Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell/Hold + Rockies 1B TJ Rumfield joins FT

00:00:00
Speaker 1: And that showed you how deep the rabbit hole goes own Poindexter joining us from the Athletic for the first time here. We're excited to talk to him about a little fantasy sports and what's happening here in the baseball world. He just put out a fresh article in the Athletic about buy sell hold. So Owen, first off, great to have you on here. And if you just want to kind of start saying hello to us the same way you said hello in the article, you can just tell everybody in any league that you're participating in to yes, sell Julio Rodriguez, trade him to you. You will take him for pennies on the dollar right now.

00:00:32
Speaker 2: Right absolutely, yeah, if you want my WILLI or Breu, which, as you can see from the stat line, he's like the new Mic Trout. I'll all do your favor. Take j rud off your hands, Roman Anthony too, you know, drop that guy not doing anything for you. I'll just I'll be the nice guy and then do that for you. And thanks for having me on. Guys told to be here.

00:00:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I want to start here. Let's start with a cell guy. We'll hit a couple on each parts of your list, right, So I want to hit a cell guy and let's go to Munautaki Morikami. Right, Munataka Morikami. This is a guy who's a rookie who was highly, highly debated in the off season, and you are not buying what he's selling with the power right now? Is that correct?

00:01:14
Speaker 2: That is basically correct? So I mean this the cell part. I found the hardest part of this because I can't just tell you to, like, you know, sell the guy with the six hundred bad bit because everyone knows they're coming down. We're too savvy at this point. You need someone with a narrative of you know, this guy has never failed. You know, he's got incredible power. He's never failed in MLB. Now's the time to be like, look, this is this is who he is. Like he's showing us like he's a monster. And the thing is he is a monster. So I do buy the power. I also buy the I think he's struck out in a third of his plate appearances that I think is going to be steady. I think he's also got a forty percent homer for fly ball, that it's going to be high because he does have monster power, but it's not gonna stay this high.

00:02:01
Speaker 3: This is probably basically.

00:02:03
Speaker 2: The best version we're gonna see of him, and if someone wants to pay for that, then go for it. If no one wants to pay for that, then that's okay too. You can hold on to him. He'll give you thirty something. Homer's probably a pretty bad batting average. He's basically another Colson Montgomery. Maybe this is the new White Sox model. But with the sell things, I'm not saying this guy is bad. I'm saying there's a narrative here that might be suggesting that they're better than they are, and I think Murakami is an easy case for that because we've never seen him fail.

00:02:37
Speaker 4: What is the narrative on Sandy Alcantara. I mean, this guy's been absolutely filthy his past two starts. Talk to me about that. You got selling on him too.

00:02:47
Speaker 2: I got selling on him too, And it's the same thing. Sandy's great. If you're a Marlins fan, you're thrilled to have Sandy, and then you're gonna be thrilled to have whoever they get for him in a trade at some point. But unless they're contending, who knows. But yeah, is again not a knock on Sandy himself. What I'm saying is a lot of people are gonna see these first couple starts, which I think at home against the Rockies, which is just you know, a great matchup for him, and at home against the White Sox's he's.

00:03:15
Speaker 3: A great pitcher.

00:03:16
Speaker 2: People remember that twenty twenty two season where he was awesome and the early start might make you kind of wash from your brain, twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four when he wasn't pitching at all, twenty twenty.

00:03:27
Speaker 3: Five, when again not great.

00:03:30
Speaker 2: All of that history is relevant, including the cy Young season when he was incredible. He hasn't given up a home run this year, which two starts. Nothing crazy about that, but he will give up home runs. He's like a twenty one percent ish strikeout guy. Not terrible, but not elite, certainly not like the Schemes and Scooples of the world. Again, the narrative is there that he might give you another of these cy Young seasons, and so you might be able in your fantasy league, or perhaps if you're in the Mark front off as you might be able to sell him as that of like twenty twenty two, Sandy is back maybe he is. That is the risk when you trade. Every trade has risk, and the risk is that you're wrong, the risk of that I'm wrong, and I'm saying he's, you know, probably gonna settle into mid threes. Yeah, twenty one percent strikeout rate, mid Threeszra, that's a good picture. It's not a like aces Ace though, And you might get someone remembering twenty twenty two when he was the best picture in baseball. Unless I'm forgetting someone and saying, you know, that guy is who I'm getting, and maybe you get someone to pay up for that.

