June Struggles

Grey’s finally discovered ChatGPT, but Oneil Cruz is still searching for his swing, and maybe a new team. In this episode, we dig into Cruz’s downward spiral since April and whether it’s time to sell, stash, or swap him in fantasy. We also size him up against similar bats like Bo Bichette and CJ Abrams.

Next up: Cam Smith is quietly heating up in Houston. Could he be breaking out? We compare him to names like Spencer Steer, Alec Bohm, and Josh Smith in a deep third base debate.

June wasn’t kind to some big-name outfielders. Jarren Duran, Michael Harris II, and Jackson Merrill all hit cold streaks, but should you be worried? It gets worse: Ozzie Albies is disappearing from fantasy relevance, and Freddie Freeman is human again. Plus, Anthony Volpe's power vanished, Wyatt Langford’s hurt again, and even closer Robert Suarez started to crumble.

We wrap with bullpen chaos in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, plus sneaky SAGNOF pickups and a full slate of waiver wire bats and streaming pitchers for the week.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
You like fantasy ball sans chasm that I shall not
me hear myself stun spans and they can't even count
some of you uniforcasom surround.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
It ain't even.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Better the health, well, ye have several charges on everyone
something else And I'm already I'm.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Like to hear my baby sounds just like your name was, Mark.
And it's a rhyde By podcast. It's a rapp podcast.
It's a rapp podcast. It's a ride by podcast. It's
a rap up podcast, a wrap up podcast. Got a

(00:52):
turn doh rap bo podcast.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Hey, everybody, welcome back. It is the Raspball Fantasy Baseball Podcast.
I am beat on, Go and buy the one, the only,
the Fantasy Master Lithario himself, the spectacled wonder Gray, all right,
hey beat.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
On, what's going on? Man? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
I am?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
I am spectacled. I actually I used to wear contacts
when I first started rasball, but then during the pandemic,
I was like this, I'm not I'm not seeing anyone,
I'm not doing anything. But what am I putting on
contacts for? What a waste? And then I got yeah,

(01:50):
I got lazy. That's what happens, man. You get lazy.
Get life. Life comes at you real fast and you
get lazy. Uh. So did you see my post on Monday?
You probably did it.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
I did not grat Okay, I was. I was returning
from a bachelor party weekend and uh a few days off,
so it was a long weekend. I h I got
my lineup set and that was about as much as
that I got done on Monday.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Not not not a real excuse, but okay, I'll uh
I love it slide you know, you know it's not an.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Excuse for you because you don't drink or you know,
do anything that would cause recovery time to be necessary.
But if some of our listeners understand what I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, no, I hear you. I haven't drinking a long time.
And that wasn't even really I don't. I don't think
I ever really said I was gonna stop drinking.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
I just did.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Anyway, So chat GBT, did you see you didn't see this?
You should open up my my post from today, Uh, Tariq.
It's hard to get San Juan hit when you're poor
trek and I don't. I don't know what Rudy was
doing with the I don't know what Ruy was doing

(03:09):
with the title the month's title. Rudy said, I was like,
I need a title. So this is how titles go.
With Rasball. I send a I send a message a
DM over to Rudy and I'm like, I need a
title for Tarik's scuble. He pitched a gem. So then
Rudy sends me back a title and I'm like, I

(03:30):
don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what
this means. I mean I might have to defend it
or something like what if the commenter is like, what's
your title mean? So I you know, and that has
happened before, Like a commenter will be like, oh, what
does the title mean this? And I'll be like, I
don't know. I don't know. I don't know what's a

(03:52):
rudey title. I don't know. So I said to Rudy,
I was like, what's his title mean? He's like, say
it out loud and I'm like, well, I'm at the movies,
so I can't really just I can't start talking out
loud anyway. That wasn't even it didn't that was not

(04:13):
so you have it open now I do. Okay, So
look at Matt Urling. So this was chatchbt. Did you
do you see the CHATCHBT thing?

Speaker 1 (04:24):
I do?

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Oh my god, So I said to chat GBT because
Rudy was like playing around with chat GBT for our
football side of things. By the way, the RAS Bowl
sign ups are going on right now on football dot
rasball dot com. So go over to football and sign

(04:45):
up for the ras Ball.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Anyway, my rankings drap drop on Friday.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Okay, so beat on his rankings for Fantasy football drop
on Friday. Okay, so I said, So Rudy said to
me he's playing around with chat GBT. For I never
really played around with him. But Rudy was like, I'm
gonna play around with it and see if it's usable
for our football, like, you know, for football to do

(05:11):
like a you know, a Q and A on the
football projection. So I'm like, okay whatever. He's like, have
you played around with it all? I'm like, no, I
haven't played around with it. He's like, you should look
at you should check it out. So I'm like okay.
So I, So I go to chat GBT and I'm like,

(05:32):
give me a few sentences to describe Matt Urling for
Fantasy Baseball in the style of Gray Albright. Dude, it
literally gave me me back to me. I mean it
is like uncanny. I showed this to Kougs and she's like, wow,

(05:53):
I could I could basically be married to chat GPT.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Yeah. That's uh. I'm glad that you're finally on board.
You know you're you know you're old, so it's okay
that you're late. I mean I'm not young. But like
the readers know or the listeners know when I use
chat ebt in my descriptions, Like it's pretty clear. Uh

(06:19):
it's either in the template that I've wrote every description
for the last three years, four years, whatever it's been,
or it's really like entertaining and funny and.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Uh oh man, dude, it is literally it sent me
back to me. Man. Like it literally like for people
who didn't read my Monday post. Uh, it says for
Matt Urling, it says, matt Urling sounds like the name
of a guy who installs your ceiling fan then hits
two homers off your ace the same night. It sounds

(06:51):
like that, I'd say. And then it says eligible at
three positions and hotter than a mid July bush light.
He sneaks putting together a season that says poor man's
wit and Merryfield with a gym membership. I don't know
what that means, but it sounds like sometimes, Oh my god,

(07:13):
not a league this is it continues, not a league winner,
but a category filler who shows up on waivers every
may like you up. Don't ignore the upside. He's got
fifteen ten potential with a dash of why didn't I
pick him up two weeks ago? My god, this sounds
just like me. The computers are taking over.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
Man, Yeah great, I'm just gonna I'm gonna write all
your posts for you. I'm just gonna ask chat ebt,
you know, summarize last night in Gray Albright done, and
you can just do you just pay me for whatever
time you would normally spend writing it, you know. And
that's how it works. I think that's exactly how most

(07:59):
company are working. Now. You're just young people feeding the
older people above them chat GBT, you know, and seeming
very intelligent.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
We're screwed, okay, anyway, let's see.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
I'm just gonna take over the world. Gay, It's gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Let's just do a podcast now that chat GIBT could
have done in thirty seconds.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, I mean, I guess the Pirates really are wondering
if chat Ebt can bring back o'neo Cruz to you know,
the player that they thought they were getting back in
Like April, he wants out of Pittsburgh. You can't really
blame him for that. I think every player in Pittsburgh
wants out of Pittsburgh unless they can't sign anywhere else.

