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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello and welcome to Talking Baseball. It's time. All JM through May. Treffer Ploof.
Chapter 2: What is the purpose of the All-JM team for May?
John Boy is the final judge in a little bit of a new format. Let's talk ball, though. The best ball. The best ball. Chase Burns. Frank Thomas. Whoa. The harder they throw, the harder it goes. Hello and welcome to Talking Baseball, presented by Fanatics Markets, where fans trade on sports. Fanatics Markets available now on the app stores. I'm Jake Storielli, Nixon 6.
That is Trevor Plouffe, Rob Scirocco producing. Dalton Feeley getting all the stats and info from the best players to play this game. as we put together the most prestigious award in baseball, the All-JM Team. Coach Trev, how the hell are you?
Jakey boy, I'm doing well. I'm very much looking forward to this episode. We kind of switched things up a little bit as far as our preparation for it. I also feel like I'm getting sick, so if you can hear my voice, I'm going to try not to cough into the mic for everybody. I don't like that. June 3rd, I shouldn't be getting sick right now.
Not a sick time of year.
Pittsburgh will do that to you, I think.
Yeah. Yeah. A summer flu hits now and then.
Oh, don't give me that.
I don't want a flu, man. It's like rock bottom of being sick because you're like, wait, it's sick and it's summer? Like, what is happening? But maybe that makes you appreciate the summer, summertime a little more. Maybe it doesn't, and I'm just trying to pick you up, but.
Okay. I mean, I did have some wine last night. Oh. And maybe. maybe did some other things, and maybe that's what this is all about.
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Chapter 3: Who are the standout players in the National League for May?
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That's code talking 50, 50% off at ShadyRays.com. Let's get into it with all JM as we show you who the best players were in the American and National League through the month of May. Bobby Golfs, a.k.a. Rob Scirocco, ABA, Bobby Sirachi, says, let's go NL today and why not? Why not? We play by our own rules. And I'm scared because AL catcher seemed like a safe place to start.
NL catcher sure doesn't. Because as Drake Baldwin ran it through the month of May, he did get hurt. I think there's an argument he still has the best statistical numbers at the National League catching position. And, oh, the other thing we should tell the people is is that we cast our ballots before this. So it's, it's no me and Trev peer pressuring each other to potentially look at this.
Look at this. We cast our ballots yesterday. And if we agree, the player will get the award. If not, we will tap in the great John Bino, AKA Jimmy O'Brien, AKA John boy, AKA Jimmy golfs one day. Um, to be the deciding vote. So, with the NL catcher position, William Contreras, a very interesting stat line.
High batting average, high on base, not as much pop as you might expect from William Contreras. Hunter Goodman, always in the mix with that Josh Donaldson type swing. And Liam Hicks, who's been a wild card for us this year. Trev, I guess, any thoughts? And then we'll ask Rob if you and I had the same answer.
Yeah, I mean, there's a couple different ways you can look at catchers. I feel like it's such a unique position. First and foremost, I think you have to be a good defensive catcher. Okay. The only way you can survive in this league not being a good defensive catcher is if you absolutely rake.
Yeah.
And even then, it gets iffy. You probably end up moving to DH or left field. I don't know. Something. But this, to me, NL here, I know Drake's hurt. The overall numbers are still there. And through May, he only has four or less games than some of these other guys. And he's just outperformed all of them.
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Chapter 4: What players are highlighted for the American League All-JM team?
I mean, 389 OBP through May, 543. He has an OPS in the nines. To me, this one was easy. We'll see how through June goes with him, if he's not back in time, because that's when I think it'll pick up and the numbers will be different. But through May, I have Drake Baldwin.
I guess Rob is the... It seems like Trev has Drake Baldwin. Your National League winner at catch-up for the month of May is Drake Baldwin. Okay. There's a new voice. There's a new voice. Yeah. Rob Preff. Rob Preff is me saying we weren't going to like. Rob, I just want to hear your voice say it. Yeah, man. Yeah, dude. I don't need whatever that was. Oh, okay. That was Justin Pennick.
