Hyping under-the-radar MLB players + Pirates P Isaac Mattson joins FT

00:00:02
Speaker 1: All right, we're gonna go in the weeds and we're gonna spotlight a few unheralded players. I guess if you're fans of these teams, you'd probably be like, no, that guy's important, I know it, but you know, a little bit off the beaten path, not the stars.

00:00:14
Speaker 2: Jim Bowden wrote a.

00:00:15
Speaker 1: Great article for The New York Times, Who is each MLB player's playoff contender's most indispensable quote?

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Under the radar player?

00:00:23
Speaker 1: The term under the radar cratzy always gets me because it's under the radar according to who right? But still I digress. There are plenty of players who don't get enough love from around the league. So do you want to go with yours? Or we want to dig into boutens here? How do you want to do this?

00:00:39
Speaker 3: Let's go to Jim Bones first and see what he has. But I have a few, and I think under the radar is you know, it's it's all on the eye of the beholder, because you know, some all stars are not really under the radar. But I think on the team we just talked about VVP like he's he wouldn't be the first guy that you're thinking of, But you know so anyway under the radars subjective, yes, yes.

00:01:07
Speaker 2: So yeah.

00:01:07
Speaker 1: Let's go to some of the players that were listed in that article. Here we got the Tigers gliber Torres. He signed a one year deal. An excellent move, by the way, I remember a J. Hinch saying to me, give me the one year players.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: Any day of the week.

00:01:20
Speaker 1: Those guys are playing extra hard to playing for their next deal. He was obviously with the Yankees before this. He had the walk off winner on Tuesday. He's been excellent for a Tigers team that is absolutely steam rolling the Central on their way to the postseason. Under Kirk for the Blue Jays, I'm gonna let you take this one. Cratzy as a fellow catcher, you what do you feel like he has brought to the Blue Jays.

00:01:43
Speaker 3: I think he just he upgraded his defense. He had good receiving before and now now he's gone back to upgrading his defense, which was a big to me. It was a big detriment from last year. Signed that extension this year and his defense is back. I think he's second in overall runs created, you know, run saved at defensive runs safe. But for me, you know, without going through everybody, on this list his list in the American League. Trent Grisham. Trent Grisham adds, yes, he got off to a huge start. Yes, he You know, he plays in Yankee Stadium. People are like, oh, left handed hitters, they feast in Yankee Stadium. To me, what he brings is stability, gold glove stability in center field for a team that had to put Judge out there, and if you have to continue to put Judge out in center field, then there's a chance he could get hurt. And it's kept Judge healthy. It's helped Jason Dominga's transition to left field some. Obviously it hasn't gone as well and it's a tough transition. But imagine if you had to have Jason Dimingez in center field learning to play in the big leagues even though he's a super prospect and he's the Martian. To me, I think Trent Grisham has alleviated that for this Yankees team.

00:03:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, he jumps out. To me, I think Russio Debon jumps out as well. Seven He's played seven of the nine positions, Dana Brown said.

00:03:14
Speaker 2: So.

00:03:14
Speaker 1: Garrett Whitlock for the Red Sox, also on that list. He's been an excellent for Boston as well. I'm going to add to this list my own. I think with Toronto, I know we talked about Kirk to me, Ernie Clement is a guy that if you're outside of Toronto probably haven't.

00:03:29
Speaker 2: Heard of him. He does not hit a lot of home runs. He does not.

00:03:33
Speaker 1: He probably doesn't make a lot of highlights around the game. I don't know, but I'm a fan. The guy makes a ton of contact. He plays pretty much every infield position for Toronto. He's very versatile. If you talk to guys in that clubhouse, he is a baseball rat. He is a guy that is just obsessed with the game, obsessed with getting better. He has been a huge part of their success. He's a guy who I think when we get to October and he gets the big stage, people are gonna be like, who is this guy.

00:04:00
Speaker 2: I go on about how he doesn't have a ton of power.

00:04:02
Speaker 1: We show all these clips where he's hitting the ball out of the ballpark, but he does so much more than that. I don't hate help runs. I swear he does so much more than that. For the Toronto Blue Jays. He's a guy who you know, have to talk to John Sneyder. He'll tell you their manager like he has been indispensable to them this year. And what the Blue Jays have been able to do is mix and match so much because they have guys that comment who they can use in so many different positions. It's really given them the freedom to play the platoon and use the bench and keep everyone involved. And I just think Clement is a guy who's not getting as much attention nationally as he should.