(08:45):
April two fifty three, eight home runs, twelve stone bases.
May he hit two oh two four hum runs six
to olen bases. You know, not great, but at least
those the home run stone bases were there. June Gray,
He's hitting one fifty three with a home run in
nine stolen bases. He's been benched for lack of hustle
on multiple occasions. If you've seen any clips or watched

(09:07):
any Pirates game, you've basically seen it. I mean, what
do you think in regards to Oneil Cruz, Like, what
are you doing with him for you know, our purposes
until he gets traded? Can you can you start him
at all? Or is it a a hold and pray situation?
M M.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
Well, I would say, you know, I was thinking I
should have just asked chat Shipt this, But well, isn't
he he was good as a shortstop, like as a
defensive shortstop, right, yeah, yeah, So how did he go
to the outfield and now he like he's incapable of
picking up grounders in the outfield by the time he's

(09:53):
like he's he's like basically like the the reverse me.
If you were to put me a shortstop and hit
a one hundred and ten mile per hour grounder at me,
I would dive out of the way and hide my face.
And he is basically in the outfield and a thirty

(10:13):
five mile per hour grounder makes it out to him,
and he's like, oops, my bad. I really kind of
like shocked at what Like every time I watch him too, Like,
I don't watch the Pirates that much, to be honest.
I watched them occasionally when Paul Skins is pitching or
if they're going against a team I want to watch,

(10:36):
But I don't watch the Pirates a ton. But the
few times I have watched the Pirates, every time the
ball gets to the outfield, O'Neil.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Cruiz is it's like an adventure out there for him
to play center field. The ball is it's so far
away from the plate and somehow he can't.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Pick up he can't pick up a grounder in the outfield,
but he's able to play short stop. It's really puzzling anyway. Uh,
I don't know if like you mentioned benching him, I don't.
I mean, he is at the end of the day,
he is a fifteen homer twenty seven steel guy right now.

(11:16):
I know the average isn't good, but fifteen homers in
twenty seven steels, I don't know if you can really
bench that. I know June has been a miserable month
for him, but yeah, I mean I get it. I
do think he is like miserable, which I mean, he

(11:36):
seems miserable, and I would imagine I would be two
in Pittsburgh, So I mean, I can't fault the guy
for being miserable in the same place I would also
be miserable. But uh, yeah, I mean he he's definitely
I mean, he's definitely struggling. In the month of June,

(11:56):
he had what was it, one sixty nine in the
month of June one fifty three. It was a bad month.
Whatever it was, it was a bad he Actually he
had two homers on Sunday and and raised his June
numbers a little bit, so the numbers you said were
a little bit lower. But he he definitely, I mean,

(12:16):
he definitely looks like a mess and doesn't look happy,
which is not good. Uh, but I don't know if
you can really bench him with that much talent. I mean,
he was, he was struggling, and like I just mentioned,
he he had a good Sunday with a two homer Sunday.

(12:37):
So I'm imagining, you know, he could get hot this
week and make all this sort of a moot point
and have like a hot July potentially. So yeah, I mean,
I'm I'm fine with you know, starting him every day.
I think you got a you know, certain guys you
just sort of have to run out there and let them,

(12:59):
you know, art for your fantasy team rain or shine,
and hopefully at the end of you know, the six
month season, you have good stats. I don't really I
don't know, really like what it's going to take other
than potentially a trade to really get him totally right.
But he, yeah, he seems miserable. I don't know what

(13:24):
else he'll say on that. I think, I mean, he
strikes out a ton, so he's gonna be prone to
these you know, incredibly deep valley slumps, and that's it
seems to be what he's going through right now. I imagine,
you know, when he gets hot, it'll be it'll be

(13:44):
the opposite and he'll have you know, his his May.
His May wasn't great. I believe it was what was
his April that was really solid. So he's coming. Yeah,
so he's kind of having you know, he's kind of
had back to back sort of miserable months. Yeah, I
mean in April. I do remember in April, people are like,

(14:07):
oh my god, Like I think I actually might even
said this. I don't know chat GPT would know for sure,
but I think I might even said that O'Neill Cruz
looks like it's, you know, this guy who's hitting in April,
looks like the guy who's going to be a top ten,
top fifteen overall player in twenty twenty six. But yeah,

(14:29):
that didn't happen. Obviously. The strikeouts are just so crazy.
He's just like he doesn't make enough contact to really
have a consistent year from you know, month to month,
so there is going to be these huge slumps. I
think probably like if he were to bring his contact

(14:51):
into you know a little bit better like Ellie da
La Cruz. I mean, he seemed like he was going
to be a contact issue for his whole career and
his contact right like, he's at a twenty five percent
strikeout rate, hitting two eighty, which reminds me kind of
what with Bobby Wood Junior what we thought of him

(15:12):
when he first came up. We thought Bobby Wood Junior
was going to be a batting average risk with his
contact and he was able to figure it out. And
also going even further back, I remember that for Chris
Bryant was when he originally came up, he was striking
out like thirty percent of the time and then he

(15:32):
was able to figure out. Anthony Rizzo was another guy.
But yeah, so guys do occasionally figure it out, like
not always, but some guys do figure it out. And
I think O'Neil Cruz is young enough maybe where he
could still but it seems like that sort of ship
has passed at this point, Like he's he's young, He's

(15:55):
young enough, but not quite young enough to figure out
his contact where I think, you know, maybe he gets
it down to twenty nine twenty eight percent at some
point if he gets into a good groove for a
long period of time. But right now he he seems
like he's a thirty plus percent strikeout rate guy, which

(16:16):
is gonna be you know, at best, probably to fifty
ish hitter, maybe potentially you know, two fifty five.

Speaker 1 (16:27):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
He actually hit two thirty nine in twenty twenty four
with a thirty percent strikeout right, So he does hit
the ball so hard, so that that is good. That's
he's got that going for him, hitting the ball hard.
So but at thirty three percent, it's gonna you know,
which is strikeout right now? At thirty three point six percent,

(16:49):
that is gonna be, that's gonna be it's gonna be
a struggle for him to hit hired in like two thirty.
So I do still think you have to start him
every day though, because of the power and speed and
like Sunday with the two homer game he has, you know,
he has the ability to have like out of nowhere

(17:10):
these great games, and you don't want to have that
on your bench. So yeah, I'm still on board with
o'neo Cruz.

Speaker 1 (17:17):
Okay, so you're you're still starting him, Let me throw
some names at you on whether you would trade O'Neill
Cruz out for these players. But let's start with Bobashev. No. Okay,
let's aim a little bit higher than that. How about
Ian Hap?

Speaker 2 (17:39):
So in your scenario, you have Ian Hap on your
bench and you you want to start him at utility
over O'Neal Cruz.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
Is that what I'm saying? You're like tired of ONEO
Cruz and you're looking.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
At going off with you Ian Hap?

Speaker 1 (17:56):
No?

Speaker 2 (17:56):
I would I would keep on'eo Cruz in that scenario.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
Okay. How about Byron Buxton? Would you buy into his
his hot season? No?

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Because I think he's gonna get injured at any point,
So I'm not getting into that.

Speaker 1 (18:11):
Okay, And I guess let's go all the way to
the last name I have here, uh CJ Abrams.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
I would go C J Abrams over O'Neill Cruz.

Speaker 1 (18:21):
Okay. So there's there's gonna be a point where, yeah,
you just take take the guy who's who's performing right now,
and you know, of equal value.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, okay, let's move on.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
Then let's talk about a player we all kind of liked. Uh.
I don't know if we all liked him, but he
got a lot of draft type right at the end
of draft season, and that is Cam Smith, and he
was he's kind of doing the opposite of O'Neill Cruz
where he started out terrible. He was hitting two thirteen
with three homers in a stolen base in April May.

