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MLBTR Chat: 04/22/2023
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Simon Hampton
10:57
It won't be a drastic fall. Think the pack will just slowly catch up to them. The Rays will be fine, by the way. I can still see them winning the division.

At the end of the day, the start was phenomenal, but it was also against the Tigers, Nationals and A's. Suspect over the next month it'll become a lot closer between them, the Blue Jays and the Yankees at the top of the AL East
Jose Mesa's blue glove
11:00
Is Brandon Marsh really this good?  Or at least close?
Simon Hampton
11:03
The mightily impressive .500 (!!) BABIP will absolutely drop off soon, but he has seen an uptick in walks and decrease in strikeouts. Too early for me to make a call on the power output being sustainable, but I think you're looking at a guy that will regress quite a bit from what he's doing currently, but could still fall in ahead of what he's done previously
Jorge78
11:03
You said you went to the Yankees game last night.  Are you a credentialed member of the media (free ticket!)?
Simon Hampton
11:04
Nah I paid
Alex Guerrero
11:04
Would do the Padres even entertain the idea of Trading Juan Soto to the dodgers ? If so, what package would they want ?
Simon Hampton
11:04
There is absolutely no chance of the Padres dealing Soto to the Dodgers of all teams!
Gruber_mullet
11:06
How long do the Yankees stick with Volpe in the leadoff spot? He is hovic on the basepaths and a plus defender, also they don't seem to have another option at SS, but he seems to either not be ready for MLB pitching or has too much pressure at the top of the order.
Simon Hampton
11:08
He's taking his walks at a really impressive 17.6% clip, which is really promising for a rookie. It also shows he's not overmatched at the big league level, so I tend to think the hits will start to follow. He doesn't even need to hit that much, if he can just add even .30 to his average now you're looking on base at .368 clip and is a huge threat on the basepaths. That feels like an ideal lead off man to me
India
11:10
Reds All-Star rep?
Simon Hampton
11:11
Diaz remains the front runner if I'm trying to predict. So far this season then year, India and Steer would be the top two
Mariners Changes?
11:12
How long does Seattle keep waiting to address the DH spot? Me personally I think the line up needs shuffling as well. Julio needs to be at 3. Leadoff with JP he can draw a walk and I think he gets into the flow of the game more from that spot. But the DH platoon is taking its toll.
Simon Hampton
11:15
Crawford's walking at a 19.4% clip this year, well above his usual numbers, so if he keeps this up I certainly think he makes a strong case to lead off. At that point I'd be inclined to just move everyone down one, and have Julio at 2 rather than 3. Kelenic is another that could figure into the top of the lineup plans if he can keep hitting like he is.

On the DH spot, I agree it's not ideal and I'd be very surprised if the Mariners aren't in the market for something there over the summer. There'll be tons of options available as there always is
Cardinal Madness
11:16
How many questions from Gruber_mullet are you going to take?  This is ridiculous.
Simon Hampton
11:16
Yeah - sorry. I don't really look at the names so much as the questions. I'll pay closer attention and divvy things up a bit better. Thanks for pointing it out
11:17
Alright - handful more then I've got to run
Guessed
11:18
Is it too early to say that Cody Bellinger has turned things around?
Simon Hampton
11:21
Not at all. At the end of the day 84 plate appearances is still not huge, but take a peek beneath the hood and you see he's walking at the best clip since 2020, striking out at by far the best rate of his career and almost half of what he did last year. He's also got a completely reasonable .298 BABIP.

In short, I'd always be weary of a few weeks of performance, but I'd also be comfortable buying Cody Bellinger stock right now. Really promising stuff
SteveM
11:22
Why does Minnesota have lousy teams year after year?
Simon Hampton
11:22
The Twins are top of their division!
Angels
11:24
Who's a solid reliever that the Angels could add soon? It's musical chairs and they need more reliability
Simon Hampton
11:25
Might not be soon, but Aroldis Chapman is shaping up as one of the most sought after relievers at the deadline this year. Velocity back up and a 52% K rate!
The real Gruber_mullet
11:26
Ask better questions if you want your questions picked over mine. This is a socialist chat where we share the wealth.
Simon Hampton
11:26
You've got a week to think up better questions for next week. Always fun stuff, thanks everyone - see you back here at 10am CT next Saturday for another chat.
11:27
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