Shota Imanaga and The Chicago Cubs No Hit the Pirates!

Intro Mike imanaga II started a no hitter he threw seven of the nine innings Matt Chapman got extended and we're going to draft six a piece so one is left out the rotations from the 13 postseason contenders as play stands right now it is the morning of Thursday September 5th 2024 Jack rmj baseball show as always it is presented by the fine folks at bmgm we like sort of kind of magyer this thing cuz you were in the throws of a move on Wednesday Peter and I were going to do the Pod and then Peter was like oh crap Spectrum outage how do you want to do this and I was like do you want to do tonight he was like sure we can do that and then the Spectrum outage got pushed even further so Peter is still without internet um do you miss living in that rat trap of a city not at all it's funny I was thinking about that you are at the whim I've never had I've lived in a lot of different places now at this point for like decent amounts of time um I've never had more recurring outages than what you have in New York which is the funniest because you also pay the most for everything there right um yeah that it it's crazy it's and they told Peter 7even and then I was like yeah good luck like and I know Peter was not optimistic on seven either and and at nine he texts not still don't have it and your game also ran like what 45 rare Bubba Chandler five walk situation there uh I I know that there was other factors that they compounded yeah bub Bubba Bubba's I was optimistic that you guys would be able to get that episode off at 9 9:30 because Bubba chor would shove he threw all right but five Walks from Bubba uh it's a slight in you could blame maybe like 1% of this show getting pushed over on bubba Chandler I think no doubt um I'm GNA push it actually to 1.6 1.7% Bubba he he walked back-to-back guys in the second after an eight pitch first and then either walked back toback guys in the fourth or it was separated by a punch out um it was weird and and the walks were compounding that happens to him sometimes like there are some starts where he's just he's struggling to land one of the secondaries and he'll try and like will himself out of it and the fast ball was sailing a bit now when it was in the strike zone nobody was touching it like he ran it up to 98.6 and it was I mean there were middle middle fast balls that guys were swinging comically under and that's what Bubba can do but he was you know missing I high he was sailing his fast ball a little bit he was yanking his slider so um you know room for improvement I guess next time out but Nick York three doubles this guy's been hitting the crap out of the ball dude he's hitting like 380 in 30 I'm telling you that's gonna be a sneaky win-win trade on the prospects PR what six shudy 8ks yeah no walks no walks uh with the Red Sox AAA affiliate and and and Nick York starting to swing it a little bit um in in Indie so could be a sneaky little win-win swap there also I got to see McKenzie Gore yesterday go six and a third perfect yeah perfect five and a third Perfect Right five and a third five and a third perfect yeah it was in the sixth inning you're correct um he looked great he looked like he was kind of back uh to what we saw in the first half which you know there was I'm I'm pretty sure 575 people at the Marlins game yesterday how many of them were staffers like the ushers are 110 yeah the the percentage of people in stadium that were staffers was was probably at an all-time high it it was pretty weird I'm not going to lie um but it was cool because we're able to just kind of like move down and be pretty close to home plate like you know the Nationals like Intrigue is is just so much higher now too where you get to see wood and Cruz um Abrams is really struggling though man like when you can get that close and just watch these guys battle in the box like you can just kind of see when a guy's struggling like the body language like you can tell Abram PHS like he's getting in the count 0 and two right away you know it's it's a lot easier for me now to decipher who's in defense mode and and it just seems like Abrams is in defense mode regardless of the that he sees 100% it was pretty wild to see like when you're right there and and then um I I the other thing that was crazy is Jose a Ferrer uh Lefty reliever running 99 M hour like turbo sinkers that was cool to see up close but um yeah the Nationals are they're coming together a little bit they didn't win the game somehow still the Marlins won that thing yeah vente boooo again dude again like sick shudy it I wanted to say like oh this guy's the next uh Javier Assad Javier Assad throws three ticks harder right bio 689 um so I want this guy to be good so bad just because we were talking about it like if you throw below 90 I am I am rooting for your success as much as anybody because I just think it's so fun when someone bucks the trend and makes everybody re-evaluate the definitive lines that they place on what a major leager has to look like yeah and so I I would love to see him do that here uh what what people are not talking about enough is the gritty 3-2 curveball take by Griffin conine to break up the perfect game and draw the walk but um that's neither here nor there uh Xavier Edwards walked it off and it's a game that nobody will remember in about five more hours a lot of people also are giving Griff enough love for a very strong FW after he popped up in the ninth inning that was good you know it's funny because like you know the field mics really pick them up you know when you drop the like you pop up you hear it all the time it's like the [ __ ] and then sometimes the announcers pretend that they didn't hear it other times like oh Kai not pleased with that one or we're sorry our field mics are really good well any of those several what what would you do in that spot what like good I I would probably just good baritone there and 10 people would pick it up but the other you know people watching be like what is what's he talking about this guy's stupid yeah I texted him because I was like three three2 walk there like that take was nasty and he goes yeah might have been one of my better walks and and uh I was like also one of your better [ __ ] you've gotten off in a long time like that I like no dude I had way better ones in double A I was like okay well yeah if you had high higher ones in in doua uh the field mics are really gonna get those so we're talking about like how it's pretty common place but like guys once they get to the show really have to like cut it down uh I think the minor leagues it's probably you know that it's not going to get picked up and and it's not like it's not like you have just the drum of you know a crowd stirring it's not like you have that you know Ambient sound where you just have the hum of like 20 30,000 people in the ballpark to drown it out in Minor League Baseball like you hear everything everything but no one cares so like the difference is yeah I guess when you're on uh you know MLB beginning or or just on on two different broadcasts like it's me I picked up especially in Marlin's park because you actually have the minorly crowd but Major League technology you're actually double boned like you can probably say it under your breath and it's getting picked up so yeah it was uh it was cool though the first Marlins game I've been to at Marlin's loan Depot Park this year and uh yeah I mean I'll probably go see Zack Wheeler throw on Saturday but man I thought I was going to go the whole year without going to a game but hey I thought so when Griff gets up you gotta go last thing Valente beoo 66 innings in the minor leagues a 464 erra 47 innings in the major leagues a 378 ER and if you take out that course start and I know you can't like totally play that game but like hey the one place that is a terrible environment for a flyball pitcher yeah like he's been he's been shoving he's been shoving dude another guy that's been shoving is clearly sha Shota Imanaga imanaga and the erra is under three after he worked seven no hit innings in a combined no no it was sha imanaga it was Nate Pearson and it was Porter hch before we get into shoda credit to Alex Cohen man that's the third Big League game that guy ever did and he got a no hitter at Wrigley I think the first Wrigley Field no hitter since 1972 that's that's luck man but that is awesome and and he nailed it all night long and I'm so happy for uh the voice of the Iowa Cubs that is getting his first taste of Big League ball and he is uh one of the good dudes in minor league baseball no doubt yeah awesome guy big big fan Alex con so glad he got the opportunity to get back up there and while they're hot it just seems like the Cubs you know they're doing a lot of things right all of a sudden uh but I'm really glad he was able to be on the call for that no no and um you know it would have been cool yeah for for imaga to be able to be stretched out all the way there but I feel like we're going to get a lot of those like six six inning no hitter like imaga tosses over the Baton type of thing because he's not always the most efficient but you know he's going to get plenty of swing and miss and and and get those fly balls as well later on but um it I think imaga really kicking things back into the gear right it's kind of been that like starting unbelievably well hit that snag it's it's like hitters we