Leading Off: September 15th, 2025 with Ryan Bloomfield (Ep. 1133)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
What's going on? Everybody. Welcome into Fantasy Pros. This is
leading off live the Fantasy Baseball Podcast. I'm your host,
Joel Rico, joined again by my special guest and co
host Ryan Bloomfield from Baseball HQ. We are going to
be bringing you through the headlines, talking some three up
and three down, and going through all your questions here
as we enter into the true stretch run of the
Fantasy Baseball season. The last two weeks of roto probably

(00:28):
your finals and head to head. So Ryan, great to
have you back, my friend. Really looking forward to talking
baseball once again this year, probably our last time talking
baseball this year before we get to see each other
in person in a couple months.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, a brief hiatus before we hang out in Arizona together.
Thanks for having me back, my man.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Of course, Man, of course, it was so nice last time.
We thought we would do it again. You are filling
in here for Casey Bubba wholl We be back on
Wednesday and on Friday. We got only six shows left
in the year. We are really getting down to the
end here, but of course fill up with your questions.
I see Brandon in the chat here. If anybody else
has anything. We'll get to it a little bit later on.
We're gonna run through some of the headlines here first,

(01:06):
and I wanted to start with George Kirby, who had
a really phenomenal game yesterday, really fourteen strikeouts it with
six innings I believe allowed tour and runs. And a
funny stat here is that he's only had two games
where he's in double digit strikeouts this year, and they're
both against the Angels, and they're both fourteen strikeout games
from George Kirby. Now, overall for the season, it's a

(01:29):
four to forty six cra it's a one twenty three whip.
It hasn't been amazing, But below the surface, I don't
really see anything to be concerned about in the long run, Ryan,
You're close to the Mariners there. I think that's the
team that you like, kind of cheer for. It's the
team that's closest to you. Is George Kirby when you
watch him? Is there anything concerning about what you've seen
this year or you know, considering the injury yet at

(01:50):
the start of the year, is this is kind of
just a washout? You'll be willing to buy it back
in next season?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Again, It's bizarre because for most of this season I
was writing off a lot of the early season struggles
with George Kirby just because he was not fully built
up ready. It was almost spring training for George Kirby
when he had these kind of his first few starts,
when he returned from his injury and really got beat
up his first couple of starts. So I have thought
for much of the season that George Kirby's ratios have

(02:15):
been inflated. Like the year to date line, He's pitched better,
and then George Kirby goes out and gives up seven
or runs in mid August and early September and two
separate outings, I'm like, what's going on after that? Like
before the fourteenth strikeout start on Sunday, George Kirby had
three strikeouts in his previous two starts combined. It's like

(02:36):
a complete roller coaster. Just from watching George Kirby, I
think he's I think he's fine. Obviously we see the
ceiling what he did yesterday. Yes it was the Angels,
and yes those two fourteen strikeout games have been against
the Angels. But I think George Kirby's gonna be fine.
I actually took him as my sp one in the
fifth round of the two early meat ball draft for
next season, So I'm in on George Kirby too, concerned

(03:01):
about kind of these ups and downs throughout the season.
I just think he's a little bit rusty, got a
late start to the year, and I think he'll be
fine again next year.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
I think so too, you know, the more I dig
into him. The velocity has been fine. If you're looking
at the o swing, the zone contacts, the swinging, strike raise,
things of that nature. They're all about where they have been.
Stuff is down a little bit from where it had
been from nine one oh four down in ninety seven.
But I think if you're getting a fifth round George
Kirby or something along those lines, I'd be pretty interested

(03:30):
in it. Those blow up starts have been very ugly,
as you alluded to. The seven earned runs really do
hurt you. They haven't just been the three, four or
five and run type of outings. But I think that
we're still buying into George Kirby depending on where that
price is. You think fifth round is where he's gonna stay,
or do you think you know main event drafts he's
gonna shoot up in March probably one way or the other.

(03:50):
But for the majority of draft season, do you think he'll
be getting Kirby in like the sixty through eighty pick
range something like that that's not about.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Right, Probably, yeah, probably, And a lot depends on kind
of how you build your staff around that, if you
have other good strikeout guys that you want. That's always
the knock on Kirby. He needs a ton of volume
to be able to get a decent strikeout total. He's
been able to do it each of the last the
previous two seasons before twenty twenty five. Just know that's
kind of the the bugaboo. So if you do take
George Kirby, try and identify other high strikeout ceiling type

(04:19):
pitchers to build around him.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, and to your point, this is the best strikeout
rate he's ever had and he's still below twenty five percent, right,
it's like league average. Yeah, Yeah, you're not getting a
ton out of him there. Hopefully he can keep ticking
that up. If he's at twenty six twenty seven percent
in a couple of years, that could be something that's
very exciting. Let's talk about Mickey Moniac though I know
it's an odd name to see here when we're talking
about you know, we usually bring up the star players