00:04:40
Speaker 5: So you work for the Marlins, is what you're saying. You're you're you're going there and you're saying, Okay, Sandy al Contra is going to be a guy that isn't like you better buy him now because or the Marlins better sell him now because he's gonna regress back to the to the meme, or that's actually the maturation of a picture. Who puts the ball on the ground, looks for innings because of your fantasy league gives you innings, gives you complete game bonuses. It might make up for the fact that he's only going to strike out one guy per inning.

00:05:11
Speaker 3: Which is still pretty decent.

00:05:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you do get a complete game bonus, then hang on to Sandi al Contra because he's like one of like one guy that's going to give text. Maybe school throws one in there once in a while, but yeah, there's gonna be like four complete games this season, and like probably three of them from him.

00:05:28
Speaker 5: Yes, so I'm gonna trade you your Sandy al Contra for Cam Smith. Are you are you taking that by?

00:05:37
Speaker 3: That's that is?

00:05:38
Speaker 2: I love Cam Smith. I love Camp Smith. That is a French for Smith. Just you know, all the bye I'm saying. So I'm imagining a market, right, I'm saying people don't really know Cam Smith yet and maybe we're just calling this a hot streak. I was on him at the start of the year because the tools are awesome. He's super fast, he's got power, he's got something of a hit tool, and all of a sudden he's putting that together. He's not going to be the guy he's been for the first two weeks for the rest of the season, but he's exciting right now and if you can get him, I mean, he might still be on the waiver wire in a lot of leagues at please pick him up right now. If you can, you might be able to get someone like I mean, Sandy's a little rich, but you know, you can probably find someone who's, you know, just like a decent player. I'm struggling to think of, like what is perfect in all leagues are a little bit different right now. But if someone wants to say, you know, I just I pick Cam Smith up, you know, with my last pick in the draft, and he's been great. But maybe I'll I'll give you someone or I'll trade for someone who going into this season I liked a.

00:06:48
Speaker 3: Little bit more.

00:06:50
Speaker 2: I'd go for that because I do love Cam Smith. Sandy would be a lot for Cam Smith, just because one's in the bikelum and ones in the cell column. I'm imagining that people coming into or like, you know, Sandy's a cy young winner, Cam Smith, like, what's he even done yet? So yeah, if you give me Cam Smith in the next eye on that list Jordan Walker for Sandy. And now we're talking.

00:07:12
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00:08:12
Speaker 5: Okay, so that was gonna be My next question is the next two guys on your list are Jordan Walker and Williadamas. Will Adamas clearly a more established player, but when you're talking about fantasy value. You're talking about Williadomas in San Francisco. Does that make you a little bit more nervous? And with Jordan Walker's hot start, Charlie Manuel, he told me plenty of times water levels out because he might not be a forty home run guy, which he's on pace for right now.

00:08:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, at least that. Yeah, Jordan Walker very similar to Cam Smith. Incredible power like Murra COMI like power and combine that with elite speed. Now that he's hitting, very exciting player. The danger is that the strikeout Mcami, the strikeouts are going to be there. We are seeing the best version of Jordan Walker. It's only two weeks, but he's only twenty three, Like you know, that's that's you know, Bubba Chandler's twenty three. I think Cam Smith's brown twenty three. I mean, this is the age of a player that might just be coming up. The difference with Jordan Walker is we've seen him fail for a couple of years now, and so he has the narrative going into the year is going in the opposite direction of he's kind of a forgotten man, but he's young enough that this could be the start of a true breakout and he's got the tools where if that hit tool just gets a little bit better, he's he could be a true star. A Damas is on the opposite side of things, where and I listed a bunch of players on the column of like, these guys are probably fine. Adamas is probably fine. Last year wasn't great, But first year in a big contract in yeah, in the stadium that suppresses power a bit. He's still hit a lot of homers. I forget exactly how many, but it is something like twenty five or something like the ball can't leave the park in San Francisco. Okay, Yeah, so even more than I was remembering. He's still got power, he's still got speed. He's gonna be in there every day because he plays great defense.

