Francisco Lindor is NOT the NL MVP, Here's Why

are you not entertained the New York Mets continue to be the most entertaining team in baseball Bar None they become the first team in Major League Baseball history to be no hit through eight Innings and then score six runs in the ninth inning and even when they were being no hit they couldn't just get no hit like a normal team only one strike out getting no hit while striking out only once is more impressive than getting no hit and for the pitcher the kid I feel bad for him twice in 18 days to have a situation where he's got a no hitter going in the ninth inning and gives up a home run but what a home run the call by Gary Lyn sanity he slams The Pen down he picks up the other pen slams that then picks up the first pen again and writes with that one he does it every time it's amazing I don't know what the two pens are but he's got some different thing where going on there where he slams one down picks up the other one then slams the other one down obviously one's red one's black he's got a you know coding system and his not the point the point is the Mets are awesome and Francisco Lindor every time you've needed him every time you've called on him he's come up with big hit after big hit after big hit and then Francisco Alvarez because the only constant in the Mets lineup has been Lindor but the other people it's been just a merry around whether one night it is Francisco Alvarez it was Brandon nmo for a month and a half Jose glacius has some big hits obviously JD Martinez the last time the Mets were getting no hit hit the Home Run and broke it up with a home run against the Braves it's been someone else every night of course you can't forget Mark ventos the only guy who hasn't been a contributor for the New York Mets is Pete Alonzo Pete Alonzo came up with the bases loaded yesterday now he got the job done he had a sack fly I know it gave the Mets lead ultimately pet Alonzo has the go- ahead run in the game you know that I think it was 56% of time there's a runner on third and nobody out or sorry less than two outs that is a runner on third less than two outs 57 I think it was percent of the time that run is scored across Major League Baseball this is League average I'm not telling you to be great I just want you to be League average Pete Alonzo's percentage is 33% now that was after coming through yesterday he's 10 for 30 he's well below League average Pete Alonzo I expect you to be at least League average if you're going to be one of those guys who's supposed to be contributing one of the key contributors in our lineup you're supposed to be one of those guys who when Runners are on base and we need you to bring them in you're the guy we turn to so don't give me the oh the numbers are actually better than you think look at all his home runs most of them are to tie a game or take the lead yeah the first couple of innings in high leverage spots with runners in scoring position those two categories he's been non-existant I don't want to hear the argument from anyone anymore pet Alonzo you have 14 days now to turn around every passing day there's less time I don't know how the season will be remembered now they have of their next I think it's like 14 or 15 games left to go in the season 10 of them or I think maybe even 11 they have seven against um they have seven against Philly and I think three or four against Atlanta I'm not sure and I need to check that but the point is they have a series with Atlanta and two with Philly pet Alonzo you want to get going go off in those series carry them in those Series be the second guy that I talked about the cast The the rotating cast who's been the second guy to Francisco Lindor be that guy but I don't think it's going to happen I don't it's not going to happen if it hasn't happened to this point I don't see it happening so the Mets have won 11 to 12 games they keep staying hot and just when you think that they're going to fall down again they get back up whether it's the day after the loss in San Diego the day after the loss in Arizona and by the way again uh edwi Diaz comes into this game throws one pitch gets a pop out the end game over he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the last few weeks not just relievers he's been so reliable if you have this guy going to a playoffs and I I'm starting to think about this if both teams make the playoffs who do you expect to go on a deeper run who's more built for the postseason the Mets who get clutch hit after clutch hit the Mets who's starting pitching his nail and have a shut down guy lock down guy at the back end of the bullpen or the Yankees they don't have a lot of that stuff so my point is this Mets team has been really fun Pete you still have an opportunity to be one of those guys on the cast of characters who have helped Francisco Lindor you still have a chance but it's a dwindling chance that window is shrinking fast but the Mets keep getting back up off the mat it's what I've said before I'll say it a thousand times when the Yankees lose a game it turns into a spiral it turns into a few games it turns into multiple losses when they have a bad loss it turns into a weak slump when the Mets lose a game the very next day they're back up and they come back and get you they've proven that over and over even when they've had a devastating series a series loss they lose two out of three to the Marlins they come back and get you this team is awesome and they mirror their manager Carlos Mendoza who's carried them all year should be the manager of the year if the Mets make the