High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Four More Years! Four More Years! Four More Years!

Episode Date: May 21, 2026

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to Aaron Nola's latest struggles and wonder if there is any fix for the Phillies former ace who still has four years left on his contract. The guys also go through some general baseball talk, discussing the state of the National League and Gage Wood's potential for making the majors at some point this season after his promotion to Reading this week. Presented by Miller Lite.To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com

Miller Light, the official beer partner of your Philadelphia Phillies, is proud to serve as presenting sponsor of WIP's High Hopes Pod. So whether you're listening to the game, catching off on the latest High Hopes pod or at the ballpark. Remember, it tastes like Miller time, Phillies fans. Celebrate responsibly. This is the High Hopes podcast. High Hope! On the Odyssey app and Sports Radio 94, WIP.

The crowd is singing, hey, hope. I feel a little less alone. Oh, it is another edition of the Iops podcast, sponsored by Miller Light, official partner of the Philadelphia Phillies, like Miller Time Philadelphia, celebrate responsibly. It was getting fun getting to do the big yo that one time.

I'm sure there'll be more, but, you know, Aeronola pitch yesterday. So we're just not going to get a big yo after that, Fritzy. What's up, Phil? Four more years. Four more years.

Come on, man. For an episode. Three, four and two thirds more years, more likely. When you think about it, 2030 is not that far away. It is wild. He's been pitching into the 2030s. Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

We don't know that he's actually going to make it that long. Yeah. Yeah. Like he could get Taiwan, you know. He could. Not yet. But at least that's 2029. Exactly.

Right. Right. So the unfortunate part about him is. There's no answer. There's no solution. Yeah. Really. Now there may be one coming.

Hold on. Hold on. But he, in an Aaron Nola sense, he didn't get blasted yesterday. I guess that could be the positive. Oh, that's great. Is that the spin that we're going with? Yeah, well, the spin wasn't working very well yesterday. It was the third inning when three straight.

Dude, PJ Higgins, who we watched a lot of baseball, never heard of my life. Never heard of him. I didn't know he was. I thought he was made up. You know who he is now? He's the new Jacob Stallings. It's great. Just some scorn.

rub catcher that randomly kills the Phillies. So, uh, yeah, like, Sal Stewart. I hate that guy now. Dude,

I love South. I know. I love him as a player. I hate playing against him. That guy, just ripping us apart. That kid's a good ballpoint. He's good.

Yeah, he's gonna be around for a long time. He's gonna be around for a long time. I know. He killed us. He killed us. Well, any of the ball to the second deck in left field,

which you just do not see very often. It's rare. I mean, I feel I can count on one hand. It's very rare. to go up at 4.41. Yeah. So, yeah, like, I guess the positive is he didn't walk anyone and he struck out five.

And strikeout burn on. He started getting the curveball down later in the start and he didn't allow a home run. So I guess that could be viewed as positive. I mean, the reality is, well, there's a lot of realities with Aaronola, is that, and Luke or can he just put this out. but hitters are hitting 460 on his fastball. 460? It was either that or 424.

It's over 400. That's so bad off his fastball. That is horrible. Which is not how it's been. I mean, he's been so new to eat. I know he's like bottom 14% in average fastball velocity. So against his fastball this year, hitters are hitting 432.

Wow. So here's by year. So 25 was 230. 2024 was 167, 23 was 243. Wow. 2022 was 147. Wow.

That's dramatic. Oh, it's crazy. Yeah. No, and he... I didn't realize he was that solid the last couple years of the fastball. I thought I had dropped off more than that. Obviously, he dropped off from the years before, but I would have guessed higher last year. So I think the thing that we view about his fastball, so I think that's his four-seem data,

which has been pretty good. The one pitch he hasn't had since, I would say, maybe a... Dickie substance has gone away is the is the two scene fastball that used to start the guy's hip and come back on the inside one. That used to be like the staple of no. You're right. Was it was like it was dance. Did the spider tag kill Nola?

Is that possible? I don't know. I don't know. I mean, it has gotten worse since I mean it is a there is like a line there. There is an interesting line. Who could forget 2018. What if that then I don't think it's that simple. I think there's probably a lot.

There's a lot going on. But if that. were a big part like that's on the Phillies because they signed him after the spider tag thing happened like that's something as an organization you got to be on pop up if if they signed him because he started pointing his shoulder towards the first baseline when he was doing his set up and because the braves played them like that's it yeah you know yeah would have been nice that the braves actually did it yeah but no it would be great give me going be awesome all the time yeah or although for some reason you go down there and oh he did deal against us you'd have a 60 are against everyone else

against us, he would just wipe the floor of this. So the NOAA thing is so tricky because the four seamers getting blasted. And I think Maddly said it after the Marlin start where he said that he just can't bully people with his fastball anymore, which is true. He can't. And now he's, it's almost like he's readjusting his, like how he pitches on the fly. Like he's trying to use all of his off speed pitches more and more to get people off the fastball. And that's kind of been what's going on. It's just, this is always been the problem with this curveball is that it's a really good pitch,

but it's a really good two strike pitch. And like get me over, flip me over like, oh, oh, to get into the count. But if he has to throw it over and over again, then it starts getting higher. Like you can't throw a perfect curveball every time. So when he leaves it up, like he left it up a couple times yesterday, gets shelves. And flattens out and it gets crushed. Yeah. So like that's kind of the thing that you're seeing.

is fastball is not the same, has to use all the other pitches. I know velocity-wise, it's books okay, but the zip just doesn't seem like it's there. And he is low. Like, not that he's ever super high,

but like on Savon, I think he's like 14% in terms of average fastball velocity in the blue. Oh, well, yeah. I mean, 93 now is basically throwing 88. Yeah. Matters though.

