Episode 371 - The 2025 MLB Predictions Extravaganza

John, Tom, Darius and Ben perform their annual ritual in the form of discussing 30 MLB teams and filling out a spreadsheet. Will they be right? No. Will they let that stop them? Also no.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hello, and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast
with the British Twist. Apologies for the technical snaffoos as
we navigate our way around a brand new, shiny, brilliant
recording platform that also allows us to stream and have
high definition cameras that you get to see my face
very up close and very shiny. But you know, thank
you for bearing with us, the literal ones of you

(00:41):
who have joined us on YouTube this evening for four
people to fill in a spreadsheet.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Live, you are going to have the thrill of a lifetime.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
And we've got the OGBFN crew, the four of us
who started out as we always do once a year,
to come together and prognosticate about the twenty twenty five
league baseball season.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
So Tom, Darrius, Ben, are we all ready to go?

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yes?

Speaker 4 (01:05):
I think so ready as we will ever be.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
So we've got two thousand, four hundred and thirty wins
to parcel out. First time we tried to go live,
I've got that wrong, so at least that's an improvement. Darius,
are you going to be able to explain to the
people watching at home, the people listening on their tiny
little magical devices exactly how this is going to work.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
I am, I will do that right now. So I'm
going to put spreadsheet on the screen which will track
our win totals. But basically what we're going to do
is we will go round the group, will take turns
throwing out a win total, we will have a stupid
argument about said win total, and we will arrive at
a number. John mentioned the twenty four hundred and thirty.
You can see that at the top of your screen.

(01:48):
So that number will go down as we predict, and
at the end we will arrive probably one or side
of the other wrong of that number. It will usually
be too high. And then we'll go back around a
few teams and say, well, maybe the White Sox are
a thirty four win team instead of a thirty eight
win team. And until we get that that number to zero,
that's pretty much it. We try and do it in
an hour, unlike the Waffly B team in their hour

(02:11):
and forty minutes. And yeah, hopefully you're it's.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Not going to be what Seth Brown's sprint speed on
this either.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
Not.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
I have threatened to compare all of the teams in
Major League Baseball to some of the stupidly named random
bands that I listened to, So I might not do
that for all of them, but just as it takes
my fancy, and if we've got time to do.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
It, are we all ready to go?

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yes?

Speaker 5 (02:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Who's going first? Should we let the person with the
least knowledge go first? And then at least you can
pick the one team that he knows about. Just get
the Padres out of the way nice and early, Tom,
and then people will just feel like they've recognized that
you did a lot of prep on one team and
there won't be paying any attention when you're literally trying

(02:56):
to name anybody on the Toronto Blue JS in about
forty five minutes of time. So Tom, you go first,
you pick the Padres, and then we'll have a chat
amongst ourselves and you can listen LA.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Dodgers one hundred and five wins, because that's it. They're
really good and they are really.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Good any more than any more than that, No, they're
really good, well apart from MOOKI BET's been really really ill,
which sounds properly miserable.

Speaker 6 (03:22):
But yeah, I think the Dodgers are just great again.
And I don't think there's gonna be any dispute, maybe
the number all go down a little bit, but I
think one hundred and five seems sensible.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, I mean, look, let's be honest. This is a
team that won the World Series with pitchers you've literally
never heard of, so they're going to be incredibly good.
Any any any over and under from Ben and Darius
in terms of one hundred and five, I went lower.

Speaker 5 (03:45):
I know that. I'm oh, he's done some prep as
he I'm not overly worried about about the Dodgers because
they're not gonna be very very good. I think I
said up at ninety seven down, so like this is
still a good team, but I don't know, they're getting
a bit older. This bet stuff is not good. I
do think there are genuine worries about this lineup, but
the rotations so good. There's so much depth, Like their

(04:07):
floor is so high. So even my like worried prediction
for the Dodgers still have them in the upper nineties.
So I'm not going to fight you too much on this.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
Okay. I love it.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, so what are we going to put in? Are
were going to put in one hundred and five and
then we can revisit it surely.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Right, Let's put one hundred and five and we revisit.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
I do have a band for this one. By the way,
they're gonna be the Traveling Wilburries.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Right.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Them.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
You've never heard of the Traveling Wilburries. For goodness sake.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
It's a band that had George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan,
jeff Lyn and Tom Petty in it. You know, some
of the great songwriters of all time, all on the
same all on the same stage, The Traveling Wilburris.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
I've done my prep for the night.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
Don't make me my imaginary watch.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
He wants to go next, Ben, Why don't you go
next because you've done some prep.

Speaker 5 (04:56):
Okay, Oh, I'm not going to make it linear and
have it make sense. Where do like a division at
a time? On the B team, We're going to just
go somewhere random. Now, let's go to Let's go to
the Boston Red Sox. I like the Boston Red Sox
this year. I think they're going to be a good team.
Line up looks deep. They've got star Palein at the
top of it. Obviously Bregman the latest addition to that

(05:18):
to that list. But I also like some of the
younger guys who are going to make the opening day roster.
It looks like Roan Nanthony, Christian Campbell, those guys are good.
It looks like Devis might be dhing after all. So
that's funny given everything that we went through at the
start spring training. But I don't think that's a bad
thing when you can fit these extra guys into your lineup.
And then Garrett Crochet like he's an ace, and that's
kind of what I felt like they've been missing for

(05:38):
a little while. He's a stud. You add him in,
it gives your rotation much more depth. Although I'm a
little bit worried about, yeah, what versions of Gilito and
Bula they'll get in terms of both health and how
effective those guys are. But I think the Red Sox
are a good team. I'm throwing eighty eight wins out
there for the Boston Red Sox.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
I like it. I mean, I'm biased.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
I think this is the best talks team for a
few years, probably since twenty eighteen. Actually, I think the
additions of Crusha and Bora and Bregman are huge.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Campbell and Antonia studs.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, I'm slightly more bullish than you, But I'm happy
to go with ATA for right now, and anyone want
to push back.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
The pushback is it's the Al East, but the Yankees
seem like they're falling apart, the PJS haven't the potential,
and the Orioles refused to actually push all their ships in.
So I could see us coming back to this and
going we need to take some wins off someone. But
I'm not like objecting. I think the Red Sox are
in above average team, like probably all of these teams are.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Cool.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
Stick it in, punch it eighty eight, Darius, you go next.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
Let's go for Let's just do the Angels because we
normally save them and we don't actually have anything to
arguebout anymore. The Angels are a bad baseball team.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Finally, Angels.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
My only question is that are they going to avoid
losing one hundred games again? Somehow? I think probably yes,
but I think they're going to not avoid it by much.
I'm going to say sixty five.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Okay, I mean there's there's there's no pushback whatsoever. They
are absolutely wretched. The only thing that's making me vaguely
interested in the Angels this year is that Michael Peterson
might play for them at some point, although he was
optioned to Triple A last week, which makes me hate
them even more. So they can get lost. They've just
signed a load of bad players, and you say Kakuchi

(07:35):
for some reason, they're average sixty five.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
I like it. It also we need to, No, we
don't need to.

Speaker 5 (07:45):
It feels like we're at the sad point of Mike
Charles's career now too, where it's like, oh, let's just
enjoy Hi while he's healthy, a bit like the old
dog who, like you know, still has a good day
in him and you just want to make sure he's
having a good time. It's really sad, but that would
be the only reason to watch the Angels this year.

Speaker 1 (07:58):
Unfortunately, I don't want to watch that. I don't want
to watch like an old dying dog.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
What if that old dying dog gets their your home runs?

