High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Phillies Beat Up On The Rockies (Again)

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' win over the Rockies on Tuesday night and discusses some of the positive things he's seen from the team since the start of the week. Presented by Miller Lite To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com 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

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Hi Hope, smiling through a broken nose. Oh, Hi Hope, Hi Hope. I feel a little less alone. Now, full disclosure, I am starting to record this in the bottom of the ninth inning. There are no outs and Mickey Moniac, friend of the podcast, I mean that's pretty fitting, just hit a single to make it seven to three. So I am definitely taking a little bit of a risk by starting to record this podcast when I am, but I feel pretty confident in my guy, Max Lazar,

to be able to close one out. So obviously, if this gets any closer, might have to, it's like when the writers and they have their story completely written and then they throw a wrench in their hole plans, maybe that happens tonight, but hopefully it does not. So we're gonna operate as if this is gonna be a nice, easy rest of the ninth inning.

And if there's anything that we need to update in this one, I guess we will get to it. Or listen, we'll get the final out here When it when it happens, but either way, it's another solo edition of the high host podcast is a seltzer No shy is even awake. I mean it's 0% shot. He's probably just drifting away Not even aware that his guy max Lazar is is on close down, a game against the worst team. I mean I know he did the whole take vault thing with the White Sox last year, but this Rockies team might be worse. I mean they are a dreadful, dreadful team.

So as always the Hi-Hos Podcast is presented by Miller Lite. No final out tonight on the radio, which means you should get a little bit of a solo action as we have some things to discuss from tonight as again we are waiting for this one be done. Now we don't have like the live stream going so for those of you that are gonna listen to this I guess it's gonna be like reacting in real time. Quick update on that, couldn't do it. I know that you're not gonna really be able to tell, but I promise you again,

we never lie to the High Hopes listeners. Couldn't do it. Like it was 7-2, got to 7-3, got to 7-4, started freaking out about Tavar and then Hunter Goodman and said, you know what? In good faith, I simply cannot record this podcast. Even though Tucker, our wonderful producer, has texted me saying there's no way the Rockies are going to score five runs here. I said, Tucker, I don't care.

I've seen worse things happen at Coors Field. This is still Philly's baseball. They're playing damn good baseball. But once again, we can't get cocky. We gotta keep our head down and keep it moving. So it's over, it's done. The first two minutes of this podcast, essentially a waste of time.

Max Lizar, lockdown as always. So welcome on in again Jack Fritz, little solo podcast reacting to Phil's winning five straight again not the stiffest competition that Rockies team is dreadful. It's hard to take too much from these games besides just win them. And you know, that's two straight games where they've, they've scored 17 or they've, they've had 17 hits, which I think is obviously, is obviously impressive. But you know, it's kind of this time where,

just don't, just don't fall flat in your face, show up to the ballpark. You have more talent than the Rockies. It's not even that close. they're one of the worst teams in the history of baseball, just go out and take care of business and don't slip up. Because there are times, and we've seen the Phillies in years past, where they slip up against these teams

and it makes you just wanna rip your hair out. And to their credit, I mean, they're going out there and they are taking care of business. They're taking care of business against the Pirates. I think the 12 and two against the real bottom feeders in the National League, and that's good. You have to do that stuff. You can't slip up.

And I think that the nice part about where we've gotten with this team is now early in the season where they weren't playing great baseball and it didn't look like they were having any fun. A lot of the conversation was on this podcast as well. This is not a, we're not exempt from looking back and wondering if we were wrong on things. Of course, I mean, that's what this whole thing is. But, you know, one of the big talking points was they're just not having any fun.

And this business and this workman-like approach, well, this is a team that has to have fun to get the best version of themselves. And I think the nice part about what we've seen, you know, really since that Met Series, I know that that could be the big turning point of the season. You know, we had Bryson Stott on the afternoon show

last Friday and he basically was saying to the, to a certain extent of like, we need to start now. Like we don't need to do the whole it's early thing. We need to tighten this thing up right now. And I appreciated that sense of urgency from Bryson Stott. But what's nice about what they're doing now is that that business and that workman like

and showing up and doing your job and buying into what the coaching staff was saying about using the opposite field, not striking out, not chasing, you know, stringing together a bunch of base hits rather than just going for the home run. I think that, and I talked about that a lot on, on the podcast and on on on the final out I think that's what's been so encouraging about what we've seen from this team offensively

And and the Rockies not withstanding, you know, they've done that against Some of the better teams that they've played during the stretch. We knew this was gonna be a lull in the schedule But again tonight, it wasn't all just big flies. It was strained together base hits, you know, get them over, get them in, and just a real recommitment on offense to just doing your job. Just doing your job, playing good, solid,

fundamental baseball. And I think you're just starting to see it kind of infect the rest of the team. And you know, you look at what the top of the lineup is doing. Stott has a great night. Turner, he had those two strikeouts in the middle of the game. But like, I'll take those strikeouts from Trey Turner, because it's not the super big chase strikeout. It's not swinging at a 59 footer.

