Speaker 1Hey, before we jump back into the show, let's take a quick break. But not just any break, this is a refreshing break with Snapple. We all know about Snapple's iconic real facts, so let's take a minute to go over some of my faves. Snapple real fact 1417, before 1859, baseball umpires sat behind home plate in rocking chairs. Snapple real fact 1483, more than 100 baseballs are used during a typical professional baseball game. Snapple real fact 253, the first TV remote control introduced in 1950 was called Lazy Bones. Snapple real fact 2105, professional athletes used to perform in vaudeville in the off season. So grab a Snapple, take a second, and enjoy the moment. Because let's be honest, this might be the most refreshing part of your day. Snapple, make your break more interesting. Alright, now let's get back to the show.
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Speaker 3Welcome to the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast from CBS Sports.
Speaker 4And first pitch, rushing. Deep left field. This is way back. Walk the walk.
Speaker 3Got a fantasy question? Email fantasybaseball at cbsi.com. Get ready to win your league. Where fantasy becomes reality. Now here's Frank, Scott, and Chris.
Speaker 1What's up and welcome in to Fantasy Baseball Today on Thursday, August 27th. I am Frank Snapple, joined by Scott White. Today on the show, Brian Wu. Got roughed up in his return. Start, sit, or drop these starting pitchers. We have some names that are slowing down. Right. Now, some breakout names who are slowing down. Interesting waiver wire hitters. Tristan Peters did it again and much more. Scott, you are back. How are the old stomping grounds down in Fort Lauderdale?
Speaker 5They've been thoroughly stomped. Stomped all across those grounds and then took my two flights back to Greenville, South Carolina. And my new stomping grounds, the familiar setting of my black bookshelves. And my new stomping grounds, the familiar setting of my black bookshelves. With lots of old starting lineup figures on them, including but not limited to Archie Manning and Peyton Manning.
Speaker 1And a new Pittsburgh Pirate shirt that no one can see because your camera is not low enough.
Speaker 5Yeah, I got to love that. Is that a shirzy? Got to love breaking out. It is. It is a Paul Skeen's shirzy. Oh. And, you know, I try to mix it up, try to not show a lot of bias, but still keep the... The wardrobe nice and baseball themed. And then the camera cuts it right off. So it just looks like I'm wearing a plain black T-shirt.
Speaker 1Did the shirt come with a free Tommy John surgery? Oh. Oh. No, let's not wish that upon Paul Skeen's coming off a bounce back start. So good to see that from Paul Skeen's. But let's talk about Wednesday's action right now. Is this happening? It is. And unfortunately, we're both talking about some pretty bad starts from start. Starting pitchers here as our, oh my goodness, players of the night. Let's start with Brian Wu who got rocked his first start back from the shoulder soreness that he's been dealing with. And it was at home where he typically has been amazing this season against the Phillies. Four innings, six runs allowed, two homers allowed in this one. And velocity, not a problem coming back from this shoulder soreness. In fact, it was up quite a bit across the board. His fastball was up 1.3 miles per hour. The sinker up 1.6. His slider was up 1.7. He used the fastball even more in the start than he normally does. And it got hit hard. Six hard hits against 97.4 average exit velocity against that fastball, which is typically Brian Wu's best pitch. So it's just been a weird year all around for Brian Wu. His ERA is now up to 436 on the season. We know everything that's been going on with the home road splits. But obviously, this is a really bad one at home. And a big part of today's podcast will be start, sit, or drop at this point in the season. I don't think we're dropping Brian Wu, but he's 52% started. I understand why people were worried about using him this week. But next week, he's at the Red Sox, a lineup that's been good in the second half. And they should probably have Roman Anthony in that lineup as well. And he's been bad on the road. So I kind of feel like I don't want to use Brian Wu next week at the Red Sox.
Speaker 5I think that's totally fair. I think, generally, I would be avoiding him on the road until he gives me a reason not to. Obviously, as you said, this was a home start. I don't think any of us were in favor of using him for it, coming back from the shoulder issue. And if you were among the 52% that did use Brian Wu, obviously, there's no turning back that clock. It's just, what do we do forward? And I think the fact his velocity was up across the board, to me, seemed like a pretty strong indicator that the shoulder's okay. That was obviously the biggest concern coming in.
Speaker 1Yeah. Like he was trying to prove a point, basically.
Speaker 5Maybe. Maybe. But, you know, if he was hurting, I'd expect it to be down, not up, two miles per hour. So maybe he was overcompensating, and that ended up working against him in this start. And maybe he was just facing the Phillies with a red-hot Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, major league leader in home runs, and they got the better of him. And there's no reason to read into it any more than that. But I feel better about the state of Brian Wu's health, which, okay, maybe not next time out at the Red Sox, but the next home start. You know, in a way, it's nice, because we get that, we get that road start after this that he can follow up on, and we can see how the shoulder bounces back. And again, we don't have to, we don't have to force Wu into our lineup, because we know better than to start him on the road. So it's kind of nice in that way. But hopefully, based on what I saw in this start, hopefully, I'll feel fine using Wu for his next home start.
Speaker 1Yeah. And again, just a disappointing season for Brian Wu, who was likely drafted as your SP1 or SP2, top 15 starting pitcher by ADP coming into the year, maybe even like top 10. I know he ranked pretty highly there. It's really just the ERA that stands out. 436, the whip is at 110. Obviously, look, that's a good number still. 110 whip, he's right around a strikeout per inning. It's, again, it's really just the ERA that has been a pretty big letdown here for Brian Wu. Let's go over to you, Scott, another pitcher who struggled big time. Who is it?
Speaker 5It's Sean Burke, and man, I thought we had a good one here. We thought we had a good one here, but it seems to be falling apart. After back-to-back outings with four earned runs, he has a total disaster of a start against the Rangers. Walked eight. He walked eight in three innings. A guy who entered this start with 2.6 walks per nine on the year. That's a pretty good walk rate. He did have consecutive starts back in June where he walked five. So it's... It's not unprecedented, him struggling to find the strike zone. Eight, obviously, is higher than five. But, you know, five's a lot, too. So I'm... I don't want to abandon all hope here. Because, obviously, Sean Burke had a lot of good starts after those back-to-back five-walk outings. But, again, the previous two outings he had four earned runs. This is now four of five outings in August where he just hasn't looked that good. And at his best, he had a lot more velocity. The velocity dropped off before the performance did. And that kind of put us at ease with what was happening there. But before the velocity ticked up mid-season, Sean Burke wasn't very good at the start of the year. So I really don't know where things stand with him. I was interested in reading some comments from him and maybe his manager. After the game, see what happened there. But the recaps really didn't focus on him at all. They seem more interested in Tristan Peters hitting a home run for a fifth consecutive game. So, fair enough. I guess we'll have to look for insights later. But, like, the way this August has gone for him, I'm not dropping Sean Burke. But I'd be... I don't know. What's his next matchup? Even if it was a good one, I think I'd be reluctant to use him because he struggled against the Mets. He struggled against the Tigers.
Speaker 1It looks like he's in line for two starts at the Astros, home against the Twins next week.
Speaker 5And he struggled against the Rangers. Those were three favorable matchups. Gosh, a two-star week would make it hard to sit Sean Burke in a points league. But in Roto, in categories, with the way he's trending right now, I don't think I can do it.
