Hello, and welcome to Waken Jake. It's Tearless season and we're going out to the Left Coast left field. I liked the left field position. There is more quality than I thought. The tops a little ugly, but there's a lot of beef and a lot of potential. Speaking of both of those words, Jolly Olive is here. How are you, Jolly?
I'm good, Jake. It's been a minute we've been gabbin today, though.
We have been gabin uh talking baseball. We pre recorded a couple tierlests, so it's been a minute since we've actually been in the lab. So I'm excited to grind it out with you and King Beebes today and as our tier list, we like to start off with some tears and I think we've done good.
Yeah, I think well to that.
I think we've done well so far. And thank you to everyone that's been tuning in and listening. People like the Tearless Man, Oh yeah, how about that? And everyone said they like Carabas more than you. I don't know what that's about. Fair, it's fair.
If the Tearless did bring you here, we'll subscribe. Thanks and the sorry it's okay.
At the top of the tier list we currently have moving stage left doesn't feel like an S tier, but I don't know what that even means. Ran out of hands in there? Is that about carrying groceries? Can you play left field? Its interesting third tier for the position. Thank you, sir, may I have another twenty twenty six S tiers young studs. It feels like what's left in the tank might have been a jolly one. And then at the bottom I put this maybe the bottom because
I think it's gonna be the bottom. We'll see if we need to separate those guys anymore. Happy Grape. We discussed the top of the list, and I think there's two names that are unequivocally on top of the left field position.
Yeah. He came to a pretty mutual agreement pretty quick on the two names that we thought should be up here. And it's interesting because you think of the S tiers and some of our other tierless and their names of the game faces of franchise, this type thing. But when you look at these two guys in the al and they are very very clearly at the pinnacle of left field player right now. In leftfield's a funky position. We're
going to get into it. But there is no real funk when it comes to Riley Green, who was just absolutely fantastic, very clearly the best position player on the Detroit Tigers, a team that was one went away from the Alcs. Last year. He fully broke out the former fifth overall pick with a five war year, twenty four home runs, was playing a lot of center field last year. Looks like he's going to be the primary left fielder, even though he was the primary left fielder last year.
So that war number may tick up, but I'm expecting big things. He's only going to be twenty four years old. The future is very bright in Detroit with him and Trek Scoogle, and yeah, when you look at cross the field in terms of guys that bring everything to the table in terms of glove speed, contact power, Riley Green has it all going for him.
Riley Green five and a half be war last year, twenty four years old. It seems like the light bulb is on. I this is a dumb little thing. You don't see a lot of baseball references that are just like an upward trajectory. Yeah, he came up as a twenty one year old, played ninety three games, six eighty two ops. He then as a twenty two year old, he played ninety nine games, seven ninety six ops. That's really good. Last year one hundred and thirty seven. It
all comes together eight twenty seven. It feels like there's more to that trajectory. And like you said, shifting over to left field, it's a big outfield. Then, Oh yeah, people forget that Riley Green is prime. I don't know, thirty homer season and good defense. Is that enough to be an S tier left fielder? I think so.
I think it is too. And I mean you can look at his month by month and a lot of his down months were when Parker Meadows wasn't really in the picture for the Tigers because he got sent down, had to fix his approach a little bit. And when Parker Meadows was down, Riley Green is playing more centerfield. Meadows comes up, he's the center fielder because he's a
great defender. Green moves to left and I think that might have had a positive impact on his offense, because he finished the year really strong, with an eight thirty seven OPS in September when they were winning basically every day the Tigers were, so that extrapolated over a full season. I'm pretty excited for Riley Green in twenty twenty five.
Extrapolate that.
Okay, Riley Green really bad numbers as a DH last year, so Tigers don't do that. That's my advice. He also the numbers were a little they fell right under a seven hundred ops vers lefties. He is in the position that he plays every day in the best way to get better at that is see more of it. So let's see his evolution there. And then there's an easy guy that joins him. I will introduce him because he plays for my favorite team.
Of course.
Jared Duran had an insane season last year that got overshadowed by three four other freak seasons in the AL. Last year, Bobby wit Gunner, Judgie and Soto. Jared Duran put up an eight point seven b war. That's some years, that's MVP level. He ended up eighth in the MVP. Cora called him out a little bit before the season. We need you to be our leadoff hitter. We need you to be a guy on this team. And he did.
He led the American League and I think all of baseball and played appearances at bats and triples thirty four stolen bases, an eight thirty four ohps with that kind of speed, another guy that's wrestled a little bit of center. It feels like the Socks are going to try to have him settle in left field. And I will say with all these outfield lists, and I saw some of the comments when we did right field, oh field gets a little tricky. We got a lot of guys hopping
around these days. Who's gonna be here, who's gonna be there? So we're doing our best people, you.
Know, getting ahead of the future controversy. Trout moved to right field after we did that one, so he might just not end up on teerless this year.
I like that for him. That's the current state of Mike Trout.
No pressure, Yeah, Jaron Duran eighth and MVP voting, which is nuts. I mean, I think it's like you have to compete with Vladdie and Wan Soto and Judge and Bobby Wit and Gunner. It's like you lose this in the cards of what was a terrific season. Something about this might just be me being a nerd. I love seeing the number seven in play appearances. When it gets to that seven hundred.
Mm that means you play a lot, means you.
