[SPEAKER_01]: Episode one, eighty-eight. [SPEAKER_01]: Today we discuss the Adam Fraser trade. [SPEAKER_01]: Go through the game recaps down on the farm. [SPEAKER_01]: To discuss the upcoming series, Windsor-Pillus a weekend. [SPEAKER_01]: First, the white socks, and are joined by Greensboro Grasshopper's pitcher, Jake Shirk. [SPEAKER_01]: You're listening to the Bucco Banner podcast brought to you by the Just Baseball Media Network, key to music. [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back to down the farm.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like we have a lot to talk about today at him. [SPEAKER_00]: We have a trade. [SPEAKER_00]: We have the MLB draft. [SPEAKER_03]: We get to the all-starweight can we have the last week games to recap is might be a longer down the farm episode here. [SPEAKER_01]: All of our problems are now solved. [SPEAKER_01]: Now that Adam Frazier is traded. [SPEAKER_01]: Don't look any further into it. [SPEAKER_01]: Cam Devaney is the savior of Pittsburgh.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's what we needed at shore. [SPEAKER_01]: So up, IKF's going to be traded. [SPEAKER_01]: Cam is going to come in. [SPEAKER_01]: He's going to hit twenty bombs at the end of the year. [SPEAKER_01]: He's already got eighteen down in AAA. [SPEAKER_01]: All hail GMBC. [SPEAKER_01]: He's totally redeemed himself. [SPEAKER_01]: My god, are we off to a hot start? [SPEAKER_03]: That we are, man. [SPEAKER_03]: That we are in all seriousness.
[SPEAKER_03]: Pretty good return for Adam Fraser. [SPEAKER_03]: Anyone wanting to complain about that trade? [SPEAKER_03]: if just to bring everyone up to date today, the parts made their first trade, Adam Frazier, back to the Kansas City Royals for Triple A Shortsup Cam Devaney. [SPEAKER_03]: He's twenty-eight years old, that's the catch, all right? [SPEAKER_03]: But he has a nine thirty one OPS, this year in Triple A. I've got to do something to do with eighteen homers and fifty plus RPIs.
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, this is a type of guy you're going to get for an Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm shocked that you get any type of return for Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think it's worth it.
[SPEAKER_03]: For a veteran rental utility player, you get a guy that has experienced his block and has some pop and has definitely experienced some type of swing changes this year because I've really dive into the Cam Devaney dialogue today and it was all about how he's made improvements and added more power to his game this year and [SPEAKER_03]: You can stick a short stop. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think this is going to be a short stop for the second half.
[SPEAKER_03]: I know he was option triple at a day, but I KF is a temporary private pirate as we speak. [SPEAKER_01]: You can't be mad about this. [SPEAKER_01]: And if you are, you're just choosing to be mad over the greater scheme of things. [SPEAKER_01]: And I understand just being generally frustrated, but you can't hate on the Adam Fraser signing.
[SPEAKER_01]: hate on him being in Pittsburgh and then get mad when this is the trade or this is a return you should be happy that they got anything for Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what more you want or what you expect a return if you expect a greater return than you have no idea how to evaluate trades you have no idea how to evaluate talent you have no idea what you're doing [SPEAKER_01]: And I saw a lot of tweets out there today. [SPEAKER_01]: Just ridiculous stuff, man.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you're just saying stuff to try and have a voice. [SPEAKER_01]: It's either that or it's rage bait, relax. [SPEAKER_01]: It's Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_01]: They traded Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_01]: Again, they traded Adam Frazier. [SPEAKER_01]: They didn't trade O'Neill crews. [SPEAKER_01]: They didn't trade Ryan Reynolds. [SPEAKER_01]: They didn't trade Paul schemes. [SPEAKER_01]: They traded a Guy on a one year deal. [SPEAKER_01]: Who wasn't even playing?
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he was like the left filter for a good bet, but yeah, good bet. [SPEAKER_01]: And recent, he hasn't been playing on the road trip. [SPEAKER_01]: He barely played. [SPEAKER_01]: I know. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: You're right. [SPEAKER_01]: It's ridiculous. [SPEAKER_01]: This is what they need to do with the one year guys get what you can and just try and maximize whatever it is. [SPEAKER_01]: And you added a bat.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he's twenty eight years old, but it's power and it's somebody who can play the middle in field.
[SPEAKER_03]: for a freezer you either get that you get it pull money or you get some like dude at seventeen in a DSL like take your peg I think they took a gamble in a guy that has potential that could play right now who's major league ready and he was called up to debut against the pirates in Kansas City and just didn't get a bad or get the play at all but [SPEAKER_03]: This is a gamble you take for an atom Frazier. [SPEAKER_03]: This is a no-brainer.