Speaker 2 (08:10):
I mean, look, it's the stranger things have happened.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
I mean, they're there are literally films about this right Well,
no air bud, that's basketball, but I guess you know,
Mike Trout is the air bud of MLP.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Okay, it's me.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
And I'm gonna I'm gonna play play straight and easy.
I'm going to pick the Chicago White Sox, who are
about as appealing as the Scottish death metal band Coffin
Mulch are about as useful as it as well. So
the Chicago White Sox are absolutely awful. I think they

(08:45):
are going to win our fifty three games and they'll
be lucky to get that.

Speaker 5 (08:51):
Wow, I can't disagree. They got worse, if anything, over
the off season. Then they just have like one twenty games, so.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
They have the only the only stopping me go over
one hundred and twenty is like, you know, that was
even though they were terrible last year, that was a
freak outcome.

Speaker 4 (09:08):
Correct, they were. They were unlucky to be that bad.
They were still one of the worst teams of all time,
but they weren't probably the worst team war time.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
Still, are they going to get more than fifty three wins?
Probably not?

Speaker 4 (09:18):
Probably not. No, I don't I don't think there's got
any reason to try so.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
And Tendy haven't they So he.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Is really really bad and also injured. But you know
good that you remember to play it on. Well done, Yes,
it's back to you.

Speaker 6 (09:35):
Oh shall we go with should we go with the Braves.
They're usually quite good, aren't they? Say the Atlanta Braves.
I think is a Kuna injured at the moment, No,
it's not.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
Strider's still not back yet. Acuna is still not back yet.
They both should be back fairly early on in the season,
but they are currently.

Speaker 6 (10:00):
So I think they're winning that division, aren't they? They
look likely to win that division. So I'm going to
go ninety two?

Speaker 2 (10:06):
No, you go for it. That's too many. But we'll
come back to it. Yeah, well done.

Speaker 5 (10:18):
I'm with Tom. Yes, I've got them having a better
record than the Dodgers. I'm sorry to say.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
Good.

Speaker 5 (10:24):
Yeah, they're great, and when those guys come back, they'll
be even better. Last year was a down year and
they still won what was it ninety two games? No less,
not eighty eight or something. But they're going to be good.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Fair enough? All right?

Speaker 1 (10:36):
Well, let let let's more than more than any of us.
Bennet's you again? God, how am I going to go with?
Let's go someone in the n L Central and then
we get one tea from each division. Let's do the
Milwaukee Brewers. I think they're going to be good.

Speaker 5 (10:53):
I think all the teams in division are kind of weird,
and we can get on to that at some point,
but I think a Brewers kind of the best of
a bad bunch. It's just kind of hard to count
them out at this point. It seems like every year
they find a way to put a good team out there,
even when their roster on paper doesn't look great. Obviously,
we're just coming back will be huge. I don't think
he's gonna be ready for the start of the season,
but that's great. And then the other four are passable.

(11:14):
Nest To Cortes obviously, the new name in there, Paratus
Savali Kintana. It does feel like they need Jackson Curio
to become like an immediate MVP candidate, but it also
feels like he might. And then guys like Yelich Turang Freelick,
my breakout candidate, Hoskins, you had a great spring training.
Those guys need to be a lot better than than

(11:34):
the projections say. But I think a couple of them
will be because the lineup every year is it's just
not great, is it? So yeah, same story as usual
for the Brewers are a bat or two light, but
I still think they're going to win this division, and
I think they're gonna win eighty five games to.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
Do so, I can't see I can't really see an argument.
I think that again, this is going to be a
bunch up a bunched up division. There's no there's no
actual good teams in it, are they? To be honest, Well,
there's no bad ones, as will there is. There is

(12:10):
some bad ones, but we'll get to them when we
get to them. Darius, it's it's it's you.

Speaker 4 (12:16):
It's me. Who shall we do? What's going to be
nice and easy? The Giants are mid they are the
fourth best team in that division, but the Rockies exist.
So seventy eight.

Speaker 1 (12:26):
Wins, Okay, that was a nice, quick and easy one.
I am gonna go Central as well. I'm gonna I'm
gonna stay in the Al Central and I'm gonna go
for the did the Detroit Tigers the Cinderella story of
last year's playoffs?

Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think they're pretty good. I mean, you know, we
saw high end outcomes for.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
A lot of those players like McKinstry and Kyle Keith
and Kerry Carpenter at the back end of last season.
But if they can maintain somewhere near that level, then
I think they can be good again. Riley Green is
a great player. I think I really like the addition
of Laga Torres. I like them having Jack Flaherty left,
provided that his arm is not as bad as the
contract puttends. I think they're a pretty good team. I

(13:12):
think they have a sniff of winning that division. Whether
they do or not, we'll see their rotations. Good school ball,
having Jackson job in there and Casey Mize back, which
is amazing.

Speaker 2 (13:24):
I think they're pretty good. The Detroit Tigers. I think
they're an eighty three win team.

Speaker 3 (13:31):
You say winning the division as.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
Well, They've got a sniff of it.

Speaker 1 (13:35):
I think to win the division with eighty three, I
think the best team in that division is the Twins.
But the Twins are the best team in that division
every year, and it doesn't always correlate. Yeah, eighty three Tigers.
Anyone want to Anyone want to fight me?

Speaker 3 (13:51):
I think that's sounds sensible.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
I think they'll regress a bit. They were so good
to end the season, but the lineup is, to use
a technical term, cheeks, and however good the rotation is,
I'm not sure it carries them all the way to
the title. So I've got them just below five hundred,
but I'm not gonna fight you on it. I'll say
that for later.

Speaker 4 (14:10):
Great, so they have that flight, right, So about you three?

Speaker 2 (14:17):
All right, Tom, it's background to you.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
Can I pick the Marlins the Malins Malon. They're a
really bad team, aren't they.

Speaker 4 (14:26):
They're very bad.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
So I think they're gonna lose.

Speaker 6 (14:30):
They're gonna lose one more than last year, and they're
gonna lose one hundred was it one hundred games they
lost last year. Yeah, they're gonna lose one hundred and
one this year. So they're only gonna get sixty one
wins because they're not a very good team.

Speaker 4 (14:45):
I could see us taking more off the Marlins because
I think Peter Bendix is trying so hard to just
trade everything of value away, and so as soon as
so Sandalkantra looks like he's healthy, he's gone. You know,
it's just everything out of the door.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
As soon as they've got any they absolutely suck.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
I think one hundred and one is generous, but let's
stick it in for now and see if we come
back to it. Look love that Darius just did the
maths that you American people are like, what's that? Then
over to you, I will go with the.

Speaker 5 (15:25):
Stay in that division, will do the New York Mets,
my favorite team, sorry, second favorite team. I think this
rotation is in trouble already, which is not good. Obviously,
Montes and me and I are already injured. Clay home
starting on opening Day, which like good for Clay Holmes
who saw that coming. But that is kind of a
concern if you're a Mets fan that he's now your

(15:47):
number one. But that being said, and that that is important.
This lineup is going to rake. I mean, Soto is
a stud. He's around him with Lindor and Alonso and
adding whatever you get from Nemo, Winker, Alvarez, whatever Brett
Batty turns out to be this year, et cetera. Like that,
there is some really good hitters in this lineup, and

(16:08):
I think they will be one of the better offenses
in the in the National League. But yeah, there's concerns
still about yeah, about the rotation. I don't know what
saying is going to be when he comes back, how much,
how he's going to how many innings you're going to
get out of him. So it feels like, again, this
could be a Mets team that like wins one hundred
games or or wins eighty I'm going to kind of
split the difference and put them down for eighty nine wins.