It's just like he got beat and he went down looking, but it wasn't an egregious strikeout or two strikeouts in the middle of this game, but still had a couple hits tonight. Bryce continuing to really look closer and closer to the Bryce Harper that I think we expect expected heading into the year I mean all the sudden he's up to 268 he was I feel like he's batting 232 a week ago so he's raised his average really quickly obviously the stats since he shaved his head have been

impressive the power will come I'm not too worried about it I think he had to get I think he had to get his swing mechanics down Before the power really starts coming back. He started to do some damage I mean he smoked that ball late in the game for a double early in the game You know went the opposite way second second night in a row like really really went the opposite way and is just taking the base hits where he can get them. And if Bryce is gonna buy into the whole mantra of the offense, which seems to be past the baton,

then they all can buy in. And that's when we're talking about leadership from Bryce Harper and what we wanna see from Bryce Harper. And being receptive, I guess, Bryce Harper and what we want to see from Bryce Harper and and and being you know being receptive I guess to to what the coaching staff is preaching because you know if the star player feels like okay I'll buy in too then it just it gives no one else an excuse on that offense and I think that that's what it's another thing that is, that is exciting about the start here, but you look at the top of the lineup,

then obviously you get the Schwab. And I mean, he goes, he goes big fly again tonight. And I mean, you can only yell until the you're blue in the face so much when talking about Kyle Schwab and extend them That price is is continued out. I mean if you want to argue the opposite side of the the couch will work tension I mean the price is already pretty damn high, you know I mean you'd be you'd be paying him that is at his absolute peak So either way he's on pace for over 50 home runs

Every single stat he's gotten so much better, he's on pace for over 50 home runs. Every single stat, he's gotten so much better since he's gotten here. You know, he's hit, I think what 148 now home runs as a Philly, he had 153 before he got here. That was in seven years in the big leagues. Now it's three and a half years and he's had hit 148. That was, I think, was Jason Stark to put that out last night. I mean, he's just a remarkable player and he's getting better and better and better. And at his pretty veteran stage, being able to have the level of adjustments

that he's had against left-handed pitching and turn into an absolute machine against left-handed pitching, it's a really truly remarkable feat and, and shout out to, to Kyle Schover for being able to do that and turning into a, a truly, truly complete hitter. I just, I could not love the top of this lineup anymore.

You know, stop the lead off hand up. like it's, it's, it's working. It's great. He's doing a fantastic job. Having guys run around is, is, is certainly exciting. Immediate pressure. It's, it's been a true revelation. Schwabber, I think more importantly, protecting them, Bryce in the lineup. He has clearly gotten comfortable there, was worrisome at the beginning, but he's gotten comfortable there.

Cassianos is going through a little bit of his downswing, but at the same time, there's guys behind him that are also stepping up. They are just a pretty complete offensive unit right now, and that's really, really exciting. But the top of the lineup, doing their thing, you start getting to the bottom. JT, I mean, soccer was mentioning some swing mechanic

things on the broadcast tonight about really pulling off and stuff like that. We might just be watching father time catching up to a really good player. That might be the the the time for that we're at with JT but either way like around him you know Kepler had two hits tonight now one of them was a bleeder up them you know up the up the first base line it wasn't like a bleeder it was a little like bunt base hit in a way he did smoke the ball yeah it was that fourth fifth inning

to drive in a run which was which was good to see smoked the ball last Yeah, it was that fourth, fifth inning to drive in a run, which was good to see. Smoked the ball last night, maybe coming out of the mini slump that he was in. I think it was like a three for 39 slump or something along those lines. So Kepler really scuffling. But the guy I want to talk about is Bohm.

And it's so fascinating for the beginning of the season. It was like, Boh this, boom that. Like, what's going on with Bohm? Can he handle it, not handle it? The guy's been pretty money for about two and a half weeks and I'm fine keeping him lower in the lineup. That's okay. You know, let him kind of cook down there.

