for the Rockies going back to what I was saying earlier is going to be very competitive the two position spots you want to keep an eye on catching and outfielding those are the spots that you want to really be aware of because I think that's the opportunity that the Rockies have to really defensively lock down and and have consistency and have some depth I think the question mark is still pitching but we're going to see there are some good good young pitchers that are making their way through the miners and we can't forget the fact that we just got block and Herrera who in the TR during the trade deadline who are starting their their uh minor league career with the Rockies right now and getting a couple starts block threw one the other day Herrera getting some time I believe in Spokane so we'll keep an eye on them as well my goal is to talk to some of my buddies over in Spokane um over the coming weeks and just get some inside look into the state of the farm right now and and where the Rocky are looking in the coming weeks but got to give a shout out to our friends um over at shinook Cedar cannot forget them they are one of my favorite sponsors because I love a good sunflower seed and shinook Cedar has the best sunflower seeds on the market they don't leave any bad aftertaste in your mouth they have great texture great flavors they are one of a kind they are seeds you cannot find anywhere else so it's the middle of baseball season and we love a good seed company shinuk Cedar's got you covered they've got so many different flavors eight unique one-of-a-kind flavors original lemon pepper jalapeno ranch parmesan and pepper cinnamon toast dill pickle Hatch Chili smokehouse barbecue head over to their website get a sampler pack to try all eight flavors they are the largest seeds on the market so head over to shinuk cy.com use code Rockies for 20% off your order they are the best seeds ever and of course we can never forget our friends over at Toyota Toyota is the official vehicle of dnvr we talk so much about Toyota because they are just the best car on the market I was I was home in Seattle over the weekend and I was spending some time with family and one my cousin is um a big car guy and uh he's actually going through a auto engineering program right now in college and uh he's just completely involved in the car world and I was asking him about like you know what's what's some of the good cars we're looking to get me a car soon and um you know what's some some good cars in the market and he said flat out Toyota stay in to stay in the Toyota brand because they are the best most reliable cars on the market and he had no affiliation with Toyota he's just a guy who knows a lot about cars and he his first response to me was Toyota is the way the place to get your cars and so of course we already knew that here at dnvr because Toyota is so consistent and reliable they have got such a good lineup over over s 17 different models with available all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive like the Epic 4Runner um they've also got low and zero emission Vehicles combined with with they're more than any other auto maker to give customers numerous choices to reduce their carbon footprint There are 16 different hybrid vehicles to choose from like the tundra I force Max hybrid truck what a beast of a car by the way a truck I should say um and then you've got the SUV lineup like the Rav 4 and the grand Highlander I've got the Highlander right now for the 2007 but the raap 4 is the the car that I'm eyeing in the future so head over to your Front Range Toyota stores at a location near you auton Nation Toyota arapo in Centennial Corwin Toyota in Boulder Groove Toyota in Littleton Mountain States Toyota in Denver Stevenson e Stevenson Toyota east in Aurora Stevenson Toyota West in Lakewood Toyota is the official vehicle of dmvr so I want to talk about this upcoming series because we've got some baseball happening at CO's field and might I add we've got some weather This upcoming series coming up in the forecast the Rockies start playing today today uh tomorrow Wednesday and Thursday Thursday there's some rain on the forecast we might get a little bit of a rain game on Thursday but the reason I bring up this upcoming series not just because it's my job but also is because the the teams that we're playing over the next coming series these are big games for them the Rockies are currently going to be facing off against the Mets starting today then they go take on the Braves and the and the Padre's well all three of those teams I listed as teams that are in a fight for the Wild Card Andor the NL West um the Padres are only five games back from first place Padre's and the Braves are five games back from first place in the NL West and the Mets Braves in Padres are all tied for that top spot in the National League while card standing so you're in a position right now where you can kind of play spoiler if you're the Rockies and I love playing spoiler we love playing spoiler when you're a team that's not making it to the playoffs the best thing you can do is ruin another team's hopes of going to the playoffs we are evil evil friends here at at at the Rockies beat because yeah we don't want to see the Padres going to the playoffs we don't want to see the Braves going to the playoffs and we don't want to see the going into the playoffs so um the Rockies have a chance to to make it interesting this week and and push some of these teams down and I love an opportunity to do that and so keep an eye on that if the Rockies start winning some of these teams might