The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Pitcher Spencer Arrighetti Gives His Take On ABS Challenge System

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti joined "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" for the third day of full-squad workouts at spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. Arrighetti discussed his fantasy football league, playing high school baseball in Houston, the offseason focus heading into his sophomore season, his opinion on the ABS challenge system and more.

You guys know that listen to the Matt Thomas Show at Ross. I am out of our fantasy league because I'm sick of losing and finishing in sixth place because of a terrible defense. Yeah. There's one guy he's really annoying. He's like back-to-back-to-back champion. And he just won't ever shut up about it. You're such an ass. All right.

So the man replacing him in our fantasy league will be our next guest, the pride of a secret. We've got a spot open now. He's out. Cinco Ranch High School. Look, your economic potential, we ain't worried about you. I'll put the number on our phone. I don't want to say it on air. We don't discuss those things on air.

First of all, you can afford it. Yeah, I'm a grinder. I like analytics. How many leagues are you in? I was only in one this year, but it was like an important one. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, all right. I mean, I like winning money in Phoenix football.

That's a game for me. Oh, if you're good, actually, we don't want you. Can you know how much? Because he's terrible. Spencer, our Gatties here, by the way. We need somebody weak, all right? I'm going to tell you he's terrible, so we can't let you in, actually. You're out.

I got fourth place in our league this year. but there was, I mean, there was really one trade I could have made. I'm kind of kicking myself over it. Oh, you declined it? Yeah, man, it was like week four, week five. I kind of, I was a little bit higher on Remandre Stevenson than I should have been. And I had an opportunity to acquire Chase Brown. You know, I think that could have won me the league.

I think that would have been the difference. But Zach Moss wasn't hurt yet, right? Zach Moss was not hurt yet. See, that's not your fault. I know. It's not your fault. But Brian Thomas Jr. was also in the trade. Ooh.

I was going to have to sacrifice D.K. Metcalf. I liked Metcalf at the time. I mean, I love Metcalf as a player. I just wasn't, I wasn't thinking straight week four, you know? I wasn't looking at upside. Look, all you got to do is just try to get go out there and be better next year and look to improve. I made some good

mistakes. I made some mistakes. I made some mistakes not making them, you know? I don't know if the bros are doing the fantasy baseball draft anymore, but let's ask the question. If you were, if I was in a draft, what round would I, would I, a draft, Spencer, Getty? If I was in a draft, I'm probably let's see if I'm drafting early in like a 10 or 12 man I'm probably picking myself

like on the cusp of 8 probably 7 8 if I had to guess your strikeout totals will help us out big time yeah 100% get some wins we gotta keep those walks down yeah walks down K's up yeah that's like the whole goal going into the year anyways so yeah I think uh I think that's a lot to be excited about he is he is the hero of single ranch high school he knows hit my May Creek Rams not once but twice you remember that from last year thanks for bringing that up I do but I'm in their wall

of honor so that's not a terrible I don't know if I'll be in the Cinco Wall of Honor Oh my God yeah you know You're barely been around you being contacted shortly We got one other big leaker in program history We got another one on the way probably we're excited about but yeah I thinko ranch means a lot to me obviously I love

I love being from the area and getting to play for the team now I mean you live out in Katie now No I don't live in Katie anymore I live I live closer to the loop now Yeah, it'd have to be quite a commute to get to the stadium every day. It's out of England. That's not much better. No, it's not at all.

Not at all better. All right, so I'm looking at the videos of all the people that were down here, like Spencer's more mature. He's got a greater stance on things. He's more confident. I didn't think you were like quiet and meek when we talked to you last year. I mean, what's up with that? I think I just got used to talking more to you guys.

I guess. I did more media stuff, did more interviews, get a little more comfortable finding the voice, and it's been fun for me. I think I enjoy doing this stuff a lot. And I, last year in camp, was definitely intentionally a little bit less talkative when it wasn't my turn. But I definitely, I can let it fly when it's time. Well, we told you when you were on the- Shut up, Justin. Let me tell you how to pitch. No, man, actually, I was hoping for him to tell me the same thing, actually.

I wish he would have told me to shut up and how to pitch. You don't have a brother that gravy trains off your success, do you? Why are you doing this? That was his stray. Ben is in our league, technically, so the connections here are crazy. Ben had a great football. Ben had a great fantasy football team. I'm sure he's great.

