Joey pe Man with stance and hands and design, Crans of SAand Fantasy talking.
About diamond dreams, Chas and players with throwing their schemes of Welsh breaking it down, real sos is howling in the radios, go talking monsters on the based off field.
Was it Swingings, beasts and magic shields, sanity Baseball? In the nine.
Podcast Thirsty enough, fast, size, lasting marks and start still Lie Dreams of Clover. Welcome and everybody to Fantasy Bros. MLB. This is Leading Off Live. It's the Joey p Joe Pisa Pa, that of course is the Welsh, and it's you, the Peanuts and the Cracker Jacks. And it's the last day of leading Off for this season for twenty twenty four. Welsh. Look at us here we are back again. Shout out to Welsh and Joe Alrico and Casey Boba holding it down.
Was I'm on the football beat nowadays and just wanted to see the Peanuts of the Cracker Jacks one more time. Here. What a wacky wild season it has been in Major League Baseball in twenty twenty four. So many injuries, but here we are regardless, we made it healthy to the end of twenty twenty four.
Almost healthy. Yeah, like a little bit down. I've been sick for two weeks. Yeah yeah, exactly what are you gonna do? But yeah, hey, major, major hat tip to Joe Rico and Casey Bubba for rocking it out at the end of the year not missing a beat as well. They absolutely deserve it. Had we had the time, it probably would have been nice to have like a nice little quad box or something that we all could have done. But hey, man, where we started my first full year.
I know, I've been like three years now, and leading off my first full year of being full time with Fantasy pros, we killed it. We just destroid numbers. I don't people don't care about that. But we had an amazing baseball season. Yeah I know, I mean like we care, But I'm just saying, like everybody I can care about that. But hat tip to everybody that's listened, that's supported, that watch videos, that's hung in the chat, all that great stuff,
and we're gonna have some fun. It's good to have both of you and I back because we're gonna be back doing more stuff in the off season, so be on the lookout for that and I said it. I think I said on the show on Monday, like make sure you're subscribe to the YouTube channel because you're gonna actually have some off season videos that you guys haven't had before and hopefully get a Rico and Casey Bubba involved.
But there still is a tiny bit more baseball, So we get to I don't know, we get to kind of talk about it, maybe update you. I think we're gonna be doing a little first round. We're gonna do a twenty twenty five first round here in just a second. We talk about the wild card race, our best bets of the year, maybe our best calls, have a little fun Joey seeing that video to that eightiesme video by the ways, like it.
Just warms my heart so good. Our best calls are worst calls. And also we're gonna be talking about the plan because this is not it. It's not over. Because baseball has been so successful here on the channel and everybody out here who supported the channel all year, we're gonna be doing more offseason stuff. We have some specials
lined up for you. We have a whole meeting actually next week about some of the fun ideas we have and things we want to do for the baseball community out there, and of course before you know it, it'll be all over again. I mean, if we'll be back here in January doing stuff, and I know I'll be working on the Black Book Cup November. So that's it's coming up, prety seal, probably more like October.
Yeah, I was about to say in about three days. You're going to be working on it in about ten days. Also, if you guys care about it, especially from the Dynasty perspective. The Arizona Fall League is starting up, and I live out here in Arizona, I'll be covering it. We have major leaguers Edwin in carnassium Strand is going to be playing in the Arizona Fall League. Sam Bachman of a top ten pick in this year's MLB draft, Jack Kaglione is going to be playing in the Arizona Fall League,
some other big top prospects. So Bizana gonna be there, and Bazana is not kagli out. Actually Condon was supposed to I heard, but Kaglione is the only one that's going to be playing from the drag Jass.
I like Jack Caglion, you know, I'm a fan, but.
We're gonna I'm gonna get to break that down, hopefully get some interviews. So that's going to be part of all of that coverage. And yes, by the way, I talked with Donnie yesterday. Donnie's going to come out to some AFL games, so we'll do Connoli's in the park.
You're gonna have to teach him about baseball, how it works, you.
Know, you want to know something. Yeah, I'm gonna give a hat tip to Donnie. We're gonna try to do some fun stuff on the show. Today. We were talking on the phone and he goes, he goes, well she He's like, he didn't get on the home run board. I'm like, I know, I kind of failed. I should have gotten some big name. I didn't want to say a baseball player's name because Donnie's not biggest into the sport.
He loves hanging with everybody. I'm like, I should have picked good players to have my home runs in perpetuity. He's like, yeah, you should have picked show. Hey O Toanni, and I was like, Donnie, Donnie knows baseball. That's a new series. Donnie knows baseball now, yeah, exactly.