start panicking but the other thing you want to keep an eye on is the fact that these teams are probably going to be throwing their best at the Rockies because they know the situation they're in the Dodgers are still a very good team although they're dealing with some injuries and some inconsistency they're still a very good team as they showed us last night the Phillies same thing so these teams are going to be expecting this to be a easy win for them so let's go out and make it a uh an interesting game an interesting series and for the Rockies I will say it is important to also be aware of injuries and I you know Eric Simmons saying I I think the rocky should shut down Marquez for the season instead of risking him getting hurt um I agree with you to a degree I don't know about shutting him down for the season maybe from a like don't let him play anymore sense but more of just like switching him into a rehab the rest of the year the Rockies need to be using this this opportunity and I I I've said this I feel like I've said this a million times got to use this as an opportunity to bring up some prospects and let them get big league reps Hermon Marquez doesn't need big league reps right now he needs to rehab and rest and get better so that he can be ready for us next year and the year beyond that we I want to see guys like Chase doer and and and you know Zack V coming back into the mix and um you know senella maybe you know could be someone that we see who gets a start or or some Innings deep into the the remainder of the season but I want to see some of the younger guys coming up and getting some reps so I agree with you Hermon Marquez don't push it with him the Rockies need to be careful about adding more fuel to a fire that is an injury-prone pitching staff so I want to see them being careful but I want to see them going out and winning some baseball games here coming up um and I want to acknowledge one of the players that I want that I think we should all really keep an eye on uh this series because he has been playing phenomenal in the month of July and Beyond and it's a rare time that we get to talk about someone playing really well out of the bullpen and that is Victor vodnik I think Victor vodnik is your player to watch if you are saying okay we've got you know three big series coming up against the Mets the Braves and the Padre's my the guy that I want to Spotlight is Victor vodnik because he has five saves so far this season four of them came in July so he's getting kind of pushed into this closer role he throws over 100 miles an hour he fits into that closer role with the mentality that he has they even got a little bit of a walk out song to him um you know it isn't quite as cool as Timmy trumpets um with you know with the Diaz walk out for the Mets but but he's got time he's only five saves in you know so we've got time for Victor vodnik but um he's got 17 consecutive appearances so far this season out of relief with a strikeout and the reason that's interesting is because that's actually tied for the fourth longest streak in franchise history the other people in that list with Victor vodnik with 17 or more consecutive appearances out of the bullpen with a strikeout Adam ovino Scott oberg and Brian Fuentes so he's got an opportunity right now to potentially tie oberg and Fuentes and maybe take that top spot from Adam mavino if he goes out and has an outing maybe today tomorrow Thursday where he gets a strikeout and so keep an eye on vikor vodnik because he has been an absolute blast to watch and I want to see more guys with that energy and intensity that we're seeing out of vodnik and he is been a lot of fun to watch so hopefully we get to see him in a closing situation tonight the Rockies are taking on the Mets at home at Kors field at 6:40 p.m. I will be there so come hang out with me I'm going to be walking around the The Concourse but also up in the Press Box I'll be tweeting from the dmvr Rocky's account and I'll also be tweeting from my own account at cjj Siz and uh so yeah come hang out with me we love to to meet you guys as the fans I also want to give a big shout out and plug to an upcoming event that is going to be huge for dnvr we have the dnvr Rockies takeover one of the last if not the last I I don't it's not confirmed but it is at least one of the last takeovers of the year on August 17th the Todd hton bobblehead night it is the night that Todd hton is getting recognized at K field as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame and we are doing a dmvr Rockies takeover that means we got a party bus that means amazing seats that means good drinks on the party bus I'm going to be there partying it up it is going to be an absolute blast we are going to celebrate big time I think they're playing the Marlins so like it's it's maybe even a really easy win I don't know I don't want to jinx us but it's going to be a fun time either way so August 17th head over to our Twitter and go reserve your tickets we've got a post up there on Twitter reserve your tickets um because spots are going to fill up really quickly to come hang out with us on the dmvr Rocky takeover August 17th Todd hton night that is going to wrap up our show this has been the dmvr Rockies podcast brought to you by bet 365 we love talking to you guys here so we're going to be back on the show tomorrow at 10: a.m. come hang out with us then if not we'll see you guys over on the socials this is Christian Siz thanks to our big uh super producer kale we'll see you next time right here on the dnvr Rockies podcast [Music] [Applause] we all s like the May