(16:31):
Competitive in that very good division, but probably not winning it.

Speaker 4 (16:38):
I think it's fine. I'm not gonna ark.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yeah what you had? You had the Braves winning it?

Speaker 5 (16:43):
You think Ben I did?

Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (16:45):
But I think like the Brays, Phillies and Mets are
all going to be good, right, I think only be
a few wins between them.

Speaker 2 (16:53):
Sweet sounds good, right, Darius, It's it's it's it's over
to you.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
Let's make the Yankees fans mad? How bad is this
going to get? Without coal?

Speaker 3 (17:06):
Without hearing Roy that much?

Speaker 4 (17:10):
Carlos Carrasco is in the rotation. That's how it's going
for the Yankees right now.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
Premier reliever Marcus Stroman is also in the rotation.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
I kind of don't mind the Paul Goldschmidt bounce back
in Yankee Stadium, but I do have concerns about some
of the depth here. You know, the depth and the
rotation is already gone. And yeah, if Judge gets hurt again,
then I think they're in.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Real big trouble.

Speaker 4 (17:35):
Old tennis elbows, old tennis elbow, Stanton might just be gone.
You know what might be It might never see Jan
Carlistanton again. Who knows.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
But it's not great wild.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
Not that's not based on a report. That's just you know,
based on them saying you might miss the season because
of having elbows.

Speaker 5 (17:52):
I think.

Speaker 1 (17:54):
I want to I want to know what John Carlos
Stanton was up to over the off season that.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
That transit by it to happen to him.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
And then he had a calf injury so he couldn't
use elbows, so he thought, I'll injure another part.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
I don't know that man is the entire time, he's
made of glass.

Speaker 1 (18:13):
I did have a band for this, by the way,
another death metal band, Polish death metal band Decapitated immediately
sprung his mind because they no longer have the top
of their rotation, and so, yeah, have you got a
number for them?

Speaker 4 (18:26):
Have got a inconclusion, I'm going to say eighty seven.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
I think that's generous.

Speaker 4 (18:35):
I think I think right now, I mean they still
probably have the best or in the league, So yeah,
that that counts.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
And rile them up there say sixty five.

Speaker 4 (18:45):
You want to say eighty five? We're saying eighty five.

Speaker 5 (18:47):
I want to say sixty five, sixty eighty five, eighty five.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
It's all the shot by in Toronto.

Speaker 4 (19:01):
They're in the same they just want to join up together.
I don't know why do one of those teams. We
can speak your win your wins.

Speaker 1 (19:08):
There's still twenty four hundred and thirty wins running, which
is which is exciting for us.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
I'm sure you can work out the Rockies.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
And also, didn't we do a team in the NL Central,
which now I think it was the Milwaukee Brewers.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
We're going to win eighty five.

Speaker 4 (19:23):
Games so quickly I didn't even write them down.

Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, perhaps, Okay, cool, it's it's me. I oh god,
I want to talk about the Seattle Mariners. The best
rotation in baseball, one of the worst lineups in baseball.
What on earth have they done over the off season?
Just an absolutely extraordinary mess of a franchise. Great that

(19:47):
they've extended Carl Raley. He's a fun player, but they
don't really have anybody else he can, like, you know,
hit the cover off the ball in that ridiculous stadium where.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
It's hard enough to hit it out.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
I think they're an absolute sham and they should be
able to win that division as it's currently configured, but
their pitching is so good, so I still think there's
a possibility that they could sneak through a Texas Houston
punch out and win the division. Not saying they will

(20:19):
and saying they could. I think Seattle they're going to
be a nudge above five hundred. I think they're an
eighty three win team.

Speaker 5 (20:30):
No disagreements. Did you see they just signed cal Rally
to a big extension.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
I did dumper, big dumper, big extension. Exciting times, but yeah.

Speaker 5 (20:40):
I'm with you.

Speaker 3 (20:42):
Sounds good.

Speaker 4 (20:43):
Lock in okay in.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
Sorry?

Speaker 4 (20:46):
What was what was the number? One?

Speaker 2 (20:48):
Eighty three three? Do you want to push back on me?

Speaker 4 (20:52):
No? I mean it's not fifty four percent, is it?
But I'll settle for it. It's close enough, Tom.

Speaker 6 (21:02):
Should we talk about the Padres and who have a
completely broken rotation but not as bad as the Yankees.
The lineup's still good. It's missing so too, unfortunately, but
I think I still think they come second in that division.
I think the lineup is still going to be pretty
good for them. Jackson Merrill was looking quite sprightly and fun,

(21:24):
so he should be good for the team. I just
obviously theres need to see a bit more from under
Bogarts because he's been pretty poor so far. Let's think,
why should we put them then? So are they going
to outscore Arizona? I think they might finish the same
as Arizona with eighty seven come and joint second in

(21:49):
that division.

Speaker 1 (21:50):
Okay, No, there's definitely a bit of a hometown bias
in that.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
But I mean, they're not terrible, but they're not as
good as Arizona.

Speaker 4 (22:06):
I don't think the eighty seven is necessarily biased, but
I do think the Diamondbacks are a bit better.

Speaker 5 (22:11):
I'm with Tom again. Oh this is concerning me now,
but I am with him in terms of number, and
I also think that as good as the Diamondbacks.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yes, thank you, Ben, goodness me, this is good, fair
enough sticking in.

Speaker 5 (22:26):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
Everything everything I knew I wanted you to be true
is proved to be false.

Speaker 3 (22:36):
On a heel turn, He's just going to join me
as as central crisis.

Speaker 5 (22:41):
I've been following the sport for years and I've gone
him nothing more than Tom.

Speaker 1 (22:45):
The guys and there's a guy's a nihilists this research
and he's just come out of the same conclusion as you.

Speaker 5 (22:51):
Yeah, Tom Grass dot Com.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
What was I thinking.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
Then?

Speaker 4 (22:59):
It is?

Speaker 2 (23:00):
It's it's you, So get Tom Grafts booted up.

Speaker 5 (23:03):
Let's let's do another NL Central team then, and let's
go with the Chicago Cubs, seeing as their second in
our in our little leader board there, I don't really
know what to make of the Cubs. The bad news
is you're already owing to That's not a great start
to the season. The good news is you've got two
games against Dodgers out of the way already. That is
a good start to your season. Obviously, love the Kyle

(23:26):
Tucker acquisition gives them a genuine middle of the order bat.
Pete Crow Armstrong's really fun both at the plate, on
the bases in the field, and I think there's depth
of the lineup, but some of the other guys that
are in there, obviously Swanson, perhaps Azuki. I like the lineup,
but the rotation concerns me. Imanaga was great last year.

(23:47):
I don't know if he'll be able to repeat that
this year. Then below him, Yeah, Steel's fine. I guess
pyone gives you innings. Matt Boyd maybe he did put
it all together at the end of last year. I
just don't. I don't feel like a very strong vitation
to me, and I don't think there's a depth there
if you do lose, you know, inaga, or if you underperform.
So I've got them winning eighty four games just above

(24:09):
five hundred. It feels like it's so easy to put
all of these teams just around five hundred and flip
a coin to see who comes out on top. I
think I'll be one of the better teams, but I
don't have them winning division. I think I'd be a
little bit worse than the Brewers.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
They're really weird that team, Like I could, I could
just as equally see them being deadline sellers as winning
eighty four games, and I would be surprised, not surprised
with either outcome.