talk about right like when you first get to The Bigs like pitchers adjust to you how do you adjust back it's the same thing with pitchers right like especially when you're a guy that that relies on deception and and high fastball usage of course hitters are saying okay after the first time they faced him they were talking about it remember like why can't we hit this guy stuff isn't that good quote unquote um because of the deception and what he creates of the stuff is good but it just doesn't traditionally look like stuff that we typically label as good um but when you get that kind of vert from that release that's good stuff but the point being hitter started to adjust and say okay let me hunt that fast ball and let me try to take some other things away so even adjust back and you know starts locating a little bit in different places and starts mixing in some more pitches and starts spinning it a little bit more and here he is back again to being incredibly efficient because if hitters have to really lock in on your one pitch your fast ball you can use that to your advantage again and adjust and and get them off balance in other ways the difference is usually guys that are pitchers that hitters need to game plan for the fast ball specifically maybe don't have the secondaries to go with it so that game plan will usually help and that'll stall out that pitcher uh imanaga has always had the the split and then we've talked about it like I want to see him spin it more and now he's starting to do that a little bit more like leer look good yeah yeah it looks like he's really settling into like this complete pitcher that can get you out in a bunch of different ways yeah he he led Major League Baseball in whiffs on Wednesday night um he had 20 and I I think 10 of which came on the split which shows you that guys are geared up for that low release higher fast ball and then they get the split and working off of the fast ball beautifully those p amazingly well and you know showed it like was was he awesome on Wednesday yeah has he been really good all year yeah now let me ask you was this more a testament to imanaga and Pearson and Porter hodj or was this an indictment on one of the worst offenses in baseball and I will tell you that the Pirates are bottom five in team Ops they're bottom five team slug they have I one of the five highest strikeout totals as a team this offense looked overmatched all night long and like put a lot of credit put a lot of credit to sha on that like don't get it twisted at all he was no hit for seven Innings against a major league baseball team but they looked so out of sorts and borderline checked out after Domingo Hermon [ __ ] the bed I also don't really understand that one at all I'll put my hand up right now he was not good in Indianapolis and then he gets to Pittsburgh and he's not good he's also clearly not a good guy why does that make any sense whatsoever um but dude like this just felt like the Pirates were content with laying an egg by the fourth inning yeah now well it felt like they kind of expected to to fall behind and and then once they did it's like oh here we go again yeah and that's where they kind of seem checked but um the other thing that was was interesting is like IM and AA mixing in that that you know Sinker and and I think that was again because pitchers are always or hitters are always game planning for that high fastball and now he's work in the bottom of the zone as well I thought that really helped but you know I think it's both you know and I know that's kind of a cop out but you know anything I think anytime you hold a major league lineup to zero hits um yeah no matter how frustratingly miserable that lineup is like you get all the credit I watch McKenzie Gore have be perfect through five and a third and then Nick fortez breaks it up with triple like yeah you know they're League hitters um I if I'm if I'm not mistaken I don't think the White Sox have gotten no hit yet this year I don't I don't think so I don't think so yeah and like it's just it's how easily things can Snowball right like Griff takes a good 3-2 pitch and then um fortez ambushes a fast ball and like so the fact that they that imanaga was able to stay on it you know and lock in it was big but you know it also teams kind of check out a little bit more when they fall behind and and that was still a scoreless game uh when we're comparing it there uh but yeah I I I feel like this Pirates team is a lifeless and we were talking about um GMS and managers that should be on the hot seat um you know charington I know that fans are are pirates fans are pretty critical and and frustrated yeah I think there's definitely some things that you could look at with charrington and say this ain't good but you know I just made the case on the last episode that you know he he should probably get one more year especially ping infrastructure that he's built like should get one year with skin Jones Chandler um you know and they have some some potential on the offensive side like I think with what he's been able to do on on the pitching side he needs you know to to get another year here and with what this team showed early it's not like anybody was expecting this team to to do anything like they could pretty much limp to the finish line here and they'll kind of Be Right Al along the lines or maybe still even a little bit better than I think what the the projections were but I look at Shelton man I think that's the guy that may need to go and when we talk about a GM that's trending towards the hot seat or president of baseball operations trending towards the hot seat generally that's when the manager goes because you got to shap go somebody else and then when things turn around then you can kind of Point towards that uh but I don't even know if it's fully scapegoating because look they did they get good pieces at the deadline like not really but they didn't subtract and when you and what was it Brian La Cruz and did they trade for anyone else Isaiah Conor FFA oh I mean that's actually not a bad piece to add so you not those aren't pieces that are going to put you over the top but you are a team that was expecting to be depleted at the deadline going into the year you actually added two players yeah you should be locked in down the stretch here and and try to surprise people by hanging into um you know the the playoff race I felt like this team has quit pretty quickly and weeks felt like they quit and usually that's more of an indictment on the manager than anything else I think so um and just running through that that lineup by Ops to show you like how underwhelming that lineup truly is ikf good pickup at the deadline leading off with a 700 Ops Twan Brian Reynolds your Allstar has an 805 okay the three hitter Nick Gonzalez has a 682 the cleanup man O'Neal Cruz has a 780 Ops and he has been much better against left-handed pitching as of late Ben shington said on his weekly show that he essentially along with a couple other members of the front office had quote unquote he used the word intervention with O'Neal Cruz hey you need to be better against left-handed hitting and he has been however he looked so overmatched against imanaga he went 0 for four with 2ks in that game so O'Neal the cleanup man with a 780 Ops five hitting Conor Joe is 699 six hitting Brian De La Cruz is 663 seven hitting Jared triolo a 598 eight hitting Michael a Taylor a 521 nine hitting Henry Davis a 454 there's no juice there's no energy in that lineup like even on paper and it's hard to find a lineup with no energy on paper you could say well O'Neal Cruz is electrifying sure it's a 780 like that's not Allstar that's not the guy that you're relying to be the producer and that is he he's the guy that has the a chance to be their their like key producer kind of f like I I liked the I didn't like that they you know considering that he's also under contract next year and it's it's it's worth it considering the price of you know I think utility types and things like that now yeah they bought high on him right like you you gave up Charles madoo Charles madoo yeah and madoo has looked really good this year has been kind of one I think one of the more exciting breakout prospects but I just I think about where Conor F was in the first time we talked about like I ISU an apology to the Blue Jays Cu uh you know we we really clowned that m year deal doubt but also you do have to to look at a player that you know when when they're 29 years old have been around for a little bit and they're having a really good first half like is that right when you want to go get a guy like I I like the pickup in a vacuum but you know yeah to also probably figure that he was going to taper off from there did you think that he was gonna have a 595 Ops from the deadline onward probably not um but you know I just felt like this this team was was more than a Conor F away but I I do also understand understand that he's probably going to slot right into shortstop next year and you know you you have a better feel for you know just kind of the roster situation in general but like who who would play shortstop next year anyways I mean York's getting a little bit of run at Short right now that tells guess from from that lens the trade makes sense because they gonna sign like a Willie adamus or anything like that right it's just you know if that was your offensive piece to to kind of jolt this