I am still Now I don't know what the latest leader board is. This is the last one I see, And I picked on Soda because I want to be too much of a jerk going and picking you know, the Aaron Judge or whatever, so or otani. So I picked soda.
That was the Monday Joey p Yeah, still.
On here from the Monday board. This one in my heart now. It's nice to see Wonky Penguin breaking fifty. I did not hit fifty home runs this year. I kind of like that when you look at the board at the end of the year, it feels like an actual home run board, like if you hit sixty home runs, like you crushed it, like that was an amazing year. Yeah, forty two, I think it was a respectable year for home runs. So I am in that.
Thirty five is pretty good too.
Yeah, thirty five? Is that where you are here at thirty five?
Thirty five, thirty seven?
I don't know.
Maybe I'm one of the things I love though.
When the clinching happened for the Baltimore Orioles, I did see the very funny Jackson Holiday thing too with his baby's first clinch Miss so Jackson Holiday friend of the show. Nice to see him rebound after a very rock I mean one of the worst debuts followed by a very respectable return. Patients, It's a long season, Patients with Corbyn Carroll, who is about as terrible as a first half player as you can imagine. And well, she tells me he's up to Where are we.
At w twenty one and thirty two or thirty three stolen bases and the fifth most runs in baseball. Think about this, The guys ahead of him are all hitting two eighty or higher. The superstars of the league Sho Hee O Tani won thirty one, Soto won twenty eight, Bobby Wit one twenty four, Aaron Judge one twenty two, two thirty two batting average, Corbin Carroll with one hundred and nineteen runs. He has more runs than Gunner Henderson. That's that's pretty wild.
That is pretty wild. Also, I have to say too, I know people have been saying Joe should apologize to Garret Cole. Fine, I mean, I'm making good television here. There was reasons to be concerned happy Garrett Cole stayed healthy. I never wanted him to be hurt. I was just
worried about it. So that's all sure. So well, let's talk about the wildcard races here, because as a Mets fan, I have been mildly following because I always know it's gonna end poorly, and I feel like things are set up to end not just poorly, but soul crushing, and that is the quintessential Mets finish to the season. I know the game's got postponed and now you're gonna have a double header against the Braves, the team that always sticks the knife in the Met's heart over the last
twenty something years. So I feel like we're setting everything up for a complete Nutter disaster here on Monday. But for those people like break it all down the American League, National League, where we're at with everything, But I just feel like I can't watch, Like I can't possibly fathom how miserable it's going to be where they're gonna be. The Braves are gonna get in, the Diamondbacks are gonna get in, and the Mets are gonna be on the outside.
You just know what's gonna happen. And even if they get in, they're probably gonna have to play those games, which means that like they're gonna go into the wildcard there that next day with just a hot mess.
It's gonna be the hot mess, definitely. It's funny. I did a hit on CBS Sports each Q and one of the guys that asked me and he was just like, if the Braves get in, will this be because of the diamond Will this be because of the Mets or will this be because of the Diamondbacks? And I instantly was like, it'll be because of a Diamondbacks collapse. So the NL situation is the most exciting because I'll just gloss over the al. It's essentially done. Minnesota completely dropped
the ball. They went up against the Marlins and I think they've lost two of their last three. The Marlins and Mariners are three games out, so if Detroit or Kansas City win one more, it's locked they're in. Otherwise it would just be so much. Can we talk about the Detroit Tigers, Like what best era? I think it was number one era in baseball since like August first had an incredible bullpen, Terry Skubel and then all those
young dudes. This awesome story. I know sport has got to be through the moon right now about that, but the like, it's done essentially unless some crazy crazy thing happens, and you know, the Mariners are twins. I mean, essentially again, Tigers are Royals. Win, it's done, it's over. But funny enough, the Royals are going up against the Braves. So that's the other real sticky thing here is that Brave series
was pushed if the Diamondbacks going to the NL. The Diamondbacks lose out this weekend and you get the Mets and the Braves pull some of these games in. The Mets have got the Brewers and the Braves have got the Royals. There's a chance that Monday could happen and the Dinebacks are eliminated three games against the Padres. They are let me, I just had it up here. Da da da da. They are tied with the Mets right
now and the Braves are one game back. And then there's some rumor that like the commissioner could possibly even not worry about this game and seeding if weird things happen. So this is gonna be a wild NL weekend seeing what happens, because I think the Braves are in a good situation. Their bullpen has been pitching has been incredible, The Mets have been pretty red hot, and the Diamondbacks
are stinking it up and they got the Padres. And by the way, I'll be at Sunday's game, Joe, I'll be at the final down the box game of the season, which might better mean nothing or might mean absolutely everything.
