4/16, Part 2: The Closer hour, Nets playoffs, pitching recaps, and more...

listening to the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Did just Become best Friends? Fantasy best Friends Forever? Our number two, the Fantasy best Friends Forever, is live with you here on the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. That is Frank Stample. I am Grex. When we were joined for hours to as we are each and every day by The Closer. Chris Up, guys, what's up everybody, it's your boy, the Closer. Yeah. Our two funk about a little Joey Luke CAZy, maybe little

Aaron Nola. Not much to talk about when it comes to Luke Casey. No, no, listen, did you watch that game? No? I did not, Okay, I did. Um. I was watching kershaw Man. It was the game of the night. Yeah, yeah, I mean I watched plots of that too, but I was the Brooklyn Nets were also on. There's a lot going on, so I was just sliping back a lot of things they weren't really on. Once the fourth quarter start, yeah,

that was over. Um. They did keep it close for a while though, for a while, not the third quarter, but they started three or something like that. I knew that was coming because they beat him, you know, they beat him handling in the first game, so I figured Philadelphia was pissed losing at home. Ben Simmons just took it to a new level, I feel like in that game, and that's what he has to do. Yeah, he has to. The seventy sixers are going to compete at all. I mean,

he's got to be that aggressive. I was watching the game on Saturday, Greg and something I kept noticing was, and you saw it a few times, like Ben Simmons in the paint like uh like just posting up another point guard. Why wouldn't he do that every single play? He's a six eight point guard right Like That's I was watching the game in saying to myself, why is Ben Simmons either driving to the rack, not driving to the rack, or or posting up an opposing guard every

single play. I don't care that you can't shoot. If you can't shoot within ten ft of the basket, then you shouldn't be in the NBA. But like, he's way bigger than everyone. He's just just living the paint, dude, right and even still, like you should be driving because you're awesome at that. You're stronger than these guys. You have great moves, you're athletic, like he's you know, he's not your honest, but he has the mold of a honest or or lebron Like he could do everything but shoot.

And then even if he is getting double team down in the paint, you dish it out. Shoot out to somebody while you're driving in Yeah to Tobias Harris, he could shoot. Or J. J. Reddick, Yeah somebody you got talent around there. But um so, anyway, uh yeah, Luke CAZy. He first of all, there was an anying way he walked the guy give up a hit right first, and second there's a Ian Desmond hits a single, a looping liner, a very weak single to right field that should have

actually been caught by Frand Mill. Yes, my sister would have caught the ball. That's how slow Frand mill Rays is. He had to go five ft to make that catch and he had to dive and he's still dropped Noble. He's horrible that that cost them two runs right there. Anybody else in the league would have caught that. So that was one run. He was a looping liner. That was two runs, and the other three two of them

are Homer's. One was uh, Rollie Blackman hitting a week round at the first with a guy on third one out, so you know, the run scored. He didn't really give up too many hot hits to give the two home runs, so it really wasn't as bad of outing as you might think. And you know, when I saw that he went seven innings last I was surprised because you know, the potters usually pull their pictures early. So he was still pretty efficient. So I understand what you're saying. He

was able to go seven ennings. He uh you know, and the whip wasn't terrible. Seven hits and two walks in in seven ennings. Pitch that's not terrible, but there's not a lot of swinging strikes. Only had four strikeouts. This is where I kind of worry about Lukezy where within the division, right, So teams that have seen him before as interesting of a pitch is that he uses

that like change up curveball thing that he uses. He's still just a two pitch pitcher, so obviously the more you see him, the easier it is gonna be for you to pick up on things on him because he only throws two pitches, so he's got a develop It's kind of what I worry about. It's pitching within the division. It's like these guys see you multiple times and they figured you out because you only throw two pitches. Well,

he is trying to develop that third pitch. Um that more of a looping, huge curveball thing that he throws, which got shelled by Nolan Arronado, Like he just hung it. Don't throw it to Nolan. Yeah, don't throw it to Nolan at Ronado and hang it in the middle of his own. It was like a huge looping curve that

he threw. And I don't know. I mean, I just think that he only give two runs up until the sixth inning, so I think he just needs to bear down, develop that pitch better and he you'll see him progress as the season goes on. I think you know, I think he'll get better. Well, I want to point out it's from the other side. It's only a sense of tell and I understand it was in San Diego. He's talking about these Rockies pitchers all the time. Six and

two thirds is the first start of the year. Six it's only run aloud, was a solo shot, struck out four, walked one. That's a really good start, and says it. Tell him, we've seen this before from him last year, right. I don't know why we say it's a great start. It was. I'm not going to dispute that. But he's like, we have enough data regarding him at this point, like two thirty endings passed in the major leagues. To me,

he's a jag greggy. I feel like we have enough unless he starts doing something differently than, you know, than he's done before, because then I could buy in. But using his four seam fastball seventy two percent of the time yesterday, Greg, and it's basically on par with his career. He's you know, right around six nice on his fastball usage in his career. But you know, it just relies on it so much, and you know he pitches in Colorado.

So maybe he's like a streamer in deeper leagues, like on the road, but outside of that, to me, he's just a jag. Sorry, Bud, Yeah, I'm not really in on him. I know you you find these like weird players that you just fall in love with, like Jimmy Yaka Bona. I don't fall in love for no reason at all. I don't. I don't fall in love with love with the Rockies players. Le let's end it. Tell that a nice sunding last night. I thought you just dismissed him. That is a fact, greg Factually, he did

have a very nice start yesterday. But Jimmy Yaka Bonus, huh big Jimmy john yesterday in Boston? Is he gonna be the next closer of the Orioles? Do they have a closer? They don't want to rant about it again, I don't. All right, Jimmy Yaka Bonus here he comes, all right? Can we what can we talk about? Aoud?

