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2026 MLB And Phillies Season Preview! (PST Episode 660) · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show, the longest
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world, just about.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: Thirteen years strong.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Got a few more weeks before we celebrate that milestone.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: I'm Jeff Warren here with my buddy Eric Leonard. You're
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: on YouTube right now, better known as Edgecombe bum again.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Oh, how do you change that? He's back? Oh he's back.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, edgecumb staying hurt his but remember, yeah, I
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: remember he had. Yes, been a little while since you've
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: been on the show, buddy, it's yeah, been a few weeks.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: Good to see you.
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: You too, I'm still an official stand Okay, real quick.
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: They played tonight and put up one fifty seven on
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: a dreadful Bulls team. But no defense in that game, No, no,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: a lot of offense.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: Edgecumbe was great. Who knew and be put in be
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: gotten it.
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: Let me look, I mean at the middle of the
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: third quarter he had thirty one to five and six.
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: He looks like a.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Top five player in the league when he's out there anymore.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: He really does. I'm not just saying that like it's
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: it's incredible.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: It's incredible.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: I'll give him this, like a lot of guys as
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: they get older alter their game, yeah, whether it be
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: for injury or age or just the way the game
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: is being played now. The younger players play differently, And
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: like Jordan was really good at that, like you know,
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: turning into a jump shooter earlater in his career, but
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: in Beads seven two two sixty and he had to
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: like on the fly change his game up because he
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: just can't run and jump anymore.
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and he's put up thirty five, six and seven
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: tonight in twenty eight minutes. It's incredible when the son
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: of a bitch is healthy, yeah, and playing top five
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: player in the NBA. He's a top ten player, I'd say,
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: And like, if they could some frigginhow be healthy going
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: to the playoffs, yea, who the hell wants to play
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: that team? I know, like that, it's it's such a
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: weird season. This is not a sixer show. But but
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: I just watched that game tonight and I'm like, and
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: you know, it's opening night, but I was just like,
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: I just can't believe if if if this, I wish
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: I trust the coach enough to be like.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: I see the vision. Man, I know what you're trying
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: to do.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean while I'm like, I think you're just
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: an incompetent fool and you're just trying to so I don't.
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: I'm hoping that's the hope.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: I had a long debate with us some Sixers friends,
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: like is this Nick Nurse's master plan? We all kind
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: of came to the end of it, like, no, just
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: started laughing, He's not that good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: As Eric said, we really don't have much Sixers talk
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: on this show. No Flyers talk, no union talk. We
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna just really quick touch on something Eagles related.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: But this is our Phillies season preview here in twenty
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: twenty six. The season is starting. My goodness, this Phillies team.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: I'm just glad baseball is back on our screens. And yeah,
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: we've had spring training, but tonight opening night of the
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: entire season, which we're gonna talk about a little bit
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: as well. But before we dive into baseball talk, Eric
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: real quick just got to mention, uh, in terms of
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: Eagles talk, it became known today in various media outlets
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: that the NFL and NFL owned are not going to
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: try to ban the tush push for the twenty twenty
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: six season, Our good friend of the show, Brendan Dieg
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: from the Score tweeted out he goes successful tush push attempts.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: In twenty twenty five, the Buffalo Bills were first with
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: twenty four. The Philadelphia Eagles were second with twenty one.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: Now what's interesting is last offseason the Buffalo Bills really
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: really wanted to ban the tush push with them, but
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: then they start using it, start understanding it, and now
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: a whole lot of nothing.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: So we see where the league is going here because
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: of that.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: BS, I'm kind of happy that, like Josh Allen is
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: starting to get this weird reputation to be like a flopper. Yeah,
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: noticed that on social media people are like, this guy's
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: not enough. People are talking about this that the NFL
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: Superstars kind of a piss baby.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: It has to fall over it. I disagree.
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: I wish, yeah exactly, but you know, Maholmes has the rings.
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: But yeah, it's kind of funny me that that that
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: narrative is happening. And meanwhile they're the top tush push
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: team now I know, and quite fey they should do
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: it the most. He said, he's a monster. He's probably
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: the biggest quarterback in the league.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: So yep, yeah, all right, Well, we just wanted to
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: throw that out there before we got into some baseball talk.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: And we're going to get into first our Major League
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Baseball predictions in terms of MLB Division winners, wild Card winners,
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: who's going to go to the NLCS, who's gonna go
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: to the ALCS, the World Series, who's gonna win it all?
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: And then we got a bunch of topics that we're
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: going to get into in terms of our Phillies predictions
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: and storylines as well. Well, we're throwing down on the
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: table this week. We've got our good friend John stall
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: on this from the Hit and Season podcast and the
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: Goodfight dot com. He's gonna be joining us for some
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Phillies talk towards the end of the show. Great great
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: conversation with John, as always so Eric Man. Netflix debuted tonight.
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: It was interesting to watch. Look, I wasn't a big
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: fan of the little score bug that was on the bottom.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: I know we were talking about it before we hit
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: the record button.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: You didn't mind it too much.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: I thought it was just way too condensed for just
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: my taste. And maybe I'm just becoming an old man.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: Probably am at this point, like what happened to the
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: old one?
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: But that's different.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's different. What's Netflix doing. I didn't think it
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: was all that great. You didn't mind it, but I
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: know you also had some other things with the broadcast
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: that you wanted to get into real quick.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: Before the game.
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: Were you up on your roof playing with your antenna?
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: I was to get Netflix in properly. Well, it was
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: a coat hanger. This damn thing better work, Michelle, give
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: me another coat hanger.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: Did you get me some tinfoil? Honey?
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: No, it's it's actually been a pretty good broadcast, regardless
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: of what your your inane takes on the on the
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: little bug, the sport bug thing. I don't mind it,
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: because you know I was telling you for the for
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: the for the show, like the NBA. It's sometimes is
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: like the whole goddamn thing on the bottom of the screen.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Take it takes up like a third.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: Of the screen, the whole lower third is unbelievable.
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Like there's times where I think I told you,
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: I was like, was that a three or two?
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: I can't tell.
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: The guy's feet are behind the team's name on the chiron.
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: It's just yeah, but no, it's it's actually been a
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: pretty good broadcast, Like Hunter Pence in Sabbathia are the
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: color commentators there's it is kind of fun to watch
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: because there's a lot of nervous laughter, like way too
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: much of it, yeah, because it's their first time, like
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: the main announcers. Like he was talking to Jazz Chisholm.
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: He's like, what's it like pitching behind Max Freed And
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: he's like, it's a lot better than in facing him
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: and Sabbathian pents.
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: It was like Chris Rock in ninety six stand up specially,
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: I can't believe me said that.
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: Folks like all right, like by hopefully by week four
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: they have to camp down a little bit, like you
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: don't have to react like that to every dumb joke.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: But overall good and and you know, this is the
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: first season where the NBA was like all over the
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: place too. And there were like two Sixers games where
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: I'm like, where are the heck goddamn hell is this
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: Sixers game?
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: I can't find it? Yeah I know, I know, and
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: it was on Prime and I'm like, okay, got it.
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: But and it was annoying at first, but like I
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: heard this on another podcast it was a good thought
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: and I kind of agree with it.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: It's like MLB is trying to They're at a good
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: place right now.
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: The World Baseball Classic was really really injected some enthusiasm
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: I think going into this season. Tons of MLB players
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: in that thing, and no matter, no matter what, the
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: lens of the world enjoyed, the throwing of the bats
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: after a home run are freaking awesome. You're your your
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: sport is a little boring, like the ABS or the
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: replay thing is good. Like there's just a lot of
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: good good will right now. Towards the game, hell Manford
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: was on the broadcast and they actually made him seem
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: like a human.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: It was too bad robot, I know.
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: But what I do like about that it's on Netflix,
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: and I forget, well all the places is going to
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: be like I think these different streamers are going to
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: have their own special nights, and therefore they're going to
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: make it like special when they have their night. So
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: like a Yankees Giant scheme, which I don't know if
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: I would watch for the most part, I might tune
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: in now on a Wednesday, because like it's going to
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: be their their main broadcast for the week. They're going
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: to have their top notch guys, they're going to have
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: people coming in and out of the booth. They're gonna
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: have two good teams. They're not going to put two
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: crap teams in that primetime spot or whatever. So this
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: might actually help baseball with the additional streamer stuff. But again,
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: I think you're going to have a lot of people
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: at first for the first month or two trying to
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: figure out the ABS thing like and also like trying
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: to figure out where the hell the game is. Well,
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: especially the traditional folks, they're gonna be like, what's going
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: on here?
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: I want to watch it on I want to watch
• 10:13
  Speaker 4: it on NBC. They're the ones up on the roof
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: with the antennae exactly trying it. But yeah, I think overall,
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: like I kind of like it.
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: It's a good step forward for the league, which might
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: have a work stoppage after the season.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Have very good possibility, very good chance.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't even want to think of that, because dude,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: like I get to a point where I cannot wait
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: for the season to start. I can't wait for spring training.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: I mean even when pitchers and catchers report, it's like
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: whoh oh, I know it's getting ready to start, and
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: then you've have got the first few spring training games
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: and you're like, my gosh, this is great to watch
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: just to have it on in the background, just just
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: the ambient sounds of baseball, and oh, it's so great.
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: Well, especially for the show itself, because like, say, next year,
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: you know there's a workstop and say like the Flyers
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: are five hundred and the Sixers are like five hundred,
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: and it's just really not that fun to watch or
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: talk about if there's no baseball.
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: I mean, we're gonna union.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Just well, well we got to dive into razzle dazzle.
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: Come on, folks, Razzle dazzle.
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: It's gonna we're gonna be doing like our top three
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: list this week. It's like, I mean, folks, we like
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: doing the top threes. But typically if there's a top three,
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: it's like there's not a kind.
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: Of there's not much going on. Bone dry, bone dry.
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: Yes, I was listening to some of that today, were
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: you really Yeah, it's old Owen air.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: I've got to coming on my my Instagram feed. I've
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: got like old O and a clips mainly with yeah
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: Norton on that account. Now, Yes, Norton Jesse Ventura. Oh,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: oh my god, I remember that one. Yeah, Ventura went adam.
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: Yes, but if you start to listen to Ventura lately
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: a little bit right about some stuff.
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: Get out the time oil hats, folks. He made some
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: good points.