playoffs and currently if the season ended today they'd be in a playoff spot here's the thing about Francisco Lindor though and I said he's carried this team all year he's been the number one guy and if you look at him because this is the conversation this is what everyone's talking about the big topic across Major League Baseball now the discours and it's because New York bias and a lot of other things is Francisco Lindor should be the MVP over sh Otani out in LA and it's just not true Francisco Lindor has better numbers in the clutch better late game Ops he's been incredible this year he's carried this Mets team like I said he plays shortstop every day the tough position and does it at a high level whereas otani's a DH I get it it's probably more impressive that he's actually recovering from Tommy John surgery but people don't want to talk about that that's like something going on in his personal life as opposed to something that's related to the game because we don't see it on the field you can't count that as part of his MVP argument I get it fine Francisco Lindor in I saw these numbers whe I talked about them on the episode last week whether you're talking about clutch moments whether you're talking about runners in scoring position two outs all these big things he's had a better Ops is the number they use then show Otani now that's not everything he hasn't driven in more runs I get that but he's not the MVP first of all look at the numbers and this is a stupid way to look at it because I know his war is really high and it feels like the eye test right we talked about PE and looking at the numbers versus the eye test lindor's numbers they don't jump out at you as like wow MVP season 268 30 homers 20 something RBI 25 26 RBI sorry 26 uh stolen bases obviously he's got like 80s something RB they don't jump out at you as like wow these are insane numbers they're solid numbers really really good numbers actually but they're not blow you away numbers when you look at Otani numbers they blow you away he's going to have a 50-50 season but I don't even care about that because you could talk about okay he's in a better lineup indors had more clutch hits whatever you want I'm not willing to give the MVP to a guy who showed up a month and a half to two months late to the baseball season it's not I can't do it especially for a team that their season's going to come down to a game or two if they missed the playoffs if the New York Mets missed the playoffs by a game or two and Francisco Lindor showed up to to the season on May 20th you don't think that if he showed up earlier in the season you don't think that if he started playing better in April and the end of March when the season starts the Mets would currently be in a much better position maybe the number one wild card you don't think they'd be secure in a playoff spot right now of course they would be I'm not blaming him for their early season failures and in fact I give him most of the credit for the season surge that they've had there was Edwin Diaz there was pitchers blowing games Peter lonzo's the top of the list of blame I'm not blaming Lindor for that but my point is if you're the MVP the most valuable player for the entire season and your team misses the playoffs by a game or two or just barely Gets In by a game or two or it's a different difference between hosting a wild card series versus going on the road for a wild card series because you took the first month and a half to two months of the Season off and were're not just League average you were atrocious for those two months I'm sorry I can't give you the MVP you've carried this team for the last four months I I am say I'm not saying Lindor has had a bad season Lindor has had an incredible season I give Francisco Lindor all the credit in the world for this Mets turnaround I give him all the credit in the world for what he's done for the last four months when everyone around him struggled he picked everyone up like I said there's been a casting characters around him that he's pitching a little bit he's pitching a little bit he's pitching a little bit not you Pete but everyone else has pitched in a little bit the one constant throughout this run has been foris Isco Lindor 100% And I give him all the credit in the world for that he deserves all the credit in the world for that but when this team was floundering he could have carried them then too he could have made a difference in a game or two he could have been at least League average so that the team could have gotten off to somewhat of a better start when they were historically bad 11 games under 500 in may he could have done something about it at that point he didn't have to wait for it to get that bad for him to get going because let me tell you if he got going earlier this season would be a lot different they'd be in a much different position now and it's not all his fault like I said the pitching was poor Diaz blew games other guys in the bullpen J Lopez we talked about all of it took JD Martinez two months to show up from what being a free agent I'm not blaming Lindor for the early season struggles but I can't give the MVP to a guy who because of his early season struggles could end up costing his team sorry he's not the MVP especially when there's another guy in the league in show Otani who's having a historic season could have the first ever 50-50 season that's just the facts and I love Francisco Lindor this is not an anti Francisco Lindor thing I don't want that's why I started out by praising him I don't want this to be turned into an anti Francisco Lindor