WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:26.960 Toby Bellringer, Welcome to Batflip and Nerds. Hello and welcome to Batfoots and 2 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.960 the Baseball Podcast with a British twist. I am your host this evening, 3 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:37.439 Russell Esum and in a bit of split to the historical precedent of this podcast, 4 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:41.759 we are in prediction season, but you're going to hear the B team, 5 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:45.200 sorry, the team that is right most of the time first give their 6 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:50.679 prediction. So I'm delighted once again to have the Maestro himself, Rob Navara, 7 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.200 Hello, Maestro is here. My strow is going to make some random 8 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:59.920 number generated predictions, and the man who will tell us all how bad you're 9 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.239 favorite team will actually be Gamon Long. How we doing, Gav? I'm 10 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.840 well, how are you guys? I I'm very much enjoying the fact that 11 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:11.719 we met in person to do an auction draft over the weekend with ten other 12 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:15.920 of our very first baseball friends. So I'm good. We've talked a lot 13 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:19.640 of baseball. Let's talk some more. It's prediction times. We're gonna do 14 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:22.560 a slight twist to what we've done before. We still have our jokers, 15 00:01:22.599 --> 00:01:26.719 so we can have one prediction where we completely overall everything else that has been 16 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.280 said so far. But the way we've done it this year is each one 17 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:34.719 of us has two of these six divisions to talk through. We are then 18 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:38.200 going to basically go through the teams, give our win totals for those teams 19 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:44.439 have some minor rebuttals, and then get a divisional total. So we'll go 20 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:49.920 through a division by division. So with starting off where almost everything seems to 21 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.719 start off, the al east of this is your division. So take us 22 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:57.920 away. Who are you gonna give us a prediction for first? Okay? 23 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.280 Right? So what I did was I put an awful lot of research and 24 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:06.920 thought into this. And then if Twitter is to believe Garrett Cole died earlier 25 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:09.400 today and it's all just gone straight back up in the air and stuffed again. 26 00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:15.360 Will Blake Snell up here? Who knows? Maybe he will now everyone's 27 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.000 saying that he will. So I'm going to start with the very Yankees at 28 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:23.879 the top of the division, which is usually a very unpopular selection for GAV. 29 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.759 I've got Yankees at the top because I think there's some homogeneity in this 30 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:30.159 In this division, everyone is going to revert a little bit to the middle. 31 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.759 So I've got the Yankees winning, but but not with the big totals 32 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:37.159 we've seen from the Al East the last few years. I've got the Yankees 33 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:40.759 winning with a mere ninety ninety wins this year, I reckon, I reckon, 34 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:46.039 it's going to start really badly for the Yankee No Cole, whoever they're 35 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:47.479 going to replace him with, is going to be slow to get going. 36 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.240 And then at some point, maybe mid May, maybe slightly later, I 37 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.919 reckon, Boone's going to be for the Axe and we're going to get the 38 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:00.479 new manager bounce and the Yankees are gonna go on one hell of a tear 39 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:02.120 for the second half of the season. And that's how we're going to see 40 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:06.120 them climb that table, get back up. We they'll win it back where 41 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.439 the Yankees shuder belong and they're going to be on top of the a least 42 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:14.319 with ninety wins. That was fantastic. It's a narrative. It's one that, 43 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:19.319 depending on Cole's actual status or not, it's one you can't necessarily dispute. 44 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.840 This is probably the second best hitting line I have been all of baseball. 45 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:24.960 But the big question is the pitching, and this now has become a 46 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:30.080 bigger question with potentials of some loss of Garrett Cole. So even with that, 47 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:34.000 I don't think ninety wins is too high or too low. I'm not 48 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:37.719 too bothered with that them winning with this record. I may have more of 49 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:39.479 a question about that. I don't know about you have. Well, I 50 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:44.479 can't see that anyone is going to win that division with ninety wins and the 51 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:47.719 car definitely definitely can't say it's going to be the Yankee where they can last 52 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:53.120 year four fourth, but I think that massively displayed. They've got one Soto 53 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:58.680 and he will make huge difference. He could be MVP. But yeah, 54 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.800 ninety wins seems a bit higher. I would have had them lower, but 55 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.680 I certainly can't see them winning the division. But there you go. Okay, 56 00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:10.039 we carry on. There, we carry on. So after the Yankee, 57 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:14.599 you've got your second place guys who are only in second place because of 58 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:18.160 the head head record. You've got your Baltimore Orioles, who, again a 59 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:20.720 bit of aggression to the mean, there's no way they're gonna do what they 60 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:24.279 did last year, but they're there. There's a bit of a luck, 61 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:27.040 it's a little bit of a slump. They're a little bit light on pitching, 62 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:29.839 right now. But these guys were good and they're gonna be good again. 63 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.439 So they are gonna smash it out with another ninety and unfortunately they're gonna 64 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:36.079 have to go via the wild card because they're going to come second. But 65 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.959 the team's still good. The team is still brilliant, it's got youth, 66 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.120 it's gonna have an injury proof almost you know, this is the team that's 67 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:46.000 gonna keep going away through the season, and they're going to keep plugging away, 68 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.160 keep plugging away, keep plugging away, and they're going to be there 69 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:51.639 despite the Yankees' resurgence. I've going to come back on that. Yeah. 70 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:59.639 So Baltimore Orioles have added Corbyn Burns and probably Jackson Holiday and they're going to 71 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:03.839 lose eleven games more than they lost last year. So nah, they're gonna 72 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:09.759 finish ahead of the Yankees. Okay, that's high on the Orioles. I 73 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:13.959 see some sophomore slumps coming for some of like the younger players. I think 74 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.639 they haven't seen or haven't seen yet. So teams are gonna work out maybe 75 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.920 what they can or cannot do to get them out. So I don't see 76 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:25.160 them getting one hundred wins again. But do I think they'll be worse than 77 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.000 the Yankees, or that's what I've had, the same as the Yankees, 78 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:32.399 but with a losing head to head record. No, I'm not there sadly. 79 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.360 Okay, so you're also going to be high on the on the Orioles. 80 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:41.680 But wait, there's more following up behind the Orioles. Surprisingly to some, 81 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:45.800 it's gonna be the Toronto Blue Jays. And the reason they're going to 82 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.160 be so close is that they are on eighty eight wins. This division is 83 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:51.879 stacked at the top throughout the year. The Blue Jays are going to be 84 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.439 there the whole way through. They're gonna be a bit plucky because it seems 85 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:59.120 that they're a little bit top heavy in that that rotation at the moment, 86 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:01.680 in the line up at the moment, and they still got some work to 87 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:05.160 do. But we see these teams that there's always one team that does a 88 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:08.920 little bit better than everyone thinks they're going to do. That. This year 89 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:12.040 is gonna be the Toronto Blue Jays, but you know, the win total 90 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:15.040 is probably about where we are expecting them to be anyway. The reason they're 91 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:17.600 still in it, though, is because they are chasing this Mammoth Division fighting 92 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:20.519 against each other. They're gonna be right hot on the heels of the Orioles 93 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:25.079 and on the Yankees, but they're gonna end up with just eighty eight wins. 94 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.920 They're a pretty good team. They're just a little bit it's gonna fall 95 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:30.519 their way and that's going to put them in put them in third spot in 96 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:35.120 so I don't really have any many many concerns about that value. Obviously we've 97 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:41.040 had potential issues with maybe what's happening to Gusman this coming into the season or 98 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:45.600 whatever, but the lineup should be it didn't go their way last year. 99 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:48.279 I think maybe similar to the Yankees, just some bit of babbit black and 100 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.759 a bit of like sequencing didn't really go their way in the in the previous 101 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:57.439 season, so the heading lineup should come back to good. That pitching line 102 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:00.600 up, I still think it's pretty solid. If if Gousman is is not 103 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:04.040 there, so eighty eight is perfectly doable. I think they get on a 104 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.560 hot tear, then yeah, they can be one of the best teams in 105 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:10.920 baseball. So I think yeah, I think they will be interesting to see 106 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:13.920 what they get out of, probably their bit of platooning that they'll do that 107 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:16.279 will be their cate center field on their second basement will probably be platoon this 108 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.839 season. So how well that goes, I think will probably be the difference 109 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:23.519 between an eighty five win Tampa team and they're like a ninety five win Tampa 110 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:27.680 Toronto team. Thinking about platooning, it just makes me think about Tampa Bay. 111 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:31.199 Yeah. I always find it hard to pick between Toronto and Tampa Bay 112 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:38.680 because I think Toronto have so much talent in that team and you always expect 113 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.000 them to do slightly better than they do, and the Rays always end up 114 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:46.279 finishing higher. I I'm not so sure that the Toronto team is that strong 115 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:50.079 this year. They seem to have a few weak spots in the rotation. 116 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:55.439 And then yeah, Isaac kind of pallefa is he really going to play that 117 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.240 much? Justin Turner is surely he's too old now. But I don't know. 118 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.639 I don't like the what did you say at eight? I said eighty 119 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.560 eight because Gallow's gonna come and have a resurgence as well and take hover from 120 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.199 turn A partway through the year. Cool. Yeah, I don't have any 121 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:13.439 argument that hurt cans that hurt. I wonder if they still finish it like 122 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:16.560 the false team in the division. That's right, Well, I've got them 123 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:18.800 third. But you think it's tight to the top, whoa bet your ass 124 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:22.680 it is. It's still tight at the top because the Tampa Bay Rays. 125 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:24.160 You've not just got one tie in this division, You've got too. The 126 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:28.279 Tampa Bay Rays are following up on the Blue Jays, also with an eighty 127 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:35.120 eight win record, again also losing on that head to head. Unfortunately for 128 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:37.360 the Rays, the tinkering luck runs out this time. There's a bit of 129 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.519 a pitching collapse. That's where they're going to go downhill this time. The 130 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:45.080 batting's been hot and cold all along for the last few years. This year 131 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:46.600 is the pitching is going to let it down as well. You can't just 132 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:50.960 keep finding these gems out of nowhere. They get found out. And getting 133 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.440 found out for the Rays is dropping those ten wins because every single year everyone 134 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.039 predicts them about this and then they go on and get their high nineties two 135 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:01.159 hundred. But this year they're actually going to fall back down to where everyone 136 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:05.039 thinks they should be, and we end up with the Tampa Bay Rays lining 137 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.240 up just with the Blue Jays and missing out and playing on the in the 138 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:13.320 the offseason because they end up fourth in division. So you're not a Ryan 139 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.879 Pepio fan. I mean, it's more of an osaur fan. I'm not. 140 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.759 At the moment. He's had just a dreadful introduction to UH to American 141 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:26.360 baseball. It's been it's been awful since he's come in and and this is 142 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:28.960 the backup. This is what we got. Don't forget how many guys we've 143 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:33.559 already got just languishing on the injured list for for the Rays. Already in 144 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.799 that in that pitching rotation, so there's not much there's not much more to 145 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:43.080 do. We've already got, you know how long until until elbows start flying 146 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:45.480 off because all these relievers are asked to go too long. You know that 147 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:46.799 That's that's going to be the story of the year for the Rays, is 148 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.759 the injuries. Just they can't keep sustaining these injuries and keep keep back feeling 149 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:54.000 like they have been. This is the year it's all going to come