MLB: Leading Off August 23rd, 2022 (Ep. 580)

Leading off starts right now. Welcome in everybody. I am Chris Welsh.

That is Kate c Bubba.

We are in the house, and Bubba, I am a little under the weather, just a little tab it. I don't know if you can hear it, can you see it? Can you hear it?

Can you feel it?

I think you look beautiful, oh so pretty, oh so pretty, and you sound great like we need the tiara today. I think I think we need to bring it back just to make it happen. No, we have one full show. I don't know if you heard the news.

I was delivered a pack of tiaras and I have a whole new set. So what we're doing as we are generating game used tiaras that will I might auction on off at some point. Maybe I'll cut one up and put it in like a custom card. We will be auctioning off some game used tiaras. But yes, uh, I think what happened is there's a convert of things. What you can't have is me be so intensely wrong

That's what we're hoping for.

But Bubba six hundred and ninety three, that's Albert Poolholz. What an absolute monster, forty two year old is hitting four to eight. This was something pulled over from Rodawa. So I don't want to pretend that I put this together. Eight with ten homers and twenty RBIs over his last twenty five games that since July tenth. And I saw my friend Eric Cross put out something as well that I think pool Us is the higher WRC plus than

Yeah, pure beast mode. It's it's fun to watch, it's crazy to watch. I wonder how many tests he has to take after games being his age, Like, hey, sir, can you please give us a sample real quick? Because this does not seem right? But it's great to see and little DFS titbit. He's the bare minimum again tonight, So throw that out there.

You know, it's funny that you say that I was thinking about this yesterday at this point, like you just like, I mean, do you just conject all of it in because I guess you could tarnish your legacy, which I think there's a little bit of that still floating around in him and just kind.

Of surrounded him and stuff like that.

But there's got to be something where it's like you put it all out and whether it is you know, in game performance or whatever else it is, but you're right, the dude's gotta be tested every single night because what he's doing. I ask, like, where has this been for four years? He hit a ball like a foot and a half up in the zone and he crushed it last night for six ninety three he's doing things he

Seen, it's kinda happen, it's kinna happen. But see, I.

Think he's gonna fall short, and I think there's gonna be a real question if he thinkers with the idea of maybe coming back for a short stick. I just me personally, how I am. I don't know how I would stop that close to something.

So you don't you don't you get to So yeah, he'll come back for a short stint if you asked, he'll go each hero on us and play for a little bit longer, like it'll happen. But I think he gets it this year, like he is just crushing things and that that l central is so bad. He's gont some very juicy matchups in September to make things happen.

God, I mean baseball is just sitting here. I mean baseball might be supplying if they're like, listen, if we can get that last week, if you can be within two the last week, it will be appointment watching.

How fun is it going to be here?

If you are within one or two with the last week to go, it will be magnificent.

It's fun to chase.

And we've actually got a trivia question surrounded around Albert pool Holes, So why don't we just throw it out. Let's throw it out and we'll keep moving on with the headlines. And the question is at which visiting ballpark has Albert pool Holes hit the most home runs? Which visiting ballpark chat has Albert pool Holes hit the most home runs in his career? He's got six ninety three. Obviously, his home ballparks are not going to count in this. So which ballpark that is not home?

Do you have a guess above him?

The easy guess is Wriggly, but it's probably wrong because that seems too easy. But Wriggley stands out like a sort of thumb.

It's a very good guess.

It is not I'm even get this. I'm gonna give you guys the number. It won't help, thirty three. That's the number thirty three in Jim's guest. Uh, wriggly We had a Pittsburgh guest. Both good guesses incorrect. We'll come back to it in a minute. You guys can throw out and we'll see if anybody is able to snag that one. Speaking of the Cardinals, Jordan Montgomery been phenomenal.

It's a trope. It's like, oh, guy goes here.

It's a trope because it continues to happen and Jordan Montgomery goes in from New York where he's solid, to Saint Louis, where he looks amazing. He had a one hit shutout over the Cubs. It was his first career shutout, his first complete game pitched a Mattics in it need only ninety nine pitches to record twe twenty seven outs.

He had sixty five strikes.

In there, fourteen swing and misses, and all the five offerings had a twenty nine percent CSW Mark Ron, so.

I get that was also a rotal world as well.

Jordan Montgomery, hose Cadana had that little but Jordan Montgomery, that looks like that back in your league winner.

Yeah, he's outstanding. I've been on Joemo all year. I've been a huge, huge fan of his no run support. Still not getting it with the Cardinals, but four wins and four starts already have more wins with the Cardinals and he had with the Yankees all season, which is impressive. He's been dominant. And I saw some very smart people sweeted it out today that the Cardinals are smart unlike the Yankees, and they have them throwing fewer sinkers and

Mean like more four steamers? And he's okay?