Speaker 4 (24:34):
Yeah, I think I'm a bit more optimistic because I
think they could have one of the highest scoring lineups
in the league. But I don't disagree about the rotation
being a bit questionable behind and steel.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Stick eighty four in. There's too much agreement on this.
I'm worried.

Speaker 3 (24:55):
If we get what if we get to the end,
We've got zero wins just in one run through.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Like when you get when when you go and put
petrol in your car Americans, that's yes, and you get
like a bang on twenty quid.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
That's what that would be? No better feeling in life?

Speaker 4 (25:12):
Who still be.

Speaker 2 (25:14):
Well, yeah, of course I do. Mate. Look I'm forty
one years old, childless man. I get my kicks where
I can. Okay, Darius's.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Let's do Michael Lyce's cheap ot Orioles, Kyle Gibson going
to be in the rotation obviously.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
Honest to god, the.

Speaker 4 (25:38):
Orils deserves by like a game just because they can't
be bothered to actually spend on anybody. So I'm just
gonna I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say worse than the
Red Sox. I'm not doing I can do it. I
think the lineup is too good. I'm gonna say ninety
because the lineup is still really good.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
I think I think okay, no, I think I think nineties. Fine,
I think nineties fine. I'll let you have that one,
all right to me?

Speaker 2 (26:11):
Isn't it a right? Who do I want to talk about? Oh,
Kansas City.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
I seem to want to stick in the al Central,
so I'm not going to I think the Washington Nationals
are going to be like what the Pirates were last
year this year, like surprisingly quite good.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
They have some pretty fun players. Yeah, James Woods.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
Yeah, yeah, your other what's the name of your the
shortstop who came from you guys, Tom Abraham, that's the fellow.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Yeah he did.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
I think I heard Ben say it's fine.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Yeah. I think I think they're going to be quite good.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
I don't think they're going to be amazing, but they're
one of their teams who were around the corner now
and I think it's going to be a promising season
for them with some fun players, something to get behind
for the first time in a while. I still think
they'll have a losing season, but it won't be an
absolute rotter. I think they'll win seventy six games.

Speaker 4 (27:18):
That is exactly how many games the Pirates one last year.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
So there you go. I remembered you, right, I didn't
the thanks.

Speaker 4 (27:29):
I have no argument. There's a bunch of free wins
from Miami in that division.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, I think I.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
Think they're in the seventies.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
Ken Zi Gore is their ace, which you know, it's right,
he's good, good, he's all right.

Speaker 5 (27:43):
Was a bit like on I'm just gonna say it
like a bit like that. Those young guys kind of
have to show it now, right, like a For years,
I've been hearing about how they like won the Soto
trade and look at all this young talent and like
they've been on top of prospect listen on the rest
of it. I want to see them do it at
the major league level. I think they can, and I
think you're pretty is fair if they do that. But
I also think the wheels could kind of easily come

(28:03):
off if those guys struggle and suddenly it's like, oh,
hang on, what actually are we building around here? But
I have no problem with seventy.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
Six great Tom Pringle.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
Oh I need to pick a team, let's go with
do you know what?

Speaker 6 (28:23):
I add A moment of confusion when I saw Sack.
It got me a bit confused, But.

Speaker 3 (28:27):
I remember, now, let's should we talk about Ben's Rockies?
Should we talk about them?

Speaker 5 (28:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (28:32):
Yeah, they're bad, aren't they?

Speaker 4 (28:34):
They?

Speaker 2 (28:35):
Next year?

Speaker 3 (28:36):
Have they have they done? Have they done anything? In
the off season?

Speaker 2 (28:38):
They signed Kyle Farmer obviously.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
Tyro Ristrada who was dfaid, and you know, nobody wanted them.
Last season they signed and got.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
Injured and he got injured, and then they traded away
one of their players who could be good, not necessarily
would be good, but but but could be so Yeah,
they are. They are extraordinarily awful and who knows, who
even knows what they're doing up there.

Speaker 4 (29:02):
And if you knew the Rockies rotation ten years ago
and like guests based on that, you would actually be
like more than fifty percent correct about who's Sellini because
it's the same guys.

Speaker 5 (29:13):
Because they've been so good for that whole decade.

Speaker 4 (29:16):
And Tonia Senza teller has just been a raking.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Should I give him a number?

Speaker 6 (29:23):
Yeah, that's the thanks. I think they're not going to
get a hundred losses. I think they're gonna be better
than that. I believe in this Rockies team. I'm going
to say sixty three wins.

Speaker 4 (29:35):
Absolutely not definitely games.

Speaker 5 (29:40):
This team is putrid.

Speaker 4 (29:44):
I think this is one of the things we were
the closest on last year, was Ben just coming straight
in and going the Rockies are terrible. They will lose
hundred games.

Speaker 5 (29:52):
I just don't think they are a serious franchise, Like
they just don't act the way that they do if
you actually care about winning games. I don't care what
they go out and say publicly. They do have some
exciting young players, which is a sad thing. Like Boils great,
Tovar's cool. I'm really excited about what we can get
from Chase Dolander if he ever mixed it into the Majors,
if they didn't break him before then. But like the
rest of the team is so bad. The rotation is

(30:14):
the worst in the Majors by a distance, I think,
especially in that division. I think I'll do well not
to lose one hundred and ten games. Honestly, I've got
them down for like fifty six.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
I mean, I really have got nothing, nothing to come
back to you, And I kind of like that I
don't have a band for this one because I couldn't
really think of a band from Colorado take a lot
of drugs, and there's.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
Probably a lot of them.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, I mean, not not going with the rock is
puritanical athos, But you know, God, they're terrible.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
Just put them out of their misery.

Speaker 4 (30:51):
So we go with Ben's number and not Tom's number.

Speaker 2 (30:53):
What was Tom's number?

Speaker 3 (30:54):
I said, sixty three.

Speaker 2 (30:55):
Oh yeah, it's less than that.

Speaker 3 (30:59):
Fifty eight.

Speaker 4 (31:00):
Yeah, okay, we're taking We're taking that wins off them.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
There we can always take more one.

Speaker 5 (31:09):
Ben, Let's do the Phillies and finish off the Nlys.
Then I think the Phillies will be good again. I
don't think they'll win the division. I can't remember why
I didn't think they're going to win the division, because
they have a really good rotation. Obviously Wheeler, No Lo
Again's gonna be there forever churning out two hundred quality innings.

(31:31):
Sanchez Suarez. I think Lozardo it looks like maybe be
the fifth men of that rotation, which is which is cool.
And if he's a fifth start to the upside he has,
I don't hate that at all. And then the line
up all the same names from last year, right, Harper, Turner, Schwarber, Cassianos.
They've even added our old friend Max Kepler. Maybe he'll
run into some magic this year with the Phillies. My

(31:51):
only concern, I think was more around aging, that this
is a very old squad and at some point it
feels like a couple of these guys might fall off
the cliff, become washed, so to speak. And it does
feel like this might be a year where a couple
of those guys, Yeah, either through performance slowing down or
just injuries. Find that age catches up to them. So
that's why I had them maybe not winning the division.

(32:12):
I have them for eighty nine wins. I mean they're
still a very good team in a very good division.
And yeah, that's the only thing I can nitpick with
them really is you know, maybe that the age catches
up to them. But I mean, they've been so good
for a couple of years now, and that rotation is
so strong that it doesn't feel like there's a very
low floor for them.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
Fourteen of the roster at over thirty. That seems like
a lot.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Dave don Browski, Mate, that's how he works. That team
is going to be good until all of a sudden
it's extraordinarily bad.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
I don't think it's going to be this year, but
it might be quite soon.