Well, I can tell you this. I mean when you look at the standings too, which is astounding to me that Tampa despite all of the injuries and issues that they've had all year, right and then constantly waiting for Wander to be seventy eight and eighty one at the end of the day. It's it's like you just feel like next year they're just gonna be leaping right back into things, right McClanahan, healthy springs, healthy, the way Todd Bradley pitched this year, Like all of a sudden, you're like, yeah,
guess what. The Rays are going to be a problem next year. The the Troy Tigers not trading schoobl hanging on to him and going for it. I mean, it's just astounding to see them seventy four.
I forgot there was that trade rumor of Schooble that's a deadline because.
They googled at the deadline. Was one of those things that you thought was going like like, look, they could get the Hall here for schoobl and and to their credit, they're like, no, you know what, We're gonna try to be competitive. And it's great because look, I'm a child of the eighties where the Tigers and the Royals were always really good, and the Tigers and the Royals are relevant again, and it's just really nice to see that. Just looking at the standing, seeing the Ashers at the top,
no surprise there. Astros Phillies was my world series. Baltimore Philly was my second choice, and the Astros being that team that, yeah, the veteran team just flips the switch and knows what to do. I did see, by the way, looking at the Mariners at eighty two and seventy seven, that this is what the third straight year of Julio Rodriguez being up at twenty twenty, which I mean, if we could just get lineup protection, if we could just get somebody to help this kid out, my god, that
would be great. Let's talk about the a's too. A lot of people have been out of shape about the A's and all that situation. There any thoughts there, as you know, kind of things come to a close for Oakland basically Oakland and sports. Let's be honest, like that's the last one hanging on in that region period.
Personally, Actually, it kind of does, because that's where I grew up and that was my family's love. My grandfather one thing that we shared was he loved the Raiders and he loved the A's And I've been to that stadium. I remember having great seats in that stadium. I remember
sitting in some garbage spots in it. So yeah, it's I think it's kind of sad, but also at the same time, it's like, I don't know, you see like management and stuff, they're embarrassing for everything they did, but then you like see that stadium absolutely packed at the end, and it's just like, you know, we could have been doing this the whole time, Like you don't need to
just support them because it's the last game. So I think all around, it's pretty bad, especially as the A's were starting to compile and put together a product of like you know, they got a star closer in Mason Miller. They've done an incredible job developing these hitters. Brent, like Brent Rooker is a wild guy to figure out because from a number standpoint, like he's like a top twenty five guy. It's just hard to kind of buy into it. Lawrence Butler, his overall production looks like he is a
top fifty player next year. They just don't have the pitching, and it looks like they're pitching. This is like the formula a lot of these teams. It's like really good, young, controllable bats, and then a team that spends money would then go into this is the old Met the old old Mets thing where it was like, you spend on the pitching and you develop young hitting. They've got that. It's just you know, when are they going to They're gonna be Sacramento for like two years, So it's weird.
I think it's sad. I think it's sad when any team goes away. I guess I'm nostalgic towards that and just personally because I have been in that stadium and stuff. But I also hate the ID.
My youth were those Bash brother teams that were dominant. Yeah, sure, you know the Conseco's and mcguires and all that, Like the A's were. The A's could have been a dynasty if they could have just gotten past the Dodgers, you know, but like they just that that, you know, really crushed them and then they just never lived up to the hype after that. They dominated in the regular season, but you know, really, when you think about it, you know, they they lost to the Reds. They you know, they
lost to the Diamondbacks. I mean not the Backs. They lost to the Reds. They beat the San Francisco Giants and they lost to the Dodgers, and you know, it's kind of like what could have been for those teams when you think about it.
One thing I hate, by the way, asking is Sacramento Hitters Park. Yeah, that's a PCL park, so it is. It is a hitter friendly environment.
Which would be fun. I mean, that's gonna be fun for the offensive.
Numbers of the hitters. Anyway, what I don't like is this whole like, you know what we should do. We should do an expansion team in Oakland, and it's like, I don't know, man, like, just like you just got them out of there, like save the A's, then save the A's and do a give a place like Vegas or wherever you're gonna put a new baseball team, give them something, originals, just give them the old of a team because that just like stinks and lingers throughout time.
But yeah, I don't know, it's that also we had like our we had friends, like you know, was there covering it and stuff like that. It's just you know, end of season magical baseball stuff.