(18:53):
You know, he hit for a little bit better average,
but only one stolen base, no home runs, got dropped
a lot of places. And now in June Gray He's
hit three eighteen with four home runs, two stone bases,
fourteen runs and sixteen RBIs you know, he does seem
to be hitting better in Houston. That's that's not really
surprising giving the ballpark. But what are your thoughts on

(19:15):
Cam Smith? Are you going to grab him up pretty
much across the board or is this more of a
you know, depending on what your roster in corner Enfield
is looking like.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, no, I you know I still have I still
have him in a league or two.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
I think.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
This could potentially be his breakout. I mean, we we
saw a guy who came up and was overmatched in April,
and you know, a bit in May as well, even
though was a little bit higher average, but still was
kind of overmatched. And now in June, he started, you know,

(19:55):
he started to hit for power, he was hitting for average,
he was doing everything, and an adjustment period of like,
you know, two months for a twenty two year old
is like nothing. I mean that that is really like
I feel like if we saw a similar pattern with

(20:16):
Roman Anthony, we would think nothing of it either. And
cam Smith, like if everyone remembers, we were crazy excited
about him in March because of how insane he was
doing in spring training, and then adjustment period happened in
April and May, and now he's coming out of in June.
It's not an unheard of pattern for a rookie hitter.

(20:40):
So I think this could be his breakout. Like this,
this is potentially cam Smith becoming who we thought he
was back in March. I'm completely bought in. I. You know,
I mentioned I already had him in leagues. I never
really I didn't drop them in the leagues I had.

(21:01):
I might have dropped him in one league, that's not true.
I potentially could have dropped him in May in a
shallower in like a twelve team league. I probably did
drop him, but I have him also in a fifteen
team league, where I never dropped him and I think
I benched him at certain points in April and May,
but he's definitely he's been in the mainstay in my

(21:23):
lineup now for the month of June, and hopefully this
is him, you know, taking off and becoming who we
thought he was, which is you know, I think he is.
I mean, he's insanely talented, like he has you know,
seventy great power potential, you know, forty homer power, has

(21:47):
ten steel speed. His hitting right now at twenty six
point seven percent strikeout rate on the year, and that's
including you know, some of those you know, some of
the struggles he had early on in watch McCall in April,
he's hit. He had a twenty five percent strikeout rate

(22:07):
in June for a twenty two year old, Like that's
kind of like that's star. That's like basically, if I,
you know, in a year's time, look back on Cam
Smith and he's a star in twenty twenty six, I
could look at the month of June as being the
point when he started breaking out and becoming that superstar.

(22:31):
So I I and that wouldn't be a shock to
me to have that happen. So yeah, I think this
is you know, I if Cam Smith is out there,
I would actually I would absolutely be buying in and
in Keepers in Dynasty for next year. If you can
still get Cam Smith for a relatively decent price in

(22:51):
a Keeper of Dynasty. Now's the time to be doing it,
because if he keeps, you know, in July and August,
he keeps progressing and getting better and better, it's gonna
be a more expensive, you know, proposition to try and
trade for him at that point.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yeah, and you know, maybe you can use this the
home road splits to get that value or keep that value,
you know, relatively affordable. Three eleven five home runs and
three stolen bases at home, two forty three two home
runs and a stolen base on the road. Who do
he do? Uys have ten less games on the road
for the you know, the home run stolen base numbers.

(23:29):
Let me ask you some names, you know, Cam Smith
or if you're looking at you know, maybe your free
agent wire, you're looking at your roster. Maybe you have
some of these guys and Cam Smith is sitting there.
If you have brooks Lee who's actually been okay recently,
would you drop brooks Lee for Cam Smith?

Speaker 2 (23:46):
I would?

Speaker 1 (23:47):
Okay, let's move up the boy a little bit. How
about Josh Smith, who is he's been solid?

Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah, I would go to Cam Smith.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Okay, Willie Castro out of the utility player, but if
you're starting him, particularly at third base, a different, different.

Speaker 2 (24:06):
Type of player, but I would go Cam Smith, Okay,
equal kind of June breakout.

Speaker 1 (24:13):
Spencer Steer.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
M that's a that's a tough one because Spencer Steer
could potentially be breaking out as well from his early struggles.
I'd probably go camp Smith though.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
All Right, one more, how about how about Alec Baum,
who you know has been very solid this year, just
doing his Alec Baumb thing.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Yeah, super boring but somewhat valuable, doing his normal, his
normy type thing. I would go camp Smith because Alec Baum,
at the end of the day, I mean, you know
what you're getting, it's like top twenty ish third baseman

(24:58):
because of average runs and nothing really else. So yeah,
I would go camp Smith just for the upside.

Speaker 1 (25:07):
Okay, you were you were in on camp Smith and
Gray I like it, and I'm also in on him.
I picked him up in the I think he was
available in two leagues and I got him in one
and got outfit in the other so definitely worth grabbing
if he's still yeah, actually.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
In Cam Smith's defense, which I don't know if he
needs defense because we're obviously profusely talking about how much
we like him. But if player Raider for the season,
this is player Raider for the season. Third baseman rankings,
Cam Smith is above Josh Smith, Willie Castrow, brooks Lee,

(25:47):
and just about even a little bit below Alec Baum
but close and Alec Bomb. Like I mentioned, is you know,
he's being bullied by good batting average and some runs
actually okay, so yeah, so so Cam Smith is even
with those struggles in April and May, overall for the

(26:09):
year has actually been pretty good.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah, he has been. I mean again, you just kind
of ignoring what's happened because that's already happened. You can't
do anything about it. And he's been he's been good
since making that adjustment. Hopefully you can continue that going forward,
and like you said, hopefully he is a guy that
we all want to draft in twenty twenty six. Let's
talk about some people who have struggled in June, like

(26:33):
o Neil Cruz did Gray and these are all gonna
be highly owned guys. Gray and you know, we're not
necessarily I don't think we're dropping any of guys. These
guys all act to you. Maybe maybe one of these
guys might be starting inter that territory. But let's get
into it. Let's start with Jaren Duran. April he is
he had two seventy nine, two runs, ten stone bases,

(26:55):
was doing everything you want him to do. May two
fifty eight runs three stone base is not not exactly great,
but okay. In June two o six one home run
and two stolen bases.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
What are your thoughts on Jaron Duran? I, you know,
I think he's another one where I wouldn't be surprised
if he's potentially moved in the trade during the trade deadline,
because he doesn't seem happy either or and not happy

(27:30):
in Boston potentially. I don't know if I don't know
what they're gonna do, but they have to. I feel
like they have to get rid of one more guy
still the Red Sox that is uh and Duran feels
like the odd man out potentially. So I look at
his numbers and I think he looks to me like

(27:54):
he's just having like a bit of an off year.
It doesn't like it. It looks like like his strikeouts
are up progressively each month they've gotten worse, uh slump.
The slumps have you know, have extended into like, you know,
weeks at a time, like you mentioned June has been bad.

(28:15):
May wasn't that good. I mean, he's really fast. So
I mean, the the real problem, like or not the problem,
but the the unfortunate thing is like that the steals
haven't even been there because like you know, at worst
case scenario, guy that fast, you would hope would get
on base and steal some you know, steal some bags

(28:38):
to help with his fantasy value even if he's not
hitting for power. But the I mean, the the bigger issue,
and I think why his his year. It looks like
his year is going to be down overall because like
the hard hit is down for the year, the fly
balls aren't down, and the ground balls aren't up. So

(28:59):
the fact that he's not hitting for power makes me
think that he's just he's he's not making good contact unfortunately,
and you know that feels like it's something that's just
dragging on now going on like three months half the
season now, where he's just not making that good of contact.

(29:20):
So I I think this feels like a down year
for him. I don't know. I mean, maybe he still
comes out of it. Maybe he starts hitting for power
in the second half and you know, he or he
gets traded and you know, wherever he goes it becomes
a non issue there maybe, But yeah, I don't know.

