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Hello everybody, and welcome back in to another episode of the cycle. I am your host today, Mike Maher and I am joined by not Ryan Warmley, but Kelly Kirby and Kelly how are you doing today?
I'm doing pretty well. I think the last time that we did this was when I podcasted from Heaven, so I upgraded. I upgraded for today, so I'm excited to be back.
Yeah, you have the Betting Pros backdrop. You have very for people watching on YouTube. She has very fun red glasses that match her Cubs jacket, much more stylish than the guy wearing a black shirt with a navy blue hat. But I've been told that navy blue and black you can do that. Now. It's not like it's no longer like a fashion, no note, You're allowed to do it.
So I take full advantage and do it all the time. Absolutely, all right, So you're all you all have the pleasure of having me hosts today, and everyone knows how wonderful and energetic a host I am. And so let's get right into it, and let's do so this first segment. You know, for people who are new to it or people coming back, the cycle used to be like one
long video, but now it's split into threes. And so you're going to kind of like have him released over the weekend on both audio and video, so you can get him in kind of like smaller, more digestible segments for the n season version, which we think works well. This first segment we're going to do rounding the bases and up first. I have a couple of players I wanted to talk about that I put in there in
the first note. I put in there that you seem like you might have some thoughts on is Sandy alcontre cooked because I know I recently wrote him up as a buy low and since then things have not gone well. They've actually gone even worse, and it's concerning. I would say, but what's your concern level, And I would send the question to you, is Sandy Lgandra cooked or or is he still a by low?
Yeah? When you put that in there and I told you, I'm like, well, that should be a short conversation because I fear that he is. I don't like any of the numbers that he's been putting up lately. And that is coming from someone I was really really high on him in draft season. So it is that is an l that I am pretty much taking on my first if I am concerned about everything control speed, it's he's just getting hit so hard that it just doesn't look like he's he's back, and I wonder if he can
make it further back. So yeah, right now, I mean you can buy him low, but you need to buy like we're talking like low, like Jake McCarthy low. So be very very careful.
Yeah. I would bet in some shaller leagues he's he's dropped too, because I know a couple of weeks ago, in the YouTube comments and on Discord, people were already asking if they could drop him, and I was like, no, no, he's going to turn things around, but he's a bilo, don't dare drop him. And then he did. He did throw a quality start against the Reds in there, not like his most efficient start, but it was fine, and then he just got chased out of the building by
the Dodgers. Two and two thirds innings, seven are in runs, five walks, two strikeouts, seven hits allowed. It was it was as ugly as it gets. And like I said, I'm someone who wrote him up as like a Bilow. I was like, the stuff still looks okay here. I just think he needs to find his control. I'm still kind of in that in that boat where, like you know, it's hard to say in LEAs where I need pitching. I don't know what I'm willing to give up to
get him. It's kind of more of like if you drop him, I'll pick him up, but I'm not going to trade anything meaningful for him right now, unless it's like unless we're flipping you know, like a like a bi low hitter, Like I don't know, maybe would you do like a Christian Walker or is that even that too much to give up for him?
Right now?
That's way too much to give up for him, I think. I mean, I'm looking at his stack cast, like his you know, his era is currently eight point three one. His expected era is just it's lower, but at six point four one, his you know, he's still got a great ground ball percentage, but his hard hit percentage is like forty six point four and you're just not going to be able to survive with that. And his walk rate is like fourteen something, which is six points higher
than his normal career average. And you know, if you're giving up a war and letting everybody hit the ball freaking hard off, you like, where's where's that going to go? So no, no, not Christian Walker. Joey p would would be yelling at you at this point, like bro me, you think I think he would brow you in pretty hard.