back 150 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.879 to. That seems like a really hot take because I reckon their rotation this 151 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.799 season is better than it's been for a long time. They've got proper starters 152 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:07.480 and you've got Shane Baz in the miners to make a mid season impact him. 153 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:13.759 Yeah, yeah, exactly, tell though. The thing is, I 154 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:18.039 think we all are waiting for the rais to not to work. It feels 155 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:22.759 that weird thing that, but I feel that we've now seen enough prior to 156 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:28.399 know that they can actually do this. It's just the question of which part 157 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:31.279 do you think is going to fail. I'm with Gab. I actually don't 158 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:35.639 really have an issue with this starting pitching, with the people that can potentially 159 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:39.279 come in during the season as well, if the injuries that are currently ongoing 160 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:48.279 do fix themselves. I don't think Armored Rosario is a capable MLB player anymore, 161 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:52.360 so I don't think that's a great addition to this lineup. And obviously 162 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:54.879 he's only there as a platoon hitter. He's only gonna base like right's or 163 00:10:54.879 --> 00:11:00.000 whatever. No, he's only going to face lefties or whatever. But yeah, 164 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.919 like it's just going to be how how that platooning works. If the 165 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:07.480 people they have this year continue to do what they've been able to do for 166 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:11.759 the last four or five seasons like they don't have, it's it's enough for 167 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:16.720 me because they don't have that central player like wander Froanco to be who are 168 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:20.120 they building this lineup around? Like they have to build this lineup around Yandy 169 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.080 Diaz now, and then Diaz is going to be that leadoff guy most likely, 170 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:28.000 So who is your Like, it's Yandy and Rosie Randy Rose Arena have 171 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:33.039 to provide like a lot to this team as the kind of like those core 172 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:37.080 offensive players. So I'm actually more worried about what those two can do to 173 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:39.879 give that stability than what like the rest of the team actually does. But 174 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.399 eighty eight wins is and you're kind of saying that, like that's the downside, 175 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:48.480 then yeah, I don't I don't disagree, Like they probably could lose 176 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.720 a couple more and still be an above five hundred team with a very bad 177 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:56.440 season, but also they could be a close to ninety five win season if 178 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:00.399 things go well, a very similar team. I'm okay with that sort of 179 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:05.440 projection, which based off the whopping number of wins that you've given these four 180 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:07.759 teams. I know, obviously the schedule is a bit more evened out than 181 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:11.799 it was ever previous seasons, But what are the lowly Red Sox getting then? 182 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:16.639 Rather well, you say lowly, you say lowly. But that's what 183 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.080 this division is all about. This is these aree hundred win teams that are 184 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:24.240 having their wings clipped because the Red Sox are only a win behind the Tampa 185 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.200 Bay Raids in the Toronto Blue Jays with eighty seven wins. It's insane. 186 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.279 You've never seen a division like it. It's crazy. You're never going to 187 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:35.240 see one like it again. But right now you've got every team in the 188 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:39.039 Al East winning at least eighty seven games. The Red Sox aren't bad. 189 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:43.360 Stick those Red Sox in any of the central divisions. They are coming top 190 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:46.080 or close to top. Anytime you're like, yeah, there's some pitching questions 191 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.960 there going on, there's some odd decisions and over what's going on with a 192 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:54.799 lineup, but it's all there. You got all the bits that the Red 193 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:56.879 Sox are still going to be a good team and they are going to be 194 00:12:56.080 --> 00:13:00.039 right hot on the heels of everybody else. There is no bad team in 195 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:03.440 this division. And that's why the Red Sox have eighty seven wins and are 196 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.759 losing the air least at bottom and feel really hard done by about Okay, 197 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.440 I have everything you've said so far. That is the hottest tape. I 198 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:15.480 think I was going to be willing to give you a five hundred team, 199 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.960 Rob, I'm not going to be willing to give you an eighty seven win 200 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:22.559 team. I think the question marked on the pitching here is the issue. 201 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:28.759 Obviously, losing Giolito after the exciting team was leaves the gap. Yes, 202 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.320 there's still Snell and Montgomery for potentially them to go after. Do I think 203 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:33.759 they will do it? No, because they probably should have done it before 204 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:39.639 then. Is like they've obviously given the contract out to Bellow. He looked 205 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.360 good towards the end of half of the season. But when you're thinking about 206 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:45.759 how many inningis you can have to get out of cut A Crawford, Tannahock 207 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:50.720 and Garrel Whitlock, that's that's a scary thought to me. I don't know 208 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:56.600 how you stand on that one gap. It's quite it's I'm not for words, 209 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:00.519 actually, I think Rob's take is a very aggressive one. Should we 210 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.919 say that? No, I can't see him getting above five hundred. I 211 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:09.879 don't disagree that they might win in either of the central but they seem to 212 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:15.559 have only two thirds of a hitting lineup and about yeah, two fifths of 213 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.679 a pitching rotation. So no, they're a long way off being a sensible, 214 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:24.080 proper, a serious baseball team. It's only fifty two wins for a 215 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:33.399 division predicted more than last year. It's only a Colorado Rockies more. Okay. 216 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.039 So based on these numbers, Galvin, I will now go higher or 217 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:41.120 lower, and if we both basically agree higher or lower, we will adjust 218 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:46.159 Rob's figure accordingly. Based on these things we're talking about. We think whether 219 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.240 he's more than like two wins off what we think. So if it's one 220 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:52.639 or two, it's a pass. Then if we think it's more, then 221 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:58.759 we basically say higher or lower. So okay, we run down them. 222 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:03.960 So we'll start with the Yankees. There, Yankees at ninety I'm past okay, 223 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:05.600 I think lower. So that means we stayed, does it? Yep? 224 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:09.360 Stays at ninety sticking yeah. Al. We've got the Orioles at ninety 225 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:13.000 higher. I think higher, thought you might, okay, Then we think 226 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:18.799 ninety five ninety five exactly what I've got ninety five? It is okay. 227 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.960 Then we've got the Blue Jays at eighty eight, so yes, pass for 228 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:26.720 me. Yeah, pass Rays at eighty eight. Based on the two win 229 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:33.200 margin, that's a passed for me. Yeah, past, and finally I 230 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.039 think it might be losing on this one. Is the Red Sox at eighty 231 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:41.720 seven? Yes? Lower, oh, come on eighty one at least five 232 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:45.639 hundred. No, it's going to be eighty, then eighty it is okay. 233 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:50.000 So that means that we have the Orioles winning the division with ninety five, 234 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.919 the Yankees in second with ninety, the Blue Jays and the Rays tying 235 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:56.799 with eighty eight, and the Red Sox bringing up the back with eighty. 236 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:03.399 So our first division done. Then we come my world, welcome or you 237 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:11.720 mighty week before what you see in the AL Central. Let's first talk about 238 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:19.519 the Minnesota Twins. I do have them retaining their ALE Central title. I 239 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:26.799 do not think the Twins have really done anything interesting this offseason. I think 240 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:33.360 the additions of Carlos Santana and Manuel Margo are pieces that might make their depth 241 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.080 stronger, which probably gives them like one or two points, or gives them 242 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.720 a capability of handling something that if something goes slightly missed, they can do 243 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:45.200 something. I think they've added a load of bullpen arms and if any of 244 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:48.559 them stick, it will be very interesting to see. But this is a 245 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:53.519 eminently winnable division, and the Twins have pretty much made no effort to try 246 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:57.039 and win it more. They will, as far as I'm concerned, win 247 00:16:57.080 --> 00:17:03.360 the division with the ever so mighty eighty five wins. Well, that is 248 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:08.720 exactly what I thought, and your description was absolutely perfect. I cannot find 249 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:14.359 anything fault with that. I mean, you same, absolutely, it's pretty 250 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:17.680 much right. I mean you could you could squint and look at this lineup, 251 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:22.279 the lineup and say there's you know, Korea could could have a bit 252 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:26.640 of a bounce back. The likes of Lewis could could deploy what they did 253 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:30.359 over a bit longer through the season. Buxton, even if you get anything 254 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:33.440 out of this season, that's gonna be anny better than last season. And 255 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:37.720 you know you've got Max Coupler, who's who's playing in a walk year, 256 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:41.839 So there's a little bit of room I think for the guys to do a 257 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:45.599 bit better than they did last year. That said, I don't think they've 258 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:52.200 done much with the pitching they could have done so bull Pen look's great. 259 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:53.640 But again, rotation, it's gonna be a bit of a theme this year. 260 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:56.759 I think is rotation is looking a lid all weak and I mean more 261 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:59.920 about the depth there. So yeah, I could go with that. I 262 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:02.440 here with that. It's not it's not far off. It's not far off 263 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:07.319 what I had. So yeah, fair enough. Okker on to second and 264 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:11.160 now I think this is where I might differ from some people. I have 265 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:18.400 the Detroit Tigers finishing second in the AL Central this year. I have been 266 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.920 very much. I've enjoyed, looked, looked and enjoyed the additions that they 267 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:26.920 they've made. They've thought about players that can actually be useful to them, 268 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:32.039 bringing in Kanna, bringing Flaherty and Maida like they are. They're all players 269 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:36.319 that aren't at their prime, the role players that but do still have some 270 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:40.119 pretty good upside if things go in the right way. A Seller as well, 271 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.920 I think, is a solid, if unremarkable addition to the team, 272 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:48.359 which hopefully gets these young players like Riley Green and Spencer Tulkinson will actually like 273 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:55.200 Kerry Carpenter all all coming through and being like very good to go with that. 274 00:18:55.720 --> 00:19:00.079 So I think that on top of watching Tarrek Schooble have maybe a cy 275 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:03.880 young year, I think that's not like not that bold of a statement to 276 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.519 make. There's a lot of things to like there, He's picked up a 277 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:11.160 few ticks of velocity coming into this season according to what we've seen so far 278 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:15.039 in spring training as well, so I think they can have a pretty solid 279 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.359 run this year. I still think there's just they're not quite good enough. 280 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:22.960 I think unless they get some major resurgence from like Javier Bayas and he somehow 281 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:25.160 looks like the player he did a couple of years back, I still think 282 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:29.119 they're just one or two bats short of really convening with the Twins. So 283 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:33.400 I have them as a seventy nine win team. I can't argue with solid 284 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:37.920 being the description for the Tigers. There's nothing particularly flashy about them. Potentially 285 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.119 a little bit of fun with the pitching there, but solid is absolutely right. 286 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:45.920 I may have had them a little higher than you have them because I 287 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:51.519 have a little bit more faith in the division generally upping its standard and catching 288 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:56.200 up on the Twins somewhat, But I solid is exactly the adjective. I'd 289 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.160 give it. Any thoughts, CAV, I think they're a lot more exciting 290 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.519 then you you made them out to be. I think I would not be 291 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:07.079 surprised if they don't If they win this division. I think they certainly have 292 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:11.160 the talent too, and what have you got a six win difference between them 293 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:15.400 and Minnesota. I think it's much closer than that. Yeah, I think 294 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.359 that the Meadows Green talk Wilson at the top of the lineup. I think 295 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:22.240 that's one which is going to make me turn onto Tiger's games. So yeah, 296 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:25.839 I would have had them. I think they'll be over five hundred. 