Fun question here from Michael Wainwright. It's nice to see you guys finish off together. Yes, thank you for that, Michael. How did you guys do in your leagues? Well, in my home league, my most important league, I was still in a rebuild after being in the playoffs six straight years. I tore everything down and this was a two year plan. This was year two of the two year plan, and I almost still made the playof in that fifteen team league.
I missed it actually on a tiebreaker despite the tear down. But next year, Welsh, I've got a Kunya Tatis, Elie de la Cruz and uh, I've got dollar pictures of McClanahan, Urie Perez and Sandy Alcntra. So I'm going to be a problem in that league for the next five years. Yeah, that's pretty It's gonna be one of those teams where you're like, okay, let's go. I got to make some hard decisions like I got Ventos at two Bucks? Do I want to keep him? Like, oh, it's kind of hard not.
To want to keep him, but I want to keep him.
But I think so. But it's like, do you keep him or Wander Franco? Like, I don't know.
I got like Frank, Wonder Franco. Yeah, no, you don't keep wander Franco.
No, wonder Frank, I mean Wonder Franco. Well, I meant, my god, this is the problem here. Can I say Wonder Franco.
I was like, I'm like, Joe, you don't you correct me?
I tried to.
I was so thrown off.
Who I mean, I can't even No, No, Tampa in Tampa are prospect that we were waiting for.
Oh, Junior Cameron, Junior Caminara.
Caminaro. Junior Caminaro is what we were waiting for all year. So Junior Cavinaro. This is the problem, folks. I haven't touched discussing baseball in two months, and I say things like wonder Frank Coup.
Well guess what two months? The outcome is still the same with Wander Franco. Right now, I can still yeah, but.
Yeah, Junior Caminaro. That's the other guy that I have keeping there.
Yeah, I'm like I was heavily invested in Keeper my brain toast Keeper leagues and NFBC. I mean, I will admit that the Carrol stuff killed me. Injuries killed me this year across the board. You know the thing I'm gonna attack everybody, Yeah, well the thing I need, I think I need to tackle because I had some like especially in the NFBC stuff, I had some really good hits on, Like I had schemes in a couple spots.
Jared Jones was this huge git for me, but I got smacked with injuries that I didn't do a good enough job in the depth portion of a lot of leagues. And the same thing happened in Dynasty. I had Dynasty Mike Trout, Ronald Acunya, Fernando Tatis, like they just really killed me in some spots that I was really really heavy.
So it was okay. I would say it was a much better analysis year for me than like Takedown, even though I had an NFBC which was like Ellie and Carol and it's like, God if Carol had been like on top of it, having hint only a cruise. That was like a really fun one. So it was okay, it was decent.
Yeah, it's say it was a rough year for injuries, which is again why it's so important to hit things right. Let's go to some of the standouts in the season too. I mean, obviously, Showeyotani, I think that was I mean, that's he's the greatest baseball player I've ever seen. I think he's the greatest baseball player ever. I don't think that's up for debate anymore, because you could talk about Babe Ruth and you know, hitting more home runs and entire teams like that's a if you drop Showey Altani
in that era, he is going to dominate too. Nobody has pitched the way Showy Altani and hit the way show a TONI has. And now steeles bases like shoeheo Tom.
Like dropping the terminator into like normal land.
It's just unbelievable. Fifty three homers, fifty six steals.
The guy's going to fifty five to fifty five right now is the chase. But you know what, let me let me ask you this though, because you say there's no discussion, there has been. The Braves community can't get over themselves. Not everybody, but there's a secta that's like, by the way, Akunya was forty seventy last year, I don't.
Care does he pitch? I know, has he thrown ninety an hour?
Like?
I mean, look, I mean Cony is a great player. We are blessed with all these great players. Judge at the top of the home run board of fifty eight one hundred and forty four rbi. To imagine, here were the season two, one hundred and four rbi for him, one twenty six for Otani, one fifteen for Jose Ramirez. Another guy that never gets enough credit. Dude, that's another guy too. He's having basically a forty forty season and gets no credit every single year Welsh and it pisses.
Me right, I think it might be the most underrated of all the fantasy years. Like Bobby Witt is a unicorn, Judges the guy Otan. All of this stuff is so amazing with Ellie and everything, but Jose Ramirez is legit on the doorsteps of a forty forty season. It's unreal. And in just a couple of minutes we're gonna do just an early little fun first round for twenty twenty five,
and Jose Ramirez belongs at the tippy top. Really, he really truly does an unreal season that he keeps having year after year.