I mean, it's part of the thing. It's like back in the day, those guys could do that, lose some velocity, switch speeds and make it work. It's much harder now. If you were already low on the velocity

to begin with when you, when you lose that little bit. And we've talked about this a lot. But the point is, like, one to two miles an hour off your fastball for Aaron Nolan means a hell of a lot more than one to two miles per hour for whoever you want to take with throws 97. And the other thing that I think has also heard him is, is ABS from the standpoint of like when he could.

Yeah, he's not getting those calls that, you know. He could work the corner. He could earn strikes with the umpire saying like, if you can hit that spot, like I'll give it to you and expand the strike zone a little bit. And now at ABS, like he has to be in the strike. zone more. And when he's in the strike zone more, he gets it. He gets it. So, so there's no real like,

like what's the answer. I mean, we'll get into what they do in terms of the playing him and what we think of that, but just in terms of Nola and in terms of it like, what is Caleb Cotham to do? Like, what are they, is there, is there a way that start praying? Yeah, I know, you know, it feels that way, but like, I mean, like, is there a way to change his arsenal? So, you know, where, where it is about changing speeds more and he's finding ways to kind of, you know, I don't know. Well, sure. I mean, like, but ultimately, like, Nola has to be, has to be more crisp on his secondaries. It is crazy how we talk a lot about velocity and we talk a lot, a lot about fast balls today. And it really seems like, now, I think overall team averages are still down.

I think there's 15 teams hitting under 240. But it does feel like the hitting side has caught up to the pitching side in the terms of the speed they can rip fastballs that no matter what velocity they are yeah and like you would a painter in 2005 oh my god who's this alien i know and but in 2026 when everyone knows that i hit 97 98 it doesn't hit the same so it's just so interesting to me like all these guys all these like hitters it feels like are much better at squaring up fastball i totally agree or like three years yeah it was been a focus for them and it makes sense. And everyone you see has that speed, you know, you have to and you get a cousin to it.

Yeah. And Al had a good lie. It was so much fun having Al on today, by the way. knows how to do the morning show. What it? Dude, it was a freaking treat. Evan Allen, he was a good line.

He was talking about like, you always hear the, you know, the cliche or whatever. When a guy loses speed, it's like, oh, now he's got to become a pitcher. You can't just throw out. He's got to learn to pitch. It's like, no, already was a pitcher. Like, that was his whole thing. It's like, when he loses, it's like, what do you do now? Yeah, I don't know.

I mean, like, they could, they could phantom I l them, but that's not going to really, I don't know if that's going to do anything. So that's the problem, right? All right, let's get into what they do because I, I don't think there is a clear, obvious thing here. I think, I think they're going to let him pitch for a while. Like, I think that's probably what's going to happen. The issue to what you just talked about, like, we joked about Gage. I mean, Gage just got put in red, like, just went to double A.

And like, at the end of the season, could Gage come up and be better than old? Possibly, yeah, he's just more talented. Like, that could happen. but there is no like, well, just go to that guy, go to that guy. They don't have these guys, the high miners who are ready to come up and start in the majors. Like, I honestly think if Nola sucks the way he is for the next two months, I think the most likely thing is they trade for a starter, which was probably not on the bingo card heading into the season.

How do you, what do you think the Phillies should do and how do you see this playing out? Like, what do you think will happen? By the way, Gileo had this stat on my drive-in, but like last 27 starts, the IRA is over six. That's not, that's not, it's not a small sample size. Basically, it's a season. It's a season that starts essentially. So 10 starts this year, 17 last year, both the air race in the sixes. That's really bad.

That's a lot of bad production. So, you know, the Nola thing at this point, I'm trotting them out there. You don't have an answer right now. You just have to. There's nothing you can do. Like, maybe. How long are you trying? That's, I guess that's a question.

Like how? Because again, we could say, well, just give them the ball every fifth day for the rest of the might, but like if he has a six ERA, every, like that's what he is now. If that's what it is, like, how long do you think they can realistically keep just every fifth day without phantomiling, without figuring something out, without doing something and just kind of keep taking it? Well, the other thing that's kind of interesting, I'll get there. But like, it's also interesting the, like, he's not even giving them the length anymore.

Like he's going four and that only's getting them out of there. What they have to consider there is they might have to find a way to put someone between painter and him. because if Painter is going to be a five inning guy split him up two time through the lineup, you know, maybe sneak through three. He seemed like he's going to go back out there if they didn't take the lead on Monday.

Like they might have to well, I mean, they already kind of have. I mean, Lazzardo pitched game two of the series. So like just being conscious of those guys pitching. When is they have to be aware of it and conscious and schedule things that way and maybe move guys around so that they're not pitching those guys in back to pick days. Actually, Aaron, you're getting an extra

day off or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So maybe it's something that you just kind of ride out until the deadline. I mean, it is June. So, you really, whatever, we're two and a half months away from the deadline. That's not that far away. Yeah, I need to survive.

August 5th this year or something. I hate that. Should always be July 30th. July, like, why? It was always July 31st. We all knew it. And it's like, oh, no, let's make it a day in August. Okay.

Well, I think because. I know why. I'm just saying, it's a Monday. I know why. I'm just saying I hate it. Like, I'll take it on a Saturday. I don't care. Just make it to live.

by 31st. Anyway. They got to get clicks, man. They got, oh, I know why they do it. And I get it. I'm just saying I personally just think. And we got to get our clicks too. That's true. So, good points. Yeah, I'm fine with it now.

It's great. It's great. Dude, a little Sunday pot. I think it's to a Monday deadline. Anyway. The, I was really good. I really enjoyed that.