297 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:30.440 So a man with the girl's name playing at DH it's character building, or 298 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:36.119 of it's character building. Yeah, okay, all right to do that, 299 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:40.680 Okay in third place. It pains me to say this, but I think 300 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:44.000 also I've probably been the low side on the Cleveland Guardians for the last two 301 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:49.359 or three of these podcasts. So yes, I think that with this team 302 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:56.119 is now showing what happens if you don't actually add additions to your squad and 303 00:20:56.200 --> 00:21:00.519 free agency when you have a very solid core. They have a team now 304 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:04.519 which with the at with the exclusion of like Jose Ramirez, is a bunch 305 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:08.640 of very good young players and nothing else, and we just don't know like 306 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:11.119 what you're going to get out of them. Like to me, it's amazing 307 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:15.200 to see that there's like the probably the starting five rotation is going to be 308 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:19.480 Beavera, Mackenzie, Bibbie, Allen, and Williams, which are all homegrown 309 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:22.799 players. Like to have a starting rotation which is potentially all homegrown players is 310 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:27.160 phenomenal and they all will probably be pretty good. One of them may come 311 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:32.240 out and be slightly better. I've quite a bit up on Biaber's Pope Pcson 312 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:34.559 stuff. When I look at the batting lineup, I just get to this 313 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:40.880 team is going to be putting out some combination of like Loreano, Straw or 314 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:45.240 Brennan or even Loreal. Two of those are going to be playing on the 315 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:51.359 outfield for probably a combined six hundred ops, which is utterly disturbing, although 316 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:57.039 they are probably all defensively capable the shortstop situation. The youngsters who have been 317 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:00.880 touted as some of the greatest prospects in base just haven't emerged to actually be 318 00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:06.680 that good. Arias and a few of the others just haven't really kind of 319 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.839 trumped out the way they hope they would. Tyler Freeman looks great as a 320 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:12.759 utility player, but nothing else to do with that. The decision to have 321 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:17.680 Davis and Dale Santos is a R All five pick, so I just adding 322 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:19.640 a twenty year old to this team who's never played more than double A, 323 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:22.559 and you've got to keep him on the squad. If you're going to do 324 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:26.200 that, it doesn't look great. But then Josmiras, Josh Naylor, Bonnaylor, 325 00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:30.319 potentially Kyle Malzado. That should be some entertained. So then some entertainment. 326 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:33.599 But a couple of injuries are not great start to the season, and 327 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:37.920 they trade just and they trade Justin Bieber. Nope, they trade Shane Bieber. 328 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:41.759 Like this team, this team isn't this team isn't getting there, Like 329 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.400 they're not going to be I think with Minnesota or even the Tigers halfway through 330 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:48.799 the season, and then they're just going to drift off because they're going to 331 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:52.079 blip some players for prospects because it's what they do. So I have them 332 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:56.279 winning seventy seven games. I think, again, you're being a bit harsh 333 00:22:56.279 --> 00:22:59.279 on them. I don't know why you've got such a downer on Cleveland. 334 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:06.519 This is every year, isn't it. Yeah, the obviously they obviously have 335 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:12.680 a fantastic rotation, they're potentially a fantastic rotation, and I think the I 336 00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:15.920 don't know what the problem is with the shortstops. I don't know whether Barrius 337 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:19.599 or Rocco will be any good, but if one of them could just break 338 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:23.640 out, that would make such a big difference, because I reckon the top 339 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:29.039 half, top two thirds of that lineup is pretty good, and then if 340 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:33.279 one of Manzado or Della Santos could actually hit, then you've got a decent 341 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:38.200 first basement for the future. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they're 342 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:42.279 five hundred two as well. Like Detroit, I tend to lean more towards 343 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:48.200 Gav's appraisal, but looking at the lineup, it is just completely devoid of 344 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.880 power, really, isn't it. That's that's the issue here. You're going 345 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:53.799 to get guys on base, it's just going to be getting them over the 346 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:56.799 line. You know, they're not much is going to be leaving yard here, 347 00:23:56.839 --> 00:24:00.359 and I think it's it's really going to hurt the team. But with 348 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:06.839 the rotation like that, you really should be at the more sharp end than 349 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:10.720 a Dodgy seventy seven season. So I reckon they've got a bit more in 350 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:12.680 it than that. Yeah, I didn't love it. I think obviously Class 351 00:24:12.680 --> 00:24:15.960 A helps them out in those close games to kind of like that, probably 352 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:19.480 maybe pushing them a little bit better than that. But I just see, 353 00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:22.680 yeah, I see them flipping people midseason, which is why I think the 354 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:26.799 it's not a five hundred team because I just think that last half of the 355 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.839 season is going to be worse. But I don't disagree with them probably being 356 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.119 a five hundred team right now. I just don't think that's why the season 357 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:36.559 is going to progress. The same way Rob's you have a mind's eye for 358 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:38.079 what happened to the Yankee season, I have a mind's eye to what's going 359 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:45.839 to happen for Cleveland season. But moving on into fourth place in the Ales 360 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:52.680 Central, I have the Kansas City Royals. I think another team that has 361 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:56.599 I think shocked does buy the moves that they made in this postseason. Kansas 362 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.720 always seem to be interesting. They always make a few free agent pickups, 363 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:04.359 and I mainly think it's so they can flip them and get some prospects to 364 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:07.079 kind of actually have a team, But they never quite seem to actually be 365 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:10.960 close enough to buy the players that they've actually bought and still be a five 366 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.559 hundred team. And I sadly think that's going to be like the same. 367 00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:19.720 Again, I think editions of like veterans like renfro and Adam Frazier and even 368 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:25.279 like Garrett Hampson a great depth. Obviously, they have Bobby with junr who 369 00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:30.559 is potentially and we talk about it, he's he's an MVP candidate for this 370 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:36.440 team. And yeah, you've got some other not inspiring position places, but 371 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:41.440 with like Garcia with kind of like Salvador Pereres, MJ. Melendez or whatever. 372 00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:44.720 Though you can see things working well. I think you could get an 373 00:25:44.759 --> 00:25:48.720 amazing season out of Cole Reagan's and with Seth Luga and Whacker's editions, I 374 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:52.680 think they're in a great position. But having Grady Singer and Jordan Lyle's probably 375 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:56.839 as your third your for fifth starter is where this kind of like the lineup 376 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:00.839 gets a little bit more like not certain. They've pretty much completely overhauled that 377 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:06.519 relief, so I don't know really what to expect from that. They'll probably 378 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:11.759 have MacArthur closing, or it might even be the pitching Will Smith who obviously, 379 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:15.319 actually, now I've said that I shouldn't realized that I should. We 380 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.480 have Kansas City winning the division because Will Smith has won the last three World 381 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.759 Series so that does mean that Kansas are guaranteed to win the World Series. 382 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:26.799 But now I think they'll be a very interesting team. I think they might 383 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.319 also do the same thing they always do, which is just not quite big 384 00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:32.200 good enough, and flip a load of players. So I have them as 385 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:37.200 a seventy five win team. I absolutely love their pitching in twenty nineteen. 386 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.680 I think, you know, you go back there and say, you know 387 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:48.440 Lugo Waka, you know Lyles nick Anderson, Yeah, fantastic, Will Smith 388 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:52.279 brilliant, But you know, today, really is this what we're still doing. 389 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:56.119 It's not a good it's not a good team. They're not going to 390 00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:00.839 It is better than last year. But last year they were a steaming pile 391 00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:04.480 of rubbish, and so this year the steam may have blown off, but 392 00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:07.400 they are still a pile of rubbish. I think they're much better than a 393 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:12.160 pile of rubbish. I think with Michael Garcia and MJ. Melendez, I've 394 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:17.720 got the potential to break out and be really good Major leaguers. And in 395 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.759 Nelson Velasqweth and Hunter Renfro, they've got a bit of power to go alongside 396 00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:27.440 the star quality of Bobby Witt. I think as I was saying to Russell 397 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:33.359 before, the only won fifty six games last year. So although they are 398 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:36.720 better now, and as Russ said about you know, the pitching with Logo 399 00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:40.839 and Reagan's and the walker, they will make a big difference. But yeah, 400 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:44.759 seventy five wins, that's a big jump in from fifty six. But 401 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:48.960 yeah, I don't really disagree with the seventy five. It seems accurate to 402 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:55.480 me. It just seems wrong to give them nineteen win advantage or nineteen win 403 00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:59.720 improvement. So I mean, you've got in fifth place and we'll probably doing 404 00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:06.039 These are a surprise to absolutely nobody. The Chicago White Sox come in last 405 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:10.119 place. What can we say about this team? That's pretty much shown over 406 00:28:10.119 --> 00:28:14.000 the last two or three years that they don't really want to compete. We 407 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.680 spent pretty much the entire season offseason when they're wondering, is Dylan See's probably 408 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:21.680 their second best player even going to be on this team from the start of 409 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:23.240 the season. But it does look like that's going to be the case. 410 00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:32.400 There are some obviously like some interesting moves into this team. Obviously seeing Eric 411 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:36.599 Breley come in over from KBO will be interesting to see how he can do 412 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:41.160 after coming back from pitching very well over there. But the back end of 413 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:45.400 this lineup is a bunch of kind of like free agent signings that really don't 414 00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:49.039 really or trades that don't really make anybody jump for Joy Dominic, Fletcher, 415 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:55.880 Paul de Young, Nicki Lopez, Martin Malsonardo Is are the fringe players that 416 00:28:55.960 --> 00:29:00.759 can't get on like good squads. So now they're the fringe players on a 417 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:06.000 bad squad. Yeah, Brevia might be a reasonable closer for them, but 418 00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:07.200 that if he years, he's not going to stay around for most of the 419 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:11.440 season. Yeah, what they get out of Copek, what Sambra and Flexen 420 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:17.119 no idea. But I can't really imagine many of them having a blow five 421 00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:22.119 vra come halfway through the season. So sorry too White Sox fans to feel 422 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:25.960 like this may be dumping it on you, But I have them as a 423 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:30.400 sixty five win team. O yep, okay, sixty five. I mean 424 00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:33.599 you can't. I was lucky enough to see the White Sox in person last 425 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.759 year and they weren't good. Then I'm actually going to see them again this 426 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:42.359 year, this time in Tampa Bay in May, and I pretty much look 427 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:47.200 forward to the Rays having their way with them. They're not good, are 428 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:49.279 they. I mean, it's the sad thing about this team is you look 429 00:29:49.319 --> 00:29:53.519 at the lineup and it's a bunch of guys who, Again, a few 430 00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:56.960 years ago, there was so much buzz about these were going to be the 431 00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:00.160 fun, the fun guys who are going to gonna, you know, change 432 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:06.480 it all and bring success back to that side of Chicago. But it all 433 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:10.279 sort of died under Tony LaRussa and it's not come back, and I don't 434 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.000 see it coming back now, and I think it's anything else to say. 435 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:18.079 It is a dreadful, dreadful lineup. Is you said about a couple of 436 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:22.720 interesting moves the Eric Ferdie one years that certainly is interesting. He was MVP, 437 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:27.160 wasn't he in the KBO? Yes, so it will be fascinating to 438 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.559 see how he comes back. But yeah, Dominic Fletcher, I don't even 439 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:37.359 know who Dominic Fletcher is. I've never seen him play, and and I 440 00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:41.160 think I have. And poor the young Niki Lopez and Martin Maldonardo, they 441 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:45.079 are Yeah, they wouldn't get in any other starting lineup, would they. 442 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:49.279 It's an argument to say that this is a worse team than the Oakland Athletics, 443 00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:56.279 I agree, yeah, And I had sixty five exactly so, and 444 00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:02.319 I thought I was going to get round booed for being so negative. So 445 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:11.640 let's walk through my values then. So Minnesota Twins eighty five wins higher passed 446 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:15.440 for me, so they stay at eighty five eighty five? It is the 447 00:31:15.559 --> 00:31:21.680 Detroit Tigers. I said seventy nine, didn't I much higher? Higher? 