Were out there every day, And like, I love that you bring up the core thing whenever we talk about him, because I do think that had a pretty decent effect on Duran kind of stepping into the player. He became at age twenty seventh the former seventh round pick, a little different than the fifth overall pick for Riley Green. Jared Duran makes it. He makes me excited for the Red Sox man. I mean he he starts that engine a little bit. Everyone's talking about the infield right now
with Bregman coming in and whereas ever's gonna play. You forget that this is a pretty talented outfield unit and the headliner is Jared Durant, who's coming off one of the better seasons of the twenty twenties. Just overall, it's tough when you compete in that Al East division with a ton of talented outfielders, but Jared Duran fully deserving to be in that S tier.
Yeah, in twenty twenty three, well, this is been Jared Duran was incredible. Last year twenty twenty four, he had the fifth best war It was uh show Hay, it was Judge wit Gunner in the AL and then show Hay was the only one in the NL. So it was the fifth best war on all of baseball, which is pretty nuts. And I just to try to make the scope a little better. It would have been the second best in twenty twenty three. Only show Hey would
have beaten him. So I mean Red Sox fans, if they really wanted, they could even make a push to put Jaron Duran alone on the S tier. If Riley Green out plays Jaron Duran this year, I don't think anyone would be surprised. Jared Duran has a little more help from his ballpark. Oh yeah, and his lineup, which I know some people still don't believe in that, but
I think it's a nice topping for these two. Moving stage left, let's put center field in our rearview, let's go out to left, let's make the plays, and let's hit a lot. Duran sets the tone for that lineup. And if I was corny, I would say the Tigers go as far as Riley Green takes them. But it's probably the five basically rookies they're starting, Yeah, and if they're good or not, So that's for your that's for talking Tigers. Please don't apply for that job position after them. Jolly,
I guess who's if you got one name next? Because I actually this is a pairing, so I don't know in the ran out of hands category, I well, no, I will, I will start over. You get one name, I say, Jared Duran, Riley Green. Okay, whatever your team needs, you need speed, you need power. Do you believe in Riley Green going to the next step? You can debate that all you want the next guy for left field? Oh, because I don't know if you believe in it.
My number three left fielders when you're asking me, I think it's Stephen Kwan, I think, but I'm I'm torn because Kwan does a lot, and he's also kind of my favorite kind of baseball player to watch. I really like watching contact hitors.
I just think you see him at spring training.
I saw him. I didn't get a chat with him. Rosie kind of hogged him a little bit. I didn't want to say anything because he was like a kid in a Candy Star Guardians camp, but he did HOGQN a little bit. Me and Will Brennan are tight. That's fine. Four war season last year, three straight gold gloves to start his career good, which might be the first time that ever happened. I don't know made that up that stat. I don't know, you believe it, that's up to you.
The slug was up last year, which has me excited moving forward. He had eleven home runs going into the year. He hit fourteen last year, which is pretty neat. So if he's adding that dimension to his game, there's a very distinct possibility that Kwan even nudges his way to the top tier.
Also, if I tuned you out, my apologies, but for war in one hundred and twenty two games.
Which puts him on six war Or which.
That was essentially his rookie year, yeah, that's like, yeah, real good.
That's Riley Green Jared durn tyket building, which by yeah, he did that his rookie season. So the reason I put Kwan three and the other guy who I'll let you talk about, four is because I think we don't exactly know how good it can get for Steven Kwan, which, by the way, Cleveland Guardians extend the man like now because you just got a bunch of money off your books.
Lock him sadly already a Yankee, and I can't believe you would.
You you don't even believe that. You don't believe that want to.
Kwan.
He's just a really fun player to watch him. A little bit biased towards him, for sure, but I think he among left fielders, I would put him in my top three.
Seeing Kwan's rookie year and seeing that he did miss action last year, it raises the eyebrow a little bit. I mean it's also it's a high risk. I know he upped his power numbers, but offensively, he's banking on being a contact bat, which is very hard in modern baseball. But he has the tool, and some of his numbers are so sick seeing his wrike out to walk numbers are insane. I mean, kind of kind of a dream
leadoff hitter. I know baseball's gotten away from that a little bit, but i'd obviously you want the show, Hayes or Judge or whoever. I'd like to see those guys with Stephen Kwan in front of that.
Right.
This is the ark, get a hit, get on base.
I mean you mentioned the walk to strike out rate. Two of his three years more walks than shrekouts career one hundred and eighty five walks to one hundred and eighty six strikeouts. That's just nice. They don't go defense and gold glove defense on top of all that.
And like we probably if the Guardians didn't value run prevention over everything, like for a lot of teams, Stephen Kwan probably would have been their center fielder, right and we'd be talking about is he one of the best center fielders in baseball? So I'm glad Stephen Kwan's up here. I was wondering if I would have any question marks that popped up with him. I don't know. I love the way he plays. Excited to see him on the Yankees.
I do want to pair him with uh if you go look at the gold Glove winners for left field for the past three years, Kwan Kwan, Kwan Hap hap hap. Are we too close to the situation? I don't think so, because I'm getting a switch hitting left fielder three straight gold gloves. His past three years are a one to eighteen ops plus. It is technically slightly ticked up each year one seventeen, one, eighteen one, twenty. Ian Happ will
be thirty this year. And man, hey, for everything we said about Riley Green being in the S tier like, can he get to thirty homers and play that elite defense? Ian Happ is switch hitting. He hit twenty five homers last year, and man switch hitting is still undervalued in baseball. Yes, and it just doesn't happen a lot that Ian Happ.
Jolly.