00:04:35
Speaker 3: I like that. I'm gonna go to the guy I usually go to for the American League, JP Crawford. This Mariners team has stars. I mean when if we ever said that about the Mariners lineup. You have Cal Rawley, you have Henry Suarez, now you have Naylor, who those two guys got traded over. You have Julio Rodriguez, who I don't think has really, you know, reached his hype and his potential. JP Crawford when he's not in there. Other years when he's been hurt, there's been a huge decline in the way that they play the game. I think he adds a level of tenacity, a level of stability at a premium position that he honestly makes it look easy. He makes shortstop look easy and is a sign of a true big league shortstop is you know what you make all the plays. He's an elite level shortstop, gold glove shortstop that is giving this team stability up the middle, which they already have with Cal, Julio and JP.

00:05:44
Speaker 4: And I haven't heard.

00:05:45
Speaker 3: Any rumblings of him being pissed that he got moved out of the leadoff spot. I think he's now hitting like somewhere six or seven, depending on the platoon matchup. And I just think he is very underrated and being out out West, that might be part of it. But if you look up his numbers and you watch him play, you're like, kind of like that guy.

00:06:07
Speaker 5: Okay Kratz. I opened up Arena Club, put my own money in there, and I wasn't gonna go big. I know. We went over the Ruby pack a week ago. This time, I just went for the low level pack where it's an easy entry point twenty five bucks. You can get yourself a big boy card. The Grail has many good options. I slice open the pack. We're looking at it if you're watching us right now, and I pull a card from the nineteen fifties. Super cool. I enjoyed the experience looking at it. It's Jim Gilliam. It's a top set from the mid fifties. But I got an offer for more than what the slap pack costs and I sold it back. Tough times for the Dodgers right now, don't at me, but I got twenty eight bucks instantly, so I can buy another one of those packs and try and get what I want.

00:06:50
Speaker 3: Absolutely the excitement I heard Kip say before. The excitement's in the chase. You sold it back, Now you get to open another one. I enjoy when you slide it across there in there and the pack opens.

00:07:02
Speaker 5: Arenaclub dot com slash foul twenty percent off your first lab packer card purchase. Get after it.

00:07:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, I like it.

00:07:08
Speaker 4: I like it.

00:07:09
Speaker 2: Great way to spotlight him.

00:07:10
Speaker 1: Let's go to the NL look at the article as well, because some really great names on this list, I think, especially if you're not closely following a lot of these teams, the Brewers, it could have just been like the entire roster when they want with Joey Ortiz, Tanner Banks, you know you look at this as Brad Keller been excellent for the club Sharemiah Estrata not a name that like immediately jumps out to you when you think about the Padres. Right we talked about their bullpen. He really is that unsung hero out of that bullpen.

00:07:38
Speaker 2: Jose A.

00:07:38
Speaker 1: Travigno, David Peterson, who was on yesterday's show, Girlson. Just a really good list. Is there anyone that jumps out to you, Cratsey that you feel like maybe didn't get the love here on the NL side, there are so many guys, I think, especially on teams like Milwaukee that are outperforming what many of us thought, that deserve a lot of love here. But anybody that you think deserves another mention here?

00:08:03
Speaker 3: I mean on that list, I'm going to go to Jose Travino because obviously he's a catcher who was a friend of the show. He got a little bit of an extension when he went over to the Reds. You get traded over a team, you're like, okay, are they just kind of using me as a piece. He is very underrated because of the fact that this pitching staff, this starting pitching staff, has been awesome and the value he brings in that game calling, the value he brings in in experience, in postseason games. If this team, it's a big if they're close to the Mets though, if they do squeak in to a wildcard round, he's going to be the guy. Obviously, Tyler Stevenson is a beast behind the plate, but I think Jose Travino's ability or his experience in the postseason will lend so well to the team. And it may not even lend well in any.

00:09:03
Speaker 4: Stat that we have.

00:09:04
Speaker 3: You know that we have to be able to see what kind of metric he does well in how he's helping the team win. But he's that type of guy in a clubhouse preparation wise that is going to get this pitching staff in a right spot.

00:09:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree.

00:09:21
Speaker 1: I want to give a little love to David Peterson too, and I know he was just down the show, but the Mets have had so much trouble.

00:09:26
Speaker 2: In their rotation cratzy as you know, just getting innings.

00:09:29
Speaker 1: And when you look at like starts where they've gotten innings, like sixty percent of those where they've gone into the sixth inning or more have been Peterson Like.

00:09:37
Speaker 2: Honestly, if not for them.

00:09:38
Speaker 1: They'd be, you know, really up the creek in terms of rotation issues, and now they're calling up some of the young guys now and then they're trying to find a way to.