Speaker 1I think that's all totally fair. In this start, he really only had his fastball working, had nothing else. And typically, his breaking balls are very good here for Sean Burke. He threw just... 50% of his pitches for strikes. That is a really low number. And over his past three starts... The numbers, 675 ERA, 188 whip, 11 walks to 9 strikeouts, over 13 and a third, but as he pointed out, he was really dominant before that. So the last three starts bad, the 10 starts, 10 games before that, it was a 160 ERA, .87 whip, 11.5K per nine, 1.6 walks per nine. So I agree that I would not drop him just because on the off chance he gets back to that Sean Burke for the month of September, I would not want that to fall into someone else's hands in my league. But he's still 94% rostered, 75% started. I agree, I think points leagues, I think it's still on the fringe. I don't think it's a must. I think it's, you know, you really have to weigh your options here with Sean Burke. Normally it would just be, all right, the way he was pitching two starts, he's just in your lineup. Now I think it's a real decision. And in Roto leagues, I would only do it if your ratios are already shot and you're just kind of chasing strikeouts and wins at this point in the season. So you don't really have anything. else to worry about there. But yeah, you have to kind of, it's a case-by-case basis here with Sean Burke. One more shout-out I want to give before we hit our first break, Scott, and that is to Eduardo Rodriguez. I can't play the drop anymore. He keeps getting away with it. And in fact, he's actually getting better as the season goes on, which is crazy here. Seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Cubs, who were the best team in terms of WOBA against left-handed pitching, entering this start. So again, seven shutout, nine strikeouts, 18 whiffs on 104 pitches. He leaned on the fastball and changeup. Both of those pitches were just awesome for him in this one. Changeup had nine whiffs. It was different again. The velocity down. He had one more inch of drop on it. 79.3 average EV. The fastball had eight of his 18 whiffs. Obviously, that pitch was dominant as well. He only allowed one hard hit. And now over his last four starts, it's a 140 EV. All right, .90 whip. 27 strikeouts to seven walks over 25 and two-thirds innings. 81.8 average EV during that span. That is crazy for a four-star stretch. So I kind of just think he's going to get away with it all season. I think it's going to happen for you, Rod. I mean, he might.
Speaker 5This is one of those starts, though, where he didn't get away with anything. He genuinely pitched really well. He had the good changeup. That he had three turns ago when he also had nine strikeouts. Average exit velocity in this start, 76.8 miles per hour. You pointed out a lot of this already, but I'll stress the important stuff. In the second half, his average exit velocity is 85.6. So the changeup has come and gone. The strikeouts have come and gone. He's consistently allowed very weak contact. And you're probably going to do pretty well when you do that. And then you throw in these starts where he does. He does get good whiffs on the changeup. And overall, the stat line ends up looking pretty good. I just wish there was a consistency to who he is, you know? Do I think he's going to keep getting away with it? Unless he can, and we said this three turns ago, unless he can keep bringing this changeup out, no. But there's not. There's not a definite timeline on when he stops getting away with it. And it may not be until next season. Obviously, I don't think anyone who has Eduardo Rodriguez could justify sitting him. Unless their pitching is just stacked and they have tons of options and they're having to choose to sit some good ones every single week. I'm in that situation in a 10-team league, so it does happen. But the typical... experience of a person who has Eduardo Rodriguez, they're probably just keeping him stapled to their lineup until he gives them a reason not to. And so far, he hasn't. I mean, there have been a couple of blow-up starts, but every pitcher has a blow-up start here and there.
Speaker 1Yeah, and again, as we pointed out, all the numbers. He actually is getting better as the season has gone on here. 70% started. I think that number needs to be closer to 100%. I think it's just a must-start. Erod gets to Philly. He's next time out. They're middle of the pack against lefties. But the way he's pitched this season, we'll worry about next season in the offseason. But right now, Erod is dominating, and he needs to remain in your lineup. And he's doing it, man. That was an awesome start there against the Cubs. Big thanks to everyone watching us live or on demand. We appreciate you. Make sure to hit that Like button. And if you haven't already, subscribe down the stretch. Obviously, we're going to help you win your head-to-head playoffs. We're going to help you take down your Roto, your category leagues. And we're going to... Still be going five times per week all throughout September. So stick with us, and we'll help you win. We'll take that break, and we'll be back right after this. Baseball has always been a game of inches. Now it's also a game of seconds. T-Mobile and MLB have teamed up to bring ABS Challenge to all 29 ballparks across the U.S. This isn't a minor upgrade. This is the most significant new technology in the history of the sport. And it's powered by T-Mobile. With every pitch thrown, ABS Challenge uses real-time precision to verify the call. Giving them the support they need. No delays, no guesswork, just accuracy at the speed the game demands. Thanks to ABS Challenge, T-Mobile is helping power the moments that define the game. When performance and reliability are non-negotiable, MLB turns to T-Mobile. That's not a coincidence. That's what happens when the most innovative network in the country powers the most data-driven sport in the world. T-Mobile powers MLB's most ambitious technology. And America's best network powers your connection to baseball. Home or away, every pitch, every game, every day. T-Mobile. It's better over here. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. T-Mobile. Best mobile network in the U.S. According to Ookla Speed Test, based on analysis by Ookla of Speed Test Intelligence data first half 2026. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. Remember waking up on Saturday mornings, pouring a big bowl of sugary cereal and drinking every last drop of the sweet milk at the bottom? Nothing beats T-Mobile. Nothing beats that feeling of pure nostalgia, which is why I am completely obsessed with Cachava's new Cinnamon French Toast flavor. It gives you all those warm, comforting morning feels, but with incredible benefits instead of a sugar crash. Made with real cinnamon bark, it honestly tastes like a warm slice of French toast in a glass. Just two scoops gives your body a massive upgrade with clean plant-based protein, fiber, and greens to support your energy, digestion, and whole body health. It's packed with superfoods, completely non-GMO, and contains zero artificial sweeteners, fillers, or nonsense. Whether you love classic vanilla, rich chocolate, or this amazing new French toast blend, it's the easiest way to give your daily routine a serious boost. Treat yourself to a childhood favorite. Go to Cachava.com and use code FANTASY for 15% off your first order. That's Cachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code FANTASY. Banking on Mercury is the ultimate solution for anyone tired of that kind of busy work. You can set, automated transfers to keep your accounts in a specific target range and use their built-in spend management tools to handle employee reimbursements without the usual mountain of paperwork. It's free to get started and there are no surprise fees for the essential services you use most, like ACH and wires. It's the smart, all-in-one financial home that actually helps you work more efficiently, giving you the data you need up front so you don't have to go digging for it. Visit Mercury.com to learn more and apply online in minutes. Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and column NA members FDIC. Welcome back, Fantasy Baseball Today, and let's hit the news and notes. Juan Soto took live BP on Wednesday, and he has been out the past month with a grade two left calf strain. He has stated all along that he plans to play again this season. I guess it's not a guarantee because the Mets aren't really playing for anything, but it would still be nice to get a healthy Juan Soto back before the end of the season. Shohei Otani is scheduled to throw a bullpen on Friday. Dave Roberts said Otani is trending towards pitching this weekend. As soon as Sunday against the Tigers, Otani would likely just throw one inning in that one as an opener in his first game back.
Speaker 5Would they even need him to start a playoff game with a top four of Tarek Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, who looks like the best version of Blake Snell, and Tyler Glass now, who I think, you know, he had some struggles in his first start back, but I think he's going to be fine. I think he's going to be good.
