00:00I think they're doing a lot of work with what they have.
00:04I think they're, I guess you could say overachieving in ways.
00:09I mean, their offense being one of the best in the sport isn't something that you expected.
00:14But I wouldn't say that you're a surprise contender, but where they're at,
00:17I mean, we've seen this team before get into May and be close to 500
00:20and then, you know, kind of fall off a cliff.
00:22So I think this year is going to be interesting to see if they can kind of maintain this pace
00:26for longer than just getting there through the first week in May.
00:30They'll lose 100 games.
00:31Correct.
00:31And it seems like they're not going to.
00:32I don't think they will.
00:33And I think that one thing that they've done this season,
00:36and Blake Butera has done a really good job of this season,
00:39is putting their guys in the best position possible to be successful.
00:43And that's kind of all you can do as a manager, as a coach,
00:45is just put your guys in the best position,
00:47and ultimately they have to come through and make the play or pitch well
00:50or come up with a hit.
00:51And I think with putting those guys in the best position possible,
00:54you've seen kind of the sum of the parts be better than what you would expect.
00:58And the little things have gotten better.
00:59Aside from the defense, the little things like the base running has been better.
01:03So I think what you've seen them do this season gives you encouragement
01:07that as they have more time to work with these guys,
01:09they'll be able to get better and better.
01:10And I think the most encouraging part about all of this, JP,
01:13you're seeing results at the major league level.
01:15But down to the minor leagues, you're getting guys that we haven't thought of much at all
01:21that were kind of written off or we were done with,
01:23and now they're getting going.
01:24And so, I mean, even a couple of years ago, Seaver King was a first-round pick,
01:27and everyone's kind of written him off.
01:29Now this year, he's one of the better hitters in AA,
01:31and he's going to get bumped up to AAA soon.
01:33So even down to the minor leagues.
01:34What's Willis doing?
01:35He got off to a slow start, and then he's been rolling recently,
01:38probably hitting around .380, OPS up near .900 now.
01:42He's getting a couple of home runs the last couple of weeks.
01:43So he's getting going.
01:45And Abel, I'd expect him to get bumped up soon too.
01:47Where has he been?
01:48Fredericksburg.
01:48Okay.
01:49What is Cruz doing?
01:51He's been up and down.
01:53Two weeks ago, he had a week where he got one hit for the entire week,
01:56and then last week, he was the player of the homestand hitting about .400 with two homers.
02:00So he's kind of up and down, but his numbers overall aren't bad.
02:03But you'd like to see them be a little bit better before they call him back up.
02:05What is not bad, .230?
02:07No, he's probably .260, somewhere in .250, .250.
02:10Okay.
02:11Yeah, man, I'm encouraged.
02:13I don't want to be the cold-water guy with all Nat's conversations,
02:16but until there's commitment by ownership to spend, I can't be all in.
02:21I think that's – you've got your hardcore Nat's fans that are going to see the positives
02:26and look at the guys in the minors and think what could be in a couple years.
02:31But I think – I mean, the attendance numbers support my theory that until I see –
02:36Yeah, 100%.
02:37Not that going to a Nat's game isn't fun.
02:39I'll get out there at some point.
02:40I'll bring the girls.
02:41We'll have a blast.
02:43But it's great to build this scrappy team, but eventually you're going to need some pitching.
02:48You're going to have to pay.
02:48Completely agree.
02:49And they just played a team in the Milwaukee Brewers that I think they're trying to build
02:53some of their system to look like where the Brewers are turning through guys
02:57that they drafted in the second, third, fourth round that they're turning into fantastic arms
03:02that they maybe trade.
03:03And if you can mix that sort of philosophy, JP, where you can develop guys and get the best out
03:08of them
03:08and then also sign elite talent, that's the best way that you can do it.
03:13It's like the Dodgers, obviously everyone looks at them and spending on Otani and Freeman and Betts.
03:18That's not anybody but their model.
03:20No, but they also develop talent too.
03:22Like Andy Pajas is a big part of – he's been one of the better hitters in baseball to start
03:25the year.
03:25That's a homegrown guy.
03:27Rushing is a homegrown guy.
03:28Will Smith is a homegrown guy.
03:29So, like, they have their own talent as well.
03:31Okay.
03:32I wanted to run through this, though.
03:34I want to take a look around baseball.
03:35The Yanks and the Braves, I believe, are tied with the best record in baseball now.
03:40We're two months into the season.
03:41It's not nothing.
03:42We're almost 40 games in.
03:43Correct, yeah.
03:44Coming with more hits than the Braves and the Yankees.
03:47So, no surprise that the Braves and the Yanks are doing so well.
03:50The Braves had, like, the weird one-off year last year,
03:52but they've built a really good organization.
03:53Like, that's an organization you'd like to kind of emulate because it's not all money-driven.
03:58Well, and when they get guys that are good, they sign them early
04:00so that they're kept for a couple extra years.
04:02Sure, I love that.
04:03Washington did that with K-Bear Ruiz.
04:06He was awesome yesterday.
04:08So, MLB, the morning email I get is,
04:11which of these surprise contenders have the best playoff chances?
04:14They start, so the Yanks have the best record in the AL, 26-12.
04:18Half game behind them, Tampa Bay Rays.