Speaker 4 (32:47):
Yeah, I think they need to win pretty soon. It's coming.

Speaker 3 (32:51):
What number did you say, Ben, I missed that.

Speaker 5 (32:53):
I said eighty nine, same as the Mets.

Speaker 4 (32:55):
We're having another tiebreaker, non tiebreaker.

Speaker 5 (32:59):
Stick it in just to make Russell upset, just to.

Speaker 4 (33:01):
Make us upset. Good stuff, it's you, it's me. Let's
do Tom's favorite sack baseball prospectives policy is to call
them the Sacramento Athletics because they are playing in Sacramento,
and John Fisher doesn't get to pretend they're not, so
we will be calling them Sacramento. And I think they

(33:23):
are fine. I'm not really all in on the ACE
might make the playoffs band wagons I might have outlined
previously here there's just a lot of question marks here. Yes,
Brent Rooker is very good. Lawrence Butler looks very good.
There's a lot of dross the rest of the place.
I don't think they really know who their rotation is.
They're going to mess around with it all season. A
lot of big holes, a lot of you know, filler

(33:44):
g scheller. It's going to be taking a lot of
third base reps'. It's not you know, high quality stuff
out here in OpenD. So I think they'll be all right.
They're better than the Angels, but it's kind of a
seventy four win team to me.

Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, Like, no no arguments whatsoever.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
Name another player on that team and other than Severino
and you you did you do, Jeffrey Springs.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
That was a weird trade. Yeah, I've got no arguments whatsoever.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
Agree all right, since we're starting to complete some of these,
I'm gonna I'm going to complete the NL West with
the Arizona Diamondbacks, who, unlike Ben and Tom Grafts, I
think are very good. I mean, Corbyn Carroll is a megastar.
Their rotation is really good. They've got some really promising

(34:37):
players coming through, like Pevid Smith. I think their ceiling
is really high, and if they get anywhere close to
meeting it, they're going to be a very good team
this year. I think they're better than the Padres, definitely
the sort of rotting rotation Padres that we're seeing.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
I think they are a ninety win team the nose.

Speaker 4 (35:02):
I support this ninety win prediction.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Oh, I'll let you go.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
Fifty to fifty. I don't spend and I believe in
this Padres team.

Speaker 2 (35:13):
You don't know what you're talking about, so you're suggesting.

Speaker 3 (35:17):
That Ben doesn't either. That's a bit awkward.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
I don't know what Ben. I don't know. I've never
known Ben like this, I've got I'm worried for him.

Speaker 5 (35:24):
I don't know what I'm really interested.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
I don't know what's going on. This is a really
good thing.

Speaker 5 (35:28):
I'm fine with it. I think they're going to be
Those two teams are close to me like Plasers, and
people think. But I'm fine with having a Deer Backs
a couple of games better than the Padres, if only
because it distances me from Tom's takes.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
In the year twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (35:44):
We're going to hear about this.

Speaker 2 (35:48):
Fair enough. I'll own it.

Speaker 1 (35:50):
In the year twenty twenty five, is Corbyn Carol a
more valuable player than Manny Machado?

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yes, he is.

Speaker 6 (35:57):
I was wondering if there's any way I don't know
who would be interested in doing this, but to go
back for all of our predictions and see what everyone's
first prediction was for the score, what they got talked to.

Speaker 3 (36:08):
And then see what the difference was.

Speaker 2 (36:10):
And he was actually, it sounds like a really good project.
You should take that on.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
I'll chat to Russell.

Speaker 4 (36:16):
Well, you know someone, we just have to listen back
to the podcast.

Speaker 2 (36:20):
First.

Speaker 1 (36:20):
Put that's exactly how you do it, Tom, or you
can get you can get an a I scraper to
do it, can't you.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Get I'll get text Tex support Ben on the case.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
Great, Tom, it's your pick.

Speaker 1 (36:31):
I see you're avoiding talking about baseball teams by talking
ship as usual, but it do crack on.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
Astros. They're usually good. Eighty eight done?

Speaker 1 (36:44):
Next, Is that it anymore? You named two players on
the astros ow two v correct.

Speaker 3 (36:54):
And Justin Verlander?

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Correct?

Speaker 5 (36:59):
Can tell us what position? Who there is?

Speaker 3 (37:02):
He's playing ceing base, This is a fun one.

Speaker 5 (37:04):
Not anymore?

Speaker 3 (37:06):
Is he playing there?

Speaker 2 (37:07):
He plays plays left field now quite badly, very giant.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
The giant is he's playing left field.

Speaker 4 (37:14):
And Justin Verlander is a giant.

Speaker 1 (37:17):
That well, uh oh, well you had to go, didn't you.
Jeremy Payne, you could have had him. But have you
heard him?

Speaker 2 (37:26):
Martindo probably still a plays to them?

Speaker 4 (37:29):
He does not, but I think somebody here does.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
All right, he'snally good though.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
They've got a decent rotation. They've got good players. Cam
Smith has made the team, which is which is fun?
Christi Walker, Yeah, I like that signing for them.

Speaker 3 (37:48):
I like that he is good. He is.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
We know you accidentally once picked him in a fantasy
league and then he was good, so you know you
now know that he's good.

Speaker 2 (37:59):
It's one of your favorite stories, that one. What did
you say eighty eight? That sounds about right?

Speaker 3 (38:08):
I did say eighty eight, didn't that.

Speaker 5 (38:09):
Yeah you did.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
I think, like, look, I think that's good. Anyone anyone else.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
Let's see, were Ben's copying off my notes?

Speaker 5 (38:16):
I wrote down. I honestly wrote down eighty eight. This
is freaking out. I'm really concerned. My heart is beating fast.
What's going on?

Speaker 4 (38:27):
Are you concerned that Tom's actually just hacked your giggle
drive or something?

Speaker 6 (38:32):
This would be a great bit if I had actually
stolen your notes and they were just here printed in
front of me.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
But I haven't been. You're just You're just at the
same level that I'm at, which is you know, it's impressive.
You've got there. It's taking you a while, but now
you're with me.

Speaker 5 (38:44):
I spent all day when I should have been working
researching this stuff just for Tom to go, oh, there
used to be good eighty eight bang, And that's exactly
what I said.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
Tom, who could literally know one player on this squad.

Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yeah, I'm on the record as saying are not winning
this division. So I will put in eighty eight. But
I will also then say Texas Rangers.

Speaker 3 (39:06):
He believes in de Grom, that's who he believes it.

Speaker 4 (39:08):
I do believe in Jacob de Grom as long as
he's healthy for however long that might be.

Speaker 5 (39:13):
I don't know if it's my term, but should we
do the Rangers? Now, let's do it. Let's let's talk
it through. I want to believe in the Rangers, and
I definitely want to believe in Jacob de Grom. He's
one of my favorite players and it'll be awesome to
see him pitch again this season. And like, if he
stays healthy, he's going to be a monster and will
cover up a lot of the holes on this team.
But let's not forget who they just signed to be
part of their rotation, Patrick Corbyn, And that concerns me.