team like I could have I told you I I told you when the trade happened that Brian L Cruz wasn't going to do [ __ ] for them right he he doesn't defend either um so it's just like two guys that aren't going to make a huge impact at least kindor for life is going to play great defense so like that's why I still like the the pickup is like he he's going to pick it at short and and not stink offensively uh he's stunk lately but I still feel like you can go into next year and say okay you're at least getting close to League average offense with good defense at Short the the Pirates would take that any day of the week no doubt the dill Cruz thing makes no sense and I know they didn't give up a ton but like we we love we love what jonchuck shim can be and they threw in Garrett Forester too like I'm not giving up a a high upside 20-year-old pitching prospect that we just paid $750,000 to sign from South Korea for Brian De La Cruz like I couldn't believe that that happened and so those are the little things that I think people will start looking at shington the caban Hayes thing you know that that extension and everything like that but I also like at the time we all thought that that was fine like he seemed like he was on that trajectory so I I I think that there's a clear type of player that charrington gravitates towards aside from like the the big ticket IFA guys that have developed like O'Neal Cruz cly values like the glove and I get that but like you gota getting a guy that that's bat doesn't compensate for his glove sucking like a Brian D Cruz is not how you right fix that no they I think charrington needs to kind of get out of his comfort zone a little bit on the on the position player side I I think so kindor FIFA caben Hayes types like yeah I think you to go a different direction and dude at the end of the day like they have a pitching Surplus that they can work from and we saw Patrick Riley move Riley we were really impressed with in the spring Breakout game he started really well in high a he moves for Billy cook who could very well be on that Big League roster next year have the big league roster right now right now I I think him and York can be on that Big League roster right now but you see you know a guy like um Hunter Barco who's good does he factor into the long-term five even a guy that like might be a top 100 Prospect in Thomas Harrington I love watching Harrington throw is he your long-term five if the answer is no and you like what Luis Ortiz is doing right now instead like that's a top 100 Prospect that you can go move for a formidable bat and he can go Thrive elsewhere but you have to be okay with that because you need to trust yourself that you are going to get a good bat in return so there are a lot of options here to work from that Surplus that cherington has built but going back to your Shelton point the last pirate thing that I want to talk about it was in his postgame media availability and this is courtesy of sports at Pittsburgh I'm going to play the clip for you here on audio and on video um but this is him and his postgame media scrum being asked by Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about using Rowdy tles in the eighth inning take a listen was Rowdy in the eth just because you guys don't have an opdate anym I'm just trying yeah come on Noah it's 11 to nothing it's 11 to nothing bedar Holderman both three yesterday Santana has been our best reliever Chapman I'm not going to pitch in that situation come on you've watched enough baseball to know that it's 11 to nothing seriously no that's no you don't have to ask that's that there's a better question than that seriously I mean it's 11 to nothing so I know you've got some thoughts on this I've got some thoughts on it as well uh that was very aggressive from Shelton there's no doubt about it I think the Pirates are really spoiled with their beat writers I think Noah Hiles Andrew dtin at the Post Gazette Alex stump of mlb.com are phenomenal phenomenal ERS do I understand that this was a question that was going to elicit without doubt a negative response yes absolutely now Counterpoint before you go since Rowdy tz's first pitching appearance of the season on August 24th Rowdy tles in the last two and a half weeks has thrown three times David Bednar has thrown four times aralis Chapman has thrown four times in that stretch so rowdy tles is almost called upon as often as your 10 a. half million reliever in a RIS Chapman and your two-time All-Star now former closer in David Bednar I don't know if it's the perfect question to ask there but it's a question that I think is fair game because he's called on Rowdy tles three times and they've run a position player out to the mound three times in the last two and a half weeks yes what would be a normal answer to that question because I I think that was too harsh I'm just thinking like what and I've been in like I also very much understand I and I couldn't fully understand what it's like to to be on the beat every single day for a team that is really fading the way that it is but you know I've covered plenty of games for bad teams where you know you're in that room and and you know you don't even really know what to ask you don't want to sugarcoat a stupid question you don't want to ask something too harsh you don't want to ask nothing um so it it's a weird spot to be in and he's probably been feeling that now for no doubt probably weeks with the way things have trended so you sometimes you just get one off and it's maybe not your best and and it wasn't like it was asked in a rude way or or pointed towards something else or critical of of Shelton so it it didn't deserve the response that Shelton gave and I think we see it kind of often and it makes sense it just objectively like I get it especially even though we're on the the media side it's pretty unnatural that right after a game a very frustrating game you have to go sit in front of people and they have to they get to go ask you questions about the game that just pissed you off and is going to piss you off for a while while you're job may be on the line got to just sit there and answer but that comes with the job description that's why you make a lot of money but you know everyone has the the I think deserves a little bit of leeway to have those moments and that's exactly what that was but I do Wonder like what would be the the like the answer that you're looking for to that question I think something similar to what Shelton said without the aggression is that fair I I because you could get some good quotes from that right like well what do you want us to do we're out of every single game why am I going to burn our best relievers who've thrown multiple times lately exactly and something like you know we expect to be in a we expect to be in a positive situation tomorrow and the next day the day after that so we're going to use our guys here like there is there is a coach speak gear that he can kick into there and hit cruise control but that's a guy that was clearly agitated and took it out on someone when he didn't need to do that um and that is a tendency of somebody that is is on the hot seat if we're being honest like I I remember my first coach interview I ever did was Phil wedon his name and he was the women's soccer coach at Syracuse and I was doing a game on acc Network extra and we sat down the first thing I asked was hey you know coach with with senior day coming up I I would love to hear a little bit about about the seniors that that you have on the team and he said I'm sorry do you know our team at all I was like what do you mean he said how many seniors do we have I said you have two he said no one of them is a graduate transfer the other is a senior we have one you should do prep now next time and he got he got fired the next day so I I took that and I like lost sleep that night because I was like oh my God I did a terrible job and then he got fired the next day and I realized oh my it wasn't about me at all huh no so rarely is and that's in life too yeah like it's rarely about you when someone lashes out and someone's mean but I didn't know that yeah yeah it was it was pretty crazy because like I I left se you dude shut up yeah I I left shaking and like Kristen I love Kristen Hennessy over it uh she was at Syracuse I'm not sure where she's at now but Kristen was like that's not you that's not you I was like thanks I appreciate that um but no I mean like that's the energy you get from somebody that's really feeling it and you know I don't know what the rest of the season entails um he signed an Matt Chapman extension last year so you know we'll see what happens on that front but it's it's just fascinating to me man fascinating yeah I who would have thought the story would Shen this way this quickly um but that's why seasons of Marathon Man yeah it's crazy um we gotta jump to Matt Chapman here who Matt Chapman is the recipient money yeah right he's got that big bismack bomo cash is that what that is now got that Timothy mgov Tim mozgov um Matt Chapman of the Giants for Jeff passing in agreement on a six-year $151 million extension uh per passon wipes out the final two years of his current deal keeps Chapman from opting out the deal starts next year it'll be when he's 32 years old and runs through the 2030 Seasons so that's his age 32 through what 37 seasons for Chapman um it comes on top of the 20 million he earned replaced