448 00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:25.279 Okay, what we're saying for the Tigers, then I'm right right behind the 449 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:29.640 Twins. Yeah, right behind the Twins. Eighty four eighty four sounds good? 450 00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:34.440 Take that, okay? The Guardian seventy seven higher again? Yeap, 451 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:41.680 slightly higher. Yeah, I was a little higher than that. But meet 452 00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:44.559 me on eighty two. There's still a winning team, aren't they. There 453 00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:48.359 you go eighty two, we'll have that, okay. Kansas City at seventy 454 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:53.880 five yees passed for making me close enough. Five for Kansas and then sixty 455 00:31:53.880 --> 00:32:00.440 five for the White So that's exactly what I had. Ye yeah, okay, 456 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:06.119 So that's another division done. Gav over to you to finish off the 457 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:08.799 American League with the West. Okay. So, as everyone knows, I 458 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:13.759 don't like talking, and I certainly don't like talking as much as Russell and 459 00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:19.720 Rob, so my process is going to be much much quicker. I think 460 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:23.319 there is a clear number one team in this division, which I think is 461 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:29.720 a very good division, and that's the Houston Astros. I think time and 462 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:34.480 again they just managed to put it together and I think they are going to 463 00:32:35.160 --> 00:32:40.240 romp away with the division this year. They they haven't really needed to make 464 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:46.960 many additions. The rotation is really good. And that's with Berlander starting on 465 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:53.240 the al and in our two ve and alvarezm Brigman and Tucker and a braw 466 00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:58.519 You've just got a dream team in the hitting lineup. So yeah, I 467 00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:01.920 can't really see a week in the Astros and what do they do They go 468 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:08.759 and add Josh So yep, I've got them down this ninety five wins anyone 469 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:13.559 anything to say, No, really, it might be slightly steep, depending 470 00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:16.160 on maybe a little bit, but yeah, all parks right, But yeah, 471 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:19.400 it's not going to play everybody else in some of the other divisions. 472 00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:22.119 It's not just being up on a couple of crap teams in this division. 473 00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:24.799 But yeah, I would think they would win the division. Might be a 474 00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:28.759 bit too much but yeah, we're waiting for that window to close, aren't 475 00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:30.759 we. That's really what we're sort of waiting on. It's just just will 476 00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:35.359 it close? Or is this the the machine that is just going to keep 477 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:39.279 churning out a team that can keep competing. And I think we're starting to 478 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:43.759 see that that might be what they are rather than this this this great big 479 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:47.160 boom bust machine that they look like it might be at the beginning of this 480 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:52.079 this dynasty, if you will. But it looks like they're here to stay, 481 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:54.559 so I I, yeah, I can't really fault the analysis there. 482 00:33:54.880 --> 00:34:00.000 So then in second place, it was easy. It's the it's the easy 483 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:05.519 and controversial option to choose rangers. So I've gone for the Seattle Marriners, 484 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:10.199 and I love the wheeling and dealing that they've done. I love the people 485 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:15.840 that they've brought in. I think Mitch Garver as a permanent DH could be 486 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:20.920 could be a stroke of genius. I love Porge Polanco being the solution to 487 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:23.880 this second base problem that they've had. Luke Rayley is he as good as 488 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:28.880 he was last year? I don't know. Maybe Mitch Haniger, could he 489 00:34:29.239 --> 00:34:32.400 have a whole season without being injured? I don't know, and then Julio 490 00:34:32.519 --> 00:34:37.039 Robert Riguez is not a bad player. I've come to that conclusion. And 491 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:42.880 they've got, yeah, just an absolutely fantastic rotation. Now they haven't really 492 00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:46.840 got a huge amount of depth, but as long as they don't get too 493 00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:52.000 many injuries, I reckon, Yeah, good team, good season, and 494 00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:55.199 I think they will sneak into the playoffs. And I have them second in 495 00:34:55.320 --> 00:35:01.440 division with eighty five, which gives Houston a mess ten game advantage. Interesting. 496 00:35:01.719 --> 00:35:06.159 I just don't believe in the Mariners. I don't know if maybe I'm 497 00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:10.599 just becoming prejudice against them or something, but I mean, you make fair 498 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:14.960 arguments for every guys you run down that list as to why they could be 499 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:20.079 good. I just don't see it. I just see there's something about this 500 00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:23.119 team that feels a bit balse and I don't think it's going to do the 501 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:28.719 bers. I just I just still can't can't buy into them. But I 502 00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:31.760 freely admitted this point it's probably due to a prejudice. So I guess the 503 00:35:31.800 --> 00:35:35.840 thing is, Gab, if you're saying eighty five with what we've gone through 504 00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.880 for they're not qualifying for the postseason like they were on my list. Well, 505 00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:46.880 I think we've got a ninety to eighty eight for the positions like in 506 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:51.400 from the Al Central. So an eighty five win Mariners team is going to 507 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:53.400 be probably a good team out of it, and that is short of the 508 00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:59.280 playoffs by a couple of wins, finish above the Yankees on my list. 509 00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:04.840 I think it's quick worth quickly mentioning how good this starting line appears, like 510 00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:25.679 Castillo, Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert Bet and then George and Brian obviously with 511 00:36:25.800 --> 00:36:37.840 Louis. This is this lineup is is pretty France is now with but France 512 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:42.280 is playing with the other front Frances with the Astros. But yes, the 513 00:36:42.719 --> 00:36:46.239 yeah, obviously this this pitching lineup could be amazing, Like it's just looks 514 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:50.800 top notch. This is what is going to drive that team. They're going 515 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:52.880 to be in contention because of this lineup. Whether they make it or not 516 00:36:53.320 --> 00:36:57.840 is because of the players that you talked about, Calf, like planco The 517 00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:01.199 and Garb. I think their performances will make them either an eighty two wing 518 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:05.760 team or an eighty win team. So I don't have a concern with eighty 519 00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:07.480 five. I just don't. I think they've got Dom miss out on the 520 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:12.840 playoffs, Yeah, prob. So yeah, I mean I already said I'm 521 00:37:12.840 --> 00:37:15.960 prejudiced against them, so you know, I'm kind of out. So I 522 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:20.360 didn't want to knuck up out with lots of different numbers, so I just 523 00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:23.280 did fives or multiples of five. So I had ninety five for the Houston 524 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:29.039 Astros, eighty five for sid Mariners, and I've also got Texas Rangers on 525 00:37:29.159 --> 00:37:32.719 eighty five as well. And yeah, I know they won the World Series, 526 00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:37.960 but that was a bit lucky, really, wasn't it. They're pitching 527 00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:43.840 really worries me in the second half of the season. If Scherza under Grom 528 00:37:43.880 --> 00:37:46.400 come back, it could be fantastic, but I think they might just have 529 00:37:46.519 --> 00:37:52.840 too much ground to make up then. And yeah, with Seega's injury, 530 00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:58.760 their lineup just looks so so much worse. So yeah, they were they 531 00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:00.760 were good to watch. It was a great story, but I think they 532 00:38:00.880 --> 00:38:07.280 flattered to deceive and I think they'll just sneak over five hundred, well more 533 00:38:07.320 --> 00:38:12.880 than snake together. So eighty five wins for the Texas Rangers. Once again, 534 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:15.840 I don't think you can really disagree with it too much. I think 535 00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:19.199 this team is potentially the one that has the most variance out of all teams. 536 00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:22.400 Like this season, I think you've got a lot of You've got some 537 00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:28.920 young hitters with Carter with probably why Langford playing a lot of games for them 538 00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:35.039 again this year with Zekiel Duran. Whatever they get out of these these players 539 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:37.199 are going to make a massive different And that back end of that pitching like 540 00:38:37.559 --> 00:38:43.119 your Valdi Gray Heeney probably solid, if unremarkable four and a half the ra 541 00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:45.559 throughout the season, and they're hitting lineup scored more than that last year to 542 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:50.559 kind of get past it. But Dunning, probably Bradford, You're going to 543 00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:52.920 really need to hit some runs to make sure that you're winning a lot of 544 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:55.679 games. So I think they'll be in with a chance, and I think 545 00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:59.880 they might be. I'll be very interesting to you have them like the front 546 00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:01.840 all the ownership goes for this, because I think they'd be in the prime 547 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:05.800 position to be like, oh, we're bringing ss and Gon back for the 548 00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:07.519 second half of the season, so we know we were going to be better. 549 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:12.920 Let's even get somebody else if they're close to do it. But all 550 00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:15.320 they could just be like well, getting to gram Ancher. The back is 551 00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:19.360 like signing a free signing somebody in the trade deadline. But yeah, I 552 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:22.599 can't really say too much otherwise that I would have put them probably slightly below 553 00:39:22.719 --> 00:39:28.800 Seattle. But eighty five and eighty five is reasonable to me. I'm sorry, 554 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:31.719 I'm just saying I'm terrified by their bullpen too, Like, if you 555 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:35.880 want to talk about a bit more of it. I'm looking at guys like 556 00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:38.360 there's people there like, who the hell is Mark Church? Who is middle 557 00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:42.320 of that? Uh? You know he's supposed to be playing for them like 558 00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:44.880 this, these are the World Series winners, you know, And there's non 559 00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:49.239 roster invites and and guys you've never heard of on in their ballpen, like 560 00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:52.000 is jose Le Clerk's arm going to remain attached to this season or will it? 561 00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:57.519 Will it sail through the air after a ball through overuse? Like I'm 562 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:00.360 terrified of of that bullpen, but not in the way that I'm terrified they're 563 00:40:00.360 --> 00:40:04.519 going to put my team down. I am terrified for their safety. Yeah. 564 00:40:04.719 --> 00:40:07.719 I like the addition of Robertson. I think he had a lot of 565 00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:15.280 security in that bull penber So in fourth place, a huge margin between first, 566 00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:20.760 second and third and then fourth I have the Los Angeles Angels, and 567 00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:23.119 because I have to do it in multiples of five, I couldn't decide whether 568 00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:27.480 to give them sixty five or seventy wins. I've given them seventy wins, 569 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:31.440 and then I've just seen that they've got mickemoniac leading off. So yeah, 570 00:40:31.679 --> 00:40:38.519 it's what's more to say about the Angels. They've blown this incredible position that 571 00:40:38.599 --> 00:40:45.199 they had with the two of the best players we've ever seen. They try 572 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:49.800 to put it together, but they've got some half decent players, but I 573 00:40:49.800 --> 00:40:53.239 don't know. It just frustrates me that they could have been so much better. 574 00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:57.199 They should be so much better. I'm still going to enjoy watching them, 575 00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:00.039 but yeah, poor Mike Trout, I think he's going to see a 576 00:41:00.320 --> 00:41:04.400 playoffs this year. What have we got, guys? I mean, I 577 00:41:05.199 --> 00:41:07.400 that the Angels of the Enigma wrapped in Enigma, wrapped in Enigma, aren't 578 00:41:07.400 --> 00:41:10.079 they? In that We're every year of this is the year, this is 579 00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:13.159 the year, this is the year. Now the fact we're all saying, 580 00:41:13.199 --> 00:41:15.639 oh no, this isn't the Is it gonna happen? Now? Is it 581 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:17.760 gonna happen? Because you know, again you can squint and look at this 582 00:41:17.880 --> 00:41:22.760 lineup and it's still got enough behind it that you could say, all right, 583 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:27.119 if everyone plays well here that then they can they can they can be 584 00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:30.960 involved. You know, like Anthony Roundon has been a very controversial character reap, 585 00:41:31.039 --> 00:41:34.840 but if you wind the clock back just a couple of years to when 586 00:41:34.840 --> 00:41:37.039 he had some health, he was he was spectacular. You know, we're 587 00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:40.400 constantly referred to as the most underrated player in baseball. You know, he's 588 00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:44.400 right there, Like Mike Troutz had a couple of down years. So just 589 00:41:44.480 --> 00:41:49.960 adding those two back halfway back to their peaks would be a huge boost for 590 00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:53.960 the team. Now you can't look far past what they have lost. I 591 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:59.840 completely agree with with the wins that they were being contributed by by Otani. 592 00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:04.880 But you know, sat there in that team, like watching everyone look straight 593 00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:07.760 past you at the glittering Toney, it must rub on you eventually. So 594 00:42:07.920 --> 00:42:13.079 perhaps this team will get that kind of plucky upstart vibe about them. Maybe 595 00:42:13.119 --> 00:42:15.360 they're going a bit of a run. That said, I don't think they're 596 00:42:15.360 --> 00:42:20.360 great either, realistically, I don't think there's bad as you making them out. 597 00:42:20.360 --> 00:42:22.440 I've I've got them a bit higher. Actually, I've got them not 598 00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:24.280 having a bit of a bit of a squirt at it. But but yeah, 599 00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:28.320 they're not they're not brilliant, they're not they're not well be I agree 600 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:31.119 on that. I like what you say about Anthony or and doing because if 601 00:42:31.159 --> 00:42:36.079 you give gave a few beers, he may give some similar opinions and suggesting 602 00:42:36.119 --> 00:42:40.000 that he might very well be an MVP candidate for this season. So what 603 00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:49.679 happens in the pub stays in the pub. But yeah, well that's not 604 00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:52.639 much like you actually look at this lineup, would be interesting to see what 605 00:42:52.719 --> 00:42:55.320 they get out of no lunch any well, great, Like I didn't really 606 00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:59.519 look like he had any power for the rest of this lineup. Is like, 607 00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:02.480 beyond Trout and Rendon, you're like, well Ward and Dreury are useful? 