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: Yes, all right, all right, talk about that now. Yeah,
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: let's see. Yeah.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: Actually, we're gonna take a quick break here, folks. We're
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: gonna take quick break when we get back. We're gonna
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: get into some Major League Baseball predictions and Phillies predictions
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: and mate, I can't do it. I know, Philly, our
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: Philly season preview. We're gonna get to it in just
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: a bit. Stick with us, we'll be We'll be right
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: back here. All right, we are back here.
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna laugh. Fifty this year, oh man, Yeah.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Gonna be thirty nine in a few months. No, we're
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: recording the show.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: We're still I know, I know, but this is our
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: hangout for the week. It is really is. I mean,
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of inside stuff right now. We're not
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: really talking about it. Yeah, want to explain, but yes,
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: that and there's there is so much.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: There's more I gotta tell you outside of the realm
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: of the show.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: So does you have to do with a certain person
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: people people. Okay, all right, there's one particular woman we
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: like to talk about. Yes, obviously she's on the list.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Oh my god.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: All right, let's get some league all right, dazl folks,
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: Major League Baseball predictions here, Let's go through our division winners,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: wild card winners, NLCS A l CS teams, and who
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: we think is going to win the World Series. Well,
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: who's gonna get to the World Series and win? So
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: let's eric let's start off with the AL start with
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: the American League East. I believe it's gonna be the
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Toronto Blue Jays. I mean, they were my gosh, so
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: close to capturing a World Series title last year. I
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: think they got a great chance again to win the
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: AL East. That that's who I'm picking. Who do you
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: have for the AL East?
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: I really like the Red Sox, Honestly, I just think
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: they have a better combination of pitching an offense. I
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: think some of the young guys are really gonna just
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: be monsters. They got the kid Early, who's the rookie pitcher.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: He pitched a little bit last year. I think he's
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: gonna be really good. Right behind Cruchetied Rangers Worez it's
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: gonna be their third or fourth pitcher, which is just
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: insane pitching depth. I think Roman Anthony is gonna make
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: a gigantic leap and be like a potential AL MVP candidate.
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: So I just think they have everything. I think the
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: Blue Jays lost a little too much. I think the
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: Yankees or the Yankees will be right in the mix
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: the whole time. I think the whole division is going
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: to be a I mean, the Orioles even well, like
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: really good we got.
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: I may be talking about the Red Sox too, and
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: some other individuals, some other teams in that division as well, but.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: I just like their team from top to bottom overall.
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: I just think they're gonna but it's gonna be like
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: a I think they'll win by like one game.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: It's not like a runaway.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: I got you, I feel you, all right? What about
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: the AL Central? For me, I am going to be
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: picking the Tigers here. I think that I think it
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: just to think of that division. Their offense is largely
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: unchanged from last season, but there's you know, one name.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: I think that folks are gonna be honing in on
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: Kevin uh mc mcgoill. McGonagall mc McGonagall, that's my buddy.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: That's his last name.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: But yeah, I guess yeah it is. It's just weird.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: I've got a really good friend named Ken McGonagall. Anyway,
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: number two prospect.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: Huh, yes, I have him in two fantasy leagues, better.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Number two prospect in Major League Baseball. So I I
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: think I think they're gonna be a damn good team.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Tigers are gonna win the AL Central. Who do you
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: have the Tigers even close? Yeah, I think the.
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: Royals will be right there with them because the solid
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: pitching and like offense up and down the lineup. I
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: think I think that Caglion kid is gonna make a
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: leap ye after rookie season. They just have I mean,
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: they have Bobby Witt, who might be the best player
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: in baseball. It's side Tawani. But I think even the
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: Guardians are gonna be really damn good. But I think
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: the Tigers are just too strong in that division and
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: with scooball Is, just having that as your ace once
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: every five days is absurd.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Ye, absolutely, all right, Al West. For me, it's gonna
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: be the Mariners, Yes, you know, the Mariners of the
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: Al Al team that I have been for years and years.
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: I just tend to root for kind of behind the scenes.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: I've always been a Ken Griffy junior fan that growing up.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: That's the reason why I always, you know, have rooted
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: for the Mariners, and I think they I think it's
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: finally Seattle's time here. I mean, there were nine outs
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: away from their first pennant last season before everything went
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: to crap and that ALCS Game seven against the Blue Jays.
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: But I think this is probably the best roster that
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: they have fielded since there their record setting two thousand
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: and one team which won one hundred and sixteen games.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: So I'm going with the Seattle Mariners here.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: Who do you have.
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: The Mariners by by far, I think they're so stacked.
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: Even if cal Raley has a come down season from
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: last year, which he's almost he almost has to Wright
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: because he was just the monster, it's their starting pitching
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: and their bullpen that is just sick. I mean, Brian Wu, Kirby,
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: Logan Gilbert your top three, Luis Castile your fourth, and
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: then you got you know, you got Munyo's closing on
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: top of that ridiculous offense. Yeah, and I think the
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: the NL West is just kind of a weaker league.
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: I think the A's are a year or two away
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: because they're really young.
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: They don't even have a home this year, I know.
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: I think the Astros will take a step back, still
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: be really good, but I think the Mariners are gonna
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: I think they're gonna be the team, like they're gonna
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: be in the running.
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: For like the most wins in baseball.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: All right, well that actually, let's do the AL wild
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: cards right now. And you mentioned the Red Sox. I
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: think they're gonna get wild card. I think the Yankees
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: are gonna be a wildcard team, and honestly, I think
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: the Baltimore Orioles are also going to be wildcard teams.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: So that's I don't know. Do you have any uh,
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: do you have any similar right there?
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I got Yankees, Blue Jays, and Royals.
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: Okay, Okay, I think I just I think the Orioles
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: starting pitching is still a little shaky.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: They made some moves, but just from top to bottom,
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: and some of the young guys just haven't jumped up
• 18:43
  Speaker 3: and like made the leap either, Like Jackson Holliday their
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: second basement. He was with their top prospect after Gunn
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: Hunterson got called up and just quite hasn't hasn't done quite,
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: hasn't made it. Yeah, and I think there's a little
• 18:56
  Speaker 3: bit of friction there too. You've heard in the spring training,
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: like was it Dean Creamers, I forget who was for
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: the Oriols. The pitcher threw right at him on purpose, Yeah,
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: kind of teach him a lesson, broke his hand. Yeah,
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: Like he's he's out for the beginning of the year.
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: It's like that's not good because you're starting second basement.
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: He's around, not messing around.
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: No, he sounds like one of those uh throw your
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: bat went home run, I'm going to kill you guys,
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: Like yes, Like I don't know what Jackson Holliday did,
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: but like I just think they're a little weak at
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: starting pitching, including the guy that broke Holliday's hands.
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: So, I but I think it'd be right there.
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: The pee Alonzo pickup was sick. I think he's gotta
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: have a monster here for them. He's kind of exactly
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: what they needed.
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: So well, let's just say should we do now?
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: Well, we'll wait and do the NLCS and and ALCS
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: after we get done with the division winners. Let's head
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: to the National League. Now, NL least, what do you
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: what what, I'll let you start. What do you think
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: with the NL least.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna go to the Mets? Are you going to
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: go to the Mets? Okay? Yeah, yeah, I think it's
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: going to be close. I don't think they're not going
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: to run away with it.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: I think Mets fields are going to be head to
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: head the whole year in the NL East. I just
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: think the starting pitching and some of the prospects they
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: have got James Tong waiting down to the minors. Nolan
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: McLain is the lead on the team now. I think
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: he's got a great year. Freddie Perlta they brought in.
• 20:20
  Speaker 3: I just think they're starting pitching is going to be really,
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: really damn good. And just having the luxury of having
• 20:26
  Speaker 3: a Bobashett, you know, at their shortstop spot. It was
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: almost like when the Phillies signed Trey Turner, You're like,
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: we have real mood to Harper, like we need Turner.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: It's like, well, yeah, we obviously do.
• 20:36
  Speaker 3: Now by the time, it was like you spend that
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: much money on a guy, like do we really need this?
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: But yeah, I'll take it. If I was a Mets fan,
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: be like, I'll take it. I'm down with that. That's fine.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: I totally feel where're coming from with this when I
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: make my prediction here, which I which I'm going with
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: the Phillies, And honestly, it's not from a Homer perspective.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: It's just because I think the Phillies bullpen is so
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: much better. I think this bullpen is gonna be pretty
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: freaking amazing to watch throughout the season, and we're gonna
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: get to it with John Staliness, We're gonna be really
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: diving into the bullpen with him. It's gonna be really
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: fun to watch. And the fact that Johann Duran is
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: that that solid guy who we've just been waiting for
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: time and time again. I just don't think. I just
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: don't think the Mets have the depth within the bullpen
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: like the Phillies do.
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: And I think that's gonna be the difference. I absolutely
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: agree with that.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: If there's one death knell for them, it's if their
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: bullpen implodes.
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: I mean they let they let it just walk. Basically.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: That tells you what you need to know about happened
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: to their bullpen last year. Do we trust Devin Williams
• 21:40
  Speaker 3: as their closer all year long, Like he's no Duran
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: and and I couldn't really tell you much of their
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: setup pitchers. I just think I think you're right. The
• 21:50
  Speaker 3: Phillies have a better bullpen by far. I just think
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: the Mets are so stacked lineup wise and starting pitching
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: that they're just they'll they'll win like nineties five as
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: opposed to like the Phillies ninety whatever number. I'm gonna
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: predict them, but like, yeah, I just think they're just
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: a tad better in the Phillies.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: Okay, let's head to the NL Central. Who do you
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: have here?
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: The Cubs. I think they're stacked. That's who I have too, dude.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: They I mean, I think they're re establishing themselves as
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: legitimate contenders in this division. I mean, they snapped a
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: four year playoff drought and winning the franchise's first postseason
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: series since twenty seventeen.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: They have to.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Dethrone the Brewers, of course, who have won three consecutive
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: and L Central titles. I think this is the year
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: that they do it. They like you said, they're stacked.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: I think they're gonna have I think they're just gonna
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: have a lot of consistent momentum throughout the season. So yeah,
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: NL Central, I'm going with the Cubs.
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: I just think there's gonna be like two teams that
• 22:49
  Speaker 3: were in the in the championship, the championship games last
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: year that are gonna have come down years. I think
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: the Brewers and Blue Jays are the two. But I
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: still think they're gonna have awesome years. They just don't
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: think they're going to be as successful they were last year.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: The Cubs.
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: Again, I mean, this is not stellar analysis here, John Stillness,
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: this is his department, So when we're done with this
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: crap analysis, stay tuned for his interview. But again it
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: goes back to the just the combination of pitching in
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: the lineup, Like the Cubs are just stacked top to
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: bottom again in both in both spots.