Speaker 1No, I mean, the answer is no, they don't need him.
Speaker 5They don't need him to, but I mean, would Otani represent a clear upgrade over any of those? I guess maybe Tyler Glass now.
Speaker 1I think so.
Speaker 5But like somebody's, one of those five is going to have to pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason because I don't know. I don't think there's ever been a playoff team that's relied on five starters except in an emergency situation.
Speaker 1They could always do like kind of half and half, have Otani pitch or open because I don't know how stretched out he's going to be by the end of the season, but let's just say Otani for, you know, first time through the order and he goes three innings and then you have, you know, Tyler Glass now follow him after that.
Speaker 5Like a piggyback situation. Yeah, something like that. Which is probably, which makes a lot of sense in the postseason and I guess in more recent years teams have trended that way anyway.
Speaker 1Save your bullpen, you know.
Speaker 5Yeah, well, and just don't give the opponent repeat looks at a pitcher. You know, have a guy work three innings and then bring in another guy. They generally don't do that with their aces, of course, but some of those mid-rotation starters, they'll remove them earlier, and the Dodgers will have the luxury of doing that with some really good pitchers if they so choose.
Speaker 1Byron Buxton was out of the lineup after leaving early Tuesday with renewed hip discomfort, and we mentioned this yesterday, Scott. I'll get your thoughts. If he goes on the IL, I think that would create a pretty clear opening for Walker Jenkins to get called up.
Speaker 5Yeah, yeah, I just finished writing the latest prospects report, and Walker Jenkins was at the top of the five on the verge. He is the only one of the five on the verge right now that I feel confident is going to be up this year. The others, I'm hopeful, but some of them are long shots. Walker Jenkins, I think. Because it's not just that the twins are competing, it's not just that they're likely to have a very clear opening need here with Byron Buxton potentially going on the IL. Even if he doesn't, he's playing banged up. So they have the need both from a standing standpoint and a lineup standpoint, but also Walker Jenkins is peaking at just the right time at AAA. He really seems to have... The missing link, he seems to have closed it by showing a ton of power here in August, batting over 400 for the month. The kind of surge that normally ends with a top prospect making his debut. So yeah, I think all signs point to Walker Jenkins getting a call up very soon, September 1st. Let's say September 2nd at the latest. And you need to pick him up.
Speaker 1All right, Roki Sasaki left Wednesday's start early with a trainer, and then he was playing on the IL with a blister on his finger. And it sounds like Eric Lauer will move back into the Dodgers rotation. Dustin May left after just one pitch. He threw one pitch. There was a rocket hit off the bat, 106 miles per hour, and it hit Dustin May right in his back, and he left the game. X-rays came back negative. It's just so unfortunate. If you're playing in a head-to-head playoff and you have Dustin May and you lost the start where he just gave up one hit and had to leave, that is absolutely brutal. So I feel for everybody out there who had Dustin May in the lineup. Bo Bichette left early after fouling a ball off his left foot, so we'll see if he gets back in there the next couple days. Both Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedel were placed on outright waivers as the Reds look to save money in the final month of the season. I saw this one pretty late before we started recording here, Scott, and pretty surprising. I mean, I know Suarez has had a down year. He's looked better as of late, but, I mean, on the same day he hits a grand slam. Like, he helps the Reds win in dramatic fashion. They're like, all right, we're just gonna put you on waivers, man. Nice knowing you, Eugenio Suarez. Last 38 games for Suarez, 219, 10 homers, 25 RBI, the OPS over 800. So I think some team's gonna pick him up, and he'll probably wind up in a better lineup. I don't know that he'll play every single day on a better team, but again, that is Eugenio Suarez placed on outright waivers.
Speaker 5I'm guessing Noel V. Marte comes back. Yeah, I mean... I don't know how interested we should be in him until he actually delivers on it, but they have a hole in the lineup to fill now. He had two roster spots.
Speaker 1That's fair. Jack Caglione returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore right ankle. Chase DeLauder has missed three straight with a left hamstring issue. Andy Rodriguez underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair the labrum, and he will not resume baseball activities for the next seven to nine months. Like, he will... At some point in that window, he will resume baseball activities, and that is anywhere from April to June of next year. So that is pretty brutal here for Andy Rodriguez, who's having a breakout season. Very interesting player. Power, speed from the catcher position. Really good eye at the plate as well, but we probably won't see him until at least a couple months into the season next year. Unfortunately, that is Andy Rodriguez. But it is good news for Rafael Flores, who should continue to play a lot for the Pirates. Casey Mize has been cleared to start Friday against the Rays. He left his previous start with a sprained ankle. Nick Pavetta made a rehab start at single A on Tuesday. It was three innings, three runs, four strikeouts to one walk, and he got up to 47 pitches. We're getting pretty close here, but maybe there's two more rehab starts, no setbacks, and maybe he's back in like mid-September, something like that. For Nick Pavetta. Astros manager Joe Espada said Carlos Correa is expected to return at some point in September. Ben Brown suffered a setback while working his way back from that stress reaction in his neck. So, pretty unfortunate. It probably would have been back as a reliever this year, but he is a name to be on the radar as a sleeper for next year. Potentially a breakout. Again, that is Ben Brown. The Giants placed Adrian Hauser on the aisle due to a right forearm strain. The Orioles placed Tyler, and Tyler O'Neal on the aisle with right shoulder inflammation. Old friend, Tony Gonsolin, threw three scoreless innings in a rehab start at AAA on Wednesday. He signed a one-year deal with the Royals in the offseason, so perhaps we see him in a Royals uniform in September. That's Tony Gonsolin. And the Nationals called up pitching prospect Luis Perales, and in 96 and a third innings at AAA, he had a .364 ERA, a .130 whip over a strikeout per inning. Also, five walks per nine. And I saw a tweet from Eno Saris that said Luis Perales had the highest stuff plus at AAA this year, but obviously his command is pretty terrible. And he actually pitched on Wednesday. He was bad. Two innings, four runs, three walks, three strikeouts. Expected to work as a reliever, but Scott, do you have any long-term interest? Not this season, but I guess for years to come in pitching prospect Luis Perales.
Speaker 5Okay, so I'm refreshing my memory. This was... This was a Red Sox prospect.
Speaker 1Yeah. He was traded, I think, straight up for Jake Bennett before the season.
Speaker 5Yeah. Yeah, I remember... Yeah, I remember people raving about his stuff. He has yet to throw even 90 innings in a minor league season, and the strikeout rate hasn't... It was good prior to this year, but barely a strikeout per inning and high walk rate. He could turn into something, but I don't think he is at a point where he's ready to be something yet.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think we need to see more, but again, that is Luis Perales of the Nationals. Let's talk about some waiver wire hitters here, Scott. And I have a few names up top that I just think are really intriguing streamers for next week. And that starts with Christian Encarnacion-Strand. I mentioned his name yesterday with Chris, but he stayed hot. He went four for five, two doubles, two RBI. Got some of those doubles off of a righty. You'll like to see that. Because he has mostly just been mashing lefties. But last 13 games, 294, four homers, 15 RBI. And overall, he's been pretty good. The schedule next week, seven games, three in Coors Field, four against the Red Sox, with three of the four against the Red Sox being lefties. So three in Coors Field and three lefties. I like that a lot, Fred Encarnacion-Strand.