(29:41):
His numbers don't like, his strikeouts are up a little bit,
but not really up that much. It's really the hard
the hard contact that's down that has me fairly concerned
because you know, nothing else in his batted ball profile
really is jumping out like a launch angle. Well it's
you know, up a little bit, but not that bad

(30:03):
from last year, and you know, it's just sort of
like not really great. You know, just not making solid
contact is really seems to be the issue. And that,
you know, I mean, he could come out of that.
It's possible. I would probably be selling low. I wouldn't

(30:28):
be dropping though I would. I would. You know, it
depends on the trade that people get offered and how
much you can trade for someone here. But I would
probably be looking to trade low a little bit, not
not like, you know, insanely low, but I don't think
you're getting draft value anyway, Like he was a top
twenty pick in the draft, so you're not getting that.

(30:51):
But if you can get top fifty right now, I'd
probably take it, just at a concern that he never
really out of this. And you know, because like last
year he had twenty one homers, stole thirty four bags.
This year, if he breaks you know, twelve homers and

(31:11):
twenty five or thirty, I mean, he could still get
the steals that those coming up, Those can come in
a handful in a bunch. So I but the homers
really are what I think is never not going to
get there this year. So if he breaks twelve homers
this year, I feel like that would be a victory
for him. And that is way below where I think

(31:35):
preseason projections had him.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
Yeah, I mean I'm not I had I had him
ranked you know pretty much, I think around eightp So
I'm not going to sit here and say I didn't
like him. But I was worried because the twenty one
home runs kind of came out of nowhere. It's not
something that was really in his profile prior to that.
And it seems like, you know, his true home run

(31:59):
numbers maybe in the teens rather than in the low twenties.
That is disappointing. You know, I think in regards to
the hard hit gray to maybe calming you down a
little bit. It does depend on what hard hit you're using,
because there's the the Fangraphs hard hit, which combines how

(32:20):
the ball is launched and it has to be in
a certain you know, window of that. And then there's
the stat cast hard hit, which is strictly how hard
the ball comes off the bat. In the stat cast,
how hard the ball comes off the bat, it's actually up.
It's actually the best of his career along with the

(32:41):
average exit velocity, so in you know, in theory, he's
actually hitting the ball harder. But it is also the
highest launch angle he's had, and that's been an issue
in June where it's climbed to like a fifteen and
a half sixteen launch angle, and his last year he
was at a nine and a half for the season,

(33:03):
so that may be The issue is just like he
needs to put the ball on the ground. He needs
to hit you know, line drives and ground balls, and
right now it feels like he's you know, the twenty
one home runs got him feeling himself a little. He
went a little Willie Mays Hayes trying to launch everything
and just hitting warning track balls. You know, forty seven

(33:25):
percent fly balls in June only fifteen percent line drive.
That just feels like a like he's just trying to
launch everything for some reason. One thing that he didn't
have last year is is bad splits. He was better
at home than than on the road last year. But
two ten versus lefties this year and two seventy five
versus righties. That was a lot closer last year. So

(33:48):
I'm not sure what's going on that. That maybe again
just a swing path thing where it's it's harder to
hit lefties. If if you're trying to uppercut everything in
regards to selling Gray top top thirty outfielder, would you
would you take? I mean, the rest of season on
the top thirty would be like Riley Green's at twenty nine.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
I would take Riley Green, Okay, So you would.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Take a pretty much a top thirty outfielder as long
as they have I would say, you know, at least
some upside at that point, because there's a few names
on the rest of the season that you know, we
you and I probably wouldn't have there, But it's a
you know, it's it's it's the projection system. But yes,
I think top thirty is about about the right area grade.

(34:34):
Maybe you can tell them as a top twenty just
based on the stolen bases to the right team. But
I think that's probably where you're looking.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
Mm hmmm, yeah, like looking at the UH, looking at
what what has already happened the player raider for the
season thus far, the guys in the UH in the
top twenty outfielders. Uh, So this would be buying high
because these guys have already been the top twenty outfielders

(35:02):
so far for this year. Out of those guys who
I wouldn't necessarily trade Byron Buxton would be a guy
I would not trade Duran for. And also Yelich, Andy
Page's Hunter Goodman, who's top fifteen outfielder actually right now,

(35:27):
but you probably have my Catcher and Helio Ramos and
Taylor Ward, but guys who I so then, so that
leaves the guys who I would Aaron Judge obviously, Pete Crow, Armstrong,
Kyle Tucker, James would, Juan Soto, Saya, Suzuki, Riley Green,

(35:53):
Cormyn Carrol, Who's injured right now, but I would still
trade for him Jackson, Cheerio Tatis, Brenton Rooker, Julio Rodriguez,
Taeoscar Hernandez, and aforementioned O'Neil Cruz, which would probably be
probably a trade you could do. I think I would.

(36:16):
I would take O'Neil Cruz over Duran because I think
the power is higher and the steels are relatively the same.

Speaker 1 (36:26):
Yeah, I mean they're they're both contact issue guys right now.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
Yeah, Duran's average is going to be better. But you know,
I would go oneal Cruz over Duran, Okay.

Speaker 1 (36:35):
Yeah, And there's a few guys after, Like you named
a few guys you wouldn't take. There's definitely a few
guys after Duran you would still take, like probably Jazz,
you know, I just looking down the list, maybe maybe
a guy we're gonna talk about here a little bit
as well. But you really do hate Nanty Pye, So
you just you just don't buy it.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
I don't. I wouldn't say I hate it. It's just
it's like, you know, it's a sample size of a
major league, sample size of three months. I mean I
have them in a league, I you know, I have
them in my tow Wars league, where I am currently
in first place. But I would say with Andy Payes,

(37:19):
I like him. I just you know, it's like, how
much can you trust a guy who's only been who's
only done it for half a season. I mean it's fine,
it's good. I mean he's been great. He's a top
twenty outfielder right now. So you know, I'm not kicking
it off my team. But I would still take Duran, uh,
you know, for just to put it together and potentially

(37:43):
be uh, you know, a top five outfielder or something.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Yeah, I definitely agree with the upside play, especially if
you're you know, you're needing to chase some some points
and get back into things. You gotta you gotta take
a risk of some guys to turn it around. I
think we would both. You know, I actually take Jackson
Merrill over him despite his struggles in June, correct, Gray.

Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah, yeah, I would take Jackson Merrill.

Speaker 1 (38:07):
All right. So Merrill's first thirty one games April through May,
since he he did miss some time, but the first
thirty one games he hit three twenty two, three sixty two,
five twelve and nineteen percent k raid a five and
a half percent walk rate, five home runs of stolen base.
Is it is all going well? Twenty games in June,
he's hitting two fifty three thirty three, three fifty five,

(38:29):
no home runs, no stolen bases. You know, the numbers
in general look okay, Gray, but what are your thoughts
on Jackson Merrill and just the power speed drying up?

Speaker 2 (38:40):
This is like, this is probably confirmation by it, but
I feel like with Jackson Merrill and Gunner and I'm
thinking of Gunner Henderson as well, and like guys who
just get injured and then they come back and they're
never the same or at least not the same this
year and it takes them yeah, yeah, this season because
it just feels like sometimes like these guys get injured

(39:05):
and it's just like they just don't come back, right.
I don't know, man, I'm concerned about Jackson merriw. I
think he's probably injured still, but it's like, how do
you you know, what do you do with that information?
I don't know. I don't know if he is really
injured still. I'm saying I think he might be because

(39:25):
just the numbers look so terrible, But I don't know.
I would probably I'd be looking to buy low on
him just because you know, it's like, how long can
he stay injured? I mean, I would assume he's gonna
like I'm assuming he's gonna get healthy. Like that's like
the same way I feel about Gunner Henderson aka Grounder

(39:49):
Henderson with this awful long jangle this year, Man, I'm
gonna be so out on Gunner Henderson. Next year he's
gonna have like he's gonna be a top three Fantasy
next year. It's gonna be so awful. I already know it.
I already know what's gonna happen. But back to Jackson Merrill, Yeah,
I mean, I mean his ground balls are up, hard

(40:14):
hit looks down again. It's like you know, unfortunately, like
you mentioned with Duran, none of these sites can get
on the same page using the same data. So I
say hard hit is down, and then you look at
a different site it looks like their heart hit is up.
So I don't know, but what I'm looking at right now,

(40:34):
it looks like Jackson Merrill's hardhead is down. I'm on fangraphs,
so maybe stadcast is showing something differently. I don't know
why these people can't all get on the same page anyway.
Jackson Merrill is ground balls are up, five balls are down.
Hard hits down. But he's probably just injured or he's

(40:55):
probably you know, struggling to come back from the injury
he had earlier. Uh so he's just not one hundred
percent yet. But that could you know, at some point
that could click and he could have a huge second half.
So I would be buying him. But there's no there's
nothing really to point to and be like, oh, yeah,

(41:15):
this is why he should be better. I mean his
numbers look.