The thing that is continuing to intrigue me about Alec Bohm is he looks like he's trying to catch the ball out front. He looks like he's trying to lift the baseball and he looks like he is trying. I wonder if Alec Bohm at the beginning of the season when people were bringing up his stack-ass page and all the I guess the the numbers under the hood looked pretty good but it was not resulting in in much success like his his average exit

velocity was really good like he was barreling the baseball well that this is this is strictly hope this is strictly me I you can't see me right now? Might as well be begging. Might as well be begging. But my hope is that it was like a light bulb going off in his head where he's saying to himself, I'm hitting the ball hard, I'm squaring the baseball up and nothing's happening because

it's just being driven into the ground. Maybe, maybe just maybe what they're saying about trying to adjust the launch angle, oh the launch angle, maybe what they're talking about could make some sense. And if I can just lift the baseball a little bit more and instead it's ripped at the short stop or ripped at the second baseman, it's going over their heads and it gets into the gaps and you can be that truly consistent middle of the line. I'm not even asking for 25 home runs. I would love 20, 100% would love 20. I want to get back to the gap to gap Alec Bohm. I want to do it at a consistent

clip. The double plays and the just ripping baseballs into the ground Alec Bohm. That that one frustrating but I just hope and and damn near beg that we're finally seeing the maturation of Alec Bohm again do not want to get too ahead of myself we've seen signs this now we've mostly seen signs of this the first two weeks of spring training when he spent all the offseason working on it and then usually reverts back to what he's done his entire career. So yeah, maybe it's nothing, maybe it's the Rockies, maybe it's the Pirates, but I just think that there has been a more concerted effort from Alec Bohm to try to lift the baseball, finish high and backspin it.

And if he can just do that there is a a a High level player there now smokes and balls tonight had a couple base hits really important stuff obviously getting him going really lengthens out the lineup, but I What we are we are monitoring a possible development here with the Alec bone You know a possible power stroke. And then Marsh had three hits, which was really good to see. I really did feel a couple of days ago that he looked lost. He had the bad drop in center field.

Maybe it was time to send him down, just kind of to clear his head. Well, he has smoked some baseballs against the Rockies and responding in a really, really positive way. So again, a lot of positive developments. They're facing just dreadful pitchers. I mean, when they go to the bullpen, you might as well as be waving a white flag at that point.

It doesn't feel like anyone that comes in is gonna do a job that's gonna get any outs. They really don't have any interesting arms. I think Halverson's kinda interesting. Ken Lee's always been someone that has super good stuff, but man, they are, I mean, they are a truly, like a, a truly, truly, truly dreadful baseball team. Now they're pretty sick defensively. I mean, Tovar and the second baseman made some nasty plays tonight.

And again, I keep looking at Brenton Doyle. Could he become available? Could he become available? But man, they stink. I mean, just absolutely atrocious. So again, fillers are going out, they're taking care of business. And 17 hits in back to back games is huge.

It's gonna raise the average average. How's that for, raised their,'s gonna raise the average average how's that for raised their yeah raised their average average nailed it it's 1140 at night you know Walker was up at 630 this morning we're we're grinding so speaking of grinding final thing here I mean Lazardo it was it was a grind it out affair for hazel's Lazardo tonight. First inning, not gonna lie. So this kind of looks like a no-hitter.

Now, I know you're saying, Jack, why would you do that, wooden idiot? Why would you even put that thought into the universe? I kind of just felt it. It was a fast first inning. You need fast first innings if you're gonna throw a no-hitter. And then the second inning happened,

he threw 30 pitches and that dream was dead. But to Lazaro's credit, I think that, you know, I tweeted this a little bit earlier, you're starting to see a real maturation of a pitcher here. And that's been the biggest thing that that Caleb Coughham and that pitching development system has done is they've really gotten back to taking guys with talent and turning them into pitchers. And, you know, I keep looking at some of these other like these,

these teams that get credited with being pitching lab, pitching wizards, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, like the Dodgers, Rays, Brewers. And while they certainly do things really well from the standpoint of developing pitches and getting six spin and, and you see these, these pitches that show up all over pitching Ninja. And it's like, wow, look at the, the Rays lab and the Dodgers lab. And it's not, it's this isn't to get to take a shot, but I also,