We play a lot of out of the park baseball, we do. I think if we came up to a Kwan Ian Hap draft pick selection, Kwan's a little younger, maybe maybe that's it. It's also depending how you want to build your team. These guys are so set it and forget it on any team, and I think that's why they ended up on this tier above a couple other names we really like. But I think if you're being honest, if everything's neutral, these guys are better all around ballplayers.
I mean, a big barometer we use for teerless is the last three years. It's last year and then the last three And the gold glove thing kind of fell into our lap, which is why we named it right out of hands, Right out of hands for your cold gloves. Hap in a different way to Kwan, where I said, like how good can Kwan get? We know how good happens because he's been literally the same dude. For the
past three years. He's been a four war player. He plays one hundred and fifty games, hits twenty home runs, and he's a switch hitter that is good on both sides. Like switch hitters are fairly uncommon in the game right now. What's even less common is a switch that's actually like a true switch hitter right that like doesn't have a weakness on one side. Happ is one of those guys. I think his contract is one of the best in baseball. Cups did a great job locking him up to that number,
and you just know exactly what you're gonna get. It's exactly what you said before in terms of like what can you set in your lineup and just kind of forget about Hap's been that way for a very long time now. I just think he gets discredited a little bit because even at Hap's best, Riley Green and Gerender and have outdone him, like in their recent season, which I think that's what we're banking on with the s here. It's like who who's the truly elite of this category?
Not saying that Hap can't be an elite player, but I do think that, like you probably know more or less what you're gonna get with Ian happ at this point.
Yeah, I guess if we were, if we did rude Tierless, which is not our brand, it's coming up next. Three nice guys here, that's not really a John Boy media thing. Assholes stand out, that's one of our companies inside things, not about the actual body. I guess for me, if we were Rude happen, Kwan kind of have a ceiling cap. Cap find Kwan offensively. I mean, I hope, I hope I'm wrong, and we're talking about him hitting three eighty or something like that, but the power is just not
going to be there in Hap. As much as I very much like the guy, it doesn't feel like there's a forty homer season in the tank or something like that that Riley Green in different stadium, I think we'd be talking about that. And Jared Duran the whole nine war thing. You don't see a lot of players with his speed be able to play baseball that good. So I like where it landed, and I think it did open up the next tier of can you play left field? Which, jolly,
I'm gonna expose you a little bit. My favorite thing to do. Of course, when we were initially talking about how do we think this sorts out? What names are you thinking of? You throw out one of my favorite players, one of my mom's favorite players, as you mentioned Anthony Santander.
It did.
As we talk about forty homer potential, throw potential out did it. I guess for him, he's never racked up a big war season because his defense is lacking. And this is a guy he feels like he's on a track towards d h that can you play left field. I'm very interesting to see how the Blue Jays handled the team that's valued outfield defense the most of the past few years. This was their big free agent splash Santander. It's an interesting offensive profile too. It's not perfect, it's
very good. I don't know what he can do in left field, so.
He's been a primary right fielder for most of his career. I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't know the park factors of corner outfields and Camden and Toronto. I don't have that in my book. I apologize. What I do know is that forty homers as a switch hitter is sick like. That's really valuable. And I said it earlier in the off season that I feel like so many people said that Santander was an overrated free agent that I feel like, by proxy he became an underrated
free agent. I still think that he's going to have really.
Good proxy a lot.
I feel like I'm on like a dictionary kick today, feel I'm whipping on all on new terms. I had two coffees today. I'm jazz doe with Santander. It is a little bit of like, how is your team constructed? And like if Santander is in an outfield with a lesser defensive center fielder that can't pick up some of the slack or shift over and help, then like, yeah, you view it a little bit differently. In the same way, he has the best home run potential of anyone on
this list. I think that's a pretty fair statement. I don't think anybody else is sniffing. You know, the forty four mark that he set last year. He said one hundred over the last three years, which is pretty bonkers when you think about it. So I don't know which to leftfield gonna kick things into gear for him the last three Yeah, it's my math right there. Let's say I think so one hundred and five babes.
Can you get me the one hundred over three list?
Basisball just baseball players over one hundred home runs last time?
Probably? So, so we'll see who else.
But would you say? Probably?
And I think it is I'm not great with his home No, I'm lost.
I'm sure every day next year. Point is Santan Derek gets a little bit discounted because war doesn't love him as much because of the defense. But that is why this teers named this. Can you play left field? Because if you can maintain that same level approach hitting, uh, then yeah, things are gonna tick up for you in a big way entering his age thirty season. For a lot of guys, that's a good thing. For some guys,
that's not such a good thing. We will see he's one of the more intriguing free agents going into this first season of a new deal.
For me, well, I've got something more intriguing because this was a laid ad that we didn't know if was going to be on this list. I didn't even this morning. I was like, I don't know if we.
I felt good about my insight on should he be there, but like I was nervous that it was just gonna be a whole thing.
Because there was no way the Houston Astros are going to move Joseale to Bay to left field. Right question mark is here, but it seems like they are. He gave his infield glove to a kid. That was the tweet this morning, which that feels.
A little over the top either way you might like, I'm pretty sure he's going to play some second past.
It feels like you'd want to keep that gve. I don't know.
One of nine hitters with one hundred home runs the last three years. One so no on the list one O three, see it was.
Closer than the experience on the.
Nine players have hit one hundred homers over the last three seasons.
Aaron Judge.
Aaron Judge is number one.
You don't joke about that, Jollie. That's not a place for jokes. Any surprises on the list.
I was surprised by this is perfect. None of these names.
Okay, mos surprising name on the list.