[SPEAKER_03]: No one's going to look at this chain and be like, wow, the pirates got cut. [SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely no one. [SPEAKER_01]: No, if anything, they're saying the pirates made a good move. [SPEAKER_01]: That was the general consensus from baseball minds around the league. [SPEAKER_01]: There's no downside to this trade. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely none. [SPEAKER_01]: So, expect to see more deals like this.
[SPEAKER_01]: with guys on one-year contracts, maybe a little bit more of a turn for an Andrew Heaney type, like starting pitching, if it will pin arms like, I get that, but good move, good start. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad they're not waiting around. [SPEAKER_01]: to get this ball rolling I expected to heat up significantly as time goes on but let's get into a some minor league stuff sky and before we do shout out to our partners over at rhythm you got a bit smarter with rhythm you can't just be on
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's just baseball fifty for fifty percent off the entire year Scott. [SPEAKER_01]: You could try it free for seven days and bet smarter with rhythm. [SPEAKER_01]: What's going on down on the farm? [SPEAKER_01]: Do you have any headlines? [SPEAKER_03]: Not really headlines with the current crop, but I just want to talk about the MLB drafts.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, honestly, we've got that was this past weekend and we'll be pipeline listed their top drafts per organization, the Piracy Ring number two behind the Orioles. [SPEAKER_03]: Orioles had the highest [SPEAKER_03]: You know, it's a whole money. [SPEAKER_03]: So of course, they had a pretty good showing this year, but the pirates, with the ninth largest poll, did pretty well, man. [SPEAKER_03]: They really, right leaned into risk and upside at the beginning.
[SPEAKER_03]: They took two prep arms with their first two picks, guys, with [SPEAKER_03]: model-friendly fastballs and plus changeups. [SPEAKER_03]: And they rounded out their class with a lot of college bats, a lot of college players. [SPEAKER_03]: They took guys with plus contact skills, plus raw power, just a variety of players, and I thought they did pretty well. [SPEAKER_03]: given the overall weakness of this class.
[SPEAKER_03]: Number six overall pick, they got Seth Hernandez, who has been noted as one of the best prep arms in the drafting quite some time. [SPEAKER_03]: This is the future star series number one overall player, Joe Doyle. [SPEAKER_03]: Put together that list, that was his number one player. [SPEAKER_03]: I think it was JB's number three player, just baseball as in JB.
[SPEAKER_03]: Tons of projection, best change up in the class, pounds of strike zone, ninety three to nine six, touches one hundred. [SPEAKER_03]: This guy could be hundred great.
[SPEAKER_03]: like this guy could like there's a lot of there's a lot of promise here and what they did is they took what they know they can develop and I love that and because this is a weak class with call grants everyone's like where's the bats where's the bats there's some guys we wonder we were a day of our cat we wanted even some of the prep bats but [SPEAKER_03]: They are really good at developing bats, and we're just going to develop arms, and we're going to stock up on arms.
[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to take the best player available given where we're at the draft. [SPEAKER_01]: I can't tell you how many texts I got from family members and friends asking why they're not drafting pets. [SPEAKER_01]: This is just the first round. [SPEAKER_01]: I know. [SPEAKER_01]: And I have to explain to everybody. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the NFL draft. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the NBA draft. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the NHL draft for so many reasons.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's extremely complicated when it comes to money guys coming out of high school. [SPEAKER_01]: It's got to be spread out. [SPEAKER_01]: and you gotta take just the best available. [SPEAKER_01]: Right. [SPEAKER_01]: We've seen people draft based on need. [SPEAKER_01]: And there's no guarantee it ever works. [SPEAKER_01]: And none of these guys may be a couple, or make an impact within a year, maybe, maybe.