Yeah, so that's fair. I'm just I'm trying to be more optimistic. His velocity is also down, but like not down a ton, it's down like a mile per hour. Maybe it's a little bit less than mile per hour. I just kind of feel like he's gonna get back, Like I also am holding out hope that I mean, this is this could not be going worse for the Marlins as a team. That is like definitely going to trade him this year because of the of like the
range of outcomes here. There's one, maybe he's still hurt or you know, dealing with something either like you know, still not all the way back from his injury, or dealing with some other injury. There's two. It's just that he's just not the same picture anymore, because even like he was really he was good in twenty twenty three, but like not like he was, you know, and a lot of us chalk that up to, like, you know, that was kind of like leading up to the Tommy
John surgery. A lot of times you're dealing with something before that diagnosis because you're like, you know, whether it's your velocity or control, like something is just doesn't feel right and that can affect the numbers. So I know,
I was kind of like buying into that. I was like, no, those numbers are inflated just because of the injury, and now he's going to be back, so there's the possibility he's just not going to ever be at that pre twenty twenty three level anymore, which is definitely a real possibility.
And then there's the possibility that he turns things around, and they really need that to happen as a team now that it really matters for the Marlins, They're always going to do what they're gonna do and not spend money, but they need him to be good so they can they can trade him, which is what I'm really banking on in fantasy, because right now, even if you acquire him, you're not going to get any wins within pitching for
the Marlins. So you know, I would love for him to go do somewhere like my Red Sox if he can turn things around. I assume the Dodgers will probably acquire him for nothing and just like add him as like their SP nine just in case.
Sure. When Justin Steele went down, I immediately texted my dad and brother and was like, go get al Contra. And you know, of course now now I'm taking the l from them too, So yeah, it is. It's ugly, but I could see him the SP nine in LA. I think that's perfect.
If we'll talk about this in another segment, But I feel like if I'm a major league team right now, I might call the Marlins and see what the price is because I don't want to wait for it to go up, and like, you know, I might rather like see if as an mL you know, like it's the one thing in fantasy to buy a low but as an MLB team, i'd give a call. They'll probably hang up on you and be like, no, we can't trade this bag of rocks right now for for what you're
offering the other player. I want to talk about someone that I've talked about a lot, a lot in the off season, and I took a lot of heat for the amount of shares I have of him because everyone knows that what happens every single year. And that's Mike Trout who left the game, uh yesterday, this we're recording on Thursday. He left the game Wednesday with knee soreness, the same surgically repaired knee from from last year. Not great. They said, it's precautionary. But don't love that, you know,
don't love Don't love him leaving a game. Nope, And I you know, I tweeted it out like we almost made it to May. We almost. We had a full April out of him. We almost made it to May, and like the batting average wasn't good, but we already had a bunch of home runs. I put in the sheet everybody panic. I know, you know, my fantasy baseball strategy this year was essentially Mike trot or bust because I took him at what I considered to be a value in so many leagues that you know, if he
went down, it wasn't gonna be pretty for me. I don't even know what to ask you there. I feel like I know what your what your thoughts on thoughts are, what's your level of concern here for for you know, the other said it's just precautionary, but it's that same knee.
Yeah, I mean, I feel like nothing with Trout is every precautionary. I think it always turns into like caution and then panic and then he's gone till July. It's I think it wasn't this almost a year to the day, because I had him last year, and I swear he got into it on like April twenty ninth. Yeah, because I made I made kind of the same thing where
I was like, well, almost got to May. I drafted him nowhere because it was just I was risk averse this year, mostly for having to deal with it last year. So no, I thought of you instantly, I was just like, oh, that is every league for him. And then I realized we got to do this podcast, and I'm like, I'm like, oh, perfect, exactly, like this is just this is you know, this is
him this, and I feel terrible for him. He's a great player, but from a fantasy perspective, it's just, you know, availability is important, and here we go.
So exactly, good luck. Yeah, he played twenty nine games last year and none of them were in May, so it must have been like right around the same day. Yeah, seems like a really you know, he's a great player, seems like a really nice kid Eagles fan. I love that. I love that about him. But yeah, I mean I knew the risk I was taking when I drafted him, but I felt like he was going late enough that I was like, even if I get like a half
a season out of him, it's still worth it. But only getting April out of him would not be ideal. And kind of like you said, they're saying it's just precautionary, but like it feels like in the past he would like miss a game and they're like, oh, it's just precautionary and then like done for the year, like we just don't see him again. It's like, oh, actually that Soornie needs to be amputated and so you know, we
don't ever see him again. Yeah, it doesn't feel good to be someone who has Mike Drout and just about every league. Did you also see I put it in the sheet. I don't know if you clicked on it. Did you also see, like if any team, any MLB team was going to do this, it would be the Angels. Did you see what happened with their pitchers yesterday?
