What To Do About These Guys?

In this week’s episode, we dive into the latest shakeups on the player rater, highlighted by Cal Raleigh’s surge to #1. Where does he belong among the ranks next season and what kind of projections do the guys give him?

The Cubs somehow made the playoffs, but just as confusing as that is some of the Cubs player values for next year. Should you be buying or selling Pete Crow-Armstrong, and can you trust Michael Busch’s rollercoaster season?

The Braves bats are showing up just in time to tempt us back next year, but should we fall for the likes for Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, and what about the great Ronald Acuna Jr.? 
Finally, we wrap with a way-too-early 2025 SP preview — is it Skubal and Skenes at the top? Where do Crochet, Peralta, Yamamoto, and Misiorowski fit into the mix?

Episode Transcript

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

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

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Matter be health well, yeah, several charges on everyone, nothing else,
and I'm alreadium to.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Hear my baby sounds just like your name.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Was, Mark. And it's a ride by podcast.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
It's a rapp podcast. It's a rapp podcast. It's a
ride bo podcast. It's a rap up podcast. I don't
have a rap up podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Got a turn off?

Speaker 1 (00:53):
It should rap bo podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
What's everybody? What's up everybody? This is new Basseball Fantasy
Baseball podcast. I am beat on Joe Bidy, the one,
the only, the Fantasy Master, the Lethario himself.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Gray.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Alright, how's going over there?

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Gray? Oh my god? Man, I made h It's a
short schedule. We're recording this on Monday, a notoriously a
short schedule day. But today is especially short scheduled, as
there's only three games, and so I took that two.

(01:47):
Make a lot of acacia. I made a lot of kachia. Man,
I have so much, so I started on Saturday. Right,
you have to get the dough ready. So I started
putting the focacia together on Saturday, and it's like it's
a The recipe calls for fifty one hours. So you

(02:13):
reach out to me on Monday and you're like, uh,
you want to do the podcast now? And I'm like, yeah, okay.
The only small problem is I'm started a fifty one
hour focacci on Saturday, and the fifty first hour is
right when you want to start doing the podcast. So yeah,

(02:37):
I literally just finished making so much focaccia. I mean
I have more focaccia than most pizzerias. I'm like, I
am a nonah. Officially, I am anna. I don't know
how this. I don't know where it started or where
it ends, but as of right now, I have officially

(02:57):
become a nonah.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
It started with glasses. Great that the start that was starting.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Point back in time. I am no longer in Nona.
I am a man.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
I had to do something you never You're never gonna
figure out pizza. So you had to find a use
for your pizza oven.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Yeah I'm glad you did. It's true. Yeah, I found
a good use for it too. I mean, it makes
really good focaccia. I've managed to I've managed to figure
out focaccia, even though I can't figure out pizza in
a pizza oven. I have I got fikaccia down though. Man. Actually,

(03:43):
you know what I'll put Uh, I'll put pictures on
Rasball's Instagram. Uh, if I can figure out the password
for Instagram. I I honestly I go. The Ball Instagram
goes like it gets like five posts a week, and

(04:06):
then it won't get any posts for like six months.
And during those six months on the Rasball Instagram, that's
when Gray has forgotten the password. And then I'll briefly
remember the password and I'll post a bunch and then
I will once again forget the password. So right now

(04:28):
we're in that period of time when I've forgotten the password.
But if I can figure it out, I'll put pictures
of this pocaca. It came out beautiful. Oh I am anna? Anyway, Hey,
what's going on in Rasball Nation? Season's almost over? Can
you tell.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Getting Getting Loose? Getting Loose? Here the Rasball Podcast? Gray,
I don't actually believe that you did it.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
You know, we did.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
We reviewed the film and we've determined you actually didn't
make for Kacia. That's what we've determined. Just like just
like Dalton var Show when he made his when he
didn't make his catch, you you definitely did not make Kasha.
You know you didn't stop lying to West Gray.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
That was that was pretty ridiculous. I still haven't seen
an official statement. I would imagine we're not gonna get one,
but that was pretty bad.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, totally, yeah, that was that was ridiculous.
And the Jared Young one, I don't know, did you
see the Jared Young hacky sack catch against them? Oh? Oh,
that's also ridiculous. The it's like the the hacky sack

(05:51):
one Jared Jacob Young. Excuse me, Jacob Young. There is
a Jared Young, but this is a Jared Young. Jacob Young. Uh,
runs into the fence, grabs the ball, runs into the fence,
The ball gets jostle loose and it goes up in
the air, and he makes a split second decision to

(06:11):
kick the ball up in the air again because he's
losing his balance. So he kicks the ball up in
up in the air again like he's pelet and he
manages to catch the ball after kicking it up in
the air, and that was the most ridiculous catch I think,
I think, I to be honest, the var show one

(06:36):
was like, clearly a catch.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
I don't even like.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
Honestly, I don't even The var show one was clearly
a catch to the point where it's like, I think
we need to review the video review. It was so
obviously a catch. I feel like that was the point
where like someone in the video the video review room

(07:00):
should be fired, should be should be on LinkedIn right
now by updating their resume because they shouldn't be fired. Yeah,
the bar show one was ridiculous. I don't even I mean,
that just feels like.

Speaker 4 (07:16):
You know, I don't know, there's this, you know, speaking
of video reviews, because you know what, we've got time
to talk about nonsense this week, you know, with video review.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
I honestly I like video review in general. But the
one thing that really bugs me is like when the
guy is, say, say Elie de la Cruz is sliding
over second second base on a steal, and there's a.

Speaker 5 (07:46):
Split second moment where like his leg goes over, his
hip comes up, and then his is his tour show
then lands on the bag and they review that and
they're like, well, for a split second he was off
the bag, but so he's out, Like what so dumb?

Speaker 1 (08:08):
I mean that is like it's the letter of the
law is correct. But that's in the situation where the
video review guys have they think they're they've become king
or something. They've they've let it go to their head.
There should never be a moment where a guy slides.

(08:28):
It's completely safe. And because he just comes off of
the bag for like a split like for literally like
a split second, he goes over the bag and because
of the way he bumps up, he comes off for
a second. Like that's just dumb, Like that is not
like that's like it's not the point of video review

(08:50):
in my in my in my opinion, alas, I mean,
I think that's kind of stupid. For the most part,
though I do like video review except the Dulton Varshaw
wash that was terrible.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
I gotta question like the eyes of the person reviewing
that they were they missing their glasses? Could they not
find them? Were they just you know, were they busy
doing something else on their phone?

