00:00which is when we like to talk about the Toronto Blue Jays,
00:02where Craig last year could have won the World Series,
00:05just needed one victory in game six or seven at home,
00:07weren't able to get that done.
00:08Then they played and lost the series already to the Los Angeles Dodgers,
00:12and they find themselves today taking on the Minnesota Twins.
00:14You would think this probably should be an easy win on the calendar.
00:17Not so fast.
00:18Max Scherzer's on the mound, which, I don't know,
00:20he's going to pitch two to three innings today before leaving
00:22and getting his elbow checked.
00:23We don't know that.
00:24Taz Brownlee, the once flamethrower from down there in Tampa Bay,
00:27he's getting the start for the Twins.
00:28But the favorite here overnight was a minus 116 split,
00:31the minus 102 split at FanDuel.
00:33It's roughly in that same realm right now, Craig,
00:35in a total that's listed at eight.
00:37Minnesota, we left them on the side of the road saying,
00:39this team is going to be competitive this year,
00:41but we have high expectations for Toronto.
00:43Interesting start for both of these teams so far, Craig.
00:46Yeah, good start for the Twins.
00:48I don't think anybody had them being over 515 games in.
00:51I still don't have a ton of confidence as the season rolls on with them,
00:54and I do feel like they were sort of in different buy and sell modes
00:58in the offseason and letting go of their president of baseball operations.
01:02Donnie, I still feel like this is a team in the second half
01:04that's going to sell a lot of the pieces and kind of play for the future.
01:08Blue Jays, it's about now, and nothing has gone right for them.
01:12They've had a lot of injuries.
01:13They haven't hit.
01:14They haven't pitched, and you would think that this is a really good
01:17get-right spot today for Toronto, but they have a lot working against them.
01:21Bradley's pitched very well, and the Twins batters have squared up.
01:25Max Scherzer very well through the years.
01:27A lot of the guys in the lineup, including Josh Bell,
01:29have had a lot of success against him.
01:32So I think the Twins, this was one of those dogs that I was looking at,
01:35but I'm like, wait, this is no fun to just take a team that's minus 105
01:38or 110 or plus 105.
01:40I think the Twins have another shot to win this game today.
01:44At the very least, I think there'll be some runs.
01:47And offensively, there are at least, I saw three batters
01:51that have faced Scherzer and have hit them very well.
01:54So I think there's a chance of that.
01:56And, you know, the other funny thing is that you hear, like,
01:59in breaking down and handicapped, oh, the Twins, you know, they're crushed.
02:02They don't have Royce Lewis again.
02:04I mean, have you been watching the Twins the last two years?
02:06Royce Lewis has missed so many games.
02:08This is not part of your handicap.
02:09You can't count him as a guy who plays every day.
02:12Unfortunately, to me, when he plays, he's one of the best players on the field.
02:14He's out again.
02:16I have no opinion on this game today,
02:18but I do think the Twins are going to hit a little bit.
02:20I think the Twins could be live, too.
02:21Take a look at Taj Bradley through those three starts in the Major League Baseball season,
02:24went four and a third innings pitch, then six innings pitch,
02:27then six and a third innings pitch, really getting stretched out.
02:29But also his hard contact rate against him.
02:32First start, Craig, 71%.
02:33Second start, 50%.
02:35Third start, 33%.
02:36So maybe some things starting to get into form with him.
02:39And if we just look at his overall numbers, Craig,
02:41again, 70 batters he's faced, as you pointed out.
02:43How about an 031 ISO again?
02:45Spectacular.
02:45How about a weighted on base percentage of 249?
02:47Look at his K rate from last year, Craig.
02:5021% through 605 batters.
02:52Only 70 batters this year, up to 31.4%.
02:55So looking good from a pitching perspective side.
02:58But let's talk about Max Schurz and what the expectations are,
03:01because coming into the season, I didn't have many,
03:03and he's living up to exactly what I thought, Craig.
03:05Only 31 batters he's faced on the season.
03:08ISO power number 207, weighted on base percentage 295.
03:10The K rate is low, but it's always how much you're going to get from him, Craig.
03:14And is this going to be a bullpen game for Toronto today?
03:17Yeah, there's been already scary moments with him.
03:20Not really sure.
03:22You know, there's something to be said, I guess, for the World Series hangover.
03:25But I think, Donnie, there's just more to be said when you're packing up these injuries.
03:29And look, they signed Anthony Santander a couple years ago.
03:32Obviously, he's just missed a ton of time.
03:34So he's not part of the conversation at this point.
03:36And I understand that, and he shouldn't be.
03:38But then you lose Trey Savage before the season even begins, and Bieber hasn't pitched.
03:42And then we find out yesterday that George Springer has a broken toe,
03:44and he's going to be out too.
03:46This could be a matter of the Jays are going to have to second half it, you know?
03:51Like, this may be a team that just plays 500 ball for the first half of the season
03:55until they get healthy.
03:56But I don't know if they can afford to do that.
03:58This is not like a Dodgers where you can sleepwalk through the season
04:02and just figure it out at the end and let Mookie Betts sit for five months if he has to
04:06and bring him back at the end.
04:07It feels like that's what the Dodgers are going to do this season.
04:09Yeah, I'm concerned about the Blue Jays.
04:11I am.
04:12And it's not the record.
04:12I'm just concerned that too many things are going the other way for them.
04:16And I guess we'll get the word on Springer later today.
04:19But a broken toe sounds like weeks, Donnie, right?
04:22It doesn't sound like he plays tomorrow or anything.
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