I did not.
I didn't even know this was a rule. You know, I've been watching baseball a long time. I didn't even know this was like a rule. And credit to the umpires. I don't know if they had to like call someone or if they just like knew this, but credit to them for knowing. Because the Angels had two pictures go
out to the mound at the same time. They had Ryan Johnson from the dugout and Jake Eater I guess this is his name from the bullpen, and so it was like Spider Man me, like two pitchers standing on the mound, and then I guess by Rule Johnson, who came from the dugout, had to face at least one batter. But I was just like, you know, we're already gonna talk about Mike Trout. What is more Angels and dysfunction
than sending two pictures to the mound? Something that never even happened to me in Little League.
I think about the Angels sometimes just in terms of, you know, yeah, the Rockies are terrible, the White Sox are historically terrible, the Marlins are terrible. But you look at the Angels and it's just always that question of like the talent is occasionally there and has been there kind of consistently, and just nothing and weird stuff like this happens to them and you're just you're just kind
of it amazes me, Yeah, I guess. And for them to be, you know, down the road from the Dodgers, I'm kind of like, you know, you could just copy that, but obviously they're not going to do that. So yeah, it's very angel That is a very Angels thing because it's just weird, not dumb, just weird.
Yeah, And they're just this organization where it just like never goes well and they're not even one of those organizations that's extremely cheap. They're not like the Marlins, like they spend money. They just spend it poorly. They spend right.
Yeah, I mean the rendn't contract alone, like you know, you just you just kind of look at it going there. They went after talent. They just never bothered to ask if he liked baseball.
Yeah, that seems like an important part of the interview because it seems like the answer is now, and he basically said now. But like the Angels, if you are struggling with your lineup pocisions, consider the Fantasypro's Lineup Assistant, where our Lineup Assistant recommends optimal lineups and suggestions to
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And I know I use it a lot, just like I use the Draft Wizard and Draft Season. One thing, since I'm in like eight or nine leagues this year, one thing I really enjoy about it is if there's like a new player that's going to be available on waivers, whether it's like a prospect or someone I want to add. You know, I have like a couple daily leagues where I can just go and see he's available real quick. But I can just go and like put his name,
type his name into Fantas Bros. And pull up all my leagues and see like, okay, he's a free agent in this league. I have him in this league already. Another team has him in this league. And so that's a really cool feature that I feel like, we's your promote more because I find it very cool.
M Yeah, for sure. I have a couple of leagues that are on platforms that can't sink yet, and one of them, I'm just like, can we just please move this to Yahoo so I can just go in every day and be like line upset. Thank you. It just makes everything so much easier if you play in more than one league. So platform is that Oh fan tracks?
Oh you can't sing for it.
We can't do lineup position with fan tracks yet.
Oh but you can still Yeah you can still see the.
You can still see it. It's just I mean, I'm I'm uber lazy. I wanted to just do it for me, And there's a button in there that you can literally just hit right, So I mean the lineup system's perfect. Do it?