Speaker 5Yeah. And he was one of my sleeper hitters for this week. Yeah. And so far, so good. I like, as you pointed out, this was one of the games against a right-hander. So I believe there were four lefties on the schedule for the Orioles this week. And Encarnacion-Strand's numbers against lefties, that was the reason I liked him. He had a four-hit game with one of the ones started by the righties. Things are looking up for the rest of this week. In addition to next week, you can start him at third base or first base, if you so choose. I'm actually starting him at first base. I'm starting him at second base. I'm starting him at first base. I'm starting him at first base. I'm starting him at first base. I'm starting him at first base. That's the 16-team head-to-head categories one. We're in the playoffs right now. Two-week playoff matchups. Again, it's head-to-head categories. My opponent and I tied in the first of the two weeks. We both had a 5-5 record. Ten categories, 5-5. Right now, I'm up 6-2-2.
Speaker 6Down to the wire.
Speaker 5Well, yeah. I mean, whoever wins this week, wins the matchup. And I'm the lower seed between the two of us. But Encarnacion Strand is giving me a big lift here, as did Jordan Lawler, as did Kalen Culpepper.
Speaker 1And we will get to some of those names in just a second. I also want to mention Dylan Beavers, who looks like he is heating up for the Orioles. Two for four with a walk, a run, and RBI. Last seven games, he's hitting .381 with three homers and seven ribbies. He has started six of the past two games. The past seven. The playing time is going up. Obviously, there were some trades at the deadline. Tyler O'Neal going on the IL, I think, helps Dylan Beavers. Obviously, we love the schedule for next week. But with the lefties on the schedule, I'm not so sure about that part of it, because Beavers is a left-handed hitter. He started against their most recent lefty, but he didn't start against any lefties before that, really. So, what do you think about potentially using Dylan Beavers next week? You would get the... I think it's three games in cores. I think all three are against righties. Then three of the four against the Red Sox are against lefties. So what do you think about potentially using
Speaker 5beavers next week i think it's a possibility to consider i hadn't noticed that he was as hot as he is so i'll have to look more into that but uh yeah one lefty started against recently so that's and obviously we'll see how the pitching matchups change between now and then because some if if it drops from three lefties to two it suddenly doesn't look as bad for somebody who sometimes sits against lefties but yeah beaver seems to be trending up good matchups next week he'll definitely be in consideration at least for five outfielder leagues yeah honestly even if you
Speaker 1told me he's playing four games next week and three of those are in course fields i think i'd take that in a five outfielder league for dylan beavers so uh yeah i think he's a name that should be on your radar and another one who we've we've mentioned every you day this week because he just keeps on homering that is tristan peters three for four with his 12th homer he is homered in five straight and during that span he has 10 hits five homers seven runs nine rbi and a steal he has started nine straight 12 of 13 and uh seven games next week all against righties so uh i i like this quite a bit for tristan peters yeah i mean you
Speaker 5don't get hotter than that if you're looking for a hot hand play homering in five straight games what's crazy is that you don't get hotter than that if you're looking for a hot hand play so what's crazy about it is i i expect it as hot as he is that he's hitting the ball harder on average if if even if that's it's not like he's gotten better so now he hits the ball harder just he's happened to hit the ball harder because he's hit all these home runs but it's not true the exit velocity remains like 87 miles per hour um it's 20th percentile average exit velocity even as peters is up to his power production now he does have a great pull air rate that was my next point um so you know like obviously isak paredes has made it work it has been a power hitter with even worse average exit velocity than that because he's so good at pulling the ball in the air so there is a path to success for peters here the biggest issue is sort of like dylan beavers i i think he started against one left-hander recently but for the most part tristan peters continues to sit against left-handers maybe he's so hot that'll change as you point out looks like it's going to be a moot point for next week so good time to use tristan peters but i still think he's at best a fourth outfielder and fantasy maybe more like a fifth outfielder unless he continues unless this power surge continues right now he's at a dozen home runs for the season so you know five in a row looks great but he's
Speaker 1still on pace for what 15 on the year yeah and uh just to point out the righties that he's projected to face next week peter lambert hayden wesneski hunter brown christian javier billy obert zebby matthews and taj bradley feel pretty good about that for for tristan peters so uh yeah do like streaming him quite a bit let's talk about cole cole carrig who uh got in on the fun here they the rockies put up 13 runs on wednesday and he went two for six with the sixth homer but he had slowed down previous 17 games before this 175 batting average zero homers 29 k rate during that time the quality of contact expected stats all bad during that stretch as well uh he is 75 percent rostered is cole carrig two rostered what do you think no i don't think so i mean he's dual
Speaker 5eligible he his home park is the best you could ask for uh he steals bases in addition to providing some power good on base skills so i think even in points leagues i haven't been motivated to drop them he disappointed us last week had a full week of home games and didn't come through but what didn't i know he had a big game earlier this week on the road right so he sat out on
Speaker 1monday i don't think he did anything on two i think this was his like first game of this week
Speaker 5where he did anything okay so this this is the day i was thinking of them yeah i knew there was a day
Speaker 1i saw recently he does have six home games next week so don't drop cole carrig now like hold them
Speaker 5for next week i i still like cole carrig i think a couple bad weeks aren't enough to change my
Speaker 1opinion on him all right who do you like more between these two outfielders you could say if you don't like either one but lawrence butler one for three with a walk and his 12th home run he is having a strong second half 288 seven homers three steals 891 ops he has seven road games next week three lefties on schedule so probably don't love that schedule for him uh and tommy edmund two for four with his fifth home run three rbi looks like he is heating back up last 10 games 278 two homers eight runs and a steal he was struggling quite a bit before that if you just take everything that edmund has done he's been pretty serviceable uh 54 percent rostered who do you like more between the two butler or
Speaker 5edmund definitely butler though i don't know that i want to start him next week as you say not the road splits are rough the lefty splits are rough i might have been so hot tristan peters over him next week he's been so hot that he was pretty good last week even on the road yeah i i agree tristan peters for next week would be the better start over lawrence butler i do think lawrence butler i'm encouraged overall by what he's doing i think he's putting himself back on the map in fantasy uh and i definitely prefer him to edmund who i just don't think i've been saying this for over a year now i don't think he brings enough else to the table to get away with not being a base stealer anymore i know he has five steals in 56 games that's not a base
Speaker 1stealer yeah by modern standards that's just his full season pace is 14 and 14 so yeah that's not
Speaker 5a big deal it's not totally useless if you get in a deep enough league but i think 54 percent rostered as he currently is is about as high as it needs to be yeah i think any roto league with a
Speaker 1corner middle five outfielder spots he's a useful player to have around in the dodgers lineup you can move them to three different positions uh but yeah anything shallower than that it's probably a no on edmund and with butler i think it is a pretty fair and reasonable excuse that he had off-season surgery to both knees i believe it was and obviously uh he barely played in spring training at all it could have just taken him the entire first half just to get his legs back underneath him right and so obviously having a good second half year and i am already talking myself into a potential sleeper lawrence butler for next season but we'll see how he he finishes out in september as well let's rank some young waiver wire hitters here and they're all different positions so it's throw positions out the window just who do you like from this group and we have kaylin cold pepper who went one for three with walk in his third home run he has two homers in his past five games and he has started 12 straight and he's looked pretty good so far i would say i think he has jumped to the top of that shortstop trio with him lombard lombard's falling off a little bit he went over five with three strikeouts here on uh wednesday and then um on hell now has been okay jordan lawler two for three with his third home run luis lara is picking things up two for four with a run and his third steal last 28 games he is hitting 281 but only one homer and two steals so like the batting average is getting better but not enough power and speed during that stretch and hector rodriguez of the reds moved up to the leadoff spot and he responded he went three for six with a double dong last five games he has eight hits and three homers and i think he's going to be a good hitter for the rest of the season i think he's going to be a good hitter for the rest of the season for the reds will just be all right let's test out the young players and just see what they could do and so if hector rodriguez is going to lead off against righties with a really good home ballpark like i think he's mildly interesting so uh scott how would you rank these young bats hector rodriguez lara jordan lawler and kaylen culpepper
Speaker 5culpepper is easily number one if only for playing time reasons because the others all have major as far as that goes um and he's been good he's i i i don't know if you're when you're saying he's surpassed lombard do you mean right now like for the rest yeah like if i feel better about starting
Speaker 1him right now if i just need a yeah shortstop or middle infielder i would i would rather use