you've seen those teams have, have tons and tons of injuries to all these guys that can spin the hell out of the baseball. And I just have this again. I don't know this, but just in watching them, I had this belief that the Phillies have soccer. I think the Phillies could teach these guys to spin the hell out of the baseball. Caleb Cotham's a wizard. He could he could teach these guys to spin the baseball

like the Dodgers. But what I think that they've done is they're getting pitchability back. They're maybe sacrificing some stuff for consistent strikes, for pitching to contact in some instances. And with Jesus Lazardo, now overall he struck out 10, he went six innings, he threw over 100 pitches,

but the middle of the game, I mean, they were fouling off a ton of pitches. And, you know, Jesus Lazardo, maybe before he gets here, folds in those situations. There's been a million, a million Jesus Lazardo starts where he goes four innings in a game like that when he doesn't have Over overpowering stuff and I know he struck out ten, but I think if you watch the game it was It was that's not the best way to explain it

Like it was some dominant affair it ended up looking that way But it was I thought more a grinded out type. It just shows how much he is developed as grinded outside. It just shows how much he has developed as a pure pitcher here. And I think he had to find some release points. I think he got into a really good rhythm. You saw him kind of pick up his pace in the fifth and the sixth and really close out his outing in style. But man, I just think that he has matured in such a way as a pitcher where I think his fastball was great early. I think he found that a little bit late change up. He didn't really have early found that a little bit late and and just being able to tinker

with stuff. I mean, that's what the great ones do. You see Zach Wheeler all the time where early in the game you know he wants to go in maybe he doesn't have the feel for the the curveball that day okay well here's the splitter. Obviously his fastball is always pretty ridiculous and when it's not that's like the only time that we see Zach Wheeler get hit around so you know I just think with Lizardo I mean we're 10 starts in his year he's under 1.95 he's what the eighth pitcher in franchise history to do that.

He's just been, he's been better than advertised. I mean, we were super excited about a Jesus Lizardo, could not wait to get him in Philly's pinstripes. He's been way better than I thought. He's been way better than I thought. And that's obviously phenomenal. So shout out to hazel salzardo and a real grind it out six innings 10 games when you can grind it

out and go six innings and strike out ten in a major league baseball game you are you are doing something right so they continue to have you know I mean just outstanding outstanding starting pitching Now tomorrow Taiwan makes his is returned to the rotation. I'm curious to see how deep you can go into the game. You know, I thought his last bullpen outing, he reached the third and kind of tapered off. Maybe now he's back in the rotation. You know, that won't happen. Who knows? Do they want wanna have him go deep,

they five plus innings, I don't know, Nola has not thrown off a mound yet, so might be more of an extended stay on the IL, but either way, Taiwan makes the return of the rotation tomorrow, we'll see how deep he can go and see how they piece this bullpen together that is again still down obviously Jose Alvarado. Now two possible down the road I guess firing darts at a dartboard, Will Crow was signed

today and Lucas Sims. Now Lucas Sims is someone who has definitely been on at least two of my Perfect Trade Deadline podcasts. I've always been fascinated by Lucas Sims. Fastball is just horrible, just a bad pitch. Now maybe with Caleb Gotham, they can work on that. I think in some of the off-season videos, he's up to like 98 with that pitch. So again, maybe that's something they can work on.

His calling card, his bread and butter has always been that slider. Now again, Arm might be totally cooked. He's ER at the Nationals, he's over like 13, and the Phillies certainly added to that. They hit him around a couple times. But I mean, Caleb Gotham, you kind of give him a mold of clay and you see what he can make out of it.

And he's one of the best in the business. And maybe there's something more to Lucas Sims. Who knows? He's always had stuff. He's always been interesting. He's always had crazy, crazy, crazy numbers on his slider from spin rate and all that good stuff. So he has been an analytics darling for a long time.

Maybe, maybe, just maybe the Phillies can figure something out with him and realize his full potential. He was good with the Reds two years ago, like 2023. He was good. So again, could be done, but it's a minor late deal Not gonna cost them obviously really much of anything. It's a total shot in the dark, but between him and will crow I'm certainly more interested in what Lucas sims can do and he is 100% bid on about a million. He's the Adam Duvall of pitchers probably

He's he's just all reliable, always there Lucas Sims. All right, thanks everyone to listen to this podcast as always appreciate you and we'll try to do it tomorrow as long as they win. We don't do podcasts if they lose to the Rockies in Colorado. I don't care, we're not doing that. So hopefully we'll be back tomorrow. Either way, thanks for listening to another edition

of the Hi Hosts podcast.