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bring you inside the Octagon like no one else can. Deep Waters, new episodes every Monday. Watch on YouTube or listen on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere else you get podcasts. And so you gotta survive what? Eight starts? Nine starts? Yeah, like 10 maybe.

Maybe 10? Hmm. because then you can say, okay, let's go trade for at least some kind of arm, some kind of depth arm and, and maybe then you can kind of put him on the IL. A Michael Lorenzen from 2023 type. Like that, that, I think that's what we're talking about, right? That type of guy, yeah. Yeah.

You're not getting someone who's going to start being the playoffs. No. And I don't think there's going to be a Walker Bueller situation this year where he gets cut in August. And then he wasn't good. Like, let's be honest. It was fun to get him here and stuff, but like Walker Bueller did not help them in the playoffs. No, he didn't. not. No, it was better than

he was. He was. Yeah, he was. Yeah. So so yeah, I think they just have to kind of ride it out. Maybe maybe change up his pitch mix. They tried yesterday. And the first thing was great. It was like 10 pitches. He's the last battery through two changeups in it and that curveball. And then they get the lead. They're on

Trace stealing bases like, yeah. Here we go. This is some good day baseball I want to watch. By the way, since 90 baseball is taking over a lot of stolen bases. They are running more, which thank God. Yeah. You're not a good enough offensive team to not try and get, you know,

win on the margins. Use your speed. Use your speed. So, yeah, the NOL thing is a huge, huge conundrum. And there's not really a clean,

clear answer. You just kind of have to. Hope he pitch starts pitching. He's not going to be good, but you will be pitches better. You know, he'll be pitches to a four nine, a four eight ERA or something.

Five innings three runs. Yeah. Yeah. It's a four, it's like a five something area. Yeah. What do you have to, that's what you have to show for.

I mean, that's where we're up there. There's no. there's no. There's no, there's no clear answer. Gage would, now, let's talk about Gage. Yeah. So Gage, like going to Reading.

Real quick, but how old is he? Is he 21? 22. 22. So it does open the door for a possibility of him getting called to the big leagues this year. To completely poo that, I think, is wrong. It's crazy. Yeah.

Now, he's not a high school kid. He's not 18 or 19, you know? But the issue is, he never threw more than 40 innings a year at Arkansas. So, like, Yasevich, for example, when we talk about he's on the Yosevich path. By the way,

I don't know if you watched Yseviz versus Schlittler last night, but that is cinema. It's a beautiful matchup. I can only imagine. Oh, my, I... Is it 2.1 or something? It was a good game. It was 2.1. Yeah. It was 2.1. I love Trey Osevage. And I love Cam Schlitler. They are very important.

Very important to me. Anyway, so... Tough name for Cam. Neither is a great name, let's be honest. They would both fail to Jackford. Well, Trey is Savage, at least he's good enough. At least it sounds okay. It looks ugly, but at least it sounds okay.

The Cam Schlitter is a... Schlittler. Even worse. Schlittler is a horrible name. Like, change your last name. And he's a Boston kid, big Red Sox fan that ends up now dominating for the Yankees. I don't want to say it.

I almost just cursed there saying it's a horrible name. I know. But now, you savage is a local kid. You savage is a good, yeah. Yousevich is a better name than that. And he's a local. Boyer town, kid. Yep.

Anyway. Anyway, the... Bob listener, I'm sure he is. I'm sure he was die hard growing up. Shout out. Die hard. Anyway. Welcome aboard.

You savage family listening right now. The, um, uh, oh, so Ysevich. The plan, yeah. You seven at ECU through 98 innings his last year. So much more used to the workload. Gage is not used to the workload. He's obviously going to have to pitch more than 40nings this year. He's already thrown 27.

So let's hope he goes over 40. Exactly. So like 80 innings. Maybe that's the target for him this year. So that's concerning. If you're talking about him being a, a playoff, you know, a weapon for you.

I mean, it feels like he's a bullpen weapon. He would probably be a bullpen weapon, but at that point, now he could probably just do it and he'd be fine. I just don't want to develop him as a bullpen guy, but I guess it's not harming his development that much. We've seen a lot of guys like Wayne Wright.

We've seen a lot of guys who pitched in the bullpen and they went back to being started. Yeah, now the one thing there is if you put him in the bullpen, are you going to pitch him back to back days? Probably not. Probably not. You know,

so how often do you use that on it? It's a weird spot. Yeah. So, But it does open the door for the possibility of it by him going to AA this early. Now, I think he's going to AA to get challenged. You know, I think in the minors or in low A, he's able to kind of just eat with his fastball and low-level minor league hitters couldn't hit it.

I do think AA will challenge him to use his off-speed pitches. So, you know, his slider, I think, has shown great, great upside. I think it's coming out he's a power curve guy and a four-team guy. I think the slider is better than the curveball now. And then he needs to develop the change up. That's imperative. I think it's a split change. It should be a split change.

I mean, that's the other issue for talking about it. He is a two-pitch pitcher now. Like, that's hard to, that's hard to add. I mean, Mo, obviously. And we've seen starters even have success. Sanchez and. Exactly. Exactly. And he's really just too-pitch.

Yeah, you're right. You can, but it's less than ideal. And usually if you're going to have those two pitches better both be freaking lights out. So, yeah. So it's a little bit of a, tricky scenario. But at the same time, you can't rule it out.

You can't rule it out because he is... Because he's talented. And they don't have anyone else. He's a dog. So we'll see what happens with Gage. It's very exciting. We're monitoring the development. His last couple starts,

he got off to, he got off on a crazy run there, cooled off a little bit in the middle. And his last start was back to kind of being gauge level. I also think, I also think the defense of the upper minor leagues will help him more.