608 00:43:02.599 --> 00:43:07.199 Are they amazing? No? Then you look at the pitching and you're 609 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:10.480 like, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, and 610 00:43:10.519 --> 00:43:16.800 you're like, doesn't look horrendous, but it's about us or or a war 611 00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:21.760 inspiring a lineup us. I think you can have that includes like Mike Trout 612 00:43:21.760 --> 00:43:25.360 and Anthony Rendon. So yeah, I would have maybe been like seventy five 613 00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:30.519 region, but they're not going to be good. So this is this season 614 00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:36.079 they will be good. So just before you vote on my seventy prediction, 615 00:43:36.280 --> 00:43:38.800 Yeah, they won seventy three last year and they've lost show Tarni, So 616 00:43:39.840 --> 00:43:45.920 you think that they're too wins better having lost that Japanese geezer. Yes, 617 00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:50.760 so Houston Astros, I've got nineteen Wait wait wait, wait, wait wait, 618 00:43:50.760 --> 00:43:52.400 you've missed one team. I know, and I know maybe some of 619 00:43:52.440 --> 00:43:55.280 the world wants to think that there isn't a team still in Oakland, GALV. 620 00:43:55.400 --> 00:44:04.039 But there is still a team. Are there five teams in this Okay? 621 00:44:04.119 --> 00:44:07.079 Yeah, the Oakland As. They're not as bad as everyone thinks, 622 00:44:07.079 --> 00:44:13.639 are they really? They were absolutely dreadful last year, fifty wins, and 623 00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:21.639 they haven't really made any additions at any notable additions. But yeah, I 624 00:44:21.679 --> 00:44:24.400 think some of those players that we just dismissed last year, Rule five guy 625 00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:31.000 Ryan Noder, he's he's an okay major league now, Brent Rooker, he's 626 00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:36.320 turned into a good player. And Zach Geloff looks like he's was he twenty 627 00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:39.000 twenty last year. He's only a youngster. He can be Yeah, he 628 00:44:39.000 --> 00:44:45.800 could take the next step or two. Who knows about Suri Ruiz. If 629 00:44:45.840 --> 00:44:49.000 he could find a bit of power, he could, Yeah, he could 630 00:44:49.039 --> 00:44:53.800 just make that trade with the Braves and the Brewers. Look as though Oakland 631 00:44:53.880 --> 00:44:58.679 knew what they were doing. They've added Wood and striplind to give them a 632 00:44:58.679 --> 00:45:02.400 few extra innings, as Russell was advising me earlier, so that they're not 633 00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:06.960 going to be anywhere near as bad as last year. But I am it 634 00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:10.440 still feels wrong to predict them to have a fifteen win jump, But that's 635 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:15.119 what I'm doing. Sixty five wins. Yeah. I think they're playing major 636 00:45:15.159 --> 00:45:17.000 league players at the start of the season, which is what they weren't doing 637 00:45:17.039 --> 00:45:22.119 at the start of last season. That was objectively they were not playing major 638 00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:27.320 league players. And I don't see that as much this season some because some 639 00:45:27.360 --> 00:45:30.719 of those players they played the last year have actually got better from the experience 640 00:45:30.760 --> 00:45:34.599 that they had, or some aren't there anymore, and they've actually added in 641 00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:39.639 some veteran players like Abraham Porro is not amazing, but is a solid back 642 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:45.320 end of the like the of a lineup player Wooden Stripling, as I will 643 00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:49.559 say, we'll probably combine for two hundred and sixty to three hundred innings for 644 00:45:49.639 --> 00:45:52.000 them. This year, and that will be a solid mid four rearra not 645 00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:55.719 the seven or eight that we were seeing for the start of the season for 646 00:45:55.800 --> 00:46:00.719 the A's. So I can see a big jump in wins for this team, 647 00:46:00.800 --> 00:46:08.159 not anything that's remotely respectable, but I think sixty five is easily achievable 648 00:46:08.159 --> 00:46:13.280 for this team. I'd be close to say seventy. But yeah, that's 649 00:46:13.320 --> 00:46:16.920 my thought. Can you sorry just before you jump in, or maybe you 650 00:46:16.920 --> 00:46:21.559 can answer this. Can you see them finishing above the Angels? No, 651 00:46:21.880 --> 00:46:23.000 I don't think so, but I also think the Angels are a bit better 652 00:46:23.039 --> 00:46:28.039 than you thought they were, So yeah, yeah, I can name. 653 00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:31.039 I can look at the list of people in their bullpen this year and I 654 00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:36.039 have heard of a few of them, which is a ginormous improvement on last 655 00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:42.119 year. And all these young guys who were were nowhere last year are a 656 00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:45.039 year further down the road they so they can't be as bad as last year. 657 00:46:46.239 --> 00:46:50.519 Michel Andrew Hards still on the bench. You know how that guy keeps 658 00:46:50.519 --> 00:46:52.400 getting a job? I don't know, but he seems like a good chap, 659 00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:58.559 So yeah, I mean, I don't know who Lucas er seg keg, 660 00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:02.840 who's he even Russ still is quiet on this section of the eight ballpen. 661 00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:09.800 Oh, when Mason Miller gets injured. Lucas Earth, he's my man. 662 00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:14.039 I'm writing that name down. I've got some drafts coming up. Lucas 663 00:47:14.079 --> 00:47:17.840 Earth sig Yeah, solid strikeouts for them last year in the second half of 664 00:47:17.880 --> 00:47:23.199 the season, had a much better fifth than what was your total for the 665 00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:27.480 A's sixty five? So do you want to do it from start with the 666 00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:30.880 age started at the top. It's not the tot gav Okay, So Houston 667 00:47:30.920 --> 00:47:35.880 Astros ninety five higher lower or gave got it just right? I was in 668 00:47:35.920 --> 00:47:39.000 that ballpark. Yeah, I'll keep it. It's fine. The wording is 669 00:47:39.039 --> 00:47:44.719 gab, got it just right, got it just right. Seattle Mariners eighty 670 00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:50.079 five lower, I'm the same, but you're also lower. No, gab, 671 00:47:50.159 --> 00:47:53.559 got it just right? Oh no, well that's my wild card. 672 00:47:53.599 --> 00:47:58.159 Everybody was using a joke. I'ven't got wild card. You got a joke, 673 00:47:58.280 --> 00:48:00.480 whatever, my joker, whatever we're calling it. This is this silly 674 00:48:00.559 --> 00:48:07.360 format. I am dropping the Mariners to seventy nine wins. Okay, that's 675 00:48:07.400 --> 00:48:10.599 my joke. Texas Rangers eighty five, bang on, I would have said 676 00:48:10.639 --> 00:48:15.719 lower but that's fine Los Angeles Angels. I suspect it's going to be higher, 677 00:48:15.719 --> 00:48:19.760 But I said seventy, yeah, higher, Hi, what are you 678 00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:22.320 going for? I had five hundred, I had a eighty one. That's 679 00:48:22.360 --> 00:48:29.199 not higher. I didn't have the economic quite that good. I was going 680 00:48:29.239 --> 00:48:32.199 to be more to say, like mid seventies, like seventy seven to seventy 681 00:48:32.239 --> 00:48:36.000 eight. Right, all right, that's fine, we'll split the difference. 682 00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:39.079 Seventy seven seventy eight takes seventy seven, then, yeah, sneventy eight seventy 683 00:48:39.159 --> 00:48:42.599 eight. There we go, spliting it higher one of the two seventy eight 684 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:45.880 and the Oakland Athletics I had was sixty five. I was slightly higher, 685 00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:51.480 I want to say higher I had at seventy I had them at sixty nine. 686 00:48:51.559 --> 00:48:53.840 So let's go for the sixteen nine. Let's go with that sixty nine. 687 00:48:53.880 --> 00:49:00.599 And is okay something nice about the oak Contacts. So let's move into 688 00:49:00.639 --> 00:49:06.239 the National League. We'll continue with the order that we're going through. So 689 00:49:06.280 --> 00:49:08.960 we're now going to go onto the National League East, which I do believe 690 00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:15.480 is my one to go through. So let's maybe take a gave approach to 691 00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:21.840 this. Braves, very good one hundred wins. Okay, yep, do 692 00:49:21.920 --> 00:49:24.920 we really need to discuss anything here? Probably like they are the best team 693 00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:29.679 in baseball, that they don't have a particularly amount of strong amount of competition 694 00:49:29.800 --> 00:49:34.519 in their division. Okay, let's each pick on one thing we don't like 695 00:49:34.559 --> 00:49:38.719 about the Braves. The fact that Jered fans Okay, but the team the 696 00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:47.880 chop the same, Okay, the fact that they're basically letting Renaldo Lopez start. 697 00:49:49.639 --> 00:49:52.000 Okay, I'm going to say Chris Salees absolutely done and there's no point 698 00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:57.239 in him being there. Gav I reckon that. Had we have had the 699 00:49:57.320 --> 00:50:01.599 news that we got today that whole needs an MRI. Had that been on 700 00:50:01.719 --> 00:50:07.280 Spencer Strider, I think everyone's opinion of the Braves would have yet taken quite 701 00:50:07.280 --> 00:50:13.400 a big of a knock. I think he is easily the most important player 702 00:50:13.440 --> 00:50:16.360 on that roster, and I think if they lost him, their pitching would 703 00:50:16.360 --> 00:50:22.159 look really quite mediocre. So we've all identified the rotation. Yeah, it's 704 00:50:22.199 --> 00:50:28.360 fine when you have probably five of the best twenty hitters in baseball, So 705 00:50:28.360 --> 00:50:30.360 so yeah, I'll keep that simple. One hundred. Yeah, they should 706 00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:34.800 all be pretty amazing. The bottom of the lineup could do better, But 707 00:50:34.920 --> 00:50:37.960 it doesn't really matter when you have that good of top light up. After 708 00:50:38.760 --> 00:50:45.880 the Braves, I have Phillies, unsurprisingly, a couple of strong additions to 709 00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:49.800 the squad, if you can really call them additions when they're effectively extending, 710 00:50:50.079 --> 00:50:55.719 like well adding in bringing Nola back and extending Zach Wheeler for even longer. 711 00:50:57.519 --> 00:51:00.280 This team is virtually the same as it was last year, with the addition 712 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:07.400 of Whitmerorfield as some utility cover. So is this team gonna be much better 713 00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:09.480 or worse than it was last year? I don't think so. They were 714 00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:15.119 a ninety win team last year. They're a ninety win team again this year. 715 00:51:15.239 --> 00:51:19.800 I think once again, like phenomenal stop that lineup, top of that 716 00:51:20.079 --> 00:51:23.559 pitching lineup, on top of that batting lineup is great. Like it's probably 717 00:51:23.639 --> 00:51:27.880 only the top four but the Phillies compared to the top five for the Braves. 718 00:51:28.079 --> 00:51:30.440 But yeah, it's and the bottom what the Braves have in the outfield. 719 00:51:30.760 --> 00:51:32.599 Maybe that's not really discussing I mean, not the Braves. What the 720 00:51:32.599 --> 00:51:37.079 Phillies having the outfield is probably not the best. But that'll be the difference 721 00:51:37.119 --> 00:51:38.639 I think between them and the Braves this year. So I have them as 722 00:51:38.639 --> 00:51:42.119 an ninety win team. Again. Yeah, I can't really argue with them 723 00:51:42.159 --> 00:51:45.199 being good. I think if you can look at something that's worrying about them, 724 00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:50.039 it is an older team at this point, particularly looking at people like 725 00:51:50.119 --> 00:51:52.559 real Muto who had a down year, and is that a beginning of some 726 00:51:52.639 --> 00:51:59.519 decline. We know that captures don't necessarily always age that well. Bryce Harper 727 00:51:59.519 --> 00:52:00.760 a lot sort of lives and died with his bat, So you know, 728 00:52:00.840 --> 00:52:06.760 how how was that going to go? So you know, yes, absolutely 729 00:52:06.840 --> 00:52:10.119 great team, but you know there's there's there's some some threads you could pull 730 00:52:10.119 --> 00:52:13.400 out if you want to see see a bit of a collapse. Yeah, 731 00:52:13.440 --> 00:52:16.000 I think I think you're right. They are a great team. I think 732 00:52:16.039 --> 00:52:21.679 they'll do slightly better than last year. I think Turner and Harper will turn 733 00:52:21.719 --> 00:52:24.880 in better seasons and they had last year. I think they'll keep it going 734 00:52:24.920 --> 00:52:30.599 for the whole year. But yeah, I think I thought I was gonna 735 00:52:30.599 --> 00:52:32.400 have to use my joker and Phillis to put them up into a second place. 736 00:52:32.440 --> 00:52:37.159 So you've saved my joker for later. You thought I would have either 737 00:52:37.199 --> 00:52:44.039 of the next two teams above the village. Everyone loves the Mets like, 738 00:52:45.079 --> 00:52:50.880 So I'm gonna I'm gonna shock you with that gav By saying that the third 739 00:52:50.880 --> 00:52:58.519 place team in the n L East is the Miami Marlins. Wow, not 740 00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:00.880 actually maybe that great of team. I have them that well, I'm gonna 741 00:53:00.880 --> 00:53:05.000 say right now, I have them as an eighty one win team. I 742 00:53:05.039 --> 00:53:08.000 think this is the news that maybe we're hearing about from regards to some of 743 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:13.280 their pitching. Might suddenly change that if Carbrera does have as big an issue 744 00:53:13.320 --> 00:53:15.559 as potentially as being discussed, I don't see them supporting that, so they 745 00:53:15.559 --> 00:53:20.760 could drop down fairly quickly off that. But I like this pitching lineup. 746 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:25.079 I like Tanna Scott as well as as as a closer. As long as 747 00:53:25.079 --> 00:53:29.800 he can throw strikes, which has always been his been his issue. He's 748 00:53:29.840 --> 00:53:32.679 got the stuff, just whether he gets to control this lineup. If they 749 00:53:32.719 --> 00:53:37.280 have a res with bell Berger going afterwards, I think you'll get on base 750 00:53:37.320 --> 00:53:40.480 and then you'll get some runs driven in. Do I believe in Tim Anderson? 751 00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:45.199 No? Do I believe in jazzatism. Who knows. Maybe he's now 752 00:53:45.239 --> 00:53:47.320 doesn't have the same diet that I do and isn't eating makid. He's like 753 00:53:47.360 --> 00:53:52.719 every single day. Maybe that might make a difference to his level of performance, 754 00:53:53.760 --> 00:53:57.440 But yeah, this is this is like a pitching and at start of 755 00:53:57.440 --> 00:54:00.039 that lineup team that will make it make a difference on not Could they be 756 00:54:00.119 --> 00:54:05.400 good, yes, if John Bertie's probably starting every single game at third base, 757 00:54:05.639 --> 00:54:09.159 probably not. So I just have them as an eighty one team. 758 00:54:09.280 --> 00:54:13.679 I think they'll be. They'll probably start the season very well and then just 759 00:54:13.960 --> 00:54:16.760 they'll have a couple of sprawlings in the pitching and they'll just drift off and 760 00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:22.760 fail to make that postseason picture your hat. That seems very optimistic to me. 761 00:54:22.880 --> 00:54:27.360 I think their lineup is dreadful. I think when Jake bert Berger is 762 00:54:27.400 --> 00:54:34.159 the only guy likely to get twenty home runs, they just so devoid of 763 00:54:34.280 --> 00:54:37.000 power. Who knows what Chism will do, Who knows what Anderson will do? 764 00:54:37.400 --> 00:54:44.239 Avasil Garcia, I'm surprised he's still around. And then they're pitching for 765 00:54:44.559 --> 00:54:47.360 all of the great things. When everyone goes on about about Miami pitching, 766 00:54:47.639 --> 00:54:52.960 Cabrera, has he picked up an injury in spring training? Rogers is he 767 00:54:52.079 --> 00:54:57.760 coming back? Who knows aj Puck He's not really a starter, So yeah, 768 00:54:57.880 --> 00:55:02.960 it's it looks like they could easily, easily easily just end up like 769 00:55:04.000 --> 00:55:07.880 a seventy win team or something. They don't dispute that. I just think 770 00:55:07.960 --> 00:55:10.519 that like as it is now, it isn't maybe one team. But yeah, 771 00:55:10.679 --> 00:55:13.920 Rob, yeah they've got They've got a few dice rolls in there, 772 00:55:13.960 --> 00:55:17.679 haven't they. I think there's a lot you can't predict. Like Tim Anderson 773 00:55:19.000 --> 00:55:22.760 is really only a year away from being excellent, you know, like he 774 00:55:23.119 --> 00:55:27.840 was, he was fantastic a couple of years ago. Jazz Chisholm was was, 775 00:55:28.119 --> 00:55:30.719 you know, the new Messiah, like you know, maybe maybe the 776 00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:34.840 injuries last year put him off that a little bit. Avasail Garcia has been 777 00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:37.719 you know, solid for a good long while, you know, and Jake 778 00:55:37.760 --> 00:55:39.960 Burger is good. Josh Bell is very up and down. If a Rias 779 00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:43.920 does what he or anything close to what he did last year, then you 780 00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:45.400 know, maybe we can see some more of that. So you know, 781 00:55:45.440 --> 00:55:49.360 I'm I don't think any of the you know, it's all gonna come together 782 00:55:49.400 --> 00:55:52.280 and they're going to be great, but you know, there are some there's 783 00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:54.320 more sort of variants I think in what this team could do the most. 784 00:55:55.039 --> 00:55:59.280 So so I think very hard to predict but I could absolutely see why you're 785 00:55:59.280 --> 00:56:00.960 taking them by the side. Okay, talking about the Mats, I don't 786 00:56:01.000 --> 00:56:04.159 really have much of a difference. I actually also have them as an eighty 787 00:56:04.159 --> 00:56:08.960 one win team. I quite like the start of this lineup, Nimo McNeil, 788 00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:14.960 Lindor Alonso Alvarez seems great. Then what are you getting out of the 789 00:56:15.000 --> 00:56:19.719 rest of it? From like Marte Bader baby whoever they choose to how is 790 00:56:19.760 --> 00:56:22.679 the DH? A couple of people even saying that gim Mantroy, who they've 791 00:56:22.679 --> 00:56:24.559 brought up as a non roster invite, might end up being their DH for 792 00:56:24.639 --> 00:56:28.639 the season. Boy, I really really think about Obviously they've got Edwin Diaz 793 00:56:28.679 --> 00:56:30.679 back, which would be a great thing, but they need to be in 794 00:56:30.719 --> 00:56:34.280 close games for Diez to be useful. And if you want to talk about 795 00:56:34.280 --> 00:56:38.559 a difference in twelve months, think about who is pitching starting games for New 796 00:56:38.599 --> 00:56:44.440 York Mets this year like it last year it was de Grom Shures, a 797 00:56:44.519 --> 00:56:49.880 code I singer like potentially like Carlos Carrasco, and who's a Kintana, which 798 00:56:49.880 --> 00:56:52.320 we're all you could think great things about this this year it's like, well, 799 00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:55.360 Kintana has probably gone from being your fourth starter to your first starter. 