Speaker 5culpepper yeah it's close and i still think george lombard has the higher ceiling overall uh but culpepper has i don't know i i quit on him a little too soon in some of the leagues where i added him partly because i don't only need so many shortstops but i i did held hold on to him in the the podcast for the people league where i've struggled to fill shortstop all season because i originally drafted trevor story are you just throwing like a dynasty team out there in that league i mean i'm throwing oh whatever i have to throw out there yeah and uh right now as things stand now i plan on culpepper just staying there for me all the way through as long as i as long as i'm in the playoffs that's the plan there okay you want me to rank some others i'm sure i i want to say jordan lawler second here but i think he started against one right hander now they had a stretch of like five left handers in a row so that kind of makes it that makes it harder to gauge exactly what the diamondbacks are doing because they've had lawler in the lineup a lot they faced a lot of left handers what happens when they stop facing left handers does that mean lawler doesn't play much or do they decide that developing him is important he's doing well enough that they can start him against some right handers too third base outfield eligible that's very useful and he's hitting well uh third i'm gonna say hector rodriguez i think there's a lot of talent there one of his two home runs here on wednesday was hit 115.2 miles per hour the hardest hit ball he had a triple a all season was 113.7 which is still really good but 115.2 mile per hour home run he's got a little juice man that was a you "Splash hit easily in san francisco for hector rodriguez and last five games eight for 19 with three home runs seems to be trending up pretty much doesn't play against left-handers maybe that'll change with uh them having some roster turnover here but as of now that holds hector rodriguez back makes him only worth considering in five outfielder leagues and then luis lara who i just don't think has enough juice there's some skill there but needs a little more thump especially since uh he's not quite an everyday player two deeper names that
Speaker 1i have here connor norby had a huge game for the rockies two for four with a grand slam and five rbi he has started 11 of 14 games with the rockies since being called up and uh as i mentioned they have six home games next week so seven percent rostered first second and third base eligible is connor norby and andres chaparro got a second and third base eligible for the rockies and he's got a start against a righty and he did damage three for four with his ninth homer he's actually crushing lefties it is a really small sample only 39 at bats 385 four homers 1237 ops so i we said the same thing last week scott i just i want to see the nationals play chaparro every day because i just let's see what he could do right like they're not really playing for much else uh but do you have any interest in these two names norby chaparro and you know like 15 team roto leagues are deeper
Speaker 5uh not serious interest definitely behind the previous group all of them in theory i have interest in chaparro but there's there's no reason for me to believe the nationals are going to play him as consistently as we'd like and the rockies have so many better options they could be playing than connor norby that i don't know i don't have a lot of confidence in that situation either striking out a lot yeah i don't have i'm not that interested to be honest all right i did just watch both of the home runs from hector
Speaker 1rodriguez and um yeah that second one the splash landing it went beyond where the people usually camp out with the boats in the mccovey cove like it was deep into the water so yeah yeah that that
Speaker 5kid's got some juice man there was when they showed it on the broadcast it there all you could see was water around it that's wild let's take our final break when
Speaker 1we return start sit or drop these starting pitchers we'll do that right after this baseball season is in full swing and there's no better place to be than calci america's number one prediction market platform atlanta is currently trading at seven percent to win it all meaning a one hundred dollar trade pays out over twelve hundred dollars with a win on calci you're trading against other people in a live market no house no odds makers and as the odds move you can buy in or out anytime throughout the postseason download the calci app and use code fan to get up to five hundred dollars in bonus credits when you trade twenty five dollars k-a-l-s-h-i calci trade on anything 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors calci products are not available in all jurisdictions prices values and available markets may differ from those mentioned for more information see calci.com regulatory the first thing you should know about calci is that it's not just about the
Speaker 7price of a product it's also about how much money you're going to spend on it you're going to spend on it for the first few weeks back at school set the tone for the entire year but with new teachers schedules and expectations it can feel like a lot if you're looking to help your child start strong and stay confident i've been using ixl to make that transition so much easier ixl is an award winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning whether they're building math confidence strengthening reading and writing skills or reviewing science concepts from pre-k through to high school ixl is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning whether they're building math confidence strengthening reading and writing skills or reviewing science concepts from pre-k through to high school ixl is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning whether they're building math confidence strengthening reading and writing skills or reviewing science concepts 12th grade it adapts to each child's level and pace making it easy to spot and close learning gaps in just a few minutes a day before those gaps can snowball plus it's trusted nationwide one in four students in the u.s are learning with ixl and it's used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the u.s it's an easy cost-effective way to get kids back into a learning routine and walking into class feeling ready and reassured make an impact on your child's learning get ixl now listeners can get an exclusive 20 off an ixl membership when they sign up today at ixllearning.com audio visit ixllearning.com audio to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price welcome back start sit or drop
Speaker 1these starting pitchers troy melton turned in a quality start but it was not enough against the seven innings seven hits three runs four strikeouts to zero walks not a terrible start by any means it actually was a pretty good start here uh but he's just looked a little bit more human over his last three 318 era but a 147 whip only 11 strikeouts over 17 innings 93% rostered 68% started uh start sit or drop troy melton
Speaker 5at the twins next week i lean start i definitely want to consider dropping agreed it does seem like the lack of strikeouts has finally caught up to him a little bit i mean he still hasn't been getting destroyed he just on some level it's like well his era was running at like 1.7 so of course he was bound to have a a rough stretch here but i hope maybe now that he's had it a little a little bit rougher here he'll he'll get back to throwing harder like he did for that stretch of how many starts was it there was like a three or four start stretch in the middle of the season where he actually got the whiffs he actually got the strikeouts because he was throwing harder on everything and he was having so much success not doing that that we kind of gave him a pass for it but we know it's in there we know he's capable of doing that it was a big bat misser in the minors and has shown he can do it for that stretch in the majors so i hope he learns from this stretch i hope he grows from it uh i lean start still even against minnesota but it's it's uh you know it's a
Speaker 1situation now where you have to weigh your options kyle bradish got destroyed at the cardinals four and a third innings nine hits seven runs four strikeouts to two walks here uh the velocity was up around one mile per hour on all of his pitches clearly it did not matter uh he did not have either of those breaking pitches we spoke about this recently with bradish where he's just been out of sync this year there haven't been enough starts where it's been control is good curveball is there slider is there it's usually one of those things is off and in this one he didn't have either the curve or the slider and uh look for the most part he was getting good results before this he's 88 rostered 57 started looks like it's a two-star week next week rough matchups home against the red socks at the rockies what are we doing with kyle bradish i
Speaker 5could justify starting him in a points league because volume is so important there but that that is it and i don't think it's a must but we're now talking okay his next start's going to be in september his next start's going to be in the final month of the year a pitcher with a 403 era a 141 whip and 8.4k per nine that is a bad whip man i didn't realize it
Speaker 6was that bad but it is bad yeah so i'm gonna go with kyle bradish i'm gonna go with kyle bradish
Speaker 5i'm just gonna say sit except maybe in some points league situations but generally speaking sit closer to drop though than start i would say for kyle bradish i think at this point that is fair
Speaker 1freddie peralta where did this one come from he actually outdueled troy melton six shutout innings with four strikeouts to zero walks his first scoreless outing since may 6th for freddie peralta the velocity was up a little bit in this one he used his change up more and it was great it got eight of his 10 whiffs uh in the start and uh look his five starts with the rays it's still the numbers don't look great 560 era 113 whip i i don't think that this is enough to have regained confidence to use freddie peralta he's 78 rostered 43 started but the matchups next week at the rangers which is a good lineup to face good ballpark to pitch in and home against the mets in a revenge game
Speaker 5scott can i interest you in freddie peralta yeah i think that's going to be a start in most cases because those matchups are so good and because We have seen him make some changes here joining the Rays. You mentioned his change-up use was up in this one 32%. He threw a 45% of the time in his previous start. Normally it's been around 20% this year. We haven't seen the Rays bring back the slider as I hoped they would when they acquired him, but they have made some changes. He seems to be trending up here, and then he has two favorable matchups next week.
