High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: Who Do We Trust In This Bullpen?

Episode Date: October 2, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies bullpen and the rest of the 2023 MLB postseason field. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball Isn't Boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is.

Another fact, so jump aboard the B.I.B. Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. I know the Mets suck. I just feel like the bullpens actually – if you look at the numbers, and I know the numbers don't tell you everything,

and the eye test hasn't totally backed this up, but ERA-wise, they have the fourth best bullpen ERA in baseball since August 1st. Wow. I wouldn't have expected that. Because it felt way worse than that. But I think some guys are starting to pitch much better, which I like. Which you see. Like, it does. I mean, like, we talk about Alvarado looks so much better.

Alvarado being this. He's, like, back. This version of Alvarado is a total game changer. Yep. Like, a total game changer heading into the playoffs. Because you're getting a back-end option back there who essentially rode to Game 6 of the World Series last year who basically had, what, a month and a half off? Like, he's been unfortunately injured twice.

And before getting hurt the first time was the best reliever in baseball for a month. Like, the best. And he looks back to me in that version of seeing more strikes. You're seeing him get back to the 1-2-3-you're-out kind of thing. So I just, the bullpen went through a down period there where the starters weren't going very deep in games and they clearly got overworked. Oh, and I can't believe I didn't bring up Jeff Hoffman.

Like Jeff Hoffman. I'm excited to see what he looks like in the playoffs because I think if he's what we've seen in the last two months, you're getting a weapon, like a weapon weapon from Jeff Hoffman. But I just think that all the guys the last week and a half, like a weapon weapon from Jeff Hoffman. But I just think that all the guys the last week and a half, two weeks, have

really turned a corner of like, okay, now it's go time. They went through the stretch. Stars weren't going deep. They were being overworked. You know, they went six, like when they went six man, the one thing that obviously was the, that coincided with that, is you had to pitch your relievers way more.

So it felt like we're seeing Strom every day. We're Hoffman every day we're seeing Strathany every day we're seeing these guys so they got a little overworked and it feels like this last month they've done a much better job of managing those guys innings so that when this time comes they can hit the ground running and I like that they pitched a lot over the weekend not a lot but enough and it's the classic argument of rest versus rust. And I think they did a good job this weekend of balancing those two. Like Bryce played a lot, which I think is smart because Bryce is

a field guy. So like sitting in for three days does nothing. He's fine. He's a machine. He's Superman. Does not need much time off. So I think they did a good job of not just sitting everyone and expecting bang Tuesday to kind of turn it on and go. Especially with the doubleheader on Saturday.

That really throws your plans and how you're playing on playing over three days, heading into a three-game series early the next week. That is, especially with pitching, that's why you saw them do all the roster gymnastics and bringing up Nick Nelson and bringing up Plassmeyer. Shout out to Nick Nelson, by the way. Yeah.

Welcome to the season. He earned his NL championship ring this year. Michael Plassmeyer, less so. Less so. They still ran him out there as long as they could. Hey, let him throw some innings. And look, Taiwan didn't

give him innings. I know. I know. He went seven innings. And then he retired, what, eight straight after allowing four? Just no one better. Yeah.

It's unbelievable. Just tell him. Yeah, just tell him, hey, man, you're down four and up. You're down four and up and everyone's mad again. So go out there. Everyone's tweeting about how bad you are in the first three things. And then he goes and checks his phone.

Sends out an apology. Thanks for picking me up, guys. Do you think that after allowing four runs, he goes to the clubhouse, checks his phone, sees how mad everyone is and then is like, alright, I gotcha. Probably. Bang. Here we go. Honestly, it's as logical an explanation as anything else is.

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Okay, let's get to that. Let's get to that. Who's the Game 3 star? Honestly, not your Rob Toms. We know what we've talked enough about what we would do, you know, and the whole thing. What do you think is going to happen? Honestly.

Joe, all kidding aside, you said it. You're nervous about Game 2. You think it's going to go 3. So Game 3 is going to happen in your mind. Who will be the starter for Game 3 for the Philadelphia well it depends if the caveat is does Ranger pitch in the first two games out of the bullpen it's an important question so because I think that's what happens I think I think they have a chance they need him but what's so weird is that what I don't get about that is that this isn't last year like you have you have great

bullpen arms like unless Nola gets roughed up and you like need him to go multiple in innings, then that's why you would have a tie one on the roster or whatever. Maybe. I don't know. Right. So for me, it's Ranger. But if he pitches one of the first two games, it's obviously Christopher Sanchez. It better be. And it might be Chris Sanchez over Ranger.