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: But I do think the Reds are going to be
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: dangerous this year.
• 23:28
  Speaker 3: I think they have a lot of good starting pitching finally,
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: and the offense is going to be better than it
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: was last year. And I I'll get into another team
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: later I get to the wild card.
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: Okay, sounds good.
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: Let's let's look NL West Dodgers. Do we really have
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: to dive into it that much. No, Okay, here's the thing.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: Though they didn't win to last year.
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: That is true.
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: I just just even after this off season, I don't know,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: I just can't see them not win division.
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: For god.
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: And again, it's just they got even the young starting
• 24:04
  Speaker 3: like Emmett Shean is probably their number five starter, and
• 24:08
  Speaker 3: it's like, that's ridiculous. They they can They still have Snell,
• 24:13
  Speaker 3: and they have a full year of Yamamoto who just
• 24:16
  Speaker 3: mowed the dudes down, and the entire playoffs including the Phillies. Yea,
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: even though rookie Sazaki didn't hasn't really turned the corn
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: he's so young. But just having just having a Tani
• 24:27
  Speaker 3: Yamamoto and just that pitching Tyler Glass now of course
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: had a break. The Dodgers pick up guys you know
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: like Glass now, and just they just fucking dominic. I
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: hate the Dodgers. I'm starting like, really, you know, dislike
• 24:39
  Speaker 3: that whole I mean, the Kyle Tucker signing was again
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: one of.
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: Those like did you really have to It's.
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: Exactly exactly yep. Well, who are your wild cards here?
• 24:50
  Speaker 3: I'm thinking you're thinking probably the Phillies, right, yep?
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: Yep?
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: I think Phillies, Brewers, Padres, I've got I've got Mets Padres, Brewers, Yeah, okay, yeah,
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: But I think the Pirates are going to be right there.
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: I think like they have not had the Pirates like
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: every six to eight years have like whoa, they won
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: eighty eight games.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: Holy crap, like like when I don't know if I'm
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: as confident as that. I don't know. I'm not confident.
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: I'm just saying like I think by like you know,
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: beginning September, people are going to be like, are the Pirates.
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: Three games out of the Wildcard? Yeah? What Skeens is
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: like eighteen and three and has it? You know what
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: I mean? Then like yeah, Bubba Bubba Chandler is having
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: a good year.
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: Like so they have two really good pictures. They bring
• 25:37
  Speaker 3: up the Connor Griffin kid. Beyond that, like maybe O'Neil
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: Cruz has a bounce back year. They have a really
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: solid closer in uh Daniel I forget his name now.
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: But I just think they have some pieces there, and
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: you know, say the Reds, you know, some of their.
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: Players are already hurt.
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: Like I think the Pirates could be right there, and
• 25:55
  Speaker 3: I think Skeens is so goddamn good. Yeah, if they
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: could just eke some runs out and like maybe one
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: or two of the young guys comes up and like
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: just pops off.
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: Because did you see Connor Griffin in spring training?
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: Yeah, my gud, Like like he's a top prospect for
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: a while in a long time in my opinion, and
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: like not one where you're like, I don't know if
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: he's gonna make I think he is like rock solid.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: He is going to be a star. Okay.
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: So he's like almost like Roman Anthony level prospects. So
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: I think they're gonna be right there and they'll probably
• 26:25
  Speaker 3: win sixty games.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: All right, yeah, exactly, yeah, exactly. All right, Well let's
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: talk about al alcs what do we think? And nlcs?
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: Why don't we start with the A l c s here?
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: What do you What are your thoughts on two teams
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: that we're gonna see in the Champion Championship Series.
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: I think Marin is red SOX. Oh my god, that's
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: what I'm gonna be. That's mine too, that's mine too, Okay, yep.
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: And I think that's.
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: Gonna be a series I'm gonna watch every inning of Yeah,
• 26:54
  Speaker 3: that that's gonna be fun. Baseball because I'm bad because
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: I put teams yes, yeah, and I pretty Red Sox
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: to be a wild card team, and I think that
• 27:02
  Speaker 3: wildcard team, one of the wildcard team.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: Is definitely going to get to the ALCS.
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 27:07
  Speaker 3: I haven't looked at the I haven't looked at the
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: history of it, but I feel like a wildcard team
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: has made the Championship Series at least once every year
• 27:14
  Speaker 3: the past. However many years I think Dodgers did last year,
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: I don't know. I I when the season's end, it's
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: so packed, packed, so tight that those teams could have
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: won their division anyway. But I I really hope that
• 27:28
  Speaker 3: is the matchup because that'd be funny.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: That's that's two really fun, exciting teams.
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: And I'll be cheering for the Mariners hardcore because fuck
• 27:38
  Speaker 3: the Red Sox.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: Yes exactly. What about what about the NLCS? What are
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: your thoughts here?
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: Dodgers Mets?
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Do you man, you really think the Mets are going
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: to do it? You think they're going to actually get
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: to the Championship Series?
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I just.
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: I thought that Freddy Peraltas signing, yeah, bringing a trade whatever,
• 27:57
  Speaker 3: I forget what it was, but like I just thought
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: that was huge, huge for the Mets. That's the exact
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: kind of guy they needed. And if Noel McClain makes
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: that turn into like a really damn good number two
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: with Soto and the whole lineup, it's just I just
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: think they're and and and if the bullpen does implode,
• 28:18
  Speaker 3: they have enough money and like in prospects to like
• 28:22
  Speaker 3: make a move. So I don't know, I don't want
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: it to happen, but we'll talk about the Phillies then
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: for the second half of the show.
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: Ye yep. I I don't know.
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: I just think the Mets are a little bit better
• 28:33
  Speaker 3: and I think we're gonna have a horrible NLDS letdown.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: Man, Okay, all right, all all I was in terms
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: of thinking about this. For me, I know what my
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: con I know what common sense is telling me that
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: the prediction should be. But there there is a matchup
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: that I want, and it's actually the Cubs and the Phillies.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: Like that's what I want. It would be it would
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: be so much fun. Well the two fans. Yes, yes,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: but I have a feeling I'm I'm going Homer on
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: this one. Phillies Dodgers. That's what I'm doing.
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: Okay, all right, I hope so I'm not you know,
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: I want that.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: Yes, well we'll see during our phillies, uh, phillies. Yes,
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: I've been hurt, Jeff, I know we've all been hurt.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: The rug pulled out from under us.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: And just we're injured in the face, yes, left at
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: the altar.
• 29:28
  Speaker 3: Yes, just fart in our faces. All right, So who's
• 29:36
  Speaker 3: gonna who's going to the World Series?
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: Here? Who's going to the World Series? Do you think
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: just pissing in the wind? Yeah?
• 29:42
  Speaker 3: Okay, uh, let's let's get uh. I mean half of
• 29:46
  Speaker 3: this is fun. Dodgers Mariners is gonna be the World Series.
• 29:50
  Speaker 3: I think that's where I'm going. Dodgers Mariners. And no,
• 29:56
  Speaker 3: I'm going Mariners. Okay, I'm going Mariners because you know what,
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: I'm fucking tired of the Dodgers and I want their
• 30:02
  Speaker 3: fucking souls on the ground just being stomped on.
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: And then that's it. I am too.
• 30:08
  Speaker 3: But it's just like they're so goddamn stacked and so
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: good and like that's a team. Like if they just
• 30:14
  Speaker 3: get a little bit hot at the end, yeah, there's them, Yeah,
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: because they're so fucking good. Yep, yep, now the Mariners
• 30:20
  Speaker 3: are stacked too, but not like the Dodgers. This is
• 30:22
  Speaker 3: an all time roster, like all time. I don't care
• 30:25
  Speaker 3: what what about the ninety.
• 30:28
  Speaker 2: Okay, they were good. This is an all time roster.
• 30:32
  Speaker 2: There's no way around it. Yep.
• 30:33
  Speaker 3: I mean that they got Andy Pages in the back
• 30:36
  Speaker 3: in the outfield, he might hit three hundred this year
• 30:38
  Speaker 3: and hit twenty five, and he's like, he's like batting
• 30:41
  Speaker 3: what third, like like like seventh for them, he's like
• 30:45
  Speaker 3: not even not even a stud yet again, they're just
• 30:48
  Speaker 3: and then the the starting pitching is absolutely sick. So
• 30:52
  Speaker 3: I I hate it.
• 30:54
  Speaker 2: It's boring for the Mariners, but I just think it's
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: gonna be the Dodgers. All right.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: Well, hey, folks, we want to know what you're thinking
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: out there in YouTube land. Leave us a comment below,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: let us know your predictions for this season. Let us
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: know if you think any of our predictions Stink'd love
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: to hear from you. And with that being said, we're
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: gonna take a break and when we get back, got
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: a lot of Phillies talk. Are Phillies predictions coming your way?
• 31:21
  Speaker 2: All right?
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: We are back. Eric's intently watching the TV right there.
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: I mean what do I It's it's the post game
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: on the on the Oh.
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: Wow, you gotta see. You got to see how they're
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: doing it differently on Netflix.
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: Well, I just want to I'm trying to figure out
• 31:37
  Speaker 3: who the fourth person is at the desk. Oh okay,
• 31:40
  Speaker 3: because currently Barry Bonds and Albert Poohols are having a
• 31:43
  Speaker 3: massive head off, two gigantic.
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: Noggins whose noggins are bigger than the other.
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: Yes, oh it's the other guy's just a skinny white guy.
• 31:55
  Speaker 3: So they just they're barely showing him because it's like,
• 31:59
  Speaker 3: you know, centrica force of the heads of pools and
• 32:04
  Speaker 3: Bond pools heads actually bigger than Bond.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: So I'm assuming Bond stuck with the nonsense. Probably yes, probably.
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: All right, let's get into some Phillies talk here in
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: Phillies season predictions as well, But first and foremost, this
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: past week, the Philadelphia Phillies did something I don't think
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: too many of us were thinking they would do or
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: were planning on. Hearing the news that starting pitcher Christopher
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: Sanchez one of baseball's best pitchers, It's gonna be here
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: for years and years to come, he signed a new
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: six year contract extension guaranteeing him one hundred and seven
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: million dollars through two thousand and thirty two, with a
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: two thousand and thirty three club option worth thirty two
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: point five million dollars and that could actually go up
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: to forty four point five million dollars. And essentially, I
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: mean it was a club friendly type of contract that
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: he initially had. It was a four year to twenty
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: two point five million dollar ex engine but maintaining the
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: salaries now and through the deal through two thousand and thirty.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's incredible how the Phillies ended up doing this.