(04:41):
and whatnot, but Mickey Moniac yesterday there's a lot of
people who had had to have finals, or maybe it
was the semi final matchup. He went four for four,
two homers and two steals. The double combo meal. You
almost never see that with five Ribby and Mickey Moniac.
I mean, for the season as a whole, twenty one homers,
nine steals. He's hitting two sixty eight. He's been pretty solid.
It's been the most playing time he's ever gotten in

(05:02):
his career in terms of games and played appearance. Was
that the problem the whole time with Mickey Moniac is
that he just never was given enough of a leash
to really show what he is. Because now that he
has been given one, it looks like he's not a
terrible player. Here, Ryan, it looks like he's not a
bad offensive threat.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. I don't want to pile on the Angels too
much again, but maybe that is it. Two years in
the Angels organization from twenty three to twenty four can
do a number on you. If you're Mickey Moniac. I'm
still not like totally bought in long term, but it's
been an impressive season for Mickey Moniac and anyone's still
listening who is again, congratulations if you're still in head
to head leagues or you're still kind of fighting fighting

(05:36):
it out for the rest of this season. We've got
an all Corps week, folks, And not only is an
all Corps field week, it is all cores against the
Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels. We continue to
pile on them. So it's a really nice week to
just continue to lock and load with with Mickey Mooniac.
My guess he might be a little bit overdrafted in

(05:58):
twenty twenty six, but that's just me being old and
crotchety and not believing these one year breakouts.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, I get it. I'm not sure what his contract
situation is. I think now he's still gonna be in Colorado.
He's arbitration, so he should still be in Colorado.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
Helps.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah, it definitely helps. So maybe we get another twenty
and ten type year for him, which will be nice.
But to your point, I don't know how much I
want to pay for it. I don't know how stable
this is necessarily he still swings and misses a lot,
he still chases a lot. So I don't know if
this is necessarily a true, full blown breakout, but if
you have added Mickeymonia can certainly if you had him yesterday,
he might have secured a head toed championship for you.

(06:34):
So congrats if that is the case. Let's talk Nolan McLain.
Another really good start, six innings, five hits, clean ball,
nowhere runs with seven strikeouts for him, and what he's
done to begin his career. I keep seeing Mets fans
invoke the name of Matt Harvey and Jacob de Gram
and all that, and well, maybe he's not on de
Grom's level. Maybe he is the next kind of Matt Harvey,
not in terms of career trajectory, hopefully, but in terms

(06:55):
of how good he was right at the start. Because
de Gram when he first started out, he wasn't de Grom.
It took him a couple years to get there. McLain
seems to be there right away. It's been six starts
of a one to nineteen era, a point nine to
eight whip, twenty eight percent strikeout right with only an
eight percent walk rate. He feels very legit and at
this point it feels like he's going to be very
expensive next to year. Ryan Nolan McClain, for you, is

(07:15):
he a top twenty five, top thirty starting pitcher or
do you think that people will maybe overreact to a
smaller sample size.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Now something like that seems about right. I mean, the
big thing I always look at with these prospects is
it's not only just like how do they do obviously
in the majors, but what are how built up are
they Because a lot of these guys come up and
they've never had you know, one hundred professional endings or whatever.
Nolan McClain is now over one hundred and fifty if
my math is right, between the miners and majors this season.

(07:42):
So workload is not an issue for Nolan McLain next year.
Obviously he's not going to keep a one to nineteen
ERA for next season. Nobody does. But you look at
the strikeout rate almost thirty percent. You look at the
ground ball rate sixty four percent ground ball rate. That
to me, I mean, that's like, that's why like Framber
Valdez until recently has been so good as he just

(08:03):
keeps the ball on the ground constantly it's almost it's
almost impossible to have a bad era if you can
keep a ground ball rate in the sixties. So you
combine that with the strikeout rate for Nolan McLain, you
add on the fact that he is pretty much built up,
and we have no idea how to predict picture injuries.
But I will take somebody coming off one hundred and
fifty innings and basically give them as many innings as

(08:24):
I would anybody else. So yeah, big fan of Nola
McLain for next year. Top twenty five to thirty five
ish seems about seems about right to me.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
He's one of those guys who's had success pretty much
everywhere he's been. The eras are always very low in
the minors, lots of strikeouts. The command as at time
has been a little bit shaky with a double digit
walk rate, but with the strikeouts being in the high twenties,
he's always been able to compensate for that. So I
think I agree that he is probably a top thirty
ish pitcher who's pitching for a good well should be

(08:55):
a good team. The Mets have been baffling over the
lot like Yad want Soto and your year has been
worse somehow, even though Soto has been great, and you know,
just a sigh, a little tangent. Do you think the
Mets are going to potentially miss the postseason.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
If they continue to play as they have this past
week and and not hit outside of Jan Soda this
past week? I could absolutely see it. The Giants are
right on their tail like they are, certainly no guarantee.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
To get in.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Would not be surprised if this continues to collapse.