Speaker 1 (09:14):
And just like that, it's not that they were missing
their glasses, were they or were they not? Nonah, are
they because if they're nonah, then they have glasses. If
they're not, No, no, they don't have glasses. I do think.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
I do think when you slide into a base, very
specifically when you slide in, because when you're standing, it's
a little different when you slide into a base. I
do believe you should have like the visible like the
invisible ground above the base is yours, like once.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
You touch the base, right, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
That should be a thing.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, no, totally. I agree. It's like, yeah, I mean
I get what they're saying, like, oh, yeah, he's off
the bag, so you know, he is technically out, but
it's like, I mean that's just like that's so petty,
like there's no reason for that. Like there's certain things
where it's like come on, guys, like and that's really

(10:14):
like when they even do like the reviews on those
it's like you're talking about like speeding up the game,
and then you have a review over this, like come on,
it's like it's dumb. Like there should be like the umpire,
like the the the managers get what two reviews per game,
the umpire should get one. No, that's a stupid, stupid

(10:37):
call for a review. I do not do that. That's
not givings get one. So the managers get two and
the umpire gets one. No, I don't do that, and
then they and then I can actually bring back more arguing,
because like I feel like arguing was a nice little
moment for like maybe it's a it's still a thing

(11:00):
for Aaron Boone, But most managers no longer argue because
there's really no point in arguing anymore. But I do
think we could, like we should get rid of one,
so we have the manager gets two reviews, the umpire
gets one. No, I'm not reviewing that nonsense, And then
you bring back one argument per game where the manager

(11:23):
can come on the field and like throw dirt at
the umpire and like bump his chest and get like
crazier than anyone's been crazy in their life. Can you
imagine like the managers like I'm thinking back at like
Earl Weaver or like Billy Martin like the or Loop
Panella like the original, Like, oh my god, is this

(11:43):
guy gonna have is gonna stroke out on the field
because he is so mad? Like there's literally no other
situation in one's life where you can get that mad
and not be like arrested, like if move Vanilla was
ever that mad at like, I don't know a Starbucks.

(12:08):
I'm calling the police. You have lost your mind. I understand.
I'm sorry. We gave you almond milk when you ask
for soy, but you are screaming and bumping the barista
with your chest. You can't have this, so you.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
Put it in through the app. It's really you. You
did everything we we just to you. Sorry, that's a
bad Yeah. I'm actually it.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
La with soy milk for a Sweet lou what I
said on in milk sweet loom. Take it easy, all right?

Speaker 2 (12:54):
Great.

Speaker 6 (12:54):
I don't really have a great transition from that, from
any of that into anything, but we're just gonna move
on into cal Raley officially number one on the Player
Raider for the season.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
You didn't believe it. I didn't believe when I saw it.
I had to refresh it a few times make sure
I was on the right date. You know, everything kind
of picked up from last night's game. But he is
officially number one on the Player Raider for the season,
So I'll just keep asking it as long as he
keeps crushing the ball out of the ballpark. Where does
he belong for next season in you know, fifty eight

(13:28):
home runs at this point, fourteen stolen bases, one hundred
and seven runs, one hundred and twenty one RBIs two
forty seven, three sixty five eighty nine. Just I mean
amazing numbers.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
So yeah, no, totally. I'll tek you about Cal Rollin
in a second. But it's right now on the Player
Raider because it does change daily, so it could change
by the time people look at this. But right now
on the Player Raider, it's Cal Rowley at forty seven
and forty seven dollars and ninety cents. Show Hey Otani
is two at forty seven dollars and eighty cents, and

(14:05):
Aaron Judge is three at forty seven dollars and sixty cents.
That's insane. That's insane for the final the final week.
And I don't know if I've ever seen the Player
Raider have three guys all who could potentially change places
by tomorrow and then again Wednesday and then like Thursday,

(14:29):
and you know, it's it could potentially change every day
this week anyway, So I don't know. That's I thought
that was kind of interesting anyway. So Cal Rawley, I
you know, I was saying this on the on the
website this morning on Monday, that I do think that
once a player gets to fifty five homers for the

(14:53):
for fifty five homers, once they get there, then the
league puts in the bouncy balls, because this is like,
I mean, cal Raley, I love him to death, but
he's hitting some of these homers. I'm like, how did
that ball get out? He's just like he's flicking his
bat and the ball's just like flying, and I'm like, uh,

(15:15):
I think they might have the bouncy balls out for
cal Rawley right now. And I think they do that probably.
I wouldn't say at fifty five homers they start doing
that because like, who doesn't want to see someone hit
sixty homers. Everyone wants to see that. So they're like, yeah,
he got there close enough on his own. Now it's

(15:37):
time we do the bouncy ball. That's what I think happens.
I don't know, man, you know, so cal Raley for
next year, the thing is, I'm not sure if like
I don't even know what like the projections are going
to be like for him. I would assume because this

(15:59):
is like such a obscenely crazy year for him compared
to like his previous years, Like last year for people
who don't remember, he had thirty four homers and hit
two twenty and now he's got you know, now he's
approaching sixty homers with oh, fourteen steals this year versus
six steals last year. So like you know, I've said

(16:21):
this a bunch of like steals are basically however many
bags a guy wants to steal, just like we're seeing
that with Juan Soto, where it's like Juan Soto is
a twelve steel guy and he's like I kind of
want to steal forty bags this year, Like okay, okay,
I guess sure, man steal forty. I don't know if

(16:44):
it's helping the Mets necessarily when he gets caught stealing
like once a game. But you know what, I'm not
a Mets fan, so whatever. So you know, I think
with cal Rawley, like what his projections will be next year,
it's gonna be, uh, I think for it will depend
on what people where the people land, because like if

(17:06):
people project them for you know, say forty five ish homers,
he's probably I mean that's probably a top twenty guy, right,
I mean I don't know. I don't think I'm gonna
land there. I think I'm I think i'm probably I
want to say I'm at like forty forty to forty three.

(17:29):
Maybe i'll project him for which feels like, I mean,
it's up from you know, last year, obviously, and it's
down from this year, but I mean it's a lot
further down from this year than maybe some people will say.
But I just can't I just can't get behind. Behind
is the keyword to cal Rawley. I can't get behind

(17:49):
this insane year he's having. I think there's a career year.
I think in retrospect it'll it'll be obviously a career year.
So I don't know if if you're like, if you're
at forty two homers for him, which is still an
insanely great year for a catcher, like not to take
anything away from him, like if he hits forty two
homers next year and two thirty five, say conservatively as projections,

(18:17):
I think that probably lands him around, like I don't know,
maybe the top twenty five ish, top top top thirty,
somewhere in that range a lot better than you know,
where he was last year. I don't know how I
don't think I'm gonna be able to get him into

(18:37):
the top twenty, even though I'm sure some people will,
and in two catcher leagues. I want to be surprised
if he goes in like the top twelve, even but yeah,
I do, it won't be me. I don't believe in this.
I don't believe in the steals. I said what I
you know, I said what I thought with the average

(18:59):
and power or so. I like him as a player.
I think he's fun, he seems you know, he seems
like a good guy, whatever that means. But I personally
can't I can't see myself getting in on him, you know,
higher than maybe twenty five ish, but not in the

(19:22):
top twenty. I don't think. I don't think I'm gonna
be able to land there for him. I don't know
what's your thoughts.

