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Baseball Isn’t Boring

BIB on the Go: Ryan Watson On Making The Red Sox Opening Day Roster

23 Mar 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What does it mean to be a Rule 5 pick in baseball?

0.031 - 2.794 Garrett Whitlock

Yeah, there should be some passion. This doesn't have to be boring.

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3.315 - 9.802 Bradfo

You don't get bored by baseball. Okay, one thing the game needs is more people like you. You. You. You. You. You. You.

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9.942 - 14.367 Unknown

You. You. You. You.

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14.427 - 20.635 Ryan Watson

You. You. You. You. You. You.

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20.655 - 25.38 Bradfo

You. You. You.

25.36 - 32.947 Ryan Watson

You know, it's something I've been working really hard for, for my whole life. And, you know, it's been a long road.

Chapter 2: How does Ryan Watson feel about making the Red Sox Opening Day roster?

34.588 - 62.082 Ryan Watson

It's, I think, six year in pro ball and third stop as far as their different team. So, yeah, it's just a lot of emotion right now, for sure. Yeah. What was the conversation like in there? Well, I can say we're both in there and A.C. told me, he's like, you know, they're in here for a reason. You know, you're going to break with the team.

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62.162 - 88.925 Ryan Watson

And, you know, they told me, you know, what I've been doing, what got me here is, you know, why I'm breaking with the team. To go out there and be myself and just a lot of emotion. So it was great. After camp started for you to bounce back with some good outings, does that make it even sweeter in a way? It does, it does. I definitely was putting a lot of pressure on myself earlier.

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89.205 - 113.905 Ryan Watson

I just kind of got back to my roots a little bit and just trusted, you know, like they said in there, you know, what got me here is why they like me. Just trust it. Just get back to it. And so I felt like I did that. You know, turned it around a little bit and started doing it a little better. And yeah, it means a lot. It does.

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Chapter 3: What emotional challenges do players face during spring training?

115.147 - 123.316 Unknown

What do you think that you've made strides here? Obviously, this is a different organization, different voices, different machines.

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123.337 - 147.478 Ryan Watson

Yeah, just communication is really good. You know, they... We worked on, you know, a couple, added the cutter and then made the splitter a little better. And really just like diving into, you know, what makes, what makes me good. And that's, you know, powering the strike zone, throwing a lot of strikes, you know, using what I have in zone.

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147.498 - 152.185 Ryan Watson

And, you know, I do think that, you know, I'll have a success with that.

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155.149 - 158.054 Unknown

Yeah. So he calls. Yeah.

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158.074 - 180.276 Ryan Watson

Yeah. I called my family, uh, first and then girlfriend and caught all them and let them know shortly after it was a very uh it's been emotional about 45 minutes so it's been it's been awesome was it so that's you're down there yeah yeah yeah congrats man thank you thank you thank you

181.37 - 185.073 Bradfo

Situations, you were in the room for that. Your thoughts on him making the team?

185.494 - 213.12 Garrett Whitlock

Yeah, super happy for him, excited for him. You know, it's cool adding to the Rule 5 brotherhood. And, yeah, you know, excited to see what he does, you know, this year. And, you know, just, again, yeah, looking forward to it. I'm guessing you probably haven't been in the room for someone else getting called out. Maybe you have, but... They had, I want to say... That was two years ago.

213.22 - 237.482 Garrett Whitlock

I want to say I was there with Slayton when he got told to. If I wasn't in the room, I know I was right outside the room, right when Slayton got told as well. So it's been kind of cool with both of them. You look at his reaction, do you remember sitting in that chair? Oh yeah. I mean, I was, he's been asking me and Slade in a bunch. Um, obviously I just got back. Um, so more so now than before.

237.542 - 246.13 Garrett Whitlock

Um, but he's been asking us a bunch and it's like, you know, it's been funny cause I'm like, man, I do remember having those exact same feelings, those exact same thoughts and everything like that.

Chapter 4: What advice do experienced players give to newcomers in camp?

246.19 - 252.295 Garrett Whitlock

And, you know, we were just telling him like, Hey man, just, just trust it and just keep doing what you're doing.

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252.316 - 266.946 Bradfo

It's, uh, just like describe it as a brotherhood and obviously what it is, but like, it's, it, kind of one of those things that's so weird and unique that you kind of have to rely on people who have been through that very weird, unique process.

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267.027 - 286.305 Garrett Whitlock

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely something that most people don't go through. And so, you know, like, it was funny. I was talking about it because I was just with Brad Keller. Brad Keller was Rule 5. And so, like, the guys there were even asking us, like, wait, what? Like, what the heck is Rule 5? Like, most guys don't even know what it is. So, you know, it's just kind of funny.

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286.325 - 306.329 Garrett Whitlock

And, like, so the fact that we got three guys on the team right now that were Rule 5 is pretty funny and unique. But, yeah, I mean, it's definitely something that, you know, most people don't know about. And, like... Especially in the offseason when I'm talking to people that figure it out, they're just like, wait, what the heck? You didn't get traded? You didn't get free agent?

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306.529 - 308.772 Garrett Whitlock

How did you get over there? So it's just kind of funny.

309.593 - 317.985 Unknown

So of the advice you gave him, what was the best advice? Looking back, what's the most impactful advice?

318.646 - 322.671 Garrett Whitlock

I feel like I can't answer that, right? I feel like he would have to say what was the most impactful.

322.732 - 325.215 Unknown

I don't know for you what was the most impactful.

325.398 - 342.884 Garrett Whitlock

I mean, the thing that I've told both him and Slayton was way early in camp, and it's just like, hey, man, like, you're not going to make the team. You're not going to lose your spot on the team with your first outing because, like, that I feel like is the most nerve-wracking is that very first outing, like, in spring. And I just told them, like, you know, like, enjoy that moment.

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