Speaker 1 (09:21):
I wouldn't be either. It's shocking, but you know, lack
of pitching depth. When your whole rotation is a bunch
of rookies that you've called up this year, it's hard
to hard to be competitive.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
For sure, they did do the right thing by combining
I guess they're piggybacking Sean Manaia and I want to
say Clay Holmes this week. So that's that's a step
in the right direction. But yeah, like Jonah Tong got
destroyed last week. It's even some of these rookies outside
of Nolan McLean are are struggling right now.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
Jonah Tong was just destroyed me in so many leagues,
you know, I took the under Yeah, no, no, no,
you're good. It was my bad. Really, all my remaining
fab flushed down on the drain and I check in
in the second inning. I didn't see the first I
took the under in that game here on Friday and think, okay,
you know, let's see what that's going on. To Graham

(10:07):
Tong six are in runs. I have them in like
six leagues. Absolutely brutal, but you know what, that's fantasy
baseball for you. You never know what you're gonna get. You
take the good with the bad. Peyton Tolly as well
has a bunch of fab burned, but it's a lesson
maybe for next season. Nolan McLain or Chase Burns next year,
that's a tough one. I think Burns has a higher
ceiling probably, but McLain has been so so good where

(10:29):
Burns has struggled. Might be McLain for me.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
I think i'd go McLain. I just and I don't
know how much Chase Burns has actually been hurt recently,
but recently on the il like, I agree Chase Burns
has a higher ceiling. I think there's more there's a
lower floor there with Burns, So I would I would
go McLain. That in that comp I think.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
I would, Yeah, you don't have to worry about great
American ballpark and you know, an inferior team, I'd say,
And like Brandon says, the code Forrest Gump fantasy baseball
is like a box of chocolates. Absolutely, Absolutely, Jack and Meryl,
let's talk. Jackson Merril turned himself around a little bit,
but overall it's still been a very disappointing season. He
did go two for five with a home run yesterday,

(11:08):
But where I'm at with Jackson Merrill is that I
kind of just want to throw away this season when
evaluating him. He's been hurt, it's a sophomore slump. Overall,
he's still a one to eleven WRC plus thirteen homers
in one hundred and four games, you know, seven fifty
three ops. He hasn't been bad. He's been bad relative
to draft price and expectations, but the barrel rates up,
the hard hit rate is the same. I'm not really

(11:29):
concerned at all with Jackson Merril, and I think he'll
be somebody that wherever he falls next year, I'll be
pretty willing to take him. I think he was an
eighth round pick in your early draft, Like every day
if that's the price for him.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
One of my favorite picks in that In that early draft,
I wrote I write a speculator column every week for
Baseball HQ, and last Wednesday I did a Mulligan's column,
just kind of giving out Mulligan's Joe, you need plenty
of those on the golf course, but kidding, just giving giving,
giving giving passes, basically free passes for down seas, and

(12:00):
Jackson Merrill was pretty much the headliner of that column.
I'm with you. I view this as a lost season,
injury fueled season for Jackson Merrill. If we take the
long view, I mean, this guy's going to be twenty
three years old next season. He's already got a season
under his belt with twenty four homer, sixteen steels, two
ninety two batting average. I just think, like recency bias,

(12:20):
this is kind of the prime example of somebody like that.
So Jackson Merrill, I'm very bullish on next year. I
don't think he'll go eighth round and fifteen teamers. I
think that was an end season kind of fall there
in the Meatball draft. But if you can get Jackson
Merrill at a fifth sixth round price with this guy
was pretty much a legit second round pick, top thirty,

(12:40):
top forty pick last season. He's still so young, Like,
I think that's really good rebound.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
Potential, a good team around him. Still. Yeah, I think
Jenny Butler in the eighth round there got an absolute steal.
But yeah, Jackson Merril gets the mulligan. I definitely will
need some mulligan. So the last time you guys saw
me golfing in Arizona, I was active kidney stones. It
was taking morphine. I was trying to drink a couple
of beers and it was it was a disaster. By
the sixteenth hole, I had to just sit out. I

(13:07):
couldn't do it anymore.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
It was a tough scene. It was a tough scene.
I wasn't gonna do you that dirty, but you you
laid it out for the listeners there. So yeah, it was, Uh,
it was rough. I'm surprised you even soldiered through and
did it with the kidney stones. You were you were
in prime form.

Speaker 3 (13:21):
Man.

Speaker 1 (13:22):
You know what, when they give me morphine, send me
my way with morphine. I figure I can get by.
Steve Gardner must think I'm nuts. But that was a
fun day. It was a very fun day.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Hey, we even invited you back this year, so don't
worry about it.

Speaker 1 (13:34):
Hey, I'm one of the originals, was there for the
first time. I hope to be there for every one
of those golf invitationals. And by the way, I don't
know who we'll put you with.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
But we'll figure out those those those sorry souls, some
poor sap.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
Let's keep it going with Cal Rawley and Aaron Judge.
They both hit home runs yesterday, fifty four for Raleigh,
forty eight for Judge. I figured it as a decent conversation.
Point four is the MVP wrapped up because you look
at two to people's opinions, you know, and you might
look at two different like national writers' opinions, that it
might be can start contrast with each other. I have
no idea the way the voters are gonna go here,

(14:09):
and I don't even know the way that they should go.
I don't really have a strong preference between Judge and
Rawley at this point. What do you think? Who do
you think is gonna get it? Who do you think
should get it?