I thought the defense down there was not too kind. Not too many favors, does they say? To gauge. So, again, it's not the most likely. I put it like 10% that he's in the big leagues this year. But I wouldn't say it's most likely, but I don't think it's also impossible. So to round out the Nola conversation,

we'll get to smother stuff, but it does feel, I think we both agree, the most likely Aaron Nola replacement is a trade at the deadline. Yeah, unless they feel like they don't want to, wait that long, obviously. Well, they don't want to part with Brosson.

prospects, you know, and just say, hey, we got a guy who's 22. Let's kind of see what he's got. Maybe then they go to a six man and keep Wheeler on his normal rest. Maybe they feel like if they stretch him out, he'll be better. I mean, his best start this year was what on eight days. We're eight days rest. Yeah, yeah, it was. So, or seven days rest. But yeah, he, so maybe that's something they could do.

So rather than, hey, let's go trade assets for some rental. They gave up how you leave for for Lorenzen and he's starting to the Tigers. Yeah. So, or he was starting for the Tigers, who I can't believe they're 20 and 30. I had no idea that tigers were like bad. Yeah, well, scoobiles went out. They're going to trade. They have to trade scuba.

Yeah, he's hurt now, though. I know. Yeah, he'll be healthy by the end of the year. So I've been still, yeah, they have to trade him. With the new Scott. He should have to trade him last year. They blew that. With the new Scott Boris.

I don't care that you're competing. The new Scott Boris injury thing. Oh, yeah. He created a new surgery for scubel and, uh, who was the other guy that got hurt. Oh, Snell. Yeah. Snell's done the same thing in school had, to fix the loose bodies in the elbow. Sure. Sure. This is, you know. All right, Scott.

Yeah, Boris is something, man. He's always got something going on. He knows what he's doing, man. But he, if they're going to keep it up, the hall they're going to get for Scoob. Oh my goodness. And the deadline is going to be generational. Now, the shame is they, again, it would have been better. I mean, he is a free agent at the end of the year. It is a, it is a rental, you know, so I think it'll be big, but I don't think it, like last year, it could have been generational. Last year, they could have gotten the world. Did you see the story today from Rosenthal about the, uh, angels and race. almost deal.

No, no, was it? So the owner of the Angels turned down turned down Otani for Junior Caminaro. No way. So the deal was Caminaro and Carson Williams for Otani. So Atani could have been on the raise.

They wouldn't have signed him past that. Of course not. They would have been on the race for a couple years and they would have won or not. It was his walk year. Oh, so they were just, wow, the race, that's so unraised. It's unraised like,

and imagine you're an Angels fan. Yeah. And you could have junior? Like, oh my God, guys, a stud. I know. I know. It's pretty bad. And because like this false, remember because they were kind of competing at that time. Yeah, sure, sure, sure.

And they were like, oh, maybe this is the year we make the playoffs with Otani. Oh, God. That's a big one. That is a tough, tough, toughness. It's really tough being an angel. Oh, it's horrible. I can't like, it's horrible. We wouldn't have a podcast.

No one would be there. Talk a lot about Zach Netto. There is a lot of angels that I do want to get. We've always. I mean, Solera. Like, there's, the angels are furrow ground for, Let's take those like three guys and, you know, Taylor Ward no longer there, but for years. Well, yes.

I mean, Taylor Ward has been a Philly actually for the last three years. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Maybe the new Adam Duvall. He's on the verge. Not quite. No one's. No one's Adam.

No one's out of Duval. Well, Robbie Ralph Snyder's pretty close. I actually think Ralph Snyder might be taken over for Duval. He's Duval in spirit. Okay. I like it. That's good. Taylor Ward this year, by the way, one home run.

Really? Buddy's got a 416 OBP. Oh. I'm still real in the Tatis thing. He's no home runs. I can't believe it. Imagine. Two fantasy teams.

Two fantasy teams. And I watch them every night. Just glaring at the TV. And they're winning games too. It's not like they're bad. I know. I know. It does make a little scary.

Padres are starting to get gone. Biders are good, man. The NLs. That's the, that's the most, you know, we haven't really talked about it. It's like of all years. Like, yeah, it was with like two teams over 500.

Terrible. What are we doing here? And the freaking NL. It's like everyone's over 500. Yeah. Now the good part is a lot of these seems like the Cardinals are not good. Like I don't I don't care. The pirates, these teams are not going to stay. Yeah.

So the thing is so it's so it's going to go Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, Braves, Brewers, and then it's that spot. Yep. That's six spot. Yep. Now I am worried about the Cardinals and the Tarps off movement. Have you seen this? No.

What is it? The Tarves off where everyone is in the crowd taking their shirts off. I didn't know that. It took a bunch of college kids. Like the Phillies the other night. Yeah, but that was stolen from St. Louis. I didn't know that. who started it.

And it's like they take up two sections. And it's like a fun thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And there's, they're adding some electricity

back to Bush Stadium for, I mean, ultimately you have to have players. Yeah, yeah. The Cardinals are, and their shortstop is such a old, like a Cardinals player,

25, like, gotta sneeze, but, uh, I know, that was a bad, that was a bad moment.

Um, he's not like Elliot who will like, like hiccup or burp on the ball, like all the time, would never burp on the pot. Is it a burp? He yawns. It's a yawn on that.

He yawned. He asked to apologize during a pod at least once a power he's like, excuse me, you're sorry for something. He says it naturally yawn. Yes.

The yawning in the daily pod when you're talking to yourself, that's a tough seed. That is tough scene. Especially you can see records it in the middle of the afternoon. He's not doing it at 4 a.m. I think it's Pavlovian at this way, probably.

Yeah. Well, he's so funny on the Daily Pot too. Like, he's just like, what's going on, guy? I don't know.

