Mark Grote

If you are one of those and you want to have a debate, that is fine.

But the lectures that I'm already hearing about how you can't take it seriously in the first few games of the season, get out of here with that.

I'm about inclusivity, and that's why I said I'm policing your policing, because I want to make sure you're all welcome here, whether you take it seriously or not.

You're all welcome here at my table.

And the thing I want to ask you guys is, and I understand what you're saying about having a certain expectation for a team that we all picked to win the division, if I'm remembering correctly.

Shota Managa's going to give up home runs.

I don't understand why that's a big deal because that's the expectation.

The expectation is that your offense will come to play and against a team like the Nationals, you'll still score more runs than them.

Didn't happen.

It's fine.

Matthew Boyd's opening day start was a big reason why they lost two out of three.

But Shota Managa giving up four runs over five plus in his first start, if I told you this is what's going to happen on Sunday, I bet you would have signed up for that with Jake Irvin opposite him.

But it got really bad again at the end of last season to the point where a lot of us were wondering, has he lost a step as a starting pitcher?

Is it because he was so terrific in 2024 and all of that?

Rookie of the Year candidate, Cy Young candidate.

It was great!

But something has been lost, and maybe I missed it.

Did you guys see the velocity go up yesterday?

Because I was hit over the head in spring training about his velocity going up.

Yeah, it actually was.