[SPEAKER_01]: And maybe those couple that I'm referring to won't even pan out. [SPEAKER_01]: There's just you draft upside. [SPEAKER_01]: You drafts what you're scouting departments looking for. [SPEAKER_01]: I agree with you, man, that I think they found a lot of guys with raw powered Jared Jones, Murphy Gray, guys that you can [SPEAKER_01]: I'm trying to tiptoe, but he came Jr. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, great. [SPEAKER_01]: If you could develop some type of hit tool with those guys, awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: But you've proven that you could develop arms. [SPEAKER_01]: You're one of the best in the league at it. [SPEAKER_01]: So take those guys and then you have so many arms that you could either develop those and they become big league arms, they become bullpen arms, maybe your future closer, or you deal from that depth. [SPEAKER_01]: and you bring in the bats that are close to being majorly ready, or that another team was able to develop. [SPEAKER_01]: I love this drafts.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought it was great. [SPEAKER_01]: Just a little bit of a fantastic job. [SPEAKER_03]: He did a great job. [SPEAKER_03]: What was the term they coined for the second day? [SPEAKER_03]: Plunder the D. Yeah, the finding the hidden treasure. [SPEAKER_03]: And they really did. [SPEAKER_03]: They got Jared Jones in the ninth, ninth. [SPEAKER_03]: Their second round pick isn't talked about enough. [SPEAKER_03]: Longhouse or Vantes. [SPEAKER_03]: He's a prep arm from California.
[SPEAKER_03]: Murph, our known friend of the pod, Paris Prospect, guru. [SPEAKER_03]: He said, next to Seth Hernandez, this was my second favorite arm in the draft. [SPEAKER_03]: Uh, and he's pretty similar to Seth Hernandez in terms of having a, he's a plus athlete with a repeatable delivery. [SPEAKER_03]: Um, I don't think he gets up Vila wise. [SPEAKER_03]: It Seth does, but he can get up to ninety six. [SPEAKER_03]: And he has a plus change up.
[SPEAKER_03]: Him and Seth Hernandez probably have the best changes in the class. [SPEAKER_03]: They took guys with plus fastball characteristics and good changeups. [SPEAKER_03]: And they're going to develop them. [SPEAKER_03]: Um, [SPEAKER_03]: I love it. [SPEAKER_03]: I love it. [SPEAKER_03]: I love what they did in this draft. [SPEAKER_03]: I like some of the guys in the back half too. [SPEAKER_03]: Some of the college bats, Eddie Kang, Jared Jones, Matt Kang from Arizona State.
[SPEAKER_03]: They did well, given the draft and I'm excited, man. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited for these guys to sign. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited to get some of them on the show too, man, because I know we're, we're itching to do that as well. [SPEAKER_01]: Got some stuff in the works. [SPEAKER_01]: got some stuff cooking.
[SPEAKER_01]: The only other headlines that I have Scotty, I found per Anthony Murphy Malcolm Nunez placed on the seven day I.L. [SPEAKER_01]: and Hunter for Toto and Abraham Gutierrez transferred to the sixty day I.L. [SPEAKER_01]: to that. [SPEAKER_01]: So other than that, big week with the MLB draft, let's get into the game recaps. [SPEAKER_01]: I'll get us kicked off with Indianapolis.
[SPEAKER_01]: They hosted the Gwynette Strippers, the Triple A affiliate for the Braves Indianapolis right now is fifty five and thirty seven.
[SPEAKER_01]: Billy Cook on the week two for twenty one two runs with two home runs Nick York one for fifteen with a double in five k's Tuesday Thomas Harrington went six innings two hits no earned two walks two k's darry maretta one inning no hits two k's I think we're gonna see him shortly Ronnie Simon went three for five with two stolen bases [SPEAKER_01]: He's got seventeen bags on the season.
[SPEAKER_01]: Wednesday, Colin Holderman, one inning, no hits, one K, Ronnie Simon, one for three with a double and another stolen base. [SPEAKER_01]: Bubba Chandler is back to Bubba Chandler. [SPEAKER_01]: Six innings, five hits, no earned two walks, seven strikeouts, Eddie Yine, second hold, one inning, one hit.
[SPEAKER_01]: no earned one walk one k and then Simon hit his seventh home run on the year hundred barco on friday one five and one third four hits three earned four walks four k's Ryan Baruchie on his rehab assignment one inning no hits two k's darry maretta one one inning with three strikeouts and then Saturday Billy Cook hit two home runs he's got four down in Indianapolis three RBI's Sunday Thomas Harrington went three innings four hits three earned no walks three k's with two home runs
[SPEAKER_01]: For Rucky again, one inning, one hit, no earned one walk, one K, and then Nick Solek went two for three with his tentom run on the year. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's go out tuna. [SPEAKER_03]: They were playing the Binghamton Rumble ponies. [SPEAKER_03]: Met's AA affiliate. [SPEAKER_03]: A tuna is a forty one and forty five after this series tomorrow at two for fifteen with an RBI and a walk in two case. [SPEAKER_03]: It sits at two forty seven door in the break.