He just Elliotts it up. It's an unbelievable commitment to do it. he's the best. Yeah, he's one of one. When he's not talking Phillies, he's the best.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I want to stuff him in a locker. Yes, when he talks to really. It's like,

no, but otherwise my favorite. So, so, yeah, the Cardinals are fake. Like, it's,

it's a pretty loaded NL. It's wild. Yeah, they're all. And again, like, I think the ones you mentioned, like they're all good teams.

Like, like the Brewers, the Dodgers, the podgers, the podger, these are teams that make the playoffs most years. Like,

Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, the Phillies got obviously have some work to do. I still would be surprised if they, you know, are not in the dance. I think they'll be in the dance too. Yeah. Although I am disappointed in myself. I have, I have been way more in get me to October mind mindset this year than in years past. I'm usually. You're usually the anti that. I know. Don't do this. It's a baseball season. I know. But it's just like, I've seen this. I've seen this before. I know what they are. It feels very familiar. Like there's going to be ups and downs. They're a good baseball team. I'm proud of them for getting back to where they should have been. Digging out of the hole. Where they should have been. Oh,

I think it's the quickest turnaround from 10 games under 500 since like the A's. It wouldn't shock me. I mean, they turned it super quick. It was 16 and 4 or now in 65, whatever. But they were moving. Yeah.

So I'm like, I'm enjoying the ride. But it's like I need to see. It's going to be different. It's one of those things where it's like, they're back. We're in it. But it's like,

we just have this hanging over us where it's like no matter and I'm enjoying it and stuff and they're fun to watch but it's like that like playoff thing is just there where it's like I just don't I don't know that what I'm watching is what I'll watch then and that like being unsure of it it's impossible to like fully grab onto what you're seeing because it's hard to predict that it's going to happen in the future now here's one thing that I think is interesting about evaluating this team and if it's going to be different in October and we'll see if they can continue to do it but I think the one criticism you've heard about the Phillies in the in October is there's playing for the home run, you know? And like sometimes you push back against it because like, you know, I don't know if they're, I don't know if they're hitting. I don't know if they're playing for the home run. I agree.

I think they're just missing the ball with their bat. But the one thing that I think is something that people should monitor is if they're continuing to be able to do the little things like steel bases. And they're, they're starting to emphasize that part of their game that they haven't really done in October. Like are they able to. Hitting runs.

I actually saw a couple of those. I think there should have like four hitting runs. Whenever I, whenever I see, like, it's like my eyes are deceiving me as it's having. I'm like, wow, we don't do this. It feels like I'm 15 years old again watching baseball. I know. The Donny baseball bunting station has slowed down.

But, you know, like, did they work that back into the, into the mix? They had been playing good defense until this series. I don't know what happened. Weird. Yeah, I mean, the, so the first Bryce play on Tuesday, Tuesday was his fault. I went to cut off stock. early in the game. Yeah.

And I, yeah. The Banks one was definitely on banks. And I thought it was on Bryce, but I also thought like the pitcher should still get over there. Like I like I don't care. What else are you doing? Like cover the base. Well, and that was the second time it happened. Painter was late covering.

That's my point. So like I agree like that was probably Stod's ball. pitchers should still have got there. Well, no. Well, the one the seventh. I actually liked he went and cut it off because he thought Bill Dewe was going to go to third. Banks was completely wrong. Like the Banks one, there's no other side to.

Yeah. I agree. So the defense on. that night wasn't great. And then yesterday. Oh, and then what was it? Was it,

it was Tuesday, too? Crawford. Yeah. Crawford didn't get to the L.A. triple. Yeah, he's got to get it. It wasn't an easy play,

but he's, it's, the ball is glove. I mean, the ball in the glove. He is, he's not a center fielder. I mean,

he's done a nice job. He's not a center field. Naturally. He, like, it feels like a lot of times you're watching. Like,

it feels like his first step is usually wrong. Not always, but it feels like he steps in. And then he can recover. he's fast, he's got to be, but it doesn't feel like it's natural. It doesn't feel like the ball's hitting the bat and he's already gliding in the right direction. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Like he, now by the numbers, he gets the worst jumps in baseball. There you go. So that was pure anecdotal, pure eye test, but that makes total sense. I mean, yeah, he, he's done an okay job in center field. Yeah, he's okay. I don't know, man. Because I can't tell with centerfield defense and like outfield defense. Because I, I kind of believe that it's something that you're born with.

like the ability to track a baseball. And it's not like, again, there's this, I think a misconception that this is his first time playing center field. It's not. He played center field all throughout the minor leagues, but they kind of moved into left field in the upper levels. And because,

me, like, Rojas was there. So Rojas is a center fielder. And, like, it just might be who he is. Like, he might just not be able to read the ball off the bat well. You know,

it seems like every line drive at him. He doesn't know if it's over his head or he's got to come in and he's always caught in between. he gets bad jumps on stuff. Like he might be a corner outfielder with a center field bat profile. Yeah, yeah. Which is an idea.

How valuable is that? So yeah, I mean, we'll give him time. He's allowed to grow. I wouldn't move him off center field this year. I wouldn't even. Because there's a thought of, would you put March and center in him and left, like towards the end of the year?

And I just wouldn't do it. Like I want to see if he can be the center. And Marsh isn't any better in center. Like maybe he's better. Maybe he's better. he's a little better, but I don't think, I think Crawford has a higher ceiling in center than Marsh. Yeah, if you can figure it out.

That's my point. So, yeah, no, so that was annoying. And then, you know, Pumps having the ball go up his palm yesterday was certainly certainly not great. And it always is still great in right field. Dude, that one, yeah, the one by that. And it's one of those where you're like, the run's going to score.