00:09:46
Speaker 2: Kind of patch this together.

00:09:47
Speaker 1: But Peterson has been such an unsolved hero really, such like an MVP of this pitching staff.

00:09:53
Speaker 2: You know what you're going to get. You know you're going to get length.

00:09:55
Speaker 1: He's been able to give the relievers a little bit of a break and that has just been absolutely huge. It's been a rough stretch for the New York Mets. You know, they went from you know, be up on the Phillies having comfortable lead, now looking up at them for I think it's like five games now entering today, it's right that five six game mark. So David Peterson without him, you look at it probably eight nine, maybe even ten games back. I mean, he has just been absolutely huge for them. I know he was on the list. I just want to make sure we spotlight him because I don't think enough people know what's going on. There's a lot of stars in New York. David Peterson has been the guy that has kept that Mets rotation afloat as much as possible. You know, it's a band aidd up rotation. David Peterson has been the guy, and I don't think a lot of people anticipated that going into the season.

00:10:42
Speaker 3: I think I couldn't agree with you more. And that's not exactly who but hey, you know what all star guy that I have to mention real quick too. For the Brewers, Bryce Terrang, I think he's a career like eighty nine ops plus this year he's having almost one twenty ops plus. He plays platinum glove defense. I think he is the unsung hero of this team. Brewers fans will be like, what we love Bryce terrang I didn't say you don't love him. It's more of a national unsung hero. And I think he's still improving in the big leagues. I think he's learning. But man, when you have that kind of defense at second base, it is a game changer for this team and it shows up in their wins. I'm the ballpark Isaac giving us the giving us Isaac Mattson joining us from the ballpark cam clearly, Oh yeah, we're out here.

00:11:40
Speaker 2: Oh awesome, Thanks for thanks for taking the time, Isaac. We appreciate it.

00:11:44
Speaker 1: I got to ask first because I tease this and I know people are waiting only for this part of the interview. Your dad's strength apparently is what helped catapult you, right, is what really helped add a little v low there. Eric is always talking about his dad strength. I think it's it's bs when it comes to Cratzy, because I don't really believe any of Cratzy's stuff.

00:12:05
Speaker 2: To be honest with you, how did this all happen?

00:12:09
Speaker 1: And you do your kids take particular pride at you, mentioning that they helped.

00:12:14
Speaker 2: Propel you here.

00:12:16
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean he's six months old, so right now, I don't think you now how much. But for sure I'd rather have the dad's strength and the dad bod right now.

00:12:27
Speaker 4: But I know that dad Bod's coming soon.

00:12:30
Speaker 3: It's good, it's good. Just allow it, just allow it to happen. But you can buy a true classic shirt and it'll go away. Won't even see it. Delve into that a little bit. Delve into into that because anytime I came up in the early two thousands, and anytime somebody jumped that much in velocity or hit the ball harder from year to year, You're like, wait a minute, explain that. Explain the process of what what all went into it for you. Somebody has been around the game for a long time. To be able to get that much of a velocity jump and for me sustain it throughout the year, that's the impressive part for me.

00:13:10
Speaker 4: Well, thank you. Yeah.

00:13:11
Speaker 6: I mean, I think more than anything, I was talking with a reporter a couple of weeks ago, and something that came to mind was they were they were asking me kind of where my mind was and what the mindset was behind it, And I think, more than anything, fatherhood, you know, it's it kind of levels things up, like every every experience you have in life kind of kind of levels things up in a way. So before you know, I love this game, still love this game. But like I always thought, I knew what it meant to go out and give it my all, and then when you have a kid and your life changes, it just means like that much more and you start to realize, you know, deeper, different meanings to going out and doing your best and making the most of the time you have because you have that person inspective shift, and it's I mean, for me, it's been positive. I think for a lot of guys as positive. Sometimes it can be a little bit more pressure, but I mean, I love him to death. I love my wife to death, So just being able to show to the ballpark and have that little bit of extra like all right, we're doing it, you know, not just for myself and my wife, but we got a we got a third, third person in the in the mix, and now I want to, you know, do even better to honor him and to make him problem.

00:14:26
Speaker 3: That's a refreshing side, a refreshing look at it. But in twenty twenty four, when you signed last year, when you signed with the Pirates organization, you look at it and you go, I'm twenty eight, Well twenty eight or twenty nine last.

00:14:41
Speaker 4: Year both, but yeah, I mean when I signed that well eight.