Speaker 1 (41:18):
Like, eh, yeah, I mean that's that's pretty much where
we're at right now. With the numbers. You're buying based
on kind of the upside, based on what we saw
last year. And you know, the injury narrative makes it
easy to say, yeah, I mean he just gets it,
gets gets healthy and kind of gets back in the
flow of things and you know, turn things around. So

(41:38):
it's it's definitely a narrative that you can buy into. Uh,
you know, just looking at the player Raider Gray, let's
start with you know, maybe uh, let's start Jan Duran.
Would you have have Duran or Meryl uh Merrill? Okay,
I think we actually asked you that already h Ian
hat uh uh I would go Meryl, Okay, I do

(42:03):
feel like Ian Happ is basically like the average version
of Merrill. So you're like trading one that's struggling for
like the average version when Meryl still has the upside.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
Ian Happ is like the guy who's like for fantasy.
It's like, if you can take Ian Hap over Player A,
then player A should probably be on waivers. It's like,
as good as Ian Hap is every year, it's impossible
to say like, oh, yeah, I want Ian Hap, Like

(42:39):
do you really want them? I mean you should, you
should want them, but do you really want them? It's hard.
It's hard to be like, yes, I want Ian Happ.
It's so boring.

Speaker 1 (42:52):
It's It's definitely one of those draft and hold or
type of plays where like you don't have to look
at it, you just come back the season You're like,
Ian Half is the man. He's a top twenty five outfielder,
twenty outfielder every year. Why does nobody want this guy?
But yeah, you have to look at it week by week.
Give me a little.

Speaker 2 (43:12):
Brutal He's probably like the best guy for like a
best ball or like a Gladiator league. It's like, oh, yeah,
I drafted Ian Half. Now I never have to think
about him again.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
And nobody wanted him, so you know I got him late.
How about how about one Cruise Gray We talked about
him already, No Cruiser or Jackson Marrie.

Speaker 2 (43:31):
I would go Neil Cruz.

Speaker 1 (43:33):
Okay, let's go somewhere in the middle of those two.
Then how about Taoscar. I feel like Taoskar is a
good middle.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
I would go ta Oscar.

Speaker 1 (43:44):
Okay. So you're willing to give up a guy, but
not necessarily a like a top fifteen or maybe.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
At a hard one. It would be a hard trade
to do an Andy Pies. That would be hard. I would,
but it would be hard. It would be difficult though.
I would struggle with it, but I would do it.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
Yeah. Uh, James Wood, I'm assuming you take James Wood
over Oh you gotta take James Wood, you know.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
Thank god? Thank I mean thank god I had James
Wood over Jackson Merrill in my rankings because I took
James Wood in every league, and thank god I did.
If I would ahead Jackson Merrill in every league instead
of James Wood, I wouldn't be I wouldn't be thrilled
with myself right now.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Yeah, I mean I thought I had James Wood high,
but you're you were definitely even higher than on him
than I was. It's uh, he's been great and and uh,
well hopefully we'll be for a long time. Uh. That's
also what we thought about Jackson Merrill though, so we
will see. Uh a guy we also assume was just
continued being good after a down season last year. Gray

(44:57):
and next two guys, you know, we thought the return
of Vicunya might kickstart the Braves offense, and it has
for a couple of players, but for a few players
it has not. A couple of those are Alsie Albi's
and Michael Harris. Albi's has not been good at any
point this season, but it's getting worse. Gray April two

(45:18):
thirty eight, four home runs, four stolen bases. Not great,
but kind of an Albi's line the year. You know,
he'll he'll have a good month somewhere and build off that.
May two thirty two home runs, a stone base. Again
not great. Maybe there's better time to come. That did
not happen in June. He's sitting one ninety eight. He
has no home runs two stolen bases. He's always destroyed

(45:42):
lefties Gray He's not even doing that every home run
he has his versus right yes, which is so weird
for him. I mean, this is the maybe the one
guy on this list I want to ask, does he
need to be owned at this point?

Speaker 2 (45:58):
No, I don't think so. I think I think we've
reached a point where you can drop Ozsi Alby's. Unfortunately,
I I've already. I think I finally I had him
in my in an hour RCL league, a league that
I'm struggling for the first time in probably a decade,
but I am. I've had Ozzy Alby's and I've benched

(46:19):
him a couple of times. I think I might be
dropping them soon. I think it's I think we've gone
to the point where it's just not it's not happening.
Uh And maybe it does at some point happen. But
is the upside really worth the you know, how much
you're going through the stress of like you know, or

(46:40):
the the ulcer you're that is building up in your
body to own Ozzi Alby's right now? I don't think
it is. I mean, I don't think the upside is
really that great to you know, deal with what he's
doing now. It's just not it's not like, Oh, when
he gets hot, he's gonna put up, you know, a
fifteen homer month and you know he's going to carry

(47:02):
your team, Like, I don't think so it seems on
it seems doubtful at this point, Like, you know, he's
at a six homer, seven steal two twenty three a
year right now. Even if he gets hot and he's
like and he has a great second half, what's he
going to end up with twenty twenty fifteen season. So

(47:25):
you're looking at fourteen homers and thirteen you know, or
eight thirteen homers and eight steals the rest of the way,
which is like, I mean, it's fine for a second basement,
but it's not really that amazing that you have to
hold on to him through all this. So I think
it's time to move on from Ozzie Alby's.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
Yeah, I wonder if you know, maybe he's just trying
to get out of this terrible contract he signed Gray.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
I mean, they got.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
Club they've got club options for the next two years.
Not wily, you'd be like seven million dollars for a
second basement, absolutely, but if he continues this this path,
they may be like, nah, I'll just uh, we'll just
pay a minor league, you know, the league man and
uh and get the same numbers. At this point, maybe
there's just a long con here.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
Yeah. Yeah, maybe maybe he's like Ricky Jay in disguise.
I think, uh, he's right now on the Player Raider.
He's behind Gavin Lux on the play Raider for second baseman,
and Gavin Lux is not good. So I mean that
give that gives you kind of an idea of what
you're dealing with. Ozzy Alveys. He's way behind Ernie Clement.

(48:42):
I mean, I'm just mentioning guys who I think are
probably on waivers in leagues. I mean he's like, you know,
he's behind jor Hey Polongo, He's behind Willie Castro. I mean,
he's behind Caleb Durbin. I mean, he's behind so many
guys on the Player Raider who are read available. So
it's like, yeah, just move on.