It's like, do I even want him to catch it, but it's like, you're not going to not catch in that spot, but that one running out of, like that way. Like, Nick Cassinghouse doesn't get 20 feet from that ball. I know. Wish you get hit. It's such a shame.

Well, at least he was betting two. That was good. Yeah. Yeah. What was that? Can we talk about that real quick?

And then we'll get to the take bag. But I'm excited there's not too much that you probably won't cover. But I do want to talk about Madangley's comics. I do think we talk about this morning show and I do think it was interesting talking about Harper and talking about why was Adolus in the two hole yesterday. And you know, he's talking about it.

And then he kind of does. He says just kind of off family. He did. You know, yeah. He was like, well, you know,

Bryce essentially doesn't want to be in the tool. He's like, you know, we can, you do it for a day or two, but we basically want to get Bryce out of there. Like, don't love it, you know. So two, two questions. What did you make of that? What he said? And also, do you think there's a chance?

Because I, I'm, I think it sounded to me, I don't think it was a mistake by Madding. Is Mattingly potentially trying to shame Bryce into, like, because I do think that it's like, I think it's ridiculous that Bryce won't bat in the tool. If, if it is what we think it is, what it seems like Bryce says, I don't want to bet too. Like that's a problem, man. Like, I have no problem with him saying at first base, none. I actually hate it when people like,

you won't go to the office. Like, I don't care. Like, he's a first baseman. He should play first base. It's the best thing for his career. It's the best thing for the village. He's a good first baseman. Leave him there.

The not batting two things is nonsense. Yeah. So I don't think, I think Maddly kind of. He just slipped? Do you think he? No, I think he just assumed people knew it. Really.

I think he didn't realize he was airing a little dirty laundry out. No, I don't. Oh, okay. That's possible for sure. And I think he talked about when he was on with the midday show. He was like, listen, Vladdy wanted a bat three, you know,

like so you want to bat people where they feel comfortable. Sure. And stuff like that. I just think it's nonsense. Like you can't, you can't hit. So nonsense. You can't for three games hit second.

And I was so glad he went over yesterday. I know. Because he didn't, like, to devalitate this idea that you can't hit in the two hole is, is ridiculous. And having to put Adolty Starkey. They're best player,

their best hitter. is hitting the tool for a while now. Like Kyle Swarber has done just fine in the tool. Well, but they're having to put Adolies there yesterday. Was ridiculous, man. Because he won't bat too. So, yeah, I think this is, I mean, I, I hate it. I hate it.

I hate it. I hate it. And I love, Bryce is a ton of credit for this year. He's been awesome and he is the whole not elite elite thing. Whatever you want to make of it. Like he has come in with a chip on his shoulder and he has played awesome. This is, this is a bad luck for Bryce. Well, yeah.

And, and it's one of those. Especially because, real quick, especially because he always says, I'll do anything. I don't hit anywhere or whatever. Like, it's like, don't shine us on and then turns out you're lying, you know? Well, yeah. And, you know, Thompson always would cover for him and say, Bryce or Brad, whatever, we wanted to bat. No, he won't. And I just, like, he's too smart of a baseball guy to pretend as if the first inning matters all that much.

Like you're not seeing all of a sudden, you're not seeing a bunch of different pitches. And pictures these days are going like five innings. You're going to see a new pitcher for most of your bats anyway. I think he's hitting like over 300 in seventh inning on. Well, most of that is against relievers that you don't see. And you don't control when you're up. You can be the first batter of an inning.

You don't control when you come up then. Bat, if you just hit second, first off, there was a spot yesterday. What was the fifth where it's running? on first and two outs and the doleys up there striking out where that could have been Bryce and hey maybe the maybe the the inning turns like I I understand you want to hit people where they're comfortable but like how about you adjust to hitting two how about you're hitting two and figure it out I just your Bryce Harper figure it out and it's robbing them of what their

best lineup is well that's the problem is it does hurt the team it should be Schwabre one and it should be Harper two especially with the way that Turner's going and then and then and then Turner three if you want you know but like this whole, I want to bat three because I'm comfortable there and like a two hole hitter that sees a lot of pitches so that I'm more comfortable up there. Like it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's cope. And, uh, yeah, this is, this is some me guy nonsense that I don't know. Yeah, I'm sure that he, given that I think the reaction today, I am sure he's not going to

be thrilled that Maddenly. I agree. Especially after the, hey, we don't say things in public. I mean, so you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it might have been a little slip up from from Donnie baseball.

And look, if it wasn't, I respect Donnie like kind of being like potentially shaming and new to try something else. Like I, I do think that Mattingly again has been. Bryce Harper level fame, maybe not quite that, you know, but pretty damn big.

Like who knows? Maybe he has little ways to kind of motivate these guys without coming right out and like saying to his face. Like I don't know. I mean, listen, if he's playing chess, great.

Respect. The, you know, the Browsky saying he's not elite. And all of a lot. this year and then this man like just the little shaming of Bryce to get what you want maybe I mean it's possible and maddingly I think certainly would have the cashet if Bryce was like whatever got mad about it yeah say what are you mad about yeah like kidding me dude you should be batting

so you should 100% be batting so um no no do they move Vladdy up last year did he stick he definitely batted two at times for sure because I had him on my fantasy team and I would notice he was in the two he's been in the three all year this year but all right let's get a take back now but he also they have us probably better hitters around them we can't way better. That line was awesome. All right. The Reading night, June 20th, just save the date. We'll get the landing page out for you where you can get tickets,

but save the date writing June 20th. Brad Keller did change his walk-up song. Well, thank God. Yeah. He went to War Pigs by Black Sabbath yesterday. Much better. Much better. It's 10 times better.