00:14:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you sign there and you go, man, they're only calling up young guys. Was it more of a I'm gonna sign there to get back in affiliated ball because you had played independent ball the year before? Is it was it's something that I see a definite opportunity to make it to the big leagues, which you did eventually last year.

00:15:07
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, it was a it was a combination of things.

00:15:10
Speaker 6: But talking to my agent, there was there was some opportunity available, but at the same time, still had to show up and do the work, and I felt like, and I still feel like, the player development side of things here did a great job with me and they've continued to do a great job with guys coming up of you know, how can we how can we help this guy become a better pitcher. And that's not to say other organizations don't have great, great player development, but just my experience with the Pirates last year, where I had started in twenty twenty four to where I'm at now, being able to look back and know that we put in the work together to be where I'm at now and trying to help this team win baseball games at the highest level.

00:15:49
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was. It was a journey for sure, Isaac.

00:15:54
Speaker 1: When you look at your career, you started with the Orioles, that you were out in the Frontier League, that you were with the Twins of the midor Large, and you called some of those experiences like rock bomb, especially with the Twins, Was there a point in time where you thought about staying, like maybe getting out of baseball where you're like, you know, every minor leaguer, I think deals with these moments of like should I keep going, should I keep pushing? Can I get better? Or do should I face realities it Did you have those moments? And how did you push through? Was it your wife? Was it your your support system? How did you manage to say, I'm going to keep going, there's more there, I'm going to get to the big leagues that I believe it's going to happen.

00:16:30
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean it was. You know, there's there's definitely been periods. You know, I look back at Wichita that first outing, there was a rough one. I look at my outings in twenty twenty two after a lot of things had happened on the on the physical side and as well as the mental.

00:16:45
Speaker 4: Side, losing our mom.

00:16:46
Speaker 6: So definitely there's been those periods where I kind of look at myself in the in the dugout after I get out, and I'm like, all right, you know, how did that just go?

00:16:54
Speaker 4: And how do I evaluate where I'm at and where I want to be nick.

00:17:00
Speaker 6: So definitely those moments of doubt, and I feel like there's very few people in this game of baseball, especially where that's not the case, where you don't have those, you know, periods of doubt or games where you're just like, Wow, what am I?

00:17:12
Speaker 4: What am I really doing on here?

00:17:14
Speaker 6: But being able to have people like my wife, my family, faith is a big part of my life. Just being able to to lean on those things and really remember who I am as a human being first. Those those things kind of help me reframe those struggles and be able to kind of move forward and grow from them.

00:17:36
Speaker 3: I mean, this is perfect timing because this is my question. Is that is that the dugout phone ringing?

00:17:42
Speaker 4: That is I think I don't know, replay review or if that's the bullpen phone. It looks like replay review.

00:17:50
Speaker 3: So that's so so I'm getting I'm getting instant because as a reliever, when you hear that, does the little does your heart just are racing a little bit? Like I mean, you got you gotta be honest because it's the bullpen phone when they to give fans a tench you know, I kind of look into it like the bullpen phone rings. Isaac Matson has no idea if he's coming in the game, but every reliever's heart besides like Bednarm when he was closing or Santana when he's closing, your heart starts jumping a little bit. When that phone rang, did it start jumping and take us into the bullpen when you do hear the phone.

00:18:29
Speaker 4: Ring, so so right now, no, and it's only because I'm in the dugout.

00:18:34
Speaker 6: That's where I'm whether or not that whether or not that affects me, but for sure, I mean there's.

00:18:43
Speaker 4: Especially you know, one of the things that.

00:18:45
Speaker 6: You realize as a young reliever or at least a new reliever in the big leagues is like, when you come to the big leagues, you're not gonna be that David Bednar.

00:18:53
Speaker 4: You're not gonna be that Dennis Santana right away.

00:18:56
Speaker 6: So being able to be ready at a moment notice, especially early in the game, that's when that's when your heart starts to race, when you're that new guy and you're like, oh, this is a situation that I might go in and you still't know. But I was actually talking to megear, a bullpen coach, a couple of days ago, and I was like, I feel like for a lot of guys, like the thoughts and everything, like sitting down in the pan, it can be a little bit tough. You try to find ways to stay locked in, but once your name gets called, it's like, all right, it's go time. Like once you get moving, that's when I feel like, especially for me, it becomes less of a mental thing and it's like, all right, let's just we're doing what we do where we practiced this a thousand times, We've put in the work.

00:19:38
Speaker 4: Let's just go and enjoy the moment.

00:19:42
Speaker 1: I think that Pittsburgh's had a lot of really good players, but Paul Skins, I mean, what's it like to watch that guy prepare and pitch. There's certainly a little bit of more frenzy with everything he does.