800 00:56:55.920 --> 00:57:00.320 Then you've got Severino, who the hell knows what you're gonna get out of 801 00:57:00.360 --> 00:57:04.559 him. Sean Mania, I actually quite like. But I think then you've 802 00:57:04.559 --> 00:57:07.719 got Adrian Houser and Taylor McGill being projected as the fourth and fifth starters right 803 00:57:07.760 --> 00:57:12.719 now. That doesn't look good to me. There are obviously some players that 804 00:57:12.760 --> 00:57:15.960 could come through and make some differences about that, but it looks ugly from 805 00:57:15.960 --> 00:57:21.719 a pitching perspective. If I'm perfectly honest, I don't think obviously they've got 806 00:57:21.760 --> 00:57:25.599 Ottavino and Diaz and a couple of others in the bullpen and like like Brooks 807 00:57:25.679 --> 00:57:31.280 Radio or whatever in the from a relief point perspective, but it's to me, 808 00:57:31.320 --> 00:57:35.239 it's a pretty I do team when it comes to that starting pitching, 809 00:57:35.239 --> 00:57:37.480 and I just think they're not going to be in a lot of games if 810 00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:43.039 their hitters don't quite work. So it's an eighty one win team because Steve 811 00:57:43.079 --> 00:57:45.960 has decided that not to go for it this season. Yeah, I think 812 00:57:45.000 --> 00:57:51.320 the loss of Singer makes so much difference to their rotation. You know, 813 00:57:51.599 --> 00:57:54.920 I sort of had him as a sneaky, sy young Award winner this pick 814 00:57:54.960 --> 00:57:59.639 this year. Yeah, so yeah, who knows what we'll get out Savarino 815 00:57:59.760 --> 00:58:04.039 and Meniah and House and if it's not going well a little while in you 816 00:58:04.039 --> 00:58:07.199 can see there being a bit of a tear down here, Alonso in particular 817 00:58:07.239 --> 00:58:13.000 being the target as he's approaching free agency. So there's you know, could 818 00:58:13.000 --> 00:58:15.079 they get squeeze some value out of lind or if they're not going to compete 819 00:58:15.119 --> 00:58:19.679 the next couple of years, who knows, So it could all come crashing 820 00:58:19.679 --> 00:58:22.519 and burning down. I don't think they'll trade the indoors because I think they'll 821 00:58:22.559 --> 00:58:27.719 be like they're definitely going to want to compete next year. But yeah, 822 00:58:27.840 --> 00:58:30.280 I think that you're right that they could do and again what they did live 823 00:58:30.400 --> 00:58:35.119 this year, just to kind of like get a few prospects for some top 824 00:58:35.119 --> 00:58:40.039 players. So to round off this division like we have with pretty much all 825 00:58:40.079 --> 00:58:45.119 of the other divisions so far, there is another team that is clearly bottom 826 00:58:45.440 --> 00:58:50.360 That is the Washington national Do I think the Washington Nationals will be a good 827 00:58:50.400 --> 00:58:52.519 team this year? No? Do I think they'll be an entertaining team this 828 00:58:52.599 --> 00:59:01.039 year. Potentially the likes of CD Abrams and Lane Thomas should provide some interesting 829 00:59:01.039 --> 00:59:06.239 combination of power and speed, which if you're a fantasy player, you're far 830 00:59:06.280 --> 00:59:09.679 more into than the the regular viewer of baseball. Do I like the fact 831 00:59:09.679 --> 00:59:13.920 that Joey Gallow is there, Of course I do. I will love Joey 832 00:59:13.960 --> 00:59:17.960 Gallow for as long as you shall play baseball. But some of the other 833 00:59:19.039 --> 00:59:22.320 kind of like additions, like potentially like Eddie Rosario, Nick Senzel, they're 834 00:59:22.360 --> 00:59:27.400 not really kind of jumping out to being like amazing to anybody. That pitching 835 00:59:27.480 --> 00:59:30.079 is the same as it was last year. So if you're rolling out Patrick 836 00:59:30.119 --> 00:59:34.920 Corbyn again for another potentially thirty starts, you know that your aim isn't to 837 00:59:34.960 --> 00:59:37.880 win baseball. It's just to take those innings over and get to a time 838 00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:45.039 when you can spend money on somebody else. So yeah, Gray should be 839 00:59:45.039 --> 00:59:49.800 reasonable. Mackenzie gore. Hey's the one point one of the top prospects in 840 00:59:49.840 --> 00:59:52.840 baseball was the third round pick, wasn't he back in whenever he was picked 841 00:59:52.840 --> 00:59:57.920 for twenty seventeen maybe sixteen? So yeah, like there's some potential there, 842 00:59:57.960 --> 01:00:00.119 But yeah, with Van and Williams as your other starts, it's not really 843 01:00:00.159 --> 01:00:09.440 gonna be anything particularly enthralling. From a wins perspective for the Nationals, I 844 01:00:09.480 --> 01:00:14.440 have them at seventy just because I don't think that anybody is a monstrous in 845 01:00:14.480 --> 01:00:16.880 this division, and I think that they are better than a couple of other 846 01:00:17.360 --> 01:00:27.000 teams, being the White Sox and assume to be mentioned Colorado based franchise. 847 01:00:27.719 --> 01:00:31.039 Any thoughts there, gentlemen, I don't. I think what you've sort of 848 01:00:31.039 --> 01:00:36.039 said there is is they're a little bit unspectacular, But I don't think they're 849 01:00:36.079 --> 01:00:39.079 as bad as all that either, you know, there's it wouldn't be the 850 01:00:39.159 --> 01:00:43.599 shocking shock of the world if they don't finish bottom. And if someone has 851 01:00:43.599 --> 01:00:49.840 a particularly bad year, I can see them finishing ahead of a crashing of 852 01:00:49.880 --> 01:00:52.880 burning Mets or Marlins that you know, the coin flip turns up on the 853 01:00:52.880 --> 01:00:59.039 wrong side. So yeah, they're They're a solidly fine team in a division 854 01:00:59.079 --> 01:01:02.239 of pretty good good teams. So I think they're seven from that, But 855 01:01:02.639 --> 01:01:06.159 they're not. They're not all that bad, you know. And some of 856 01:01:06.199 --> 01:01:09.679 these guys are again not that far attached from from some pretty good years or 857 01:01:09.760 --> 01:01:15.440 have some something about them in the prospect side, So yeah, could be, 858 01:01:15.599 --> 01:01:17.119 could be. Yeah, Yeah, I haven't got much to add, 859 01:01:17.360 --> 01:01:22.119 I think Joey Manesis is probably a better player than he looked last year, 860 01:01:22.599 --> 01:01:28.639 and I like the addition of the power from Gallo and Rosaria. So they 861 01:01:28.639 --> 01:01:32.159 are giving the fans something to watch, whereas you know, we haven't always 862 01:01:32.199 --> 01:01:37.800 seen that, but yeah they to me, they look easily the worst team 863 01:01:37.800 --> 01:01:40.880 in this division. So yeah, seventy wins seems fine. Okay, so 864 01:01:40.920 --> 01:01:49.039 that's the five. Let's hear your ups doowns or Russell was right? One 865 01:01:49.079 --> 01:01:52.039 hundred wins for the Brave. Yeah, I was only one lower personally, 866 01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:55.159 So yeah, I'm saying it's about right. So I guess we're stuck with 867 01:01:55.199 --> 01:02:00.199 them on one hundred ninety wins for the Finnish. Yep, fine by me. 868 01:02:00.599 --> 01:02:04.599 Again, I was close close enough. That's fine by me. We 869 01:02:04.679 --> 01:02:12.119 have eighty one winds fall the Marlin, gosh lower, I'm fine with it. 870 01:02:12.480 --> 01:02:15.199 Any one wins for the Mets exactly what I had, and seventy wins 871 01:02:15.239 --> 01:02:20.960 for the Nationals. Hi, Okay, now, come on, come on, 872 01:02:21.280 --> 01:02:24.719 gab, we've just given Russell a clean slate on everything. Well, 873 01:02:24.840 --> 01:02:29.760 Russell is a very bright bloke, I know, but you can't let him 874 01:02:29.760 --> 01:02:31.159 know it. The head's gonna get so damn big. You're a fit in 875 01:02:31.239 --> 01:02:38.199 the podcast screen. Yeah, there's a reason why we jokeron you're you're swelling 876 01:02:39.719 --> 01:02:45.199 head head on his shoulders. Sorry, wasn't it eighty one for the Mets 877 01:02:45.440 --> 01:02:52.119 Marlins? Okay? Onto the NL Central. Okay, So this one last 878 01:02:52.159 --> 01:02:54.519 year, we thought it was going to be pretty close between the Cubs and 879 01:02:54.679 --> 01:03:00.320 Cardinals and the Brewers, and I think we were over twenty wins wrong with 880 01:03:00.360 --> 01:03:07.800 the Cardinals. So I really can't tell who out of that quartet put Cincinnati 881 01:03:07.880 --> 01:03:12.480 up there, who is going to come top. So I'd like to give 882 01:03:13.320 --> 01:03:15.840 all of the mayighty five wins, but I don't think I can do that, 883 01:03:15.960 --> 01:03:20.519 So I'll go further. Cubs winning the division with eighty five wins. 884 01:03:21.239 --> 01:03:28.280 I think they are the most ambitious of the five teams in the Nlcentral. 885 01:03:28.800 --> 01:03:31.960 I think the fact that they did manage to get Cody back, and if 886 01:03:32.000 --> 01:03:37.480 he is performing like an MVP, that will be the difference between them and 887 01:03:37.599 --> 01:03:44.440 a resurgent Saint Louis Cardinals. We don't know what to expect. Frum showta 888 01:03:44.599 --> 01:03:51.000 Imanaga. He could be an absolute sensation. So yeah, I really like 889 01:03:51.039 --> 01:03:55.320 the Cubs lineup I've watched a lot of Cubs games, and I think that 890 01:03:57.159 --> 01:04:01.920 they don't have many weaknesses. Although here it's got Mike telp center field. 891 01:04:02.079 --> 01:04:06.920 So is that just because they haven't got Cody playing at the center. Yeah, 892 01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:11.800 so maybe five wins, but winning the division? What's so you? 893 01:04:12.920 --> 01:04:15.039 Yeah, I mean I've got I've got the Cubs on top as well. 894 01:04:15.079 --> 01:04:17.800 I think they showed they showed at the beginning of last year, the flash, 895 01:04:17.960 --> 01:04:21.800 it was all there. It's going really really well, and something hasn't 896 01:04:23.159 --> 01:04:27.000 clicked. They've lost their way a little bit. Maybe the managerial change will 897 01:04:27.039 --> 01:04:30.719 help. They've got the consensus best manager in the game now, so so 898 01:04:30.800 --> 01:04:33.519 perhaps that'll make the difference. It worked for them last time they did that 899 01:04:33.639 --> 01:04:38.039 when they when they took Joe Madden at the peak of his powers. So 900 01:04:38.719 --> 01:04:41.840 yeah, I can I can see where you're going. And I'm with you 901 01:04:42.000 --> 01:04:44.559 on the Cubs being at the top hit. Yeah. I think they have 902 01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:48.559 a good, if unremarkable kind of like line up. Like there are lots 903 01:04:48.559 --> 01:04:51.800 of players in there that I think could be like top fifty players for the 904 01:04:51.880 --> 01:04:56.079 year, but not You wouldn't think they're going to be top twenty or top 905 01:04:56.159 --> 01:05:00.679 ten It'll be really interesting to see how kind of just in steel progresses. 906 01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:03.800 It's really hard to be like a starting picture with a low number of pitches, 907 01:05:03.840 --> 01:05:06.639 but he's managed to do it for a while now. I never really 908 01:05:06.719 --> 01:05:11.239 can be certain how that's going to go out there, can you? Still? 909 01:05:11.800 --> 01:05:15.519 I just still don't quite understand how Kyl Hendrix does it. He's not 910 01:05:15.599 --> 01:05:16.880 quite the same as he was now, but he's still the solid, kind 911 01:05:16.920 --> 01:05:20.239 of like mid Falls picture for probably one hundred and eighty innings or whatever, 912 01:05:20.280 --> 01:05:24.360 which is just remarkable. I do think the one thing that Rob mentioned though, 913 01:05:24.800 --> 01:05:28.039 might be the difference. It just might be having pray canceled like that 914 01:05:28.400 --> 01:05:31.440 sort of thing. If I'm perfectly honest. When I projected this division, 915 01:05:31.800 --> 01:05:35.559 I had four teams within one and a half wins of each other, so 916 01:05:38.960 --> 01:05:42.880 eighty five is not too far. I probably would have had them a because 917 01:05:42.920 --> 01:05:45.280 that'd a five hundred, But then I've pretty much got them all of five 918 01:05:45.360 --> 01:05:48.320 hundred apart from the Pirates. And then when you come down to sainta Louris 919 01:05:48.360 --> 01:05:53.519 Cardinals, who have been second also on eighty five. It's just they have 920 01:05:54.199 --> 01:05:58.800 such a dynamic lineup. It was so exciting to get to see some of 921 01:05:58.880 --> 01:06:02.119 these players in London. I know that they had a dreadful season, but 922 01:06:02.679 --> 01:06:08.719 Goldschmid and Aronado are two of the greatest hitters that I've ever seen. And 923 01:06:08.800 --> 01:06:14.000 then in the youngsters in Gorman and Walker, they could just make a huge 924 01:06:14.159 --> 01:06:18.199 leap forward this year and this could be the most devastating hitting lineup. But 925 01:06:18.400 --> 01:06:23.280 as we mentioned last year, and you know, I think we were proved 926 01:06:23.360 --> 01:06:27.400 right they have such a problem with their pitching. I think we were saying 927 01:06:27.400 --> 01:06:31.639 about when right and Flaty last year and you know, are these guys too 928 01:06:31.719 --> 01:06:36.920 old? Are they just not good enough anymore? And yeah, they've decided 929 01:06:36.960 --> 01:06:44.679 to reinforce their rotation with Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, two of the most 930 01:06:44.960 --> 01:06:49.679 boring innings eaters you could imagine. And yeah, they are going to score 931 01:06:50.159 --> 01:06:54.400 a lot of runs, you hope, But I don't think that this is 932 01:06:54.679 --> 01:06:58.760 a playoff caliber team with that pitching like that. So I've got Saint Louis 933 01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:02.920 Cardinals eighty five wins. They all yeah, the old man pitching, because 934 01:07:03.000 --> 01:07:06.960 you add that to Matt's and michaelis that's what probably the youngest one is Matt 935 01:07:08.039 --> 01:07:12.440 who's probably missed their year thirty two or thirty three season. Dana who else 936 01:07:12.480 --> 01:07:15.679 will probably be starting their fifth one to start off with. I think Fangrafts 937 01:07:15.719 --> 01:07:18.519 has it as libertore As the probably the starting one, which Rob as A 938 01:07:19.039 --> 01:07:23.119 was a previous Tampa Bay boy. You might it's been a long time he 939 01:07:23.239 --> 01:07:26.760 was a Tampa Bay Boy. But yeah, it's it's not particularly up up 940 01:07:26.800 --> 01:07:30.960 the option, obviously with Sunny out for a while. Yeah, I just 941 01:07:31.000 --> 01:07:35.639 don't think there's anything. I hope that Aaronado and Goldschmid had like down years 942 01:07:35.920 --> 01:07:41.320 and they aren't. This isn't just a prop the decline that we're about to 943 01:07:41.360 --> 01:07:44.920 see, because it's what age I'm looking at our age thirty six and age 944 01:07:45.239 --> 01:07:48.079 like thirty three seasons probably for the guys. So it's not not like they're 945 01:07:48.079 --> 01:07:51.039 in their use and you really expect too much of an optick. But it's 946 01:07:51.119 --> 01:07:56.760 an unremarkable lineup for me. So I haven't had them on like a little 947 01:07:56.800 --> 01:07:59.159 bit lower. But like I said, I have them all at like five 948 01:07:59.239 --> 01:08:02.559 hundred. I'm surely I couldn't have one and a half games between these four 949 01:08:02.599 --> 01:08:05.440 because I was only doing it in multiples of five, So I had eighty 950 01:08:05.519 --> 01:08:10.480 five for the first two, and then Cincinnati Reds I have down at eighty 951 01:08:11.159 --> 01:08:17.560 in third place. They have the potential to be a World Series contender, 952 01:08:18.039 --> 01:08:23.640 but they need everything to go right for them, and the chances of everything 953 01:08:23.720 --> 01:08:29.640 going right for a team it's pretty slim. So yeah, they have potentially, 954 01:08:29.680 --> 01:08:31.119 I'm going to use the word a lot in this bit. Potentially they 955 01:08:31.199 --> 01:08:36.479 have a really exciting rotation with Green and maybe Frankie Montos does come back and 956 01:08:36.520 --> 01:08:43.279 he is a sensational starter again, and I love Graham Ashcraft this year Nicolodolo 957 01:08:43.359 --> 01:08:46.479 if he can shake off this injury. And then Andrew Abbott is a lefty 958 01:08:46.520 --> 01:08:50.760 who looked superbuently ran out of gas last year, and that's really really an 959 01:08:50.840 --> 01:08:56.279 exciting front five. And then with the hitting. Everyone knows about their hitting, 960 01:08:56.319 --> 01:09:00.039 everyone knows about the exciting youngsters. They've lost Noel vi Martin for eighty 961 01:09:00.119 --> 01:09:05.359 games for PD abuse, which probably just helps a team if anything, because 962 01:09:05.359 --> 01:09:11.359 it means that they can get their six or seven infielders regular playing time. 963 01:09:11.840 --> 01:09:15.560 So yeah, I think they have the potential to win this division, but 964 01:09:16.039 --> 01:09:21.119 I think too many things will go wrong and they'll have another mid division finish 965 01:09:21.720 --> 01:09:26.760 eighty wins, which still probably pretty good for them. So eighty wins just 966 01:09:26.920 --> 01:09:30.760 the low five hundred for Cincinnati Reds. Yeah, I mean they're certainly exciting. 