We talk about something useful? Gregg. Not only did Hosie Ramiras get on the board, but but no Nonado has not got on the board two days in a row as Eronado Homer another solo shot yesterday for these Rockies Tea and E Desmond homer as well off of Joey lou CAZy off to see Eronado finally getting a little hot. Will Myers had his fourth homer of the season yesterday. Meyer is another guy we haven't talked about all that much. One for four, the run scored bet five on the year,

batting clean up last night. I don't own any Will Myers, so I don't really have preference on him, But how has he been guys other than numbers that just read. So I'm looking at the bat ball data here and his barrel percentage greg has been great. I mean it's fourteen point six percent, so he's he's making an optimal contact more than ever before. His average eggs velocity is up the season as well. He's hitting two is expected

batting averages to seventies. So you know, it's not like he's he's not like severely outperforming what's expected out of him. I still worry about the strikeouts. He's always kind of been around a you know, twenty when he's seven strikeout and branch guy. This year he's at thirty one percent, but hitting the ball very hard to raising the launch hang a little bit this season compared to last year, and the average eggs of velocity is up. I think we know that Will Myers is a talented player. It

just it all comes down to health for him. And you know that's a very standard thing to say, but he's already got four home runs and two stolen bases on the year. But as long as he can stay healthy, you know what you're gonna get. You're probably gonna get close to home runs and you know, fifteen and twenty stolen bases and that's fine. And he has multi position eligibility with third and outfield because he played some third base last season. So as long as you can stay healthy,

he's he's he's gonna be valuable. It's just how long can you stay healthy. And he's had pretty good counting stats with this lineup now that it's better for sure. I mean, look batting batting clean up for the Potter's line up. That's a that's a great spot to be in right now. You know, right behind Machado and now friend Malreys is batting second for this team. They're trying to find ways to get him going. He's been hot.

He to know what I think, more than every for Greg that I think can help Will Myers, especially because he plays in the outfield and he was much more valuable a couple of years ago when he played first base because he didn't have to run around in the

outfield as much and not prone to getting injured. Is that they have a little bit more depth, so they you know, while we want our players in fantasy to play every single day, with a player like Will Myers, they have to be smart about the way that they use him. They got to give him off an extra day or two per week because he's a guy that's

been injury prone. But if it's something that's gonna keep him healthy, I'm okay with it as a fantasy owner, you know, like regarding guys that have been hurt in the past. If this is what you need to do to keep him healthy and give us that shot at getting twenty five home runs and fifteen twenty stolen bases, whereat.

You know, you give him off a day here there, and maybe he only plays forty games, but if he keeps him healthy and he plays well, I'm fine with it because he'll give you quality production and they have that luxury season because they have depth have friend Murrays, and they have Hunter rent From and they have Manuel Margo. So and he's actually works out well Fred Meyers, and he's still playing more often than not. I mean, he's you know, he's pretty much every time they played six games,

he's gonna play at least five of them. So I'm out, I listen. I have him in a lot of having like two or three places, I think so, And I've been fine with him. You know, it's a guy that I just it's a guy I always liked to have him in my line up. People kind of sleep on him sometimes and you get him a little later than the really good guys. So I like to grab him as like a third out fielder or something like that. And he does the job unless he gets hurt. He

does the job. Man. He produces. Last night in Miami, the Cubs defeat of the Marlins seven to two, it was you, Darvish going five and two thirds four hits, two runs, four walks. He struck out eight, just missed out on the quality star at pitch tack of a lot better than Trevor Richards did, who went four and two thirds four hits, five runs, he walked For what we have a Mike in Los Angeles on the line. Uh, Mike, let's go to you. Mike and La, what's going on?

We know what what do you say? We are hearing from Mike in Los Angeles right now. Got guys that the changeup was still really good. Um, you know, he just he got hit. What would like to hear this? He got he got hit with a little dinking dumps yesterday. And you know the command wasn't great early on, but he really turned it around. You know, he was unlucky from a few fielding situations. But I still have a lot of faith in interpret Richards. I think he's gonna

be a top twenty picture this year. Guys, all seriousness though, you went you specifically, Frank's gonna kill me. You guys went off about these Marlin's pictures that how amazing they are like a week ago, and now he just made fun of Trevor Richards. He started was like, because it feels like he just makes excuses like if anything ever goes wrong for Trevor Richards. But great for the most part, and I'm just joking around. For the most part, Trevor

Richards has been great. You know, the three starts before this, while you know the walks have been issues, He's given you a quality start three starts in a road to start the season. And then he runs into a Chicago Cubs line up yesterday that's very good. They just come outside of Javier Bayaz, who's good, but in a different way than everyone else. Everyone else in this lineup is very disciplined. Greg. They're gonna take their pitches. You know,

he's gonna swing it whatever. Everything he'll just throw is bad at it, and somehow he'll get a hit out of it. But everyone else in this lineup, Greg is very disciplined, and they're gonna take their walks. And you saw that yesterday. Another four walks for Trevor Richards and he hit a batter. And I was watching the start because watching it very closely because I have one share of you, Darvish in the home league, and I wanted

to see if he can turn it around. So obviously I was watching Trevor Richards on the other side as well, and he ran into trouble in that final ending. This is something that he does normally. Trevor Richards gets off to a slow start early on, UH struggles with commands exactly what he did in the first he had like bases loaded and he walked in a run, and then he gave up a single, and before you know it, he gives up three runs in the first standing and

he hit a batter two. But he settled down for the next three or four and he's after that, and then when he was in the fifth he ran into this trouble. But for the most part, he was giving up a lot of hard contact that I saw yesterday, a lot of balls just dying on the warning track. Its he like he was a little bit fortunate to be pitching in Marlins Park yesterday. But guess what, He's gonna be pitching in Marlins Park all season this year, Greg,

So he's he's got to get the command right. He can't walk and make any batters as he does, because when he faces a good lineup like the Cubs, they're gonna take advantage. That's the biggest issue for Trevor Richards. But the fact that he pitches in Marlins Park and what I saw from him yesterday is that's gonna help him. That's gonna help him because you know, normally in other places where these would be home runs, they weren't yesterday in Marlins Park. Yeah, no, I agree. Listen, I think

he's obviously better than this. Um. I think he's a guy you could stream all year. I started him for two this week, confident in him. Obviously got shelter here, but I'm sure I'll make it up in the next start. But like, it's not a guy you want to really drop unless you see something really good. Yeouldn't right into the Cubs up. Look at his first three starts, he was great. Yeah, I'm not dropping him for that. He's

got to get the command right though. He can't walk this many batters because again, when he faces the Phillies who are in the division, when he faces the Nationals, the Mets, if you walk this many guys, given the bats that they have, when they make contact with with men on basics, are gonna happen, you know, So that can't be a recipe for you. He's predominantly a fastball change up picture. Everything works off of that change up.