00:19:52
Speaker 2: And everything he kind of carries with him. I know he's not a guy who likes attention, but what is he like as a teammate?

00:19:59
Speaker 1: And how much fun do you have just watching that guy do his thing, which is, you know, just at the top.

00:20:06
Speaker 2: Of the game right now.

00:20:08
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean his thing is like dominate pretty much everybody, but it is it's always fun to watch. And it's like whether it's him cruising for six innings or he's working through some traffic, Like he finds a way to work himself out of things, and he puts pressure on teams do things they normally wouldn't do. Like I can't count the amount of times we've had outfielders throw guys out by ten feet. And I think it's a lot of credit to him because they like, they don't know if they're gonna get another.

00:20:39
Speaker 4: Chance to score, so they have to send a guy in a situation they might not.

00:20:43
Speaker 6: But yeah, I mean he puts in the work every day he's here, locked in on what he's trying to accomplish on a day in and day out. Basically has a rough one, which isn't often like he's he's mature enough to understand the adjustments he needs to make and he makes him and goes out and does his job five days later.

00:21:01
Speaker 4: So it's it's a joy to watch.

00:21:03
Speaker 6: And definitely it's a cool opportunity to be in the clubhouse with him and in the bullpen watch him.

00:21:09
Speaker 3: Right, one of the guys that just got called up for you guys, Bubba Chandler. Bubba Chandler is a prospect twenty two years old and he has done nothing but start in the minor leagues. Yep, does it suck to have him down in the bullpen because he's a starter. He lives that starter life like oh he's young, he barely shaves, he's got that like tiny little mustache. But now he's down the bullpen and he's like sitting there like, what are you guys doing? And you guys are trying to stay locked in and do you help him try to make that transition. I know he's not going to be like the one out guy. You know, they're gonna baby him pirate style for the prospects, But what are the conversations you're hearing with him or having or other guys are having with him.

00:21:55
Speaker 6: Yeah, when you mentioned that, it kind of reminds me of that old shirt where it was like a field starter just had it. But no, I mean he's similar to Paul, like his maturity level, his ability on the field is whether it's starting music, now, let me go down here they No, I'm interested to.

00:22:13
Speaker 4: See what happens. I know he's excited to be here, and.

00:22:17
Speaker 6: As bullpen guys, we're just going to do our best to come alongside him and if he's got questions, we'll answer him. But at the end of the day, it's still baseball, Like whether you're in Indianapolis or Pittsburgh, it's still the game of baseball. And I'm excited to see him compete today.

00:22:34
Speaker 1: Asak, you mentioned your mom, Debra, how she passed away several years ago.

00:22:38
Speaker 2: For those who.

00:22:38
Speaker 1: Aren't familiar, can you talk a little bit about kind of how you've tried to keep her impact on you alive even though she's noll over with you? And are there moments where you think about her, whether it's like running out to the mound or I don't know, if you talk to her after every time you pitch. Are there moments in particular where you're like, man, I really miss my mom?

00:22:59
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, I mean there's there's definitely moments throughout the course of the season.

00:23:04
Speaker 4: And even just life.

00:23:05
Speaker 6: There's there's seasons where when we first had Theodore, like thinking out how much our mom would have loved spending time with him. And yeah, there's there's definitely times throughout the season ways that I try to honor her, and I think all of us in our family we've tried our best to honor her memory and and who she was is just trying to do things around the community with our walk. Our family has been organizing it. I think this is the fourth or fifth year that we're doing it. So being able to do that and build awareness around mental health, help those her in need, because that's that's who she was. She loved everybody, and then she was she was willing to sacrifice her time and energy to help others, and so just trying to remember that and honor her in those ways. And then on the field, just you know, remembering that who were, who we are on the field is, and who we are completely like our job is to play baseball, but that's not who we are for human beings, and remembering that everybody's going through something and trying to to love on them as best we can.

00:24:14
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, isa Congrats on Teddy. Are you starting solids now? Six months?

00:24:18
Speaker 2: Is he doing?

00:24:19
Speaker 5: Is he doing?

00:24:19
Speaker 2: Food? Sitting up? I have a eight month though. We're in it. We're in it.

00:24:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, he started teething, so I think we're gonna wait for for the first tooth before we give him a big fat steak. But we've got purees on deck pairs, he's carrots. He's into it all.

00:24:37
Speaker 2: Awesome. That's awesome. Thanks so much, Isaac. We appreciate it.

00:24:43
Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you guys for having me. Hope you guys have to do that.