I'll try again. Kyle Schwarber. I guess I don't know.
Santander. The whole conversation in order Judge show Hey Schwerber, Alonzo Medals and Santander Alvarez soto O Zuna.
Kind of makes sense.
Yeah, okay, Ozuna, I mean I know, I know he's great last year, but okay, can you play left field? Jose L Tuvey will join him. I was very nervous to click on Josel Tuovey's page because I was like, wait, does he have nine hundred ops potential in him? Because in twenty two and twenty three he did. I was interested to see where the stats landed last year to nine fifty seven ninety ops. He won the Silver Slugger
at second base. He did at age thirty four. Uh, yeah, this is just a little bit of a wildcard, man. It's the tidiest left field to play along with Fenway Park for mister Duran and mister L. Tuvey.
Weird.
I just started talking like that. Yeah, I just I a little bit of a hands up situation here.
Yeah, man, I mean I wasn't mentally prepared to talk about L twove and left field until like fifteen minutes ago when we found out it was actually happening. It makes sense because the Astros outfield it's kind of in a really weird spot. I mean that I love the guy, but Ben Gamble was the opening day left fielder for them. It was a great met last year, but it was shocking to see that now Al two bays in leftield.
I think Dubond's gonna play second, And this is kind of a it's a it's a giving respect to the kind of thing because I think the second base tier list he's going to be near the top. It makes sense that he's kind of near the top here because I just kind of believe that al Tuove the baseball guy,
will be able to do this really well. And maybe that's that's unfounded because we've literally never seen it, but he's just kind of good at everything he does, and he's one of the most fun players in baseball to watch. Even at the age of thirty five going into this year, I still have all the expectation that he'll be a plus offensive player and be able to man left field because they've stuck out a bunch of guys at that.
I mean, they stick your down out there for eighty one games every year and it seems to go just fine. So I don't see why Altuve won't be able to do it. It'll be an adjustment period, for sure. I'm sure the first month will get some highlights or something, and people will be talking about it, and then I'll settle in and I'll be Jose Altuve. But I don't know if you can put him any higher because he's
never played the position. And I do think there is some conversation of should some guys go over him and Santandre potentially who can do both sides of the ball?
Well, yeah, and I you know al two, I did. He landed at a three point four last year. I think he might have got actually ding defensively. He did, but I don't expect him. I don't expect him to be a plus defensively like I.
I don't think the either.
How many guys turn thirty five move to the outfield and start to thrive like I. That might be a zero.
Yeah, And I don't know how to search that.
I think a lot of people know how my body is structured to that. You don't see a lot of guys built like us that are playing the outfield at a very high level, not really at age thirty five.
I'm saying that you and L two they are built the same way.
In a way, it's built different, and that's kind of the whole thing that. Yeah, I guess I was very nervous that it was going to be like, Okay, here come the Houston comments. How is L two ve not higher? I think this is a fair for him to be plays with Anthony Santander.
I think that's why I think this is more than or that change.
On the defensive end hasn't played this in real games yet, and offensively, like last year at thirty four, is a step down from still MVP level, So I think it's I think he's landed in the right place here.
Does anyone deserve to be with these cats?
By the name of the tier, no right, which is always adjustable. The question I have more so is will this tier move down, which we have to talk about whoa potentially because there's a lot of guys who had good to great years last year who definitely can do it on both sides of the ball, some with deeper resumes than others, some with injury concerns that I think warrant a conversation, and that kind of leads into our next tier. Thank you, sir, Can I have another Now?
I'm viewing this tier as any of the guys that land here had a great year at some point recently, whether it was twenty twenty four or the year before that, Okay, because we see goodyear down here all the time. Sure, I think the easiest layup for this conversation is Jerks and Profar, who was after a ten year odyssey, former top prospect in the game, came to San Diego in a one million dollar deal and started the All Star Game and was the answer in the outfield for them.
Had a four more season, twenty four home runs. At a basis, he was incredible. He just got a new deal with the Braves. I like that fit a lot from.
Start to finish. He was one of the best outfielders in the National League.
Last year, and we talk about we like switch hitters, and like he's another example of that. Profar is interesting because how much can you trust it? Age thirty one? Breakout season doesn't happen very often, especially after ten years in the league where everyone kind of thought they knew what you were. So what exactly is json Profar? We're gonna find this out in a pretty deep Braves lineup where he gets protected. Whether you believe in that or not,
but he is the textbook definition of profar. Can we see it again? Because that was really fun to watch.
Profar is a weird mental exercise for a lot of reasons. I'm as the list currently looks, I'm okay with it because in my in my heart of hearts, because this isn't supposed to be building a dynasty, Like we're gonna get to some of the young studs coming up, like James Wood, and if you do, who would you rather have on your team? Like, well, yeah, it can mean James Wood over Jerickson Profar for the twenty twenty five season.
As I look at Santander Altuve and Jerkson Profar, I'm Santander in Altuve, I like, you know, I Profar was better than them last year. But also, if Jerkson Profar has like a one war season this year, I'm not gonna be shocked at all.
I'd be disappointed, but I'd be like, well, yeah, that kind of make sense. That's who he was for ten years.
And then you'd start crafting up that video so quickly.
I made a positive Profar videos here.
I told you, I.
Sung his praises page looks real. All of it was very Realize when AA gives a guy money, yeah, got shit, you knows something.
It's Jerkson Profar was very much. The if he signed with team you don't believe in, like, oh, that's gonna be ugly signed with the Braves and everyone's like, shoot the damn the Rockets.
