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Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/3/26

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Ben Clemens

12:00

Good morning and welcome to a Wednesday chat. I was feeling sick Monday. I'm also feeling sick today! But less so. So let's talk about baseball. And honestly, probably plenty of non-baseball too, it feels like that kind of week

aviaries

12:01

rank these 5 sodas:
diet coke
coke
coke zero
pepsi
diet pepsi

Ben Clemens

12:01

great way to start the chat

I think I'm Coke Zero/Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi/Coke/Pepsi. But Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are very close to me

Shauncore

12:01

If you were in charge of the Royals FO, what would you do at the deadline or even this winter? They surely aren't making the playoffs this year and while they've got a good bit of the core still under control in 2027-2028, it's not like they have four Bobby Witt's, it's mostly just 1-2ish WAR players (and Salvador Perez). If they sell at the deadline, 2027 seems a little sunk if they trade anyone that isn't a pending FA. If they hold, it's perhaps rolling the dice on 2027 being a good bit better (possible!). All this while the clock for competing with Witt Jr keeps ticking (presuming he opts out after 2030).

Ben Clemens

12:02

yeah, I think the plan is to sell the guys who are pending FA's and try to re-roll in 2027

12:03

is it an amazing option? Not really. Like you said, it's rolling the dice

but what are you going to do? Don't waste Witt. THere aren't many players like that. I think given the shape of the roster it makes sense to give a shot at 2027, like you said, it's not exactly well set up to pivot to a quick rebuild

Caglianone hitting would really help everything work

SPArn

12:03

Can you just go stream of consciousness on the Nationals for a second? It's so nice to finally have a fun team to root for again. First time since June 2021!

Ben Clemens

12:04

they're very fun. Hugely entertaining, also huge (James Wood is a large human)

My mom goes to a Nats game for her birthday every year, and they got her a win this time. Hard to top that for good vibes

did someone tell the nats that you have to pitch in baseball? maybe not. But whatever, that's 2027's problem

AutomatedTeller

12:04

Whatever happened to the Matt Damon guy? More seriously... is Adolis Garcia cooked? he seems cooked.

Ben Clemens

12:05

Sorry, do you mean Matt Damon? I assume that's Matt Damon. And maybe he's busy with Odyssey press junkets

Dan Haller

12:05

Hey Ben, trying this again since my last question was eaten, thanks for doing these chats! I guess this is a broad question with no real single answer, but do you have a sense of what’s gone wrong for the Giants this year? Seeing so many prospects leave and find success elsewhere, especially on the pitching side, is such a worrisome sign. For a couple years there they had such a good reputation for improving pitchers, and it seems like all those gains are gone (and then some). How is it that players, even the stars the team long coveted, seem to actively get worse here now?

Ben Clemens

12:05

it's hard to feel super strongly about the direction of the front office without more evidence, but let me say this: it is all feeling a little backwards to me

like, yes, I'm a stats-heavy guy, I getg it

12:06

but it kind of feels like they're leaning TOO against that

just to do something

12:07

the pitching development thing, I don't think that's really been a strength since Andrew Bailey left, but I agree. I was pretty down on Kyle Harrison largely because I'd been to a bunch of games that he started and he just did not look good. but he looks like a totally different pitcher now and that's hard to wrap my head around

to be fair I don't draw the same conclusions about the stars that you did

12:08

I think it's too soon to tell there

but it did seem like the plan was 'get stars, then....'

Baseball Learner

12:08

For those who feel deprived, MATT DAMON!

fanoftheman

12:08

I love finding articles/books that really stick with me because I don’t think they’re totally right, but because they are highlighting something important in a compelling way.

are there any baseball articles you can think of that fit that niche for you? Compelling, stuck with you, but you don’t think you fully agree?

Ben Clemens

12:08

I think a lot of Russell Carleton's work is like this

12:10

I don't always agree with the conclusions completely

sometimes I can't even wrap my head around the whole of the argument

but I am always very happy to have read them, and they make me think a little more broadly

SPArn

12:11

Was reading an NBA article that talked about our tendency to overrate players because of certain "prestige zones." This was re: Steph Castle in the Spurs system (which I disagree with, but that's a digression). I was trying to think of MLB "prestige zones," and came up with players the Rays trade for (we talked ourselves into Aaron Civale!) and Dodgers and Yankees prospects. Any jump to your mind?

Ben Clemens

12:11

oh, that's fun. I don't think I'd agree with Dodgers prospects necessarily, because all they ever do is get traded

but whoever the Rays trade for, for sure

mariners pitchers a little

12:12

i think park effects are kinda similar in baseball

AHume92

12:12

Everyone seems to have a favourite pitching prospect that didn't pan out. Sometimes the issue is skill, but health often gets in the way. I don't feel like we talk enough about position-player prospect busts (even ones who make MLB for a while). Who is your favourite one of those?

Ben Clemens

12:12

oh man. Colby Rasmus. Because he was THE cards prospect when I was at peak fandom

12:13

and then they traded him, basically because TLR didn't like his dad (weird team!), and then I was convinced he was going to be incredible with a change of scenery

oliverfox99

12:13

Any thoughts on if the MVP award should be exclusive to hitters? Ohtani feels like a shoe-in simply because he's having such a great pitching season, but if pitching wasn't counted Schwarber maybe would have a case.

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