The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Brian McTaggart Joins The Show Talking Rotation & Pitching Depths

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

Brian McTaggart Joins The Show Talking Rotation & Pitching Depths

Two. This is our number two. The Matt Thomas show at Ross, we are very happy to have you with us until 2 o'clock this afternoon. Ross is going to carry the show, as many of you believe he already does, from noon until 2, as I will head off to San Francisco, a man going the other direction to Chicago to see the return of Lance McCullors Jr. is joining us right now as he does every Thursday. It's our friend Brian McTaggart. Tags, how are things? I'm good. How are things going there? Ready to go back to San Francisco. man, friend? Yeah, it's a quick fly. It's only like

three hours and 45 minutes. You know what that's all about. That's it. I'm sure you'll be in complete luxury, though, so you'll make it. That is fair. Are you an economy plus? Do you get the upgrade to Chicago today? No, I was 60th on the upgrade list. Ooh. Yeah. They don't realize who you are then, apparently.

All right. I'm going to have to talk to something. Let's get to Blue Ball's performance. Obviously, the salami giving up was not great. the defense behind him heard him obviously just some general impressions of what you thought of AJ Blueball on his major league debut yeah I mean he was kind of what we'd heard or seen in spring training

I mean a guy that throws hard you know hitting 98 competes throw strikes I mean I was impressed the way he came out the first inning and you know got a couple of strikeouts and looked like he he belonged and yeah things got a little messy there the error didn't help but I think the most

impressive thing probably is that he came back out in that fourth inning after giving up the slam and posted a one, two, three inning. And, you know, he brushed it off and just went back out there and, you know, did what they asked him to do. So all things considered, I mean, there's a reason why he's one of their top prospects and a guy that think is going to be in this rotation next year, probably maybe even later this year. And he's got a great demeanor. He's got a great makeup. Like, you know, a lot of these guys they have now, you know, Eric Getty's probably cut from the same cloth as well. So, you know,

He was a guy drafted out of University of Wisconsin-Mowocke, not exactly a baseball powerhouse. He was a reliever. So, you know, credit to the Astro Scouts for really seeing something in him and turning him into a starter. And, you know, they might have uncovered a guy who could be, you know, a middle of the rotation starter for them down the road. You know, Ross and I were kind of teasing each other during the course of spring turning about. Would there be enough starting pitching depth? You know, you're going to get blue ball back at some point as it got sent down. to get Araggetti back. You got McCullors returning. Give me the state in your mind of where this

rotation is and is there enough to obviously put together a six-man rotation and do you feel like that there's going to be enough to withstand any sort of pennant race in summer with these guys right now on the mound? Yeah, I think there's probably more depth than I expected. I mean, they're, you know, they're pitching really well, but you're right. You know, Bluebaugh is an option. You know, one guy that I thought would be, you know, an option coming in, and I think we'll still see him at some point as Colton Gordon, a left-hander, another one of their top prospects. So they have enough starting pitching depth if they don't have any more injuries, if McCullors comes in and is effective.

You know, I'm not sure Garcia's coming back this year. I'm not sure Javier's coming back this year, so I'm really not, you know, counting on them at this point. But to me, the biggest concern coming into the season, if you were the Astros, was, you know, starting pitching depth, which, you know, they've answered that bell and the bullpen. And they've had some guys step up in the bullpen and pitch really well. And now, I mean, look, you know, I think the Astros are fifth in the league or in major leagues in ERA and third and bullpen ERA. So the pitching staff has been one of their strengths.

Yeah. And McCuller is being part of that starting on Sunday. I mean, I just find this fascinating, Brian. I mean, you know, you've been covering sports for a long time. And one of the things to me is kind of seeing things and talking about them and then watching them play out. I'm so fascinated to see how this Lance McCullors Jr. thing plays out. I mean, I could ask you to guess. I guess your guess is good as anybody's.

I mean, the setback word is always going to be hanging over his head. And then the real question is, is he going to be able to still get out at the major league level? Yeah, I think that's a fair analysis, Ross. I have no idea what to expect Sunday. I mean, you kind of know what Frumber's going to do on Friday. You definitely know what Hunter Brown is going to do. and then just, I mean, he's been out so long. And yeah, he's made some rehab starts at double A, triple A.

Can't put a lot of stock into those things. You can't put a lot of stock into spring training results. I have no idea. I think we're going to see a little bit of a different pitcher than he was. Last time we saw him on the mound, he's not going to be 97, 98 anymore. His mechanics are a little more compact, I think. His pitch mix has probably changed a little bit. So I think we're going to, you know, see a guy who's

still competes like he always has. I mean, Lance McCulloch has always been a competitor, but it's just going to be a little bit different look than we've seen. And yeah, I mean, you know, he's put in a lot of work. I know he's frustrated a lot of people by constantly getting injured and all the surgeries that he's had. But, you know, talking to him and talking to people on the team, I mean, this is a guy who has put in a lot of work and a guy who thought a couple of times that, you know, it might not happen. I might be done. And, you know, credit to him for pushing through and now he's here. There's a light at the end of the tunnel and that's going to come out on

Sunday afternoon and, you know, hope he does well. I mean, I don't root either way usually, but just seeing the work that he's put in, you know, facing the White Sox is a good soft landing spot for him. So I think he's set up to succeed on Sunday. Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk 790. Let's flip to the lineup side. Jeremy Pena, been in the leadoff spot, the last few games, paying big dividends.