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: I can't believe this front office. I mean, Christopher Sanchez
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: is going to be making I believe three million dollars
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: this year from what I read next year five million,
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: six million somewhere around there for Christopher Sanchez, possible Cy
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: Young Winner.
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: Like that's crazy.
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: I mean, he should probably be making at this point
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: like thirty five million a year. But man, I'm I
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: was so happy to see this and the fact that
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: he is going to be around for quite some time,
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: most likely two thousand and thirty two. Man, it's gonna
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: what a deal this is.
• 33:42
  Speaker 3: I mean, it goes three and a half seven, ten, fifteen, sixteen,
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: twenty eight, and twenty eight, okay, and then a club
• 33:49
  Speaker 3: option at age thirty six for ten mils so they
• 33:52
  Speaker 3: could just just let it go. At that point, I
• 33:55
  Speaker 3: gotta give it to DOBRASKI. It's a sick contract. Yeah,
• 33:59
  Speaker 3: I mean, Scooble can't get paid. He's probably the best
• 34:04
  Speaker 3: picture in baseball. And then somehow we how they're paying
• 34:09
  Speaker 3: pictures is I'm not following anymore. Yeah, do you look
• 34:13
  Speaker 3: at it, Christopher Sanchez is I think is our best picture.
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: I think we at this point he's making less than.
• 34:20
  Speaker 3: Nola Wheeler and Lozardo And I'm sorry, Phillies Land, I'm
• 34:26
  Speaker 3: still skeptical.
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: And Lozardo I liked the contract.
• 34:30
  Speaker 3: I mean, if it wasn't a ton of money, but
• 34:32
  Speaker 3: just a year and a half ago, he was a
• 34:34
  Speaker 3: Mariner's castaway.
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 34:36
  Speaker 3: And you know, and I honestly, and I think people forget,
• 34:40
  Speaker 3: like the first two months of the year he was
• 34:41
  Speaker 3: not great. I think if some of the Phillies fans
• 34:43
  Speaker 3: were like, well, this was a waste of time.
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 34:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah, And we ended up a huge contract. You had
• 34:48
  Speaker 3: to give some money, some of the money because you
• 34:50
  Speaker 3: let Suarez Walk. I think they let Suarez Walking kept
• 34:53
  Speaker 3: Wizarto because of the health thing. But to get Sanchez
• 34:57
  Speaker 3: then I'm just trying to say, like I was really
• 35:00
  Speaker 3: that Lozardo contract is like, oh god, yeah, I like
• 35:02
  Speaker 3: and then you get the Sanchez for so little money
• 35:07
  Speaker 3: and he could win it. I mean, if Paul Skenes
• 35:09
  Speaker 3: wasn't in the National League, he probably wins the cy
• 35:11
  Speaker 3: Young Yeah, and you got him for what you did.
• 35:14
  Speaker 3: It's like, Okay, That's how you spend smart money.
• 35:17
  Speaker 2: You know. I'd rather have that.
• 35:19
  Speaker 3: Extension, those two extensions than getting bashetted for like three
• 35:22
  Speaker 3: hundred six millions.
• 35:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 35:23
  Speaker 3: Absolutely got to give it to Dom Barowski in the
• 35:25
  Speaker 3: front office for getting this done.
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: All right, Well let's get into our Phillies season predictions here.
• 35:32
  Speaker 2: But first off, in in case you.
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: Weren't aware of what the actual opening day roster is
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: going to be for this Phillies team, going to go
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: through it really quick. Pitching staff Jose Alvarado, Kyle Bachis,
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bolan, Johann Duran, brad Keller, Jesus Lozardo,
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: Tim Masa, Aaron Nola, Andrew Paynter, Zach Popp, Christopher Sanchez
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: and Taiwan Walker. The Phillies infielder are going to consist
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: of Alec Baum, Bryce Harper, Dylan Moore, Edmundo Sosa, Bryce
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: and Stott, Trey Turner. And the outfielders only four outfielders here.
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: I can't wait to see what Justin Crawford's gonna do
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: this year. Justin Crawford A Doulas, Garcia, Auto Camp and
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: Brandon Marsh two catchers on the roster after they let
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: Garrett Stubbs go, jt Real Muto and Raphael Marshawn and
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: designated hitter of course, Kyle Schwarber. So opening day roster
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: is there. Just wanted to give that quick overview to everyone.
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: That being said, Eric, which player are you most concerned
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: about this season? Because like on paper, I view this
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: roster to be pretty stacked from a pitching standpoint. I
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: do think they're pretty stacked from a batting standpoint as well.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: Last year, I think they were ranked eighth in terms
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: of their hitting in Major League Baseball. I mean in
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: terms of individuals that I'm actually would say concerned with,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: I mean I would say Bryson Stott, John Stalins, and
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: I are going to get into Stott a little bit
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: more and even Alec Bohm. Lenn and I talked about
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: them extensively last week as well. But Bryson Stott at
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: this point, I think, you know, this is the opportunity
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: for him. He's in his prime, and if he's not
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: able to show consistent batting this year, I mean, he's
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: not gonna be on the team next year. I don't
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: believe so he He's like the one guy that I'm
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: really concerned about this this upcoming season. Who's that player
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: for you?
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: But can we just go through it?
• 37:31
  Speaker 3: I think the like one through nine is going to
• 37:34
  Speaker 3: be the batting Oh yeah, opening yeah, quick. Everything I'm
• 37:38
  Speaker 3: reading it looks like it's gonna be Turner, Schwarber, Harper, Bohm. Yes,
• 37:42
  Speaker 3: not Garcia, marsh Rel, moodto in Crawford.
• 37:44
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: I like putting Crawford kid at the bottom of the
• 37:47
  Speaker 3: lineup until he get wet. From what I saw in
• 37:51
  Speaker 3: spring training, like, I think he's kind of have a
• 37:53
  Speaker 3: hard time making contact at first. He's got a big swing,
• 37:57
  Speaker 3: kind of a hole in the swing a little bit. Yeah,
• 38:00
  Speaker 3: But holy shit, when he gets ahold of it and
• 38:02
  Speaker 3: gets on the bases, he is so fast like his
• 38:05
  Speaker 3: old man. I think he's going to be an interesting
• 38:07
  Speaker 3: one and maybe add some like it's kind of nice
• 38:12
  Speaker 3: to have like stolen base, stolen bases coming from your
• 38:15
  Speaker 3: one in your nine spot and then having your having
• 38:18
  Speaker 3: Schober come up, and maybe that's the idea of putting
• 38:20
  Speaker 3: Shoreber second, get those guys on base. Shoreber knocks him in,
• 38:23
  Speaker 3: but I kind of like that if that's what the
• 38:26
  Speaker 3: one through nine is.
• 38:27
  Speaker 2: Going to be. At first, my most concerned Alec Bohmer
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: in clean up, not even close.
• 38:35
  Speaker 3: It's Alec Boum just overall. Yeah, I don't know where
• 38:38
  Speaker 3: his head's at. It's it has it has It has
• 38:42
  Speaker 3: all to do with uh concentrated rumors. You know, if
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: if if Castianos wasn't on the team last year, Bomb
• 38:50
  Speaker 3: was probably like the guy I was going to get
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: the most ship from the press, from fans, like he
• 38:55
  Speaker 3: had had a pretty dreadful year in my opinion, and
• 38:59
  Speaker 3: I think I think old Cassy took pressure off of him.
• 39:03
  Speaker 3: If he's in the if he's he's your everyday third baseman,
• 39:06
  Speaker 3: he's gonna be your cleanup hitter. If he comes out
• 39:10
  Speaker 3: that in two ten an obp of like three hundred
• 39:13
  Speaker 3: and things are just going south. Fact, I could see him,
• 39:17
  Speaker 3: you know, he's he's the one that you know it
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: was out of love. He was the one that was
• 39:21
  Speaker 3: you remember if he was on the field the one
• 39:22
  Speaker 3: time he was like, I hate this fucking but that
• 39:25
  Speaker 3: he might yeah, he might say it for real this year. Yeah,
• 39:29
  Speaker 3: I just I don't think they put him in a
• 39:32
  Speaker 3: great spot. But considering their options, yeah, I guess you
• 39:36
  Speaker 3: put him at four. Maybe you swap him and Garcia
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: out if Garcia starts to show power in the season.
• 39:40
  Speaker 2: But I don't know, dude, I I gotta tell you.
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: I mean, Lennon and I talked about it last week,
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: and you know me, I have always been this Alec
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: Bohm fan. I think because he came up through the
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: farm system, and how many fucking years have we been
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: saying we just want talent being developed through the farm system.
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: And he really was I mean outside of Aaron Nola,
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: but he really was that one guy that we can
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: point to to say, you know what, I think this
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: is where the farm system is turning the corner at
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: least in terms of getting productivity and actually having a
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: guy develop year after year after year. His defense was putrid.
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: What four or five years ago, it was horrendous, and
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: now he's like a pretty darn good defensive player in
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: the league.
• 40:22
  Speaker 2: Now. I say that, and I will.
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: Always defend Alec Bohm, I think because I again think
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: he was that turning point for the Phillies farm system,
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: which is something we've been clamoring for. And now the
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: Phillies farm systems got you know, Andrew Paynter coming up,
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: justin Crawford. Who knows what those guys are gonna do,
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: But there's that hope that's there. And I think that
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: hope kind of is there because of Alec Bowm in
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: my opinion.
• 40:48
  Speaker 3: Well, here's okay, So like we've always talked about the
• 40:50
  Speaker 3: prospect thing and like you know, the Dodgers bring up
• 40:54
  Speaker 3: a guy for relief pitching and he throws one hundred
• 40:57
  Speaker 3: and ten and you're just like, where is our guy?
• 41:00
  Speaker 2: Like this?
• 41:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with the Phillies farm system. But I think
• 41:05
  Speaker 3: something we don't talk about enough is like the guys
• 41:09
  Speaker 3: that come up and they're the prospects that are pretty good,
• 41:12
  Speaker 3: and then a team like the Phillies had, you have
• 41:14
  Speaker 3: your you have your boomers who make all the money. Yeah,
• 41:18
  Speaker 3: here they're older in their thirties, and you got the
• 41:20
  Speaker 3: super young guys. But the middle ground, you know is
• 41:24
  Speaker 3: at this point, I guess homegrown is Bomb and Stott,
• 41:28
  Speaker 3: right yep.