He's wonderful. Oh, my God. He's a heck of a GEO. I'm sure he's outstanding. Can't wait to visit with him again. What's been the focus for you this off season? We talked, I mean, has it been more mental, more physical, all the above as far as, you know, going from that guy, not that you're established 10-year vet, but being, like you said, starting out and now going and getting ready for your

second year? Yeah, I think it's always both. The spring training is always both for me. I think it's obviously the mental aspect of it's kind of just getting back into the routine, getting back into the kind of flow of everything, feeling like I'm on top of my five-day. A lot of the mental stuff this year is just kind of embracing the readiness to compete. I think that's always been a part of my game. It's just like itching for the challenge, itching for that moment. And obviously this year. I'm a little more welcoming to it. I think last year this time, I was a little unsure where I was at. Was I ready for the big leagues? Am I going to have success when I get there? Obviously, we saw the story right itself a little bit last year, and it wasn't pretty right away, but I am very

confident that I can continue to build off of what I was able to achieve in the second half last year, and I think a lot of that centers around me getting my brain and my body ready right now. I think the physical aspect of it's the same camp is camp every year for me I'm just I am really trying to attack my routine and then like I said just really really preparing the brain to go out there and fight for it every time I'm on the bump I ask this to a lot of young players

because it just comes there had to been a turning point and I don't know if it was a particular start or where you were or a bit of advice you got but you're not in your head so there had been something that you want to bring to the passion here I think I hit on it at fan festival little this year. I didn't really get a chance to talk about that a whole lot last year. We're in the heat

of it. We're trying to make up ground in the division right when I finally started hitting my stride. And really, the day that everything changed for me, I actually went to check myself after I mentioned this at fan fest. But it was the day that we actually got back to 500 baseball. It was against the Colorado Rockies at home. And that was the turning point for me in my head because not only did I have a great game, I mean, everything was good. My stuff was great. Mentally, I'm great. I'm dominant in my brain. That's really where I have my best days is where in my head, like I'm untouchable, I'm in my bubble, I'm in my zone. And on top of that, like obviously being able to be the guy on the bump when we started rough and I was there to witness it and I was part of the reason we were struggling. And to be the

reason why we were able to flip the script and be at 500 at that point in the season was that was a big deal to me. I think that confidence-wise that kind of propelled me to a new level in my head where where I could be dominant like I had always been in the past in minor league ball in college coming up and yeah I think that that really flipped the switch for me right there was just having that one first really really clean really crisp outing I had no walks I punched a ton I didn't give up any runs it was it was a it was an incredible feeling but then the feeling was really only there because of the stark contrast to the months that were leading up to that the the real lows that I felt trying to find myself in the big leagues

and yeah, that day things really changed for me. Spencer Arrigetti with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross Sports Talk 7-90 from West Palm Beach. Joe said today he doesn't want you to waste pitches that you get ahead of counts. Now, there is a difference between wasting pitches and also having a one-two pitch get away just to have a guy chase. So tell me and tell the audience a difference in those two philosophies. Man, I think one of the biggest things I learned last year

is I really have two versions of every pitch. It's the one that I'm getting there and the one that I'm trying to get past you. And I really feel like I think that's what he's talking about is me embracing the pitcher that I am when I'm good and trying to throw more of those pitches to get it past people and not necessarily just throwing a pitch to throw a pitch. And he's 100% right. I could pitch a lot deeper into a lot of ball games this year just by taking that approach. And throwing the right one in the right count, like getting there early so I can have some count leverage. and then, like you said, using the O2, using the 1-2 to try to generate a chase, try to generate a whiff.

And if I don't get it right back to the aggressive stuff, you know, I think that I had success doing that last year. I had success when I was in the zone a bunch. And I think that's exactly what he's talking about. I think we all know the potential that I have when I'm throwing the ball where I want to throw the ball. And that's exactly it. It's just being a little bit more aware of what it is I'm trying to do with that pitch. We talked a lot last year about you being one of those guys. loves diving into the numbers and shapes and spin rates and all that type of stuff.

After a year of a major league experience, are you more or less or about the same with that stuff? I think the scales have kind of tipped in the other direction just a little bit, and I think that's healthy for me. I think that my concept of what made somebody good prior to making my debut, prior to having that stretch early where I wasn't really having success, and then finally being able to figure it out around the midpoint of the season last year, a lot of my struggles came from having the analytically centered brain, from thinking to myself that this is my best pitch,

so I need to throw it right here because analytics say this is my best chance of a swing and miss, when in reality I was searching for swing and misses in the wrong counts against the best hitters in the world. And that's where you see the walk numbers go up. That's where you see the ERA start to inflate a little bit, just because I'm not doing myself any favors, really. And like I said a minute ago, like trying to get my brain in a place where it's more about competing than it is about the numbers on the scoreboard, that's really gone a long way for me. So I think I'm still definitely all in on analytics.

I believe that that's something that's helped me develop an arsenal that I can go compete with against the 1% in this game. And having that mental state where the rubber meets the road and it's time to go and it's time to just compete and not worry about what the track man's saying in the bullpen a few days ago, that's really where you start to see success. I think that there's a ton of guys in this game that have the most elite stuff you can imagine and really would just benefit from that approach. I think that a lot of guys watching what we do in professional baseball,

like the data-driven training is awesome. It's really cool, and it's really easy to get hooked on that and have some identity in that. But when your identity is the competitor in the arena and that's what's backing you, like that's your base is I know I'm nasty on track, man. Like, it's scary, man. You got a lot of confidence. You got a lot of options. a lot of weapons and you can just go to work that way.