We've kind of been talking ever really since his rookie season and the ALCS and World Series MVP about a breakout coming. And I guess we have to wonder if it's finally here. He's got eight hits in his last four games. Yeah, I mean, he had a really, really good spring. And again, like I just said, you can't put a lot of stock in the spring. But he looked like a guy who had made some adjustments and was poised for a big season. Came out of the gate.

Didn't happen right away. But slowly, but surely, but surely he's. coming around and I think there's just a different error and a different confidence about Jeremy that we haven't seen. He looks like he belongs more. The word leadership is getting thrown around a little bit more about him. And I mean, that's a great thing for the Astros because, you know, he's a guy that's a gold glove caliber shortstop. And I like the look at the top of the order. I mean, he's walking a little bit more. They beat him maybe, you know, not to strike out as much. I think he's trying to cut down on strikeouts as well. But I thought the whole thing with Altuve going to

the number two spot in the order and pretty much asking to be put in the number two spot was fascinating as well. And just from the fact that he did more time to come in from the outfield to get ready for his bat to begin the game. And talking with Altuve later, just, you know, after the interview was over, he said that, hey, they asked me to go to the outfield and I did it. And I think it's only right that, you know, they work with me if I want to bat second. So that's fair. And Jeremy's been the guy who stepped into that number one. spot and so far so good. We'll see. There's a long way to go, but it looks like, yeah,

this could be the best season yet of Jeremy Pena. You may not have the metrics on this. Is he hitting sliders better this year than in previous years? I don't get to sample size is really small, but there's been anything that has been his Achilles heel. It has been that teams will just bury him without slider. Yeah, I'd have to look

it up, Matt. I mean, it appears to me that he is. You know, I remember back when he was, you know, winning the MVP, the ALCS, you know, he had a couple of big hits on sliders. and in the World Series. And then it still ended up being a pitch that's giving him fits. But, yeah, that would be an interesting thing to look at.

But he just seems overall that he'd just become a more complete hitter. You know, a couple of – it was spring training last year. He came trying to hit the ball in the air a little bit more after, you know, he went to the second half of the 23 season without a homer. And that worked out pretty well. So he's constantly adjusting and trying to get to where he needs to be. But, you know, he's growing. He's maturing.

This is what is fourth year now. So he's sort of putting a – all that information together, and it looks like it's working. How many more left-fielders we're going to see this year? How many more left-fielders? Yeah, there's been a lot. I mean, Zach DeSenzo sort of forcing their hands to try to get him out there. I mean, he's the guy that is getting more and more playing time.

He can play left and right at first and third. I mean, it's hard to get opportunities at first and third, just with the guys you have there. So, you know, I think getting him and left field, you know, here and there, it'll be interesting to see on the road, a six-game road trip here. in a couple of parks, how much they play Altuvae in left and second and D.H. So I think there'll be a couple more opportunities for Desenzo to play some left field. But, you know, he's starting to creep into some at bats too in right field, taking those away from Cam Smith a little bit as well.

And how do you size up the battle at second base at this point, too? Well, I think it is what it is. I mean, you're going to have Altuvae start occasionally. Brendan Rogers is going to make two or three starts a week. Dubon's going to be out there two or three starts. I mean, yeah, I wouldn't. say it's a battle. I just think it's a rotation at this point. They just,

who's the starting second baseman? I guess it's Brendan Rogers. You know, it's just the way it's just the way it is. I mean, we're so used to seeing Jose Al-Tubei start at second base the last 14 years just pretty much over and over with the exception when he got injured. DuBahn stepped in a couple

years ago and did a nice job, but it's all going to depend on Altuvae where he plays, and that just sort of sets up a lot of things to line up. Who's the left? What do you do with Jordan and things like that? Is the game slowing down for Cam Smith at all in your mind? Is it still moving in a pretty fast pace? I mean, the batting average isn't great.

The OPS is getting a little bit better. Did it have a hit for the squad yesterday. But just in general, you know, with so much publicity going into the season for the regression, which was natural, to try to settle in. How is his demeanor? Because, you know, obviously he wakes up with a smile every morning and he's happy with the big leagues with his little experience he had in the minor league level. What are you noticing from him into the last two weeks or so?

Yeah, I think he's settling in a little bit. You're right. I mean, there was so much hype about him in spring training, and he embraced it, and he was a fun personality, a guy with a lot of energy. And then when he made the team, it was such a great story with his mother coming in the clubhouse. And, you know, he's had some moments early in the season. The Sunday night game, he came up with a big hit. So I think now we're sort of getting to the dog days where the attention's off him a little bit.

some other guys are playing a little bit better like, you know, Desenzo, who's also still a rookie, I believe. And so it's just time for him to settle in and put in the work and see what he can do. I don't think his demeanor's changed at all. I mean, I don't think he feels overmatched or too big for the moment. But I think he knows that, hey, this is the big leagues. And, you know, I need to make adjustments on a daily basis. He's going around the league and seeing pictures that the caliber he's never seen before playing in parks. He's never played in before.

So there's a lot going on for him right now. and I can imagine if he's overwhelmed at times, it's probably to be warranted. But yeah, I mean, I still think there's a lot of room for growth, obviously. But I would keep running him out there because he does look a little bit more comfortable than he did. But obviously the results of the plate aren't there yet. But he will get better. Tag, safe travels to the windy city.

And we'll talk again next week. We appreciate the visit as always. All right, safe travels to you too. Thank you, friend. That's Brian McTaggart, who will be on the Astros on Deck Show Friday from of Chicago and what do they call it? I always get the ballpark mixed up. It used to be called Newkimoski and then they made it

it like... Is it still U.S. cellular? No, no, it's a guaranteed rate.