(39:37):
That's not the move of a team that's going to be,
you know, tearing up trees this season. God bless Patrick
Corbyn is still being around. But yeah, I think it
comes down to health with this team. The lineup's great,
Seme and Seega, Langford, Garcia, they're all going to bring thump.
You've got extra pieces around that that could be could
be really valuable with it again if they can stay
healthy and then yeah, the rotation, this is so fun,

(39:58):
right de Grom? You Valdi, Kumar Rockers made the team,
Jack Lighters made the team, Like that is an awesome
combination of really good pictures. I just worry that multiple
arms will break in the next several weeks, never mind months,
and that they're going to end up saying, God, remember
how good we thought the Rags were going to be.
So I have them, you know, worse than the Astros,
but still pretty good in the mid eighties. I think

(40:21):
eighty five eighty six is fine. They'll run the Astros close.
With the upside that, Yeah, if it all clicks and
they stay healthy, they probably do win this division. I
just don't see that happening.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yes, it's done, silence, I think, I think, I mean
Darius wants to wants them to be higher.

Speaker 4 (40:38):
So it's really I've already claim. Problem last year was
that the lineup sucked, like the picture was all right,
and they didn't get the good lineup back. So yeah,
if Adonis Garcia collapses again and you know, Seeg is
more hurt than his ideal and semi In doesn't come back,
then yeah, it's a problem. But I think the lineup

(40:59):
is going to be really good, and I do think
they have enough pitching. You know, there's probably Patrick Corbyn
aside at least seven guys here that I would be
happy to have in a rotation including Yeah, Jack Degron,
plus you know, Kumar Rocker could be an ace if
these become a very good picture. So yeah, I think
they have a little bit more than the Astros do,

(41:20):
and I certainly like the depth a little bit more.
But we can put eighty five eighty six, and you know,
I'll do a tom at the end of the season
when I'm right.

Speaker 2 (41:32):
Put eighty six. Then okay, Darius, it's your pick.

Speaker 4 (41:37):
Okay, we seem to be neglecting the centrals, so let's
do the Cincinnati Reds. Who are I don't really know
what the Reds are. Actually, I feel like I never
really know what the Reds are. I'm not sure what
they're doing. I think they're not that great. They've got
one of the most exciting players in baseball, and then
a real new two two of the most exciting players best,

(42:00):
and then a load of crap and the mishmash of stuff.
If Matt McLain's back and healthy, then that's really good
for them, I think. But yeah, you know, they've sort
of got a Gavin lux thing going on. Who knows
what's going to go on with that. I think a
lot of the rotation is quite bad. They're going to
allow a lot of runs, not listing that ballpark. So
I think they're kind of like a seventy five win team.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
That feels quite generous to me. I think they're pretty pants.
I think they might finish last in that division. I
think they will finish.

Speaker 4 (42:29):
I think they could finish last with seventy five wins, though,
I think that's.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
Just what Yeah, that's true, light, Yeah, okay, fine, I
also think we're neglecting Central. I am going to go
for the Kansas City Royals, who I don't think are
actually very good. I think last year they played to
their ceiling. Obviously, Bobby Whitt is a superstars, one of

(42:52):
the best players in baseball. The rest of their lineup
is outside Vinnie Pascentino pretty naf you know, Kyle Isbell,
M J. Melendez, Hunter, Renfro sal Perez seemingly somehow still
playing and still.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
Catching it's extraordinary.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
And Jonathan India, who I think is quite a nice
player but not really a difference maker. And then you know,
outside of Cole Reagan's that that irritation's kind of held
together with sticky tape. To me, you know Seth Lego
and Michael Waker were both great last year, but when
could you have said that in the last five or

(43:31):
six years that they were both great in the same year.
And Michael Lorenzen, I mean, really, I think they're very good.
I think a lot of people got sort of high
on their own supply about them last year because Bobby
Wick was amazing and Seth Lugo throws a bunch of
curveballs and people like that.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
I think they are seventy six win team. I'm kind
of with you.

Speaker 5 (44:00):
I didn't have them that low, but I do think
like Bobby Witt was, like, had one of the best
seasons we've ever seen last year, and they had two
of the top five Insty Young voting and they still
just crept into the playoffs. I think it's fair to
expect there will be a little bit of negative aggression
from what they were able to do. Then I don't
like the line up outside of witting Pascantino as you mentioned,
And yeah, I think they will struggle a bit, even

(44:22):
in this division, which doesn't feel super strong. I had
them more like around five hundred, But if you want
to go below, then like, look.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
Last year Bobby Witt's ten war, and it's arguable that he,
Reagan's and Seth Lugo had career years in the same year.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
That's not going to happen again anymore.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
Lock them in we can.

Speaker 4 (44:48):
I consider him in close to five hundred just because
of the white socks.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
True.

Speaker 4 (44:53):
True, I don't I don't have any argument to anything
you said about the roster.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Tom, It's back to you.

Speaker 3 (45:03):
There's some teams I don't know much, but.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
You know some players on the Blue Jay, so maybe
pick them.

Speaker 3 (45:09):
I don't know players on the Blue Jays.

Speaker 6 (45:13):
Let's go for the Cardinals. They used to have magic.
They don't seem to have much magic anymore. They don't
seem to be that good.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
They suck.

Speaker 6 (45:26):
They don't look good, do they. The lineup is loading,
it's very so old. They've got last Newt Bar that
is a great name, but they have got a very
aging So the rotation is very old, isn't it. Jesus
Miles Micholas at thirty six? Ouch, Yeah, that's looking old.
They're gonna they're gonna win less than Chicago. They're gonna

(45:49):
have eighty one wins.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
I mean, I think that's quite optimistic.

Speaker 1 (45:54):
I think this lineup outside of New bar and the
fading ghost of Nolan Aaron though, who they spent the
entire offseason trying to trade.

Speaker 2 (46:03):
They are naff And you know what self respecting.

Speaker 1 (46:10):
MLB franchise in the year twenty twenty five is putting
Sonny Gray out there as their opening day starter. They're
just not very good and they don't know what they're doing.
They should tear it down, but they just can't because,
you know, because the best fans in base.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
Ball would get mad. They are really bad, like Cincinnati bad.

Speaker 5 (46:29):
But think of the Cardinals is you can never rule
them out. But I feel unbelievably comfortable ruling them out
this year like they are. They are bad. If you
thought Sonny Gray was bad, I've seen he's pitching behind him.
It's horrible.

Speaker 4 (46:42):
I mean, I don't think Sony Gray is bad. I don't.
I'm not arguing the team is good. I'm just saying
I think Tony Gray is good, but the rest of
it is bad.

Speaker 1 (46:52):
He is good, but is he an opening day starter
on a team that has any pretensions of being half decent?

Speaker 2 (47:00):
No, He's a number three start.

Speaker 4 (47:03):
That's a pop quiz for Tom the Cardinals signed one
major league player this offseason. Can you name him? You can't?
To be fair, I am looking at the lineup, so yeah,
look at god, look at the page. I'll bet you
still can't do it. As in, it was in the lineup,
just one across all my position players and pictures. They

(47:24):
signed one major league player, Stephen Matt.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I'll give you a clue. It happened literally last week.

Speaker 4 (47:32):
Maybe maybe two weeks ago. Now it was this month
for sure.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
No, I don't know. I'm looking up no idea.

Speaker 1 (47:38):
Oh well, look, have we got film aton for you?
I think I think that they might get They might
be around.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Five hundred, just because this division sucks.

Speaker 4 (47:53):
Basically, I think they're below.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
Okay, where do you go?

Speaker 5 (47:59):
You eight one?

Speaker 2 (48:00):
What do you reckon about seventy eight?

Speaker 4 (48:03):
Say seventy eight for now?