00:10:12
Speaker 3: He's the shortstop.

00:10:13
Speaker 2: Teams tend to not mess around with a shortstop too much. I think it's just a cold start, and I think he's better than he was last year. That first year on a big new contract, players tend to chase a little bit more than usual. I tend to avoid those players in fantasy, just because there's a lot of hype from the contract and from the big year they probably just had. If they had that contract and they tend to want to show off. He might be seeing that with Pete Alonzo right now and in Baltimore for one example. Those players tend to be a little rocky at least the first month or two. Adamis is one of many players who I think is going to be fine. You know, if you're in like a ten team league with one shortstop, then he's kind of borderline. But you know, if you've got some depth in your league, he's going to be useful and you might have that narrative of he was bad last year. He's in the pitcher's park bad relatively obviously that relative to what we've seen from him. I think he can kind of straighten out and be something closer to the Brewer's version.

00:11:20
Speaker 5: All Right, some of the people you have on your whole list, One of the guys I want to definitely hit on here is Todd's buddy, Matthew Libertore. Could he be on people's list and somebody that you should be buying if he's not on your list because of the fact that the way that he's kind of been given this you know, opening they start, the fact that he's now you know, kind of coming into his own on a team that doesn't have any veterans that you know, are the step up guys in the rotation. Couldn't he be more of a definitely should buy kind of guy.

00:11:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, with the whole list a lot of them, I'm kind of being pulled in two directions. There's there's a good case for buying or tour, and certainly if he's on your waiver wire, you know worth picking him up and seeing what you can get. The by cases, yet, he's not going anywhere in that rotation unless they trade him, obviously, but they'll be trading him into a team that wants to use him. He's there the closest thing they have to just to start him every five days and hope for the best kind of thing. This stuff is looking pretty good. He's got a history of at least being an average pitcher. You're probably gonna get some decent run suppression, whether that's him finding a few more strikeouts or just keeping the ball on the ground. I like the kitchen sink approach a lot to like there. The sell or just be less enthoosed case is that these strikeouts have not shown up. He's getting a lot of those like luck stats like his strand rate is very high.

00:12:47
Speaker 3: I think it's babbit.

00:12:48
Speaker 2: I couldn't tell you off hand, but I think it's on the low side. And so we might be seeing a couple of nice starts where once those those hits start finding more holes, maybe the weather warms up. He's in a picture's park as well. But you know, the Midwest, I think, is a place where the start of the year and the middle of the year are going to be pretty different because the ball is going to the physics are going to change. It changes everywhere, obviously, but you see it especially, you see it more there than you see it in California.

00:13:20
Speaker 3: So I like Liberatore.

00:13:23
Speaker 2: It depends on your league how much you get punished for having a picture who doesn't have the same strikeout rate as some of the other guys you're going to be looking at.

00:13:33
Speaker 3: He's steady, he's.

00:13:34
Speaker 2: Going to be in there a lot, and yeah, maybe he's got a little bit more that he can work with. Maybe the stuff can come up, and maybe the strikeouts can come up. That's the by case. At this point, I kind of feel like I want to buy him at What you see is what you get, and you hope for more. You hope for you know, where you're buying is something like a high three CRA and twenty ish percent strikeout rate, and and you hope he's got a little bit more there.

00:14:04
Speaker 1: Hey, I want to ask you about Carson Bench. Rookie, A lot of excitement, a lot of hype makes the roster. They left a spot open for him. He's slumping lately. He's hitting a buck about of one hundred so far on the season. You know, had the first big game and then you haven't heard much about him since then. He's on your hold list.

00:14:23
Speaker 2: Why for all the reasons you said at the beginning there he's I mean the reason he's on the team over a serviceable player like Tyrone Taylor where he's starting starting over Tyrone Taylor.

00:14:37
Speaker 3: Is he can hit.