• 41:29
  Speaker 2: And that's where they just don't develop guys.
• 41:33
  Speaker 3: You know, like Bomb had about a good two seasons,
• 41:36
  Speaker 3: Scott had probably two good seasons so far. Came up
• 41:40
  Speaker 3: and played really well, and then like it's it's it's
• 41:42
  Speaker 3: your middle it's your like your your your middle class
• 41:46
  Speaker 3: on the team that just hasn't hasn't like.
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: It just hasn't like developed enough. Lack of consistency.
• 41:54
  Speaker 3: I mean that's part yeah, yeah, you would hope Bomb
• 41:56
  Speaker 3: and Stott by now, like they guarantee their spots, Like
• 42:01
  Speaker 3: Scott knows he's at second base, Bombs at third.
• 42:03
  Speaker 2: You've locked up the physicians, like this should be.
• 42:07
  Speaker 3: It like to me, like Stott is make or break
• 42:10
  Speaker 3: and Bomb is obviously make or break or they're just
• 42:12
  Speaker 3: gonna cut him or just trade him for for whatever
• 42:14
  Speaker 3: the help you can get, because they've already showed that
• 42:16
  Speaker 3: they'll just they'll trade him for anything. Yeah, but you know,
• 42:20
  Speaker 3: not nothing. But like I just think those two are
• 42:23
  Speaker 3: the most concerned about Bomb and you know I'll get
• 42:27
  Speaker 3: to stop later in another category. But like I just
• 42:30
  Speaker 3: think I hate where bomb where bomb is that? Because
• 42:33
  Speaker 3: he actually is very valuable. He's your backup first basement essentially,
• 42:36
  Speaker 3: he's just starting third basement. He's good defensively. If he
• 42:39
  Speaker 3: could just hit goddamn two seventy and give us eighteen
• 42:43
  Speaker 3: home runs, yeah, timely hitting, I'll take it.
• 42:47
  Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely absolutely, Look.
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: Folks, real quick, we're gonna take a break, and when
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: we get back, we got more Phillies season preview talk,
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: and we've got our discussion with John Staalness.
• 42:56
  Speaker 2: Stick with us. We'll be right back.
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: All right, We're back here to continue getting into our
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: Phillies season preview here in two thousand and twenty six,
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: Eric number of home runs that Kyle Schwarber is gonna
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: have to hit this season for him not to have
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: a disappointing twenty twenty six season, because I think after
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: last year fifty six home runs, I just think it's
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: maybe a little bit too much to expect him to
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: possibly even get to that sixty. Look, in the four
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: years he's been with the Phillies, he's hit forty six,
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: forty seven, thirty eight and fifty six home runs. I
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: think he's got I think he's gonna land around for
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: like forty eight home runs. To be honest with you,
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: forty nine to fifty, and I don't think that would
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: be a disappointing year, honestly. I think anything like forty
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: six or below that is actually going to be a
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: disappointing season for Kyle schwarbur in terms of the home runs.
• 43:53
  Speaker 2: What are you thinking here? You know he only has
• 43:57
  Speaker 2: three hundred and forty career home runs. I thought it
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: would be higher. Really, Yeah, I didn't know that.
• 44:04
  Speaker 3: I'm just looking while you were talking. I was like,
• 44:06
  Speaker 3: how many does he have? Like, are we going to
• 44:08
  Speaker 3: be possibly celebrating here? Eventually?
• 44:12
  Speaker 2: He needs one hundred and sixty more to get to
• 44:15
  Speaker 2: five hundred.
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: I thought he was closing in on five hundred.
• 44:19
  Speaker 2: I thought it was like four ten, fifteen, something like that.
• 44:22
  Speaker 3: Yeah, just surprising to answer your question, I honestly, if
• 44:26
  Speaker 3: he has anything less than forty eight, it's a disappointment. Yeah,
• 44:30
  Speaker 3: that's He's the most exciting part of the team last
• 44:33
  Speaker 3: year for sure.
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: I just don't know if he can do fifty six again.
• 44:37
  Speaker 2: I don't know why. I don't think so either.
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: I think he has it probably in him, But I
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: just don't know if it's going to be as crazy
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: as last year.
• 44:48
  Speaker 3: No, because I mean, I mean it became a story.
• 44:50
  Speaker 3: You know, he was actually in the MVP, yeah, you
• 44:53
  Speaker 3: know race for a little while because he was just
• 44:55
  Speaker 3: crushing bombs and literally dragging the Phillies offense behind him
• 45:00
  Speaker 3: for yeah, how many how many weeks?
• 45:02
  Speaker 2: Last year? It was really bad. If that guy wasn't
• 45:04
  Speaker 2: hitting home runs, we were cooked.
• 45:06
  Speaker 3: Yes, so I again, so having said all that, you're
• 45:11
  Speaker 3: you make a ton of money.
• 45:12
  Speaker 2: People go to the park to watch you hit bombs.
• 45:15
  Speaker 3: So I think forty eight anything blower in forty eight,
• 45:17
  Speaker 3: it's like, come on, yeah, which is ridiculous, But I
• 45:24
  Speaker 3: think that's I think that's a good number. I think
• 45:25
  Speaker 3: forty eight would be okay, Yeah, all.
• 45:28
  Speaker 2: Right, good deal, good dal all right, moving along here.
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: Biggest surprise player of this Phillies twenty twenty six season,
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: who do I'll let you start off on this one.
• 45:37
  Speaker 2: Who do you? What do you have?
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: Who's the biggest surprise player on this team?
• 45:40
  Speaker 2: I think Stott finally kind of breaks out.
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: Okay, so offensively you're going with Stott?
• 45:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't.
• 45:47
  Speaker 3: I'm not talking like Trey Turner numbers or anything like that.
• 45:51
  Speaker 3: But I just feel like this is a repeat from
• 45:53
  Speaker 3: last year. I probably said the same shit like I
• 45:56
  Speaker 3: think so and the year before.
• 46:00
  Speaker 2: I think you're right.
• 46:01
  Speaker 3: I have my I have my old notes all run
• 46:03
  Speaker 3: down somewhere in here. I probably have Stott breakout whatever,
• 46:07
  Speaker 3: you know. But I I, you know, I looked long
• 46:12
  Speaker 3: and hard at a Painter and Crawford, but they're just
• 46:15
  Speaker 3: so young, and I have no idea, you know, like
• 46:17
  Speaker 3: a Painter looked good in spring training, but who the
• 46:19
  Speaker 3: hell knows. Yeah, I honestly I think the close second
• 46:22
  Speaker 3: behind Scott is gonna be Garcia because I just think
• 46:27
  Speaker 3: he kind of he kind of war not warred as welcome,
• 46:30
  Speaker 3: but like he just things are getting stale with Texas.
• 46:32
  Speaker 2: He's still pretty young, he's still a monster.
• 46:35
  Speaker 3: Just see him ye in spring training with like the
• 46:37
  Speaker 3: tank top bond, like, oh my god, like kidney, and
• 46:41
  Speaker 3: he had some bombs in spring training, and I think
• 46:45
  Speaker 3: he could have a he could have a Castiano's good
• 46:49
  Speaker 3: offensive type of year. But he's ten times the defender
• 46:52
  Speaker 3: in the outfield than Castianos was. So if he even hits,
• 46:55
  Speaker 3: if he gives you like two fifty average with like
• 46:58
  Speaker 3: you know, twenty five twenty six home runs. Yep, and
• 47:02
  Speaker 3: he's just thrown guys at a second from like you know,
• 47:05
  Speaker 3: from from right yeah, from right field, Like he would
• 47:09
  Speaker 3: be my surprise player. Then I think he might be
• 47:11
  Speaker 3: my big break in. I think, I think it's actually possible.
• 47:14
  Speaker 2: Okay, So I like it. I like it a lot.
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: I'm going with a pitcher on this one, and I'm
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: going with Jose Alvarado. I mean last year, of course,
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: I mean it was a tumultuous year of course for
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: him last year. Yeah, I mean, but at times when
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: you look at his career, he I mean, what is
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: he going into I think a sixth season here with
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: the Phillies. He was first acquired via trade back in
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, when the Rays dealt him to the
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: Phillies as part of a three team deal between Tampa Bay,
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia and the Dodgers.
• 47:47
  Speaker 2: But he has looked like.
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: More times than not, I think the one of the
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: better left hand relievers in the sport, and I think
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: it's going to be a bounce back year for him.
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: He finished twenty twenty two with a one point sixty
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: six e R over his last forty two regular season
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: games and then in twenty twenty three followed up with
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: a one point seventy four e RA in forty two games.
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: And yes, I know that's a you know, a couple
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: to a few years ago, but uh, I think he
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: has the opportunity still as he is coming back and
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: probably wants to prove not only to this organization but
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: to the fan base that he can still put up
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: those type of numbers that was one point six and
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: one point seven eras. I think it's very possible, and
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: he he is my surprise player for this season.
• 48:39
  Speaker 3: I think it's a good one. I did he I
• 48:44
  Speaker 3: didn't really notice him in spring training? Did he lose weight?
• 48:46
  Speaker 3: Because I just googled? I just wanted to see what
• 48:48
  Speaker 3: they traded for. Yeah, back in the day, just I
• 48:51
  Speaker 3: was just curious and and his name and Ozempa came
• 48:55
  Speaker 3: up first.
• 48:56
  Speaker 2: So did did he? Did he? Did he lose him
• 49:00
  Speaker 2: or like he may have lost a little weight maybe,
• 49:03
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: He's he's always had, He's always had a larger stature.
• 49:07
  Speaker 3: Yeah, let's you know, considering last year, let's just stop
• 49:10
  Speaker 3: putting any chemical in your body.
• 49:12
  Speaker 2: Yes, you're not fully familiar with or comfortable with, like
• 49:17
  Speaker 2: we needed you last year, buddy.
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: Yes, yes, So all right, well let's move on and
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: we'll finish up our our Phillies season predictions here. Number
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: of the number of games the Phillies are gonna win
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: this season, the regular season record, I mean, based on
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: our predict predictions earlier with the Mets. I mean, I know, no,
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: all right, let's beat it into the ground. I'm going
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: I'm going with ninety four wins, and I think the
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: Mets are gonna be in the bottom nineties. That's why
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: I think the Mets are gonna be in the wild card.