Speaker 2 (14:16):
I mean, right now, it looks like looks like Aaron.
I mean Aaron Judge like minus fifteen hundred and cal
Raley's plus five fifty. Really wow, Yeah, unless those are
old lines, but I am I am looking at some
active lines, and that's what it looks like. So I
honestly think if the Seattle Mariners, I know I'm biased,
but if they win the AL West, they are they

(14:38):
pulled into first place yesterday, They're one game ahead of
the Astros. I don't see how it's not cal Raley.
I mean to be totally. I mean and everything that
we can look at the offensive numbers, but cal Raley
plays every day. He manages that pitching staff so well,
like there is a big part of the game that
cal Rally does that isn't captured in a lot of
this stuff. Again, I know I'm biased. I think cal

(14:59):
Raley should get it, but it seems like Aaron Judges
and I would have a problem with that, although honestly,
I have better things to do with my time than
get angry over al MVP debates, so I will refrain
from Twitter debates on it, but I think I think
Rawley should get it.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
I'm still mad that Strider didn't win Rookie of the
Year over Michael Harris, A couple of years ago, so
you definitely.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
See I'm still mad. Miguel Cabrera got it over Trout
in twenty twelve, so that's.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
How god oh no, that one. That was one of
the first ones that really stands out to me as
being like controversial where it could have gone either way,
Like it was more like the traditional stats versus the
advanced stats that year, Cabrera with the triple crown and
Trout with like the ten win season at age twenty.
I wonder what we're gonna see this year at the
betting odds. I don't know if that's reflective of what
they should actually be right now. I feel like cal Rawley,

(15:47):
if you want to sprinkle a few bucks on him,
that's pretty decent investment if you're getting him in like
ten to one or longer a few more home runs.
He's got eight war this season, he's got an eight
win season as a catcher, He's played almost every game,
He's got fifty four homers, he's stealing bases, one hundred
and one runs, one hundred and fifteen ribby. I feel
like I wouldn't have any problem with it being rally,

(16:07):
but I wouldn't have any problem with it being judge E.
They're just a fun little tangent there. Let us know
in the comments, who do you think is going to
be the American League MVP? And I guess the National
League MVP is pretty wrapped up at this point. I
think Show hayes like minus five thousand or something. So
I don't think Kyle Schorber is going to be coming
in there anytime soon, as much as people want him
to be. But let's talk Fernando Tattoos a little bit here,

(16:28):
complete non sequitor to get two for Nando Tattoos, who
had been very good to start the year, and then
he kind of tailed off in the mid months, and
now he's kind of picked things back up a little
bit over the last month or so. For the season
as a whole, though, I feel like it might be
considered a touch disappointing. Twenty two homers, sixty five ribbies,
thirty stolen bases, he's hitting two sixty four. He does
have one hundred and two runs, but it does feel

(16:49):
like overall this is not really what people were hoping
for if you took Tattoos in the first round. Is
that unfair of me to say?

Speaker 2 (16:55):
No, I don't think it's unfair of you to say.
I think at the same time, it's I mean, it
hasn't been a disaster, so you're not you're not losing
your you know, you're not losing your league because you
took fernand Or Tatis, which I would argue sometimes is
kind of the goal of the first round is to
just not screw it up. And so, yeah, like Tattoos,
I I was not in on Tatus in the first
round this year. I just I think people have that
twenty twenty one season ingrained in their memory where Tetus

(17:19):
hit forty two homers twenty five steals at two eighty two.
I don't know if that's ever gonna come back, but
I can still see. I mean, this is just another
like decent season for Tetis. I think I'll still go
in the first round next year, and then honestly he
probably should.

Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yeah, do you think the peds really had an influence
on him there?

Speaker 2 (17:36):
I don't know. I can't obviously, I can't stay for certain.
For me, it's just the combination of the peds and
the shoulder, Like I just I don't know, it's just
two like not red flags, but yeah, orange flags, and
I can only I can only muster one orange flag
if i'm if I'm picking in the first round. So

(17:56):
that really with that combination of the two and just
we haven't seen that that version of tatists in forty years.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
Yeah, forty two homers in one hundred and thirty games.
He had a barrel right over twenty percent, and this
year it's a ten percent and still solid, actually closer
to eleven percent. Fifty two hard hit. But I kind
of agree that I don't know if we're gonna be
getting fifty home run forty stolen base seasons from him.
Maybe he's more of a thirty thirty guy, and maybe
that's totally fine considering considering everything. Like you said in
the first round, if you're getting this, you're probably not

(18:24):
too upset unless you passed up on, you know, somebody
who was really good. But I can't even think in
the first round, like if you took Tattoos, who you
would have passed up on that would have been making you, like,
you know, hit yourself in the face type of thing.