We know that. But if he's not spotting the fastball and the changeup, well, and I was listening to the Marlins radio broadcast on the way home that those are gonna be the games where he's gonna run into big, big problems. And you know what, I think, this what you should expect because you drifted him as an sp you know he's gonna get blown up once in a while and you're expecting that. But if he could give you two really good games before every blow up, I'll

take it. Or in this case, he gave you three quality starts to start off season before a blow up here, Greg, So I still do have faith in Tevor Richards and the swinging strikes have been awesome this year. But and I'm sure Mike would tell you this too, he's got

to be better with his command, especially early on. It starts there the guy on Piss that I didn't get anywhere this year, Wilson Contres was absolutely hit and bombstras to one second you because let's skipped over, but you're talking about Trevor Richard to you know, I was doing one pitch R at a time. He jumps right over to you, Darvish. You just missed down the quality starts. I know he's been really bad to start off the year. This is his best start yet. He still walked four guys,

but the strikeouts eight was was nice to see. It's against the Marlins. What, Frank, can we take away from this? Yeah, I'll give you the pros and cons real quick here for for Darvish, because there was there was a lot that I liked. Obviously in this start, um he goes deeper than he has um than usual. Regarding you, Darvish, this was the first time, at credit to the Cubs broadcast, first time that he's gone at least five innings in back to back starts as a member of the Cubs.

How crazy. That's crazy of a stat. And this isn't the furthest he's gone because last year he did go six innings a few times, but it was never in consecutive starts. So first time in back to back starts that he's gone at least five innings for the So I guess that's a pro. That's that's that's a positive

takeaway here for you Darvish. And the fact that Greg he his fastball was maxing out at nine point seven miles per hour and in the final ending in the sixth and he was hitting quite regularly and he was a little piste off at the home plate umpire because he wasn't getting a few calls. So I wonder if he was just kind of like amped up, and you know, he was just yearing back and throwing a little bit hardy yesterday. But this is what we said about him.

He's slowly working himself back into game shape and he's starting to throw harder now. And you know, there was a lot of great break and there was a lot of great movement on his pitches yesterday, but still again struggled with the walks. If you're gonna walk four or five batters, you can get away with it against the Marlins. But when you're pitching in the National League Central, when you're going up against the Brewers and the Reds and the Cardinals and you're walking four or five guys, it's

not gonna work. It's not gonna work, you Darvish. So I like what I saw yesterday, Greggy at thirteen swinging strikes, he goes deeper into the start, he's throwing harder. He had the eight strikeouts. That's fine, it's to get right. Performance against the Miami Marlins. There was a lot of good that I took away from this, but four walks hit a batter as well. Lewis Brinston almost ended his chance at having kids by the way he got hit right in the thigh with a with a ninety fastball locket.

There's still a lot of ad here speaking of bad where the bat the clubs lineup, and the good when it comes to Wilson contraras you break down the cubs that we continue on last night here in the BFS. Lose weight now got a fat dot com. Lose that unwanted belly fat today and get free information at fat one dot com. Fit in the dress or pets or bathing suits you've always wanted to Go to fat dot com. Lose ten, twenty or more pounds immediately go to fat one dot com for free information on how you can

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we get Fantasy Update. He said, I've been beating this drum forever about the home plate on Fire. I think they ter a little absolutely telling what they you know, the CA zone Quest, they only shows it when you see it on TV. I honest say that's not perfect. I get that, But what I like about the CA zone in Quest, at least the strikes song would be

the same for everybody. Did be no more of this bull crap of one player or one pitch or having a different strikes on them the next you know some players the umpire is giving the benefit of the doubt to Saturday and Sunday eleven a m. Eastern on the Fantasy Sports networking on your popular podcast providers Fantasy Best Friends Forever, Fantasy Sports Radio Network. So let's play some bills bar right here, pay our own bills, but you know,

pay him anymore. Tuning in to Game Time Decisions on the F and T S y Or Radio Network weekdays from four seven pm Eastern Time, as Gaming Canada, you navigate through the sports wagering lands, keep looking vicariously. It's

with their addictive lives. The show is available on the Fantasy Sports Radio Network app I Heart tune in and he gets the video right here on the Fantasy Sports Network YouTube page or wherever you watch O T T. It's Game Time Decisions with Giving Camp, Fantasy Sports Radio Network and the Fantasy Sports Network YouTube page week days from four to seven pm Eastern Standard time. Guys, we bring down the pitching when it came to the Cubs

and the Marlins, let's pake down the hitday. I'll start with the good first, because we're positive people in the show where the show of positivity. Chris Wilson Contreres has been ubert uber hot to start the year. He had his sixth whole run of the year already, and he's now batting three forty one with VP of four seventy one. He's disgustingly hot and if he's one of the top catchers off the board. Yet you said, you say you

don't have any shares of him. Yeah, I missed, Um, I guess because I remember we're talking about this, like we waited for that the end of that tier. So I wanted to get the last one in that TiO because it's catcher. You know. Yeah, definitely very head and miss. But I did like Wilson Contreres coming in. I did have him ranked ahead of like Wilson Ramos and stuff. But I end up getting Wilson Ramos because he ended up being the guy of that tier that fell the

furthest I got him in two places. Those are two places I probably would have got Contraris because I was targeting a catcher, and I'm upset I didn't at least get him in one place. And I have seven leagues, so it's kind of frustrating. I do I always I've had him even leagues. Um, I only have like two or three home leagues and I got seven. I have two home leagues, um, and I have I have that best ball league with you, which I count. You know,

it's small about whatever. I have a goon squad league, I have our pit league, and I have another league with a fan of the show, Shane, I mean one of his leagues he named Shane Shane from Colorado. So yeah, seven leagues, seven leagues and no Wilson Tras. I ended up with one share of Wilson con Traris, Greig. He wasn't an a void for me. I agree. I had

him in that tier obviously. I think everyone did of you know, the top catchers after Sanchez and a Muto, but he was in that same you know, Wilson Ramos and he has money grand dolls, and I had him in that tier. But I had him last of that tire, and I had him ahead of Buster Posey, who I barely even consider in that tire anymore. But and I think this is a good transition into something else as well.