Yeah, continuing on here, looking at some of the leaders, obviously stolen bases. Elie Dela Cruz up at the top at sixty five, player that we love. Look, if I told you at the beginning of the year he did twenty five home runs, steal sixty five bases, hit two sixty I think we'd all sign up for that, right.
Like, oh, we'll sign up. Isn't a question. I'll tell you this stunning. I think I was wrong on the I thought the power might be more of a question with Ellie with the batting average, so like, you know, the whole like ONEO Ellie stuff. I always thought it was heavily stolen bases in Ellie, but I thought the power would go in Onell Cruz and lo and behold, Ellie is a more prolific power hitter. Because even though Onell Cruiz but and this is the shock, I still
can't get over ONEO Cruz. If you would have told me preseason he's gonna hit close to two seventy, I'm gonna tell you he's hitting thirty five homers. So that's the shock that, like Ellie became a better hitter. I'm sorry, oneel became a better hitter, but then the power just didn't really develop where Elliott just all came together. Ellie's a superstar.
He is a superstar. He got caught seiling sixteen times. And I think we'll take back considering how aggressive and a three forty two OBP Like that's the thing to me, Like, you know, that's what you worry about all the strikeouts with other other cruise. But he certainly got there. Amazing. Also to see more than twenty players with thirty or more stolen bases, that is fun batting average leaders. Look,
it's been Bobby Witt for a while. Good to see Vlad Guerrero have a rebound two because my goodness, what a miserable first half for him finishing the year though, thirty one oh two, three twenty five. What are your thoughts on Vladdie here going forward into twenty twenty four? Did we finally put that aside? Are we feeling good about him? Yeah?
I thinks I mean he was on the early I know we cut them off in like late June or July. But you know, Joey and I were grinding putting out weekly waiver and trade videos, and Vlad was on that list. And he was one of the most obvious one at the very beginning because he had this beautiful barrage of underlying great stats where he wasn't getting the ball in the air and guess what, it was a launch angle thing. And then he cured it and he started getting the
ball in the air. When you barrel and you hit the ball really hard and you're making good contact, good things will happen. So you know, not to get too taudy, because there's plenty of things. As many things that are right, there's probably double that are wrong. That's just the nature of baseball. That's one that was just a smash and it ended up working out, and his value will be back up next year. The funny thing is is it won't be around like it's always been, Like what about
Vlad or Alonzo. It's like Vlad's in his own tier now, like Olsen and Alonso are going to be fighting for that equity of bad average and homers. Now, Vlad is in that elite first base territory.
You were one hundred percent right. Your biggest fade of the year going was Luis Aries only four home runs. I don't care if you get three twelve forty five RBI four home runs. Stick it where the sun don't shine, like I'm not interested in that. Let's get to some of the pitchers and some of the performances too. Chris Sale leaving the league in era at two three eight, Scula two three nine, Zach Willer pillar to post has
been fantastic. We said that showed to Ibanaga was the guy to invest in over Yamamoto, and I feel really good about that, like sorry, like he got hurt. We talked about the frame being a problem, and Imanaga is fifteen to three with a two nine one era. Framber Valdez and again one of the steadier guys in baseball. Another sub three era from him. Cormyn Burns very good, great at times, not as great at others. Michael King at the end of the day, another guy that we
were super in on. Seth Lugo and Michael King. Those were I think our collective two guys, especially me with Seth you.
Or Seth Lugo, I was I was one of the highest and the we were on Michael King.
We were both on King. I think we were very aggressive ranking him. I know in the Black Book it was Lugo and King. For me, that were my two, Like, look, these are the breakout guys, both guys around three eras. Both guys I mean Michael King two hundred strikeouts this year. Lugo won seventy eight one h nine whip for Lugo this year, a three ERA. Those were guys like Cole Reagan's was in that grouping two and he finished just
a tick. I think below those guys more strikeouts, but era a little higher in terms of where we're at. Biggest surprises Jack Flaherty and Sean ma and Ia, I think there's no doubt about that. Like two guys that I don't think any of us thought could possibly put up a full season of productivity, and both of them absolutely did.
Yeah, I was late to the game for Flaerty, but I turned. I'd also say back to the Imanaga thing real quick. I think I would. I would classify myself maybe more in the wrong because I got I got into this space where I was just like, hey, listen, we need to sell I Managa because he's a two. He was becoming a two pitch pitcher, heavy splitter in a hitter friendly environment, and I think what is so amazing about him is he overcame that and you started seeing more of that pitch mix, and he didn't get
blown up into the summer months. So I would say, like, like that was in the that was a mid season wrong. Flairty was a mid season wrong kind of on my part where Michael King was a big, big hit for me. But I would also point out I think maybe the most amazing thing finishing up the pitching stuff is that there are just absolutely two unanimous sy Young winners. And I'm not really sure I fully recall that all the time, like Bke Barnett, like Tree Scouble and Chris Sailor are
gonna win this in droves, and they're both incredible. I think someone even put in the chat like it looks like they're gonna win like triple crowns as far as like pitching cadeah A Rico did it, triple crowns as far as pitching go. They're so dominant it's not even funny. And that's what's so interesting to have at the tippy top of the board as far as pitching goes.