That's great. Yeah, that to me is the same as that talking baseball team.
That's great. Thank you, Justin Penick, for making his talking baseball debut. Congrats to Drake Baldwin, mostly. Yeah, Trev, you nailed it. Liam Hicks has a game-run producing argument, but he's also more than about half of his games have been at first base and DH, as you've mentioned.
And then Contreras, yeah, I mean, Drake Baldwin, I know he's been out, but it's 48 games to 52 games, and Baldwin basically, he has him on every front. So congrats to Drake Baldwin. I know Braves fans will be excited to get him back. And we'll see when that is because, yeah, that nationally catching position could get uglier. Trev?
I also, another way, especially this year, this is a new way you have to measure catchers, is what do you do with your ABS challenges? And I think that's going to come into play more in the AL for me. So spoiler alert, uh, Drake Baldwin right now, uh, not a ton of challenges, 27 of them, but he was successful in 74%. So, um, he's one 20 and lost seven to me. That's a big deal.
Okay. Trevi in it. I love it. Uh, Let's keep it rolling. Trev, first base position. Matt Olsen won last month by war by WRC+. There's a couple guys that have joined the party. I mean, Spencer Horwitz in the month of May, he had. Bryce Harper being elite this year. Sal Stewart, we love Miami. Burleson listed. I think this is one of those where we could talk about the other guys.
I think it's Matty Olsen.
In pretty much every single number through May, again, more doubles, more homers, more runs, more RBI, highest OPS, highest FNB war, highest WRC plus.
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Chapter 5: How does the discussion on player statistics unfold?
I was having a tough moment. I live in a pretty I live in a New York City apartment. There's not a lot of space in there. Couldn't find my laptop back. And I was like, well, it's here. Like, where's my laptop bag? Search every room, which is one and a half rooms, like five times, like every inch. Dude, I opened the fridge. I opened the fridge. That's how bad I was.
And then I remembered we had a warehouse day last week where I brought my laptop. So I was in freak out mode, lost my laptop, didn't want to scroll through all this, that I was hot. And then I saw the NL second base position. I was like, how do you pick any of this?
You opened the refrigerator.
Yeah, dude. I opened up the microwave. I thought I might have played a prank on myself, bro. Because I was like, it's got to be in this apartment. I haven't left this apartment. It was a low moment.
I mean, opening the fridge and the microwave, I think the microwave is worse than the fridge. Because maybe a fridge, you're getting a pop out, and you're like, oh, I've got to set this here so it doesn't fall. But the microwave is just a no-no. It's metal, Coach.
Trev, I searched every inch, and I couldn't find it. So I hope it's at the warehouse. It might have just been Salas. Actually, I don't want to know your pick. Bryce Terang, we gave it to last month. There was definitely a thought process. Previous years, we've had you need to take it from the guy that I ran through the Bryce Terang conversation. I did not pick him.
I did not pick Bryce Terang.
Jake, you wrote down Bryce Terang and another name. Oh, love that. Interesting. Yes. Let me see. Sent my angry late night email. But the other name is the same as Trev's. Oh, okay. I meant the other name. Oh. Yeah. Whoa. There's no way I thought you were going there. So then we are unanimous. Wow. Yes. All right. Trev, tell the people who you picked and why.
This was really – it was really, really tough because there's a bunch of guys just balling out. When your honorable mentions are Nico Horner and Quetel Marte, you know the position is on fire. I initially was going to go with my guy B. Lau because he's meant so much to a resurgent Pirates team.
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Chapter 6: What unique challenges do catchers face in the current MLB?
O'Neal Cruz, we know about the lefty-lefty stuff. I saw him hit one into the freaking river. That was awesome. But as far as center fielders go, and tell me if I'm wrong, I think it's Andy Pahez in the National League. He's crushing it defensively. The overall offensive numbers are better than either of those other two center fielders. I think this one is snaps, I'm assuming.