00:14:38
Speaker 2: He's fast, you know, he's he brings a lot to the table. He hasn't done a whole lot so far. And that is I would assume one because slump's happened too. This is his first time facing major league pitching. It turns out it's pretty hard, and so he you know, this is a pretty normal process to go through it. Looke, just like he wants to steal. So at least here you're getting that when he gets on base, he's looks like he's looking to run and more and more. That's something I look for in players of not only are they fast? Are they I mean look at like south Stewart is my current favorite example of him. I think he might be the new Josh Naylor and that he might just be a slow guy who steals like twenty thirty bases this year. Some guys just choose to do that. Ben's fast and choosing to do that, and he's going to be better than this the cell cases. Maybe he's going to be better than this at Triple A while the Mets let him, you know, build his confidence back up, sort things out a bit, send them down for a month or two, and then you know, maybe bring him back up in the summer when there's a need. So yeah, I would like to have a roster spot for him. See where this goes. At least bank those steals, and you know, hope that the guy they that they left a spot for is the guy who shows up in May, June, July. It's hard to say when someone's under the windows a ligne though.

00:16:02
Speaker 1: Oh and last one for you, we have a fan question asking if they should buy, sell or hold Adley Rutchman. So this is a good example of someone who's been fine right now in terms of OPS plus and how the front office is valuing him just for the first couple weeks of the season. A lot of that has to do with his on base percentage. Most leagues don't have on base percentage three point fifty three OBP. He's in one seventeen OPS plus and for catchers, the OPS plus league averages one hundred. Usually it's it's lower for catchers. So that's a good number. If you get that for the whole year, and you're a front office, you're like, that's a very good catcher. That's a valuable catcher if he can play defense. Right, But let's focus on what the fantasy stats look like. Two forty one, no homers, three RBIs, three runs scored, and last year he hit two twenty with nine homers and twenty nine RBIs. Of course, he missed significant time. That was in a little over half a season, but even now, you know, going to the year before two fifty nineteen seventy nine, so like, it's fine, but it doesn't look like a star like we thought about do you think that you're going to see those numbers get back to at least what he was doing early in his career. How would you measure him at this point?

00:17:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, I like Adley. I think he's at least a hold for me. And again, those like runs RBI numbers early in the season, they just don't mean a whole lot. It's arguable how much they mean in the middle of the season. It's a lot of it's that's just luck. That's I mean, it's your team context, that's where you hitting the lineup. But it's also like you hit a double great and then you know the next three guys struck out. That's not your fault.

00:17:40
Speaker 3: You did your job.

00:17:43
Speaker 2: I think that that's gonna be a good lineup. I think Adley's a goodhitter. I mean you're seeing it in what he's doing right now. And those are the guys that you can sometimes profit on of, like, oh this guy, you know, it's like what have they done for me lately? Or what have they done for me my fantasy stats so far. I wouldn't worry too much about the runs RBIs. I'd be more encouraged to say, like this guy he's hitting right now, he's getting on base. I think the production's gonna be there, especially at catcher. I think Adley is I would say a light by for me. Again, it depends a bit on the two catcher league absolutely. Yeah, don't don't get rid of Ali Rushman. I think two catcher leagues are kind of insane. But even as you know, like a twelve team one catcher situation. Yeah, I like Adlie enough. I think he's got those core skills. Catcher is a hard position, and he had a sort of rough injury interrupted year last year. He's still pretty young. I know that when these guys aren't like instant stars. It's like, well, Mike Traut is an instant star, you know, like, come on, I can get with the program Adley. But you know, it's there's there's a lot to take in for him, and it hasn't been a smooth ride. I'm willing to see where this goes with him because I think the core skills are there. Don't assume he's going to be a superstar right away or maybe ever, but a pretty good hitting catcher in you know, at a position where it's hard to find that level of production.

00:19:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll take that. Owen, good stuff, man. We enjoyed hearing from you. Thanks for the time. Good to have you on here for the first time. Hope you had fun too, And also you can catch the article that we're talking about with many more names in the athletic from Owen.

00:19:29
Speaker 7: Thank you, dude, Yeah, anytime. Thank you.

00:19:40
Speaker 1: You're having fun with this team. They've won four in a row. Like to paint the picture for us, what's it like right now? What do you think is the identity of the team and who are some of the personalities that stand out that keep things fun and loose for you guys.