thing he's not the MVP the Yankees had a win too by the way it was a nice win first walk-off in the career of jazz Chism I do feel like jazz Chism is going to be one of those guys who comes through for the Yankees in the postseason I talked about my fantasy baseball podcast guys go listen to that just Fantasy Baseball just look up just fantasy or just baseball you'll find our conversations I do it with Vince tomato twice a week every Monday and Thursday now The Season's winding down but we'll be back next season and talking about it that's not official at any point or not unofficial either I haven't been told I'm not under contract for next year but hopefully we're back next year I I think we did a good job not the point this industry is fun um as you can see but Francisco uh I talked about Jazz Chisum being one of those guys just Francisco Lindor on my mind still but um Jazz Chisum I said this week he was going to be a lock to get going at home big Series against Kansas City big Series against Boston he's the type of guy to get up for these games and so far he has the walkoff yesterday and do the Yankees have a new closer I mean this dude has been awesome coming out of the B uh coming out of the bullpen when you didn't know what was going to happen out of the bullpen once Klay Holmes was moved out of the close but and by the way him blowing the game of the seventh is not better than him blowing the game of the ninth sorry Aaron Boon he can't be in high leverage situations no matter when it is just a fact if you're up one down one why would you bring in a guy who's an automatic give up a run or two can't bring in CL clay Holmes but Luke Weaver has been the best thing that happened to the Yankees at this point in the season because he's got that energy can you imagine him getting fired up like that walking off the mound in a postseason game in October when the place is fired up the Bronx is cold and packed that would be awesome Aaron judge hasn't hit a home run in two weeks over two weeks now maybe this cold stretch is good now so he's not peing too early he Peaks at the right time and and we saw it in 2022 when he hit the 60 home runs he peaked too soon down the stretch in September he was hitting those home runs and then October he disappeared hopefully this means that October he shows up as opposed to this as opposed to the past when he hasn't showed up in October but luk Weaver could be the key to this Yankee bll but not only does he throw he comes in throws an inning or two he threw he may got five outs in high leverage spots Runners on base because the Extra Inning rule automatically there's a runner on base big big spots for the Yankees and he came through time and time again he's fired up he fires the team up he's got energy he has that almost closer mentality it feels like um when he's out there on the mound so hopefully Luke Weaver is the Yankee closer in the postseason I'd like to see that to the football the NFL is back I'm so excited I missed it so much after Sunday and then the Jets on Monday and I talked to Willie cologne and bow Powell this week I talked to Antoine Staley I'm gonna talk to BP again tomorrow it's been awesome week for football I was a guest on um on one of the shows uh with a former Jags tight end on SiriusXM Mad Dog radio so it was exciting fun week for me and football but um I'm excited for it to be back I missed it the last couple days so tonight Thursday Night Football uh I'll get to that pick in a second because I my head was in a pretzel but I do have my power rankings again uh will go 1 through 32 I have my new power rankings for this week and there's been a lot of movement so I you know starting after next week I'm going to track the movement because I think after week one it's probably all over the place but we'll start to track the movement where it was from week one to week two but right now for week two I have the Niners as the best team in the league I thought they showed that they can be perfect uh whereas the Chiefs I did see a couple of holes but I like the ners as the best team in the league number two I do have the ch Chiefs still winning games although they were torn through their defense right down the end now the Ravens are probably better than the Jets so maybe have to take that into consideration they're one and two they're right there I have the Lions as three what their offensive line did an overtime in that game I've talked about it I mean no one can compete with that they're going to be playing indoors I know I wasn't so high on them to start the season hangover all that they still blew a two touchdown lead in this game but they came back found a way to win it it's almost more impressive so uh congrats to them on that having them at three number four I have the Cowboys I know the second half wasn't great but it didn't have to be great they came out after Dak got the the contract blew out the Browns who might stink but their defense is really good and the Cowboys put up a ton of points on them so um I like the Cowboys at Four number five I have the Eagles I know they didn't look perfect but saquan oh my God he might be perfect so if that can keep going I have them at five number six is the Ravens the Ravens are a really good team um they lost that game I didn't think they put up enough points Lamar missed him Keith throws late I expect better from them but I still think they're a really good team number seven is the Texans now I would say starting with the Eagles because there's top four them starting with the Eagles I would say this is like the you know can make