Speaker 1 (49:03):
Yep, number eight, second basement player, Otto Lopez, who I'm
still picking up in leagues for free. Yeah, move on.
It's it's time. I hate to say it because I'm
a big Alsie Albis fan. I have been for a
long time, but it looks bad, as does this next guy, Gray,
who you've always kind of kind of been the low

(49:26):
man on and you know, kudos for you for having
him buried in your rankings, and that is, of course,
Michael Harris the second April two thirty three, three home runs,
six stolen bases, sixteen point eight strikeout rate. Okay, doing okay,
Well we'll build May two forty five, zero home runs,
four stolen bases, twenty percent strikeout rate.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
I'm sorry, go ahead, good continue.

Speaker 1 (49:51):
June one forty eight, three home runs. At least there's
three home runs in a stolen base, twenty seven percent
strikeout right, though Gray has jumped eleven percent from where
we started, really ten and a half, but still ten
and a half percent on the strikeout rate is an
absurd jump, even in a monthly sample, because strikeout rate

(50:13):
is one of the first things that normalizes. Like, that's
what's going on here, Gray. He is a four point
eight line drive rate in June.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
I'm reminded of a scarface when he says to Michelle Pfeiffer,
your womb is polluted. That's the braves. The braves womb
is polluted because there's a lot of problems there. I
can't quite figure out why they have so many issues

(50:44):
with like these otherwise talented hitters. There really are a mess.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
Man.

Speaker 2 (50:51):
It's going on two years now where I would be
firing hitting coaches, get rid of Brian snicker a clear out,
clear out the clubhouse because there's something wrong. Because like
I didn't like Michael Harris a second, but he shouldn't
be awful and he's terrible, I mean awful. You go

(51:15):
on the Player Raider and right now he's the he's
he's ranked seventy seventh for outfielders. That's actually when you're talking,
that's what I was laughing at because he's behind Dane Myers.
I'm the Player Raider Dean Myers. I mean, I have
Dane Myers in my towl worst team that is currently

(51:37):
in first place. But I mean Dan Myers is who
he is like that, Like, let's be real here, I mean,
Michae Lara's the second's awful, man, Michaelara's the second is
right now, he's like a toss up with like Mickey
Moniac and Mike Ostrensky.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Like what awful I was?

Speaker 2 (51:59):
Honestly, I'd move on from him too. I would move
on from Michael Harris a second. I never liked them though,
but I would if I were in a twelve team
mixed league or Shallower, I would just be like, you
know what, if he gets hot, he gets hot, whatever,
I would just drop him. It's it's to that point
I think.

Speaker 1 (52:16):
I mean, playing an injured Dylan Cruiz has been better
for your lineup than playing Michael Harris the second recently.
So yeah, I mean, I again, I feel like there's
something in Atlanta that's wrong, and I feel like it's
connected to Snicker. But until that changes, I just don't
see where it's coming. Like it's it's it cannot be

(52:40):
hotter than it is right now in Atlanta. Like it's
the ball's not gonna fly any better than it does
right now, and they're still not hitting the ball. Michael Harris,
as I mentioned as a line drive rate under five
percent in June, is a sixty six point seven percent
ground ball rate. His launch angle is under five They
just need to trade them to Toronto already a former Brave.

(53:05):
Since we're just going to continue this line Gray, I mean,
I could have thrown a couple more in here, we're
going to talk about Marcelo Zuna and this group too.
He's been terrible all season as well. But we're not
going to We're gonna talk about a guy I've been
down on for like six seasons in a row, and
I might finally be right, and that is Freddy Freeman.
April three, nineteen, five home runs, May four ten, four

(53:27):
home runs. I'm just eating my words as I speak.
And then June he is at two hundred with a
home run. I was worried about the injury. I was
worried about it him lasting a full season. I don't
want to say he can't turn around, because every time
I say that, he just kicks mine all over the place.

(53:48):
But what are your thoughts on Freddie Freeman? Gray? I
need an unbiased observer because I always see the end
of the road for Freddie Freeman. Is it actually here?
Or is this the bad month? No?

Speaker 2 (54:02):
I mean I'm not that unbiased because I don't like
Freddy Freeman either. I also I feel like I think
I wrote an overrated post about him in the preseason,
like I would be trading Freddy Freeman three months ago.
I would never have drafted him. I didn't draft Freddy Freeman.

(54:22):
I wouldn't have drafted him. I told people not to
draft them. I think, yeah, I mean, the numbers you
mentioned in June are terrible, and I think the average
probably comes back a bit. Like you said, he hit
two hundred in June with one homer, and I think
he probably, like the average, will still get up again.

(54:42):
I think, you know, probably closer to April where he
hit three nineteen versus May where he hit four ten, so,
you know, but still a three hundred hitter or at
least to eighty. But the power really is, the power
hasn't really been there going on like you know, three
three three of the last four years and really kind

(55:04):
of like three, you know, the last two years. And
the speed is really just completely evaporate. Like you know,
we knew he had, you know, his his ankle injury
was gonna slow him down, but it's completely removed any
chance that he has any speed whatsoever. And you know,

(55:26):
he wasn't a fast guy to begin with, but he
used to chuck in like you know, a ten steals
or ten plus steals. Now he's had zero steals for
the year and he's only attempted one. Like he and
He's even said his ankle is still bothering him, So
like the steels aren't gonna suddenly appear as the season

(55:49):
goes on. If anything, the Dodgers are gonna want to
arrest him and make sure he's healthy for the playoffs.
So you're looking at it like, if he gets to
many homers, three steals, and a two eighty average, I
think you're you're actually you're doing pretty well for yourself.

(56:12):
If you get those numbers. I wouldn't count. I would
take the under on all of them. But that's sort
of what that's like best case scenario, I think. So, Yeah,
I would be selling Low. I mean, you're obviously you're
not dropping Freddy Freeman, but I would. I would sell Low.
I think he's basically at this point he's a runs

(56:34):
in rbish and batting average guy.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
Yeah, I agree, if he can sell him, go ahead
and sell him. You know, would you would you sell
him for you know, rejuvenated Michael Bush.

Speaker 2 (56:50):
Michael Bush looks pretty good. Yeah, I think I I
think I would take Michael Bush. To be honest, I
I don't know. I mean prop yeah, I think I
would take Michael Bush. It's close though, I would you
could probably get someone, uh, you get someone thrown in.
I think maybe in that trade. Uh, if you're if

(57:10):
you're able to if you're able to barter, if you
can do a little if you can do a little.

Speaker 1 (57:15):
Haggling trade somewhere else.

Speaker 2 (57:17):
Yeah, yeah, maybe, Yeah, I don't and that's not a
terrible trade for me. I don't mind it. I would probably,
you know, right now, on the player raider, Bush is
above Freeman, so yeah, and I don't see that necessarily changing.
So yeah, I would take Bush.

Speaker 1 (57:32):
Yeah, I mean, you're you're welcoming me. Michael Bush owners
out there.

Speaker 2 (57:35):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
He started hit well as soon as I traded him
in the Parts League. How about how about Tyler Schauderstrom,
who started the season on a tear and it's it's
cooled off a little bit.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
I would go Freeman over Soderstrom.

Speaker 1 (57:52):
Okay, how about the Braves replacement for Freeman, Matt Olson?

Speaker 2 (57:58):
Uh, wo, we go Matt Olson.

Speaker 1 (58:01):
And then how about Vlad?

Speaker 2 (58:04):
I think Vlad?

Speaker 1 (58:06):
Okay, so we have a pretty decent idea where you're
at on him. You know, Soderstrom seems to be kind
of the line for you. Let's move on to Anthony Volpe.
He started the season in April two thirty seven, five
home runs, three Stone bases, May two forty two, one
home run, four Stone bases, June two or two, three

(58:28):
home runs two Stone bases. I mean, it's a guy
that is at least putting up the home runs in
Stone bases each month, but it's getting harder and harder
to start him, especially with you know, some of the
other middle infield options available in leagues.