I got youa Yeah, I thought you could sink it all no, you can sing, because I have all my Dynasty leagues are on fan tracks, mostly because sleeper reduces to add baseball. All right, second base Here, we run the first round a second I put in picture returns here, and so a few of these pictures have already returned and a few are returning soon. And so I'm going
to kind of get your thoughts on them. I don't know we need to rank them rest of season, but we can kind of gauge your interest on them rest of season. So I'll just run through the list and then i'll talk it to you. So Tony Gonsolin top of the list because he returned last night for the Dodgers and looked really good. Six shut out innings, six hits, nine strikeouts, exactly what you wanted from Tony Gonslin. Lucas
Giolito returned last night as well. He looked really really good for five and two thirds innings and then really not great for one third of an inning. It looked like he was also on his way to six shot out innings, and then he kind of got squeezed at one point and then he walked. I forget who he walked. I'm forgetting now, But he basically walked one batter, I guess it was maybe George Springer, and then on an O two count he was trying to put Dalton Varshaw away,
and you could he was. He had like pinpoint control all night. He was just like dotting his fastball and his The broadcast actually kind of jinxed him because I was watching the game and they were like, you know, he hasn't even like missed with any of these change ups. He's really like getting it down on his own. And then it was like boom. He tried throwing an O two change up like you didn't want to throw it in the zone, and we're right down the middle that
one for a two run home run. The next batter, Alejandro Kirk, who I believe you had in the leading off home run con test, also homeward, and so he went from six shot out innings to six innings three earned runs in a flash. And then also to add insult injury, the Red Sox had a six nothing lead that the bullpen then lost, and the Red Sox not only did Geolito not get the win, but the Red Sox also ended up losing the game in extras. But
still despite all that stuff. A really exciting debut for Geoledo. I thought, I'm not really sure what to expect from him coming out, but he looked pretty good. Tobias Myers has now been back for two starts. He's someone that I added in a bunch of leagues, not a high ceiling, but someone who I feel just was solid last year, like much more solid than I anticipated. Not very solid in his two starts back six between over the course of his two starts six total innings, four and runs,
seven walks, five strikeouts. So I'll stop there. Those are the three that have already returned, and then I'll stop there. Thoughts on any of those three, either like their debuts or rest of season value.
I mean, I like Gonsolin, uh not for the strikeouts. I think that if he can just kind of keep doing that the whip in the one point zero to one point one five range, I will take that because the win equity with the Dodgers is so high. But but the warning obviously is like he's not going to strike out nine guys every game. He's probably won't come close for the rest of the season unless he figured something out that we don't know about. But I laughed.
I laughed the Patriots Day when the Red Sox play, you know, at four o'clock in the morning, because I feel like, like three years in a row, Gilito started that game and like for the White Sox or for the Red Sox, and they were he was so bad, And when he pitches in the morning, I just laughed
because I was expecting him. But yeah, I mean he's he's a dangerous pitcher, I feel like for fantasy because he's he's going to have games where he blows up, but he's one where that strikeout rate should stay, you know, a strikeout Perennian somewhere in there, which is good. And then with Myers, I have him in a couple of leagues as well. You just sort of have to eat the whip he's going to give you because he's also
going to strike out. When he gets against teams that strike out at a high rate, he will get them, but he's also going to walk them. So it's a I'm in order. I'm mostly like I want Gonsolin. I think you have him in the right order Gonsolin Julietle Myers in terms of interest, Yeah.
That's where I would have him too. I added Gonsolin in a couple of leagues, mostly because in those leagues I flipped pitching depth for hitting, which I desperately needed. And I was like, I'll just figure out pitching going forward. Well, you know, the ship's going down. We're either got to start throwing some stuff overboard and change things up over
going down. And so I was just like, you know, I'm just going to stream pitchers like Giulido and Gonsolin and see how long I can steer the ship in the right direction. I yeah, I'm interested in all of them rest of season. Like I'm not that excited about Myers right now based on the debut, but I'm hoping it's just kind of like getting the cop shaking the cobwebs off. So now for three pictures whose returns are imminent. Ranger Suarez, who listeners of the show will recognize as
the best picture in baseball, is set to return on Sunday. Finally, for Phillies fans, you can only hope that means the end of Taiwan Walker, but with that contract they gave him, you never know. Brandon Woodruff is someone that I'm very I actually drafted him in a couple of leagues just ash him because I'm very excited about him. I didn't love what I read about him though, like his most recent rehab outing when they said all they want like
one more rehab outing. His velocity is down, like pretty significantly, around like ninety two miles an hour. And that's especially concerning because he's a fastball pitcher, like he's I put a note in here like like he's a sixty percent off. His pitchures are either fastballs or sinkers, and so if his velocity is down, that's a problem. And so I'm trying not to panic too much because it could just be you know, this is his spring training. You know, we see pictures all the time show up a spring
training velocity isn't necessarily there. They're hoping it comes back. That being said, I wish it was higher than it was. And then Lance mccallor's is apparently going to return. We talked about him a week or two ago because of I think Worm's two start pitcher was Hunter Brown, and I was like, I think Lance McCullers might return this week. You might not get two starts out of him, but he did not, But it sounds like he's going to return now feels like we haven't seen him in a
really long time. And I can't say that I have a ton of interest there. But what are your thoughts on these three in terms of like interest value rest of season or even in the short term.
