Ross Atkins

We feel like it's in many ways building upon what was good and adding to it in areas where we felt like we could get better.

But most importantly, it's the mindset.

So it's the players that actually were here that...

you know, have found an adjustment, have found another gear, have found, you know, a way to think about how we're going to improve upon what was good and, you know, ensure we're not falling into gaps.

Yeah, I mean, you know, the ways I just said, you know, so the... I guess maybe from an execution standpoint, from an on-field standpoint.

Yeah, I mean, the ways that I just said, the mindset of finding opportunities to build upon the things that are good, making sure that we're correcting areas that needed to be corrected.

We've certainly bolstered our pitching, I think would be the one to point to.

you know, more specifically.

And that's not over.

You know, we've got to continue to think about how, you know, just the work that happens in the offseason, whether that be players' preparation or, you know, the additions that we've made, you know, that's never over.

Yeah, and depth.

So I think it's the things you mentioned, having more options for us to be better equipped to get more outs is really the name of the game.

Yeah, I mean, I hope it's the latter.

I hope that that mindset of focusing on things you can control and trying to get better on a daily basis

Well, in the end, this is as competitive as it gets, right?

There's not a team in baseball right now today that doesn't think they have some chance to be there on the last day.

And, you know, not resting on that.

And I think our entire clubhouse and environment has that mindset and has had it.

Ross, I'm going to ask you to be introspective again, but if I told like the Akron Arrows reliever, Ross, that he would potentially be like a 15-year GM in this league, would he have had that goal?

And if not, like when did this kind of come about for you, become more realistic for you?