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: But I'm thinking ninety four wins for the Phillies. Mets
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: are probably gonna be somewhere around like ninety ninety two
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: in my opinion. How many wins do you have for
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: the Phillies?
• 50:02
  Speaker 2: I have ninety one?
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: Okay, so today we're just opposite here. You probably think
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: Mets are going to be what ninety four.
• 50:11
  Speaker 2: Something like that?
• 50:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, yeah, I think that's a pretty good number.
• 50:16
  Speaker 3: And god, there was something else here.
• 50:20
  Speaker 2: Sorry, that's all right, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: Well I was gonna say, I mean, the last thing
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: we were going to talk about too, is the how
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: far this team can go in the playoffs, and we
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: kind of just you think the Division series, I'm thinking,
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: I'm thinking the NLCS. I think that's as far as
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: they're going to be able to go. I hope they
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: surprise me. I know John's got some thoughts as he
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: jumps on in a little bit here, But yeah, I
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: think it's gonna be a fun Philly season again for
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: the developmental guys, Andrew Paynter, Justin Crawford. Let's be patient
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: with these guys, folks. I mean, let's not get crazy
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: if if Crawford is in some sort of slump with
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: his bad in pain or somehow is maybe at like
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: you know, four point six e r A after a
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: few months. These guys, these guys are young. We got
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: to give them some time. Let's just enjoy this season here.
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: That's how I'm gonna own things here. What were you
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: gonna say, I think that's gonna happen.
• 51:14
  Speaker 3: Yeah, don't don't expect Crawford and Painter to come out
• 51:18
  Speaker 3: just blistering. Yeah, it's definitely gonna take time, but like,
• 51:22
  Speaker 3: be patient and have fun. Like it again, we bitch
• 51:25
  Speaker 3: all the time about their farm system and like we
• 51:27
  Speaker 3: never see the young guys two are actually like key
• 51:32
  Speaker 3: components of the team this year. Yes, so a lot
• 51:35
  Speaker 3: of pressure on them, but that's awesome. Like instead of
• 51:38
  Speaker 3: like hope Harrison batter can save our season, it's like
• 51:41
  Speaker 3: I don't give a shit about Harrison Baterer. He was
• 51:43
  Speaker 3: good in the playoffs for us, Thank you so much.
• 51:45
  Speaker 3: You look like crap tonight and in the Giants game.
• 51:47
  Speaker 3: But like, ye, like we actually have our own farm
• 51:51
  Speaker 3: bread young guys.
• 51:52
  Speaker 2: That is really fun.
• 51:54
  Speaker 3: Yes, And can I just right, can I just go
• 51:56
  Speaker 3: ahead and say that Bryson Scott is going to be
• 51:59
  Speaker 3: my best big surprise player of twenty twenty seven.
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: Ooh, I's gonna keep going on the team.
• 52:07
  Speaker 2: It's great, Yes, because I think.
• 52:10
  Speaker 3: He's I don't want him to go the way of
• 52:13
  Speaker 3: who was the young guy that Phillies brought up and
• 52:15
  Speaker 3: gave him this long contract that your wife was in
• 52:17
  Speaker 3: love with the cute guy.
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: Oh, Scott Kingery, Scott Kingery.
• 52:22
  Speaker 2: I don't want to a Scott Kingery situation.
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: They took a picture together and my wife was like.
• 52:26
  Speaker 3: Oh, well listen, but my wife and I we had
• 52:33
  Speaker 3: we had Phillies season tickets and four when they opened
• 52:36
  Speaker 3: up the uh the new new ballpark down there, and
• 52:39
  Speaker 3: we had right our seats were in left field, right
• 52:42
  Speaker 3: behind old Pat the bat. Oh and she might have
• 52:44
  Speaker 3: made a few comments about his heiney, so hey boy,
• 52:53
  Speaker 3: I will admit it was. It was pretty hit some
• 52:55
  Speaker 3: cake back there. Yes, yes, as we know he had,
• 52:59
  Speaker 3: he had, but with the gaither end won't be saying
• 53:03
  Speaker 3: much more about that.
• 53:05
  Speaker 2: Have you ever told that story on here? No? I know,
• 53:08
  Speaker 2: and I don't know.
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: We're not gonna tell that story here now. Okay, maybe
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: maybe if somebody sees me out in public, I might
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: tell it, but uh, I don't want a recording of it.
• 53:18
  Speaker 3: My only stories of him living in Philly. I saw
• 53:20
  Speaker 3: him multiple times. He was out all the time. I
• 53:23
  Speaker 3: saw him like not just not just tipsy, but like
• 53:27
  Speaker 3: just I'm gonna fall over, just going for it more
• 53:30
  Speaker 3: than once. Yes, and there was always one or two
• 53:34
  Speaker 3: fine looking ladies with him.
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: Yes, I just got that tight heinee. You know.
• 53:42
  Speaker 2: My wife was one of the.
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: All right, it's gonna do it for us here, Eric,
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: any any final thoughts before we head out, Before we
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: get to our interview with John Stalness.
• 53:53
  Speaker 2: Let's keep going about it. I know, I just keep
• 53:55
  Speaker 2: going on, all right, folks, Yeah, go ahead fall season.
• 54:01
  Speaker 2: Look at him, he's got a bet yay.
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: Hey, all right, if you're on YouTube, make sure you
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: like and subscribe to us audio podcast platform Day. Thanks
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: for listening to us share a podcast with other folks
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: in your community and network.
• 54:16
  Speaker 2: We're going to be back in just a.
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: Bit with our interview with John Staling this from the
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: Goodfight dot Com and the Hitting Season podcast stick.
• 54:23
  Speaker 2: With us and now on the table.
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: Continuing with our Phillies season preview, we have from the
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: Hit and Season podcast I listen over on Apple Podcast.
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: You can also catch them on YouTube and I say
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: them it is he and his amazing co host also
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: over at WHYY and he's also a contributor over at
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: the Good Fight dot Com. We've got our good friend
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: John Stalinist. John, thanks so much for continuing to dive
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: into our discussion here with this Philly season preview.
• 54:54
  Speaker 5: Yeah. I think you know, Jeff, I don't know how
• 54:56
  Speaker 5: long we've been doing this together, like coming on to talk.
• 55:01
  Speaker 5: We might be hitting a decade now at this point
• 55:04
  Speaker 5: and coming on this show. Yea, you know, I mean,
• 55:06
  Speaker 5: it's great it's like a yearly, right, a passage. You know,
• 55:09
  Speaker 5: the start of a Philly season doesn't feel complete without
• 55:12
  Speaker 5: me coming on in the Philadelphia Sports dayle.
• 55:13
  Speaker 2: And you don't look a day over thirty.
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: I should probably get online here and order a coffin
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: at some point.
• 55:20
  Speaker 2: I got it.
• 55:22
  Speaker 5: That's not true at all, but thank you.
• 55:25
  Speaker 2: Sure.
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: Look, we've been talking about this Phillies team for a
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: long time, a lot of ups and downs with this team.
• 55:31
  Speaker 1: I'm very optimistic heading into this twenty twenty six season, John,
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: I mean, spring training for the Phillies I think remained
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: relatively positive. I mean, with the exception of Johann Rojas
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: being suspended for the first eighty games of the season.
• 55:45
  Speaker 2: I mean, the starting pitching.
• 55:46
  Speaker 1: Has looked solid so far, whether it was Bryson Stotts promising,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: you know, past six weeks or so, Justin Crawford looking
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: poised to do some good things as well, Bryce Harper
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: at the World Baseball Classic of course, and just hitting
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: that home run that was amazing. There have been positive
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: aspects to this team during training camp, for sure, and
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: of course we need to I think bring that temperature
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: down and keep things tempered in terms of expectations because
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: it is spring training, and spring training.
• 56:14
  Speaker 2: Is just that.
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: So I listened to you all on the Hit and
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: Season podcast, and you know, just knowing where this team
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: may go in twenty twenty six with all the positivity
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: heading into this season. At least that's what I'm feeling.
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: What are you feeling here over what we've seen for
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: the past couple months.
• 56:33
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I found myself coming into spring training thinking, you know,
• 56:36
  Speaker 5: this might be, you know, a wild card team this year.
• 56:39
  Speaker 5: I didn't necessarily feel like they were going to win
• 56:41
  Speaker 5: a division for the third straight year. But after the spring,
• 56:44
  Speaker 5: I think I've changed my tune on that. I'm watching
• 56:47
  Speaker 5: the Atlanta Braves fall apart. I don't love what the
• 56:50
  Speaker 5: New York Mets look like right now, and I think
• 56:53
  Speaker 5: a lot of the question marks that we had about
• 56:54
  Speaker 5: the Phillies entering spring training are largely looking like at
• 56:59
  Speaker 5: least at this point point with opening day like a
• 57:01
  Speaker 5: day or two away, here looking like they're trending in
• 57:04
  Speaker 5: the right direction.
• 57:05
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 57:05
  Speaker 5: Zach Wheeler looks like he's going to be back on
• 57:07
  Speaker 5: the very much much on the sooner end rather than
• 57:11
  Speaker 5: the later end of this of his his time on
• 57:14
  Speaker 5: the injured list looks like mid April, maybe even like
• 57:17
  Speaker 5: when he's back. So I mean, that's just incredibly encouraging.
• 57:20
  Speaker 5: So if you get Zach Wheeler back pitching like a
• 57:22
  Speaker 5: Zach Wheeler, I mean, that's just that's that's a huge
• 57:25
  Speaker 5: addition to couple with Christopher Sanchez and hayesus Lozardo both
• 57:29
  Speaker 5: of look both of you who have looked unhittable this bran.
• 57:33
  Speaker 5: And then Aaron Nola looks like a completely different pitcher.