Yeah, looking back at the year, that was too. We always have to talk about things we were right on, things were wrong on Seth Lugo again for me, Jackson Merrill, for the Welsh, like nobody was talking about Jackson Merril the way Welsh was nobody And to see the season he had and to that point too, I was probably the most pro Padre person of anyone. And then all the injuries happened and Ta Teas got hurt and all these things and people were off the Padres. Well, guess what,
Padres won more than ninety games. I told you they were gonna be a problem, and I think in the playoffs they might be a problem too. Like that's a team to really be concerned with because if they get hot, they have a lot of talent and they have pitching. That's a dangerous combination if those guys get hot in the playoffs. So the Phillies better be worried, the Dodgers better be worried about the Padres, and I think collectively, Jaron Duran, I think our biggest win hit for average,
hit for power. He was being drafted so late Welsh, and that was a guy that you and I were holding hands on fighting over in mock drafts, and that turned out to be one hundred percent correct.
Yeah, now I think we did the like our favorite our must have guys I think was a video kid and Duran was on there for me. Yeah, for sure. I think Merrill ended up working out really well, Duran
ended up working out really well. And then I think, like an inverse of it, I think it's pretty safe to say, even though it's so weird, but like Carrol was a pretty bad miss, Like Carol screwed me in leagues because it was so bad in the beginning and it worked its way back up funny enough, but I don't it's definitely not something that you can't I would ignore. Like Carrol was a bad, bad play for the first
half of the year. Luckily he did fix that. But yeah, as good as like Duran and Merrill were, it's funny that they're all like outfielders, like those were all kind of like the thing we were really able to hone in on. But yeah, rookies in general too, Rookies were kind of a little bit of a miss to start, but then at the end of the day, like even
though Wyatt Langford could have been a miss. He's put up a pretty dang good season like fifteen to twenty Jackson Curio is a twenty twenty season that has been a huge win. And then maybe camon Aro ever getting the call up that didn't really.
Work out and the rookie luckies, No it did not cam and Aro by the way.
Caminaro Junior.
I don't know kemm and Arrow Junior Caminaro. So there you have it. Also, looking ahead to the future, as we like to do here, we will be Welsh and I. We be working on the Black Book, as we talked about, so that'll be out there on Amazon. Usually mid December is when that releases before Christmas, so it's the holiday present for everybody out there. So that'll be up so you can get ahead of your best ball drafts and
just have some kind of baseball stuff. But also early twenty twenty four first round, Welsh put this together, which is super fun. Otani going first, Judge, Bobby Wit three, Josey Ramirez for love all this, Gunner Henderson five, Ellie de la Cruz six, Jan Soto seven, A Kunya eight. I think Acuni will be ready right big basically at the start of the season. I wonder if that knee was bothering him earlier in the year two and that's why the performance was down Welsh, do you suspect that
might be the case as well? Before I think stopped for him literally, yeah, yeah, I think so, Yeah, I kind of get that feeling as well. Then after that, Mookie bets Corbyn Carrol then Scooble and schemes. Hard to argue with that. I don't like pictures in the first round, you know that, But if you're gonna put two pictures in the first round, that's certainly a way to go. So who are the guys that just kind of missed
that first round? Just kind of blasting through the guys like Vlad Guerrero obviously won, Marcelo Zuna who had a great season thirty nine home runs, one hundred rbi. Looking back up there, Alvarez just missing as well. Could tell Marte to another great season for him thirty five bombs to ninety four. That's a guy that just missed this first round. How about Lindor too. Lindor was another one
of these guys too. I kept talking about all off season, why are we suppressing the value of a thirty thirty guy, Well guess what thirty thirty basically thirty one home runs, twenty seven steals, a pretty great season from Lindor. Who else stands out to you as guys that are just
around that first round conversation? And obviously Bryce Harper, I don't know if you want to put Corey Seger in that conversation too, potentially, or even Manny Machado another thirty one hundred season for him with some steals.