Brought him back, Like, let's hear Pirates is what I thought for a little bit too.
If he's good the Pirates, never mind, they should be shipped never mind. H yes, thank you, sir. Can I have another that's easily Jerkson Profar? Jolly, I'm I don't know this list inside out. I think the man with the second most homers on this list is Tyler O'Neill, who hit thirty one last year in one hundred and thirteen games.
Didn't he like take over in April?
By the way, got more money than Profar he did the Orioles. It was kind of there, like move. They brought him in to replace Santander. Essentially, it's a weird Baseball Reference has a six war season in the bag. What would we have been saying in twenty twenty one when Tyler O'Neill, at age twenty six, had six war Uh. He's dealt with injuries his whole career. He has two goal gloves. One's twenty twenty he counts, that's in his count.
That's crazy.
Twenty twenty gloveless is nasty, but it's just nasty. That.
Yeah, Tyler O'Neill might may surprise people. I guess if you're a Socks fan and you got to watch his games last year, it doesn't but that it was a massive season. But I he has more not massive seasons under his resume than good ones.
First of all twenty twenty a gold Glove winner, ikf wants your attention.
Second of all, third baseman, Yes, yep.
Do you want to expand on that.
Or a very different position.
I've heard that conversation many times.
But the Yankees didn't play him at third base until was it late September something?
He got like four games His goal glove position.
Tyler O'Neill is interesting because I mean, the one dot one two seven ops in April last year was pretty Neat nine home runs in the first month, I thought, oh shit. Twenty twenty one, O'Neil is back, dealt with some injuries, dealt with some ups and downs. And that's kind of a little bit of the story with Tyler O'Neil. Can you keep him healthy? The Orioles took a pretty big bet. You know, hey, we're losing a switch hitter
who gave us forty four home runs last year. We're gonna pay you sixteen point five milli a year to replace him in value. And the biggest way he can do that is playing a full season, which he has only done once in his seven year career, which was twenty twenty one, and that was one hundred and thirty eight games. Yeah, so by some metrics, it's not even a whole season. So that's the biggest thing for O'Neil. I think if he plays one hundred and fifty games,
then is the same guy that he is. You're talking about a guy that moves up into the second tier because he is athletic, he's fast, he can hit you thirty home runs. He is that caliber of player. He's worth the money if you can just keep him healthy. But like profar How, he kind of counted him out a little bit because of career resume, the same way we're counting out O'Neil because of injury history and stuff
like that. And each of the guys in this category I think is going to have some sort of caveat with that. So O'Neill is. He's kind of a head scratcher to me, because I really thought twenty twenty one was the beginning of an ascension. I mean, you know, a former top prospect in the Cardinals system, one of the outfielders they kept because they let a lot of outfielders go to other teams. At at least Garcia and
Rose Arena, we'll see O'Neal and Baltimore. They're moving the wall back in for their pole hitter, kind of like that makes playing defense in left field easier too. There's a lot of things going his way. Can you just say on.
The field, yeah, I the only the only other caveat which, hey, this may be some player player hater ball stuff is I'm I don't fully know who he is as a hitter. Fenway this again, maybe this could be a jolly alla video. I think there's there's a history that, almost like clockwork, Boston has a right handed hitter play out of their dome almost every year, which Fenway Park obviously twenty twenty two. If I click on twenty twenty one, let's see who
comes up. Bolgarchies would just be really good hunter renfro Kadi and Martinez, Kevin Plaweki stop, I'm gonna stop. I'm gonna stop that. Yeah, I just the exact opposite is Baltimore. Yeah, so I'm I'm interested to see where that lands. Power isn't the problem with him? Go check out the instagram beefy.
Kind of that's yeah, that's too much beef.
There's a discussion for another.
Day, like ball players look a certain way.
I think his dad was like mister Canada or something.
Sure, my dad was Hulkkan, So I think they fought at some point.
Jerkson, Profar Tyler O'Neill share the stage. I'm I'm gonna throw out a guy that gets me kind of jazz that we're looking for another and maybe we're treating this guy wrong altogether.
But Elliott Ramos, Yeah, he's interesting.
Because he does have the credentials. He was a top first round pick, He got his first full season of play, he did good. I also, we went to the All Star Game last year and guys were hitting. Don't want to be old school scout. That sounded different.
Cracking the bad was just different with Disney.
It sounded different that I don't know if this guy wasn't tucked away in the Bay and we didn't hate hate on the Giants for being the Giants the past couple of years. Would we be talking about him differently?
I found something crazy. Uh wow, I've never seen a split this large ops against lefties Elliott Ramos one point two one ops against righties six fifty six, seven to three. That's a near six hundred point difference. I don't love it either. I really don't love it. Slipped there's no I mean, there's no secret for a month's span. He really he took over for the Giants and he really got them back. On the conversation at the Wildcard Race in June three or four average nine to forty six ops.
Everything else was kind of okay around that month, which you know, you shouldn't discredit one good month as nothing. That's really hard to g need month. So what I'm saying so with Ramos's he's the biggest wildcard in the list for me, to be honest, age twenty five season fully broke out at age twenty four, former high draft pick, like the Giants were expecting this out of him, but
a long road to get here. Twenty seventeen draft. I like guys that spend a lot of time in the minors and like got that seasoning because I do think that they just may usually pan out better unless there are these generational talents that come up. But twenty one or whatever. So Ramos, I would not be surprised if he comes out and does it again this year. And I think the Giants are expecting that of him. He's supposed to be a big part of their lineup. So
I think I'm okay with the placing. It feels a little weird because O'Neill's gotten MVP votes. Profar was MVP vo get her last year. Is Ramos quite at their caliber yet? I don't know that right, But we could revisit this conversation in New Year's time and think, why was there any question to not put him in this year?