Yeah, I mean I'm interested in Suarez, not because he's the best picture in baseball on the cycle, but just again, his numbers can be serviceable, right Like at this point with injuries, He's one that I'm not necessarily for to pick up. I'm not excited to pick up, but I would have no problem getting him Woodraff. I'm in the same boat as you. I drafted him a few different places, like with my last pick, just kind of let's see
what we've got. And yeah, I mean, you know, I'm kind of hoping he's like the anti Sandy el Contra. You know where El Contra looks so good in spring training and then just everything went off. But you know, what he's been dealing with is just it's a scary injury and so the ability to come back from it. I have him, but I probably won't start him right away because I want to see what this is going to look like, and then I have no interest in my colors. I pretty much have never had interested in
the colors. When his name was on here, I was just like, what is it happening in? What year is it? But now I get to text my friend Nick, and because he loves my colors, so it'll be it'll be fun to talk to him today. So that's my interest in him is getting to text my friend Nick. That's it.
At least you have a reason. I don't have any reasons to be interested other than you know, like maybe like a really deep dynasty league or so somewhere where you know, rosters are big and I can just kind of stash him and see what happens. But yeah, I don't. I don't have a ton of a ton of interest there, even though, which is like sad to say, because he used to be a really good picture. It's just like
impossible to know what to expect. And it's definitely not like there are some of these pictures, you know, whether it's like a young upcoming prospect or a veteran coming back. Sometimes I want to be early, and you know, let me let me get in there early, grab him a week early, stash him and then put him out there for his first couple of starts and like, see what happens. You know, if it doesn't go well, you know, I'll take the lump. He's someone I don't want to be early.
Like I'm willing to be late on him. I'm willing to you know, if he comes out really good, it looks really good, maybe I'll put in a bit and see see how it goes. But like, I won't be upset if I don't if I don't get him, and I'm not willing to take that initial risk of you know, his first first appearances back now, third Base, I wanted to do We've done this on the on the show in the past, but it felt like now that we're a month in and we've seen, you know, some decent performances.
You know, we have a decent amount of data to look out for these players. I wanted to do real or not real, and I don't think it has to be necessarily black and white, you know, like this player is good, this player is bad, but just in terms of what they're doing right now, all these players are off to really good starts. And I want to get your thoughts on if you think let's say instead, let's say it's like a scale of real or not real, like is it more real or more not real as
opposed to black and white. So the first player I wanted to put on there is someone that I just I feel like I should have added him in more leagues early on, because I just thought it was like, all right, he's gonna do this for a week and then we won't see him again. He's been doing it
for a month. Jorgete Planco looks really really good and probably needs to be rostered everywhere, especially if he has I don't know if he has third based eligibility everywhere or if that's just a Yahoo thing, but if he has third base eligibility, he definitely needs to be rostered. It might just be like second in other places, but really really good. He's betting eighty four with nine home runs and a stolen base, and it kind of looks legit. It kind of looks like he's just kind of back
and maybe he's like healthy. What are your thoughts on Hori plancoor real or not real?
I would say he's as close to fully real at this point as he's going to get, if that makes sense, Like you know, he's he's hanging out at an eleven point three strikeout rate. I can he keep that up? I have no idea. His career strikeout rate is like nineteen and he was so bad last year, and I think like with the injuries and how the Mariners just
had no offense, like so I'm definitely intrigued. I wouldn't have any problem training for him, And for sure, if he has third base eligibility, I would I would hold on to him no problem, because.
Yeah, yeah, I wonder.
I think it's more real than that everywhere or.
Yaho thing or Yaho gives everybody eligibility everywhere. I was interested to get your thoughts on this player because we talked about him a few maybe two weeks ago. He's someone I considered for Cell High candidate at the time, and I ended up talking myself out of him being a sell High candidate just because I couldn't find a reason that what he was doing wasn't legit. I think those numbers have come down to earth a little bit now. But what about Jung Hu Lee? Real or not real?