a superable category as of now Texans I like them there's nothing not to like CJ Stout is awesome good team the Rams same thing like they almost had that game if they get the ball first and overtime who knows maybe they go down and win it felt like it and that drive I talked about with Cooper cup over and over and over again felt like the Super Bowl so um you know I you ride that number nine is the bills I didn't like that they got down big I like their defense I think their defense stinks and we'll talk about it for tonight um but Josh Allen is special so their number nine and number 10 is the Packers I still love the Packers um and I'll include 11 and 12 in the same category also that I could definitely see them in a Super Bowl but 10 is the Packers um and the reason um the Packers are 10 still despite the quarterback situation hopefully he's not out too long um they didn't put him on IR with Jordan love so hopefully he's back soon I think they can actually because of their defense and because some of the Playmakers they have on offense um and obviously the running back with Josh Jacobs I think they could actually stay relevant I don't love Malik Willis but and that one throw he had looked terrible so I don't know what to think of them for the next couple weeks but I think hopefully they can stay relevant for two three weeks maybe even four a month if they have to uh despite being 0 and one already I still think once um they come back once um once Jordan love comes back they'll be in a really good situation to compete moving forward number 11 is the Miami Dolphins I don't know what we'll see from them tonight I expect to see more offense but then again it's Thursday Night Football we'll get to that we'll get to the Thursday night game this is why my heads in a pretzel but 20 points not great the defense though looked a lot better than I expected after starting off really slow against the Jags I thought the defense really picked it up um in that second half so I do like what the Dolphins have been able to do of uh or later in that game second half of that game but the offense still looked a tick off this whole oh two was the most accurate quarterback and then he overthrows like the most impossible guy to overthrow and Tyreek Hill is mindboggling but okay fine number 12 is the Bengals the Bengals historically start really slow I think they're now one and eight in their first in the first two weeks of the season so even if they lose this week which again not good but one and eight with Joe burrow and Zack Taylor in the first two weeks of the Season really not good but I mean they've proven that they can come back from that so I'm not shocked I wouldn't be shocked if they turn out to be really good and end up in a Super Bowl so I have them at 12 number 13 a team that I was not high on coming into the season but after seeing some of the interactions with Harbaugh just seeing that this team doesn't have to be you know all on Justin Herbert's shoulders even if the roster Is Not Great JK Dobbins did look incredible in the first game coming off in Achilles of all the guys coming off of big injuries he looked the best if you look at Elijah verer for the Jets if you look at Aon Rogers for the Jets if you look at Kurt Cousins those guys didn't look great but the one guy who did look great was JK Dobbins so JK Dobbins um and the Chargers I have them at number 13 number 14 I have the Bucks I don't know why people are low on them and that's a line that right now I don't know if that line gets smaller but one of the bigger lines on the week they're playing against the M uh against the Lions and I know I love the Lions but I don't know I might take the Bucks to cover all right we'll talk about that after Thursday Night Football I'll talk about that tomorrow um number 15 and I have the Jets I'm still not out on the Jets I still think this is a playoff team you know I think some of the parts of the Jets that were exposed with the defensive line and how little depth there is on that defensive line compared to last year we'll see what happens with that they need to get pressure Will McDonald and Germaine Johnson need to be better they need to beat the Tennessee Titans but I'm not totally out on the Jets yet I think Aaron Rogers looked like pretty much like himself he's not as mobile as he was but I think that will get better as the season goes on and we know Bree is going to be better and the offensive line and pass Pro looked pretty good run blocking I expect to get better as the season goes on and Garrett Wilson looked at times Unstoppable I still thought they'll probably get Devonte Adams I have them at 15 number 16 is the Seahawks the game was closer than the final score if you watch it with um with Denver but they scored a couple touchdowns late so the Seahawks did win that game I have them at 16 17 is the Steelers that defense was awesome but five field goals they got to give me something on offense this week before I could put them any higher than 17 18 I have the Jags what a start for the Jaguars and then one and end I don't know I expect this team to be good coming into the year I thought this team was good but my God they might be just super mediocre number 19 is the Saints oh but they put up a ton of points yeah against Carolina Carolina stinks I wouldn't be shocked if the Saints turn around and loss this week so I have them at 19 despite the great week one number 20 I have the Vikings I don't think they're the worst team in that Division I don't even think they're that bad now this week I expect them to get their kicked by the