So lest thing That's interesting because some guys really really are able to make the sinker be everything that they're about. Like look and Luis Castille. Luis Castillo's is classified as like a sinker, and he's throwing it at like ninety eight.

He probably throws it harder too, the sinker. Like you know, Lisa Castillo's throwing at ninety eight, We like doubt Montgomery's throwing it that hard, So then it becomes more of a batting practice fastball if he's not located it properly.

So it makes more sense.

We do have the answer here, and a couple of people are in on it. Walkee says, does that one home run off Lidge count as a million and make inther Houston?

Yes, it is minute made.

And what thirty three homers was there? And then I think a couple other people, Yeah, Jim's had agreed.

Thirty three homers.

Pool holds the most on an opposing team that he has not played with, so obviously.

Like you know, they're not.

I didn't even know what it would have been funny to actually see what does he have as a opposing guy for LA when he was in Saint Louis, So those could get all jumbled. But take those two out, doesn't matter. It's Houston. Albertpool Holes owns that team. He always has of course, and brad Lidge will never live that down. You know what a piece of memorabilia I want. I want a Brad Lidge and Albert pool Holes signed ball together.

That would be fun.

That'd be sweet.

Like I have the Bobby Thompson and Ralph Bronco ball from the shot her around the World, so you can put that one right next to it. Make sure there's a piece. Can you get a piece of the train also that goes? Can they sign the train? Oh about the ball?

Both of them? Yeah, one hundred percent to see that would even be better. This is the type.

This is the type of memorabilia I'm talking about, which, by the way, Fantasy pros check out, they've got their monthly contest, They've got an autograph Randy Rose Arena Jersey going on. So make sure to go to fantasypros dot com. You can get into the discord. You can check out how you have a chance to win an autograph for Randy of Rose Arena Jersey. Not so bad my friends. On the injury front, yes, Byron Buckston. He left Monday's game early. Is gonna undergo an MRI on the injured

And then immediately I'm like, let's do a Buckston Monday. It's just wild. He is perpetually injured. He lives in it.

He is, you know, bog and I would joke about He's like bane you know, it's like every John Carlos Stanton.

It's like he's like.

You, you come and hang out in the darkness, but Buston, I live in the darkness.

I live in the injured. This is just what he is.

And he's out again, And like I said it, it paired with Oneil Cruz and Buckston.

I don't know, man.

Bucks might be the most frustrating player in all of fantasy. I don't give me a more frustrating player than Buckston right.

Now, there's not many, like you said, because it's crazy. This is actually only his first eyelst into the year, as you said, so it's like he's been banged up. But that's what's frustrating. It's like, here's go on the iel, or don't stop this back and forth minutia. He's hitting a million home runs, but he's hitting for no average. He's barely stealing bases. Very very frustrating because you can see the talent from a mile away, it just can't produce.

Yeah, yeah, this is it's actually a kind of a similar complex. Mondessey like Monday would be one of those guys.

At least he was on the IEL and just disappeared. Springer is a good One's a very.

Good definitely a pretty good one. Yeah for sure. Oh, doctor Glenn, you gave me an earn run from a Bain impression rock doctor Grant and he just got pulled. That's fine by everybody. It's Bubba. It's about the the other injuries.

Aaron Ashby placed on the fifteen day IEL with left shoulder inflammation, So uh, Ashby Stryder just want to bring that up to everybody. Again other injuries. Vinie pas Quentino left Monday's game with the right shoulder injury. I do believe he said not really worried about it, so that shouldn't be a big thing. Michaelkopecker's removed from Monday's start with left hamstring like a knee issue.

Watch that.

And Wander Franco is going to continue to receive treatment on the surgically repaired hand, and I think we mentioned it. He also has left his rehab start, So I wouldn't hold out a ton of hope for right now, but I am continuously a dynasty buyer on him moving forward. Fun fact this day in Baseball History, nineteen ninety eight, Barry Bonds becomes the first player in majorly history to hit at least four hundred home runs and steal four hundred bases.

But but you were, you grew up as a Giants fan. It's very Bond, your number one.

No, well, Clark's my number one, but very very Bonds. I'm a big fan of his. I'm not a guy that worries about the steroid things, because I need tell me everyone was clean. That I care, but I don't, And that four hundred four hundred pretty much came before steroids for him. So the dude was a beast. He has a great ball player. Wish he didn't do it, but yeah, big big Bonds fan.

Who's all on that four hundred, four hundred list?