967 01:09:30.000 --> 01:09:33.680 They've got they've got a lot going for them. And again it's one 968 01:09:33.680 --> 01:09:38.359 of these ones with the kids are embarking on the next season. They've had 969 01:09:38.439 --> 01:09:42.880 that step in, they've they've been blooded now and you know, I've got 970 01:09:42.880 --> 01:09:44.960 a feeling they're going to take a step forward again. I think you may 971 01:09:45.000 --> 01:09:46.079 be a little bit low, as we all have been on our home and 972 01:09:46.159 --> 01:09:49.479 team so far, I think maybe a little bit low on the Reds personally. 973 01:09:49.560 --> 01:09:53.239 I think I think they may do a bit better than you put them 974 01:09:53.279 --> 01:09:55.840 down for. I do love the fact that we do have pretty much pure 975 01:09:55.880 --> 01:09:59.520 British pessimism on this podcast. Don't really like our teams, and we'll all 976 01:09:59.640 --> 01:10:01.199 understand telling them. So when we have like a good season, we can 977 01:10:01.319 --> 01:10:05.760 just be like, oh, it's better than I hoped for. But this 978 01:10:05.920 --> 01:10:10.359 is this is just if we talk about what we had for Saint Louis, 979 01:10:10.399 --> 01:10:13.840 this is the exact opposite. This is youth. This is the joy of 980 01:10:13.960 --> 01:10:16.840 what can come from just having like a good little tick from your farm system, 981 01:10:17.000 --> 01:10:21.199 seeing what you can get out of like Dela Cruz, McCain, Christian 982 01:10:21.239 --> 01:10:27.199 and kind of Seo strand like this is going to be hopefully an amazing season, 983 01:10:27.319 --> 01:10:30.279 but you could have top more seasons from these guys who could have like 984 01:10:30.520 --> 01:10:35.000 drop offs, or you could they could be phenomenal. Like I don't know 985 01:10:35.039 --> 01:10:38.600 which way it's going to go. That's why I'm in the middle. I 986 01:10:38.680 --> 01:10:42.560 think it's a fairly easy position to take today. Eighty wins. I was 987 01:10:42.640 --> 01:10:45.479 hoping Gav would have gone been more, been more bolsterous in them, and 988 01:10:45.560 --> 01:10:47.880 then we could have been like, good, good on you, Gaf. 989 01:10:48.039 --> 01:10:53.119 Good for you for feeling like good behind real team and how much you love 990 01:10:53.760 --> 01:10:57.000 love Ashcraft, and I think I'm with you on that being a great one. 991 01:10:57.079 --> 01:10:59.960 I think how much Ladalli gets for them will make a big different. 992 01:11:00.239 --> 01:11:02.039 We don't really know too much on what the timeline on coming back is, 993 01:11:02.239 --> 01:11:05.640 but I think the only other player that you didn't really mention was Alexis d 994 01:11:05.800 --> 01:11:09.479 s which I think he had a phenomenal season last year and if he keeps 995 01:11:09.560 --> 01:11:12.800 up, keeps up that sort of season, I think he will potentially be 996 01:11:12.880 --> 01:11:17.479 the difference between Cincinnati making a run for that division or not. So then 997 01:11:17.680 --> 01:11:24.239 in fourth place, I have also on eighty wins, I have the Milwauker 998 01:11:24.319 --> 01:11:28.920 Brewers, who really disappointed me by getting rid of Corbyn Burns. But I 999 01:11:29.199 --> 01:11:32.239 like teams, especially the smaller teams. I like them keeping their stars. 1000 01:11:32.600 --> 01:11:39.239 It seemed to signal that, Okay, we did lure you into the fact 1001 01:11:39.279 --> 01:11:42.840 that we are going to compete this year by signing Ret Hoskins, But actually 1002 01:11:43.039 --> 01:11:45.439 no, we're not. Really, they are a far, far, far 1003 01:11:45.640 --> 01:11:54.119 worse team without Corbyn Burns in the rotation. Yeah, Christian election and contrerasts, 1004 01:11:54.199 --> 01:11:58.439 and who knows what we'll get from Churio. But I think they have 1005 01:11:58.920 --> 01:12:03.079 their window or of competing hairs closed now. And yeah, I see them 1006 01:12:04.319 --> 01:12:11.560 struggling against the Pirates, who I could easily see sneaking the fourth place ahead 1007 01:12:11.560 --> 01:12:16.600 of them. So I find quite a demoralizing team now, the Milwaukee Brewers, 1008 01:12:16.680 --> 01:12:19.520 despite the fact that I've thought this every year, and then they keep 1009 01:12:19.560 --> 01:12:24.920 winning the division. So I'm going fourth place eighty wins, Yeah, I 1010 01:12:25.000 --> 01:12:27.880 mean, yeah, let's just starting to look, you know, the wrong 1011 01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:32.520 end of that deal. Now. William Damas is almost certainly going to disappear 1012 01:12:32.520 --> 01:12:39.119 at some point during the year, and then once you get to the action 1013 01:12:39.279 --> 01:12:41.920 ending, if they are here, then you can you can absolutely see them 1014 01:12:42.439 --> 01:12:45.920 moving on Freddie Piolta, you know, and getting whatever they can for you 1015 01:12:46.000 --> 01:12:49.680 know, Devid Williams or you know, evere else is left on that team 1016 01:12:49.720 --> 01:12:55.479 at that point. So I think it will probably right start a bit less 1017 01:12:55.520 --> 01:12:59.960 good than it has and end up thoroughly depressing. I'm probably a little bit 1018 01:13:00.199 --> 01:13:02.880 higher. I quite like D. L. Hall. I think Joey or 1019 01:13:02.960 --> 01:13:09.359 Tis, the two players affectedly that they got from Baltimore from Baltimore or Burns 1020 01:13:09.479 --> 01:13:14.600 will actually be core contributors to this team this year. If they hadn't like 1021 01:13:14.640 --> 01:13:17.079 to signed Hoskins, I would have really just been like, they've not made 1022 01:13:17.079 --> 01:13:20.800 an effort to improve themselves at all, but kind of doing that on top 1023 01:13:20.840 --> 01:13:24.600 of everything else that kind of spits out makes me still think that they are 1024 01:13:25.119 --> 01:13:29.439 around that five hundred team. It would be remissive us to talk about this 1025 01:13:29.600 --> 01:13:33.439 team without describing the the fine milking Man, which they do have, as 1026 01:13:33.479 --> 01:13:41.720 they're probably sp two the Wade Wiley I think another unremarkable innings. Sorry Tom 1027 01:13:41.760 --> 01:13:45.720 Pringle, who are going to be is one of those players that will do 1028 01:13:45.800 --> 01:13:50.079 fine or maybe will get flipped if they're doing well. I think given where 1029 01:13:50.119 --> 01:13:55.079 we are today in what I heard in some of the news that potentially Devin 1030 01:13:55.119 --> 01:14:00.439 Williams is injured, that might be a really key change to how this season 1031 01:14:00.600 --> 01:14:02.960 kind of like progresses for Brewers. For the Brewers. But yeah, while 1032 01:14:02.960 --> 01:14:06.159 they're at that, Like I said, I haven't met eighty so that's fine 1033 01:14:06.199 --> 01:14:09.520 with me. So I've got to do five in this division as well. 1034 01:14:09.880 --> 01:14:15.800 Apparently there's this remarkable thing that all majorly Baseball divisions have five teams in them. 1035 01:14:15.439 --> 01:14:18.399 Wait till Rob Manfred has his way. Oh yeah, there'll be eight 1036 01:14:18.439 --> 01:14:26.560 divisions. So Pittsford Pirates in fifth place. I so wanted to put them 1037 01:14:26.600 --> 01:14:29.960 above the Brewers, but I just can't make it work. So yeah, 1038 01:14:30.119 --> 01:14:33.720 seventy five wins. I have to be honest, I don't know as much 1039 01:14:33.720 --> 01:14:36.159 about the Pirates as I should, so I'm going to watch them. That's 1040 01:14:36.159 --> 01:14:40.199 going to be the first game that I'm going to watch this season. Obviously, 1041 01:14:40.319 --> 01:14:45.239 everyone knows only your Cruise and Brian Hayes and Brian Reynolds, but I 1042 01:14:45.319 --> 01:14:48.079 don't think I know enough about the the guys at the bottom half of their 1043 01:14:48.279 --> 01:14:53.479 their lineup and apart from Mitch Keller, I don't really know much about their 1044 01:14:53.800 --> 01:14:58.720 rotation either. So yeah, it's a bit of a I've got to put 1045 01:14:58.800 --> 01:15:00.600 them at the bottom and I've got to pick cover a number. So that's 1046 01:15:00.640 --> 01:15:04.840 what I've gone for seventy five and I'm waiting for you guys to advise me 1047 01:15:05.079 --> 01:15:09.159 where I've gone wrong. I had them probably a little bit lower. I 1048 01:15:09.800 --> 01:15:13.960 saw the Pirates last year. If you remember the beginning of the year, 1049 01:15:15.079 --> 01:15:17.399 the Rays and the Pirates both went off on that incredible start, and they 1050 01:15:17.439 --> 01:15:23.199 were the two teams at top of the Ale and the NL they collided at 1051 01:15:23.239 --> 01:15:25.960 Tropicana Field and I was very happy to sit there and watch it, and 1052 01:15:26.359 --> 01:15:29.880 it went horribly wrong. From the Pirates ever after that, they got some 1053 01:15:30.239 --> 01:15:32.960 fun players, some fun guys like Ji Juan Bay started really really fun. 1054 01:15:33.000 --> 01:15:35.760 The way he played with such joy was one of the one of the most 1055 01:15:35.840 --> 01:15:42.640 fun experiences of the year me watching that. Tip mccutchem was a lovely story. 1056 01:15:42.680 --> 01:15:45.079 Of course, Cabrian Hayes is still interesting. You know, we're gonna 1057 01:15:45.079 --> 01:15:47.600 get a Neil cruise back. You know, Brian Reynolds is it is always 1058 01:15:47.640 --> 01:15:51.479 good and you're right and you do someone sort of want to see how you 1059 01:15:51.520 --> 01:15:56.279 can push them up that that that board a little bit and have them have 1060 01:15:56.439 --> 01:16:00.239 them in the competition. But you're also right in that it is just does 1061 01:16:00.279 --> 01:16:02.920 seem like a little stretch too far from me as well. So I'm actually 1062 01:16:02.920 --> 01:16:09.319 seeing them again twice this year, so we will hopefully see some more fun 1063 01:16:09.399 --> 01:16:13.520 yet on this sparring basis. So that's from our Secret Pirates correspondent Rob Naveraz 1064 01:16:13.600 --> 01:16:19.960 there. I think actually some simple additions of your box standard averageing in makes 1065 01:16:20.000 --> 01:16:23.960 this team a little bit better than you think, like Martin Perez and Marco 1066 01:16:24.000 --> 01:16:28.479 Gonzales being probably the like the second or third starters for this team. It's 1067 01:16:28.560 --> 01:16:31.720 not anything that's remarkable, but I think it goes a long way in baseball 1068 01:16:31.760 --> 01:16:34.079 to be like, yeah, you know what, you should get some good, 1069 01:16:34.119 --> 01:16:38.600 solid, reasonable game innings out of those guys. I think David Bednar 1070 01:16:38.720 --> 01:16:42.199 is probably one of the best relievers in baseball now. He's shown that. 1071 01:16:42.520 --> 01:16:46.079 And as much as this next individual is a questionable individual themselves, but are 1072 01:16:46.079 --> 01:16:50.359 all as Chapman is still a sight to be seen on a baseball field. 1073 01:16:50.399 --> 01:16:55.159 It's very erratic, but it seems to get those k's when it matters, 1074 01:16:55.439 --> 01:16:59.800 so in close games, I think the Pirates can can really win that lineup. 1075 01:17:00.159 --> 01:17:05.520 I think it's trash. I love only your Cruise and Cabrian Hayes. 1076 01:17:05.600 --> 01:17:10.119 The fact that Cobrian Hayes got his Defensive Award last year because his bat got 1077 01:17:10.199 --> 01:17:13.119 better, it was always one of those wonderful things to me. You've been 1078 01:17:13.159 --> 01:17:15.960 no better defender probably for the two previous years, but we still didn't get 1079 01:17:15.000 --> 01:17:20.520 it. But yeah, now the bat half of that lineup isn't I don't 1080 01:17:20.520 --> 01:17:28.119 know, Randy Tailaise, we like him, Yeah, Connor Joe probably for 1081 01:17:28.199 --> 01:17:30.560 some of it as well, which is a bit just like yeah, now, 1082 01:17:30.800 --> 01:17:34.720 like I just in a lot of teams. Obviously, as you say 1083 01:17:34.760 --> 01:17:38.720 that the division, you don't play as many games against the people in your 1084 01:17:38.760 --> 01:17:42.319 division as you did before. So I don't think really anybody in this division 1085 01:17:42.399 --> 01:17:44.720 is going to come out being amazing. But I think they're all going to 1086 01:17:44.760 --> 01:17:48.159 have a solid chance of beating each other up. So seventy five is fine 1087 01:17:48.199 --> 01:17:51.199 for me. Like if I, if I had fun, we could just 1088 01:17:51.279 --> 01:17:57.520 be like his five eighty ones and and leave it and just move on. 1089 01:17:57.960 --> 01:18:02.359 We don't care about the so I had the Cubs on eighty five? Did 1090 01:18:02.399 --> 01:18:06.039 you go higher and lower than that? Higher? Lower? Oh? Now 1091 01:18:06.079 --> 01:18:11.119 what do we do? They stay? Pat? Okay, eighty five. 1092 01:18:11.199 --> 01:18:15.920 It is Hardinals on eighty five, lower on one, hey, yeah, 1093 01:18:16.000 --> 01:18:20.720 eighty one. There we go, Cincinnati Reds on eighty higher. You know 1094 01:18:20.760 --> 01:18:24.359 what I'm going to go with rob than this one. Let's go higher number 1095 01:18:25.479 --> 01:18:28.239 eighty three. Maybe not at eighty four, So yeah, I'll take your 1096 01:18:28.239 --> 01:18:30.520 eighty three, no problem. So that's second place in the division. Yep, 1097 01:18:30.600 --> 01:18:35.319 Milwaukee Brewers eighty agreed, Yeah, fine with that. And Pittsburgh Pirates 1098 01:18:35.359 --> 01:18:39.600 seventy five. Yeah, slightly lower, but okay, five problem, you 1099 01:18:39.600 --> 01:18:42.640 can go. Seventy five is not bad. Let me go. I believe 1100 01:18:42.680 --> 01:18:45.359 that leaves just one more division for us to crack on through. And we've 1101 01:18:45.439 --> 01:18:47.079 kept you good people a little bit longer than you would maybe have liked. 1102 01:18:47.359 --> 01:18:50.079 But well, we've got the NL West, which is which is one of 1103 01:18:50.119 --> 01:18:54.880 the more exciting divisions to chat through. So I will start at the top. 1104 01:18:55.239 --> 01:18:58.560 And I don't think there's many prizes for guessing who comes top of this 1105 01:18:58.680 --> 01:19:01.000 league. It is, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, 1106 01:19:01.119 --> 01:19:04.800 I don't think the Dodgers are quite as flashy and as exciting as the headline 1107 01:19:04.800 --> 01:19:11.119 grabbing that they they've been given. They are still woefully short on depth pitching, 1108 01:19:11.199 --> 01:19:15.800 despite picking up some fantastic guys. Obviously, mister Attani is not going 1109 01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:19.439 to be pitching this year. So they're great if they were with what they 1110 01:19:19.520 --> 01:19:23.239 start with, but they could be waiting on some other guys a little bit 1111 01:19:23.319 --> 01:19:26.520 later. And we don't know exactly what Yamamoto is gonna be. Yeah, 1112 01:19:26.520 --> 01:19:29.600 he could be, he could be otherworldly, he could be just alright, 1113 01:19:29.680 --> 01:19:32.720 but we really suspect it can be pretty good. You've also got people like 1114 01:19:32.840 --> 01:19:36.439 Rookie Betts being played arguably out of position. They're saying he's gonna be at 1115 01:19:36.479 --> 01:19:41.560 shortstop. So we're gonna gonna drag them down from what I would predicted them, 1116 01:19:41.720 --> 01:19:44.039 and I'm gonna drag them all the way down to one hundred wins. 1117 01:19:45.159 --> 01:19:47.960 This team could have been one hundred and ten with if everyone was healthy and 1118 01:19:48.000 --> 01:19:53.560 everyone's playing in the right positions. You know, it is still generationally wow 1119 01:19:53.720 --> 01:19:56.840 this team. So yeah, I've got them aout one hundred. I don't 1120 01:19:56.920 --> 01:20:00.560 think yeah, like I'm a fan of Yamamoto, think it's going to be 1121 01:20:00.720 --> 01:20:02.960 phenomenal. You're right to say that for the start of the season, probably 1122 01:20:03.039 --> 01:20:05.600 James Paxton is going to be getting time for the Dodgers, which is a 1123 01:20:05.680 --> 01:20:10.079 bit like, excuse me, what, But once the likes of Bueller or 1124 01:20:10.119 --> 01:20:12.840 Gonzolin and a few of the others come back from Dustin May or whatever, 1125 01:20:13.000 --> 01:20:15.359 how any of the rest of them come back from injuries or whatever, he's 1126 01:20:15.359 --> 01:20:18.439 not going to getting too much time. So yeah, I don't care where 1127 01:20:18.479 --> 01:20:24.159 Murky Betts play. He's going to be defensively phenomenal and amazing with the bat. 1128 01:20:24.359 --> 01:20:28.840 So that top of that one two three of Bets, So Tarnie Freeman 1129 01:20:30.039 --> 01:20:36.479 nothing better in baseball. I think there is there's absolutely nothing to query that 1130 01:20:36.560 --> 01:20:41.840 one two three. They there's nothing that can go wrong for those. But 1131 01:20:42.079 --> 01:20:45.319 I think the one two three in the rotation, it looks like a really 1132 01:20:45.479 --> 01:20:49.800 high risk, high reward rotation. They could be phenomenal, but also glads, 1133 01:20:49.880 --> 01:20:54.479 now, we don't know how much who'll be able to pitch. Yamamoto 1134 01:20:54.880 --> 01:21:00.720 could be fantastic, but they transition to a completely different game, completely different 1135 01:21:00.800 --> 01:21:03.279 continent. We don't know how that's going to go. Bobby Miller, Yeah, 1136 01:21:03.319 --> 01:21:06.760 he was great last year, but lots of people struggling in the second 1137 01:21:06.800 --> 01:21:12.520 year, and then James Paxton, so Gavin Stone. It's not a one 1138 01:21:12.680 --> 01:21:16.720 hundred win rotation, but maybe it's one hundred win top three in the lineup. 1139 01:21:17.039 --> 01:21:20.680 Maybe it's one hundred and twenty win top three in the lineup, could 1140 01:21:20.720 --> 01:21:25.600 be okay, moving then second down and who knows where the middle of this 1141 01:21:25.640 --> 01:21:28.520 division goes. But I'll tell you where it goes. For me, it's 1142 01:21:28.560 --> 01:21:31.560 the San Francisco Giants, who was risingly pipping a couple of teams ahead of 1143 01:21:31.600 --> 01:21:35.960 them. They're going to take away eighty eight wins. They are only a 1144 01:21:36.079 --> 01:21:41.960 season away from their fluky magical huge season where they add one hundred plus. 1145 01:21:42.279 --> 01:21:44.880 So you know, maybe they find somewhere in between what they did last year 1146 01:21:44.920 --> 01:21:47.520 and what they did the year before. They've got Cobb and Ray coming back 1147 01:21:47.560 --> 01:21:50.720 at some point in the season, which are going to be upgrades to a 1148 01:21:50.840 --> 01:21:56.039 slightly shaky looking rotation at the moment, but they got some chance. You 1149 01:21:56.079 --> 01:21:58.560 know, Solaire is exactly what that team needed. It was a little bit 1150 01:21:58.600 --> 01:22:00.720 of thump, you know. They they've not got much of having the team 1151 01:22:00.840 --> 01:22:04.520 that is the weakness we're not saying it's an amazing team, but they're going 1152 01:22:04.560 --> 01:22:09.159 to be a pretty decent team on a NL West that is maybe not quite 1153 01:22:09.159 --> 01:22:12.760 as strong as some people initially thought. So the Giants end up with eighty 1154 01:22:12.800 --> 01:22:15.199 eight points eighty eight points, eighty eight wins in second place. No, 1155 01:22:15.520 --> 01:22:29.319 it's done looking faces. I just this. I just don't like the batting 1156 01:22:29.399 --> 01:22:32.680 lineup at all. Obviously, adding Matt Chapman potentially makes a difference, but 1157 01:22:32.760 --> 01:22:38.800 he also had a pretty on and off season last year. Juhasilaire is an 1158 01:22:38.800 --> 01:22:42.560 addition. He may he's probably gonna get used potentially thirty home runs, but 1159 01:22:42.920 --> 01:22:45.760 don't know. I really do like John Holey. I think he'll be He'll 1160 01:22:45.840 --> 01:22:48.119 be very good and will actually probably give you more power than you think. 