I think he's real. But I had the same feeling as you where I was like, let's I'm not sure about the power being real. So when he was really on that run, I thought, you know, is he gonna Is he gonna slug five twenty six for the rest of the season. I don't think so. But I also his betting average alone kind of makes him real to me. So yeah, I would call him real, I think at this point. But I had the same I remember having exactly the same thoughts as you on selling high for him.
Yeah, I will say that when I looked at his stackcast page a couple of weeks ago, I mean, it's still very red. It was like all red, and now some of that has kind of like scaled back down, so he seemed to be slowing down a little bit. But I would lean like, maybe right on the middle, you know, the mean meatia in whichever middle word do you want to use of real or not really, he's
right there in the middle. Now, this other name is someone I definitely wanted to get your take on, especially as a Cubs fan, because I talked about him a little bit last week. I kind of stuck my nose up him a little bit, and so I'm want to see if you want to push back on Pete Crow Armstrong or not real or not real?
I think Pete Krow. Armstrong is also sitting kind of in that median spot where, like looking at his stat cast page, everything is just right in the center. So I feel like he has some value. He's got the speed obviously, but it's not like if you can get something good for him, if someone is willing to buy high, I would be okay moving him at this point as
a Cubs fan, he's super fun. Obviously, I want him to keep doing what he's doing, but statistically speaking, I feel like there's going to be a drop and if you want to get out now is probably a good time. But if you do want to hold on for the stolen bases, I mean, I don't think he's gonna hurt you. He's just not going to be doing this for the rest of the year.
Yeah, I thought of some about some of what he was doing was a little fluky. What about Tyler Soderstrom.
I love Soderstrom, so I'm going to say that he's real. Everyone keeps talking about trying to, you know, sell him high, and I just don't know why you would. He's still playing in a minor league park, he's still his ex slog is still at five sixty eight, so I'm I'm fine holding onto him. I also don't think first space is all that deep power wise anymore, so I don't know where else you're going to get him, So I have no problem. I would say that he is ninety percent real.
Yeah, I just traded for him in one of our leagues. I want to say I flipped Freddy Perta for him. I can't remember exactly. I think that's I think that was the deal Freddy Prout for Tyler Soderstrom. Also, he's been playing a lot of left field. Actually watched him make a pretty nice play in left field last night.
So outfield eligibility would also be be helpful, especially in I'm in a couple leagues where I kind of like I have a bunch of first basemens, so I've like I loaded up my first base uder and field and utility spot, and I could really use another outfielder. So I'm excited about that. What about Nick Pavetta.
Yeah, I mean I don't I don't really believe in in Pavetta. I've never really believed in him, so yeah, Like, I mean, what he's doing is really great, and you know, San Diego is a nice park to pitch in. But like I think that, I think the wheels could come off on him. So I would put him below the median in terms of real and if I had him, I would definitely be looking to see if I could flip him for something.
Yeah, I just feel like, if you can tell how you should. I've seen this movie before and it always ends up in him in four Zra with a lot of strikeouts, and that's just it's just what that movie is. It's a good movie, but you know that's what it is. Hunter Brown, really or not real?
Yeah, I think he's doing pretty much exactly what I thought he was going to do this year. And his era is a little low, it's going to bounce back up a little bit, but it's still under his expected as under three. His strikeout rate is right in line with kind of where he normally, and he's cut down the walks, which he did after May last year, like and we talked about that. I mean, how many times did we talk about that on podcasts, Like after May thirty first last year he was phenomenal, And so I
think he's just picked back up. So yeah, I would he's one hundred percent reel in my world.
Yeah, I think so. Too. I think the second half last year was the beginning of the breakout, and I think we're seeing the breakout now. And then Nick Lidolo.
I like Lidolo.
I you like him or do you like like him?
No?
I just like him.
Yeah.
I mean he's not one I'm going to seek out, but he if you have him, I'd hold on to him. Does that make sense? Like he's kind of in that middle range. I think he's good, but he's not something that I'm unless I can get him for nothing, I'm not going to search him out.
Yeah. I feel like I've I've had him for a long time in dynasty leagues, and I've kind of always wanted him to be better than what he is, and so I'm happy that we're finally seeing a little bit of it. But it also seems a little fluky, and I think some of the expected numbers kind of kind of show that as well.