04:20Yeah.
04:21How real are the Rays?
04:23Very real.
04:23Very real.
04:24They've got one of the best young hitters.
04:25They develop like crazy.
04:26They've got one of the best young hitters in baseball.
04:28He's got the fastest swing speed in all of baseball.
04:30Junior Caminero has also one of the flattest swings.
04:32I think the flattest swing in baseball.
04:34Wasn't he in the World Baseball Classic?
04:35Yeah, he is awesome.
04:36He is awesome to watch.
04:37And they've got just three guys in the middle of their order that are good for anybody,
04:42but especially for a Rays team that doesn't spend a lot of money.
04:45You know they're always going to do some of the little things.
04:47Well, they're a fun team to watch, JP.
04:48They've got a guy in Chandler Simpson that's probably the fastest guy in the bigs.
04:52Doesn't really hit for much power or anything.
04:53Just puts the ball on the ground and runs.
04:55Think of like Billy Hamilton.
04:56Love that.
04:56But maybe a little bit higher in average.
04:58So, they've got a fun team to watch.
04:59I think the Rays are for real, though.
05:01Dude, baseball deserves so much credit for the rule changes.
05:04Watching baseball has become so much better.
05:06So much faster.
05:07The infinite pitching changes and guys adjusting their gloves and everything.
05:10It's so much better.
05:11So, credit to MLB for that.
05:13Next on my list.
05:14The Pittsburgh Pirates.
05:1621-17.
05:18I don't think the Pirates have made the playoffs since Barry Bonds was wearing black and yellow.
05:22No, I guess maybe the Andrew McCutcheon.
05:24Yeah, they had some with McCutcheon.
05:25But, yeah, it's been a while.
05:26How real are the Pirates?
05:28Now, they're also five games back of a Cubs team that's pretty loaded.
05:30I think that they're pretty for real.
05:32They actually have an offense.
05:33They spent, so credit to them.
05:35They spent on some offense.
05:36Made some moves.
05:36So, they've actually got an offense that can keep up.
05:38They've got the pitching.
05:38Paul Skeens.
05:39I watched him the other night.
05:40It was awesome.
05:40Went into the eighth inning with a shutout.
05:43They shut out the Diamondbacks.
05:44So, their pitching is for real.
05:46And they're going to get back another really good arm, too.
05:48So, I think they're for real.
05:49It's just whether the hitting is going to be able to keep up.
05:51But, they've added a couple of guys, and they're scoring some runs.
05:54And that whole NL Central is crazy.
05:56Aren't they all over 500?
05:58That's crazy.
05:59And then, a couple of days ago, there was only...
06:00How have the Brewers played so fewer games?
06:04I'm not sure about that one.
06:05The Brewers have played 35 games, right?
06:0819 and 16.
06:09And the rest of them are like...
06:11That seems like a...
06:13Were the Brewers just in Colorado when they had the snow out?
06:16Or was that the Mets?
06:16No, I think...
06:18I think that might have been the Mets.
06:19I don't know.
06:19It's kind of irrelevant.
06:20They'll all play the same games eventually.
06:24Can you do me a favor?
06:25Yeah.
06:26Has Skeens ever pitched at Nats Park?
06:28I don't think he has.
06:28No, he's not.
06:29If that's ever to occur...
06:31Yeah, I'll let you know.
06:32Yeah.
06:33Because that's something I would...
06:34You know, Grant posted to his Instagram the other day,
06:36who's the flamethrower for the Brewers?
06:38Mizorowski.
06:39That he went...
06:39Like, I love seeing young flamethrowers and stud pitchers.
06:42That dude was unbelievable.
06:43I wish I had...
06:43I couldn't have gone that day.
06:44But seeing Grant's pictures, I was like, damn, I wish I was there.
06:47103.
06:49I couldn't see the ball.
06:52I've attended...
06:53I don't want to say every, because I wasn't there for Zimmerman's no-hitter.
06:58But every monumental occurrence in Nats history that you can plan for, I've been there.
07:06I was there opening day at RFK.
07:07I was there opening day at Nats Park.
07:09I was there for Strasburg's debut.
07:12Strasburg's debut against the Pirates was so electric.
07:15Yeah.
07:16It was just dynamite.
07:18You know what I mean?
07:19Yeah.
07:20Like, I was there for the World Series.
07:21I went to three World Series games, and the team I root for won the World Series, and I saw
07:25three losses.
07:26There's not many people that can say that.
07:28Yeah.
07:28Like, I was there for Worth's home run.
07:30Like, I was there for a lot of the things, but Strasburg's debut was electric, man.
07:35Yeah.
07:36I wish I could have been there for that.
07:38But to your point about Skeens, there's a chance this could happen.
07:41This is kind of what I'm rooting for.
07:43They're here July 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
07:45And I can almost guarantee you that if it lined up where Skeens is going to pitch the 3rd or
07:50something,
07:51like, could you push me back one day so I can pitch on the 4th of July in D.C.?
07:54That'd be pretty cool.
07:55And it's the 250, so there's going to be all sorts of bells and whistles.
07:58Yeah, 11.05 start at Nats Park for the 4th of July.
08:01Paul Skeens on the Hill will be awesome.
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