Speaker 2 (48:04):
A right?

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Do it?

Speaker 5 (48:07):
Ben, Let's do the Toronto Blue Jays. Then things Tom
didn't want to don't only know what to think about
this team. I like the rotation. I think they'll you know, Gusman, Bassett,
burios Is the top three is good. You've just added
Max Scherzer. As long as he's healthy. I think he's
still going to be productive even though he's whatever forty

(48:28):
one years old now, So I think, you know, last
year they've got a bit decimated there. I think this year, again,
assuming health, they'll be stronger and that a couple of
those guys should bounce back performance wise. Flady and and
Baschett in contract years, are you going to see them?
I don't know, ye really show up and want to
get paid and have career years. Maybe you have to
be hoping so, although you're also particularly worried if you're

(48:49):
Blue Jays found that they might walk at the end
of the year, and then I like some of the
additions to give them a bit more depth of the
line up. Anthony santanderz there now, Andres Jiminez is there now.
It's kind of like a surely it can't get worse,
or surely they have to bounce back a bit. With
the Blue Jays, I just don't know that the ceiling
is there like it used to be. Like some other
guys are just a bit older and a bit worse.
Now I've got them down for eighty three. That might

(49:12):
be a bit harsh, but I think they are just
about five hundred team.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, I think I basically agree with that, and it's
a tough division. To get three wins, you're gonna have
to grind every single one out.

Speaker 4 (49:27):
Yeah, I agree. I don't think they've got a few
really really good players, and that's kind of it. The
Springers of the world are going in the tank. I
don't think the rotation is very good. If shit, it's
so good, you know, stay healthy and get back to
being match shares and then maybe it would be better.
But I think eight three is pretty reasonable.

Speaker 5 (49:47):
It's a bit for a Phillies thing too, where like
they're getting older contracts are not looking so great. It's
kind of now one ever, except the Phillies have got
a good roster and the Blue Jays one still looks
just bad and aging. So you kind of worry, especially
if Floody Walk's next year is going to look like
for them.

Speaker 4 (50:01):
But there's definitely a scenario if the first half goes
bad where they're just we're tearing this down because we
know we're not resigning Guerrero and there's nothing on the top.

Speaker 3 (50:10):
Of the line that they're going to drag them through
it quite well, because yeah, that's.

Speaker 1 (50:13):
Why they're going to win, that's what that's why they're
going to win that and jose Berry or some much
is why they're going to win eighty three games.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
I think because they still have good players.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
Like you said, it's the A A least there isn't it.
They're going to.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
Struggle there, Yeah, Stars and scrubs, isn't it? That is right?

Speaker 5 (50:37):
Any four left?

Speaker 4 (50:38):
Only four left? Let's do the pirates? Who are you know,
going to be the pirates? And probably not try very hard?
Even if they're doing okay kind of like they did
last season. I think they're in the Cardinal's reds range
for me, I guess I'll split the two and say
seventy seven. But I just don't have any faith in them.

(51:01):
Even if Schemes and company are fantastic, I don't think
they're going to supplement the call with what they need
to win. And the lineup's pretty bad.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
I mean, they're in a position where you could make
cogent arguments that either Andrew McCutcheon or Joey Bart or
their third best hitter. I ain't really a lineup that
you you particularly want to be taken to the bank.

Speaker 3 (51:23):
Is it.

Speaker 5 (51:25):
No?

Speaker 4 (51:25):
I mean, we have I think four players projected as
above average for them and Cutchers is one of them,
one of them, Spenter Horwitz, who's hurt right now. Nick
Gonzales is on that list, and then Brian Reynolds. Of course,
everybody else is a blur average here, so that's not good.
And yeah, Paul Skins might be the best picture in baseball,

(51:46):
but yeah, after him and Jones, who is injured right now,
we'll see.

Speaker 3 (51:53):
Seven year old Tommy fam leading off.

Speaker 4 (51:58):
Jesus, this is the Bobnting experience.

Speaker 1 (52:02):
That looks sad and and he claims that they're losing
money because of the size of their analytics team.

Speaker 3 (52:10):
They like to visit Tom Grafts.

Speaker 4 (52:12):
As I talked about them, I don't think seventy seven
sounds too generous, Actually it does.

Speaker 2 (52:19):
It's me.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
Oh, the Cleveland Indians, I mean they are an enigma
within a puzzle, within a riddle. Sorry, my bad, goodness me,
that's the old habits are the Cleveland Guardians are I.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Hear you're a racist now, John, Yeah apparently so, I'm
quite tired.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
And yeah, yeah, god, the Cleveland Guardians are weird. I
really can't work them out. So much of why they
were so great last year was the bullpen. Who is
Kate Smith.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
Why is he this good? Who is Timmy Herron? Why
is he this good? Is a manual class? I actually
any good anymore?

Speaker 1 (53:03):
After being wretched in the playoffs, and then they trade
away one of their best players because they are the
Guardians and that's what they do. I I don't know, man,
they just continue to confound expectations. They've signed random people
to be in the rotation who are going to inevitably

(53:23):
be good. They'll find more relievers who'll be good, and
they'll hit enough to be fine. But I still think
fine is their ceiling. I think they're like, I think
they're around a.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
Five hundred team. I'm gonna go like one over, so
eighty two.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
Eighty two you've convinced you've convinced me with that check.

Speaker 4 (53:46):
I'm fine with this. Yeah, you know they can't surprise us.
But guessing who that might be is pointless with the
Guardians anyway, because it will be somebody completely random.

Speaker 2 (53:57):
There'll be so many thought was dead, Like Alex con.

Speaker 5 (54:02):
I want to put a Darius and put on the
record that I think they win the division, but I
don't have a coherent argument for why. So I'm just
going to say that and leave it at.

Speaker 1 (54:08):
That, mate, real you've been infected by all this time
on Tom Grass. You're literally just going yeah vibes, mate,
I test. Have you even seen Moneyball?

Speaker 3 (54:28):
It's one of Patrick sways in, isn't it?

Speaker 5 (54:31):
Tom?

Speaker 2 (54:31):
It's you?

Speaker 1 (54:32):
There are two left? Which one would you like to pick?
By the way, there's not many wins left? And both
of these teams are quite good.

Speaker 3 (54:41):
Rays.

Speaker 6 (54:42):
They always do some magical stuff, especially when it comes
to pitching, and I think Yandy Diaz is.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
A very good player. So I'm going to put that
out there. They are going to win.

Speaker 6 (55:02):
What's the division looking like at the moment, They're going
to get more than the Yankees because just like the Yankees,
eighty six wins for the Bay Rays.

Speaker 3 (55:11):
I hope you like my very convincing argument there.

Speaker 2 (55:15):
I mean you did quite well considering you know nothing
about them.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
You named a player.

Speaker 3 (55:20):
They're generally good, though, aren't they the race? They always
produce something, They usually.

Speaker 2 (55:24):
Hang around, Yeah, sticking in. I think that's fair. I
mean that that division's ridiculous. Who's going to win? That
could be any of them probably.

Speaker 4 (55:36):
I will not be surprised if any of these teams
wins the division.

Speaker 6 (55:39):
There's going to be a few injuries, there's gonna be
a few people who just outshine what they're expecting and
they'll just destroy that division. Somebody will, but I don't
know who. That's what's going to happen.

Speaker 2 (55:50):
Do you think the Minnesota Twins are going to win
more than eighty four? Or are we going to do on?

Speaker 3 (55:56):
Say eighty four?