00:19:54
Speaker 6: Yeah, we just have a real tight knit group of guys. I feel like, you.

00:19:58
Speaker 8: Know, we have a better like Tole Freeland, and you know, other guys in the locker room that just you know, are good key pieces to our you know, already good team. We have Hunter Goodman who's an All Star already, other players that I'm just forgetting the name. But we're a tight knit group and we just try to go out there and win ball games.

00:20:21
Speaker 3: All right.

00:20:22
Speaker 5: I got I got one simple question for you. How many people's names have you forgotten? Because when a rookie would come up I would call it. When I would call people to the front of the bus, I would go, I would go, dis my name Poppy. Because you just got to the organization. You're trying to learn these guys. How hard is that as a as a one, as a young player two, coming into a new organization. All you've had is spring training with these dudes.

00:20:50
Speaker 8: Yeah, it's just, you know, coming to a new new organization. It's just you know, trying to learn names. As you all know, it's just trying to remember people's names and saying hello every day and just trying to be the same guy, you know, being consistent, saying you know, saying hello to the right people, to the you know, to the kitchen staff, you know, all the way to you know, front office managers, coaches, just making sure that you're there every day and doing the right things.

00:21:20
Speaker 4: Hey, you're hitting really well right now. I love your approach. I love the way you're doing things. Can you explain to me, one, give me your routine. I always want to ask these guys a routine, especially as the youngster coming up. Give me specifics on the routine you do and what's your approach right now? Going up there to the play.

00:21:39
Speaker 8: I feel like I try to keep it as simple as possible. You know, see the ball, hit the ball. My routine in the cage is just kind of, I mean, pretty bland. I just asked the coach to get on one knee and shoot me some darts and just try to hit home runs to the right field. And you know, if I can do that in the game, then I'm successful. And that's what I mean. The plan is just keep it simple, damage to right field.

00:22:07
Speaker 4: And I gotta be honest with you. That is so refreshing to hear from a younger guy coming up, like I know, Cratzy, I'm clicking Cratzy, let me talk again, because he had a question like for me, there's no drill in the world that can make you successful. Then one your brain being there focus up here, and two making sure my hands are where they need to be. And that's basically what you're saying. Give me some flips, let me square the ball up, let me hit down on it. And I'm trying to get directional with the ball. I don't care what numbers can tell you anything. I don't care about any launch angle, I don't care about any of that stuff.

00:22:40
Speaker 6: Well, you just.

00:22:41
Speaker 4: Said I need that and I need that buttoned up. I'm gonna show all my young kids that I work with. You don't need to do extra stuff that is not worth doing you if people who do all that crap, it's just crap at the end of the day. For you to say that, and you're being successful right now, kudos to you and stick with that plan, young man. This is very You just woken me up. Bro, This is fantastic, absolutely good for you.

00:23:07
Speaker 5: Todd usually spends most of the show on his phone, so for you to like get his attention, that's awesome.

00:23:13
Speaker 3: But I want to add, like, Okay.

00:23:16
Speaker 5: All these dudes, all these dudes went through the whatever they call it, the digital height measuring and spring training. I see you out on the field. I watch because you guys are doing well. I've watched a few Rockies games this year. Last year I didn't watch any. I see you out on the field. Did you lie on your height on your thing because it says you're six' five and you look way taller than six y five or everybody else on The rockies is short.

00:23:41
Speaker 8: Short, no they came in and measured, us and so if they have me at six y, FIVE i wasn't bending at all BECAUSE i don't want. THAT i don't want the lower part of the strike zone to be even. LOWER i kind of want that to be as high AS i. Can SO i was standing straight up as tall AS i could when they measured.

00:23:57
Speaker 3: Us that is such a great.

00:24:00
Speaker 5: Point nobody has talked about that because everybody's talked about the fact, that OR i haven't seen anybody talk about it because everybody talks, About, oh you, KNOW i want TO i want to make Sure I'm i'm, shorter so that the so that my strike zone is. Smaller but you're saying that you standing up make sure that the bottom part of your strike zone is, smaller or you're saying the bottom part of your strike zone is at a higher.