[SPEAKER_03]: Mitch shed four for seventeen. [SPEAKER_03]: This is at two fifty four as Merlin Valdez before he went to what land up for the futures game two for ten two doubles. [SPEAKER_03]: one walk for a case, Omar Fanzo went to for nineteen with a double in two RPIs. [SPEAKER_03]: Tuesday, Valentin Lannarez, this teen is full of relievers, two and a third, one inning, no-head, no-earned for a case, midship went two for four with just twenty seconds on base of a year.
[SPEAKER_03]: Wednesday, Alessandro or Kalani, five innings, one-head, no-earned, one walk three case, as a sub four year A at three eighty two. [SPEAKER_03]: It's Merlin Valdez, one for three with a double Thursday Antoine Kelly has not had one bad bad outings since going down tuna. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, four and two thirds, four hits, one earned two walks, nine case. [SPEAKER_03]: He's at one, nineteen, and that's just that out tuna.
[SPEAKER_03]: Brennan Bidwa remains scoreless, one and one third, one hit, no earned two case. [SPEAKER_03]: Friday, Wilbur Dotello, not his best start for in two thirds, eight hit, five earned. [SPEAKER_03]: No walks, two k's. [SPEAKER_03]: Give up three homers, ERA's at the four, five, four.
[SPEAKER_03]: On Saturday, Wilken Ramos earned his fifth save, one inning, no hits, one K, Michael Scotto, hit his second home run, while joining up Tuna, his two RBIs, and Sunday, Bidwa, and Ryan Harbin, scoreless innings in relief. [SPEAKER_03]: They've been nails since being called up. [SPEAKER_03]: Two scores went three for five with a double his first double A, Homer, and RBI. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go to Greensboro, Adam.
[SPEAKER_01]: Firstly, bowing green hot rods, the high affiliate for the raise. [SPEAKER_01]: Greensboro right now, staying hot still, sixty and twenty, six on the week. [SPEAKER_01]: Hover our rebust, one five for twenty two with a home run, six RBIs, Connor Griffin over six with two, walks one K in a stolen base, and then will tailor a friend of the show six for nineteen, six runs with a double and two home runs. [SPEAKER_01]: Tuesday, another friend of the show.
[SPEAKER_01]: Derek Berg, one for three with a home run, one RBI Thursday, another friend of the show, Payne Stumbo, five innings, three hits, one earned two walks, two case, Titus Dmitru, three for four with a double RBI, Connor Griffin, need I say it again, his fifteen stolen bag on the year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, Thursday, Christian Curtis, and Jake Shirk, [SPEAKER_01]: Bucko Banner Legends, three innings, four hits, three earned, two walks, two quays, gave up a home run for curious, and then shark, two innings, no hits, two quays, you'll hear from him later on in the show today. [SPEAKER_01]: And then Friday, Connor Weekree, went six innings, four hits, three earned, seven quays.
[SPEAKER_01]: Will Taylor, three for five with two home runs on the day for our BI's PJ Hilson, had a week three for four or two home runs his tenth on the year to our BI's. [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously our rebust hit his eighteenth of the season Saturday Carlson read five inning six hits three earned four walks three case two home runs and then do me true went two for three with his fifth home run and then Sunday they went perfect game. [SPEAKER_01]: Again, second and nine days was all like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Humbling chang when five innings, no hits, no earned five case. [SPEAKER_01]: Joshua Luzhorn, two innings, Jake Shirk, one inning, Jared Bayless, one inning, Demutru went three for three, RBI, his fourteenth soul and bag on the year, talked a little bit about the perfect game with Shirk coming up, just unreal stuff. [SPEAKER_01]: You think Greensboro, they got the bats down there, that group of arms is starting to come together. [SPEAKER_01]: Something's brewing down in Greensboro.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, overall, good week from the grasshoppers. [SPEAKER_03]: Scott of Braintin, they're playing the St. [SPEAKER_03]: Lucy Metz, the Marauder City of Forty and Forty-Six after this series. [SPEAKER_03]: White Sanford went three for eighteen with a double in RBI this week, two stolen bases. [SPEAKER_03]: Your Donny Dados Santos, four for twenty-seven, a homer, one RBI, five stolen bases. [SPEAKER_03]: Twenty-seven Reno picked it up a bit.
[SPEAKER_03]: Five for twenty-three, a double, two homers, three RBI's. [SPEAKER_03]: an Edward Fourntino continues to impress six or nineteen a double a homer five RBI six stolen bases as average at two ninety four
[SPEAKER_03]: Tuesday, Ryan Brookie, rehab appearance, one inning, no hits, one K, Florentino went to before with his fourth homer, three RBIs, his seventh stolen base, Richard Ramirez, a catcher that was caught up from the complex, through fourth, a double his second homer, run four RBIs, Wednesday, David, Matoma, two innings, four hits, one earned one K, [SPEAKER_03]: Well, Johnny Severino went one for four with his seventh homer of the season.