Speaker 2 (19:29):
No, I think I agree most people who have this
kind of season, it's when it's so much of an outlier,
going from a thirty thirty five home run guy to
a fifty eight. You know, we'll see if he breaks sixty.
One would assume through through the end of the season
is generally just an out liar season. It's really hard

(19:49):
to replicate. We've seen it with any number of hitters,
you know, Vlad that was kind of a minor league
park situation. So that's not quite fair butt Nelson did it.
I mean, we see a lot of players doing age
twenty six to twenty nine is kind of the prime
time for that to happen. I don't think he's gonna

(20:10):
completely fall off the map and and not hit home runs.
I don't believe that's gonna happen. But I think when
you say, like forty is probably the line for next
year in projection, that's probably where I would go. I
would say that's given credit to what happened this season,
with also not giving him a repeat of sixty, because
there's only you know, a couple of guys who we
think year in can you you're in and year out

(20:34):
can really do that? You know? Aaron Judge o'tani I
would put Schwarber on that list at this point, but yeah,
I would. I would agree with kind of what she said.
Would you rather have him or Kyle Schwarber, m Kyle
Schwarber him or Devers?

Speaker 1 (20:57):
Uh cal Rawley. But I'm a I'm a long time
Devers hater.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
You are a devs hater. How about how about Alonzo?
Since you've always liked.

Speaker 1 (21:05):
Alonzo, M, I do like Alonzo. That's a that's a
good one because Alonzo and him, probably the projections are
probably gonna be pretty similar. I would guess I think
it would go to Alonzo, uh barely, though with the caveat,

(21:26):
I might change my mind by January when my ranking
come out or December. If you're on Patreon, yeah, yeah,
absolutely great.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
And we'll also have our our definitely open to change
and will change draft at some point for the podcast
once the season wraps as well, so you can always
stick around for that, even though again, that'll definitely change
my time draft season comes around. Let's move on to
the next person, grat. Let's move on to a couple
of call ups. Jefferson Quero is expected to be called

(21:59):
up by Brewers. I haven't seen the official announcement, but
I've seen that he's getting called up. Fifty eight games
at Triple A six on runs Tuesday, home bases two
fifty five thirty six four to twelve, fourteen percent strikeout rate,
ten percent walk rate. Are you interested in Jefferson Quero?

Speaker 1 (22:17):
No, No, I'm not actually at all I yeah, I
think they're probably a reward I was. I would assume
they're rewarding him for a or you know, or maybe
they're just they need a backup, but I don't. Or
they're rewarding him for a decent season. But I don't

(22:37):
see really that. You know, maybe he gets a starter
or two, but yeah, no, I'm not I'm not interested.
I think more than likely he's just up as like
a backup, as like a pat on the back for
a good season. So yeah, yeah, good for him.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
It's nice that he's getting the opportunity to just take
a look and see. William tra Traris is dealing with
a hand issue where he was hit on the hand
with the swing, so maybe they're just calling om up
dos a, you know, make sure William Treris is fine
moving forward and not the worst thing to get him

(23:20):
a look at the majors. But yes, I agree, not
really an AD. And if he's not AD, I would
assume Rafael Flores, who was called up by the Pirates,
is not an AD either. One hundred thirty three games
this year twenty two around six on basis he had
two eighty three four four seventy Any interest in Rafael
Flores for the Pirates.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
No, not at all. Okay, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
As the baseball season is coming to a closed, Gray,
there are teams making the playoffs, and one of those
happens to be I don't know how it happened, but
the Cubs randomly, somehow made the playoffs. Gray, I'm kind
of baffled. You know, I knew we were at the
top of the leaderboard for the Wildcard, but I just

(24:07):
I just assumed it wasn't gonna happen, because every time
I watch them, we are terrible. But we made it, Gray,
we made it. They're in. That gives me full right
to talk about a few Cubs players, and there's a
couple that are completely confusing, Gray, I think for most
of the people out there. Let's start at the top
with Pek Armstrong, number twenty six on the player er

(24:31):
for the season, which is quite a big drop for
where he was come, you know the All Star break,
one hundred and fifty ninth over the last thirty days.
Did have a knee injury in July. What are your
thoughts on Pete Crow Armstrong for next season?

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, I mean, I think I think Pete Crow Armstrong
and the Cubs in general are a interesting sort of
case study and how like baseball is like such a
ups and it's such an ebbs and flows type sport
where it's like but at the end of the day,
players are who they are, like, you know, like so

(25:11):
from April through July, Pete crow Armstrong looked like a
top ten player overall, but he was never really a
top ten player. He just appeared that way because he
was on a hot streak. And then you know, from
July through September, he you know, was really terrible. But

(25:32):
he's not really terrible either. He's you know, like most guys,
he's somewhere in between. You know, there's very few players
who are actually as good as you know, a top
ten player all year, and those are guys who are
you know, consistent, like you know, the Aaron Judge or
the Otani's of the world, where Pete crow Armstrong is

(25:53):
just like he just doesn't make enough contact, you know,
in in his chases. His chase rate is terrible. And
you know, if he's just his contact is not bad
as far as strikeouts go, but his like the contact
he actually makes just isn't good because he's chasing so

(26:16):
many pitches out of the zone and he's making contact
with him. But as you imagine, I mean, it's common sense.
If you're making contact with pitches that aren't very good,
then you're gonna make pretty terrible contact. Like think about
a batter who's making contact with a ball that's five
inchches off. You know, it's like, okay, that's gonna be
a ground out to you know, second base, because it's

(26:38):
just a terrible it's a terrible pitch to swing at.
So you know, pie grow Armstrong always had that sort
of problem. It took a while for pitchers to figure
it out. But once they figured it out, I mean,
they're they're exploiting him in the second half. So I
you know, I wonder like he's got to now adjust

(26:59):
back because if he doesn't adjust back, what we're seeing
from him. You know, he has always been a good
power speed guy. It's why I liked him coming into
the year, and why I think he's always been somewhat
interesting as he was coming up in the minors, Like
if your power speed you're gonna be You're gonna you're
gonna be like good for fantasy. It's now a matter

(27:21):
of whether or not you power speed, but hitting you
know two twenty or something is not gonna be good.
It's not gonna be as good as it was, you know,
when he was hitting to eighty at least. So I
still like him. I think, you know, the the problem
is gonna be how much he adjusts back next year.