00:24:24
Speaker 8: Height H i think it's at a higher, height is What i'm is What i'm. Understanding so IF i wanted to be, shorter THEN i would have a you, know a strike.

00:24:32
Speaker 6: Zone i'm a smaller. Guy that's not WHAT i. WANT i don't want the lower part of the zone Where i'm not familiar.

00:24:36
Speaker 3: WITH i love.

00:24:38
Speaker 5: THAT i love that talk about hitting In. Colorado i'm assuming you didn't you heard for about six weeks in spring training people tell you all the things About colorado. Everything, oh it's so tough to. Recover it's all this stuff when you got there and you finally got to play in your first big league game In, colorado, which by the, WAY i wrote it down your big league player number twenty three, thousand six hundred and twenty four to ever step foot on the. Field so not that you're gonna remember that or get a tattoo of that, number but you.

00:25:10
Speaker 3: Should but, yeah talk.

00:25:12
Speaker 5: About playing In colorado compared to the friendly confines OF Pnc park up In Scranton.

00:25:20
Speaker 3: Wilkesbury, YEAH i mean that is a huge.

00:25:24
Speaker 8: JUMP i you, KNOW i think my Manager Shelley duncan there And scranton would say the, same just trying to like but the preparations the, same even though the exterior and all the fans are are. There and that's that's that's fun and. Nice it's you, know you still kind of focus on the, game the, pitches the pitchers that's coming, in you, know all the things in.

00:25:48
Speaker 6: Order to be a successful baseball. Player it's you kind.

00:25:50
Speaker 8: Of learned that at THE p AND C park In, scranton how to be a big leaguer and it's kind of working.

00:25:57
Speaker 6: Out, HEY.

00:26:00
Speaker 1: TJ i wanted to take you back to course field for a. Moment there was a viral moment last, night AND i was just wondering if you called on all your friends to start a party section deep in the outfield in the upper. Deck did you see this little party from where you were during the game or was it something you caught after the. Game i'm guessing you can't really miss it despite trying to be as locked in as.

00:26:23
Speaker 6: Possible, no it was kind of. HARD i mean when you're looking up.

00:26:29
Speaker 8: There they started off as like a small, GROUP i, think and then every TIME i looked up. THERE i must have looked up there maybe three or four times after, that and they just kept on multiplying and multiplying. It and it was kind of refreshing to see that these, fans you, know they still want to, win they still care about The, rockies and you, know they took their shirts off for.

00:26:48
Speaker 6: It so that was that was.

00:26:51
Speaker 4: Amazing it looked, like you, know a football kind of thing with those kind of. Fans BUT i want to talk a little about Your yankee, experience you, know talk a little about sharing first base With Ben rice and you know how you learn from all?

00:27:03
Speaker 8: This, yeah, Dude ben Is ben is a great hitter and even better first, baseman better, person better. Teammate can't have you, know enough good things to say about that. Guy coming up through the minor leagues with The, yankees it was just always their philosophy was hit strikes, hard AND i think that was that was refreshing for me BECAUSE i could hit, STRIKES i just couldn't hit them very. Hard so for them they're playing with me was to, just you, know do, that keep it simple and hit it hard and working with the hitting coaches there and the sports you, know science and all the things that they have as The yankees and developing. Players they do a great job of, that AND i took advantage of every single bit of, IT i, think AND i think it's working.

00:27:52
Speaker 3: Out, WAIT.

00:27:54
Speaker 5: TJ i have to keep it real because people listen to this show because they want to hear a player's point of. View you were not twenty one years old when you made your big league. Debut you were in the minor. Leagues Ben rice was a. Catcher when you See Ben, rice you're in the minor leagues and you See Ben, rice a guy you were playing around at first. Base move to first base and take advantage of that. Opportunity you can be happy for him because of the guy he, Is but how hard is that as a first basement only in the minor. LEAGUES i looked up your stat you didn't play any other position but first, base and you're, like wait a, MINUTE i hit seventeen home. RUNS i hit fifteen home. RUNS i hit sixteen home runs in back to back. YEARS i hit almost three hundred every year in the last three seasons in the minor, Leagues and.

00:28:44
Speaker 3: Why AM i not getting that?