[SPEAKER_03]: Thursday, we got your Donnie Davis Santos and Johnny Severino each homering their fifth and eighth respectively of the season. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, Friday, Ovieto, another rehab start two and two, thirds, two hits, one earned two walks, five kays. [SPEAKER_03]: Davis Santos stills his thirty-fifth bag of the year, absolutely insane. [SPEAKER_03]: Saturday, Xander-Meet, three and a third, two hits, one and a fourth, four walk, seven caves. [SPEAKER_03]: Thorntino still's two bags.
[SPEAKER_03]: He has eleven on the season. [SPEAKER_03]: It feels like he was just caught up here. [SPEAKER_03]: He has eleven stolen bases. [SPEAKER_03]: Sunday Dominic Parachi rehab started three innings. [SPEAKER_03]: No hits. [SPEAKER_03]: One walk four k's. [SPEAKER_03]: David Metoma suffered the loss. [SPEAKER_03]: One inning. [SPEAKER_03]: One hit two earned two walks. [SPEAKER_03]: Give it a homeer. [SPEAKER_03]: That is it for the Marauders this week.
[SPEAKER_03]: Thorntino has been the storyline there. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited to get back into game action this week at him. [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, before we move on to Major League Baseball on our down on the farm episode, we got a player of the week or do we have a half of the week? [SPEAKER_03]: We have a staff of the week. [SPEAKER_03]: We have a staff of the week. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm gonna go with Greensboro pitching staff last week.
[SPEAKER_03]: Go ahead and Christian Curtis, you went six innings, ten hits, but I'm gonna go with all four pitchers. [SPEAKER_03]: We got hungling, chang, we got Joshua Lowe, Sean, Jake, Cherich, and what Jared Bayless.
[SPEAKER_03]: pitch to another perfecto and greensboro just an absolute just nails outing just and it was at their ballpark too I believe so to pitch a perfecto there is not easy hitter friendly ballpark shout out to the grasshoppers you're they're just killing it as has been this thing this whole season for them hundred percent so why don't we just jump right into the white socks [SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Coming back in the break, the white socks are thirty two and sixty five fifth in the A.L. [SPEAKER_01]: Central. [SPEAKER_01]: Real heavyweight battle. [SPEAKER_01]: This weekend. [SPEAKER_01]: Good way to turn the ship around. [SPEAKER_01]: higher chip that we need out in the outfield.
[SPEAKER_01]: I might say, I'll get us kicked off Friday right handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon vs Mitch Keller Cannon this year, three and seven with a four four four ERA, seventy seven innings, fifteen games, sixty one k's with a one four four with the arsenal. [SPEAKER_01]: You're getting a cutter change, sinker, forcing sweeper. [SPEAKER_01]: Supposed right hander, pitch mix, and command first profile. [SPEAKER_01]: Doesn't flash overpowering stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: His cutter slider combo and ability to throw strikes. [SPEAKER_01]: Make him a strong candidate for a rotation roll. [SPEAKER_01]: Fit some mold of a dependable ending zeter with a potential to exceed expectations. [SPEAKER_01]: If his change up takes a step forward, or if he adds a tick of velocity. [SPEAKER_01]: What about Saturday's got? [SPEAKER_03]: We got Adrian Houser, my name.
[SPEAKER_03]: He is five and two this year with a one fifty six ERA in fifty seven and two thirds innings pitched nine games started thirty nine caves in a one thirteen weapon pretty well with the white socks so far. [SPEAKER_03]: He throws a sinker change, curve force seems slider to the sinker, most, uh, forty four percent of the time. [SPEAKER_03]: He can get up to like, ninety four miles an hour of the change will sit mid to eighties while the curve will sit low eighties.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's a sinker baller who thrives on weak contact and ground balls while he lacks overpowering stuff or dominant strikeout numbers is ability to pitch efficiently and handle right handed hitters specifically. [SPEAKER_03]: gives him value as a back end starter in this league. [SPEAKER_03]: He keeps the ball in the yard, too. [SPEAKER_03]: He has a career home run per nine under one.