(27:44):
I think, you know, he's gonna be pretty risky going
into next year because like what we saw from him
in the second half, like that's gonna be what we
take into you know, the first half of next year. Now,
if he just had to be a first half hitter,
or he adjusts during the off season and figures out

(28:06):
what makes him, you know, work better, then he could
actually be great next year. But we we won't know until,
you know, until the season begins. So he's gonna be
a difficult guy to get fully on board with, you know,
next year when we're when we're drafting, because we won't
we really won't have any idea of what we're gonna

(28:27):
be getting. And I imagine because of his profile, he's
probably gonna look pretty good in spring training because there's
gonna he's gonna be facing a lot of like either
pitchers who are just working on stuff, I e. Throwing
the ball over the plate, not really caring, or he's
gonna be facing pitchers who aren't even gonna make the squad.
So there's a chance he can look really good in

(28:50):
spring training and that could disappear once we get to
the season. Like he does feel like that guy. But
you know, like I said, I mean, he could have
just back. He's gonna be a tough guy to you know,
I think to draft aggressively though, so I don't know,
I mean, I'm not really sure really where I'm gonna

(29:11):
land on him yet. I imagine he's gonna be somewhere
around like the twentieth maybe the twentieth outfielder, which is
roughly around like you know, the fortieth, forty, forty to
fifty overall maybe, I mean maybe, I don't know. It's
it's tough because like I remember looking at his numbers

(29:35):
about a week ago, and he hit a homer and
stole a bag I believe, I think he did in
the same get in the same game, and he went
like and he was like his twenty ninth homer and
I don't know, maybe his thirty second steal or something.
Now he has thirty five, but maybe at the time
it was thirty two. Anyway, I remember looking at that

(29:57):
and being like, I could have sworn he had twenty
nine homers and thirty steals in July. So then I
looked at his splits and it's like he kind of did.
I mean, he did nothing in the second half. It's
been really bad. So I mean, if you can get
fully on board with that, I don't know if I can.

(30:18):
I feel like I might be the low man on
pie Crow Armstrong next year. I just don't like. His
profile is just so scary to draft aggressively. I mean,
we see how good it could be. We saw that
in the first three months of the season, but for
him to go out on this note, like, you know,

(30:39):
if he would have had a great September, then you know,
maybe maybe there had been you know, some there had
been maybe something to look forward to. But I mean,
he's had his worst strikeouts. Well he did not his worst,
but he's had pretty bad strikeouts in September. He has
a long story short, he hasn't been good. He's been

(31:01):
pretty miserable in September. Like it hasn't gotten better. He's
hitting like one ninety five for the month. So yeah,
I mean I liked him going into this year, but
I feel like I'm gonna be out going into next year.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Yeah, I'm obviously biased. I my Cubs fan, and I
need him to be good because if he's not good,
then I don't know what I'm gonna do. But I
do think, Y, I understand what you're saying. There definitely
was an adjustment to him. People started throwing the fastball
up and in and just dropping sliders away, and he

(31:40):
just has not He's not been able to adjust quite back.
But this all happen to coincide with his knee injury,
so I can kind of see both sides where it's
it's a little bit of the league adjusting, but also
him being not quite one hundred percent. You're never gonna

(32:00):
be one hundred percent after you get injured in season. Really,
Babbitt has been really terrible in August, in September. I
know that's partially just because he's not hitting the ball
particularly well right now, but a lot of the underlying
numbers really haven't changed in regards to like hard hits
within three percent, average eggs of velocity is the exact

(32:22):
same ground ball fly ball line drives all within two
or three percent of each other. The only thing that
I really see that it's a big chain was he
does seem to be pulling the ball a little bit more,
maybe just you know, trying to get ahead of it
or trying to guess a little too much. That may
be something he has to work on. But if he's

(32:44):
going as the twentieth outfielder, I can imagine myself having
a decent amount of shares of him just because of,
you know, the upside we saw this year, and I
still believe that's that's there. So that's kind of the
air that you're looking at some of those guys. Anyways,
let me throw some names at you. Gray former back

(33:06):
into the first early second rounder, Michael Harris the second, Oh.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Pee grew Armstrong way over Michael Hares a second, Michael
the hair is a second. I don't know if he's
gonna be in the top one hundred. I think he is.
I think he's really fallen. I wouldn't be surprised if
he's not in the top one fifty one. Question back
to you, though, before you continue to ask me, comp

(33:32):
or him or that's him or that Pikrow Armstrong at
twenty six on the play Raider. If he's drafted, are
you taking him before or after twenty six overall next year?

Speaker 2 (33:48):
I would assume it'll be after, just because I know,
looking at the play Raider today, there's definitely a few
names that are going above him just due to you know,
I missed or you know, track record that kind of thing.
So I would say he's probably going after, although that's
probably a lot of starting pitchers that I'm not going

(34:09):
to rank they're either, So I would assume it's probably
around thirty at least that's my initial thought.

Speaker 1 (34:17):
I would assume he's Yeah, I would assume it's around thirty.
So you're you're taking him around thirty, I think.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
So, I think that's at least initially where I'm looking
at at grabbing him. Like for me, the one that
I think is going to be an interesting decision next year,
maybe will be buying into a Jackson Merrill bounce back
or do you buy into Pete Crow Armstrong, you know,
showing actually having shown it to us.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
I'll tell you, I'll tell you. My guess is you're
gonna be able to have your cake and eat it
too in that scenario, because I don't think Jackson Merril
is gonna be anywhere. I don't think he's gonna be
drafted anywhere. You're there, I think will be. I think
Pete crow Armstrong will be around thirty. I would guess
Jackson Merrill is a little I mean maybe so yeah, yeah,

(35:11):
what about Jazz?

Speaker 2 (35:12):
I feel like Jazz is a fair comp for Pete
crow Armstrong side downside, like they can both go. Yeah,
they can both go.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
They're probably gonna be pretty close. I would probably go Jazz.
He's going to be in a contract year. I think, uh,
he's gonna be a Yankee again. Yeah, I'd probably go
Jazz because I also think his injuries were kind of
fluky this year. And you know, I mean injury is

(35:43):
in a deep league hurt more so than a shallow league,
and like Jazz in a twelve team league, if he
gets injured, you just replace him with the hotch potato
off the waivers and you know, put him back in
her lineup when he comes back.

Speaker 2 (35:59):
Yeahs. Which, as I don't love to go about position eligibility,
him having second third versus PCA being an outfielder, that's
probably going to play into that. That decision for me
as well as I sit down and make rankings at
some point. So I think that's probably about the right place.
Though let's move on.

Speaker 1 (36:20):
I think actually I think actually grow armstrong. For me,
I would say probably closer to like the twelfth or
fifteenth outfielder now that I'm thinking about it now, I
don't know if twenty twenty feels a little bit low,
but you know, I mean, we're just we're riffing here,
people and we're so random things hold me to it.