Greg Wilson and Traders was always someone who hit too many ground balls, absolutely, And this year is fly ball rate is all the way up to forty six. Is previous high in terms of fly ball percentage is thirty point seven percent. Craig, So he's hitting the ball hard, uh, you know, forty three hard hit rate he's squaring the ball up this year and hitting more flyballs than ever before.

He was always a guy who just hit too many balls into the ground, and this year he's lifting it more and he's hitting more home runs as a result. And last night that was a bomb that was like left center field. It was basically where the sculpture used to be for for in Marlins Park, but it's not there anymore, and it would hit off of it. But it was a bomb. So it's not like, you know,

this wasn't a cheap either. So this regarding and this happens with a few players every single year, you have to trust the talent at some point, the prospect pedigree, and you know what got you this far rather than just looking at last year, because we knew last year was just a disaster for me only at ten home runs,

he atty nine. There was clearly something going on. But if you just trust that he has the talent, and we were had all these big expectations just two years ago for him, and it's twenty one home runs two years ago, then you would have known, and you you knew that you were getting him at a discount, and ultimately that is what's happening right now. But he's lifting the ball. Greg, what's like someone else who hit three home runs last night is very good, dude. Yeah, headphones

are just constantly going in and out. Um, I was gonna say, I agree with that. So like contra he he didn't really get him at too much of a dis guy, I don't think, because catcher is such a bad position. So how much are you gonna full you know, the talents there. The guy always hit the ball hard. I think the issue is what you said, Frank, round ball guy. Right, he's still hitting the ground ground balls at a high rate of the time, right so, um and his babb it worries me a little bit. It's

three sixty four right now. She's really high for him. I think obviously that's gonna go down. But he is having a really hot start to the season, so we're expecting some sort of regression, right. I just hope the power stays relevant and his fly ball rate stays over that, you know, mark of where he's at right now. If it stays like that, he's gonna gets easy and still bad, you know, to seventy something like that. I said Wilson Contrairis in my home league in the round if you're

forget about it. Was he an active target of yours or was he just oh I want someone from this so Yadi. Everrolina was actually left in that tier. He went around or so later. I like Contrairis more than Willina. I know you had it from Mars, I believe um, but I think at the time I remember correctly, it was almost like he was the high this guy on the board. Like I knew I needed to fill catcher I thought there was a significant drop off of you

didn't get Wilson or or YadA. You're going like the Danny Jansen tire and you're just hea can get shot basically. So I thought in Cherris was a guy that take a shot, and he's pretty he used to be pretty good. So so I took a shot at my home league, and obviously through the first two weeks it's worked out

pretty okay. Now it's worked out for Wilson Rairis, but it hasn't worked out for Mr Groundball r V. I himself, Anthony Rizzo, and we did have an Anthony Rizzo and Yahoo last year because of me, admittedly, because I pushed forward, because you had that second base of eligibility, and we constantly would have the groundball r v I s and we made it a joke calling at the Anthony Rizzo the fielder's choice for an rv I and he's basically up to his old tricks again. Yesterday Rizzo went over

three scoring Iran. He walked twice. Ob pe sits in a pretty healthy But the average of here and I standard five by five league is one eighty two. And we get I'm getting questions now, should I be nervous about Anthony Rizzo? What do I do about Anthony Rizzo? And I'll point to this in his career, in the month of March and or April, he's a two thirty seven start every single year heads two thirds. I mean, the average is two thirty seven. He is significantly worse

early than he is late. As the weather gets warmer in May and June and July and August gets better and better, gets better and better, so in the first half. Traditionally he heats up once the weather gets hotter. This is not a surprise to be Anthony Rizzo is doing. If you drafted him, you're gonna have to stay the course. You can't get anything from right now. Things are gonna

get better for Anthon. But on the other side, if you're a guy that drafted like a Matt Olson or somebody that's not producing, and you need a first basement, if people are unaware about history, take advantage, take advantage of the dude who doesn't, and try to buy Rizzo at this low right now, perfect by low candidate getting one right now. So I think you could get something. You know you could get him for not not giving

away too much. Frank, I know you're not the Anthony Rizzo guy you never will be again, But I don't say it like that, right, Are you nervous? Ay? Riz All? No, not necessarily, because he has still has three homers. He has thirteen runs scored ten RBIs. So the counting stats are there, and you you're talking about a guy who

people are worried about. I get it, he's hitting one eighty two, but at least you know, unlike Jose Ramirez who who is hitting one fifty and has like no counting stats outside of stolen bases, and then he rizzles hitting one eighty two, But the county stats are still there because his team is a lot better. Yeah, yeah, hitting three homers, that, but that's but that's part of it. That's why, like you can even when Anthony Rizzo is slumping, his team is so good around him that the counting

stats are gonna be fine. Like he again, thirteen runs scored, ten Ribby's, and he's still he's hitting the ball extremely hard according to Fangrass fifty percent hard hit rate, but he's sitting. He's getting a lot of fly balls too, like maybe a little bit too many. He's hitting fifty send flyball rates. And I know Jason Hayward is a guy who's hitting more flyball So I almost wonder if it's like an organizational philosophy thing and they're trying to hit the ball in the air a little bit more

of this year. But I think you hit the nail on the head, Greg When you first introduced it was that he's a slow starter, and he's typically always been. I don't know, if it's a cold weather, whatever it might be. The Cubs have played in some very sub optimal weather to start the season. I know Marlins Park now, so it's a little bit better there, but it's not a hitter's park. But yeah, he's a two thirty seven hitter.