So something we did on in this league for a couple episodes was we were taking a look at what the talent for a round is. And it wasn't about filling out. It was like who's worthy of first round? Who is in that tier that's first round? Who's the second round? Da da da da do that? So the
reason I mentioned this is Otani Judge. And by the way, if you want to move the order, like you could definitely argue Ellie over Gunner, Henderson and stuff, but I went Otani Judge, Wit Jose Amiraz, Gunner, Ellie Soto, Akunya Betts. Let's stop there. That's nine. That's a tier. That's a tier of type of players. Now maybe there's tiers within those tiers, like having Otani judge, you know, that might be uniquely itself, having then Wit or Josier Amiraz is itself.
But my point is is like I don't think those guys are really crazy debatable, But then those bottom three I put in there. It is debatable. Corbyn Carroll hit two thirty two. He might not belong in there. I put him in there because he's a twenty thirty guy, had the fifth most runs in baseball and he's stunk with average and that will fix. And then you put in elite pitchers. But the goofy thing is is I put Skeens in over Sale, and Sale wasn't in there, So I put Terry Skuble and Paul Skeens in. Oh,
those bottom three of the arguments. So who are the guys that you could throw in Chris Sale if you're in a fifteen team roto again, Scooball and Sales seasons were so dominant at a level that's unheard of. You can justify. And I don't like high pitching as well, but pitching was so high end dominant that it might be this might be a year that it's worth paying for one of those top three pitchers, because there's so
much better than the rest. You mentioned Francisco Lindor. If someone wanted to say, I want Lindor over Carrol, I think that absolutely works. I think Colio Rodriguez is one of those people might be getting kind of sick of it, but it's still twenty twenty. If he gets some more support, he's one of the most talented players in baseball. I
think Trey Turner too. Trey Turner missed some time. If he had played a full season, you would have saw some big, big stats with stolen bases that are out there.
And then you mentioned it if Royce Lewis played a full season.
Two Yeah, if Royce played a full season and the power was there, maybe.
Back Centurio for you know, a whole good half two haves of baseball.
I'll tell you this, guys out there, how I'd done this as a fifteen team Roto. I think it would have just been easier. I just put Sale, put Lindor, put Julio, call it a day. There's your fifteen. I think that, for the most part, is what the twenty
twenty five first round is going to look like. But the best thing is right here on the channel, we're gonna be breaking down early mock rookies for next year, what the first round looks like, targets, all that stuff way before we've ever done before, and we'll start digging
into that early stuff. But I'd be curious if anybody you know out there you can put it in the YouTube comments below, is there someone that so dramatically needs to be in over another guy, because I will tell you schemes dramatically well, but like Carol at two thirty two, I'm not trying to be a homer. I'll totally listen
to knocking him out. And also, like Skeens as a rookie, I think even though it was one of the most dominant pitching performances from rookie ever, it's still kind of a question for a young guy to be drafted that OUI.
It's still kind of mid So I understand Carol there, Lindor, I think is the one you have the best argument.
Duran and Meryl we left off there as well, like those guys up these huge seasons.
Well they got to do it. They got to, you know, to be a first round pick. That's why it was really it was lofty to put Carrol after one year top five, and it was something that I struggled with, Like I like video game numbers. It were, but like again, you do it more than once. You have my attention as like a better investment. Speaking of investments, our best investments of the year Showy Altani for me at four to one MVP. The only problem was I put it
with everything else that got destroyed. I put it with a Kodia, I put it with Strider, I put it with all these other things, and I lit money on fire. This is the first year that I would say in the futures market, I was not profitable after three straight years of just absolutely crushing it. So unfortunates as circumstances injuries really hurt me there. But I think I've learned a lot ready to get back for twenty twenty five, and I think the approach of twenty twenty five is
going to be much more individualized. We were putting a lot of fun things together and the more variance you had, Unfortunately, even if you had just one other player, it could really crush a lot of the bets you have. Welsh, what was the best and the worst of betting for you?
Well, I'll tell you too. Actually, I think like the rookie market's going to be really fascinating last year or next year. I would say the best bet could be that I have and I have this awesome card that's inscribed by said player that you're going to get to see soon. But I don't know if it's ever gonna matter. My best bet would be Jackson Merrill. I bet him preseason plus seventeen hundred for Rookie of the Year. He
has been the favorite for the last month. The odds have now moved in favor for Paul Skeins because just the ridiculous season. But Merril is plus one ten. But the best bet I did on Betting Pros. You and I did a show on Betting Pros of the best bets for future market, and I said on the show, my favorite bet of the year was Elie de la Cruz to lead the league in stolen bases at plus six hundred. I did bet that. I obviously cashing that and this, and you know I don't.