(36:40):
But yeah, I would probably, you know, upon reflection, probably
twelve or fifteenth outfielder off the board. But still I
don't think I'm going to be one of them taking them. Now.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
That's that's fair Gray. We'll all do our research and
figure out where we come back rankings wise officially. But
that's that's at least initial thoughts. Let's move on to
another guy who's fairly confusing for the Cubs, and that
was Michael Bush, number twenty nine on the player ridder
for the last seven days, number ninety three, and number
number ninety three over the last thirty number ninety two

(37:15):
on the season. He's just been just so up and down.
Gray Good March Bad, May Good, June, in July bad, August, worst, September,
like it's it all's there, It's there in the end,
like the numbers are eventually there. But it's been it's
been pretty brutal. I mean, I don't know if you've
had Michael Bush or been in this Michael Busch experience,

(37:40):
what are your thoughts on him as he's coming out
thirty home runs two fifty six.

Speaker 1 (37:44):
I mean, yeah, I mean you you maybe you don't remember,
but I actually I traded for Michael Bush in July,
right right after I believe he had a three homer
game and it was the last thing he did that
was any good, and I traded for him on that day.
Then he hit three homers and then he was miserable

(38:07):
for like the next you know, sixty days or whatever
it's been since my trade. I will say, though I
traded to get him, I traded Lawrence Butler, who has
been just as bad. So I mean, you know, six
to one a half dozen of another. I guess, uh,

(38:27):
I yeah, I think Michael Bush for me. Like, you know, again,
it's like these cubs who were like so good in
the first half, but they weren't really that good of
a team, and they've sort of like come back to
earth in the second half, and a lot of their
players have to, you know, I think I think though

(38:47):
Michael Bush, you know, there has been a lot of
ups and downs, as you mentioned, from month to month,
but at the end of the day, if you as
long as you had him for the full season. Online me,
if you had him for the full season, I don't
have really, I can't really fault his numbers, and they
don't look that far off from what he's probably gonna

(39:09):
be again next year projection wise. So like he is
a he's a thirty homer, you know, handful of steals,
two fifty hitter, which is totally fine. I mean it's
not it's not terrible, it's fine. It's just not like
I don't think there's anything. I don't think there's any
real upside from there. But that's fine. If you would

(39:32):
have taken that from you know, Austin Riley, it would
have been over the moon. Really. I mean, so I
think Michael Bush is you know, I think he'll be
drafted around like one hundred overall next year, and I
would take him. I mean I was gonna say happily,
but probably not happily. But I would take him. I mean,

(39:53):
you know, you got to fill your line up at
some point, so I think I would. I would probably
grab him. I don't mind. You know, it's like if
you have if you drafted a first basement early and
he's your corner man, then great better. But if he's
your first basement in a deeper league, then you know
it is what it is. I think he's okay, though.

(40:15):
I don't really hate him.

Speaker 5 (40:16):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
I just don't see really a huge upside from him.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, and good lord Austin Riley. Wow, I.

Speaker 1 (40:27):
Didn't even know he's still playing baseball. I don't even know.
I've lost track.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
Yeah, it was very easy to lose track of some
Graves players this year. They were all just they were
all pretty terrible at different times, mostly at the beginning
and then the middle, and now at the end. They're
finally coming on gray. Last seven days on the player Rader,
Matt Olson was number one, Drake Baldon was number two,
Coney was five, has On Ken was ten. Somebody called

(40:57):
Natcho Alvarez Junior, who I believe was in a terrible
Loot Joor movie was number thirty.

Speaker 1 (41:04):
More usually that is Jack Black playing Nacho Alvarez Junior.

Speaker 2 (41:10):
I mean Azielbie's somewhow cracking the top one hundred at
seventy three as well. Let's just talk about a few
of those guys that were top players for this week. Gray, Uh,
this is what you're getting, by the way, because I
didn't know what else to talk about. Matt Olsen twenty
home runs one stone based ninety five, ninety three, two
seventy nine, three, seventy four, four ninety three. This is

(41:32):
kind of what I was saying with the Raleigh Like
he had his big fifty four home run season. Before that,
he was thirty four to thirty nine. He's now been
twenty twenty nine. Like, is he just a thirty home
run hitter now or does he do you still think
there's you know, potential for him to go up or
this is just who who we have at this point.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
Yeah, you know, I was I think I said this
on the site, but it's like the the Braves are
the dead cat bounces, uh for you know, this year,
it's like they're they're just like at the end of
the year here they're they're they're doing just enough to
be somewhat interesting for next year, not not not is

(42:17):
not what you wanted really, just enough to have you
be in March where it's like, huh, you know, matt
Olsen did have a good September. Don't do it. Don't
do it, man, because people are gonna be doing it.
You'll be like, oh, you know, Ozzie Alby was kind
of he was kind of good in September. I might

(42:38):
get in he's starting to come out of it. Oh,
it's gonna be bad, you know. With matt Olsen, his numbers,
like as you've already mentioned, you know, from month to
month that hasn't always been a pleasure to own matt Olsen.
But at the end of the day he does seem

(43:00):
like he's more or less this player. He is the
you know, thirty home for at least for now, plays
every day. Yeah, ninety plus runs, ninety plus RBIs, thirty
homers zippo on the speed and hits like, you know,
anywhere from two fifty to two eight. Well, he's might

(43:22):
hit two eighty this year. He's actually, if he hits
two eighty this year will be two out of the
last three years he's hit two eighty. So yeah, I mean,
he's he might be pegged wrong. As far as his
average goes, where I think people might expect a little
bit lower on the average, but you know, I mean
he makes decent enough contact and it's it's still at

(43:44):
thirty one. I think he's okay for at least another year,
for like next year. Now, well, i'd be totally interested
in drafting him, not really, but I mean, you know,
it's like at Olsen at thirty homers and say, I
don't know, say two sixty five conservatively, so thirty homers

(44:08):
two sixty five or Mike Bush who I just said
thirty homers and you know two fifty. So I mean
matt Olsen's better than that, barely, but he's a little
bit better. And he's you know, Matt Olsen's actually shown
you know, a huge year or or three or you know,

(44:29):
not huge, but he's had he's had better years than
Mike Bush I think we'll ever have. So yeah, I
meant Matt Olson's fine. I don't think we should expect
a you know, monster year ever again from him, but
you know, you can you can do a lot with
if he hits two sixty five in like the middle

(44:53):
of the Braves order, you can do a lot with that.
In seven hundred plate appearances, which he always to get.
So yeah, I think, uh, you know, I mean, I'm
not gonna be totally enthusiastic about it, but I can
see Matt Olsen being somewhat valuable next year. I guess.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
That's such a ringing endorsement. Gray, thank you, thank you
for that. Let me ask you this, Among the kind
of corner thirty home run guys, do you believe in
Olsen's average Dev's being a thirty plus guy still or
Pascantino being a thirty plus home run guy still?