Speaker 2 (18:35):
I mean, if anything, your other alternatives, I mean, I
fun to say, like Tatis was going like eight to
ten overall your other alternatives were like Mookie Betts, Kyle
Tucker like you, Yeah, I know. I mean jay Ram
was already gone obviously, Judge wit Otani were gone. So
it's not like you're kicking yourself for you know, some
other obvious alternative, unless I'm totally missing someone. No, Jayram

(18:56):
was gone by then, so.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
If you took him over Schoogl, you're probably not thrilled
with yourself for over Skiings. You know, Duran has been okay,
Cheerio has been pretty good. I guess, Jazz Trey Turner,
but you weren't really taking Trey Turner and Jazz at
that point of the draft, So yeah, I think I
guess the end of the first round was a little
bit underwhelming overall. Gunner Henderson, Eh Tucker really cooled off.

(19:18):
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Speaker 1 (20:36):
All right, let's do some questions. I think we do
have some questions here from the folks in the chat.
We like Burger or Torkelsen this week. I don't really
have a strong opinion here. Ryan to you, I would.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
Go Jake Berger. I would go Burger. He's playing every day,
hitting well. I would take a flyer on Burger.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
Weekly lineup, head to head points seed one of Jared Duran,
Keishel or Ozzi Alby's Jazz would start at second base
or out, depending on the choice. Or do I bench
Akunya and start two of those guys.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
I would not bench Akunya. If you need bags, I'd
go Keishel. I don't know. That's a tough that's a
that's a very tough call. Boston gets six games. Minnesota
gets seven games.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
So that helps.

Speaker 2 (21:21):
And who's who's the last one? Durant no, uh, Atlanta
gets seven games, probably go Albi's honestly been hitting better
of late.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
You probably probably start Alby's. Yeah, I think so, yeah,
that's fine with me. Yeah, I think it's either him
or kishel A. Kisha has been really interesting to me recently.
It's a points the league. It depends, I guess a
little bit on the scoring system, but I don't have
any problem going with going with Albe's. They're benching Acunya.
You know we talked about this last week or yeah,
when we had you on last week, about the prospects

(21:54):
of benching Taoscar Hernandez. And Taoskar Hernandez immediately that week
hit three home runs and stroke eight, and you know
it would have been justified to think, well, maybe I
should bench him. But whenever you bench a player of
that caliber and Akuny on a much higher level than
theay Oscar, that's when you're gonna get three homers, two steals,
ten ribies. Just that it's gonna happen. It is gonna happen.

(22:14):
Head Ted points start one of miss Jacob Mizowski, Kate
Smith or riise Eli Glaciaths both with seven games. In
a points league, I'd probably just take miss and rack
up the points with those strikeouts. With Kate Smith or
Riiseelah Glacias, you never really know. They might pitch once
or twice in the week. What do you think, Ryan, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:32):
I'd probably go miss. It's a it's a good matchup.
It a lot depends like are you chasing ceiling? Do
you want to protect the lead? But like I would
go miss, I would go miss.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah. In a points league, I think you know it's
it's gonna be pretty hard for him to score in
the negative. Just considering what strikeouts you usually count for
in points formats, I think you're you're probably pretty safe
with him. I think you're the Cardinals.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
I mean, the Cardinals have an eighty two WRC plus
over the last month. That is fourth worst INA as
a team over the last month. So it's a great matchup.
Cardinals are playing out the string at this point, I'd
go miss.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
Cardinals are really bad that you should be targeting them
as much as you can. And Mason win went on
the il too, so one more bat out of the lineup,
you don't have to worry about there. Start Yuri and
Sandy this week in Colorado. Sandy, I think he is
back in the circle of trust Yuri. Not sure I'm
all the way there yet. What do you think?

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, Sandy, I would not touch Uri in Colorado. Uri
is limping to the finish line. Sandy seems to be
hitting his stride. So definitely Sandy and bench Uri Priz.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
Yeah, I think I'm there as well. Oh, we got
a super chat. Let's head to the super chat. Really
appreciate you, Benny Black, unless I'm mispronounced in that, which
I possibly am. Head to head scoring lineup's locked for
the week. Austin Hayes or Trent Grishap. Need two starters
between Valdez versus Seattle. I'm scared to start him Messek
at Minnesota, Pablo Lopez at Cleveland, whether it's at Colorado

(23:54):
or Sprote versus Washington. So need two starters. Pablo Lopez,
I'm locking in right away and probably Framber I would
probably do it. What do you think there? We'll start
with the pitchers, Ryan, What do you think about those pitchers?

Speaker 2 (24:07):
I definitely Pablo. I would actually probably go for the
other one. I would either go Weathers or Messic. Framber's
just not pitching well right now in Seattle. I mean,
Seattle's won nine in a row that they are on
fire right now. It's tough to bench Framber, But would
I would bench him, and I would between Messic and Weathers.
I know Weathers is at Colorado, but he's look good.