by the extension so in essence like he he just got six years 171 from the San Francisco Giants is it a good deal for 31-year-old Matt Chapman yeah is it a good deal for 36y old Matt Chapman probably not um you're paying for dead years here and we I feel like we always say that with long-term deals with six-year deals I don't find myself saying that that often but that's what you get for extending a guy who's on the other side of 30 who was a platinum glove level Defender who is a gold glove caliber or at least flirting with a gold glove caliber Defender still but defense falls off quicker than pop does yeah yeah and they both fall off and those are the two things that he uh is predicated on right it's popping defense I I will say seems like this year he has got himself right though uh and not just from a statistical perspective in terms of like the surface level numbers which are are great and you know people might look at the Ops and say oh well it's only up like you know 24 points remember the environment that that he's in as well too like it it is I I think even more impressive that he's doing that in San Francisco and and that's why you know this year with the defense also ticking up too like this is where I actually do look a little bit more at Savant because I Savant is I think one of the better ways to use Savant is to see how a player is or is not declining because those are are the metrics that you can really look at and say okay like age is slowing him down his Sprint speed slowing down his bat speed slowing down like those are the measurables that you can kind of like see a little bit more whereas you know average eggs of velocity is going down Chase is going up Etc I we always talk about like I my least favorite thing in the world is just like you get a 25-year-old in like his second season they just screenshot the the Savant page and it's like look at this bubbles he's gushing gushing blood gushing blood he's Frozen so blue yeah like you didn't even pick those metrics and like it's a whole another story but um Chapman looks as as good as he's ever looked at at least as good as he's looked since you know like the the prime spe like breakout years that we saw from him I even when you look at Sprint speed this dude's in an 86 percentile on Sprint speed remember that what was I believe to be and it lines up with the timeline he was dealing with a hip issue and he tried to play through it a little bit then he got surgery for it and you know I thought there were some residual effects there I mean hip can affect one your power two your Fielding think about it you're moving laterally you got to get down there like I can't even get into a ready position anymore and then and then also just spr so like I I imagine that now like a couple years REM from that maybe he's kind of figured out how to get his body right and how how to get his body to work in in the right way um you know I think it looks like at least to me that he's as fresh as he has looked since his you know top top Seasons maybe that was enough for the Giants to say Hey you know let's let's give him a long-term deal I the flip side is everything that you said is like okay you get two or three years where I feel pretty good about it after age 33 for a you know guy that needs to be defensive oriented and and and slug get really nervous I'm interested to see how it ages but yeah it's not like they're giving him off the charts money like I know it seems crazy but I I I think in terms of aav did you did you mention what that comes out to no one 161 over six is that right or 151 over 6 I believe it is is 151 over 6 is 25 a year like that's not bad 21 yeah it's not bad um does this also sort of kind of tell you that the Giants might be waving the white flag on the big big ticket guys like they are out of the stto sweep Stakes that's kind of what that tells me yeah and I think it's because they probably feel like they got no well think about who Who Matt Chapman's agent is too so um you know they they might have even talked to Boris about and said hey like we're interested in in Soo but yeah no I think you should allocate your funds towards I think you should allocate your funds over here B uh but like I don't think SoDo has doesn't seem like there's unless it's a Dodgers it wouldn't make much sense for him to go all the way to the West Coast I just can't really see it no um so yeah I I I think that is a big part of it but this is a good building block for them moving forward like this team we've talked about like is not that far off with you if they're able to retain Blake Snell clearly the Robbie Ray Edition was not a bad one at all he looks like he can throw for them um you know they've got some things to figure out on the infield but I think this was huge to be able to get him on the left side when they're still trying to figure out Short Stop they're still trying to figure out I think pretty much the rest of the infield overall so do you see what the uh at least planned answer at second base is no Marco Luciano I think gonna just keep pretending that he's an answer to Something in different ways yes like the problem is not whether it's short or second it's whether hit or not whether big leager or rivercat yeah like okay well give him the run the rest of the way like I'm here for it but like I mean at this point I like I guess for the rest of this year they'll let wisely play short and you know and Tyler Fitzgerald and go from there but like even Tyler Fitzgerald like it's been awesome we were just talking about how he's been one of the biggest surprise rookies and everything but he did a flash in the pan can you go into next year and say hey Tyler Fitzgerald's our guy like he's G like if Tyler Fitzgerald is back to the tower Fitzgerald that we kind of were used to seeing you know or kind of expecting the last few years which is more of a bench part-time player and maybe I'm wrong maybe something really clicked here yeah um then you're screwed because you don't have another option then you're back to Marco Luciano and and then hoping Tyler Fitzgerald or Brett wisley or whatever like Fitzgerald's still striking out 30% of the time I'm not a big WBA ex WBA guy but you got to be when when it's 380 to 310 and it's a breakout player right like again I hate this because I think this is awesome and I'm so here for this Tyler Fitzgerald three and a half win season but if I'm in charge of this roster there's no way I can Bank on a Tyler Fitzgerald uh followup especially when we're talking about some of the best most talented young players in baseball having sophomore slumps right so like I I would even just like to go get into Isaiah Conor FIFA to be honest like that would be great so so like those types of players they're going to need to find some options there but all that to say having third base lock down I think is absolutely huge for this ball Club I am buying the Elliot Ramos breakout like every metric you look at there and if you just look at the swing like that's clear he's a dude like you have some of those pieces there I love where the pitching's at of course Patrick Bailey's a guy so I'm all for locking up another position for the next few years and and here's the reality of it zi doesn't care about year five or six to survive the next two yeah and so that's what it's all about right now yeah and I will say this is is I think time number two that I firmly stamped that I think the best fit for Willie adamus this offseason is the San Francisco Giants if they take care of the left side of the infield and they have Pat Bailey behind the plate you have three very highlevel Defenders there at catcher third and short that's where I want three highle Defenders if I could Point them out on the infield hell in the field in general they can handle center field and I know that that is a spacious Outfield they've got guys that can maneuver that no problem I think but if they can hammer down maybe the best defender behind the plate in all of baseball I I almost want to say it's inarguable at this point I feel like there are some guys that that would factor into the conversation and it's like oh I've got this guy online one but Pat Bailey is there man he is absolutely there um Third Base you have the pedigree of match hatman adamus is damn good and oh by the way he is your threat to hit 30 homers you didn't see it resolved in Jorge so a he's not the first guy since bonds to have a 30 Homer season adamus could be that guy if he plays a 162 and he that's a real stat yeah I think the Giants haven't had a 30 Homer season since Bond no way yeah I I remember when Solair signed we we had that conversation why did that one go over my head that's the craziest it's crazy dude it's crazy correct me if I'm wrong there but I don't I don't think yeah let us know in the comments that that that's one of those like incredible but believable but also not believable stats we're also not mentioning jung-ho League you know getting hurt I mean that's another guy that can really go get it in Center is a great a great ball player and and I still think that he's really gonna be a good piece for them too so you got the building block in Center you get the building block at third you you can go spend it short and you know what I think Fitzgerald has proven that he's a big leager but like if you are are penel in with Tyler Fitzgerald at second um and then he disappoints a little bit