Speaker 1 (45:37):
Uh yeah, Pascatino looks like a thirty homer guy. Pascatino
looks like a thirty homer two sixty average guy, but
with plus on the average. Devers I believe is hitting
like two thirty, which is you know, I mean he's not.
I mean, I know I'm a hater here, but I
mean hitting two thirty with thirty homers, It's like, you know,

(46:02):
I don't know, is that or who do you want that?
Or you know, Michael Bush. You could probably get Michael
Bush for cheaper than Devers. So I don't know, I go, uh, anyway,
I'll say Matt Olson. Matt Olsen, Pascatino Devers, but I

(46:22):
mean subject to change.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
Okay, fair enough, maybe a little harsh on Devs on
the average, but I understand what you're saying.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
So I think he is hitting too. I think he
is hitting like two thirty two or something.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
Right, No, it's for the season. He is a too
fifty one hitter. In the second half, he's but he's
hit two forty six. He's he's pretty much a two
fifty hitter. I mean, he's not a two seventy to
eighty three hundred guy like he was in Boston at
different points.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
That's interesting because I do, uh, I feel like I
maybe I was looking at the guy who is hitting
right above or bed or behind them, because I do
remember seeing yesterday he was hitting two thirty. Oh, it's
Matt Chaman was hitting two thirty two and Devers. Wait,
no Devers. It says here Devers is hitting two thirty three.

(47:15):
Why is oh wow, this is totally off. Huh. I
don't think I've ever seen that before. On the ESPN
box Score, it says Raphael Devers one for three, two
thirty three. I guess that's wrong. Okay, anyway, moving on.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
Yeah, that doesn't make any sense mathematically one way or
the other. So we'll just ignore it and keep moving.
And I got chapp and he's been terrible this year too.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
Yeah, you know what, it's unfortunate if you drafted Matt Jaman.
But the Giants have him for another eight years, so
that's really unfortunately. They are a lot of money. William Damas,
they only have for another twelve years Endeavors. I think
that also for ten years they're gonna have And so

(48:04):
the Giants team in like twenty thirty is gonna be incredible.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
All right, great, let's talk about Let's talk about Drake
Baldwin real quick. Just he was a really hot, you know,
sleeper this this season ends up number He is currently
number nine on the play raider at catcher eighteen home runs,
hit two seventy three three forty four point fifty nine.
Sean Murphy obviously out, so his numbers are looking a

(48:32):
little better recently. He's getting more playing time. Sean Murphy
will be back. He's under contract for a number of
years still.

Speaker 1 (48:41):
Jesus, what are your.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
Thoughts about Drake Baldwin moving forward, if you have him
or if you're looking at him for next year trying
to do some drafted holes early. Is he somebody you
would potentially target or you word it? You know, they're
always gonna give Sean Murphy time.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
Oh man, I can't believe Sean Murphy. He's still there.
Oh jeez, I uh yeah, what's uh he's got a
oh he had a torn laborhom uh he's transferred to
the Okay, anyway, it looks like Murphy is under contract
for He's under contract for like three more years, four years.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
I think Riley has seven.

Speaker 1 (49:19):
Oh my god. Yeah. It's like, oh my god. When
they when the Braves were signing these guys, everyone was like,
what a good deal? What a good deal? You got
Alz the Alsby the Alby's for the next twelve years.
Not a good deal? Oh yeah, Okay, So Drake Baldwin

(49:42):
has the unfortunate Unfortunately he has Sean Murphy behind him,
hopefully behind him and not in front of him. You know,
I think the the numbers for Drake Baldwin, like they
look like they check out like he does, you know,
I mean, not necessarily the five category guy, but for

(50:05):
a catcher, he looks pretty good. I mean, his numbers
if you were to like to take their names away
from them, and you were to put his numbers next
to William Contreras, who everyone thought was the number one
catcher at the end of the year. They don't look
that dissimilar from you know what he Drake Baldwin's doing.
I you know, I don't know if there's a ton

(50:28):
of upside power wise, there's literally no speed, which is fine.
He's a catcher, but he hits for a good average,
So maybe I don't know. Next year, twenty homers to
eighty two seventy five not bad for a catcher. I
would draft it. I think he's actually probably gonna be

(50:48):
a little bit underrated too in spring training once it
looks like Sean Murphy is back and you know, the
number one catcher, because you know, as I'm sure i'll
say in March, when Sean Murphy is you know, doing like,
you know, catching as the number one catcher, I'll be like, yeah,
but Murphy's not gonna make it out of April healthy

(51:10):
and Drake Baldwin's gonna be there to step in. So yeah,
I think Drake Baldwin could be honestly pretty interesting as
a catcher next year. I could see drafting him for sure.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
Yeah. I mean he may actually end up being third
d H. I think that's that's at least a possibility
because Azuna is the one person who is going to
be gone, thank goodness. He's been terrible this season as well,
so that'll least open up a DH spot for somebody
to kind of take some days off. So maybe Baldwin

(51:43):
can get playing time that way. And if playing, if
he gets DH regular DH at bats, then the value
is definitely gonna be there.

Speaker 1 (51:50):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
Let's talk about the former one oh one no questions,
ask player from the Braves Gray who the offense seems
to be, you know, useless without being that way, and
that is Ronald mccuonya junior number one sixty four on
the season, player raider number eighty four over the last
thirty days, number fifty two if you're looking at a

(52:11):
dollar per game, has eighty nine games, eighteen home runs,
eight phone bases, sixty nine runs, thirty seven RBIs two
eighty four, four O nine and four ninety eight. Does
he get all the respect that Ronald Leacunia junior should
get or is he gonna take a little bit of
a dip next season?

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Yeah? I don't see how he doesn't take a dip
with you know, the numbers, the steals alone. I just
don't see how you can look at what he's done
so far in his return and be like he's gonna
be anywhere close to the player he was. Unfortunately, it's sad,
but you know, life comes at you quick. He's like,

(52:55):
you know, he's gonna be twenty eight next year, and
he's had you know, twenty nine knee surgeries or thereabouts,
so you know, unfortunately, I mean, he's still gonna be
a dynamic player, but I don't know. Maybe you put
him down for you know, thirty five twenty two ninety,

(53:20):
which isn't bad. I mean it's still I think that's
still top fifteen ish, but he's not going to be
I don't know how you can put him anywhere near
like the top five even, you know, which you know, unfortunately,
that's unfortunate because I mean he was a no doubt
top five guy when he was healthy. So yeah, sorry, yeah, unfortunately,

(53:46):
i'd see, you know, would I say thirty five twenty
to ninety, which is you know, I don't know, maybe
top twelve, top fifteen. It's not bad, but it's not
top five.