00:28:45
Speaker 5: Opportunity because very few people ever see that side of the. Game i'd love to hear your feeling as far as and then they didn't keep you on the forty man, roster and now you're getting your. Opportunity but take us through those times when you're like this, sucks LIKE i WANT i want this bad And i've done EVERYTHING i.

00:29:03
Speaker 8: Can, YEAH i think it's just something that LIKE i just you, know just NOTHING i can. Control SO i don't really try to work on it or like really feel any sort of way about it BECAUSE i can't control, it you, KNOW i can just try to put my best foot. Forward AND i think that's WHAT i like tried to do in the minor leagues was just you, KNOW i had good, years but it was always LIKE i could be better Because i'm seeing these Other i'm seeing the underlying data And i'm seeing that like, okay Like i'm getting lucky AND i could be, Better like how CAN i get?

00:29:38
Speaker 6: Better that sort of.

00:29:39
Speaker 8: Thing it wasn't necessarily like OH i need TO i need to BE i should be in.

00:29:44
Speaker 6: The big leagues or or any of.

00:29:47
Speaker 8: That it was, like it kind of makes me hungrier to get better at this, game because IF i was JUST i wouldn't necessarily say you've ever given anything in this. Game but it kind of just you, know turned a fire on in my belly and just LITTLE i mean little spark in me to try to get better.

00:30:04
Speaker 6: At this game to the HIGHEST i, mean to the highest level. POSSIBLE i love.

00:30:09
Speaker 5: THAT i love that because so many people that make the big leagues never go through any adversity until they get to the big. Leagues while you had success in the minor, leagues that was kind of your, adversity like why is this guy not getting a? Shot he keeps hitting dingers out of a absolutely Massive park In, scranton and he's still not getting a. Shot So i'm glad you finally got your. Shot talk about how to. Dude, now MAYBE i have my timeline, wrong but talk about how a dude From texas gets To Virginia tech to play?

00:30:38
Speaker 6: Baseball, YEAH i. WAS i was actually gonna touch on that.

00:30:43
Speaker 8: TOO i, started like my adversity started off At Texas.

00:30:46
Speaker 6: TECH i red. SHIRTED i didn't even play a year in.

00:30:49
Speaker 8: Twenty, nineteen or didn't even play a pitch in twenty. NINETEEN i sat and watched the whole entire year just BECAUSE i wasn't wasn't good enough to. Play SO i had to sit there and watch baseball and had to get better at baseball without. Playing and that was kind of the first major roadblock in my career was in twenty nineteen trying to figure, Out, Okay i'm not on the, field how DO i get better at this? Game Because division one baseball it's when, now when? Now not developed, Players so that that kind of kicked started, that and then twenty TWENTY i kind of got my opportunity there BEFORE covid hit AND i hit four hundred there and just still wasn't getting to play every, day AND i was, LIKE i need to go play every single. Game and Coach John chef From Virginia tech gave me a shout and he never looked. Back he said THAT i would play every day and he kept his, word AND i told HIM I i told HIM i drive in some runs and he told ME i play every day and we just both kept our promise and look at where we are.

00:31:56
Speaker 3: NOW i love.

00:31:57
Speaker 5: That all, Right, Well i'm gonna give you a. PROMISE i want to know your father's still alive BEFORE i asked this.

00:32:03
Speaker 3: Question.

00:32:04
Speaker 5: Correct, Yeah wikipedia doesn't makes me ask those awkward. Questions does he have more power than? You or did he have more power than? You and does he feel like he has more? Power because looking at his minor league, stats my guy had twenty nine pumps in when he was twenty one At Winston, salem not the easiest part to hit some dingers out.

00:32:25
Speaker 3: Of does he talk about that and how much has that helped shape your? Career?

00:32:32
Speaker 8: YEAH i think as far as the power, THING i THINK i still have some work to, do BUT i can put SOME i can put some numbers up. There but he you, know he helped me in my entire, life just you, know being around the, game.

00:32:47
Speaker 6: You, know the joy for.

00:32:48
Speaker 8: Baseball kind of just trying To he told me to just be the same guy every day and kind of be. CONSISTENT i think that's WHERE i kind of got that. From but just trying to put my best foot forward every.