then you could platoon him with wisely and have this this productive you know they love to platoon out there have this productive platoon and I mean this is combining Triple A and the in The Bigs but he's mostly been in The Bigs pretty much the entire year Tyler Fitzgerald against lefties this year has an Ops over a thousand so like that's the fallback right like that's the way I would want to build a roster it's like okay I I don't want to just relegate this guy after he earned you know an everyday look next year clearly but instead of hey hey you're our everyday shortstop which you know I I think he's even stretched in there a little bit defensively like you're at second base we think you can be our everyday guy there and if he struggles okay now you're pling with a wisely or with somebody else and you know you're getting you're getting a lot of production out of that position then I'm feeling really good about where they're at they're going to clear some money off as well right I think I think conforto is off the books if I'm not mistaken yeah I think so but I mean with what bird song has flashed this year like a web Snell if they can bring him back Robbie Ray you know if he can just stay healthy and it's a hamstring thing right now um and you'd think his hamstring would be fine with with the compression pants that he wears but I guess it doesn't work um you know and and just just the entire Bullpen and you know Jordan Hicks there like they've got so many options like on the pitching side I really do think that a couple additions around here like they could be really solid for the next couple years and yeah you know are you a little bit annoyed on the last year or two of of Matt Chapman's contract Maybe but he's still going to have enough I think run into home run power that like that's probably going to be the new qo by the time he's done which like still might be a little expensive for a guy on the on the back end there but it it won't be bad by any stretch so I thought it was pretty good and and I also think to kind of pivot to to another aspect of this conversation what does this mean for an Alex bregman is Al Alex bregman's getting more than that right I think Alex this might have made Alex bregman a $200 million player so let's think about it bregman a little bit younger he's 30 and a half yeah feel like you stopped doing that after like eight years old but he's 30 and a half and I think even this new bregman that's not the eight- win bregman that we saw in 2018 2019 then he really struggled in in in 21 right and then they were like oh my gosh like what is he at this point he was kind of hurt that year and now I think we've we've clearly seen that he's a four- win player pretty much every single year um and like we saw that in 2022 he was a five- win player and 2023 he was four and a half this year he's three and a half but you know I still think you look at a lot of the numbers they look solid overall it it's been a little bit of a struggle to get on base this year which has been interesting but I I just don't think it really matters right he's above average offensively above average defensively he's just consistently solid it's one of the better postseason performers if you look at all these Astros guys are yeah he's safer but my concern what safer in terms of the the track record of hitting yeah but do you think teams are at all going to be concerned about a change in environment because this is another this kind of Segways into the similar conversation we had with ESO Petes but difference is with with bregman like he's been wearing out that those Crawford boxes for Geared for that so that's my one thing do you think teams are are a little bit wary of that yes or does he go out and he gets close to 200 no I I think the answer is yes teams are wary of it but I think the rebuttal is you haven't seen me do this like you haven't given me the opportunity to negate your thought here and that is the ultimate clapback and what are teams going to say but we've seen the spray charts it's like okay well you haven't seen my home ballpark be somewhere else exactly what's BR like the great counter argument is just going to be well what am I not supposed to hit it there yeah like do you want me to not yeah like I I've done something I've done something so many times that I'm near perfect at it and I'm as good at it as anybody in baseball so I might as well just keep doing that and he doesn't whiff I like it's interesting I think it's almost going to be the same contract you think so I I think the year of age helps him and the offensive production and the offensive consistency helps him a lot too where it might bump him and a team might get crazy I do think that a team is going to get crazy and give him $200 million I do have more confidence in bregman aging well like I I think even at like 37 he dude 37y old bregman could just turn into he turn into Julie guel dude he could just slap the ball around the ballpark and hit 320 with singles he's 998th percentile and in in and whiff and and Chase is is always been low for him so uh and he's still super rangy like yeah he could end up being a second baseman that still just like slaps the ball around the yard so um yeah I could see him getting like that seventh year yeah and then maybe it's at a slightly lower or the same a and all of a sudden you're pushing closer to that 200 Mark so I mean he's also a Boris guy right uh bregman is a Boris guy yeah so I think Ben Joyce Boris has got to be excited looking at that and saying all right well I didn't just sign you know I didn't just get this deal for chap I I I've also set a really nice Baseline for for Alex bregman yep no doubt yes or no questions to wrap here in a moment before that one quick break okay I've got some questions uh two of them I think are yes and no and two of them are a little bit broader for you but they have to do with four individuals Ben Joyce Wyatt Langford Kyle schwarber Chris S the first one is is the Ben Joyce question are we gonna see this guy hit 106 miles an hour it's a yes or no question um and and the broader question is if not him who is going to be the guy that hits 106 Ben Joyce got a punch out on 105.5 it was the hardest track pitch for a strikeout in the pitch tracking era has to be the hardest of all time I don't care what you what you heard no no no no and Ryan noan Ryan noan Ryan threw a 108 and Bob Beller when when the motorcycle we timed it up the motorcycle threw the paper it's faster they they threw faster that's crazy his nickname was rapid Roberts so he had to throw harder than the volunteer fireman holy [ __ ] sick nickname but 105.5 because we don't have the firm data point that's the hardest pitch ever thrown for a strikeout yes or no do you think Joyce hits 106 it's a great question this becomes like a physics and like anatomy and biology question more than a baseball and I haven't read it yet but I saw Enos sarus did a dive yeah athletic and it's how fast can the human body produce a fast ball Walker had some good quotes in that by the way Walker again right like out he's thrown well I know you guys may have talked about it but I just wanted to say like like second TJ is guys had battled through so many things the re there's a reason why Walker was quoted in that story Walker is known and respected as one of the smartest pitching Minds out there yeah even if Walker has to had to reinvent himself a little bit from what he used to be you didn't think a guy that smart was going to be able to do that right he's altered his pitch usage a little bit he's locating differently and he's succeeding because he's still throwing freaking 5 96 right so you know to that point like there's there's some highle I think discussion and thoughts on that and I believe that the the conversation is is yes like that the right guy can can do it I think there's almost a Tipping Point of like do you want to like do you want to put your body through that like I don't know if we have much like swing and Miss what are what's the average whiff rate on 106 vers 105 I we don't know I don't know but I I think he will I think he'll get one because you know what I I don't know him I've never met Benjo in my life but just looking at him and I feel like all those guys at Tennessee like I feel like all of them just just would go in the bullpen and just try to throw harder than each other like that's just what I imagine like like every game I'm pretty sure Joyce like I know B usually just kind of naturally turns around but like I I think after that last strike out he turned around just to look exactly at the radar yeah yeah like that that reminds me of like my teammates a perf game like blew their arms out at all it's like oh [ __ ] but I hit 89 yeah guy gives up five earned comes in The Dugout like yo yo did you see what I hit that inning I was like no go around dude and then Miami comes up and it's like hey I don't care that you walk six guys in a that's the craziest part dude that's the craziest part I see this guy walk six he hits 90 and she sends an email to a couple ACC teams and he's on a [ __ ] visit to Miami the next week it's crazy I'm not even making that up that actually happened yes um so no but back to the main point I do think he can do it and remember this we we told you on this show when Joyce came back up that it was a different V Joyce he found it again and I think finding it was beyond