Speaker 2 (54:01):
Yeah, I mean it's it's a very good season, and
there's possibility that he gets better, just feels better next year,
and there's there's pential there. But yeah, I don't think
you can take him as a you know, top top
five guy, like you're saying, would you take him or
the guy who we led to show off with cal Rawley?

Speaker 1 (54:21):
Oh, definitely a con over to cal Rawley.

Speaker 2 (54:25):
I mean, right, how about more or Jazz? Oh?

Speaker 1 (54:30):
Acuna over Jazz for sure?

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Second half?

Speaker 1 (54:34):
Ju Reguez, you know, juluo Ronrigaez has had a surprisingly
really good season, obviously better in the second half. But
I think the last time I looked, he was in
the top five on the Player Raider excuse me, top ten.
I I see no reason why to drop him. So,

(54:56):
Hulu Rodriguez over Acuna?

Speaker 2 (54:59):
Okay? What about what about Ellie? Ellie's gonna be an interesting, interesting.

Speaker 1 (55:04):
Guy for this Yeah, I still love Ellie. I you know,
this year hasn't been the second half at least hasn't
been great, but you know, he was top five. I
think he's probably I think he's actually around peek row
Armstrong right now in the second half. He's actually right
below him on the player righter. Yeah, I still like

(55:27):
Ellie though, I'm still going Ellie over Acunya.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with Ellie. That one's
gonna be tough for me because I still think at
its base, I fully believe wrong with Accuni is a
better baseball player than Ellie. So I think I'll go
Acuna there, just because we're looking at thirty five, twenty
to eighty from Acunia versus you know, maybe twenty twenty three,

(55:58):
forty two, fifty to sixty from Ellie. It's kind of
an arrangement of numbers going, and it depends on how
you kind of want to build. I guess more power,
more speed.

Speaker 1 (56:10):
Yeah, I think I'm gonna have Ellie on a lot
of teams next year. Oh, come on, bounce back please, Bunce.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
Yeah, it's it's a hard one. I mean, he's obviously
has so much talent. We've seen we've seen it already.
So if he can just kind of get it together,
he had even just resembled his first half, he would
have been well worth the pick this season. Gray something
we don't ever talk about really, Gray, or not very often.

(56:37):
The top starting pitchers for next year. You know, I
know we don't really draft them, but some people might
want to know who they are if they're gonna be
drafting some some you know, very very early leagues or
just trying to think forward to dynasty keeper trades, that
kind of thing.

Speaker 1 (56:54):
We're doing the uh, we're doing our top twenty five
next week, right, and do we not? Usually?

Speaker 2 (57:03):
I thought we had one more week that we normally
do and then it's the top twenty five. But I
am open for whatever you're like. We can also discuss it,
you know, off air, so that the people don't have
to hear this. But the top twenty five will be
in the next week or two.

Speaker 1 (57:16):
If you're still with us, No, because you're asking about
the top starters this year. I was thinking we're doing
a draft next week. I thought, or maybe we do.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
It that most will draft too, so we can you know,
we can at least talk about a few of them.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
Yeah, okay, yeah, or maybe are our top twenty five
is in two weeks. I don't know. We'll see, guys.
Take it easy. So what do you what are you
asking now the top starters for next year?

Speaker 2 (57:49):
I think yeah, I mean I think it's it's Sens.

Speaker 1 (57:52):
Yeah for sure, and then I think, yeah, I think
after Schoobol and Skiings, it's a wide open field that's
basically any one. It's like, well, not anyone, Patrick Corbin,
I don't think it's gonna be number three, but there's
a there's a few guys who could be potentially number three.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
I mean you have Crochet on our outline. I think
he's probably number three, Hunter Green and Hunter Brown, both
of those guys really good. I think Joe Ryan in
the last month has fallen out of contention for that.

(58:36):
Wu assuming Brian Wu, assuming his pectorial is okay, because
he had his in he had the uh, you know,
the issue uh in the last after his last start,
or actually during his last start, So you know, Brian
Wu potentially could be in that discussion for the third spot. Uh,

(58:58):
and the starters using he's really assuming he's as healthy
as the Mariners are saying, yeah, I mean, I don't know,
it's uh, there's I think Crochet is you know, I said,
it's like Scoobale, Skiens, and then a wide open field.

(59:18):
I think I feel like Crochet is probably really the
third starter. I think he's probably as locked in as
Scooball and Skians. I think it's probably Scoobale Skians Crochet
or Skiens Scooble Crochet, but it's definitely I think Crochet
is by third. You know there's a Hunter Brown or

(59:40):
Hunter Green are really interesting to me. I you know,
a Yamamoto I think has been excellent. I think you know,
I don't see him on your list, but I think
he's probably got a chance to be in the top
five to seven starters next year. Jacob de Gram after
having a season and where he is stayed healthy all year,

(01:00:03):
he's going to be in that discussion of like, you know,
starters five to five to ten, maybe in that range.
Max Freed is always in that he's for He's so
he's so consistently solid.

Speaker 2 (01:00:21):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:00:21):
If not like not necessarily an ace as far as
like you know, the Schooble Schemes brand, but Max Freed
is always very solid, uh, even though I never won
him on a TV which doesn't seem great in retrospect.
But who else did your.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
Top rookie or I guess the second year pitcher.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
I think the Meserawski uh is probably will probably be
a number one for guys who debuted this year. Yeah,
probably Mesrosky.

Speaker 2 (01:01:04):
Yeah, I mean he's been amazing. Mullan McLean has looked
just absolutely amazing as well. Chase Burns, just the strikeouts
that he can he can generate if he's I don't
know if he's gonna be healthy or not. But yeah,
there's there's so many good names on the arm side. Gray,
I'm not even gonna ask us to get too far

(01:01:24):
down that because that's a that's a lot to do
start naming pitchers past that point, but there's some names
if people want to start looking at it. And like
you said, we have the top twenty five coming up
in either next week or the following week, so we'll
have at least the first couple of rounds broken down
via our draft that we do. Let's sag off it

(01:01:45):
up and help the people one last time or as
they're getting ready for their last push here.

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Gray probably should actually know anything about it. We probably
should have like a wrap up next week and then
the top twenty five.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
Okay, we will, we will do that, Okay, but let's
move on. Let's sag off it up. Gray, the Dodgers, Dryer,
Scott Ye all gotta save this week Gray, if you're
chasing him down, do you own all three or would
you rather take your shot somewhere else?