Dude, if we're just going on who has earned a playoff start, it's Christopher Sanchez, period, full stop. He's earned it over Nola, even. I mean, like, Christopher Sanchez has been their second best starter this season. End of sentence.

And maybe that's why they pitched him out of the bullpen this weekend was like, we're going to pitch Ranger game three, so maybe they had this idea of Ranger

pitching out of the bullpen, but it's actually going to be Chris Sanchez. Yeah. Maybe. Maybe. I mean, you have three lefty options.

Like, do you need... I mean, you just said it. The three maybe you trust the most right now are your three lefties. Now, Soto is still a work in progress. Soto is a question mark. He's got stuff, man. Of course he's got stuff. And he's starting to strike guys out.

And he's got a little confidence. Big Gregory Soto guy. But, yeah, I just, the mental gymnastics, I feel like they're playing with the chris sanchez thing i just it's one of the more befuddling things i've seen them do just the guy's good just throw him out there he's good he's fine yeah let him go pitch just because he was just because he's better than you thought he'd be doesn't mean that he's not better than you thought he'd be like you doesn't mean he's gonna fall apart like just admit that you won the curtis meade trade yeah well

clear and let him pitch a playoff game let's go so. So, and he's just, I just, I'm not worried about him, like, all of a sudden being not, like, too big for the moment or whatever. No, it doesn't seem like he's, like, he seems super calm, super chill. He seems very, very calm. So, I think it's going to be, I think it's going to be Ranger, but a part of me does wonder if Chris Sanchez, like, that idea of putting him in the bullpen wasn't so much about Tyron Walker as it was about Ranger and what they think they can get out of Chris Sanchez.

But again, I don't know why they need to pitch Chris Sanchez out of the bullpen when you have the amount of lefty options they have. So it's weird, but at least this year, they have way more dudes. So many dudes, man. I was thinking that as you were going through all the bullpen options, when you're basically like, Saranthi, it's like, Obi gets better, he's like the bullpen options, when you're like, basically like, it's like, Opie gets better. He's like the sixth option of those guys in terms of who you try. Like, it's like, what?

Dude, Orion Kirkering's the last guy in the bullpen. Yes. And Orion Kirkering has a chance. He could be an impact reliever. Yeah. I mean, the stuff-wise, it goes anywhere in the pen, you know? Just, again, and this is a message to Major League Baseball. This is a message to the fan base.

Don't let the Phils get through the wild card round. Because if they get through the wild card round, they're going back to the World Series. Yes! Like, don't. Like, I'm just. Knock them out early. Like, if you don't want another Red October run coming,

you don't want Philadelphia getting cocky again. Like, just kill us early. Okay? Because as this thing goes along, first off, they'll start feeling it again, which I like. The pitching's better. The lineup, Trey Turner's here now. The real Trey Turner, by the way.

Don't let the Phils get past the wildcard round. Because they're going to beat the Braves. Again, I've said this to you. I don't know if I've said it on the podcast. I'm more worried about losing the Marlins wildcard round than I am losing to the Braves. You've not said it on the pod. I have so much confidence in beating the Braves in a playoff. I love it.

It's awesome. I think we're in their head. I think the loser nonsense that Strider throws out there. Oh, my God. That might be the dumbest thing any athlete has ever said. You have fans. It makes no sense. Even if it was sarcastic. Yeah. It was still not a win. Oh, my God. That might be the dumbest thing any athlete has ever said. Like, you have fans. It makes no sense. Even if it was sarcastic.

Yeah. It was still not a win. It was just dumb. And then the whole, like, we're doing simulation games. I know. I know. You doing that for Miami? Yeah.

You doing that for going to Arizona? We know why you're doing that. Yeah, you're right. Like, we know why you're doing that. Yeah, that's exactly right. Brian Snicker coming out saying, I don't want to play this team. Yep. You know, like, I... It's in their heads. There's no other way around it. I love that. Yeah, that's exactly right. Brian Snicker coming out saying, I don't want to play this team. Yep. You know?

It's in their heads. There's no other way around it. I love that. I love that. It's like, again, I never grew up in the 90s Cowboys thing, but this is what met Philly's Braves. Yep. It has that feel to it.