In April and March, and then look at every other month in his career, May to seventy June two eight two, so why to sixty six August two eight two September October. So you know he's gonna get better. And you should have known this coming in. He's always a slow starter, yes, and he and he's always consistently ends up with similar numbers year and year out right, um and the other thing. This is why I say I like guys that walk

a lot. Even when he's in a slump, he's producing because he's getting on base, he's getting run scored, like he's still got thirteen. He hasn't been hitting well. Uh So you want those guys that have great place to play discipline, because even when your guy is slumping, he's still doing some sort of production for you. He's not a complete zero like other guys out there who might have power but don't walk very much at all. Then they're complete zeros when they're in a slump. You don't

want that. That's why I like these guys like Rizzo, Um, Jose Ramirez. He walks a lot obviously as well. Uh So he's fine. You know, he's getting a stone basis he's still producing even though you know he's batting for such a low average. I mean, guys are just gonna get into slumps. That's the big people, that's the nature of the game. You know, happens everybody. Let's move on, gentlemen, and let's hit up the Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays. Please just want this one. Uh, five to three is

a couple of things I want to take away. I want to start with more Team Paris. I would think this is the first start of the year, right, Frank, So it's his first start of the year. There's a guy you were very high on coming into this year. And it's funny because I have more Team Pais at some point every single year because he's been around so long. He's been around so long, and he's always a guy that for a while usual a lot of quality starts

like City three. And the reason Frank was high on him because I believe he added a pitch in the velocity went up. So yesterday against the Blue Jays, which is a tasty matchup. I didn't pick him up because I don't know how long the length would be. I wasn't sure we were going to get what we got was six innings of seven hit ball, one run. He walked to he struck out five, throwing eighty six pitches in the outing. It was a good start from our team. Perez,

what did you see, Frank And are you encouraged? Definitely, definitely encouraged. And you mentioned the fastball velocity being up. That's something that we were tracking throughout the spring, and we mentioned, you know, we might have a Charlie Morton situation on our hands here regarding Martine Perez. Whereas in his career ninety two point six mile per hour average fastball velocity. Yesterday he averaged point two miles per hour on his fastball, and that was throughout the course of

an entire start. So it's not like, all right, they were just using him for a few innings in relief and his velocity went up. No, he did it for the entirety of the start. So the fastball elocity is up about two or three miles per hour, greg And he threw a cutter twenties seven times yesterday on eighties six pitches. Entering tonight, he had a few really entering last night, he had a few relief appearances where he was throwing the cutter about at the time, but that

was a pitch that he never used before this season. Greg, So we're talking about a guy who has increased velocity by two or three miles per hour on the fastball, added a new pitch, he's using a cutter, and he's the guy that's gonna get around fifty groundball. What's not to like? Right? Am I missing something here? Because this

reminds me of a Charlie Morton type situation. I would say that similar, But I think a better comp to the Charlie Morton situation is Matthew Boyd because of the case, like the case of skyrocketed now for Boyd, since his velocity was went up, that's what happened to Charlie Morton. I think when you're gonna add to Martin Perez is, yeah, you'll get maybe probably more cage just because the velocity went up. But he's not really a k Pitture. He never really was. I feel like he's more of just

a groundball guy. He could be efficient and economical and that mainly two longer outings. So maybe he's a guy that could be good in the sense that he could give you a strong seven innings down the line at some point, maybe only five or six k's as opposed to eight or nine, but still quality, you know what I mean. So I do like all the things you said. The cutter being a new pitched, the velocity up, these are all great signs. Definitely a guy to watch, maybe

even to pick up. I mean, like we always say, should we should pick him up sooner rather than later before he's gone, Right, you think it's a guy we should pick up sooner rather than later, right, I'm the next start is against Baltimore this weekend. Actually wrote him up on Patreon as a two star pitcher that I liked, assuming he stays in the rotation for that second start. But I don't know why the Twins would get away from him. It's not like they have the best pitching

staff known to man. It's like Jaco to Reesi and Kyle Gibson have not been good outside of Jose Barrios and has been all right too. It's like you don't, you don't have the best pitching staff of all time, So why wouldn't Martine Perez be in your rotation? And I know to start the season, um, he was the fifth starter and you know, a lot of teams kind of finagle their way out of like, Okay, we don't have to use this guy for the first couple of weeks because of off days, so on and so forth.

That's why Brad Peacock ended up in the rotation in the bullpen for the Astros to start the year. But now I think Martine Perez, as this newfound fastball velocity, as this new cutter, I think he should get an opportunity to start with the Minnesota Twins. Why why wouldn't he Exactly? Yeah, you're right, and he's better than most of the options they have, even more so for the fact that he does have a lot of MLB experience under his belt, which is important. You know, big prospect

Greg a long time ago. Yeah, with with the with the Texas Rangers, never came to fruition. But when you see the little spike like this and and adding a new pitch, I think you have to be intrigued. I've intrigued this week in at Baltimore. It could be moved by make as we get closer one percent owned on Yahoo. Nobody knows yet, but telling you now, Frank's telling you now, you know, get on the phone, Open up another tab, go to Yahoo before you lead me, open up your league,

because wow, only one percent. It's very surprising. Greg on the other side of the shoe went six and these a lot of four hits, three runs, you walk four struck out for the ear a still sits at one point seven five venture which you think of the shoes performance, I think this is more along the lines of what

you'll get from him on terrible. It's not terrible, but it's not that you know, he's not gonna have a one seven five r right at the end of the season, right, So like this is more of what you're gonna hope for, like a nice quality start. You don't want to see four walks, right, you want to see less than that. But and the case, you know what do you have only four k's? So like, I feel like this is what you'll see more of, what with less walks, not three walks. And once in a while he will, you know,

get bombed. But for the most part, if you could give you a quality start you're happy with Shoemaker has given you because listen, you pick him up off the wave of wire. Let's be honest with ourselves. That's all you could hope for is good quality starts out of the guy, and he ran into trouble yesterday. The one bad pitch that he made was to c J. Crone which turns into a three run homer, which was which

were the entire runs that he gave up. If you look at his his line yesterday, six endings, three runs, and you know he's giving you quality starts and three out of four starts Greg and the one where he didn't it was five and two thirds of two earned run ball against the Red Sox, pretty good lineup. So yesterday ran into some trouble with the walks again, gives

up the home run to c J. Crone. And when things aren't necessarily working right for Shoemaker, this is what can happen Greg, because he's so split her heavy that there are times where he can't locate it for strikes and that's when people are laying off of it, and then you know, he tries to bring it up in the zone and then he ends up getting crushed. So these are kind of the two bugaboos for him at times, giving up walks and then giving up the home runs.