[SPEAKER_03]: So he's going to keep the ball and I'm around should be an interesting match up this Saturday. [SPEAKER_01]: And then Sunday, familiar name and right handed picture, and it's a ball, reverse, Paul schemes this year. [SPEAKER_03]: It's not schemes, by the way, the pirate's rotation is a little bit jumbled. [SPEAKER_03]: Scenes is pitching next series, but continue. [SPEAKER_01]: All right, cool. [SPEAKER_01]: Great. [SPEAKER_01]: Fantastic. [SPEAKER_01]: Awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: Gonna be a fun weekend. [SPEAKER_01]: This year's symbolic, when twenty twenty five one and six with a five three OERA, fifty two and two thirds, loving games, thirty six k's with a one four eight whip, the arsenal. [SPEAKER_01]: cutter, sinker, curve, forcing, slider, split, sweeper, finesse right hander who relies on elite command, pitch mix and sequencing over velocity.
[SPEAKER_01]: When healthy is a dependable and ex eater capable of navigating line-ups, multiple times with his cutter, curveball, foundation, they always struggle against him. [SPEAKER_03]: Dude, I feel like he pitched against this twice last year, at PNC Park with two different teams, the rays and the brewers, and we, we, he struggled mightily both times. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: always. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know why I remember that, but like I was like, why are we struggling?
[SPEAKER_03]: It's Aaron's fall. [SPEAKER_01]: Anyways, just ridiculous. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, we're going to be at the park all weekend. [SPEAKER_01]: We got giveaways. [SPEAKER_01]: Got a lot of content coming your way. [SPEAKER_01]: Really excited about all that. [SPEAKER_01]: Come find us. [SPEAKER_01]: Come say hi. [SPEAKER_01]: Windsor Paloos a weekend. [SPEAKER_01]: Mac Miller Babelhead. [SPEAKER_01]: on Saturday. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go get one of those things.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited about that. [SPEAKER_01]: Look, you got something to look forward to. [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just going to be nice to be back at the park. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's take a quick break here and then we'll be back with our interview with Greensboro Grasshopper's pitcher, Jake Shirk. [SPEAKER_01]: Joining us now on Bucco Banner is current Greensboro Grasshopper's pitcher. [SPEAKER_01]: Jake Shirk. [SPEAKER_01]: Jake, welcome to the show.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for having me. [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate it. [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, man. [SPEAKER_01]: First things first, we got to talk about it. [SPEAKER_01]: What the hell is going on in Greensboro with these perfect games, man? [SPEAKER_02]: Like, I don't know. [SPEAKER_02]: It's crazy. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, the first one, the first one was already unreal and then to have a second one with the, I think it was nine days.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, yeah, the second one didn't even feel real is just so crazy. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, to be a part of both of them too, right? [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's happened just in the minor leagues since twenty seventeen and then two and like you said nine days is nuts. [SPEAKER_01]: That pitching staff is pretty unreal. [SPEAKER_01]: We've talked to a lot of you guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know Bidwa is gone now, but we talked to Kelly Christian, Peyton, you guys got some dogs down there. [SPEAKER_01]: How does that staff feed off of each other? [SPEAKER_01]: Especially now that you got things rolling. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, this pitching staff, we have a lot of depth. [SPEAKER_02]: There's countless arms we can go to, but the camaraderie of the starting pitchers and the bullpen, too, is just everybody's locked in.
[SPEAKER_02]: Everybody trust each other, too. [SPEAKER_02]: So it's just a really good environment to be in as a pitcher. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely. [SPEAKER_01]: You guys got some fats down there too. [SPEAKER_01]: You got you guys are rolling in Greensboro. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's talk transition from right state to the professional level. [SPEAKER_01]: You're a Friday starter at right state. [SPEAKER_01]: You go to the pirates. [SPEAKER_01]: You're more of a bullpen high leverage guy now.
[SPEAKER_01]: What's that transition been like pitching at the college level to now in professional ball in a different role? [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, so I guess I'll start with the mindset of pitching itself hasn't really changed. [SPEAKER_02]: I just starter in college. [SPEAKER_02]: I've seen your facing some pretty good bats at the division one level and then feeding in the pro ball. [SPEAKER_02]: The mentality hasn't really changed.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just trust your stuff and XT one pitch after another.