Speaker 1All right, next up we have Mackenzie Gore, who went back to his Charizard ways at the White Sox. Three and two-thirds innings, eight hits, four runs, four walks, four strikeouts. Just set your ratios ablaze here. It was Mackenzie Gore. His velocity was down across the board. His fastball was down 1.3. His curve was down over two miles per hour in this one. I do want to shout out the White Sox because they are... At least in the past couple of games, I would have to look into season-long numbers. They are one of the most patient teams in baseball. I mean, against Jacob deGrom on Tuesday night, they barely chased any pitches outside the strike zone, and that was the same thing here against Mackenzie Gore. They had just an 18% chase rate as a team against Mackenzie Gore. What's weird about this is that he was actually trending up, right? But that's the Mackenzie Gore experience.
Speaker 5Do you remember how the conversation went the last time we talked about? Mackenzie Gore, how he is a Charizard and you could never trust him, but I don't see how you sit him right now. And then boom. And sure enough, sure enough, he burns your ratios to cinders.
Speaker 1Those previous five starts, by the way, 210 ERA, 0.93 whip, 10K per nine, and nearly a 15% swinging strike rate. He is... I think this might change your... Might change your stance. A little bit, Scott. 91% rostered, 69% started for Gore. Two starts at home next week against the Athletics and the Rays. He has a 299 ERA at home, 563 ERA on the road. Huh? Huh?
Speaker 4Hmm. Huh? Huh?
Speaker 5You have to start him in a points league. Categories league, you don't have to start him, but... But... If you need to... If you need wins and strikeouts more than ERA and whip, you probably should. But you... Just, you know, he's the Charizard, okay? Like, that hasn't changed. He offered a clear reminder of it in this start. It's never changing. You will never have him responding to your commands the way most Pokemons... Pokemons? I don't think you put an S on it, right?
Speaker 1I used to get so frustrated back in elementary school when... when teachers would say Pokemons or Pokemans. I'm like, come on! Pokemon is plural for Pokemon.
Speaker 5It's like when we say RBI instead of RBIs. Yeah, I know. It's the reverse of that. Some people don't like that either. Yeah. If I had my druthers, I'd say RBIs. But, you know, there needs to be consistency within a company and the company's decided RBI. And there's justification for it. I just disagree with the justification. But that's fine. I can say RBI. I can be a team player.
Speaker 1I didn't even know that was like a CBS mandated thing. I've just always liked saying RBI more.
Speaker 5Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1All right.
Speaker 5We were talking about Mackenzie Gore. Yeah, he's... He's Charizard, man. I'm saying start.
Speaker 1I like Charizard. I like Fire Pokemon.
Speaker 5Start, start, start. I'm saying start two. But I'm acknowledging he's Charizard. But I'm acknowledging he's Charizard. And it very well may backfire as badly as it did here. So if you do not have that sort of risk tolerance, then don't start. And, you know, you make your own decisions here. You live by the Charizard, you die by the Charizard. And you'll have to carve out your own destiny next week, Charizard-wise.
Speaker 1What about Matthew Boyd, who took a tough loss here at the D-back? Six innings of one-run ball. Five strikes. Four strikeouts. Had 12 whiffs on 94 pitches. And his previous four starts before this one, he was struggling. 6-12 ERA. 1-36 whip. Getting virtually no strikeouts. He's 90% rostered. 65% started. He's at the Marlins and home against the Brewers next week. That is Matthew Boyd.
Speaker 5Yeah, I don't really see what changed here for him. Got a good result, obviously. But it hadn't been going so well prior to this. And I don't trust him. Who'd you say the matchups were again?
Speaker 1Marlins and Brewers.
Speaker 5So a good one and a bad one. I think that's just a points league only to start pitcher next week.
Speaker 1Next up, we have Bubba Chandler, who took a tough loss at the Padres. Five and two-thirds innings. Two runs, one walk. Three strikeouts. One earned run, excuse me. Three strikeouts to two walks. And his velocity was actually down quite a bit across the board here for Bubba Chandler. Bubba Chandler, he's had success recently. Last eight starts, 305 ERA, 119 whip. Right around a strikeout per inning. But it's been in a, it's not a very dominant way. You know, the way he was doing it towards the end of last season. We just haven't really seen the big whiff numbers from Bubba Chandler. The results have been okay. He's 72% rostered. He gets the Giants at home next week. So, you know, I think if you are in a deep enough league where you were, using Chandler, I think that matchup is fine. But obviously not a must start by any means.
Speaker 5He's kind of doing the same thing Braxton Ashcraft has been doing lately. Leaning on the sinker a lot more. He threw it 20% of the time in this start Wednesday versus 7%. Normally, it's not much, but you use as much at all. But it was 20% in this one. I think it was even higher than that in his previous one. Which didn't go that well against the Dodgers. But it was against the Dodgers.
Speaker 6Yeah.
Speaker 5I'm pointing it out mainly because, yeah, he hasn't been much of a bat-misser this year, even with the recent success. And based on the way his pitch selection is trending, I don't think that's going to change. Not in the immediate future, anyway.
Speaker 1Are you in a rush to use him against the Giants next week? Or not so much?
Speaker 5I think it's defensible, but I wouldn't want to do it, no.
Speaker 1Yeah. Last name here is Joey Cantillo, who managed a quality start this week. Despite seven walks at the Angels, six innings, two hits, three runs, two of those were earned, seven walks, only one strikeout. And his eighth starts in the second half. It's a 4-0-8 ERA 161 whip. So this should be just an easy, like, definitely not start, potential drop. In a points league, I would hold on to him because he's a spark. But he gets the Blue Jays next week, and they are dead last in WOBA against left-handed pitching. So it's a risky one, but can I? Does that interest you at all in Joey Cantillo against the Blue Jays?