Is that?

A think a Rod joined that? I think let's see four. I want to say. I want to say it's just him and a Rod.

Actually MLB list, there's the forty forty list, which was big with can strikeout.

But I think it's just a Rod and Bonds.

So let's see here the four hundred. So well, this I don't know how outdated this is.

This is baseball reference.

Barry Bonds is the only four hundred four, the only five hundred, five hundred, and there are six.

He's not on the six.

I don't see that he's the only one that lives on the four hundred, five hundred.

There are six players.

There's another trivia question. Six players on the three hundred, three hundred, two thousand, which is I don't know why they designated that, but it's the three hundred homers, three hundred s solen bases, two thousand base hit and Barry Bonds is one of them. Can you name the other I'll give you Ale Rodriguezcauz. He's on that list as well. There's more or more two or modern day players. The other are two very big old names.

Let's go Willy Mays.

Yes, very nice, you nailed that. That's one of the big ones. Okay.

Is Henry Aaron one? No, Willie May's, Miguel Carberra.

Nope.

But here's one right here. Jams Beltron is on that list. Ad belt very very good. So there's two more one just go for it. One played for eight teams and played in a very important era from my diamondbacks. And the other is a very famous.

Cub very famous Cuban, Herney Banks.

And not that many home runs he played.

I mean, I know some consider he played for a couple teams. Here, I'll give it to you, yeah, just give it to me. So the old one Andre Dawson, So Dawson one hundred, three hundred two thousand. And the other one, this is probably very surprising. No chance anyone would have got this. Steve Finley, Steve Finley whoa.

Yeah no, yeah, never would have got that. Not a millionaire.

Stummers three hundred and twenty stolen bases, twenty five hundred hits over the two thousand hit marker would have never guess that played with eight different teams. No one played for more teams. It looks like on this list than him and yeah, nineteen eighty nine to two thousand and seven, so crossed all those eras. So there's your three hundred, three hundred two thousand club. If you guys were one, I know you're sitting at home being like, what are they going to talk about that club?

Barry Bonds.

It's an elusive club. People so enjoy it.

It is stat heroes. Nick Castiano hit a homer. Michael Harris we talked a lot about, like, Hey, what's gonna happen with Michael Harris and teams adjusting to him? Homer one for one, homer two RBI, Randy Rosereina had that bomb I talked about. Jose Brady was three for three, Aaron Judge two for four with the homer, Andrew ben and Tendy two for three, Luis Urias had a home run, JJ Blede two for three with a stolen base, Carlos Corea two for three, and Dan Vogelbach had a homer.

Rest of this season. I feel like it's been kind of a quieter year.

It has been quiet.

He's always had a peel because he's a multiposition eligible like all over the infield, which has had some big ups for him. But it's just been kind of a disappointing year. But one of those where you can definitely stream him. The Brewers play face five lefties this week, so you got that going for you.

Pitching, Jordan Montgomery we talked about, went nine, struck out seven.

Edward Cabrera there's another one of those.

I think it's a was it twenty five game scoreless or twenty.

Twenty two and two thirds innings scoreless and was impressive yesterd He walked to in the first inning and threw like twenty four pitches and then he managed to throw like seventy seven the rest of the game and walk one and strike out like seven or eight. He was much better down the stretch.

He was a trip.

He struck out seven in those eight Luis Urias. Remember yesterday we talked about we don't like to take a lot of under props, but his number.

Was seven and a half and he hit seven.

And that hit, by the way, I also had baseball has been so rough this year. A good day yesterday I did a K PROP little combo. I like to do two k K PROP combos, and I had Dylan Ceese and Jeffrey Springs and then I put another little bad boy together with I'm forgetting what the other team was, but it was the Dodgers under six and a half through seven innings, and that.

Obviously worked out. Thank you to Julio.

Urias spinning some good stuff Drew Smiley when seven stuck out six.

Jake, why is Jacob to Rizzi? Why does he do this to us?

He continuously is just out there. He's like, Hey, look at my good game I just had.

Don't you want to stream me?

And then you're gonna stream him and it's gonna get all the things will be lit.

And it's going to ruin your week. The Pirate's going to pirates. That's what that turned into. And if you paid attention to that game at all, the pirates had opportunities.

Almost every in needs to do something.

And of course double playball, strikeout, strikeout, like there's just total pirates. It could have been a normal Odor Rizzy start where we all looked like geniuses. But here you go, leave him on the waiver wire.