It is unanimous. Mr. Andy Pahez is your center fielder. You nailed it.
294 average, 343 OBP, 881 total OPS. Again, right now, if you look at the OAA leaderboard, he's fourth for center fielders in that. Pete Gromstrang leading the way. Jacob Young, how about it?
Yeah, he does.
Obviously, Rafael is doing it. But Andy Pahez, defense, offense, everything's taken up. He looks like, again, another guy in the Dodgers. We're saying, I don't know.
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Yeah, so it was difficult because there's been a lot of guys performing really, really well. The two names at the bottom of our sheet, Jordan Walker, James Wood, just off to incredible offensive seasons. Their savant pages are so fun to look at. I will go with a guy who was a winner last month. And that's Corbin Carroll. It was one of my picks. 916 OPS. Runs the base as well.
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Chapter 7: Who are the top first basemen discussed for the All-JM team?
It's an interesting, because we've done this with Schwarbs and Otani a lot through the past couple years. And yeah, Otani has an argument, as he always does. And you know, batting average, you could point to that. And on base, I mean, Otani's getting on at a 4.02 clip. 100 points in slugging and 12 home runs.
From the DH position, which all that conversation we just had about baseball, if you're thinking about your DH, like what Kyle Schwarber does is he tries to change and end games, and he does that better than anyone in baseball. I think we got this one right. Congrats to Kyle Schwarbs. This is the caveat we haven't figured out yet. We still have to do a fan vote.
I applied on a sheet.
Oh, well, who do you want? I mean, I think Corbin Carroll has to go in. Like the guys who have missed the vote so far?
So, yes, Corbin Carroll would have to be on it for me. My fan vote for this exercise would be Otani, which is a tough one for everybody else. I had Jordan Walker and B. Lau. I would be up for taking B. Lau off and going Walker and Corbin Carroll.
I would offer you a trade Walker for C.J. Abrams.
People are going to be mad about that. I mean, you don't even have... Well, the problem is... We have Walker behind Carroll in the outfield.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah, but I have both of them, I think, impacting the game more than C.J. Abrams. Whoo!
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Chapter 8: What makes the American League second base position competitive?
He's getting C.J. Wooded a little bit, if I'm being honest. The pitchers, always the toughest, and I've gone on my rants and raves about how this is the most fun thing I've seen in a long time. I don't normally get into awards, but the NL Cy Young, whether you want to go that same Shohei Otani guy we mentioned for DH, whether you want to go sale. Sanchez had a perfect May. Basically.
Kyle Harrison, who's getting usurped by all these dudes. And Chase Burns, who's incredible. I don't know. Trev, I will say this. I think the pick was kind of easy, but I want to know where you went.
It wasn't easy for me. First of all, shout out Braxton Ashcraft, Bryce Elder, Skeens, Robleski. I actually texted our guy Mikey Adonacio about Kyle Harrison last night. 12Ks through five innings, whatever the heck it was. And I said, how did you guys get him for a comp pick and a bag of baseballs? And he said, well, Durbin, we like Durbin a lot, whatever, whatever. He's filthy.
That fastball is something else. Just don't understand how – Boston, what?
What was Sam Friend doing?
What is you doing? What was Boston doing? Well, I mean, at least you get Devers. Like, that's a, you know, big hitter. You need a big bat. You feel like you can develop pitching, whatever it is. Anyways, so it was between Mizorowski and Chris Sanchez for me. And Chris Sanchez, again, the better – he has the better ERA, yes. He does. Shohei Otani has the best ERA. To me, I went to the whip, man.
That's my statistic. And Jacob Mizorowski has a .79 whip on the year. That means he's allowing less than an eighth or less than – I don't know how to say that. It's obviously less than a base runner in an inning. 80% of a base runner in an inning.
79%. That old staff. That old chestnut.
and leads Ks per nine. He's gotten better in his walk rate. Like, everything is there. To me, it was Jacob Mizorowski.
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