I'm not even comparable, honestly. No. So bullying works. We got them out of Imagine Dragons. And all of a sudden, a perfect penny. Who to thunk it? Yeah. So that was big.

That was important. Painter. So another step forward. I thought it was a good start. Yeah. But still question marks. He generated three whips in that start. Three whips on 66 pitches.

So the good. He retired his last 10 in a row. And I think that as starts go on. he has more conviction with his pitches, you know, and I think he feels more comfortable. Because the one thing he's going to have to start doing, like he's going to have to start throwing his sweeper and slider harder, I think.

And it'll like, you know, the spin will be a little bit tighter because sometimes they flatten out a little bit and that's when they get hit. So I think he develops a feel for it as the start goes on. You kind of just have to hope that the first two innings don't go so bad that you have to like yank him out of there because I think when he finds his footing, he's fine. He starts developing some confidence and getting some confidence.

So overall, like a positive start, you know, there's still some questions, like obviously with the winnings and all the year. And, you know, it was only 66 pitches and he got him out of there. So they still have the training wheels on him, which is fine. Fine. Honestly, again, we said this last pod, I'll say it again. I would rather he have the training rules on him and get five good innings than go a sixth and it ruined the whole start. Yes. So he, so yeah, the training wheels are on, which is again, it's fine.

The shame for Painter is that you look at all these young arms in baseball and they're just sick. Yeah, like, I mean, he has to watch Burns. I know. It's a perfect, like right in your face example. Burns, you savage, Schlittler, Mizorowski, like, but again, I don't, and I don't know why it is. I don't know why it is. It doesn't really compute in my brain, but it just, I mean, the evidence is the evidence. I mean, the best young pitchers in baseball right now are,

college kids. They go to college for, you know, three years and... Skeens, obviously. Skeens, yeah. And, you know, painters the same age as these guys, but he looks like he's behind development-wise. So I do think that some of these college programs

have like minor league level pitching development. Clearly, yeah. But it's just crazy because you wouldn't think it. You would think, okay, well, Andrew Painter's also... He's been in the system for year. He should be further along. He's working on stuff and strong. And I know with DJ, but... Which heard him.

Yeah, I just, I just, I, It's fascinating looking at all the young pitchers in baseball, how they're all college kids. Yeah. It actually is really fascinating. It's a really good point. I'm trying to think off the top of the top of the best high school, like top 20, like top 20 starter. That's like that's like 25 and under. It's young.

Like obviously guys get there like Lazzardo and Wheeler. Of course. Yeah. And they figure it out. But I'm like, of the young starters, I feel like they're just all college kids. It's wild. So like Gavin Williams, a college kid. Yeah.

you. He Savage College kid, E-C-U. Schlittler, seventh-rounder. Like, out of north- northeast.

Matthew Fisher. Scoobel, ninth-rounder out of Seattle college. Really? Oh, yeah.

Wow. Yeah. And both him and skeins had combined three offers in. So crazy, man. In high school. Baseball is the hardest sport to,

like, again, every time we have Barbara on, I'm always like, hey, man, the fact that you look at these kids, like 17 and 18, you check what they'd be is like,

the craziest thing. It's the craziest thing. So she goes, like, at least in college football, you're watching the SEC kids play SEC kids. You know, you're watching whatever, like college basketball, like these big programs. Like, these high school kids could be going up against me in high school, for Christ's sake.

If they're, you know what I mean? Like, and you're trying to evaluate what this guy's going to be in, in the major leagues in seven years or it's such a hard job. I'm blown away. Yeah. McLean, Oklahoma State. Noel McLean. Yep, sure.

Yeah. The guy is just, it's an interesting point. Well, it's one to think about with the draft. That's what's about to say. Is that going to influence? And look, it did last draft that they were higher. I mean, they moved away from that with the gauge draft. So that maybe that is something that Philly kind of saw coming a little bit.

Yeah. So, but at the same time, I would draft every high school. But high school bats are different. Like all the best young players. I thought you said every high school player. No, no, no. I would draft high school bats. You can't help yourself.

If you want to go away from high school arms, I get it. Yeah, I agree with high school bat. I mean, although there's like this Borthwick kid. I know you don't love it. I don't love it. You'll accept it. Well, because Ryan Sloan also exists, and he's disgusting for the Mariners. Now they also have Kate Anderson, who's an LSU kid.

Anyway, I would draft every high school bat. High school bat is a totally different story. Like the best players right now, best broadcasts right now. Yeah, McGonagall, those guys, all those guys. McGonagall High School bat. A lot of those guys. Gunner High School bat. Like, there's enough.

Yeah. High school pitching is a little bit different. Yeah. She's good. You need a high school bat. Get him going. Light baseball activities. It took great.

We're back. Good. We're back. We're back. We're back. I can't wait. I hate seeing all these guys come up and he's down. Like Cole Emerson.

Just got called him. I was like, I'm like, I'm not a cold Emerson. I'm not, I think I like, I'm just saying like, I'm tired of seeing all these guys coming up and

freaking being a part of the major leagues. Our guy's not. That's all I'm saying. It'll get there. It'll get there. I'm confident in the kid. I'm confident in the kid. I love him.

Yeah, so Painter. Good. Still uses off speed more. They, they're trying to hide the fastball. we know that. And it was interesting, like they,

the Reds, like, tried to jump them and he did a good job of staying off the barrel. So, it really, I still like the plan

of sinkers in to righties and sweepers and sliders, spamming them with that, and then lefties fastball in and splits away. It can kind of work. Lazzardo is good.

Like, Lazzardo was fine. Yeah, I thought it was really good. Yeah, he's, he had the one stinker against Colorado, but four out of the last five starts

have been Lazzardo. So that's, that's obviously super important. How was bone run? Dude, Bohn's been. How about that Homer was a yesterday was the one down, right down the left of the line, like a rope down the line. I was like, look at this.