(24:28):
I'd probably do Weathers as my second.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
Yeah, Weathers look at interesting. If you guys are looking
for some starting pitching help the rest of the way,
I believe Ron Wethers is just the one start at
Colorado this week, but that still could be a very
very nice little two starts that you get, not this week,
but two starts the rest of season. We're into that
kind of mode that could be looking very nice. And
then Austin Hayes or Trent Grisham this week. So Cincinnati

(24:51):
has seven games at Saint Louis and then versus Chicago,
the Cubs at home, and then Trent Grisham at Minnesota
and then at Baltimore. Do you have a strong lean
on this one?

Speaker 2 (25:02):
I would go Grisham just because it's six radies going
against the Yankees. I know they're all on the road,
but the Yankees get seven games, So I'd go Grisham
and hope this just crazy season that nobody saw coming continues.
Grisham would be the move for me.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yeah, I don't know what to make of Grisham heading
into next year. I feel like he's probably somebody who's
gonna be overdrafted a little bit. He's a free agent,
so you know, if he's in Yankee Stadium, I feel
like I like him a lot more than if he
goes somewhere else. That being said, actually more of his
home runs are away from home. That's kind of odd.
Actually I would have expected it to be the opposite.
But eighteen home runs away, twelve at home. I don't

(25:40):
know that I'm buying in thirty home runs. It just
doesn't feel like something he's gonna do again. Maybe I'm wrong,
Maybe he does do it again. Fourteen percent barrel rate,
But this feels like a career year for Trank Grisham.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
This is always this every year. This is the hardest
type of profile for me to kind of dissect and
analyze for the following season. Kind of your vet that
we think we know who he is, and then all
of a sudden, just kind of randomly as a breakout season,
and the breakout season is skills supported, right, Like it's
been a big dropping strikeout rate for Trent Chrishiam career
high barrel rate, like everything below the surface for Trank

(26:14):
Grisham supports what he does, what he did in twenty
twenty five. However, I can't get over a track record
of like five six years of Trent Chrishiam being I
mean barely I mean below replacement level in the majors.
So I usually tend to stay away from these breakouts. Yes,
the skills support it, but skills can fluctuate just like
surface stats can. And I think the regression is going

(26:34):
to be harder than the market's going to pay.

Speaker 1 (26:36):
For each of the last three years you said under
two hundred. Does this feel I'm gonna get myself in trouble?
I already know it, But does this feel a little
bit Jerks and Profari from last year where it's like
maybe there's something fishy there? I don't know. I don't
want to be that.

Speaker 2 (26:50):
Guy, but yeah, no, I have no idea. But that's
that's actually I probably what I just said about this
being the hardest player to project, this hardest type of
probably he said the same exact thing on our Unbubbing
the Bloom last year about drugs in Profar, like what
do you do? And in Profar's case, like yeah, obviously
the PD suspension, but like he has come back and
played really well, So you know, I'll be wrong on

(27:13):
my stance for sure sometimes, but I just think more
often than not, these guys are going to fall back
harder than what you'll have to pay for.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
I think so too, And I don't know what it
is with Grisham. Maybe it's just a career year, and
you know, everybody spikes a career year once in their career, obviously,
so maybe this is just it for Trent Grisham. But
I don't know, Like I can't even predict what the
price is going to be. If he finishes up with
thirty three home runs or something and he's hitting two
forty five, people are gonna pay more than I think
I'm gonna want to pay for Trent Grisham heading into

(27:41):
next year, and being a free agent who knows like
you might head to a great spot, he might head
to a terrible spot that could really hurt you in
the end. So I appreciate that the super chat there.
I really do appreciate that Benny Black Story or Ellie
this week man be hard to bench Kelly. It's another
one of those acuna things for me where it's kind
of hard to bench. I know he's had a bad
second half. I know he has. It'd be tough for
me to bench him.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
Still tough for me to Benjamin. And what I said
last week about Taoscar that you just brought up, I
mean applies certainly with Ellie de la Cruz. So I
would be inclined to keep Ellie. It's a nice problem
to have if you don't go with Ellie. Trevor Story
has been awesome too, so like I can see going
either way. I'd lean Ellie just because what we were
just saying, you never know when Ellie could spike a

(28:24):
five stolen base week and hit two homers. I don't
know if Story has that type of ceiling in him
for a given week, but he's been awesome this year
for sure he has.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
He's another one where I don't know what the hell
I'm gonna do with him next year. I don't know,
but we'll see. That'll be a longer conversation at some point.
Start Gore Flerity or Verlander. So Gore has I think
is the Athletics. Oh no, it's Atlanta, actually wrong a abbreviation.
Verlander has Arizona and Flarerity has Cleveland. Clear that's the