Yep, monkey, do not stream Odor Rizzy. That is tattooed on your face. Is what you would say, Entyson. That stuff that's right, and don't eat me years, but just tattoo it. Colech Shuerber zero for four with four strikeouts on the Zeros Jodell, thank you Joe Adell for in year three still not being able to hit a high fastball, because he was the one that put Jeffrey Springs got into a little bit of business. Looked like he was

To a high fastball. It's wild. I don't understand it.

It's actually I think I talked about it yesterday, Bubba. It's something even in the AFL, when I can get a hold of some players. I want to find out what the high fastball change has been.

It seems to be such a thing.

Because there's a certain prospect that got some information from from like a team source and an agent as well that's talking about this guy, very big name, and it was giving kind of a scouting report to me and someone else about it.

And the thing they said is this guy's good all around.

The only thing he has to work on, like all these young guys, is the high fastball. And it seems to be this new thing that's gone on because it used to be just you know, landing off speed stuff.

Spincer Torkelsen have this book.

On him about like low below the knee type of whether fastballs or breaking pitches. But there's something that is such a crazy takeover on high fastballs with these guys. And I don't know if it's the cheating on breaking stuff, but Adella is one of the worst culprits.

Of it in the entire league.

And he's you know, weah perfect to bet against him, but he's never going to get right unless he can start doing that.

I think one of the things, and this is just pure speculation on my part with a lot of these guys selling out for power. Now it's usually a longer, loopier swing, which makes that high fastball harder to get to.

You have to kind of shut down.

In the old days, guys are kind of just slap hitters and hitting for base hits and didn't care. So the high fastball is in a big you know. Plus, these guys throw a lot harder now than guys used to in the past, with the combination of speed, and maybe the swing type could have a big issue on these guys, and they're not making the adjustment. He's thinking in an era of thirty percent Kate, you can live

So we'll see. Yeah.

And also, one of the things that I've been questioning, like maybe theoretically with Guandafranco is wonder Franco ha is this wrist issue and he's pretty famously like the helicopter swing. But the helicopter swing also seems to be kind of an approach that lets them cheat, and it's the anti sellout for power. You know, they don't feel like there's enough guys that are not looking to sell out for power.

Everyone's trying to, you know, hit twenty twenty five.

But if you can have an approach that you can, you know, even if you're slap hit and your double hitting, like it's just I wish somebody. Angels are not the team. Their player development has been a disaster. I wish there was a team that could get out there and get ahold of adel and get some of this fix.

Because it is pretty rough.

Chris Taylor and Jared Walsh also o for three with three strikeouts. On the pitching front, Michael Kopek didn't get it out because he got hurt in four earned runs and he was out. Daniel Lynch four and two thirds, three earned runs, Max Suser six two thirds, foreign runs only three ks, not a Max Suser like performance. Over to the home run board, we're looking at Peanuts and cracker Jacks are in a slump. There were two total home run calls on Sunday and three total home run

Friends.

We want to remind you guys to go and check out our friends at bet MGM for Kings and Queens, for Kings and tiaras, for crowns and tiaras.

Go and make your bet today.

Use the promo code leading off with get a one thousand dollars risk free bet. When you do it, get your phone, go to the website, get the app, download it. Use promo code leading off tell them Welsh war or a tiara and that's why I wanted to do it.

Make your bets today.

Maybe you can tail some fun bets that I got going on, or we will get you some player prop ones today. Use promo code leading off of do you like my crown?

I love every bit about that tiara. It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

I said, though it is it's the string bikini of tiaras. Though it's very thin and small and it's quite a look and it does all off. I've announced tomorrow as long as I'm alive, I will be telling who the mystery person that sent these to my door, because I had tiaras at my door and my daughter.

Is so happy, by the way, after I took a couple, which I do have a couple, and we will be announcing that tomorrow.

But I do got some plays, so Bubby, you tell me what you like after I get through these. We've got the top top algorithm play for betting pros on total bases and strikeouts, and then I'm going to give you the number one plus money play on each of those. So starting with total bases, we've got Jeremy Pania, who's the number one today. You need one total base. It is juiced to one eighty eight minus one eighty eight,

What do you like out of this list here? If any all of them? What do you got?

I love the Langoleers play. I've been targeting him a lot early and often had it have been fabist past week, dudes of monster at the play. We actually talked about him last week when we were on when he got called up. I love everything about that play. Pablo Lopez has been scuffling tremendously over the last four starts, so I think Langoleers is due.

I got's great plus.

Money Okay, I'm with you on that one. That one is one of my favorites. As soon as I saw it, I was like, man, plus money, one total base, let's go and I don't remember I'd have to go back and dig. I think the Montas one is over at sugar House and you can go. What I would suggest is go over to bettingpros dot com, click on the cheat sheet mlbprop cheat sheet and you can go and dig through all of them.