[SPEAKER_02]: but from as like going from a starting pitcher to a bullpin to a bullpin arm is definitely been adjustment for sure just as in like scheduling wise like as a starter like you know especially in college it's slated as Friday every day so you kind of have some easier like into your routines and stuff as a starter now in the bullpin it's kind of like you never know when you're gonna pitch like they don't tell you it's kind of
[SPEAKER_02]: kind of just be ready at all times and once a year then called you, I mean, you might be in the game in the next five minutes. [SPEAKER_02]: So it's definitely adjustment, but I think I've done well adjusting to it and it's been a lot of fun. [SPEAKER_01]: And in just from a mental approach right that has to be, I don't know, I don't want to say significantly different, but just being on your toes every single day compared to just a Friday start has to be vast.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, it's honestly it's gotten to the point where it's like, you have to be okay with knowing that you might pitch today and your body doesn't feel that right. [SPEAKER_01]: Right. [SPEAKER_02]: Just because like, I mean, I haven't pitched like back to back days yet, but I mean, that's definitely in play as a bullpin arm as you progress up the level. [SPEAKER_02]: So, I mean, you just have to be okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: You're not going to have your best stuff every day, but you just got to go out there and battle with what you got that day. [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_01]: I know one thing that a lot of guys that come on this show talk about in terms of a transition from the college level and just playing on weekends to professional baseball is, yeah, you're playing every single day. [SPEAKER_01]: You rarely have a break, especially now that you're a bullpin arm.
[SPEAKER_01]: You talk about just being ready constantly. [SPEAKER_01]: How do you prep yourself to be ready every day in terms of your routine? [SPEAKER_01]: Is it getting in the gym? [SPEAKER_01]: Is it analytics, watching video, recovery? [SPEAKER_01]: How does that work for you? [SPEAKER_02]: Um, I mean, it's definitely a grind, but I mean, I'll lift three days a week.
[SPEAKER_02]: I left on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays and sometimes they'll be an upper body lift and you just have to be like, you just have to be okay with pitching on a day where you hit upper body earlier just because like, like I said before, like you never know when you're going to pitch and you at the end of the day, you have to get to your work in, but [SPEAKER_02]: It all comes down to routines.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like you might all do my arm care and stuff after throwing program pregame throwing just warm in the body up and then you try to have a couple hours after our throwing program to kind of settle down and then I'll loosen my body up a little bit before the game and get locked back in and then let's go time. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, you spent some time in Braintin and you have obviously your Greensboro now. [SPEAKER_01]: Has there been a noticeable jump in level of play?
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't say there's a noticeable jump in level of play. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I think there's definitely good players at both levels. [SPEAKER_02]: I ain't, I ain't here. [SPEAKER_02]: That's just more a consistency thing. [SPEAKER_02]: There's more consistent guys that come in and perform every day, but [SPEAKER_02]: As far as the level of talent, I mean, there's level of talent across all levels and programs. [SPEAKER_01]: What about your arsenal right now?
[SPEAKER_01]: What's in the arsenal right now and has that changed from college to the professional level? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's definitely changed a little bit in college. [SPEAKER_02]: I threw a lot of forcing fastballs. [SPEAKER_02]: And now, now more of a sinker ball guy. [SPEAKER_02]: I've been throwing a lot of sinkers and it's been working really well for me.
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's kind of, I'm sure you've talked to a couple of other pitchers in the system, but they're pretty big on identity and kind of learning what your identity is as a pitcher on the mound. [SPEAKER_02]: And mind is kind of turned into sinkers and then [SPEAKER_02]: developing all speed off of that. [SPEAKER_02]: I have a new gyroslider that plays well with the sinker, and ever since.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've been throwing that pitch for like a month now, and now that I have that in the arsenal, it's been playing really well for me. [SPEAKER_01]: So are you working more like East to West just on the video that I've seen you're getting a ton of horizontal break? [SPEAKER_01]: And that sinker looks like it's getting like arm side fade. [SPEAKER_01]: Is that kind of what your focus is on? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, definitely more of an East-to-West guy.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've tried a lot of guys with Tony's Verdy Fastballs. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: And I've just haven't quite perfected the Verdy Fastball, but my sinker, I mean, I've gotten it up to twenty inches of horizontal on it. [SPEAKER_02]: So, after being able to develop that, it's been working really well for me. [SPEAKER_01]: Was that something the pirates came to you with in terms of pitch design or shape, working on a sinker or gyro slider?