ners but if they made it close wouldn't that look bad for the Jets if they kept it close Sam darnold going against his former team a team that should know him well and should be able to pick him apart because they saw him in practice every week uh yeah I I expect the Vikings to lose but I have them at 20 number 21 is the Browns that defense is supposed to be great but they stunk and DeShaun Watson might be the worst quarterback in football number 22 is the Atlanta Falcons tough loss Kirk Cousins first game off the Achilles looked bad I still expect them to be good I really do I expect KK cousins to get it going this team has a lot of talent they have a lot of offensive weapons with love um uh London sorry and with bejan Robinson so Kyle Pitts he's there too um so I I like the Falcons still one game isn't going to deter me but you know they look pretty bad in that one game number 23 is the Colts they put up some points Anthony Richardson looks like he could be amazing at times looks like he's a train wreck at times and ultimately they lost to a division rival but I expect them to be better than that going forward 24 is the Cardinals Kyler looks like Kyler that's the good news for the Cardinals I don't know what's wrong with Marvin Harrison Jr first game I don't know but yikes didn't look great number 25 is the Bears I've said my piece on the Bears I don't think they're that good I really don't um and I don't think cayb Williams showed me anything to make me think that they're great maybe first game rookie we'll see what happens number 26 is the Patriots their defense is good they force turn but we just talked about the Bengals record in those games so maybe it was just a matter of the Bengals sucking and the Patriots will come back down to earth and remind us remember what was it the team what it the I think it was the Panthers was it last year or two years ago that they won week won and I was like see they're not as bad as people thought and then they lost 15 or 16 in a row I think it was two years ago I'm pretty sure I know what happened with the Jags the year that they ended up getting Trevor Lawrence also they won week one so sometimes these terrible teams win week one and then never again so maybe that's the case with the Patriots I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't win another game all year actually I would be surprised not shocked number 27 is the Titans how do you lose that game the answer is Will Lis and if Will Lis is this and he's going to keep making those mistakes yikes so right now if you're keeping score at home I have the Titans at 27 and the Jets at 15 Jets better beat the Titans that's all I got say the Broncos are 28 they lost that game at times bonick looked like a rookie quarterback at times he looked okay and showed some impressive signs that's what you expect from that team they're not going to be a great team this year I don't think number 29 is the command ERS they were worse than I thought and they don't have a lot of skill position guys and then when you stop throwing the ball or decide not to throw the ball at all to Terry McLaren that's a problem so Jaden Daniels you might want to learn who number I think he's 16 is clearly I don't know but you might want to find out what number Terry McLaren wears and find a way to get the ball to him number 30 is the Raiders they could e easily be lower but the two teams below them are awful too and that's the Giants are 31 and the Panthers Panthers are 32 now to Thursday Night Football my mind was in a pretzel for this game because I don't know what to do in general Thursday night football games are low scoring short practice not a lot of time now the Dolphins are supposed to have this high-powered incredible offense they scored a total of 20 points and struggled to do it last week now the Dolphins defense isn't supposed to be as great and the bills defense is supposed to suck but the bills put up a million points last week short week early in the season should equal low points these two teams should equal a ton of points that's why I'm so confused there's a lot to look at here so what I decided to do I like the points in the game I kind of like the bills actually to keep it close I think the bills are better than the Dolphins I think Advantage Dolphins the fact that's it's at home early in the season in Miami cool I like all that for the Dolphins so I think the Dolphins should put up a bunch of points but where was that last week so I think they'll put up more points on this bill's defense than they did on the Jags defense I do think the bills will keep it close though so I do like the bills kind of in this game but what I settled on is if the bills are going to keep it close and there's going to be a lot of points in this game maybe not 40 points 30 points per team but 27 to 24 type of game or Miami puts up 30 points and the bills still put up like 25 points 26 27 points so I looked at the Bills team total and I like them to keep it close and I like there to be a bunch of points in this game but not a ton so I like the Bills team total over 23 and a half it's minus 110 on FanDuel but FanDuel has a boost so if you go check out the FanDuel boost you could see that every G every bet on this game you could get a boost um so I took the Bills team total over what over um 23 and a half minus 110 but I boosted it so that's my bet for tonight all right we'll talk about the game after the game and then we'll preview the rest of Sunday's games tomorrow morning till next time like subscribe share the podcast appreciate you all for listening see you