Speaker 5You know, I'm actually pretty okay with Joey Cantillo. I know he walks a ton of batters, and he walked a crap ton of batters in this start. And that's not changing, and the whip is going to hurt, obviously. And so I think in categories leagues especially, you have to be really careful about using him. But he's pretty good at run prevention. He misses bats at a nice clip. Whenever he has a good matchup, I find it's very easy to occlude him among the sleeper pitchers, and I probably will be next week with that Blue Jays matchup as well.
Speaker 1All right, I do have three other waiver-wire pitchers here. Grayson Rodriguez was solid against the Guardians. Five and two-thirds innings, one run, one walk, four strikeouts. He only had four swinging strikes on 92 pitches against an Angels team that strikes out a lot, typically. But the last six starts, it's a 3-0-3 ERA 190. Whip for Grayson Rodriguez. He's looked pretty good. He gets the Yankees next week. Randy Vasquez, solid outing here against the Pirates.
Speaker 5Did you just say he was facing the Angels?
Speaker 1I might have. I meant to say he's facing the Yankees next week.
Speaker 5I think you said he just faced the Angels in this start.
Speaker 1No, he faced the Guardians.
Speaker 5He did face the Guardians.
Speaker 1I might have said it wrong, but yes. Grayson Rodriguez, the line I read, he was against the Guardians. Next week, he faces... The Yankees.
Speaker 5You mentioned he hardly got any whiffs against an Angels team that whiffs a lot. So that's why. I wasn't just calling you out for a misspeak. Like, it changes the content of what you were saying.
Speaker 1I did say that, and that's exactly what I wrote down, because I got confused. You got two red and blue teams. You get a little, you know, you lose your head a little bit. But I believe the Guardians actually do not whiff very much at all.
Speaker 5Right, that's what I was checking. I didn't think they did.
Speaker 1They are... They have the... Ninth lowest strikeout rate against righties. So, that completely changes the frame of reference that I was saying. He did not get very many whiffs here against a Guardians team that does not miss bats. That does not swing and miss very much.
Speaker 5So, there you go. Overall, it was still a discouraging start, but not so discouraging that, like, I'm abandoned hope for Grayson Rodriguez. He'd been... He'd been trending up.
Speaker 1Yeah. Randy Vasquez, solid outing here. Five shutout innings. One hit, one wall. Fuck. One hit, two walks, two strikeouts. Last six games and four of those being starts, 220 ERA, .67 whip, 13 strikeouts over 32 and two-thirds. And I have no idea how Randy Vasquez is doing this. He's at the Reds next week, 30th in Woba against righties, but he's also Randy Vasquez. And Elmer Rodriguez, back up with the Yankees. He actually looked much better in this start. Turned in a quality start, six-plus innings, three hits, three runs, six strikeouts here. He actually had two earned runs through six, came back out for the seventh, he walked one, and then got pulled. The reliever allowed that runner to score. So the line could have looked better here for Elmer Rodriguez. And his velocity was up over two miles per hour on everything. So he just looked better. I mean, that sinker was awesome. His slider had a good amount of whiffs. I don't know if he's going to stick around, but he was pitching much better at AAA before getting this promotion as well.
Speaker 5Yeah. And. And I thought the biggest key for him was the curve ball, which he had hardly thrown previously. It was responsible for six of the 11 whiffs. He threw it 25% of the time. He had thrown it only 9% of the time in his first four starts. It had a great whiff rate, but he just wasn't using it much. So seeing him break it out against the Astros and getting a good result. His walk rate has been high at AAA this year, which I don't think he has the status. I don't think he has the stuff to get away with. So overall, I still think Elmer Rodriguez's stock is down from where it was coming into the year. But this was a step in the right direction for sure.
Speaker 1Yeah, again, just in terms of viability for the rest of this season, I don't know that he's sticking around in the Yankees rotation. There is talk that Max Fried could return over the weekend for one of those double header games against the Red Sox. Scott, can I interest you at all in Grayson Rodriguez against the Yankees next week in Anaheim?
Speaker 5Not really. I don't think that's the time to try him out.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's fair. Two names that I think are pretty easy drops here. Michael McGreevy got destroyed by the Orioles seven runs allowed over five innings. And over his last seven starts, he has really regressed 682 ERA 172 whip during that stretch. And next week at the Dodgers at the Rockies doesn't get much worse than that. And then this is just your latest reminder to drop Nicola Dolo, who gave up four runs. And then this is just your latest reminder to drop Nicola Dolo, who gave up four runs. And then this is just your latest reminder to drop Nicola Dolo, who gave up four runs. And then this is just your latest reminder to drop Nicola Dolo, who gave up four runs. over four innings. He has a 524 ERA 154 whip and somehow is still 64% rostered. So I think pretty easy drops McGreevy and Lodolo. Do you agree?
Speaker 5Yeah, McGreevy I'd been lumping in with Michael. No, what's his name? Andre Palante as oh, look, the Cardinals have a bunch of the same type of pitcher. But the truth is McGreevy, while he was a groundball pitcher in the minors, hasn't really been in the majors this year and to be a non-Batman, misser who doesn't get ground balls, just seems like a recipe for disaster. And the disaster seems to have come here from McGreevy Palante still holding strong. He actually is a really good groundball pitcher, but McGreevy not so much. And I think that makes him easy to drop, as you say.
Speaker 1All right, let's get into some of the leftovers here on the hitting side. Rafi Devers stayed hot. He has homered in three straight and the updated numbers since the start of May 259, 27 homer. He has homered in three straight and the updated numbers since the start of May 259, 27 homer. He has homered in three straight and the updated numbers since the start of May 259, 27 homer. He has homered in three straight and the updated numbers since the start of May 259, 27 homer. homers. OPS is right around 900. So, a dreadful start in April for Devers, but since the start of May, he's pretty much been Rafael Devers. Kyle Schwarber is the first to 40 home runs. He went 2 for 5, hit that 40th homer, and added 3 RBI. Hunter Goodman, he's 2 for 2, and by that I mean he's come off the IL, he's played two games, and he has homered in both. And he's now up to 36 home runs on the season. Luis Garcia Jr. is heating back up, hit his 28th homer, has 4 homers in his past 6 games. The updated numbers with the Yankees, 306 batting average, 5 homers, 923 OPS. Jazz Chisholm, looks like he is heating back up as well. He went 3 for 3 with his 36th stolen base. Last 15 for Jazz, 313, 1 homer, 6 steals, 858 OPS. And Pete Alonzo hit another one. 1 for 4 with his 32nd homer. Last 16 games, 486, 84, 9 homers, 20 RBI, OPS over 1,500 for Pete Alonzo, who is about as consistent year in and year out as they come. I would say just off the top of my head, you have your first round bats, but Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonzo are two of the most consistent hitters year in and year out.
Speaker 5Yeah, both of them had a couple years where the batting average sagged in a way that was annoying, but the other numbers were good even in those years and they've obviously gotten their batting average back up to respectability since then. I mean, this is now Pete Alonzo is hitting over 270 for the second straight year and the third time in five and the year before that he hit 262. So he is kind of a plus in batting average actually.