Speaker 2 (58:46):
Yeah, no, I think he's also he's kind of in
the Azzi Alby's camp where it's like, even even if
he does get hot, I mean, we're really what are
you losing by moving on from Anthony out Anthony Volpe,
I think you're probably I think you're probably at the
point where, in a twelve team mix league or shallower

(59:07):
you're you could look elsewhere. Uh, you know, it depends
on who's available. I think I still have Volpey above
Ozzie Albi's in my mind even you know, a different
position obviously, but I think Volpey over Albi's. But volpe
is sort of at the point where, if you have

(59:28):
better options on waivers, I think you can move on.

Speaker 1 (59:32):
All right, would you take which of these guys would
you take volpey or over Volpey Trevor Story out of Lopez,
bobaet Dansby Swanson.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
I think Dansby Swanson for sure. I think probably Bobaschett. Unfortunately,
I hate to say it, but I think you do.
I think you take Bobaschett over Volpe Lopez. Yeah, I
think Lopez. You're probably you should take Lopez over Volpe,

(01:00:04):
not not Trevor Story.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Okay, uh, you know, I'm just gonna say no, no, no,
I'm boba shit, just because it's a little like what
we were talking about earlier with some of the boring guys,
where it's like, yeah, like he's kind of the Ian
happ now of like that's what he said. He is, like, yeah,
you could get him, but it's really boring and he

(01:00:28):
really needs somebody to hit him in otherwise there's not
really value there. I'll take. I'll think the chance Volpe
turns it around, hits two forty, It does like a
couple of five fives months the rest of the season,
but I get it if it's a deeper league. Wyatt
Langford April two ninety nine, six home runs, four stolen bases,
The breakout is happening. Everybody drafted him is a genius.

(01:00:51):
May one eighty nine five over runs, six dolen bases.
You know, at least he's inting home runs stealing bases.
The average will come June twenty four to him runs
a stolen base and now he's head in the eye
out with an oblique issue. I mean the oblique helps
kind of give him a reason why it was happening

(01:01:12):
and give us as a narrative to work with. But
we also just talked about how a guy's coming back
from injury tend not to necessarily come back in the
same manner as we want them to. What are you
doing with Wyatt Langford? I mean, he has the name
he put up at least one big month where you
can you can point to and say here's what a
healthy Langford does. But would you would you trade him away?

(01:01:35):
Or you're just waiting and hoping.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
I don't know. I mean at some point I think, I, well,
I would to your question, I would. I would trade
him away if I could get something decent. But in
the in the bigger picture, with Wyatt Langford, I mean
he's gonna be a struggle to rank next year and
to draft where he I think he where he probably

(01:02:00):
will end up going. At some point, what he did
in April could become like every month, and he could
do that every month and have that thirty thirty three
hundred year I think that's still possible for him. It's
going to be a struggle to actually rank him and
draft him where. You know, that is that possibility that

(01:02:24):
really it's realistic, but not I mean not necessarily you know,
possible or at least, excuse me, not realistic. I mean possible,
but not realistic, you know, because I mean we haven't
seen it for extended period of time at any point
in his career. Like he did it for one month

(01:02:47):
this year, where like if he did if he did
his April every month, that would have been great. But
he didn't do He didn't do it every month. He
did it for one month, and last year, you know,
he did it for like a half month at that.
So you know, at a certain point, like how do
you keep ranking him and drafting him as like a

(01:03:07):
top twenty outfielder when he hasn't you know, he hasn't
come close to that. I mean, it's still too early,
you know, to write off his entire second half but
with the oblique Now, I mean, how do you like,
what do you do with like? I mean, you know,
he could be out for weeks, so he comes back

(01:03:29):
after the All Star break, has an okay August, say,
he has a great September, so he's got two months
left really to show us something. So he has you know,
if he has a great September, then he had a
great April and a great September. It's like, okay, but
what is What's that? I don't know, man, I feel

(01:03:51):
like I might be the low man on Wyatt Langford
next year unless he has like such an insane second
half that puts all this to rest. But right now
I just don't see it, and especially like the way
he had his May in June showed me nothing like
you know, like that May was nice, like you said,

(01:04:12):
with the steals and speed, but I mean he hit
one eighty nine and I don't know, I'm not I
feel like I'm losing faith in White Langford until he
actually shows it. And he could. I mean, he's still
young enough he could show he could show it over
extended period of time, but right now, one one month

(01:04:33):
is one month of his career.

Speaker 1 (01:04:34):
Is not doing it for me, you know, Yeah, I
mean it's starting to get to that, I mean injury
rep at this point. I know he's still very young.
You can figure out how to deal with, you know,
the stresses of Major League Baseball, the schedule and everything
a little bit better. But I mean, I'm with you,
like we need to see it at some point. But

(01:04:56):
he's twenty three. I'm not giving up hope. But I
agree it's gonna be very weird to rank him. I'm
assuming there's gonna be kind of like this year even
There's gonna be people who are all in on him,
and then there's the rest of us who will take
him if he gets to a certain point, and so
I probably want him.

Speaker 2 (01:05:15):
I was super happy. I mean I was like, you know,
I was super excited to take James Wood in every
league and I didn't get why at Langford because I
was so high on James Wood. But I'm glad that
worked out fine. But yeah, I mean, I'm you know,
I'm James Wood. It's like he's become a star, and
why at Langford was supposed to be a star, But like,

(01:05:38):
where is that? Where is it?

Speaker 1 (01:05:41):
Okay? I agree, I had I had went over Langford
as well. I know that it was not universal, but
I'm glad it worked out for both of us at
least if you could move Langford right now, Gray, I mean,
would you move him for Dylan Cruz, who's kind of
in a similar situation that he's injured. We're not sure

(01:06:02):
when he's coming back. He struggled as well.

Speaker 2 (01:06:06):
Yeah, no, I wouldn't take on Cruise now, all right.

Speaker 1 (01:06:09):
How about the oh go ahead, okay, how about south Relick. Oh, look,
he's been solid this year. He has been to call
it the breakout. It's been the breakout.

Speaker 2 (01:06:22):
Yeah, I mean he moved, He's gonna moved to the
leadoff spot. He's a top thirty outfielder right now on
the player Raider. Now, I would take the you know,
whye Langford for you know, after the All Star break
for two and a half months, hopefully that you get
over free like yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
Okay, how about how about Taylor Ward?

Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
I would go Taylor Ward over Langford?

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
Okay, so maybe in like the thirty thirty five range
of outfielders somewhere on there and up, you would you
would bet that swap anything else, just take the risk
of the linker comes back and you know it is
healthy because again, when he's been healthy, he's looked good.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
Just there's just been issues there, right, Yeah, no, totally. Actually,
when I was going looking at the player Rader for
pre Look and Taylor Ward, I noticed Mookie Betts. Uh,
who's been a who's been a bit of a struggle.
Uh he could have been he could have been listed.

(01:07:31):
You don't have him on the podcast outline or I
should say chat g b T didn't put him on
the podcast. But Mooky Betts is like, you know, he's
been a struggle too for the better part of the year. Uh,
he's getting by a lot on like what he does

(01:07:51):
and runs and RBIs because that's been you know, still
fantastic because of the Dodger lineup and and where he's
played in it. But yeah, he's been he's been a struggle.
And I don't know, Mooki Bets's numbers aren't screaming. He'll
be okay for what it's worth.