(28:53):
I think it's probably Flaerity. I don't really trust for Orlander.
I know he's been good the last few starts, but
I don't really trust him.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Ferlander's been good lately. I don't still again, still don't
trust him. I don't trust with Ckenzie Gore coming off
the IL, I'm kind of confused why. That's why that
even happened in the first place. Jake Clarity or Jake Flarerity.
Jack Flarherty is the I think obvious call. Cleveland's Cleveland's
down bad right now. Jack Flarherity, Yes he's been frustrating
on the surface at times this season, but the skills
are still really good for Jack Flaherty, so that would

(29:23):
that's pretty easily, honestly the pick for me between those three.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
Yeah, I was frustrating year for Flerty, you know, I agree,
A lot of the numbers blow the surface looked really good.
I didn't think he was going to repeat last season,
but I thought we'd see a better result this year,
but I think he's He's somebody they'll be worth paying.
The discount on next year should be a bit of
a discount. That's what we've seen this year. Are you
guys backing on Sandy next year if he continues to
finish out strong? I am. I was in on him
this year. I thought that though, you know, considering he

(29:48):
was ready at the end of twenty twenty four, they
let him rehab. They didn't bring him back early. He
had the whole offseason. I thought he was gonna look
good this year, and the fact that it took maybe
a few more months and expected you don't like it,
like I dropped bunch this year, But he looks like
old Sandy at this point.

Speaker 2 (30:03):
He does look like old Sandy at this point. The
Whiffs are up in the second half, steck cow out
of his walk is almost double from first to second half,
shaking off rust in the first. Obviously, he tanked your
team in the first half. But Sandy's been much better lately.
Still only thirty years old. I think Sandy is He
will be on several of my teams in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
The Marlin should trade him the day of the off season.
The day the off season starts like this kind of
production that they've gotten from him in the second half.
I think there'll be teams that are that are pretty
interested there, And for a fantasy player, I'm kind of
selfishly hoping that he's in a bit of a better
spot to get wins. Good thing you're asking this without
Joey p here because you know he thinks of Jack later.
But what are your thoughts on Lighter going into next season?

(30:44):
Has he shown enough development through the season to draft him.
I think he has depending on the price. You know,
He's not somebody that I love. There are still some flaws.
He walks too many batters, the strikeout rate isn't amazing.
He's okay, but the stuff, you know, it does lead
me to think that there is another level hereotentially one
o eight stuff. Plus he has four offerings a great
above average. I think that there is still some potential here.

(31:05):
I don't think he's a neo baby like Joe does.
I think that he's I think he's good.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
I think I think Jack Lighter is just okay. But
it has been better lately, has been better in the
second half. Little bit of a pitch mix change, so
like you said, he has those four pitches, but Jack
Ledder has really leaned into just his four seam fastball
in the second half, I think, throwing it over fifty
percent of the time in the second half. That said, like,
I don't know it like his current line Jack Lighter's
current line three eighty one ERA on the season one

(31:32):
thirty one whip like that feels about right to me
as an expectation. I just I have a hard time
seeing like a major step forward for Jack Lighter. I
would need to see more whips. I would need to
see more strikes thrown, and it hasn't been there. He's
been better lately, but it's hard to just go in
on somebody for a good month, month and a half

(31:54):
like Jack Lader's had.

Speaker 1 (31:56):
Yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's fair. The
fly balls combined with the high barrel rate are not great.
The command is it's not amazing. I'm not sure what
the pitching plus number would come out to ninety nine
with location plus at ninety one, so below average, especially
in terms of locating. I just don't know that the
story is fully written on him yet he's twenty five.

(32:16):
Feel like there could be some adjustments he makes over
the years, and you know the question about like next year,
I don't think he's going to be that expensive. I
feel like a lot of people are gonna see what
we're seeing with the barrels, with the walks, et cetera.
You know, if I'm ballparking a price, I don't know
if he's a top two hundred pick. I think if
he's like a you know, round pick two fifty or
something like that, if he's your six or seventh sp
I could be convinced.

Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yep. Absolutely. Yeah. It's so hard to kind of talk
about these guys right now because we just don't know, yeah, prices,
But I do agree, I don't. I don't see Jack
Leder being like a sexy offseason pick, like a Helium guy.

Speaker 1 (32:49):
No, I don't think so, especially not if you're in
a room with Joey p Hope. He's star involved. We'll
have him back actually next week Joe and Welsh will
be here for that final show, and I think I'll
be joining them actually for it. So should be some
fun there. Jordan Westburg back today. I looked on Twitter.
I didn't see that he was or wasn't back. I
didn't I didn't see an update either way here. Have
you heard or seen anything about Jordan Westburg? Because I

(33:12):
haven't know.