00:33:01
Speaker 6: DAY i THINK i think it runs in the.

00:33:04
Speaker 4: Blood one, QUESTION i got a fan question here from r J m double zero two to. One can you ask the meaning of the purple fur coat for the home run? Celebration what is it about this purple fur coat that you guys?

00:33:17
Speaker 8: Use, yeah our pitching one of our pitching, Coaches gabriel Reebas, HE i think he acquired this coat from SOMEBODY i don't know, where but he showed it to me the day before we got it and he was, like what do you. THINK i was, LIKE i love, It and then he brought it the next day And nicky hit the home. RUN i think he was the first one to wear, it IF i If i'm calling, Correctly but it was kind of sick seeing the purple.

00:33:45
Speaker 6: JACKET i want to wear it.

00:33:46
Speaker 3: Now doesn't does? Everybody did they all fit into?

00:33:51
Speaker 5: It BECAUSE i THINK i Saw Hunter goodman hit With homer and he like just put his one arm. In But hunter's kind of a thick dude, Too so does it fit?

00:33:59
Speaker 8: EVERYBODY i think it's a one size fit all sort of. Thing SO i think we JUST i think we're just gonna roll with.

00:34:06
Speaker 3: It all. Right so something that rookies have to.

00:34:10
Speaker 5: Do AND i always bring it up when rookies come on the, show you got to sing on the. Bus do you have your song prepared or have you already sung your song on the?

00:34:20
Speaker 8: BUS i THINK i have a song THAT i was given And i'm trying to memorize. It so it's just it's just one of those Things i'm trying to, remember like remember.

00:34:32
Speaker 6: A good performance for all the.

00:34:33
Speaker 3: Guys what's the?

00:34:35
Speaker 8: SONG i think IT'S i think it's Some Justin bieber, song something Like. SORRY i don't, know some remix to.

00:34:43
Speaker 4: That is it too late to, Say i'm?

00:34:45
Speaker 8: Sorry you're on?

00:34:47
Speaker 6: It you're right on.

00:34:48
Speaker 4: It that's WHAT i got. YOU i got.

00:34:54
Speaker 3: YOU i don't beat the boys. Hype they won't. Care it's singing. It take your shirt.

00:35:01
Speaker 5: OFF i saw something to take his shirt off and his pants off and sing.

00:35:05
Speaker 3: It nobody remembers at.

00:35:07
Speaker 5: All what the song, was but they remember that he was standing up there.

00:35:11
Speaker 3: In front of the bus with their shirt and pants.

00:35:13
Speaker 8: Off, yeah it's almost it's you have to take your tarp off if you're up there in the bus doing.

00:35:19
Speaker 6: Anything so that's all that's a.

00:35:21
Speaker 1: Given, yep, Amazing, hey last one? Here what was the call up? Moment like the HEY i made the roster? Moment like for, you, like what was the? Reaction who did you? Call run through?

00:35:36
Speaker 3: That for?

00:35:36
Speaker 6: Us, yeah it was JUST.

00:35:40
Speaker 8: I just came out of chapel in spring training And, Schaeffer Warren schaeffer kind of gave me the point and it, was you, know the end of spring training and you kind of have feelings about what's going to. Happen and he pulled me in there and he Him josh burns OUR gm And paul De. Podesta they told me THAT i was going to the big. Leagues AND i THINK i just you, KNOW i THINK i shot up out of my chair AND i JUST i gave everybody a hug and was just like so. EXCITED i think first PERSON i called was my wife because she's been with me through this thing in the minor leagues that we've been grinding through and our and.

00:36:14
Speaker 6: Our little baby, girl our two year old.

00:36:16
Speaker 8: Daughter you, know it was a big moment for, us just kind of a big sigh of relief for our whole entire family calling. Them it was just so great to spread the news and everybody was just so, happy and everybody got to come out To, miami which was fun for the debut and opening, day which was pretty.

00:36:35
Speaker 1: Special that's super, cool very cool story. There awesome to hear man and well. Deserved and it's looking good right, now so keep it. Up it's been fun to. Watch we really appreciate the. Time great combo with you and good luck all, right thanks for having.

00:36:52
Speaker 6: Me