Back-to-back years playing in the postseason. Last year, we beat them. They win the World Series the year before. The year before, yep. Like, both fan bases insane um i just again just don't let the phils win yeah like don't let them do that because they're gonna go beat the braves and then like i'm just this dodgers team i'm not scared of all the dodgers see that's how i feel about the the the way you're like we're beating the braves that's how i feel about the dodgers we play the dodgers like honestly I think there's a decent chance it's not the Dodgers.

Like, I could see either D-backs or the Brewers beating the Dodgers. I wouldn't bet on it because those two teams, I don't love either of those two teams. But, like, the Dodgers don't scare me at all. Losing a postseason series to the Brewers would also do similar things. That would be, yeah, that'd be tough. As losing to the Marlins. We wouldn't lose the Brewers. I'm not scared of the Brewers.

Okay. Who are you more afraid of in a playoff series? Possibly. Freddie Freeman or Josh Bell. Freddie Freeman or Josh Bell. I'll still give it to Freddie, but it's close. Yeah, it's fair. Fair question. And the nice part about this year and how it could shake out for the Phils is, again,

don't let them win the first round. Who's the good team in the AL? That, the Orioles. Dude. But I'm with you. That's my point. That's my point. I'm with you.

The Orioles are the best team. I mean, probably the Astros, if we're being honest. Of course. Probably the Astros. The Astros will be in the World Series. There's no doubt it will be the Astros. It's probably that. But they're not.

They're not. Like last year, they're a worse team than they were last year. Dude. Definitively. The Astros did not lose a playoff game until game one of the World Series. Like, that was a great. They were a 106-win team last year. They went 92 this year.

It's a great Astros team. Yeah. It's a great Astros team. This is a good Astros team. I agree. Like, this is a Phillies team who got off to a slow start, but have been one of the best teams in baseball since June 2nd. I honestly think the three best teams in baseball are in the National League.

I think the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies are the three best teams in baseball right now. Yeah. Yeah. Although, there's actually a couple of fun matchups, right? So, I mean, you want to talk about getting a tad ahead of yourself. Just a tad. Phil's Jays. Ah, can you imagine?

Phil's Rays. Phil's Rays. Ah, can you imagine? Phil's Rays. Phil's Rays. Phil's O's. Which would be awesome. Which would be fun. All three. It's actually pretty wild, yeah. Phil's Astros.

Oh my God. This is wild. Yes. We just need the Yankees and then it's all of them. I know this is going to sound dumb, like I should know this. Did the Mariners make the playoffs?

They did not. Really? Yeah, they did. After all the J.P. Crawford stuff? After all the stuff. They did not. Mariners missed out. Again. Well, they didn't. After all the J.P. Cropper stuff? Yeah, after all the stuff. They did not. Mariners missed out. Again.

Well, how about the Astros stealing the division from the Rangers on the last day? The Rangers blew it. Listen, when I say I disconnected from baseball this weekend. I can tell. The fact that you didn't know the Mariners and didn't make the playoffs, you are totally checking. Totally disconnected from the playoffs. They played Sunday with no stakes.

They were out by Sunday. That's a shame. I liked them. I root for the Mariners more than those other teams. There's a lot of fun stuff going on, for sure. Yeah, I just... The Phillies are in such a good

position, as long as they just don't do the thing these next three games. Just go beat the godforsaken Marlins. Yep. Just go beat them. You're better. Like, just go beat.

Don't let them come in here and, like, steal a game, and all of a sudden it's. They got confidence. Because, like, you want to know what the ballpark was like. Dude, I'm very with you on where you're going. The ballpark last year was a magical, unbelievable, like, everyone can't wait to feel that again. You want to know what it's like when the Buccaneers take the lead in 2002

and what a Cardinals game in 2011, like what a tight Citizens Bank Park feels like? Not the most fun place in the world. Nope. And it's all still there. Like last year it was amazing because we just kept winning and all that stuff. But like let's put it this way down 1-0 with Aaron Nola

on the mound the first thing that doesn't go our way it's going to be tight it's going to be awkward in there like it's not going to be a freaking party man it's not going to be a party until they do something to make it a party but like that advantage that we're talking about that whole thing where it's like the Marlins ain't never

seen anything like that like the Marlins can mitigate that pretty quickly yes