But for the most part of the season, he's been great. It is worth mentioning his first two starts when he goes seven, it was against Baltimore and Detroit, as who starts against the Twins and the Red Sox. He's still been very good. He should be owned. There's no doubt in my mind he should be owned. I agree with the next stoor is in Oakland for Matt Shoemaker. The other interesting part of this pitching was that Joe Biagini gets the save, his first save of the season. Is

it a normal day off for Ken Giles Frankers? There's something more at play here. I think there's a little something I play here. Um. There was an update after the game that he was quote sick, but I also tweeted at a beat reporter of the Blue Jays regarding and Giles to see what was going on, and someone else responded to me saying that the broadcast talked about

him having like a heating pad on his back. So I don't know if like the sickness was just kind of an excuse he couldn't yeah back injury or you know. I don't want to speculate too much, but the last time he pitched were Saturday and Thursday, so typically he should have been good to go for a last night's game, So I think it is worth noting that for your Ken Giles shares out there in deeper leagues where we're

constantly speculating on saves. If anything happens to him, it looks like Joe Bia Jeanie is the next man up. So Danny Hudson pitched the eighth inning in this one. I want to get to Yellow after the break because I want to be able to kind of have enough time to do that where canna go. You know what based coming now? So I worked out perfectly. When we come back, we're gonna hit on Christian Yelloch, We're going to hit on the White Sox and the Royals Rangers

putting up twelve runs against the Angels as well. We're gonna wrap up everything and sell you. What's look forward to you on a Tuesday night when we returned is the Fantasy Best Friends Forever Final. It's onny thing that's coming up right after this. Maid Sailors is the leading cleaning service in New York City and Boston. We service homes, offices, corporate departments, and Airbnb turnarounds. Give us a call or text at two and two zero to book now that's

two one two zero. Use the promo code f n T s Y for off your first cleaning. For more information, go to maid Sailors dot com. That's made Sailors dot com, rains make it Rain. Russell Wilson is the standard bearer in my opinion. Aaron Rodgers does it in a slightly different way in terms of mobility in the pocket, but Russell Wilson is the model. And Russell Wilson, you know, guys like Baker Mayfield, guys like Kyler Murray can thank Russell Wilson um for in my opinion, proving another way.

The quarterback position can be played weekdays six and nine am Eastern on the Fantasy Sports networking on your popular podcast providers. Maurice Allen two thousand and fifteen, two thousands and sixteen, European Long Drive Tour Champion two thousand seventeen, World number one. Me personally, I keep my game face on me all the time, especially coming out of the bucker, leaving the range, or even leaving the boys. What's your story? Go to game face grooming dot com from all your

athletic facial wipes and body cleansing needs. Good morning. After the reports were in the Golden State Warrior room that it was the quietest that it's ever been, like worse than even the finals. I take feel it's interesting too that get figured that the Warriors have won so much and they would have almost laughed it off, but they were legitimately in shock, so much so that like the GM had to come in and talk to everyone and say, listen, it's okay. I'd be a little worried about if I

as a club, because how did this gonna be? Really angry? Sweet Days nine am Easter and on F and T s Y Radio and on your popular podcast providers back with you here in the Fantasy Best Friends Forever Fantasy Sports Radio Network. It's all been done before. Turned to make your Rain with Jovan Eery and Dean Martinez in the Fantasy Sports Radio Network, we Gage six and nine am Eastern as they start your mornings, do the best

to get you addicted to sports wagering. The show is available on the Fantasy Sports or Radio Network app, on iHeart I tune in, and you can catch the video of the program right here in the Fantasy Sports YouTube page, as well as your favorite OTD provider It's making rain with Joe and Dame Avantagy Sports Or Radio Network, Fantasy Sports, Ray Network YouTube page. We Day some six nine am Eastern. I don't want to use the headphones. Are they working?

We're start working. I fixed things around here. Keep talking, I fixed them? Is really tight on my head? My head get bigger, frankly or did or did these headphones get smaller? They're different headphones. Have they ever been used before? They feel extremely new? Now now I give you better headphones and you complain. They're also adjustable, adjustable. All right, thanks Greig, it's working well. I can hear you and I can hear myself. That's that's great. I'm good. I'm

glad I was able to help you. Ain't sarcastic. In Milwaukee last night, the brew Crew defeat of the Cardinals ten to seven. From the parole that doesn't make it through four? A lot of three runs were walks, three ks? What do you know? Big? The vent? You know who I had going yesterday? Listen's time has come and gone on. Freddie purulta, Joey Looke CAZy and Aaron Nolas. It wasn't a great day for you, horrible. What are the what

are those guys equal like five Fantasy points combined? For you, I'll tell you, but keep talking ill on the other side to code, Hudson also got destroyed three and two thirds, eight hits, six runs to me on the Cardinals Alex rayeses in triple A. Sure would like to see him stretched out as a starter and replaced the coda Hudson just saying, let's anyone in the car and the Cardinals front office is listening. Now sits at six. The big story in this one, of course, was Christian Yell It's

going deep, not once, not twice, but three times. It was his seventh whole run of the season against the Cardinals. He has seven home runs this season against St. Louis. That's insane. That's more than most players have in total is eight home runs over all. Oh what a start for the rating MV pick. His bat just stays through the zone so long. I feel like, you know, like he could just control like Trout. You know how Trout could like hit a ball by his kneecap and just

like go the opposite way with it. Like I feel like Yelloish is the same type of head. It just could hit everything in every zone. He has no cold zone. You can't get him anywhere, and he could go opo, he could pull it. He does everything you want out of a hitter. He's the prototypical three hitter that you want in your lineup. The Brew is a static right now, what they got right? You know how people take victory laps regarding players based on what we've seen thus far.