He's actually starting to look like he's launching the baseball. Yeah, he does. He looks better. Yeah, uh, 1,200 OPS since the two-day reset. 1,200. You like that? He's going to get extended, you know, just, just accept it now. Don't joke.

Accept it now. Stop joking. Alec Bowman is inevitable. Uh, and then Stots had a good run. Not as high average, but he just, I think he has the second most RBI. Pull, no, I mean, again the other night. He is the second most RBI is. baseball in May.

Really? Yeah. Wow. He's always been the power hitter. Everyone knows that. I know we've done a lot of like general baseball stuff in this. Sure. In this podcast, which I'm a big fan of.

Me too. The NL. Sall-Yung race is crazy. Have you seen it? No, I mean, I guess Sanchez's up there, 182. So Sanchez 1.82. Chase Burns, 1.83. Mizorowski 1.89.

Paul Skeins 2.62. Chris Sale, 1.89. Otani, 0.73. Oh, yeah, I forgot about Tani. So Tani's probably the front runner, yeah. What is going on? Only 49 innings. Yeah, none of innings.

What is going on? Awesome. That is awesome. Good stuff. And then last thing, there's nothing that brings me more, that makes me laugh or chuckle. Quite like the Don Maddingly,

uh, no teeth smile. Like he just does the, oh, I know. He'd say it's very. It's very funny. Yeah,

I'm with you. It's weird. It's a goofy little look. Yeah, you're right. It looks like he's kind of talking crap, you know, when he does it? Alex,

he's got something in the back of his mind. Yeah, like it's, it's, it's kind of like, when I have something going. Oh, yeah,

you get that look. That's actually a very fritzy and look. It is. It is. Like, what is Donnie baseball up to? It's still weird for me that he doesn't have the mustache.

And I know that, you know, bring it back. It's what I'm saying. Like, Donnie I knew that the stash was such a big part of the look. Maybe you can't grow it anymore.

Maybe. Maybe it's like splotchy and whatever. Like, can people bald on their face? Sure. It's a great question, actually. I assume so. I don't know.

I don't think you can ball. I mean, they don't, like we've seen many bald people with, with beards. I don't think you balled on you. I don't think you lose facial hair.

This is a great question. What a fascinating point. If Tucker on his game, we would have looked it up by now what he was. Can you think about his side burns? Oh, okay. Also a sideburn. Yeah.

Which I don't know if they balled either. No, well, that's that way. Those are Simpsons reference. Yeah. I don't watch Simpsons. We should. Man,

and shaved those sideburns. Would never. That's your loss. Never. Okay. Zero percent. And I'm still trying to figure out what happened on survival last night. Don't say anything.

I don't know. I haven't watched. Don't say anything. Don't even talk about it. I sent it to both you and BLJ. I didn't even open the text. I didn't even open the text because Elliot sent it to me and Tucker. That was a very aggressive text to wake up to by the way.

Yeah. I wrote back. I'm like, what the F is wrong with you? Like I haven't watched it. Don't talk to me. I won't talk about this. What is this? What is this?

2004? I know. I go to bed early. I go to bed early. I'm watching as soon as I get home today, all right? Relax. So here's what happened. Very funny.

I will kill you. Oh, you want to know why you don't go bald in the face? Yeah, I actually don't. Yes, I do want to know. The hormone that stimulates facial hair growth is the same hormone that promotes baldness in your scalp. No way. Interesting. That's actually very weird.

You can't fall on your face. And here's the other thing I've been thinking about with facial hair. And when you take out one of the hairs, like how does it grow back if you just ripped it out? And is there a root system deep inside your head inside your face? They're like just producing hair in the same spot. I guess so. It's an interesting. Hors,

that's a thing. But there's like you rip out the one hair and then bang. This is great stuff for me. This is why you're the best. Thank you. I really appreciate it. So here's what happened on Survivor. No,

I'm just out of here. We'll talk to you guys after. Everyone enjoy their Memorial Day weekend. I know we will. It's going to be raining. I got four. I got tickets to the game on Saturday. I want to take the whole family down.

Oh no. And it looks like it's going to. to be a washout. So, yeah, that's a bummer. Walker's looking forward to going. Yeah, that is a shame. So I don't know if it's good. It might be a double header on Sunday, but then I don't know.

That's a whole thing. I had timed out perfectly, four o'clock. So like they could fall asleep on the drive home. Oh, one o'clock. They might fall asleep at like four o'clock. That's a whole. It's a, you'll realize this one day, Tucker. Yeah, it's a whole thing.

They fall asleep in cars. Sometimes it's a great thing. Sometimes it's a disaster. Because if you're three minutes away from home and they fall asleep, it's like, here we go. He's going up for two hours. See, this is, like, you really have trouble getting these kids to sleep. Like, I had, they can't, their brains don't turn on.

Yeah. So Zoe, Zoe will push it to stay up every second that she, like, but once she is forced to go to bed, like she is asleep like that. Like, you're like literally like she can be mid sentence and just gone. Zero. No. That's so wild. I'm so sorry. Well, and this week, you know, talk about lack of clutch gene from those two.

Yeah. Wouldn't sleep. All of a sudden. like it's a seventh inning. I got to do post game. And I'm like, I'm out there, I'm driving around listening to not.

Boys, pull it together. We got to lock in. Daddy's got a post game show. Pull it together. All right. So I'm on there. He's doing this for you.

So you can pay for your life in the future, right? A house to live under a roof and all that. People helping people. That's right. All right. We'll be back after the weekend. I'm a wonderful Memorial Day.

Until then, go Phil's. He's friends themselves.