JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 9/23/24

Ben Clemens

2:00

Hey everybody, welcome to the chat

This is the last one of the regular season, somehow

2:01

We haven't quite nailed down our chat schedule for the playoffs yet but I assume it'll be roughly similar to previous years - a few multi-writer mega-chats to kick off the Wild Card rounds and maybe a few concentrated days later on when both leagues have games. I'll keep my regular chats going when I'm not competing on the schedule with others

Anyway, let's get started right away

Sirras

2:01

I recall you mentioning that there was an article early this year on depth that showed CWS as shallow. Even knowing that, how surprised are you that they managed to hit the 120 loss threshold (and still have games to go where they might surpass it!)?

Ben Clemens

2:01

Oh, I'm pretty surprised

2:02

Like, even with all those players slashed off of the team, our base case was something like 105 losses

2:03

I really liked this Twitter thread (by a great writer, you should follow him if you're a twitter person) about the sheer improbability

https://x.com/matan_writes/status/1834007907953672244

Jesse

2:03

Ben, What are the chances Vlad actually becomes a full time 3B next year? Horwitz looks deserving of a full time role next year and if the Jays want to add thump to the lineup it looks easier to do at the 1B/DH spot than it does at 3B.

Ben Clemens

2:03

I wanted to tell you 'yeah zero chance stop dreaming' but then I went and looked at the game logs

2:04

I don't think it's likely, even still

He has 100 innings this year, and they are definitely giving him chances, but he just doesn't look good there to me

But clearly they are going to give it a shot, and I understand why

2:05

If he's about a 40 third baseman, think Rafael Devers, it's probably better than their alternatives

2:06

Again, I still don't think that will work

but I am a lot less certain than I was before this year

Tim Tebow's Thunder Thighs