I mean, he has a three he has a three five percent walk rate. That's not gonna that's not going to stay there.
So yeah, zero point eighty six whip batting average against one ninety four, bad bit two fourteen. You know, there's some regression coming, negative regression I know, I know the chat likes when I when I defined positive and negative regression for sure. All right, well, let's close it out with home plate. And I was originally going to do some news notes and injuries, which which is a lot of times what we do here, but I feel like we've already touched on some of those in other ways.
So I found this story on MLB dot com that I thought was interesting that I sent to you right before the show calls seven burning questions, where they're kind of looking at as you would expect seven questions for the rest of the season in baseball. But I thought we're interesting. There may or may not be some fantasy irrelevance here, but I thought it was interesting enough to take a quick look at it, and so I'll just
kind of go through them. We can go pretty quickly, because you know, it's not the most fantasy relevant thing here, and I don't want to get people grumbling, but I thought it was interesting. Aaron Judge obviously, you know, if he wasn't already like one of the best hitters in baseball, the best hitter in baseball is just off to another ridiculous start. In addition to power their first burning question was how long can Judge stay around batting four hundred?
Can it be for the Do you think he has a realistic shot at batting four hundred this year?
I do if other teams figure out they should just walk him, Like where what are we? I mean, I don't know why the Orioles ever pitched him, so I think he could hang out. I would see if he's going to lose it. My guess would be in mid August. I think I think he'll stay up there for a while.
So yeah, especially if you know, we find out that Major League Baseball is using special Aaron Judge balls again, which you know would only help him even more. It's a shame that Worm is not on that episode because their next burning question is can the Orioles turning around? They're already at the bottom of the AL East, and it's going to be a competitive division. It's gonna be a hard one to dig out of. I mean, I have my own thoughts. What are your thoughts on the Orioles.
I felt in the off season they didn't make any moves pitching wise, and that's coming back to haunt them. And Gunner got off is off to a still start because of injury. So I mean they might be able to turn it around, but I don't know how they compete back in that division.
Yeah, Worm took a lot of heat for including Gunner Henderson as a buy low because people didn't think you could actually buy low on him. I think you can buy low lower than what his value really is. You just just still don't have to give up a lot to get him. But he did this to me last year too. I have him in our keeper league, and he started a little last year too, So I'm moping for fantasy that he can just for baseball in general, he can turn it around. But yeah, I had the
same thoughts. The Reels lost Corbyn Burns. They didn't really do a whole lot to add pitching. The pitching that they do have is banged up, and they just they're running the ghost of Charlie Morton out there, which isn't which isn't working for them. And then they have top prospects that they refused to play, so that does not be there. What about the NL West? Their third burning question was can the NL West keep this up?
I mean, if it was still that unbalanced schedule and they all got to play the Rockies.
I was gonna say it should be the l The question should be the could the NLS minus the Rockies keep this up? Although maybe it's could the NL West be this good? And are the Rockies the worst team I've ever seen? Because we all thought it was going to be the White Sox, it might be the Rockies.
Right, Yeah, I mean, I think one of the four is going to fade. I'm not sure which one, but otherwise, yeah, I mean, I can I can see lots of wildcard teams coming out of that division because they just are all stacked.
So, yeah, they're I thought the Dodgers were going to run away with that division. It's a lot closer than I thought it was going to be. I feel like the Padres, Giants, and Diamondbacks are all kind of over overperforming, like to an extent. But I think they're all good. So we'll see. And like you said, playing the Rockies, you know, that's a you know, good medicine to have
whenever you're you know, whatever, you get cold. Their fourth one is will Ronald Acunya turbocharge the Braves resurgence because it's getting late early in Atlanta.
Yeah, I'm going to say no, like, just I.
Know that's all I have fantasy purposes. I hope you will. Because I also stashed him. I was also hoping he would kind of like be back by now, or at least maybe not back by now, but like you know, we'd be talking rehab assignment. But like it seems like they're really slow playing this with him, which I wish I knew that before I drafted him and stashed him, because I was like, all right, he's already kind of around his spring training. Let's give him like most of April.