I don't know if you're going to be a future broadcaster or general manager. Both. He's actually making me angry. You can't have this nasty stuff. Seriously, how old are you again? I'm 25. I just said 25 to me.

He's pissing me off. What is wrong with you? You're 25. You throw mid-90s. You get strikeouts. You've got decent money. You're broadcasting already a future ahead of you. You're a general manager.

Absolutely. Let's see. What is wrong with me that I can tell all of the radio. My biggest flaw. Give it a quick temper? I do, yeah. I think we saw it in Cleveland last year. That's something I haven't wanted to talk about.

But, yeah, I mean, my temper flares a little bit when somebody hits a nerve. I guess that's a big low point. I've been trying to work on that. I think as a young player in the game, that's not the best thing to have. Channel it properly, maybe? Yeah, channel it properly is the right way to say it. I definitely heard about it from some guys that I look up to a lot that I should, like you just said, control that temper a little bit better, kind of channel it into my game.

And what I do, it's, yeah, it's awesome. Look, I have a 060 on the same thing, but I should. I quickly forget about it. Yeah. Don't listen to it. I mean, I got road rage. I think that's really like the, oh my gosh. When you're going to see mom and dad on the Katie Freeway,

stay away from you. I mean, I'm driving in the HOV land no matter what. Oh, if you're by yourself, you don't care. I mean, I'm not going to, yeah, I'm not going to admit that way. All right. I got 60 seconds here. Wow strikeout. You struck out blank person last year.

You're like, damn, this is awesome. Oh, that goes without saying. It's Luis Sir Rice. That guy doesn't punch out. He doesn't punch out. Show Hey, Otani, too. That is so inside baseball, but it's so good that you said that. He doesn't punch out.

Like, that guy, if you, you got to really earn it. Like, Hunter Brown got him to punch out looking last year, and I was impressed, man. I was like, there is not a pitch in or around the zone that that guy won't swing at. And you got him to turn and not move the bat. Like, that's awesome. I thought that was cooler, honestly. All right. Real flash question.

Hitters love it because they don't want to be watching the computer. Heck, call the balls and strikes every time. What is a pitcher's perspective on it? The pitch's perspective on it is a little different. I think there's always been the human element in baseball, and the umpire is really the regulator there. Like, human in the fact that, like, I can aim up and in and miss down away and still get a call because it's over home plate.

So I think that the ABS is good. I think that it's nice to have a look in the mirror for umpires also because that's what we're constantly doing. Like, we're adjusting our game, trying to turn to dial it in a little bit. And I think if you talk to the umpires that were in AAA, the last couple seasons, it's probably made them tighten the zone up a little bit. And I think most pitchers don't like it.

I don't like it. Nobody likes pitching to a small zone, but at the same time, it is a competitive advantage to be able to convince the umpire that a ball outside of the zone is a strike. We can all admit that. But it's also been part of the art of pitching for a long time now. So it's hard to accept that that's kind of seemingly where the game is moving, but it's also you got to adapt, you know, like that's, That's how we all get paid.

That's how we all stay alive. And this game is making adjustments. General manager, broadcaster, with that answer, politicians. This is my argument is, you tell me you have the ability to get every call right, but we're not going to do it. I know.

It's so hard. You're looking at that, and you're like, yeah, that's the most fair version of the game. But you also have to think. But I would think maybe even a little bit maybe expanding, a slight expansion with full ABS. I think there,

so that's the one thing that we all argue about constantly me is there's obviously a gray area where part of the ball is or appears to be in zone, and that's where those calls outside of the zone come from. And it's really like, if I can be super nasty and make things move super late and convince the umpire it was there if it wasn't, that's part of the game. Yeah. It's also now part of the game that if I do that and the hitter feels that way, they can kind of have that check and bounce, which I think is good for them.

I know pitchers are nastier, firmer, faster than ever before. Like, that's just, that's the direction our game has moved. So if that's how we continually be competitive, then that is what it is, and I'll make my adjustment. All right. Good luck on Sunday. You've already got your script down. Throw my pitches. I felt good.

It was good to get out there. Good to see the guys behind me. All that's, that's why we're leaving. We can't, I don't want to see. I mean, I actually said that the other day. We were doing PFCs, and I'm like, man, it is nice to see the defense out there behind me. It's nice to know. Like, we've got guys working.

Everybody's getting back in their rhythm. And, yeah, I'm fired up to get after it on Sunday. Future 790 host, Spencer Erraggetty with us here on the Matt Thomas show. Quick with Ross. quick timeout come back we get the news at noon any nuneia's athletic director joining us u of h spence we really appreciate me call you spence you can call me whatever you want that's fair thank you for having until ben i said my best