mechanically being able to throw strikes was also mechanically being able to get the most out of his body that usually those two things can go together um and and I think he has gotten back to where he was at Tennessee and now he's just a bigger and and stronger version of that but I think he had dealt with some some ailments in the early parts of his pro career and as you know like you have some of those ailments then your release starts to change a little bit and then he started losing maybe that the same feel for your pitches and sometimes not even throwing the ball as hard seems like he's gotten back to that his mechanics are clean and you know he's a freak so so I I do think he can touch 106 and I also think that as long as he's healthy knock on wood this is a I hate to say building block cuz he's a reliever but this is a fantastic piece for the A's or the excuse me sorry what's the difference and um I do think that this could be one of the more appointment television type of pitcher so I'm glad that the angels have a guy like that um and and I just hope he can stay healthy uh because again we just don't have much precedent on this kind of thing except for Chapman who's been a bulldog right and my thing on Joyce is um and the reason that I believe that he is the guy that's going to hit 106 miles an hour and I don't know if we have another guy that is going to do that um I like there's a chance that yandan continues to lean into the closer thing and and you know reaches levels that we haven't seen because he's a massive massive human being and hell like there could be a guy I remember Riley pint hit what 104 when he was in high school right like yeah those are the ones I actually don't buy those are like thean Ryan radar gun ones to me and they're like they're the lank machines and they're whippy as [ __ ] and like you feel like it's not going to work oh that and like I feel like they just had some like [ __ ] they might lie Tyler Cole like hit like 103 or whatever and like the like Marlin's brass after that we're like oh maybe that was a hot gun like what do you what do you meaned five plus million dollars in this guy maybe it was a hot what anyway correct correct um no but Joyce is Cut From a Different Cloth I think he's cut from closer to the Chapman cloth and yes they're both physical specimen like Chapman it's crazy to see that lower body aald this Chapman like you saw it dude I it is freakish and we talk about like the with hitters right that is the elite coil before he goes and that's where all the power comes from use that as an example for for a hitting conversation like people ever ever like doubt what what we're talking about when like coiling into the backside look at Aus Chapman the most powerful thrower that we've had of Our Generation like that is the definition of coil it's all coil dude it's not that arm like obviously the arm has something to do with it but look at that guy's lower half and look at the way that he drives and coils that's where 105 comes from with Joyce look at the way he gets down on the mound dude and look at the Torso swing in his delivery like there is everything the arm is a complimentary piece to what he's doing on the mount if he continues to find tune his body and he's already a physical specimen I think that this guy from the legs and the core can get to 106 mil hour it has no again like that's hyperbolic it has something to do with the arm but relatively speaking it has nothing nothing to do with the arm because it's all about the legs and the Torso and those guys are two of the best movers in bullpens that we have 100% And and that also that's what preserves the arm right and I think that's a big reason why Chapman has been able to do this we talked about it when Chapman stalled out a little bit I think that was the arm yeah naturally and just the body naturally aging so he leaned even even more into the lower half and how back to drive yeah every ounce of his lower half involved and I think Joyce is subscribing to the same thing These Guys these hard throwers like there's some of the big like yeah people and that's the funny thing is is and I think it's applicable at times but people love to talk about oh these guys are are are throwers not not pitchers now and whatever but like these hard throwers like like a Ben Joyce they may study the body as much as anybody and the way that it moves and you know maybe it's not in the in the name of of hitting your spots as much no they have one goal in mind yeah it's throw it as hard as you can but you know it's also can I do that while while staying in the zone uh obviously it's hard to do to the nth degree but the fact that Joyce is already getting 6.8 6.9 feet of extension yeah um you know like he's getting down there like you said so that also makes it nuts because it's it's it's 102 103 104 105 from what another almost half foot closer yeah craziness so I'm excited to see what this guy can Wyatt Langford continue to do it's just you know it sucks being a closer on a team that's never in the lead but you know this is another piece good pick they rushed him and this is the kind of guy that you can rush so I think it worked out pretty nicely no doubt next question has to do with another guy in the American League West and it has to do with Wyatt Langford Langford has had a hell of a four game stretch in the month of September this comes off of a July where he had a 631 Ops and an August where he had a 624 Ops in September four games he's seven for 16 with two doubles and two homers one of which was a walk-off Grand Slam on Tuesday night so my question as it pertains to Wyatt Langford is this 112 games he's got a 248 clip 10 homers 62 driven and a 706 Ops what does 2025 look like for Wyatt lford I thought you were gonna ask me it was 2024 uh positive or negative answer that no I was hoping you wouldn't yeah but like when you pose a hard question you know you're going to have to to try and answer it I'd say that it could be defined in the next 20 games yeah or many games are left and that's not even as a cop out because I I like he could legitimately finish the year with a 110 WRC plus and I think having the struggles overcoming that on the other side as a rookie with a team that you know had struggled across the board and know he battled some some minor little ailments like I I think it would be a a a slight positive but kind of a neutral and that's more because he set the bar so high for himself with what he did last year um and we always talk about it like guys's learning curves can can hit at different spots and clearly like why langford's learning curve hit in the show and you know it's kind of same thing with like CJ Abrams and some other players where they were just so good in the minor league so quickly um maybe they weren't fully fully ready for the show and they could have hit some struggles with more monoy games as even triaa pitchers would have adjusted but Langford was so good it was like why even wait for that to happen and you know he he he he can help that team so you know I think to answer that I think I'd say it's slight positive like this is a guy that's played maybe even a little bit more than that like had played what 40 professional games and then you know was fully thrown into the fold as you know the defending champ you know and and wearing that so I I thought the fact that he held his own and and now is finishing really strong if he finishes really strong over these next few you weeks it's a positive um but next year I don't want to like because we'll do this right where a guy has a big second half and then maybe we overestimate how that carries over into the next year I think C.J Abram's actually an example of that last year um and and he's had a f like fine year he started really well but has really stalled out um I still I do I think I'm going to do it with with with Wyatt to too though because I think he's that freaking good um I I I think it's a monstrous season next year I I think it's 30 homers next year I think it's I think we start to see him look like that that young not fully because I think it's a really high bar to set but I think he starts to look like that young Paul gold Schmid um where it starts to all come together where you're seeing the tools shine shine through and you start to see you know like I think a lot of that Talent shine through and and you know is it 2013 Paul goldmit who had a six win season uh and and hit 36 I don't think so but is it maybe 2012 Paul gold Schmid who was 24 years old and had a three- win season 20 homers I think it in 18 bags 124 WRC plus I think it's a little bit better than that so like I think it's in between those two uh so I I I think it's gonna be kind of that yeah that mid 20s Paul gold Schmid that starts to Bud into that you know superstar that we saw from him um like that that is what I kind of see from lford and I think the big X Factor from a like a war perspective and things like that's going to be the defense but it seems like the defense is getting better it's not ever going to be great but it's getting better so that does help I have incredibly high hopes for him and I'm with you I I think that year two could be monstrous from him because year one was at this point like if the season ended today I'm going to play that game I'd call it slightly negative I'd say he's slightly underwhelmed um if he lived up to the billing I would just assume