• 57:37
  Speaker 5: I mean, if you get Aaron Nolan and Zach Wheeler
• 57:39
  Speaker 5: were two huge question marks coming into the season, and
• 57:41
  Speaker 5: that's one of the reasons why we were kind of
• 57:43
  Speaker 5: not sure about the starting rotation. Man, if those guys,
• 57:46
  Speaker 5: if those guys pitch the way they're paid, goodness gracious,
• 57:48
  Speaker 5: this rotation is going to be absolutely unhittable. And then
• 57:52
  Speaker 5: Andrew Pater, you know, I know, I read a lot
• 57:54
  Speaker 5: of stuff about you know, is the shape of his
• 57:56
  Speaker 5: fastball and you know, all the some of the stuff
• 57:59
  Speaker 5: kind of diminished a little bit, maybe in the third
• 58:01
  Speaker 5: and fourth innings this first few outings. Dude put up
• 58:03
  Speaker 5: good numbers this spring, and his stuff looks good, is
• 58:06
  Speaker 5: command looks good. I think it's still kind of a
• 58:07
  Speaker 5: work in progress, and maybe he's not going to be
• 58:09
  Speaker 5: the ninety nine mile an hour guy that we saw
• 58:12
  Speaker 5: three years ago that ultimately ended up needing to get
• 58:14
  Speaker 5: Tommy John surgery. Maybe his secondary stuff's good enough that
• 58:17
  Speaker 5: he doesn't need to be that guy. So I think
• 58:19
  Speaker 5: what you're really feeling good about is that starting rotation,
• 58:22
  Speaker 5: which has been the strength the bedrock of this team,
• 58:25
  Speaker 5: and there was more uncertainty coming into the spring about it,
• 58:27
  Speaker 5: and I think I'm leaving spring training feeling really good
• 58:30
  Speaker 5: about that rotation and then by consequence, better about the Phillies.
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: We talked about Aaron Nola on the podcast last week,
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: and you and I actually mentioned it last year, the
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: fact that it was an odd number year in twenty
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: twenty five, he just didn't pitch well. Twenty twenty six, dude,
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: he's looking great. It's an even number year. The expectations
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: for Aaron Nola are are very high, just because it's
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: an even number year.
• 58:53
  Speaker 2: That's it.
• 58:54
  Speaker 5: What a bizarre, weird thing. I mean, And it's like,
• 58:58
  Speaker 5: I know, this offseason they were talking about him getting
• 59:02
  Speaker 5: started earlier in the in the off season, ramping up
• 59:05
  Speaker 5: earlier and then he took some time off later in
• 59:07
  Speaker 5: the offseason rather than taking the first couple of months
• 59:10
  Speaker 5: off in the and it sounds it looks like it's
• 59:12
  Speaker 5: made a world of difference from him. So, I mean,
• 59:15
  Speaker 5: as he's getting older, he's just got to learn to
• 59:17
  Speaker 5: work with his body the way it is now. I
• 59:19
  Speaker 5: think col Hamil said something about that on the radio
• 59:22
  Speaker 5: on Tuesday as well.
• 59:23
  Speaker 2: So I think that's what Jamie Moyer used to do.
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's what Jamie Moyer did, especially towards the
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: end of his career. So it's gonna be gonna be
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: so interesting to see how his season not only goes,
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: but the impact that he's going to be able to make.
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: And I guess the question the overriding questions I should
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: say for this team are John, is this Phillies team
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: a postseason team? Which I think we believe that they are.
• 59:47
  Speaker 2: But is this.
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: Phillies team a World Series team? I mean, I think
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: they're gonna be nli's champions for a third straight year.
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: You indicated you know you've moved over to that side.
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: You could think that they can do it, but a
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: hot streak and maybe some possible moves that the trade deadline.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: I don't know, may help propel this team to a
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: World Series team this year this year, or to be
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: a World Series team this year. What are your thoughts
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: here on both? Do you think that obviously postseason?
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 2: Yes?
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: But are they a World Series team?
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 5: For sure. I mean, I know that's not to say
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 5: they're gonna win the World Series. But how many teams
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 5: in the National League can you say right now are
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 5: definitively better than the Phillies on paper? The Dodgers probably, yes,
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 5: for sure. Yes, I don't know that I can put
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 5: the Cubs and say the Cubs are definitely better than
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 5: the Phillies. I certainly wouldn't say that about the Mets
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 5: or the Braves. And I'm running out of teams after that,
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 5: you know. So if you look at the National League
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 5: and you look at most of the power rankings, you
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 5: look at the odds makers in Vegas, they all have
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 5: the Phillies among the top five teams in baseball, the
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 5: top seven teams in baseball. I mean, you look at
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 5: the starting I saw the Athletic I think ranked starting rotations.
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 5: They had the rotation at five and the lineup at ten.
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 5: Mlb dot Com head the lineup is the eighth best lineup,
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 5: and everybody thinks the bullpens a whole lot better this year.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 5: I mean, they're just they do have all of the
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 5: pieces to put together another ninety two plus win season
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 5: and get themselves into the playoffs. And then you get
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 5: October and no, no, we know that's a different story,
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 5: but you got to get there. And then once you
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 5: get in there, I think they have just as good
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 5: a chance as anybody else.
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you're absolutely correct on that. And look,
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: there are so many storylines this season, whether we're going
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: to be watching what Andrew Paynter is going to be
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: doing in terms of his development. You mentioned his command,
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: and it's been so welcoming to see given the challenges.
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: I feel like we've been waiting for Andrew Paynter for
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: ten years at this point. But I really think, and
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: I know for me, all eyes are going to be
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: on Justin Crawford this season, and I think for good
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: reason as well, John, you and I have talked over
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 1: the years, in fact, a year after year about when
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: this team is going to finally find themselves a starting
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: center fielder here. So I guess the question is, I mean,
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: do we think that Justin Crawford can actually be the
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: starting center fielder by the All Star break.
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 5: He's gonna start the season as the starting center fielder.
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 5: I mean that there's they.
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 2: Have insisted without any sort of like platoons.
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, he's starting every day.
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 2: He's gonna start every day.
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 5: Okay, Yeah, there's no who else is gonna They don't
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 5: have a right handed center fielder on the team, yes
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 5: right now, Yes, so Brandon Marsh's his back up. It's
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 5: gonna be Justin Crawford. He's gonna play every day. He
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 5: played every day against lefties in the spring. Is he
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 5: got a couple hits off Trek Scooble uh when when
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 5: they played the when they played the Tigers. So he's
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 5: gonna play every day. His splits in the minors were
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 5: very good against left handers. I don't Yeah, so he's
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 5: gonna be the everyday center fielder. They want to see
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 5: what he has, uh, And they're gonna they're gonna play
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 5: him in the number nine spots. So they're gonna say
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 5: that listen, we don't want you to carry the offense.
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 5: You're not being gonna be asked to do anything more
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 5: than you can do. I think if I think if
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 5: they get a three twenty on base percentage out of him,
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 5: if they get an OPS around seven to ten from him,
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 5: seven to twenty from him, I think they're gonna call
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 5: that a double capitol double win, uh for for for them,
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 5: because he's I don't. I mean, the team came back
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 5: largely the same as it was a year ago, but
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 5: one of the big differences is Justin Crawford and the
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 5: Phillies decided not to re sign Harrison Bader, and Bater
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 5: was really good for this team in the two months
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 5: that he was here back in twenty twenty five. I
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 5: wanted them to resign Harrison Bader because it would would
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 5: have made me feel better about the depth in the
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 5: in the outfield. But you know, I think they really
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 5: want to give Justin Crawford a chance. And listen, he's
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 5: a top one hundred prospect. He's your number three prospect
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 5: in the organization. You've spent the last two years all
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 5: going out of your way to avoid trading him. So okay, yes,
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 5: let's give the kid the every day starting nod in centerfielder.
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 5: And that's what they're going to do, all right, folks.
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: Again, talking to John Stalness from the Hit and Season podcast,
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: also the Good Fight dot Com. Buddy, let everybody know
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: where they can find you on the socials out there
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: if they want to connect with you.
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm on x at John Stallness, same thing on
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 5: Blue Sky. I've got an Instagram out there at John Stollnes.
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 5: It's just my name. If you're on a social media app,
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 5: put in my name. If I'm there, great. If I'm not,
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 5: I don't know why I'm not there, but you can
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 5: let me know. Hey, I've been found you on uber snyle,
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 5: which is apparently you know. I don't know what the
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 5: kids are using nowadays, but I'll get on.
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 2: All right, sounds good, folks.
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: We're gonna take a break real quick, but when we
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: get back, we're going to talk about this Phillies bullpen.
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: We're also gonna get into some Phillies player categories that
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 1: we'd like to have some fun with every now and again.
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: We're gonna take that break. Now, we'll be back in
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: just a bit. All right, We're back with our good
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: friend John Stalness and John to get into this bullpen here.
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: I think this Phillies bullpen is going to be really
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: fascinating to watch to start this season. They are deep,
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: They're a high velocity unit. I mean the weakness I
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: think is left handed depth. But I'm wondering, how do
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: you assess the bullpen coming into this season and which
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: pitchers within the bullpen are you really excited about this
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: coming season?
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 5: Well, I mean John Douran is obviously it's the first
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 5: time this team's had a designated closer and a high
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 5: end designated closer. Yeah, really since Jonathan Papplbon left and
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 5: Joean Douran is far better than John than papal Ban
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 5: was here when when he was in Philadelphia. So it's
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 5: gonna be interesting to see what this bullpen, how it
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 5: functions without having to kind of decide that day, Well,
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 5: who's going to get the ninth inning tonight? Is it
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 5: gonna be Alvarado, Is it gonna be Jeff Hoffman, Is
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 5: it going to be You know, they had Carlos Estevez
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 5: for a couple of months at the trade at the
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 5: trade deadline back in twenty four but really that's been
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 5: the only other time other than Juwan Juron, So I
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 5: think having him for a full season is going to
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 5: be really fun to watch. And then you know, getting
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 5: Brad Keller. That's a move nobody really remembers from this offseason.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 5: But he's a so he looks like a high end
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 5: quality setup guy. Alvarado is a question mark. I mean,
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 5: he missed most of last year. When he was in there,
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 5: he was really good. Yeah, you just hope that he's
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 5: able to have that velocity and can and continue to
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 5: throw strikes. But he's a dynamic lefty out of the bullpen.
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 5: The guy I think he's going to be the most
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 5: fun to watch is Kyle Bachis, the sidewinding left hander
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 5: that they picked up this offseason who looks unhittable. Caleb
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 5: Cotham may be doing another magic trick here for us.
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 5: The best pitching coach in baseball and the way he's
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 5: got the way he was able to get right handers
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 5: out the spring and make them look foolish. If he's
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 5: able to do that, Kyle bechus could turn. He could
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 5: end up being your number one lefty by the end
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 5: of the season. But you know, Tanner Banks is still around.