Speaker 1 (55:57):
Please eighty four, because it's it feels it kind of
feels a bit. It feels kind of right to me,
but it's your it's your pick.

Speaker 5 (56:04):
It does feel kind of right. I honestly, I just
think whatever Tom thinks.

Speaker 4 (56:07):
So Tom, Tom, what have you got written down?

Speaker 5 (56:12):
If I had eighty I think the Twins is going
to I'm not going to be that good.

Speaker 3 (56:15):
Do you say eighty?

Speaker 5 (56:17):
So I think eighty, But I think eighty four is
a very reasonable. I'm just worried with the Twins that
you have three great players and all of them love
getting hurt, and I think that is a concern. I
think the rotation is good, even for a Joe Ryan hater.
I can admit that there are good players and that
good pictures in that rotation, and here's one of them.
But yeah, it just feels like the variance with them

(56:38):
could be massive, like anywhere between seventy and ninety. I
would believe you at the end of the season. So
I spit the difference and said eighty. But if we
want to put eighty four and call it a night,
then I won't fight you.

Speaker 3 (56:50):
I think he needs to put eighty and then we
need to work out where we're putting wins.

Speaker 2 (56:55):
You just don't want this conversation to end, mate.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
We need to give you to the padre.

Speaker 1 (56:59):
It's what you think, because I'm definitely more eighty four
than I am eighty and since you and I have
teamed up against these weeds, I'm sort of appealing.

Speaker 4 (57:08):
Yeah, I'm happy to give the twins the division. I
think the top three of the rotation is very good,
and I think they've got several nice bits of the lineup. Yes,
it's possible that all three of them could be simultaneously injured,
and then you look around and go, well, Willie Castro
is getting seven hundred play appearances, which is a thing
that he didn't come far off to last, isn't it. Yeah,

(57:32):
I'm fine with eighty four. Obviously, I'm pro Joe Ryan
Propaganda at any time.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
So pro Ryan. In fact, okay, stick eighty four.

Speaker 3 (57:41):
In We've done it.

Speaker 4 (57:44):
Now that you look at it, does it look right?

Speaker 1 (57:50):
I mean it kind of does, doesn't it. I think
they're in the right orders. I'm not happy about Baltimore,
but I'm not going to die in a ditch over.

Speaker 4 (58:01):
I mean that that basically just says we think anybody
is winning that division.

Speaker 1 (58:04):
That like, yeah, we don't know all of these teams
are good, is basically what we've said there.

Speaker 4 (58:11):
I think it might be an order of I'll definitely
be the most surprised if Toronto won the division.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
I think, yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (58:17):
Think if we matched last year's I was.

Speaker 5 (58:21):
Just checking Gave will be happy. We've only got three
repeat division winners, so we have just copy.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
The I think Miami are worse than that. But also, like,
I don't really know who who we're taking wins off
to give to other than the Dodgers.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
I could see the Cubs and the Brewers both being better,
just because I don't think the other three teams than
the Central are very good.

Speaker 3 (58:46):
I think that's fair.

Speaker 4 (58:47):
I could I could happily take another four wins off
the Martins, for example, and just give them to reach
to the Brewers. Do it?

Speaker 1 (58:53):
Do that?

Speaker 4 (58:54):
Do that?

Speaker 3 (58:55):
That's a very good argument.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
Okay, so eighty six Cubs. We still want the Bruis
wind the vision here.

Speaker 2 (59:04):
I think so. I think they're there, are not ahead
of the Cubs.

Speaker 4 (59:08):
They're just like Guardians but sort of and now aren't
they Like they'll do something and it will be random
and some picture you've never heard of will be lights out.

Speaker 3 (59:19):
Ale East looks mean, doesn't it? That does not look fun.

Speaker 5 (59:22):
I think the Rays are going to be bad but.

Speaker 4 (59:27):
For the and the Rays will trade away Yandy for
example if it's going badly.

Speaker 1 (59:32):
Mm hmmm, yeah, the Rays could. The variance on the
Rays is probably one of the bigger ones in in baseball. Honestly,
them and them in Cleveland you're a bit like who knows,
really who knows because they're the two smartest teams in
terms of baseball lots, but also you never really know

(59:53):
why or how they're doing it other than Jeff Sullivan
is there.

Speaker 2 (59:57):
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with that. Goodness.

Speaker 1 (59:59):
And that's got to be record time in terms of
getting it, getting everything done and being that precise.

Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
So there we go. That's our that's our predictions.

Speaker 5 (01:00:08):
For the audio people.

Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Yeah, so I'll do that. In ol West, we've got
the Dodgers.

Speaker 1 (01:00:14):
Winning the division with one hundred and five wins, followed
by the Arizona Diamondbacks with ninety, the San Diego Padres
at eighty seven, the San Francisco Giants in fourth is
seventy eight, and the Colorado Rockies last awful with fifty
eight wins. In the West, Houston, the Astros win the
division again with eighty eight, Texas close behind with eighty six,

(01:00:36):
and Seattle again another Cinderella story for a team that
wait invests itself eighty three wins. The Sacramento Athletics will
get seventy four wins. Totally agree with you, Darius, that's
what they're going to be called on this podcast. And
the Angels, the wretched, blessed Angels.

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
Poor old Mike Trout put him out of his misery,
sixty five wins.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
In the Central, the Milwaukee Brewers will win with eighty
seven in the now Chicago Cubs behind them with eighty six.
Then three pretty poor teams, the Saint Louis Cardinals, the
Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Cincinnati Reds with seventy eight seventy
seven and seventy five wins, respectively.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
In the Al central bit of a bunfight.

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
At the top, we have the twins, the Detroit Tigers
and the Cleveland Guardians within a couple of wins of
one another at eighty four, eighty three and eighty two.
The Kansas City Royals are a mirage and we'll win only.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
Seventy six games.

Speaker 1 (01:01:26):
On the Chicago White Sox are an embarrassment to the
sport of baseball, and we'll win only fifty three.

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
In the East. In the NL, it's as.

Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Ever a bun fight between those three major metropolitan areas
on the East coast in Atlanta, New York, and Philly.
And we've got the Braves top in that division with
ninety two wins. We're unable to split Juan Soto's Mets
and Bryce Harper's Phillies on eighty nine wins apiece. The

(01:01:56):
Washington Nationals improving with seventy six wins, and the Miami
Marlins fifty seven feels generous. That's one we may look
back on ruefully and wonder what on earth had gone
to our heads when putting them even that high. The
Al East, Goodness knows literally any of these teams could win.
Baltimore with ninety, Boston eighty eight, the Tampa Bay Rays
with eighty six, the New York Yankees with I think

(01:02:18):
a very generous eighty five wins for a team that
is absolutely broken, but at least they've got beards now
and proping that division up. It's the Toronto Blue Jays
with eighty three. So that's how it's going. Do feel
free to call back to this later in the season
to tell us how useless we are and how we're
a disgrace to podcasting. But I hope you've enjoyed joining

(01:02:40):
us this evening for this live stream. Hopefully we're going
to see more of that from us over the course
of the season, So please go to our YouTube subscribe,
give us a like and a follow on your favorite podcatcher,
give us a five star review and rating.

Speaker 2 (01:02:56):
I'm afraid to say that everyone says this on podcast.

Speaker 1 (01:02:58):
It really does help us get the word out, crunch
through those algorithms, and we're all about it. Thanks Darius,
Thanks Tom, Thanks Ben for your time this evening. Ben Less,
thanks for your insights. It's been quite weird. We'll see
you all again for another podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
Very soon Bye,