He'll be the heavy favorite next year, like probably two or three.
It'll be like a minus money. It'll be probably minus.
It'll be minus no. Because baseball is such a long season, and there's other guys that are in the forties. I think it'll be. If I was setting it, I would sit at it like plus two ten.
Yeah, I'll say I don't do as much future market betting as you do. This is my biggest most profitable year. And if Marilyn's Rookie of the Year, it's not even close. I already cash like my diamondbacks over.
When time bad, you're good. If you're bad, I'm good. That's the balance the Yin and the Yank carry has been leading off the success of the program. Is that so well? Uh? You know that was kind of a look into the future, a look back at this year. A tremendous year of growth for our channel here and our podcast. So again, thank you to everybody for hanging out with us. Sorry I have to go away in August and September, but.
Unfortunately, yeah, like it didn't.
We have a great team here, and it's a great team between Mayor Wonky Penguin, uh, the two of us, a Rico Casey, Bubba Cross and someoneus. We have great guests come on this year too.
Bogman was here for someone based on Bodmin was here.
You know, helping out as well. So we're a team here over at Fantasy Bros MLB and Welsh Any final thoughts here before we close out the year. Obviously two with the sixty home runs, it's looking like South African G is gonna win this. Yeah, so Lad Guerrero Junior, that is gonna go to him.
I did reach out, and I think there was something in the calculation so they couldn't get a graphic to us. I will say the winner will definitely be announced in the Discord fantasypros dot Com slash chat. But going in to Monday, South African G had a four home run lead, which would get him if he finishes this out. Here's the crazy thing. I just want to throw this out. What if Monday and they do a double head?
What if that?
I guess double headers are weird for the contest, but like, what if it came down to something like that, don't.
Oh double headers? I was gonna say the contest double headers, let's not bring that up.
I know, I don't know what it would happen.
Another good question from Michael, or let's end this like World Series predictions. Look, I'm sticking with what I had in the beginning. I had Astros Phillies. They'll stick with Astros Phillies. If it's Baltimore Phillies, I have that as an investment as well, so I'll be happy to see that. It'll get me back probably over to at least push for the year if I get those two big wagers. But I'm not going off the Phillies. I do think the Padres are very dangerous though, like there's a partony
that wants to kind of hedge on them. But that's where my head's at. I'm still going Phillies again. Home field advantage is something that doesn't exist in baseball anymore, and that place has it, and that place is Was it a concert last night in Philadelphia? There were Phillies shirts everywhere. This town is rabid for the Phillies. Still your thoughts and predictions here for the World Series to finish things out here for baseball?
Yeah, I mean my predition was Yankees Phillies the whole time, and I'm gonna stick with the Yankees. They've been dominant, they have like the best just combo. I mean, They're bullpen have been a little bit amp, but like Luke Weavers really stepped up their rotation. I think Luis Heel stepping up into the playoffs would be huge, and their offense is obviously just like ridiculous. So I love the Yankees. I'll tell you this, though, I'm with you on the Padres.
I think the Padres are a menace. They are throwing out Michael King cease, They've got Musk Grove back, Darvish is back, and they have one of the best bullpens. Off of the trade deadline. I would not be shocked if the Padres start kind of jumping out there and getting some crazy momentum and they end up moving in. So Padres Yankees World series would not shock me. But I'll stick with my original one. And by the way, I've always had gray hair. Jacob's saying, when did Welsh
have gray hair? I've always had this little like it's kind of a rose. Yeah, I wear a hat a lot, but also it is kind of like my rogue streak, where I have like a little bit of a white. But I think this season gave me some great hair too.
That's what it is.
Man, What can I say?
There you go, there, you go. Well, look, man, it's been a great season. I'm so proud of this channel, the work we've done, and people said nobody would watch baseball stuff, Well, guess what they're wrong. You all did all season long. So shout out to all of you, and again we're not going anywhere. It's going to be more fun stuff too. Welsh's breakdown of that rookie class is still on the channel. If you miss that, go
back and watch it. It'll help you with all of your upcoming dynasty drafts and new stuff coming up here to the rookie drafts going through and your startup dynasty leagues. Two and again. We'll be back doing probably more than we did last year considering how successful the channel has been, and we want to make it the number one fantasy baseball channel, and we're not far off from making that happen. So get in with us, hang out with us again. Fantastic season. That'll do it for us, But the story
of the game goes on for the Welsh. I'm Joey p Enjoy the playoffs everybody, and we can't wait to see you again in the twenty twenty five season. Later, everybody, thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball podcast.
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