Speaker 1Yeah, I did have one other name here. Bryce Terang, who went one for three with his 17th home run. He is having a terrible August. Before this start, 19 games before this, 182 batting average, zero homers, three steals, two caught stealing, a 488 OPS with a 29% strikeout rate. Scott, what's going on with Bryce Terang? Is anything to worry about or is this just the ebbs and flows of a baseball season?
Speaker 5I had noticed he had cooled off. I hadn't looked into it much yet just because I was looking into other things instead. But I'm interested in looking into it now if you'll do so with me. And what I am seeing is yeah, he did have a really good July, so it isn't like... I had gotten the feeling he was red hot to start the year and had been consistently cooling off since then, but no, July was arguably his best month. Let's look at some of the batted ball data here. They changed their layout of this page, so it's harder to access everything. Yeah, it's not like he's putting the ball on the ground more. He's actually putting it on the ground less. Exit velocity, I don't see anything terribly alarming here. It's probably just the ebb and flow of the season, as you said. Let me check exit velocity in August. 88 miles per hour. Doc Brown, which is lower than you want it to be. I mean, it's lower than his season average. It's certainly lower than last year. He's lost about a mile per hour of exit velocity from last year, but that happening over a four-week period isn't particularly eyebrow raising for me. If it becomes a longer-term trend, it would be. I just think it's a bad month.
Speaker 1All right, some pitching leftovers. Jesus Lizardo was great at the Mariners. Seven shutout innings, one hit, three walks, nine strikeouts, 18 whiffs on 104 pitches. He has nine or more strikeouts in four straight. Two earned runs or fewer in 20 of 27 starts for Lizardo. He has been amazing. And Logan Webb turned in a quality start against the Reds. My brain wanted to say Bengals. We are getting close to the start of football season. Six innings, two runs, six strikeouts here for Logan Webb. Scott, any thoughts on him or Lizardo?
Speaker 5Yeah, nice bounce-back start for Webb. Not that there was much of a doubt there. Lizardo, the velocity was down. The fastball was down one and a half miles per hour. It was down one and a half miles per hour also three turns ago. Two turns ago. And he got nine strikeouts in that start too. It didn't really seem to affect the line in any way. So I'm not particularly worried about the velocity. We've seen some fluctuation there. He's continued to dominate. And I drafted him in a lot of leagues and he's been very clutch player for me in those leagues.
Speaker 1All right. Next up, we have the call to the bullpen and for the Rays with Brian Baker unavailable. Tyler Wells picked up the save for the D-backs. Brandon Garcia got the eighth inning with a one-run lead. He was facing 9-1-2 in the Cubs lineup. He walked one but got out of it. It was Juan Morillo who got the ninth with a two-run lead and he picked up his second save. I've noticed recently that Brandon Garcia not really being used as the traditional closer, Scott. It feels very committee-ish for the D-backs. I don't think he can be the
Speaker 5true closer. Because he's their only left-hander. I don't know how you can navigate the seventh, eighth innings never being able to turn to a left-hander. That's kind of shooting yourself in the foot if you're doing that. So I don't think they can leave Brandon Garcia until the ninth inning. Some days it works out. Justin Martinez is back. He's throwing as hard as ever. He's looked good so far. Looked good on his rehab assignment. Things may be trending toward him taking over the role again, but for the time being i would say it is a committee a committee led by garcia but if you need saves in bulk i don't know that he's the best choice mario's pretty good too by the way 228 came in with a 228 era 103 whip 10.5k per nine i know ginkle got a save recently too
Speaker 1yeah he did yeah but mario's better than ginkle for the giants dylan smith entered with a five run lead bases loaded no outs he served up a grand slam then a single single sack fly another single he was charged with three runs two of those earned a bunch of runs also went to the previous reliever uh and dylan smith only recorded one out he took his third blown save and fifth loss so giants bullpen looking a little messy right now as it has all season for the reds amelio pagan got the ninth with a one run lead he allowed a hit but struck out two for his 17th save for the angels with ben joyce unavailable ryan watson got the ninth with a one run lead he gave up two runs on a walk and three hits he took his second blown save and first loss on the other side for the guardians kade smith was unavailable it was lefty eric sabrowski who picked up his first save of the season for the padres mason miller and adrian morejon were both unavailable it was brad clay rodriguez who pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth for his second save for the blue jays louis varlin got the final four outs for his 30th save for the athletics elvis alvarado got the ninth with a three run lead he gave up a hit and a walk but he picked up his fifth save and he now has three of the last four saves for the a's and if you're in a deeper league scott i think alvarado is the name to roster save on back-to-back days too yep so uh you know they tried this with him
Speaker 5before this year it didn't go well but it seems like they're going back to it and alvarado i think is a better pitcher than hogan harris and so i'd be willing to make that swap
Speaker 1it feels like the a's want alvarado to be the closer to it makes sense he throws super hard
Speaker 5he's got a nasty slider right now it does feel that way i just i i got burned before throwing fab dollars at alvarado yeah and they didn't i don't feel like they gave him much of a leash then so i'm reluctant to do it again but he it does seem to be a good idea i think he's going to
Speaker 1seem to be trending his way and then for the dodgers tanner scott got the ninth inning with the game tied and he gave up a run on a walk and two hits and he took his fifth loss but um there's
Speaker 5nobody else left so tanner scott is the closer for the dodgers he got he got bested by hasung kim
Speaker 1yeah right of all people of all people hasung kim who is batting 078 in 77 at bats this season boom
Speaker 5how about that tanner scott he finally gets uh some assurance that he's in the closer role and he starts pitching like it's 2025
Speaker 1again ah to stream or not to stream on thursday it's a pretty short slate and we don't have many options here hayden wesneski is at the yankees jake irvin gets the rockies in washington spencer aragetti gets the royals sean mania home against the brewers landon roop is home against the dbx all right
Speaker 5let's go with no one um really i don't want to start any of these bozos if i have to i'm gonna say if i have to i'm gonna say roop against the diamondbacks i don't want to say it and then i'll also say mania against the brewers that's it that's all i can that's all you're gonna squeeze out of me and i don't even but i want i want to
Speaker 1put that toothpaste back in the tube already the word bozo is objectively just hilarious it's a good name for a clown it's just a great great word uh great name too for friday we have patrick sandoval at the yankees ret louder is at the cubs david peterson home against the reds christian scott home against the astros cody bradford is at the brewers luis castillo at the twins dean kramer home against the white socks jared jones at the cardinals quinn matthews home against the pirates and andrew painter is at the angels really like painter against the angels and nobody else
Speaker 5uh i could do david peterson against the reds i feel fine about that i agree and if i have to pick a third um it's between jared jones against the cardinals and christian scott against the astros but that's a distant third and fourth whichever order you want to put them in i i guess
Speaker 1i'll put scott over jones i was looking at the same two and the cardinals rank pretty low against right-handed pitching uh the astros are 11th in woba all right that breaks the tie i would go with uh jared jones over christian i i just trust scott more mainly because mostly because his name's scott
Speaker 5let's be honest don't trust tanner scott though no actually i do think tanner scott's good i was
Speaker 1just joking i knew that's exactly where we were going and we are gonna wrap there for scott i am frank thanks as always for tuning in to fantasy baseball today please make sure to follow and leave a five-star rating on apple or spotify and we will be back again tomorrow bye-bye
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