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, the gyroslatter for sure. [SPEAKER_02]: I threw, so I threw, um, I just like called it more of a two seam in college. [SPEAKER_02]: And I had some sex, some success with it, but it wasn't necessarily as consistent as it is now, but um, after drawing it and then after having guys let tell me like, dude, that things grows. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: It's really been a confidence booster and go to pitch for me.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, just for the listeners, how long does that take to, to work on a pitch to feel comfortable using it in game? [SPEAKER_02]: It really depends. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, some guys can find a new grip and they'll be ready to go in game with it that day.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then sometimes it takes a little adjustment just as it's a totally new grip and feel off of the fingertips, but for me, for me, the gyro slider, I mean, it took when I was [SPEAKER_02]: I've been working on it since sprint training and then I just broke it out in game like a month ago. [SPEAKER_02]: So I mean, it's more it's more so like the confidence was with it and like knowing there's going to be able to execute it where you want it. [SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Again, any like it's not going to pledge and not able to execute like the pitch where you want it to go. [SPEAKER_02]: So it just takes time to get the confidence up for it. [SPEAKER_01]: Gotcha. [SPEAKER_01]: When it comes to coming out of the bullpen, I know a lot of guys have a bulldog mentality trying to get a lot of whiffs.
[SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't seem like that's most of your game, but it's really staying in the strike zone and just staying within that box, getting guys to either stay off balance or throw strikes. [SPEAKER_01]: What's your approach? [SPEAKER_01]: What's your mentality when you're coming into the game? [SPEAKER_01]: Like how are you trying to attack it? [SPEAKER_02]: Um, I mean, I'm, I'm really big on not giving away free stuff. [SPEAKER_02]: I can't stand watching guys.
[SPEAKER_02]: But for me, it's, it's a race to two strikes at all times. [SPEAKER_02]: I want to, I want to, I want to get a guy to two strikes. [SPEAKER_02]: And once it's on the two strikes, I want to execute on, execute with two strikes and put them away. [SPEAKER_01]: Nice. [SPEAKER_01]: How often are you going to analytics or data to kind of see how you're attacking hitters or to perfect your craft? [SPEAKER_02]: For me, I try not to get caught up in analytics too much.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think I'm for me it's more that's more than I'm off season. [SPEAKER_02]: Sure. [SPEAKER_02]: Just tell us I mean, especially as a bullpin arm, like you're not going to have your best stuff every day. [SPEAKER_02]: So it's kind of to me, I kind of try and stay away from and be like, my stuff don't play. [SPEAKER_02]: I, I should chair less what the numbers are looking like today. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going there and compete with what I have. [SPEAKER_01]: Gotcha.
[SPEAKER_01]: One thing that my co-host usually likes to ask Scott. [SPEAKER_01]: He was a former college pitcher and he's big on the mental side of the game and especially with pitching how much in your head you can be on a day-to-day basis and the game of baseball is we all know failure is going to be there whether you like or not. [SPEAKER_01]: How do you personally deal with the ups and downs when it comes to playing baseball?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, especially as a pitcher, like you said, this game is so humbling. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: But for me, it's trying not to ride the highs too high and don't let the lows get too low. [SPEAKER_02]: Like you got to be able to bounce back from a bad outing and if you have a straight outing drape, but like you still got to stay locked in and because you're going to be right back on the mound in a couple days.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean the mental games everything and it's kind of some I've been working on since college that group was good It just talking over the mental game then there's a good good mental performance group here with the pirates as well, but I mean the mental games everything if you're not if you're not strong in the head then you're just not going to be able to compete at this level [SPEAKER_01]: hundred percent man. [SPEAKER_01]: Well hey, we appreciate having you on the show.
[SPEAKER_01]: One question that we always close it out with is you're at the professional level now. [SPEAKER_01]: You're around a lot of professional baseball players in the Pirates organization. [SPEAKER_01]: Who's one guy or maybe a pitcher or position player who is really stuck out to you where they just have that wild factor. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I'm sure I'm sure you've heard the name several times, but Connor Dryffin is a real athlete. [SPEAKER_02]: I've never seen, I've never been huge.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, how are these teams taking these high schoolers in the first round? [SPEAKER_02]: It's like over like a third year high level college guy, but after after seeing Connor Dryffin play ball, I mean, it is unbelievable. [SPEAKER_02]: I've never seen in, well, I guess he's nineteen now, but his discipline at the plate and just how he works every day is unbelievable. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you guys got a ton of bats in that lineup. [SPEAKER_02]: It's this this grass opera team is.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a very fun team to play for just as it's a winning team and it's just a great group of guys to be around. [SPEAKER_02]: We all push each other to get better every day. [SPEAKER_02]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_01]: That's good to hear man. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, hey, Jake, we appreciate you coming on the show. [SPEAKER_01]: We'd love to have you again sometime soon. [SPEAKER_01]: Good luck the rest of the year.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think we're going to head down the Greensboro at some point. [SPEAKER_01]: So if you're still around, we'll we'll come by and say hi. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'd be sweet. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you for having me. [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate it.