00:00All right. I want to pivot to the mound here because Dustin May, again, like we had Yamamoto do it
00:05over the weekend where he was flirting with perfection. May was flirting with perfection and Dustin May of the St.
00:10Louis freaking Cardinals turned in an absolute clinic against the San Diego Padres and hold your Padres have issues.
00:17Because that is a clear sentiment has been for the first half of the Major League Baseball season will be
00:23for the second half offensively. But Dustin May on Monday against San Diego, a complete game shutout, just one hit,
00:31nine punch outs in one walk. He did it in 101 pitches. This is why Dustin May got a $10
00:38million deal this year. It was a one year, $12 and a half million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
00:43I understand last year was really bad between the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. But if you watch this
00:50guy throw a baseball, it is some of the nastiest stuff that you will see on television at points.
00:56Now, sometimes it was over the heart of the plate and sometimes it was bombs away against Dustin May. But
01:02he's got this in him. And this was such a sneaky pickup from Heimbloom this offseason, man.
01:07And he took off and some things to work through and just getting his body back, you know, just just
01:12not just healthy, but stronger as most of his focus was probably just getting back healthy.
01:17Now, this was probably the first regular offseason he could have to just get stronger and get better again.
01:22And you see that the forcing velocity is up a tick and a half. The cutter in particular is up
01:27two ticks and it's a totally shifted arsenal usage because now that the four seamer is not 94 and a
01:34half and it's 97, he's able to throw it more.
01:38And that's a pitch that he used to throw plenty. He had to kind of ditch the usage a little
01:42bit because it wasn't playing the same way.
01:44So he's been able to focus on that more. He's been able to use this cutter way more frequently because
01:48it's a lot more effective at 93.
01:51I think you see the whole arsenal improve from there as well. But I just think seeing the usage is
01:56tweaked, seeing him be healthy.
01:58And then I think the confidence that's coming with that. So now, hey, I can I can attack hitters with
02:02this four seamer to set the tone.
02:04I don't have to be this like ground ball sinker guy that I felt like he kind of became his
02:08identity last year because he wasn't getting enough whiffs.
02:12This looks more like the Dustin May. That was one of the best, you know, young pitchers in baseball.
02:16And I feel like he has to be feeling that, too.
02:19When you look at him on the mound, he probably feels like himself again all of a sudden.
02:22And that's a really exciting thing. It's funny because we're talking about him as like a major trade candidate and
02:28a guy that could get them a big haul.
02:30But now you look and you say, like, well, this is a team that's competing a little bit.
02:34And, you know, I think you got to hold on to him, obviously, and see this thing through.
02:37But I'm sure teams are going to be calling really excited about me.
02:40I mean, a crappy Dustin May last year netted, you know, multiple solid prospects for the Dodgers.
02:48Imagine what a good Dustin May would do for the Cardinals.
02:50But I think with what he's doing right now, with what this team's doing right now, it seems like Dustin
02:55May might be making a playoff start this year, which is pretty crazy.
02:58It seems like it.
02:59And we're getting to the point in the season where it's like, OK, at what point is this not fluky
03:03for 26?
03:04It might be fluky in the macro and like the grand scheme of the St. Louis Cardinals master plan, their
03:09five year script.
03:11And you could be looking at this and saying, well, you know, in three years, why didn't we flip the
03:15one year Dustin May for a couple of, you know, real prospects?
03:18Like, why didn't we get two top 10 guys in a system?
03:22But if you have the opportunity to go for it, and if you have the opportunity to put butts in
03:27seats at Bush Stadium in St. Louis, something they didn't do last year, that is an enticing piece in the
03:32back half of 26 when attendance around Major League Baseball is up.
03:36A couple more things that I want to fly through here, but one more note on Dustin May real quick.
03:40I see you've got one, too.
03:41Yeah, I was going to say, well, at least you can go.
03:44This is the interesting thing here.
03:46Do you just QO him after this year?
03:48If he continues the way that he has continued, he might just be a QO candidate and at least you
03:53either get him back on a one-year deal at double what I signed him for.
03:56He's twice as good as you probably thought he was going to be.
03:58He's twice as good as last year.
04:00Or you recoup at least that pick and you're in a decent spot that way, too, which would probably be
04:05the case if May turned it down.
04:07Yeah.
04:07Two quick notes on Dustin May before we go rapid fire through a couple other appearances.
04:11Peyton just dropped this in.
04:1313 earned runs and a 16 ERA after two starts this year.
04:17In 12 starts since for Dustin May in ERA at 2.54.
04:21The other thing, he's keeping the ball in the ballpark.
04:23Last year, 21 homers in 132 innings.
04:27This year, 82 innings, just five home runs.
04:29So Dustin May is doing the limit home run thing.
04:33And it is awesome.
04:34Two homers innings.ähring.
Comments