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
When you said Dryer, I thought of something else, and
I was like, the Dodgers' bullpen is like a bunch
of mismatch socks'. That's what I heard when you said Dryer. Yeah,
I mean they're awful. I don't know why they keep
running Blake Trina out there. That's like, I mean, I get,

(01:02:41):
I get kind of the thought process. It's like, Okay,
the Dodgers are going to the playoffs, and we're a
better team if Trianon is pitching well, so let's try
and get him well before we get to the playoffs. So,
I mean that kind of tracks for me. But man,
he's terrible. He looks awful. I don't know why they

(01:03:01):
keep going back to him too, and like these, like
you know, situations where he's able to just like lose
the game for them. He's been He's been pretty bad anyway,
Tanner Scott, I think is the closer. Alex Vessi has
been decent. Dryer, who you mentioned they're all lefties though,

(01:03:23):
which you know another another reason why maybe they're trying
to get trying and correct because he's an actually he's
actually a righty, which they're lacking. Kirby Yates though, is
there as alrighty Uh? Yeah, I guess if you're going
for if you're really desperate for saves, I'd probably.

Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
Go for uh.

Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
Vessia has been like I think vess has been the best,
So I'd probably go Vessia and hope he gets a
save or two. But I think you can probably look
elsewhere and get better, better chance for saves.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
So yeah, yeah, I think if these are your only opportunities,
I would go probably Drier because he's just getting the
most work overall, then Vessia, and then I guess I
would go Tanner Scott, but he's been he's been not
good as well as Trying and An Yates. They've all
three of them have just been absolutely awful coming down

(01:04:22):
the stretch, So I would I would just try and
go with vess yet or Dryer and avoid avoid the
veterans in that group. Over in Baltimore, Kegan Aiken gave
you three clean saves and then in a non safe
situation ruins your ear a any concern they're gray or
is this just you know it's just nonsave Crank.

Speaker 1 (01:04:45):
Yeah, I think it's just basically Keegan Aiken will get
your saves if you're desperate for uh, if you're desperate
for saves, I would go Aiken for the oriole saves.

Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
Yeah, and he's been good out when he's saving. Just
that non safe situation was never good for him. Moving
over to the A's Gray Hogan Harris with a couple saves.
Michael Kelly also got to save this week. They got
three saves last week. I feel like it's worth talking about.
Do you want either of these guys?

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
Yeah? I mean I think Logan Harris probably the guy
I would grab if I really were desperate. I don't know.
I mean, Michael Kelly has been okay as far as
ratios go, but I mean his peripherals look terrible, but
you know whatever, that doesn't mean anything for the final week.
You just want saves. I would go Harris if I

(01:05:41):
really need saves there.

Speaker 2 (01:05:43):
Yeah, I'm with Yeah. Let's move over to Arizona, where
John Curtis has been not so great. Gray, But what
are your thoughts on whether they might switch it up
here at the end.

Speaker 1 (01:05:56):
Yeah, I would say Curtis is probably in the Lee
and then it's like a committee behind him where. But
the committee could easily get a saver or too. I
don't think Curtis is like necessarily that good or you know,
the best bet in the entire league for saves. But

(01:06:17):
if I, you know, if I really were desperate, Curtis
would probably be the guy I would grab.

Speaker 2 (01:06:22):
Yeah, And for whatever reason, they keep running him out there,
even though I think he's been the worst in the
bullpen pretty much amongst everybody in Arizona, at least recently
numbers and numbers on the season and fine, I think
self Frank is probably the one who's been the best,
but they don't seem to want him to give him
those save opportunities. So yeah, I would. I would agree

(01:06:42):
with you and say Curtis for now if you're just
completely ignoring the Ara and Whip. But I think sel Frank,
if you're trying to balance the two over in Anahei,
I'm gray any thoughts on who the closer is there?
You know, it seems like they had settled on Luis Garcia, uh,
but he's not been overly.

Speaker 1 (01:07:04):
What happened with Plastic either, what happened with ken Ley
isn't Kenley. This isn't Kenley the closer. I thought Kenley James.

Speaker 2 (01:07:11):
Again he's supposed to be. But I guess he did
get to save two weeks ago. I was just looking
at this week, Luis Garcia. They let him come in
and get a save. Kenley has been fine. I don't
know why they went away from from him. If I
had to get those bullets for the bulpit for the playoffs,
you know, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:07:32):
If I had the guess i'd get, I'd say Kenley
probably worked a day before or something in a non
safe situation and then he wasn't ready for uh the
actual safe situation. I would guess. I don't know. Yeah, alright,
So not.

Speaker 2 (01:07:50):
Worried about Kenley. There's just just a random vulture say
for for Wlis Garcia probably yeah, all right, Greg, give
the people some waiver wire bats.

Speaker 1 (01:08:00):
Okay. So Spencer Steer has been hot. Uh, Hassan Kim
has also been hot. Carter Jansen Kansas City has catch
you Eligibility, He's been hot, Blaine Krim, I keep calling
him Blaine Crime, Spencer Jorklson, Dominique Canzone, Mickey Moniac, huh

(01:08:23):
Bo nail or bon Nailor has actually been really good.
I don't know what's going on there, but he's basically
him and Jose Ramrez have been carrying the Guardians. Uh
brooks Lee has been hot. Joey Bart, A lot of
really terrible catchers have been hot recently. Joey Bart's been hot.
Daylon Lil Washington outfielder has been hot for some reason.

(01:08:45):
He's not playing on Monday as we record this. I
don't know what's going on there. Nacho Alvarez Junior, as
played by Jack Black, has been hot. Austin Martin not
the car the player, it's not. Ali Boum came back
and has been hot. Ali Burlson, Josh Young, JP Crawford,

(01:09:08):
and beat On's favorite Matt McLain.

Speaker 2 (01:09:14):
Always good for a random stolen base or home run
that gets him on the seven day list. It's a
good place to look for Matt McClain to the seven
day list. Just don't look at the thirty day or
the sixty day or the season long. Just seven day
and it's not too bad overall. The stream of picture
sidere there's a lot of moving parts here at the

(01:09:36):
end of the season, obviously, so can't guarantee these matchups,
but here's here's at least a handful of them. Bryce
Elder versus Washington, Parker Messick versus Detroit. Ian Seymour, who
I believe is at Baltimore but I haven't seen an
official start there, Eduardo Rodriguez at San Diego, Connally Early
versus Detroit, Logan Allen versus Texas, Kyle Freeland at San Francisco,

(01:09:58):
and Shane Smith at Washing. Like I said, there's a
lot of starts that haven't been announceder this week, so
it's probably gonna be more, you know, the day before
or day of. If you're looking at starts. If you
want to ask us specific questions about that, you can
find us on Twitter. I am at rasbeat on Great
Runs the at rasball account. You can find us on
YouTube dot com slash Rasballfantasy, or the comment section on

(01:10:21):
you on rasball dot com. May your lineus be perfect.
May you win your championship if you are there and
head to head and I will talk to you later.
See you great.

Speaker 1 (01:10:30):
All right, Leads,