Speaker 1 (01:08:13):
No, every all the numbers are trending down, Our hits down,
exit velocity is down. Home on the fly ball is
plummeting gray the last two seasons. Yeah, the the end
of Mooki may may be here. It's a it's it's
sad to see because I think I think most of
us have enjoyed watching Mookie play. He's been a great,

(01:08:35):
you know, ambassador for the game. And uh yeah, it's
it's sadly coming to an end. Let's move over to
closers and some guys we could have included in June
strugglers as well as things that may come to an end.
Gray Robert Suarez April fourteen, innings six four year ah
five to seven, whip May ten and the third innings

(01:08:58):
four three five year A one one six whip June
ten and thirty eight's seven eight four one seven four.
I mean, it's not good. You still getting the opportunities,
So you know, there's that. But the same time, you know,

(01:09:19):
there's a I think a lot of people were worried
about Robert Soures entering the season and it's starting to
show up.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
M Yeah, I know. It's unfortunately the Padres don't have
anyone behind him who could take over for him. Wait,
hold on, I'm hearing something. My finger to the earbud. Oh, actually,
they have a lot of guys who could take over
for him. I stay correct that they have They have
multiple replacements that are really good. Yeah, but I mean,

(01:09:54):
if anything, I wouldn't be sure. If I were the Padres,
I would trade Robert Suarez to like the Phillies or
something and let him be awful as the Phillies closer
for August. I would get anything I could for Robert
Sorez if I could trade him in fantasy or in reality.
But you know, it's like, as long as he's the closer,

(01:10:16):
which he is as of right the second, I mean,
you got to start him in most leagues, I would think, so,
I don't know. I finally benched him in one league,
in a weekly league, but I had a decent alternative.
So unless you have really good alternatives, I don't know
what you do with Robert Sorez other than start them

(01:10:38):
and hope he you know, corrects whatever the issue is.

Speaker 1 (01:10:43):
Yeah, I started him as well in the leagues that
I own him. You know, I didn't really have a
clear better option. So that's what you went That's what
I went with. Like you said, he's still getting the saves.
You just just hope they keep rolling them out there
for that. If you're if that's what, uh, you know,
his value is gonna be. I think Jason Adam would

(01:11:07):
be on the short list of guys would it would
be next? He's been phenomenal all season and last season
and pretty much his whole time in the majors. Adrian
Morjon he might be on that list as well, but
that's where I would look. Maybe Jeremiah Strata over in

(01:11:28):
uh San Francisco. Gray Camillo Davall has also been terrible
here in June. As we continue this theme, you know,
he's had twelve innings in June with a six ear
a and a two whip. It's hard to have a
two whip grade, Like, it's really difficult to get to
that point. What are you doing with Camilo d'vall, who

(01:11:53):
you know was doing just just fine up until this month.

Speaker 2 (01:11:59):
Yeah, yeah, well, I mean he was doing fine as
far as e a, but his his peripherals looked pretty
bad for a while. Now, like he's his strikeouts are
way down, his walks are have been terrible. They've continued
to be terrible. He's he's just not pitching very well.
I think, you know, I think they have I don't know,

(01:12:21):
they seem to like decide he was gonna be the
closer randomly when his numbers really weren't backing that up,
but that was more because Ryan Walker were so terrible.
I think they probably should have went to Randy Rodriguez
as the closer, even though they didn't. But he would

(01:12:42):
be my choice, you know. I think maybe at some
point he does finally get the opportunity to be the closer,
because his stuff looks nasty. He looks like the closer,
I mean clearly, like his numbers are ridiculous and Duval's
number are not good. So yeah, I don't know. I
would be stashing Randy Rodriguez as of right now. It

(01:13:06):
does not seem like they're giving that. Uh, they're they're
not necessarily going that route. But I would stash them
and see what happens. Maybe maybe they finally figure it out,
maybe they go over. Maybe uh, he becomes the closer. No,
we'll see, but I'm not I'm not counting on it,

(01:13:27):
but I would stash him just in case.

Speaker 1 (01:13:30):
Yeah, I would go ahead and stash Randy and maybe
Tyler Rogers, although they seem to not really want to
make him closer, but he's been he's been great this
season as well. I will say Camillo Devall was great,
in May just just been awful here in June. The Braves,
you know, we had to make fun of him last
podcast and say they hadn't had saves they got to

(01:13:52):
last week, but they also went to two different guys. Gray,
We said it was just gonna be a headache. I mean,
same thing with you know again it's Iglacias and Lee.
If you want people right.

Speaker 2 (01:14:03):
M Yeah, I would say Iglesias even though I don't
trust him at all, but I think I think that
would probably be the way I would I would go.
I would, you know, if I could, I'd probably put
him on my bench in my fantasy league and see
if he can get right, and if he does, then
you can move him into your lineup next week if

(01:14:24):
you have if you could do that potentially, But yeah,
I don't trust him, but I think Iglesias is the guy.

Speaker 1 (01:14:31):
Okay, and then let's do our arbag or necessary weekly Philadelphia.
We said it was a Ryan kirkeran last week and
Matt Strong got to save this week, So there you go.
I mean, I'm just gonna mention it until they trade
for somebody, and then that person will do collapse in

(01:14:51):
on himself too. It might be Robert Suarez, who knows.
One last note on Robert Suarez is the one thing
I did notice. The change up has been the problem pitch.
It's been getting hit around. The verticle drop is just
not there like it was early in the season. So
that's what we're looking for. If he's gonna turn around
and keep that job, you want that change to come

(01:15:13):
back around. Great, give the people some waiver wire bats.
I'll give him some streaming options and we will get
out of here.

Speaker 2 (01:15:19):
Oh okay, So Otto Lopez looks like he's been the
hottest hitter on the Seven Day Player Raider who is
under one hundred roster, So grab him if he's still
out there. Spencer Steer has been hot. Nolan Gorman, Gary
Sanchez remember him? I don't, but maybe you do. Ramon
Loriano has been hot as well. Kyle Stowers, Tommy fam

(01:15:44):
look at that he's getting hot even outside of trip clubs.
Zach mckinstreet, he's been hot. Joey Ortiz, Jacob Young for
the Nationals. I didn't even know he was hot, but
according to the Seven Day Player Raider, he has been.
Ristian Moore, Angels second baseman prospect, he's been hitting for

(01:16:05):
power and not much else, but yeah, he's been hot.
Mason Wynn, Caleb Durban Brewers, multiple position eligibility, he's been hot.
And finally Carlos Correy. There's a name you haven't heard
a while, and he's been hot, so go get him, guys.

Speaker 1 (01:16:26):
Yeah, he actually went for a lot in our in
one of my leagues Gray, and I was not. I
was not expecting that, to be honest. It's like, oh,
that's like twenty percent of a budget. That's that's craziness.
I didn't even know. I only have twenty percent of
my budget left, so I didn't get him obviously, anyway.

(01:16:46):
Substribing options on the pitcher side, Quinn Priester at Miami,
Jacob Lopez at Tampa Bay versus San Francisco, Eric Lauer
versus The Angels, Charlie Moore than that Texas, Dean Kramer
at Atlanta, Edward Rigez versus Kansas City, Jeffrey Jeffrey Springs
returns to Tampa Bay, Brian BeO versus Cincinnati, Jamison ti

(01:17:07):
On versus Saint Louis, Simeon Wood Richardson at Miami, A
Jason Junk versus Minnesota, and Edward Cabrera versus Minnesota versus Milwaukee.
Much better week this week for streamers than last week.
If you have specific questions, you can find us on
Twitter or ex at rasball as Gray's tech I am
at rasbeat On. You can find us on YouTube dot com,

(01:17:30):
slash rasball Fantasy, or in the comment section on rasball
dot com. Until next time, hopefully you get set to
your lineups correctly with the best players, you don't miss
out on that random two Homer O'Neil Cruz game like
somebody might have. And I'll talk to you next week,
all right, man, talk to you later.