Yeah, I'm on the savant right now. There's there's a lot of red, there's a bit of blue. God, this feels like a guy that if he played in Cincinnati, we'd be like, oh, yeah, excited, what is he gonna do this year? And that that feels unfair to a degree. Oh actually, I always forget they have that that's available on this page. So he hit twenty two homers, last year, it said he would have hit nineteen in Kansas City, So we don't like that. It said he would have
hit thirty three in Cincinnati. There you go, How crazy is that?
Yeah, since he said was the highest number, right, Yeah, that's.
A different ballplayer. But yeah, Giants fans, you often let us know. But please, is this guy the truth? Are we gonna We're gonna find out this year? Because he's roped up, he's kind of his body kind of reminds me of a dolely scar see you a little bit. Yeah again, baseball happens fast, both wrong. I think five's ways like diesel.
Muscles heavy, hang on.
A big boy. He's given me a little sand of all. Hey, you care well not send about red soxcent of all Giants. I mean that's still not come on, you don't see that at all? I say it a little bit comment dumblow.
He joins the list. Anyone else you would like to see another that you think talent wise deserves to be here? You're gonna make me say it, Jaz.
I think Brandon Nemo deserves a conversation in here.
I'll talk about him.
Nemo did not a good year last year. I'll be the first one to say it very streaky, very up and down. Often looked very lost at the plate even when the team was going. But we are talking about a guy that the prior to years was a five War and four War centerfielder. So I do still feel like that players in the tank for Brandon Nemo still hit twenty homers last year, set a career hind, stolen bases,
the slug was decent. I think with him it was the plate discipline fell off a little bit because a lot was asked of him as the cleanup hitter a lot last year. And I do think the Juan Soto factor does equate into this dynamic of I think he's going to lift up everybody in that lineup, and Nimo,
I think can be a benefactor of that. So in the same way that we're putting Ramos in this tier despite not having the career resume, I almost want to put Nimo in this year because he has the career resume, even though he was definitely a lesser player than all these guys last year.
How's his defense? How does it feel? Fan wise?
It's much better? So he had a great defensive year in centerfield in twenty two took a massive step back in twenty three, so they moved him, and then last year it was league average and everyone knows about Brandon Nemo's arm. It's not good. So yeah, there is liability when it comes to Nemo as a defender.
Okay, yeah, no, I I have no qualms with it. I you watched a lot more Nemo than me last year. I mean Nemo's Nimo's twenty twenty to twenty twenty three is it's a nice butter knife, very impressive, and it hit the conversation would deserve to be much higher on the list that. Yeah, I can't fully ding him for last year. I just think it's Nimo gets interesting because yeah.
There's him and like a rose arena, they feel like a similar conversation.
That's the next guy.
I was gonna say, like it like our mules, like they should be a pair or something.
Judged similarly based on resume.
And I want to.
I think we found our hiccup that I want to check boxes that we can check and come back because I think we're gonna have to add a tier. I think I think, so let's do twenty twenty six s tiers because this is going to be the most fun
is whyat Langford. I can't believe where the stats landed last year, massive final month, fourth overall pick in the draft, felt like the light bulb went on and I didn't think it was a good season, and it was for War that we could very easily anything we've said about Riley Green could be said about him soon that he could be dominating this anything there.
Yeah, I mean he called me off guard. I had a conversation with Dalton Pheley a couple of weeks ago about this exact list about who we think might be at the top. He mentioned Langford. I kind of did like a little scoff because I was thinking of his first half stats where I stopped checking in on the Rangers altogether, and I took a look and I said, oh my god, right, so four War, twenty two year
old dude, that doesn't that doesn't happen very often. So with him and a collective Rangers bounce back, we're going to get a shot at seeing White Langford in a much bigger spotlight in twenty twenty five, which is pretty exciting. And it was so funny because the whole story of the Rangers postseason run for a while was the kids sensation of Evan Carter, who came out, played ten games and then was just a dog on their postseason run.
I think if you ask a Rangers fan, the guy they're much more excited about is White Langford now, and I think they expect things from both of them. But Langford has entered a different conversation in terms of doing it over a full season, and I getting people hyped up for what's going to be a very interesting sophomore campaign.
The other guy links to Juan Soto. Oh big James Wood Man. He came up, he mauled ops plus nine homers, fourteen stolen bases, eight cot stealings, having fun in the Capitol, seventy nine games, so half a season. So I think the interesting part. Defensively, he graded out very poorly. Yeah, so what does that look like and feel like for a six to seven guy? Do we need to make alternate James Wood plans coming up? I think we'll find
out about that the offensive profile. If big men are taking over baseball, god damn it, just one more thing for them. James Wood has the potential to be very special. His breakout season whenever that comes, could be silly numbers.
Yeah, I'm a as an n only s guy. I'm prepping for this potential takeover. There's a couple things that stand out to me about James Wood. One is the freak athleticism. He's like eighty eightieth percentiles prints eighty fifth, so he's six seventies lightning fast. His field hitting numbers or nuts, they're even across the board. He was thirty two pole, thirty six straight, thirty one OPO. So he's a pure hitter. Hit it hard, and he hits it hard,
and he hits the fastball. At a young age of what twenty one, twenty one years old, he was raking against fastball. This big thing was hitting the breaking pitch. So once he gets over that hump, which I'm sure he will because he was a top prospect and they expect him to, uh, he's going to be very, very dangerous.