He'll be on the rehab assignment by the end of April. I'll get him mid May. And like now it's like, oh, he's started running in the outfield, but we don't have a timetable, and I'm like, well, that's not great. Like Brave need him now more importantly.
I need him now definitely more importantly.
Yeah, how about a different West Division? Also the other thing not to go back for the Braves, but the Braves are playing the Dodgers again, and it's like I feel like, these poor Braves, I got them to such a slow start, and it's like I feel like every time I turn around, they're paying the Dodgers, who emerges in the crowded Al West.
I mean, I can tell you I want it to be on the athletic like a lot, but I yeah, I guess I would go with Houston just because if Gilbert is out for a long period of time then I think that really hurts Seattle's chances of being able to stay with them. And I'm just not a big Rangers believer, but they they might give they would give them a run, So I would go Astros Rangers in that order.
Yeah, that's that's kind of where I'm at too. That does feel like the most wide open division because the Angels are twelve and seventeen. But even there, you know, that's probably better than what we were expecting for them, and it just the athletics, especially if like Kurts can get going. That offense can be really good, especially in that a net ballpark is a real X factor of just like offense, offense, offense, and they can just out hit everyone at home. I don't think they're going to
have lasting power though. I think it's probably gonna end up being like the Astros just seem to win this division always, so I assume it'll just be the Astros again, and if the Rangers lose to grom at some point, which you know we'll see, that would hurt them too for sure. On our next video, I also have a I'm going to talk about Rangers pitcher, So if you want to check out our next video, and we talk about Waivers and bileus so high, we'll could talk some
more Rangers. So two more here and then we get out of here. Will the trade market open early again? Because there was some early trades last year? I believe Luis Ariaz is the name they mentioned. He was traded like right around now, maybe been traded on Star Wars Day, I don't remember. So do you think the trade market opens up early again? You know this time the most likely candidate unfortunately be Sandy al Contra, and it doesn't sound like he's getting moved early based on how he started.
Right, Yeah, I mean, I think it depends on how much the Dodgers panic given their pitching situation, Like if they get to SP fifteen sixteen, like will they start to really kind of move things around. Cubs are in sort of the same boat where I mean, their offense is fantastic, their pitching is like what should we do here, So I think it'll get going a little bit earlier, but I mean I wouldn't look I doubt as early as last year.
Also confirmed it was Star Wars Day, May fourth traded. May the fourth be with you?
Yeah, I think i'd look more June.
How about will we see Otani pitch? This might be the most interesting one for fantasy?
This is by far the most interesting one for fantasy. I mean, judges doing what Judge is doing? I I just don't know. I don't know if they I it's the same question, right, like how deep into their rotation our injury is going to go before they are like, okay, fine, we'll ramp him back up, because I mean that's going to take a little bit of time. It's going to take, and it's just going to take some energy and focus away from his hitting, which has been so like this
year it's been interesting. But like he's such a good player. So I would say, no, I think they hold him and then give him the full year next year. That's my guess.
Yeah, It's it's interesting because he like he started like ramping up and then they shut him down, and like now he's throwing bullpens again and I'm like, what's going on here? Like is he can a picture or not? I wonder if they're gonna kind of kind of like save him until like getting ready for the playoffs, like you know, like ramp him up and at the end of the season and then having the playoffs, because there were rumors that you could pitch in the playoffs last year,
which I thought was was ludicrous. Then again, Code Senga pitched in the playoffs last year, and that was a great idea.
It really went well, Yes for sure, Yeah.
You really want to make your season debut in the playoffs for here, all right, we'll wrap it up there. We have a couple more segments to get to. If you enjoyed this, or even if you didn't check out, make sure you check out the next two videos of the cycle. The next one, as I mentioned, we're gonna be talking waiver wire ads, bilos Sell High and then
some deep league targets as well. And then for the final video or audio if you prefer these on audio, we're gonna talk pitching pitching streamers to start, pitchers and pitchers to target for your weeks. And so for Kelly Kirby, I am Mike Mayer and thank you for stopping by.
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball podcast. If you love the show, the best freeway to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow us on x, Instagram, and TikTok at Fantasy Pros, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash Fantasy Pros MLB