Speaker 2 (33:13):
It's very nebulous and quite honestly, like you probably still
have other options, hopefully have better options elsewhere. I Jordan Westburg,
he's a gamer man, but he has played hurt for
much of this season. It hasn't been great, So I
have not seen anything. I would I would look at
your plan b's and probably go elsewhere this week.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah, I think that's wise. Let's do one more question
for now. Where does Connor Griffin go in drafts next year?
This is more of a Welsh type of question, but
I don't know that he goes in drafts because I
don't know that we can trust the Pirates to promote
him early enough that it'll make a difference in draft
like you know, the whole Bubba Chandler thing. Again, the
highest level he's played is Double A. Twenty one games

(33:54):
at Double A. Are the Pirates going to for go
Triple A? Probably not. They're probably going to keep in
the minds on nineteen years old. He's having an amazing season,
like twenty one homer, sixty five steals, He's heading three
thirty three. It's been great, But if we're talking standard
twelve team redraft leagues next year, I don't think he's
worth it.

Speaker 2 (34:13):
And that's that's kind of the league format I'm thinking here.
And I also I just don't see the way the
Pirates treated Bubba Chandler this season. I just don't see
a nineteen year old but twenty year old next year
with one hundred played appearances at Double A. I think
we're gonna not see Connor Griffin maybe until the end
of next year.

Speaker 1 (34:31):
If that, yeah, yeah, September call up type of thing.
He'll be an expensive fab pickup probably next year around
like I don't know, August twenty fifth or something like that.
That's my prediction, early prediction. With the Bruce clinching already,
will they just rest McGill until the postseason. I haven't
seen the most recent update on McGill, but I would
imagine they want to give him a couple reps before
the postseason again.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
And that's kind of the problem, right, And so it
goes back to that rest versus RUSS thing, Like I
think I agree. I think McGill is going to get
some appearances. The problem for fantasy is it's so hard
to time win those appearances if they'll be save opportunities.
If I'm the Brewers, it's I think of this more
of like like a spring training game where you throw them.
You have set days where you throw Trevor McGill and

(35:13):
it doesn't matter the game situation, Right, That's what I
would do if I was the Brewers. And if if
that's the case for fantasy, like, it's just gonna be
like the stars have to align for that to equal
saves for Trevor McGill, if that makes sense. So I'm
I'm I'm skeptical of Trevor McGill's save total over these
last two weeks.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
Yeah, I think that's probably fair. You know, this is
the time of year when we don't we don't You
don't have time to be like, well, maybe maybe this
is gonna like no, you kind of have to take
the certain things right, even if you're not one hundred
percent sure about a guy like that outfielder for the Nationals,
lot Lyle. I think has pronounced Lyle or Lily. I can't.
I don't even know how to pronounce it, to be
completely honest with you. Yeah, Dylan Lyle Daylan Lyle one
of those guys where it's like, I don't know that

(35:53):
I believe in this guy necessarily, but he's been tearing
the cover off the ball for a couple of weeks,
so that's the kind of player. It's just one example, right,
If guys performing today, then that's all that really matters
at this time of year. Guys, I think that will
pretty much wrap it up for us today. I think
we've got to all of your questions unless I have missling,
but I don't think I have. I think we've gotten
all of it. So I really appreciate you guys coming

(36:14):
onto the stream. I know it's a little different here.
We're on YouTube, it's not Piece of PM Welsh, but
you guys are still coming on, still watching these shows,
and that is very much appreciated. We'll be back again
on Wednesday, myself and Bubba, but Ryan, I really appreciate
you coming on these last couple of shows, and I
want to give you a chances to let the people
know where they keep up with your work in the
off season.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
Happy to do it. Great to still see some chatter
in the chat. Hopefully that means you all are in
the hunt for championships. And best of luck. This last
week or two weeks, depending what your leagues are, you
can find Me and the Bubba and the Bloom podcast
with Casey Bubba. We go twice a week all season,
year round, so we will not be stopping after the
baseball season end, so check us out if you want
some off season baseball content and then my written stuffs

(36:55):
Over at Baseball HQ. We are already starting to work
on the twenty twenty six Baseball Forecasters, so that will
be out in November at some point. So thanks everyone.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Make sure you guys are checking out the forecasters. It's fantastic.
I got a couple of them here. Actually, always great
stuff the baseball forecast. Just make sure you guys. Make
sure you guys are picking one up. Come out to baseball.
Are two first pitch Arizona in November. If you can
run by Baseball HQ you want to shoot the breeze
with Ryan and myself, have a couple of drinks, maybe
play some golf and watch them baseball. You can do

(37:25):
all of that at the Sheridan Wriggly something like Wrigleyville,
Sheridan Mesa, something like that. You can find it all
on our website at BASEBALLHQ dot com And if you're
listening on the podcast feed, click on Ryan's name in
the description and you'll get to his Twitter and you
can follow him right from there. So really appreciate that.
I'm at Joe Rico ninety nine if you guys want
to keep up with my work, but that will do

(37:45):
it for us. For Ryan Bluefield, I'm Joe Rico. We'll
see you next time right here on the Fantasy Pros
Baseball Podcast.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball Podcast.
If you love the show, the best freeway to support
us is by leaving a positive review on Apple podcast
or Spotify, follow us on x, Instagram and TikTok at
Fantasy Pros, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube
dot com slash Fantasy Pros MLB

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