While he doesn't have that full season catalog that Langford put together, these two guys, I would not be shocked at all if we come back next year and they're the maybe the best two players on this list.
Does anyone deserve to be with them? I'm trying to be honest with myself because I think there's only one. Maybe I think it's my guy Domingaz and I I truly, I truly don't does he In my head, I think there could be a James Wood conversation with Domingez that I think that would be fair. I think, whya Langford, he's he's shown me a season. Yeah, that that feels a little unfair. It feels like it feels like James Wood is equidistant. Whyat Langford over here, here's James Wood,
here's Dominguez. That it's fine to pair him with him. It's fine a pair Wood with Domingez. I don't think you can. Well, maybe my Yankee showing he gave me your.
De facto rating there kind of by accident, you were honest with me. You gave him a one two three. Don't like that at all. Get an old two jazzed up. I wish that twenty twenty three sample is more than eight games, because he came up and he had lander and it was like, oh shit, he's here. So last year. What do we all remember about Domingez the most? You can't catch a fly ball. That's not great for the left field tierless act. And it's just I think sample works against them a little bit.
So you want him and can you play left field?
There's a conversation for that, can you play left field? Derogatory version? I would vote no, but there is three of us, so BBD, do you want to be your tiebreaker? And then you guys can fend off the comments when they go.
I think for this moment I would put him there and be very open to adjusting as we clear out this list and see what feels.
Because he feels more like a pairing with someone like MJ. Melendez in my opinion, who has been to put it bluntly bad, but people expect to be better. Yeah, I guess for different equation.
For me, that's tough because Melendez, it's.
How bad did it get?
Melendez has not been good.
There's a lot of sample too where Jason de ming is.
Yeah, I'm leaving doming Is off the board for now. Let's check off the bottom of the list. There's a cursed picture of Connor Joe and Jason Hayward face mash. I think that is bb d's love making. Who are who are the a's there?
That's Seth Brown, Seth Brown and Miguel and do Hard.
I can't look at that ever again. Set that on fire. Ben and Tende's.
I'd probably left in the tank him just because.
On another team, like to se him on another team. Whatever marlin that is and on the bottom, it's just who is that.
This one? And I totally know this marlin is Kyle Stowers Stowers at least it's supposed to be. I've gotten tricked by the ESPN p Andez before stars.
You're down there. Melendez is on the bottom.
I'm sorry, I.
Okay. So I've got my guy Chris Morele. I have some belief that also got pretty ugly last year too.
But he's also like raised machine. They might just fix him.
Yeah, I mean the place.
I mean he came over to the rais and got worse. What's the thing? Strikeout numbers are really bad.
Yeah, let's leave it for now. Let's do left in the tank. I do think Benny I was shocked he hit twenty homers last year.
I think he had like a legit good second half.
Like if if Benny got traded to the Phillies this offseason, how many times did you hear like kind of like Benny there, Yeah, slap it around, catch some balls, it's gotten ugly, and maybe he doesn't deserve this credit, but the White Sox also deserve so much bad credit.
Yeah, eight thirty ops in the second half, Like he put together a good Yeah.
Like I don't know, I feel like it's just hard to have a good season when you're in that situation for anyone, Like, no matter who you are, why don't we talk about the guy that did go to the Phillies. I feel like Max Kepler kind of fixed fits there too.
We left in the tank.
Yeah, replacement level player last year six't eighty two ops. The year before one twenty ops plus twenty four homers. But ever since the end of the twenty tens, it's been kind of a similar story for Kepler, Whereas you know, if you put him in this situation in the Phillies lineup, where maybe the vibes are a little higher, different environment for the first time in ten years, Right, what's left in the tank?
I don't know how many platoon guys do we have here? Like when I when I see Hayes kind of Kepler land Jones, I don't know, I don't know what to do. I don't know what you do with that free looks out there to play defense. Morell, who are you? Larnak?
Don't don't look that.
Somehow?
The why why don't doesn't that team work?
Maybe? Okay, Matt Walter, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna add a row below twenty twenty six s tier, and I think I'm gonna call it every Twins player ever, because Trevor Larnac is every Twins player ever.
You're putting Kepler there too.
Kepler is every Twins player ever. Austin Hayes is every Twins player ever. Okay, Conford Brendon Donovan, is that who that is?
Yes, he's penciled in for left.
He's every Twins player every to see the vision a little bit like some they kind of hit and you're like what was that?
Yeah, like this can't be what the problem is.
But Nolan Jones sure he had a freak season.
Yeah, he's He's a Twin.
Every Twin player ever, you had a really good year. Morel's freaking me out right now.
He's I think he's bottom for me, sal.
Freelicks thrown me up. We could put Morel on the bottom.
He's got to prove it.
Yeah, he hasn't had a position.
No position. He's left field because they just had to put him somewhere, and his offense is basically all just hitting homers, which is cool. There's one thing to do.
I'm still I'm gonna root for Chris Morel, but I'm okay with him being in the bottom and he doesn't he doesn't give.
Me Twin vibes all, which is.
Kind of hurting him right now. Sal freelicks every Twins player ever.
Fine with that. And for the people watching, I know you can see and you're done. They're on a future DH list. Yeah, they just don't worry about that. They're down there.
Don't even sweat it.