If you were a Christian yellows guy or girl, take a victory lap. I don't care because if he keeps this up. Greg in terms of his launch angle, because everyone said that he couldn't replicate what he did last year, right because his home in the fall ratio was astronomical. There's no way someone can keep that up. But what do we say about him his entire career, he was one launch angle uptick away from b being amazing away. Now he plays in Miller Park. His launch angle this

year on average fourteen point five degree launch angle. Do you want to guess what his launch angle was last year, which tidy career high Greg? This year it's fourteen point five, which is which is not that like, like fourteen and a half is on average as a line drive. But this is on average. What would you say it was last year four point seven, So you're telling me that if he's upping his launch angle I ten degrees this season,

making a conscious effort. Now, I don't know that he's ever done this before to hit more line drives and more fly balls. Given his contact skills. Greg, with his strikeout rate actually being down this season to fourteen percent and his average exit velocity at miles per hour, doing what he's doing and lifting the ball, the guy can

hit home runs, Greg. And and and that's not just me, he can hit Question what was his launch angles before that, like like when he was hitting seen in sixteen when he hit let's see here, he had twenty one home runs right with the Marlins that year because launce average launch ango was two point five degrees five and the two seasons after that it was four point seven. Seen, it was four point seven last year eighteen. This year is fourteen point five degrees. Now he's lifting the ball finally,

and he plays in Miller Park. Reggy, he can ye might well, we can't project something that we've never seen him do before. Well, and it's not like you know, they weren't gonna give it away before the season that oh well, he's gonna just try and like you know, he wants to keep people guessing coming into the year. You know, like there was no way for us to

project something that he's never done before. But we've always said this about Yeah, it's that if he started to, if he's just up the fly ball rate by five seven percent, that he can be awesome. Yeah. But I mean based on this right, he can legitimately hit uns. Definitely.

I know what you're saying, and I agree with you, And you can't really predict it, like you know something that you know done before, you can in a sense, all the people that said maybe he can't hit thirty plus thirty plus homes before, you know, earlier in his career, I would say, because to myself, when knowing what I know, when I saw Christian Nellas first come up, I was like, listen this guy sayting thirty eight doubles, thirty six doubles.

Doubles do turn into homers eventually if the guy makes the right adjustments as he gets comfortable with the league. Um, and you know, thirty eight thirty six doubles can turn into homer's if they're a while and you know, last year with thirty four doubles. But yeah, thirty thirty six homers as opposed to eighteen or twenty one, So I think that's part of it too. You could see it slowly coming, you know what I mean. Power has also gained over the years from when you're early twenties to

late twenties. You're most powerful probably in your late twenties early thirties, So I would say, you know, this is just a natural progression from No one expected thirty six homers out of nowhere. But I think you could have seen this coming a little bit if you would have hit like twenty eight last year, I think it was like the next step was thirty five, you know what

I mean. But even I even I said this regarding Yellet's coming into the year, and I wasn't off him because I always said, even if he regresses, he can regrets to the point where he's still a first round player.

He had thirty six home runs last year and hit three twenty six, And what I was saying was, let's say he HiT's twenty eight home runs and seals twenty to twenty five bases and hits over three d and the counting stats because he plays in the Brewer's lineup and in Miller Park, he was still gonna give you around a hundred runs scored, around a hundred urbis. That's a first round player. So even if you regressed from last year, he was still gonna be a first round player.

And now he's doing something different that we've never seen before. From twenty seventeen eighteen, he lowered his groundball rate by four percent. That was last year, Okay, modest improvement. He hits line drives five percent more this year. Greg He's lowered his groundball rate from fifty one point eight percent last season to forty three point six percent this year. That is huge for him. Huge. His fly ball rate is up from twenty three percent last year to thirty

eight percent this year. You're telling me this isn't a conscious decision that the owners didn't come to him in the off season and they were like, hey, man, look, you're one tweak away from if you lift. We know that you square the ball up. You obviously hit the ball extremely hard. Now can you continue to do that while hitting a few more flyballs this season? And if he just bought into it, he's sitting runs this year. No, it's a conscious effort. It's it's does he keep this upgrade?

That's the biggest question. So, you know, does he go back to kind of hitting groundballs again. It's like, I don't think so, because we're seeing this now. It's a trend three years in a row where he's lowering the groundball rate and he's raising the fly ball rate. He's doing this on purpose, no, absolutely, And he may get into slumps where he's hitting you know, ground balls as opposed to fly balls, you know what I mean, and not and has like a home run slump at some point,

But I don't think it would last too long. The guys just too good of a hitter for that to last. Um, I wouldn't be surprised if he hitt homes I really wouldn't, dude. Even the year when he hit eighteen homers, that was a fantastic season. He was a top outfielder that year. Look at all the numbers across the board. He was a top outfield there. So you knew this guy was

a talented player. So you you if you bought him back, then you're reaping the venefits now because you know, if you keep buying back into him, the guy is just one of the best hitters in the league. Now he's just you know, consciously making an effort to more flight balls, to get more home runs. And the plate discipline on the year eleven strike outs, eleven walks, so he's getting

better even in terms of plate discipline. And you know, if he's gonna continue hitting home runs like this, people don't not I'm not gonna want to pitch to him, but it's a really strong Brewer's lineup, so you kind of have to pick your poison. Do you want to

walk the guy and let him get on base. He's gonna walk a hundred times this year because this a hundred times, and he's never he's never walked more than eight in his career though, But yeah, if he if he keeps this up, he's he's gonna approach might exceed it, probably like twenty five Intentral looks. There's just everything to like right now, Greg and and too. In my opinion, it's not an overreaction because we know how good he is. He was the MVP last year and he's getting better.

He's in the prime of his career. He's twenty seven years old, seeing the ball well, hitting it hard, lifting it Now not striking out walking more. This is this was this trying to figure out how to word this. People didn't want to buy him coming off a career year, but now he might he might up his career year. This might be his career year, and then next year

everyone's gonna want to buy in. And then maybe that's the year that like we get the regression right because I don't know, I don't think coming for a long time. I think he might just keep getting better. Yeah, he might be one of the best places in that for the next ten years. He might be a generational player that we're talking about, possibly a Hall of Fame at ten years from now. That's the type of guy with profileing right here right now. I mean, look at look

at this career path right now. It's insane. He does everything well. He does every exceptionally well. And you know you could find this and other guys too right now, like Contres, we talked about it. If he's hitting more on an angle right because he's a big time ground ball hitter, he hits the ball hard, he's gonna hit more home runs. Contre is gonna have a much better year because of that. So guys that are consciously doing this that are normally groundball guys might blow up as well.