You can.

Really The thing I always like about it is it puts me, I think, in the direction of who I might want to do more research on.

It'll kind of just throw out some based on the projections.

Over on the DFS side, I put a couple of pitching plays in stacks, but I'm gonna do it real quick to throw a bubble what he likes on DraftKings, Cease is at ten, Verlanders ten to five, Max Freed nine to four, Pablo Lopez eight one on FanDuel Freda is ten two. Cease is ten to three and Pablo is eight eight. Think I might be leaning cease here today with lineup builders. Four teams with five or more projected total team runs Toronto, Houston, Colorado and Texas Colorado

Yeah, some other pictures I like Robbie Ray against the Nationals, and then some Max Freed as well as you mentioned him. And if you want some values pictures on your DK site. Two picture sites Jose Suarez and Austin both have been formidable to say the least. And another game I look at target is that Kansas City Arizona game and nine team nine game total. Lots of offense to be had with two pitchers and Davies and Heasley, So give me some of that action too.

All right, beautiful home runs, Bubba, it's been a slow week. What do you got on the home run call? I think you've you nailed last week.

And I'm three for five. I miss Thursday, Pascantino. They're not good. Three for five on the year, so.

Okay, three for five. Pretty good?

What do you got?

Then I'm gonna stay a little different, not go to course field, and I'm going to target that Kansas City pitching in Heasley, and I'm going with Christian Walker, who's an absolute monster. Lefties and righties are both hitting easily with a ton of power. He's a lot of f balls, no strikeouts. So the dback should be fun tonight. Give me some Christian Walker.

I like that.

I am going to go with Salvey. I'm gonna go on the other side of it. I'm gonna go with Savador Perez. We've got Francisco Lindor for mayor and we've got Alex Bregman for Wonkey. Almost picked Alex Bregman, so I'll be looking out for that.

Doctor.

Glenn says seven and one thirds, two earned runs, eleven k's. It's a big strikeout number.

Domin an Audi.

That's a pretty good outing for me.

I would think, like, yeah, I gave up a couple of runs, but guess what, you know what, Like I need run support if I'm gonna win, and I got massive run support from Bubba today, We're able to.

Take that down.

The last thing I would say this is an interesting one, Wonkey saying, have we discussed the Gunner Henderson call up? So there's a rumor, ye, and I try to confirm it. I don't see anything more than the rumor. I don't see an official thing that Gunner Henderson from the Orioles is getting.

The call up, because today is.

The official start of where a prospect can be called up and.

They will will not lose. They will not lose.

Oh okay, you see that. Well we can still talk about this, Wonkye saying that it wasn't official, but today's the first day that a player cannot lose their prospect eligibility.

Going into next season.

So you might we and we might be on the precipice of seeing some of these guys, Gunner Henderson being one. Now it is rumors, an innuendo, but it's important to talk about because the rumor came out late yesterday that Gunner Henderson was not with Norfolk and the rumor is that he would be traveling and might be with the team in the next couple of days, but he was not playing. And this is a big one because Gunner Henderson. If you're going to pick up a prospect, Gunner Henderson,

So it is not official, but there is a rumor out there that.

Gunner Henderson might be up, So why not just go and pick him up, and then maybe while you're at it, pick up a little Corbyn Carrol and maybe don't pick up all those rookies. If you're a winning team, maybe I would suggest that as well. Bubba too, Yes, I think you would agree with that. It isn't broke, don't fix it sometimes?

Yeah, what do you got going on this week?

The usual Bench with Bubba coming at you Tuesdays and Thursday. Actually have a Wednesday episode as well. This week's three episodes A Bench with Bubba coming up, quick hits for dfs Monday through Friday, Written Continent, Fantasy Pros, and much much more.

So.

Check me out on the Twitter there at be the Intric. You get all the good stuff and things, and I'll be back with you next Tuesday.

Love it, love it be the intric on Twitter. Is it the Welsh for me? You can come and check out. I am powering through. We're going to see how today goes. We've got a couple hour stream on the Twitch. Bog and I are going to be playing Maden against each other again, which I reached quit last time. We'll see what happens there and we'll see how I can recover from a sitgate and see how tomorrow goes. Because it is a wonky Wednesday, we're going to release and unveil

That's it. Peanuts and cracker Jacks. Thank you.

I think I made it through. I think talking actually made it better. I thought it was going to make it worse.

So I think I got through for Babba. I am Welsh, peanuts and cracker Jacks. Thank you guys so much.

Right here on Fantasy Pros, it's leading off and we are out of here.