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 5: Tanner Banks had a really good season, so there's just
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 5: a lot more certainty. I think the floor for the
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 5: bullpen's a lot higher, and they are going with four
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 5: lefties in the bullpen to start the season. You know,
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 5: they got Tim Misa, who's going to be the number
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 5: four lefty out of there. And I like Jonathan Bowland
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 5: a lot too, the guy they got in the Matt
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 5: Strom deal. I just think there's a lot of arms
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 5: to Like you mentioned it, more velocity, there's more swing
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 5: and miss in this bullpen. I think this is the
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 5: best bullpen the Phillies have broken camp with in the
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 5: Rob Thompson era.
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 2: By far.
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: I think it's going to be fascinating. Like I said,
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: to watch, I do wonder about Ryan Kirkering. And yes,
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: he's injured right now. We're probably not going to see
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: him for the next couple weeks or so, but I
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: wonder what his mentality is going to be. And maybe
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: I'm overthinking this a little bit too much, John, but
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: after how last season ended, I wonder how that sticks
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: with somebody, and how it sticks with specifically a pitcher
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 1: that has has at times usually a specific role that
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: he has had, and I just wonder what that may
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: or may not do to him, especially to start the season.
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: I don't know, have you given any thoughts to that
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: at all?
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 5: You know, it's kind of funny when when it first happened,
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 5: Ryan Kirkering was on everybody's minds. But when you look
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 5: back at the NLDS loss to the Dodgers, I think
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 5: for most fans, the Kirkering throw home is not at
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 5: the top of the list of reasons why they lost
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 5: that series. It was it was an infuriating and shocking
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 5: way to lose it. Yeah, but I don't think fans
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 5: look at well, if only Kirkering had thrown that ball
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 5: to home, they would have won the series. So there's
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 5: still a lot of work to do in that series.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 5: If Kirkering doesn't make that play. Now, he's got to
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 5: make that play and he's probably going to wish for
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 5: the rest of his life that he had made that play.
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 5: But I don't know. I mean, I think time heals
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 5: all wounds, I don't know that it's going to be something.
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 5: You know, and when he gets back and it's may
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 5: you know, I think the fan base will give him
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 5: a standing ovation to to show their support. He's not
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 5: gonna get booed by the fans, you know. The fans
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 5: just don't do that kind of thing. Yeah, for a
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 5: physical mistake like that, when a player makes one like that,
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 5: so I think he's going to be I don't think
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 5: it's going to have any impact on his ability to pitch.
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 5: I think what's going to be more important is, you know,
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 5: can he develop another pitch to get left handers out right.
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 5: He's been working on a split change up this this spring,
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 5: you know, when he's been now that he's been getting
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 5: back and doing bullpens with the hamstring injury, you know,
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 5: that was one of the things he was trying to do,
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 5: is just get another speed, you know. So I think
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 5: that's going to be more important than the mental hurdle
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 5: of the of the meltdown that he had in Game
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 5: four last year.
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: All right, very good, Well, I want to get into
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 1: some categories with you. Here is an exercise we like
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: to do with our guests every now and again. Give
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: you a category. I'd like for you to give me
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: the player that comes to your mind and a brief
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: reason why that player matches the category for this upcoming
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six Phillies season. So let's start off with
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: the player you think John is going to be the
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: comeback kid. Who do you think that's gonna be this year?
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 5: It's got to be Zach Wheeler. Right, and I think
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 5: that's I think that's the obvious answer. I think he's
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 5: on everybody shortlist for comeback Player of the Year. Uh
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 5: and to come back quicker than anybody was anticipating. I
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 5: think most of us thought would probably be May before
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 5: he's back to look as good as he's looked. All
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 5: the reports are that he's looking tremendous. He's gonna start
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 5: minor league rehab assignments. I mean, he's gonna be pitching
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 5: in minor league games, uh, in the net one as
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 5: soon as the minor league season gets.
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 2: Smart ramped up.
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: In March twenty eighth, I think I saw a post
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: from the Iron Pigs. I believe that he's gonna be there. Yep, wow, yep.
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 5: So, I mean, I don't know how many starts he's
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 5: gonna get down there, but they're they're being aggressive with him,
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 5: and you know, he knows his body, he knows what
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 5: he can do. I'm sure that if there was something
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 5: that came up, you know that that they needed to
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 5: kind of pull back on. And that's always a possibility.
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 5: We have to just tell that to ourselves. It's a
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 5: possibility he wakes up one morning and says, ah, my back,
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 5: you know, and then they say, Okay, we're gonna rest
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 5: you for a week or two, and that that could
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 5: push the timeline back. But right now, Zach Wheeler is
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 5: is going to be the comeback kid, it looks like
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 5: and and could win Comeback Player of the Year in
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 5: the National League this year.
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 2: All right, let's hope.
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: So let's what about the guy who needs to bounce back?
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: Who's the bounce back guy that needs to happen this year?
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 5: They have a few guys who you could give this to,
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 5: but I think we talked about a little bit earlier.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 5: It's Aaron Nola. Aaron Nola has to be the bounce
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 5: back guy, you know, an e ra over six and
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 5: last year it just again sounded like his body betrayed him,
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 5: like he just hit a wall. He couldn't get himself right.
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 5: So that's what's been really encouraging, just seeing the velocity
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 5: up the way it is this year for him, and
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 5: how good he looked in the World Baseball Classic. I mean,
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 5: I was just that was really great to see. He
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 5: had a huge that hit game against UH. I was
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 5: in Venezuela. Why when Italy beat Venezuela and they had
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 5: to win that game, and it was that was something else.
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 5: So I think I think Aronola is our bounce back
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 5: guy this year. I think I think Nola's I predicted
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 5: Nola will make the All Star team this year.
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: Oh nice, Nice? What about the rising star of this team?
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: Who's going to be the rising star in your eyes?
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 5: Let's keep it in the starting rotation. Let's go with
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 5: Andrew Painter. I mean, I think it's either it's between
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 5: him or Justin Crawford. And I love Crawford, but I
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 5: think Painter's got the more high upside talent. Right He's
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 5: been this team's number one prospect for a long time.
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 5: Aiden Miller's passed him in that and a Miller's a
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 5: different story. He hasn't played all spring. That's a little
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 5: bit of something to worry about, something that hasn't gone
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 5: right this spring. But Andrew Painter again, he's not He's
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 5: not the same. He isn't the same level of dynamism.
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 5: I think that we saw three years ago when he
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 5: first hit training camp and spring training and everybody was
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 5: just wild by his stuff. I think right now he's
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 5: profiling is more of a middle rotation starting pitcher, and
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 5: he's going to be this team's number five. But he
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 5: has a chance. He's got swinging miss stuff. He's got
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 5: a chance that, as the season goes along, to really
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 5: put some some incredible things together. So he's he's my
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 5: rising star right now for the for the Phillies. He's
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 5: the guy we've been waiting to see for a very
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 5: long time, and now he's finally here.
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: Gosh, it's gonna be so nice to see him on
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: the mound.
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 2: Really, I hope it.
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 5: I hope it works out. We need these prospects to
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 5: pan out, man.
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: I know, absolutely. All Right, a couple more for you here, John.
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: Next one is, don't forget about this guy. Who would
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: that player be for you?
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 5: That's a good question. I think the guy that I'm
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 5: thinking of that we really shouldn't be forgetting is jt
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 5: Reil Muteau.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 2: That's a great proble, yeah.
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 5: Because he's kind of you know, he was the forgotten
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 5: guy in the off season. He was the backup plan
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 5: when they lost out on Bo Bashett. But he's back
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 5: for three years, forty five million dollars. He's probably gonna
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 5: hit eighth in the lineup, yep, which is you know,
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 5: at this stage in his career, I guess a good
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: spot for him and given everything else they have in
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 5: that lineup, but he's a guy who can still impact
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 5: the game.
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 3: Uh.
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 5: The the ABS system has been a lot of conversation
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 5: about how good he's been doing that this spring. That
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 5: might bring some added value there because he's lost value
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 5: as a pitch framer, but he still throws guys out,
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 5: he still calls a good game, and he can still
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 5: he can still impact the game with his bat for
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 5: a good two or three week stretch every now and then.
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 5: And so he's a seven forty oh ps guy now
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 5: seven thirty. Say he's not a high impact offensive player,
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 5: but JT real Muto is just kind of that forgotten guy.
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 5: He's not a real star player anymore, but he can
• 1:13:17
  Speaker 5: still impact the game in a lot of different ways.
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 5: So I mean, I think I think we tend to
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 5: forget about real Mutoh, and there'll be many times this
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 5: year when we'll remember, oh, yeah, that's right, JT could
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 5: play and he's actually at the bottom of the lineup,
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 5: a real good bat to have down there.
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: And to close this out here, John, who do you
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: think is the dark horse MVP of this team? Not MVP,
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: But the dark Horse MVP, that's.
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 5: A great question. I mean, dark Horse would would have
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 5: to rule out Trey Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, right.
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 2: And I would rule those out. Yes, Yeah, so those.
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 5: Guys are I would probably have to say.
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 2: I was gonna go.
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: I was gonna go with like a Jesus Lizardo to
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: be honest.
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 5: Yeah, Lozardo was. How about Joan Duran? How about a guy?
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 5: How about a guy who can, who you just know
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 5: is going to lock down that ninth inning? How about
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 5: a guy who in high pressure situations, you know who
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 5: you've got. I mean, I like last year he did
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 5: show us he was not infallible, He's not perfect, and
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 5: I think we all had that mindset when he got
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 5: when he first got here that he just he couldn't
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 5: be beaten. And then he got beat a few times
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 5: and walked in a run in that playoff game. That
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 5: was just that was that was that was really difficult
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 5: to watch. And but I think if your you know,
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 5: relief pitchers have one m VPS before, like they really
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 5: you you can have a dramatic impact on your team
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 5: as the closer. And so if I'm looking, dark Horse
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 5: does it you want to run all right?
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 2: I like the pick. I love the pick.
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: Actually, folks, he's John Staliness from the Hitting Season podcast
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: The Good Fight dot Com. Search him out on all
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: social media sites out there at John Stalness, my friend.
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: And it was so great talking to you. Always love
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 1: having you on the show. Come back and join us
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: down the road we'll get into more Phillies talk, some
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: MLB talk. Always love talking to you, my friend.
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 5: Absolutely, and you got to get an invitation for you
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 5: on Hitting Season this year as well. Good some Phill's
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 5: over on the over on the hitt and Season side.
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: And that's gonna do it for us this week. Make
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: sure to share the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show with
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: your friends and family members who may be Philly sports fans.
• 1:15:24
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• 1:15:27
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• 1:15:30
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• 1:15:34
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• 1:15:36
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• 1:15:40
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• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: great week, and we'll catch you next time.