Josh Bell comes to mind. Josh Bell comes to mind. Man, it's the guy that could have a similar career path. I don't know, it's a career paths. Christian yellis, well, I mean he's not gonna eat thirty six homers, but probably not. Yeah, yeah, but he might hit gonna be an m v P. He might hit thirty. He might hit thirty this year. Macky Mustakis also the home run for the Brewers last night, by the way, his sixth home run of the season. Travis Shaw was back in

the lad up as well. He struck out three times. He's not a dreadful star. We talked about it a little bit on last week's show. Paul Goldschmid also hit his seventh home run of the year, four St. Louis by Morizello. Zuna continues, is just Rake, Frank, Yeah, if you had any concerns regarding Marcello Juna, those are in the back of your mind by now. Greg and it. We had the side issue. We didn't know if it was an oblique or not. We had the the fiasco with the wall trying to climb the wall and and

and catch the ball. And we all saw how that ended. It was terrible. But this is what he does. I mean, as long as he's healthy. Last year he wasn't healthy, and I truly believe that as long as the healthy looking, he's hitting in a great spot in a great lineup again behind Carpenter, Goldschmidt and de Young, that's just a great spot. To who do you pitch you? Like, how do you choose who to pitch you? Right? So the answer is nobody, and he's coming up with guys on

base and r bis have been there. He's already got thirteen Ribbys and he's got six home runs now to home run off Josh, hater of all people, he's a home run off Josh. How many works does he have? By the way, right now, are you looking at it? Regarding Azuna, I don't have that alright, because I feel like he'll get a lot more walks this year too, just for the fact that it's kind of a drop off after him. Don't don't sell you OUTI Molina. I mean,

he's not gonna actually not crazy power. He's not walking at all. He has two walks on the season, so he needs to get a three percent walk rate. But maybe he's been maybe he's the guy that, okay, like let them walk the batters ahead of me, and then I'm just gonna be the one that let me just come up with guys on base and I'm gonna try and do as much damage as I possibly. I could just see pictures though, saying, you know, whatever, the face a Zuna on Molina next, you know what I mean,

And a lot of situations. So and everyone's buying in greg so far too. Like we've mentioned the past couple of years, everyone's buying into launch angle. It seems this year specifically, a lot of guys that have always hit the ball on the ground, even Marcelo Zuna. In his career, he's a forty seven percent groundball rate. We always said it was a little bit too high. This year he's

lowered the groundball rate by ten percent. He's hitting more line drives and hitting more fly balls, and it's working out for him. He's already he's already got six home runs and he could be a steel compasci here. He only hit twenty three, so I mean he did he did major damage in Miami home runs two years ago. So but he wasn't healthy last year and he still hit two eighty with eighty eight Ribby's, So you know that the guy's obviously going to have a big year

if he stays healthy. Definitely has a really weird beard though, Greg, Yes, like dilonde, like Antonio Brown's mustache, you know what I mean, Like it's blonde. That's just I'm all for crazy hair facial hair stuff. I don't know, man, Yeah, I don't like mustache for Antonio Brown is brutal. Like you know, I'll tell you exactly what a rotten milk mustache. That's what it looked like. Yeah, a dirty milk. Yeah, gross Antonio Brown. Do you want to note? Cole other notes left?

Like four minutes left. So when you jump around here, ump around Delato de Shields at the sixth, sixth steel of the season. Found it, Greggy got him. You're not getting that out of me. You're a hater. You're a hater on the shield O BP is three seventy right now. Adding average isn't necessarily there. But he's always said decent plate discipline in terms of walks, Greg, he's struggles with strikeouts in his career. He's around its twenty two percent

strikeout rate. That's too high for a speedster. Normally you'd want a guy that makes more contact. Hey, just hit the ball into the ground and run it out. That's what we want you to do. But he actually has a good play discipline to Gregg, he walks a lot. I found an interesting in Danny Santanna, who started this game at second base with the Rangers, was right in the two hole and ruet Odors spot, and he went

two for five. He sold two bases yesterday, basically doing what we want being Rugnette Odor interest, I would say in deeper leagues only, he's gonna play middle infield in a in a fifteen team mixed roto if he's batting between Shinsu Chu and then right ahead of Elvis Andrews and No Marmazara and Joey Gallo at his second in the Good ballpart two, how long is he gonna be? I mean, when is Odor supposed to come back? He's not thinking of a bath for the next two weeks. Yeah,

it might be a short term thing. That might not be You could it could just be him and and Odor tied together, right like, as long as Odor is out, start this guy. We could see some looking foresyth and there I do logan. Foresight played yesterday and started at first base because Ronald Gooseman's hurt. So it's not like I don't think Foresight is gonna take Danny Santanna's playing

time time. Yeah, I wanted to say this, by the way, for Nola had four points, Lucazy at eight point six, for Aught at two point seven, so that's a total of right around not what you want. And I f Bower who had point four, so his one picture had ten more points than me, or more against my three pitches. It is worth mentioning that I was I was sipping some hadrid. Regarding Christian Yellis last night. I have zero shares of Christian Yellish and I'm going up against Florio

in her home league head to head points league. Every time I see the Brewers score runs, I click on their box score. Are you serious, bro, you put up like twenty five Fantasy points yesterday in my home league. It's basically what a starting pitcher who has a really good start does in our league. So Christian Yellows had a great start yesterday as a pitcher, and basically his first game so I was giving Florida's crap earlier on, but he is because I'm a hater. He's one skillet

scoring against me. Man I was. I was so pissed. He's worth that first round pick, like he's he's really worth it. It worked out because he had Richards and synderguard pitch and they basically gave him zero Fantasy points. They were not good. But then he had Yellows go on and he had anchor Nacione give him a homer, and he had Plea give him a homer. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Every time I looked down at his team, there another home run. I want to do a thing

before we end. Massara starting to get heat up a little bit. I think this is a guy that could have his finally, finally have his breakout. Yeah, Joey Yellow had his fifth home run of the season yesterday as well. By the way, right, Boxburg continues to pitch late engage in the Royals. It doesn't make sense, sucks, it's very he socks shout out to Beef Castillo down on the board and hunt your doger if you still out there, pick him up. He's scooch. Donna go two hours when

I was talking about hunting another home run at that time. Man, you guys, but like the idea that Chris Fincher think Bubba where they all the guys downstairs or freak stamplea. Greg Sousman will do it all again tomorrow we couldn't catch the live show. Make sure to download our podcast at the v n T S Y Sports Network Audio Boom channel oh