a little bit of a sophomore slump like we've seen from a Corbin Carroll because that's what happens to really really good players um you know gunar like gunar was the Rookie of the Year he was the unanimous American League rookie of the year but his season compared to Carol's I don't necessarily think it was close last year I thought Carol you know ran last around gunar Henderson last year well because gunar had his learning curve a little bit more gunar had his curve stret yeah and he still won Rookie of the Year because it was a weak class and and gunar was still really good but gunar was quotequote disappointing relative to expectations I think for gunar Henderson he was disappointing and he levels up this year and he looks like an MVP candidate Carol was exceeding expectations looked like a top 10 top 15 player in all of baseball and he underwhelms in year two I think with lford underwhelming quote unquote in year one he can level up to be that monster in 2025 in year two I think it's very similar to gunar Henderson where it's like it's a good not great season Gunners was obviously a lot better really good like he ended up I'm trying it it was either I'm trying to remember now like was it how he came out of the gate or I just remember it was how he came out of the gate yeah he struggled out of the gate and you know he struck out a little bit more than he thought but he still somehow put together four and a half season right um so it was it was better than Wyatt but like at the same time um he also had so much more mod League Runway and you know was able to kind of I think build a little bit more momentum into that into that debut but I I do agree with like what you're saying and Carol was just on a different level because of what he did in the postseason and you know just being helping kind of lead them to the World Series and I know Carol like hit a little bit of a snag down the stretch there but it was so freaking dominant like we're talking like MVP candidate and he was a pick you know he was a pick to win MVP this year that people I think we Peter would like that one and Peter's nailed just about every single one of his preseason you know bets and predictions um and I even liked the the Corbin idea of him of him being an MVP we didn't quite say that with Gunner we said oh he's going to be a really solid player probably another close to five win season and you know they're both amazing but I do agree that I think lenford kind of got his his sophomore slump like front loaded here where I think he made the adjustment he needed to make he pitchers already kind of knew how they want to go after him and and things like that and they did it and they executed it and then he has adjusted back since and I think we're seeing you know over the last 20 games he's not chasing he's making more contact he's driving the hard to all Fields like it seems like he's settling in now and remember this guy's just 22 despite not playing that many Minor League games at all I I think lford has gotten that out of the way I think Jackson Cho got that out of the way I think Cho one that I don't I don't expect a sophomore s but Cho at all you see the the the curve for him here another guy that kind of fast-tracked struggled and I think has been able to work through that as well and um you know I I think that's that's the interesting part of this it's not just that predictable with with development it can be you know a bunch of different ways where guys have that learning curve and that adjustment period um and I think that's the fun and interesting part of this thing who who did uh lford hit that that walk-off Grand Slam off again oh man um you know it I just yes I do clay Holmes oh yeah that's right I saw I saw a very funny tweet Holmes in his post game availability I think called it a learning experience after his 11th blown save and Boon said first 10 times yeah so somebody quote tweeted it sure Yankees fan said this guy should be a [ __ ] rocket scientist by now with how much learning he's doing how many learning experiences he's had oh Yankees fans are funny man so I'll say this Holmes Elite reliever and he actually really does generate a really fun conversation that I think we can have in another episode yeah but I had a couple replies CU like maybe just maybe the Yankees should consider you maybe rotating that that closure Ro a little bit and got a couple replies from like those like accounts that you know are going to be very like analytically driven I'm quite I think it's very clear if you listen to the show I'm quite analytically driven and I do agree that there's not like I don't think there's like a art to a save like I don't think there's guys that are like specifically just like built to be able to to to save games more than others but I do think that there's players who can struggle to save games more than others so I know that almost sounds like I'm contradicting myself but the point being is like it's not oh this guy has okay stuff but he's incredible in the ninth yeah I think he can go the other way this guy's really good stuff but he doesn't handle the ninth well um and and any player will tell you that the ninth is just a different Beast the thing is most of these guys have such good stuff and most of these guys are such animals that like a lot of the seventh and eighth inning guys can plug into the ninth and go shut it down because right you you've talked to relievers all the time every reliever because you're taking a usually a failed starter putting him in a one-inning spurt they're seeing their stuff tick up their came guys like crazy they think they're the [ __ ] and they're right they're disgusting uh all relievers are disgusting so they you know they feel like one inning good luck and they're right to feel that way yeah most high leverage relievers are confident in themselves as closers I'm not saying Holmes isn't confident in himself as a closer but clearly there's some sort of Disconnect there where when he gets in the ninth where he just if he starts to get in in a tough spot just doesn't execute Well he kind of leaves it over the middle like there's so many meatballs that get crushed or you know he just seems to back himself into spots also I don't love my closers getting ground balls more than than strikeouts and I just don't like those types of of closur as well yeah the rebuttal to that one real quick is class who's who's King fewer than hitter per inning but at the end of the day like class thr was 102 and and I also think kind of where like just the contact quality is so bad so so bad because of of how insane his his stuff is but that is a good good push back there because I did get a couple replies like you weren't saying this about class like last year it's like yeah but like Kay Holmes didn't have a 133 in the previous Innings like and he's not 25 like CL clomes is 31 and like I think he's an elite reliever right he gets a higher ground ball rate than I think anybody in baseball yeah but when you have a fast ball that still can get like hit hard at times and I mean opponents are hitting 336 against his Sinker like that's a really tough bill for a closer closer needs to have a fast ball that gets whiffs and or a I think a slider that you can throw more than 25% and the thing is he's got the slider he's got the sweeper I don't know I just I think you got to have a a fast ball that's more swing and miss or at least gets weaker contact then get I know it's on the ground but I I just I don't I don't love that closer template and I think that's more the issue I don't think clay holes is like some mental [ __ ] they can't handle it I think it's more just he's kind of pitched to contact and that contact can be hard at times and it's just not really the archetype for a closer and then now I do think it's starting to to get into his head I'm just bringing this up because I I it was a really interesting rebuttal that I got from a few different people that are like oh saves are a completely arbitrary stat I think they can generally be arbitrary but I think when you are blowing 28% of your saves and you've had more than 30 opportunities I do think you need to look at maybe the fact that he might not be built for it he's definitely not the guy want when he's inheriting a runner in 10th so easy to move him over to Third and then go from there uh I don't know I I think it's a fun you know conversation to have in the offseason about like which stats are are more arbitrary and which ones are not um and I think generally it is arbitrary but I think in certain spots you got to look at the pitcher and say is he built for this for this spot consistently you can still go in and get saves but I just think consistently contact oriented remember you have Jazz chisel at third base who's been holding it down but you have Jazz chisel at third Bas Torres second base like it's not like you've got the the the best defensive infield in Major League Baseball either right um I know vulp is great but that that's another Wrinkle in this thing too and they had Ben rice at first who's held it down fine but not Anthony Rizzo who is back but like I don't know it's a fun conversation to have but I just think the Yankees should start to entertain the idea of rotating that that role and it's they've got a ton of Wipeout guys go get it yeah and they are and Boon Kyle Schwarber said they're going to quote get creative with the closer R