1161 01:22:48.359 --> 01:22:53.199 But this is an old team that doesn't steal, which is not to say 1162 01:22:53.239 --> 01:22:55.319 that like that's the way you do it, but it just doesn't really work. 1163 01:22:56.560 --> 01:23:00.720 The back end of that pitching rotation is scary, and I don't see 1164 01:23:00.840 --> 01:23:04.199 them getting to this sort of winter total. It's funny because you said you 1165 01:23:04.239 --> 01:23:09.600 don't like the hitting. I love the hitting. I can see that they 1166 01:23:09.640 --> 01:23:13.279 can mix a match, and I think with the additions of young Holy and 1167 01:23:13.560 --> 01:23:18.479 Solaire and Chapman. They have made more improvement to their hitting lineup than probably 1168 01:23:18.520 --> 01:23:24.720 anyone else. And I love the depth that they have that they can just 1169 01:23:24.880 --> 01:23:29.960 use these platoon advantages like mathos and it's just a pitching. They haven't got 1170 01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:33.000 pitching, you know, it's Jordan Hicks going to be Jordan Hicks obviously could 1171 01:23:33.079 --> 01:23:36.960 be a great starter. It's unlikely in my view that he will be a 1172 01:23:38.000 --> 01:23:44.199 great starter. And he's a number three. So yeah, it's they do 1173 01:23:44.359 --> 01:23:48.119 not have enough pitching to compete in this division. But I do love the 1174 01:23:48.239 --> 01:23:53.600 hitting. And if they just say by the time we get to the end 1175 01:23:53.640 --> 01:23:57.600 of this podcast, Blake Snell has signed with them, that makes a big 1176 01:23:57.680 --> 01:24:01.600 difference. But I think it's the pitching where the pitching's going to stop them 1177 01:24:01.640 --> 01:24:04.800 being a five hundred gab. You could have just said what you said for 1178 01:24:04.880 --> 01:24:09.279 the previous twenty seven teams that we've talked about so far, that adding Blake 1179 01:24:09.760 --> 01:24:12.640 the lineup who make a significant team. If the Giants were going to do 1180 01:24:12.680 --> 01:24:15.039 it, they would have done it months ago. They would have offered the 1181 01:24:15.039 --> 01:24:17.039 amount of money that like he wanted to come for, like Selle's going to 1182 01:24:17.079 --> 01:24:20.479 go to somebody who breaks, to somebody who's broken somebody in the next couple 1183 01:24:20.479 --> 01:24:24.399 of weeks or days, or it's even happened. Because Gerra Coole is broken, 1184 01:24:25.439 --> 01:24:27.960 I don't think he wants to go to San Francisco because if they've offered 1185 01:24:28.000 --> 01:24:30.600 something reasonable, they would have offered it a while back. And they've still 1186 01:24:30.600 --> 01:24:32.760 got a couple of guys coming back and said they've got Ray and Cobb, 1187 01:24:32.800 --> 01:24:36.199 who are decent, better than average starters that are going to both can be 1188 01:24:36.279 --> 01:24:40.640 back before the break, So you know, I think I think they could. 1189 01:24:40.680 --> 01:24:43.840 They've got some in it. So anyway, moving beyond the Giants, 1190 01:24:44.000 --> 01:24:48.159 right up behind them, I've got the shamberling corpse of the uh San Diego 1191 01:24:48.359 --> 01:24:55.079 Padres, who are not They give me the vibes of the White Sox from 1192 01:24:55.079 --> 01:24:57.319 a few years ago. They were going to be big, they had it 1193 01:24:57.439 --> 01:25:00.760 all lined up, and now bits are starting to drop path there are holes. 1194 01:25:00.880 --> 01:25:03.560 Now this is a this is a boom and bus team. This is 1195 01:25:03.640 --> 01:25:08.600 the Angels a few years ago, and and the San Diego Padres are still 1196 01:25:08.640 --> 01:25:12.079 going to be a very very competitive team, but it is shambling towards a 1197 01:25:12.119 --> 01:25:15.000 disaster. So at the moment, they're going to take eighty seven wins. 1198 01:25:15.359 --> 01:25:17.840 This is the last last year before they fall off a precipit. The project 1199 01:25:17.880 --> 01:25:21.159 hasn't worked, things have gone against them, but eighty seven wins this year 1200 01:25:21.279 --> 01:25:28.119 is their last hurrah. That seems extraordinarily high. I just say no again, 1201 01:25:30.199 --> 01:25:32.800 trying to be bold here, guys, come on, Yeah, yeah, 1202 01:25:32.840 --> 01:25:38.039 it's certainly stars and scrubs approach that they've taken. I can't believe that 1203 01:25:38.079 --> 01:25:43.439 we're nine nine days is until their first gate and they still have these huge, 1204 01:25:43.600 --> 01:25:47.239 great holes in their hitting lineup, which I thought they would have addressed. 1205 01:25:47.279 --> 01:25:49.840 You know, there were plenty of free agents who they could have put 1206 01:25:49.880 --> 01:25:54.800 into the outfield. And who is this guy that Fantraks have got in third 1207 01:25:54.880 --> 01:25:59.199 base for them? Graham Pauley, one of their prospects. He's not even 1208 01:25:59.239 --> 01:26:01.800 on the roster. Oh yeah, because he's not played above double A exactly. 1209 01:26:03.079 --> 01:26:08.600 But you know they've you know, with Dervish and Musk Grow and hopefully 1210 01:26:08.760 --> 01:26:12.159 King if he can come over with the form we had in New York. 1211 01:26:12.479 --> 01:26:15.560 Yeah, it's it's pretty good top of the rotation. But yeah, I 1212 01:26:15.600 --> 01:26:18.920 don't know what they're doing. Yeah, I don't think you really say too 1213 01:26:19.000 --> 01:26:24.520 much more. I think obviously Bogart's I think still hit well even if he 1214 01:26:24.560 --> 01:26:29.560 goes to second base or whatever to still be fine. Tati's we know he's 1215 01:26:29.600 --> 01:26:31.880 phenomenal, Like that's just going to be like the way thing's going to work. 1216 01:26:32.199 --> 01:26:35.000 Crackton Worth, I just didn't think really showed his stuff last year. 1217 01:26:35.279 --> 01:26:40.239 A bit of a progression regression do they do that? Machado is still great. 1218 01:26:40.319 --> 01:26:43.800 I think Machado may now have a spot for that kind of like post 1219 01:26:43.880 --> 01:26:46.600 underrated player in baseball thing. People are just like, forget how good he 1220 01:26:47.039 --> 01:26:51.520 solid, solid he is, but and has some gims good but not remarkable. 1221 01:26:51.720 --> 01:26:55.560 Then you have four players that I would basically not one on anyone's team. 1222 01:26:55.880 --> 01:27:00.000 So obviously like Jackson Merrill is a is a top prospect and could potentially 1223 01:27:00.680 --> 01:27:01.920 do anything great, But even if you look at that bench, it's like 1224 01:27:02.399 --> 01:27:06.520 nope, like there's just nothing there. They seem to be having what they 1225 01:27:06.600 --> 01:27:12.600 did literally twelve months ago. The fall of Bally Sports or whatever has just 1226 01:27:12.600 --> 01:27:16.760 to completely change the ownership's approach to this game and how they're going to approach 1227 01:27:16.800 --> 01:27:19.079 it, And seemingly now they're just like, no, we need to make 1228 01:27:19.119 --> 01:27:21.560 sure that, like, we're not overspending because we think we're not going to 1229 01:27:21.600 --> 01:27:26.359 get enough money to spend the way that we thought we would. And yeah, 1230 01:27:26.479 --> 01:27:29.399 this is what you end up with, some players on some big contracts 1231 01:27:29.439 --> 01:27:33.640 that you can't flip flip, and a bunch of unremarkable players because you've got 1232 01:27:33.720 --> 01:27:36.880 rid of a lot of your going young players for getting some players on trade. 1233 01:27:38.319 --> 01:27:40.520 Was it Bally Sports? So that's a bit of sidler What do you 1234 01:27:40.560 --> 01:27:45.479 think it's a bigger, bigger change there, Probably the latter, but they 1235 01:27:45.520 --> 01:27:50.199 can blame Bally Sports. Yeah that's their easy out. Cool, okay, 1236 01:27:50.520 --> 01:27:57.680 Right, So after the Padres, you've got the Pennant winning Arizona Diamondbacks, 1237 01:27:57.880 --> 01:28:01.720 solidly decent team picking up eighty five wins on this season, Gonna get absolutely 1238 01:28:01.760 --> 01:28:05.359 humped by the Dodgers. That's why they end up with eighty five rather than 1239 01:28:05.359 --> 01:28:10.439 anything a little bit better. They're fine, they're solidly decent. They're they're 1240 01:28:10.439 --> 01:28:15.199 a good team, but they're not spectacular. And they played a fantastic October 1241 01:28:15.279 --> 01:28:20.560 last year. And I don't think anyone was particularly fooled into thinking that this 1242 01:28:20.800 --> 01:28:26.439 is a serviceable rotation for a whole year. So I think I think eighty 1243 01:28:26.520 --> 01:28:30.319 five wins is probably a little bit generous to them in my mind. But 1244 01:28:30.680 --> 01:28:33.840 they're not gonna They're not gonna do too much rush. I like them. 1245 01:28:34.199 --> 01:28:36.520 I will be talking about lineups, whether you like or not. I really 1246 01:28:36.640 --> 01:28:42.319 like this batting lineup. I think it's solid, if unremarkable, almost all 1247 01:28:42.359 --> 01:28:45.520 the way down. So I think that's good. I think Sack Allen, 1248 01:28:45.600 --> 01:28:48.319 you have easy to say, say a candle it or whatever. Put with 1249 01:28:48.439 --> 01:28:53.119 Carol, with Marril Kelly, EDWARDA. Rodriguez, and bread and fat. 1250 01:28:53.159 --> 01:28:56.840 I think you've got four other pitchers there that can be high threes or the 1251 01:28:57.199 --> 01:29:00.920 very low fours rotation. Who has that fits spot? And I don't really 1252 01:29:00.000 --> 01:29:03.239 care, like Mitch a match between the season, that is definitely going to 1253 01:29:03.279 --> 01:29:09.159 be their their weak spot. But no, I think the Diamondbacks have added 1254 01:29:09.600 --> 01:29:13.319 well this season to kind of mean that that they they're going to be a 1255 01:29:13.399 --> 01:29:15.079 better team than they were last year. I don't think that means that they 1256 01:29:15.199 --> 01:29:18.640 make the World Series that they did last season. We all know and discuss 1257 01:29:18.760 --> 01:29:21.359 that it's a bit of a crapshoot in the playoffs, but they were an 1258 01:29:21.359 --> 01:29:25.960 eighty four win team last year, and I think they're better this year. 1259 01:29:26.079 --> 01:29:30.159 So eighty five is okay, but I might be inclined to go a bit 1260 01:29:30.239 --> 01:29:33.319 higher. Yeah, I like the additions that they've made. I like Eduardo 1261 01:29:33.439 --> 01:29:39.680 Rodriguez. He was a pitcher that everyone wanted at the deadline. And then 1262 01:29:39.760 --> 01:29:43.840 Peterson and Suarez give a lot of extra thump. They give a few strikeouts 1263 01:29:43.880 --> 01:29:47.479 as well. But yeah, I'm thinking I might have to use my joker 1264 01:29:47.560 --> 01:29:51.359 on the Diamondbacks. We'll see, thank you, Docky Well. Bringing up 1265 01:29:51.399 --> 01:29:59.159 then at the bottom of the division is the Colorado Rockies with sixty three wins, 1266 01:29:59.239 --> 01:30:02.319 and that's probably generous. The Rockies are crab. I don't mind the 1267 01:30:02.439 --> 01:30:08.600 rotation, you know, they're not The rotation isn't an absolute disaster. Everything 1268 01:30:08.600 --> 01:30:13.439 else about the Rockies are going nowhere. They're useless. I don't think there's 1269 01:30:13.479 --> 01:30:16.439 much more to say about it other than than why bother. At this point, 1270 01:30:16.479 --> 01:30:19.199 if you're going to keep doing this, it's clearly not working. You 1271 01:30:19.319 --> 01:30:24.279 need to think of a different approach because these Rockies are just are just putrid. 1272 01:30:24.640 --> 01:30:30.720 I think you're being harsh, you know. I think they have a 1273 01:30:30.840 --> 01:30:36.640 decent lineup. They have good hitters, in every position, and why they 1274 01:30:36.800 --> 01:30:43.560 can't all produced to the level that I expect of them. I don't know. 1275 01:30:44.520 --> 01:30:47.520 The pitching is always going to let them down, but otherwise I think 1276 01:30:48.399 --> 01:30:55.640 I think the hitting lineup is as good from one to nine as the Giants 1277 01:30:55.720 --> 01:30:59.119 or the Padres. They haven't got the star power of the Padres, but 1278 01:30:59.560 --> 01:31:01.399 I think they've got much better players towards the bottom. But what did you 1279 01:31:01.479 --> 01:31:04.239 How many wins did you say? Sixty three? Yeah, I'm not going 1280 01:31:04.319 --> 01:31:09.720 to argue that's the thing. It's like you can look at a couple of 1281 01:31:09.760 --> 01:31:13.319 these players and be like, there's some nice upside on some of the hittings. 1282 01:31:13.439 --> 01:31:15.760 You look at the pictures and you're gonna be like, any of you're 1283 01:31:15.800 --> 01:31:17.359 going to get below five and a half. I know, of course has 1284 01:31:17.399 --> 01:31:20.880 an effect on it, but and going to and from altitude has a bit 1285 01:31:20.880 --> 01:31:25.279 of effect on pictures. But there's not anybody that's jumping out that's going to 1286 01:31:25.319 --> 01:31:29.680 do a massive difference. They're all decent, though, aren't they They're all 1287 01:31:29.800 --> 01:31:32.840 solitation. There's solid guys, which I think is the best thing you can 1288 01:31:32.920 --> 01:31:39.239 say about any part of this. It's Colorado. It's like it's a matter 1289 01:31:39.279 --> 01:31:41.720 of your solid you're a five and a half hour if you're a four and 1290 01:31:41.760 --> 01:31:45.199 a half arra guy somewhere else like that, that's just what happens to you 1291 01:31:45.279 --> 01:31:48.239 in Colorado. The only thing that I really look at this team and really 1292 01:31:48.600 --> 01:31:51.560 really jumps out to me is me being a bloody Cleveland fan and being like 1293 01:31:51.840 --> 01:31:57.000 what Nolan Jones doing, being amazing with power and good in the outfield. 1294 01:31:57.079 --> 01:32:00.239 It's like all the time in minor league baseball, he went from one of 1295 01:32:00.279 --> 01:32:03.560 the best third base prospects to absolutely naff and now somehow he's amazing and we 1296 01:32:03.640 --> 01:32:08.720 could do with him being one of our corner outfields. I can't believe we 1297 01:32:08.800 --> 01:32:14.640 let this guy go. But sixty three yeah, harsh but fair. You 1298 01:32:14.720 --> 01:32:15.760 might agree with one of them. Then, So for the final decision, 1299 01:32:15.800 --> 01:32:19.720 starting at the top, we have the Los Angeles Dodgers on one hundred wins, 1300 01:32:20.000 --> 01:32:24.600 Yes, hey, I got one. I got one. That's one 1301 01:32:24.720 --> 01:32:27.920 hundred, excellent. And then here we go. Here comes the offense, 1302 01:32:28.920 --> 01:32:32.439 the Giants on eighty eight wins lower lower, Okay, go on, Then 1303 01:32:32.720 --> 01:32:36.600 you got seventy nine, yeah, eighty Which are we gonna go with? 1304 01:32:36.960 --> 01:32:42.079 Seventy nine? Seventy nine? Doubt. Go with Russ that's seventy nine. 1305 01:32:42.119 --> 01:32:46.199 I think that's offensive. The Podrais and eighty seven lower yeah, lower on 1306 01:32:46.680 --> 01:32:50.800 eighty again, Yeah, I was gonna happy with that than the Giants. 1307 01:32:50.840 --> 01:32:56.880 Okay, the d Backs in eighty five higher, I want go up eighty 1308 01:32:56.920 --> 01:32:59.840 eight, I got nine. I think they're a ninety win two eighteen. 1309 01:33:00.439 --> 01:33:04.119 Then and finally the Rockies on sixty three. Yep, that's within the margin 1310 01:33:04.159 --> 01:33:08.640 of era. Yep, Hey, I got on. Okay, Well, 1311 01:33:08.680 --> 01:33:11.319 I mean that sort of does it, doesn't it. I'm just quickly totting 1312 01:33:11.439 --> 01:33:16.600 up how we've got these teams shaken out and talking amongst yourself. Yeah. 1313 01:33:16.880 --> 01:33:23.119 So obviously, from the AL side, we had the Orioles, the Twins, 1314 01:33:23.399 --> 01:33:27.840 and the Astros winning their division, with then the three playoff spots coming 1315 01:33:27.960 --> 01:33:30.960 from the Yankees, the Blue Jays, and the Rays. From the NL 1316 01:33:31.159 --> 01:33:36.960 side, we had the Braves, the Cubs, and the Dodgers winning, 1317 01:33:38.520 --> 01:33:42.640 and then we had a bunch of teams on eighty five, didn't we I'm 1318 01:33:42.840 --> 01:33:45.640 trying to work out, O the Phillies definitely make the playoffs, and then 1319 01:33:45.720 --> 01:33:49.960 we have a bunch of interesting stuff on eighty five wins basically yeah, that's 1320 01:33:50.359 --> 01:33:55.039 we had dimonbacks on eighty nine and then yeah, so I'm trying to work 1321 01:33:55.039 --> 01:33:57.439 it out. Do we actually have anybody else in eighty five or other Cubs 1322 01:33:57.479 --> 01:34:00.640 going to make it with anything? The Cub's making Cup win the division, 1323 01:34:00.640 --> 01:34:02.119 though, don't they when it comes from the division with eighty five. This 1324 01:34:02.239 --> 01:34:06.319 is the remarkable thing of not me having things in division orders. It's hard 1325 01:34:06.359 --> 01:34:13.239 to read. So that's going to put us eighty eighty three further Reds here 1326 01:34:13.319 --> 01:34:16.000 go. Gav Reds are making the postseason with eighty three wins? No, 1327 01:34:16.119 --> 01:34:19.479 no, no, sorry, yeah yeah yeah the Reds. Yeah, absolutely, 1328 01:34:19.560 --> 01:34:21.920 yeah, the Phillies, the d Backs, and the Reds is the 1329 01:34:21.960 --> 01:34:26.840 wild card team. Okay, there you have it. That is our predictions 1330 01:34:27.079 --> 01:34:30.840 for the season. As always, very much enjoy doing these podcasts. We'd 1331 01:34:30.880 --> 01:34:34.560 go out there with some of our hot takes or cold takes when we all 1332 01:34:34.560 --> 01:34:40.039 seem to agree on everything that's been talked about. Please do tell us what 1333 01:34:40.399 --> 01:34:42.960 you think that we've got right, what do you think we've got wrong? 1334 01:34:43.840 --> 01:34:47.279 As always, check out the website. There's plenty of great articles coming out 1335 01:34:47.399 --> 01:34:51.680 about people's favorite players, how their people got into baseball. There's been some 1336 01:34:51.800 --> 01:34:55.479 a couple of really good ones that'll come out in the last week or so. 1337 01:34:55.680 --> 01:34:59.199 We'll probably start to get some season previews coming out for some of the 1338 01:34:59.239 --> 01:35:02.079 teams as well, and as always, if you do want to write something 1339 01:35:02.159 --> 01:35:06.000 yourself, please feel lease feel free to reach out to us. If you 1340 01:35:06.079 --> 01:35:11.239 go on the website, there is a specific section to click on and try 1341 01:35:11.399 --> 01:35:15.720 and contribute. Gav Rob, it's been a pleasure. Obviously, we've smoked 1342 01:35:15.760 --> 01:35:18.039 it. We're going to beat the eighteen. There's no even need for them 1343 01:35:18.119 --> 01:35:21.439 to record their podcast next week and put it out there, but they probably 1344 01:35:21.439 --> 01:35:24.960 will because they like the sound of their voice as much as I do. 1345 01:35:25.239 --> 01:35:29.399 So thank you gents for tonight. Cheers, Cheers, Rob, cheers. 1346 01:35:29.720 --> 01:35:33.319 Good to see you, and we'll hopefully we'll you will listen to us again 1347 01:35:33.399 --> 01:35:38.039 in the not too distant future. We'll be back for the eighteen podcast next