That. I think Lord is Gariel Confordo, Randy Ward, Nemo. I'm trying to think. I'm trying to genuinely think, like who I'd rather have? I guess Nemo and Confordo. I don't have strong opinions on yeah right.
Because I think, thank you, sir, can I have another? It really should be the guys that did well last year and Nimo he didn't. Okay, so I think it's a row, but those five or a tier and it's like the twenty twenty one All Star team or.
Something okay, So a row after that is okay, So thank you, sir. Can I have another profile O'Neil and Ramos, you guys are great last year. Need to replicate it, right, Ramos, you can maybe even be better Mimo Confordo, Guriel and Randy.
Because they were all in ward, because they were all kind of two war players that you know can play the position and hit above league average, but like they've been better players before and you suspect that they can still be that player.
I mean, Michael Confordo just got seventeen mil from the Dodgers to be on that team in play.
And he's gonna be a platoonitor, which means this numbers are probably to go way up.
Is there like a report card type comment that's like like there's more in there, trying to think, trying to think what the teachers would tell me, like not achieving.
This kind of helpful to everyone in the class.
Underachieving seeks new challenge. Those guys underachieved last.
Year kind of collectively does it mean to call it just underachievers.
Underachieve but believe.
Needs improvement, needs work?
That's yeah, that's good report card Lingo horrible flashbacks right now. My god, ooh you like that? Nice?
But I know you have that in your book.
Underachieve, but believe.
And underachievers is too long of awards, so it splits into two rows, and I hate that.
So we can't achievers.
Believe they achieve, believe they can achieve.
Want more? But this is fine?
Oh I kind of like want more, but this is fine because it is fine.
Like if you have this level of production or better is kind of where you're like, because the guys below could be up in a bad place.
Besides, ward, all these guys were on winning teams and they weren't the best player on their team, but they were still contributors.
Just like amazing six hole hitters. Yeah, do you have one of these guys in your The two ideas that ran through my head were that or and again, I know we've already hammered this, but like would be amazing on the reds.
Oh, can we can we do White Sox best Player?
Yeah?
White Sox best Player?
I mean easily, right there, you go, easily.
White Sox best player.
Socks best player.
People might not like that, so mean that's okay, Okay?
Do we like Benny on a row on his own I think maybe just put him in Every Twins player ever.
That's that's fine with me, even if he doesn't quite fit.
There's part of me that liked, a part of me that didn't. Okay, let's do a run through. See where we're at, See where we have to juggle at the top, moving stage left your s tier, it is Riley Green as Jared Durant ran out of hands, three time consecutive Gold Glove winner, Stephen Kwan and Ian Happ. Can you play left field? Important for left field? So I might say, Santan Darren Altuve, Thank you, sir? Can I have another profar?
Who's Who's my beefy guy? Tyler Tyler, O'Neill, Elliott Ramos named fart there White Sox best Player, Taylor Ward, Randia Rose, Arena, Lordis Gariel, Brandon Neimo and Michael Confoicho Queens twenty twenty six s Tiers, Langford and Wood. I think that's Canage. Well, sometimes I don't feel great about that. Every Twins player ever we have Benny Larnak, Kepler, Hayes, Donovan Jones and free Ley.
Twins player ever really are?
This is maybe the bottom I've got two face mashes for your a's and your padres A Marlins player who I know an MJ. Melendez and Chris Morel.
So that leaves Jason Dimgez. Does Jason Dimingez get his own tier like right above the bottom?
What if he's good? Because rather you'd rather take your chance on Domingos than all those twins? Right?
Ask a question? What if Domingas is good?
Right? What if he's good? What if he's bad?
What if it's how many good players come out of the Dominican Republican, how many get the nickname the Martian?
What if it's he's in S tier and I finagle the graph for it to be like a gap between him and.
Would What if I'm interested in the ear me out?
I'm interested in the gap.
A tier below twenty twenty six S tier is twenty twenty six B tier and it's Domingos.
You're so mid twenty twenty seven s.
T twenty seven.
Yeah, that's the answer.
That's the answer.
That's the answer. Below twenty twenty six S tier is twenty twenty seven S tier with Jason Demingez.
Because I think he needs time. It's not gonna happen in his first full season.
Things I feel uncomfortable with, okay, but I don't think there's changes. Sex said for some reason, I think Max Kepler is gonna be really good. I think Philly is that ballpark.
I see the best player in the White Sox.
Where did his numbers land?
Though?
Because unfortunately he's.
A replacement level player is one point oh.
War better verse left. He's in righties, which is weird.
I hate that.
I'm good on that. He's a twin Jack, He's got he's every Twins player ever. Okay, I just it's this is just instinct. I think he's going to be good.
Do I get head shot just on there?
In there, I don't think I think Chris Morel is good at baseball that I think this could end up looking weird. But I don't even know if he's a left fielder, So I feel okay.
With that everywhere.
If South Freelich hits at an average level, he's gonna fly up this list next year. Otherwise I'm okay.
Yeah, I think I'm okay to Benny, I feel a little funny about but I don't think you can put him any higher. I mean, we could put him in White Sox best player because he is their best pay.
Any if anything, I think Benny's supposed to go down. He's done pretty bad. I think I think we gave him the benefit of knowing his name pretty good.
Good last two months and he'pe.
Traded somewhere, Get traded somewhere.
Repeat that in the first half and you can get flipped to somewhere. Fun.
That was our left field tierless. That was jolly olive. That was BBD. Let us know what we did wrong, what we did right. Thank you for watching, Thank you for subscribing. We will see you next week. We can jokes.
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