so you know it's it's going to be interesting to see what kind of opportunity Klay Holmes is put into and what kind of opportunities other guys are put into uh quick two guys to wrap us up next one has to do with Kyle schwarber who had a three Homer game on Tuesday Kyle schwarber like every time you check dude he's doing exactly what you ask of him Kyle schwarber hit a buck 97 last year but had 47 homers this year he's hitting 248 with an 853 Ops and he's got 32 homers including those three on Tuesday in Toronto drove in six yes or no question about schwarber is he the microwave player of Major League Baseball we talk microwave Shooters in basketball all the time where guys just get really hot and they dominate a quarter I think schwarber is that guy I think schwarber is not J.R Smith because J.R Smith the joke about him is volume but like there are guys that go unconscious for a minute Klay Thompson is I think the best example where he can put up 30 in a quarter I think that's schwarber where you know obviously June is amazing to him his career in June he might be Ops in 3,000 at this point but um schwarber like it just feels like when he's on he can carry the Philadelphia Phillies which is so cool because he is offensive option number four or five in that lineup and he's been so much more complete this year we talked about it right like where getting him out of the Outfield consistently like how that could just help him be a more consistent amazing he hting 248 yeah dude 371 OBP um and yeah gonna be less Homer this year he's slugging more though 482 slug versus 474 yeah three- win season for a guy that's mostly you know dhing that's that's freaking awesome so no I I do think he's the M microwave guy in major leag I I don't know if I can think of another guy that's more like that um Jorge Matteo has had a couple microwave stretches but it's not consistent enough like in terms of every year right because we've been seeing this for years now with Scher so no I do think he's the the microwave guy like there's just a stretch where like if you leave one and and remotely he's going to murder you it's gone it's absolutely gone yeah I I think um like Randy is another name that jumped to my mind Randy Randy the other one ry's the other one but like for for some reason schwarber's and it's not for some reason like schweber has been a around loger he's just done it many more times than a Ros Arena has at this point too I feel like yeah like yeah Ry is always like a postseason thing for the most part like it's a big moment thing like you know when the microwave is you know when the microwave is being turned on versus like Chris Sale schwarber it's like oh he just got one he might hit three more today yeah aside from June like you there's stretches like right now where yeah it's oh okay he hit two uh okay this might be a crazy month that that's a that's a different level of of of microwave I think yeah last but not least is Chris S it's a simple question he had a shutout start against Colorado at home earlier this week he is now minus 2500 to win the national league sa young according to our friends at bmgm does he have the national league sa young unlock uh according to our friends of bmgm yes uh how about you I yeah yeah I think that thing's a wrap uh I can't believe it man he's gonna throw what 175 180 Innings I think 180 180 Innings you know the last time he's thrown 180 Innings uh I think it's when he was in the Jersey that he he cut up right no he got one in with Boston two that was that seven and a half win season 29 ra with better underlying with Boston and 17 but yeah when he cut up the the 226 and 23s innings in 2016 like he was never able to stay healthy after that for the most part so like I think people are really going out going out of their way to clown the Red Sox for that that trade I I don't think the Red Sox should be clowned I don't think brewell should be clowned like I think he he really wanted you know a clean slate and everything it optically is very tough when CH goes to win the sa young and and Von Grom has just not been available at all this year but the one thing I do want to say is they probably didn't need to pay his whole salary the fact that yeah that the Braves have the Sai Young winner for free essentially this year that might be one of the let's just more focus on anthopolos is this up there and I know it again kind of sounds like a contradiction but I understand why the red did it for a lot of Reason especially with with the type budgets that you got to work with and if I'm taking over that team like why why would I want all my money tied up with a guy that's thrown you know like 50 innings in the last two years and then threw finally threw 100 Innings at a 4-3 ra before I took over I'm brow yeah is that one of the best trades we've seen in a long time from Alex anthopoulos I think so yeah I I don't think there's any question about it 16 and three records suck I know whatever 16 and three yeah but 16 and three like what else would be up there where are the Braves without this man outside looking in no doubt about that so it's it's a wrap right he's got it it's over it's a r i will like could he get racked for four starts and and Wheeler needs to have four scoreless starts to end his year well he's got one down already on yeah Saturday I think so yeah's on Saturday thas yeah I I don't see a world where he relinquishes this and I will also say last thing on sale the hardware will solidify the Hall of Fame case he finished top five and sa young voting six consecutive years yeah I think if he gets one he's he's in beyond that he I think is he the ultimate sa young this year like is he is he the across both leagues no uh I think yeah I know we weren't prepared for this conversation this is one where usually like we want to like sit down and like yeah but like I side with the thing is we may see two pitching Triple Crowns this year in in wins in strikeouts and in erra like it's it's hard because Terk scoble is leading the American League in wins for a team that is one game above 500 I know I know I know I know but you you old head look at the look at the FIP not going to look at FIP because that's what took ber saong away in 21 it is interesting though I I think that conversation like should be a good one at the end of the year because I think it can be decided over the next several starts not that it really matters but it's a fun talking point like the the the MLB sa young winner the overall sa young winner I think could be determined by how these next few starts go between these two guys um and and how much more they're going to let scubba go because if SE does eclipse him on the inning side he's about eight behind seven and two thirds behind yeah it'll be a really interesting conversation 246 ra versus 251 um one more start for scoble uh and and definitely a better pitcher environment but again it's kind of the same bregman conversation like what you want him to go pitch in in Williamsport to prove it to you like what's he supposed to do um but I think that's an interesting one because it also puts in perspective though right like Terk scoel is blossoming before our eyes into one of the game's best pitchers and we're looking at him as okay this is you know one of the next superstars on the mount in the game and Chris H looked like he was on his way out and now he's matching that budding Superstar at 35 years old it's just you love to see that you love it uh Chris S a career 305 ER he's going to hit 2,000 Innings he's about to hit 2400 strikeouts his next timeout he has eight All-Star appearances he has a World Series he has now seven top five sa young finishes and he will have a sa Young Award that's the like 53 career war that sounds like a Hall of Famer to me I think I think a couple more solid seasons and it's a it's it's a no-brainer yeah I am with you like it's I think he's the new Hall of Fame he's the new pitching Hall of Famer that we look at right where it's like I think in the past you know we've always talked about how you have to have these these thresholds these thresholds are impossible now so like I think with s it's it's very possible with a few more Good Seasons but I'm looking at K's like he's still behind some guys like Felix Hernandez AJ Bernett uh Cole hamls so if he can get I think if he gets closer to that 3,000 Mark in in strikeouts I think it's it's it's a no- Brer right like Kershaw's about like 32 away from that which is crazy we should get a graphic going on that soon I think we have one do we so yeah maybe um but yeah I think once you get over like that 2500 Mark you can really see it's almost a shoeing that he's gonna do that obviously and then once you get to like 2700 that's where I think it's it's pretty much a slam dunk like you get to surpass David con David con should honestly be considering there but like that's the one where it's like ah it's so close and you get to Mike meina like that's right where it's at for me so a couple more solid years get the hardware here and doesn't look like he's slowing down right now so you you know you'll love to see it yep that'll do it today uh we'll be back tomorrow you'll be able to wake up and and listen to us on your commute um tomorrow as scheduled but appreciate you guys again go check out the fine work that everybody is doing over at just pall.com get your merch listen to the pods and we'll talk to you tomorrow