Episode 152: How Is Victor Robles Doing This? + Analyzing The Mariners Improved Offense

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[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to episode number 152 of the Marine Layer Podcast.

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_02]: We'll dive into the Mariners offense heading into the right direction and analyze the impact that Victor Robles' offensive surge has had on this ballclub.

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Before we start the show, you guys know if you're listening to the podcast, don't miss any episodes.

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[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's get it rolling.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_02]: And we welcome you to this episode of the Marine Layer Podcast, part of the Just Baseball Podcast Network.

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Recording Monday night, August 5th on an off day.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Back home from Seattle this weekend. I'm back in Corvallis. You're back up there.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_02]: But I had a couple takeaways, Lyle, from our weekend together watching the Philly series.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_02]: One, it is possible to beat teams two out of three with a winning record.

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I forgot what that was like. It's nice to see that it's still possible.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Two, I thought Justin Turner would do a little bit better on the trivia we quizzed him on, on the Seattle trivia we quizzed him on.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_02]: I was a little disappointed he only went one for five.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Or as Justin Turner put it, one for all of them.

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Hmm. Yeah.

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_02]: There are some easy ones. So here's, so here's the, in case you missed it, we posted it on social media today on Monday when this episode comes out on Wednesday.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_02]: It will have been out for a couple of days. You most likely have seen it.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_02]: If you haven't, go check it out. We posted on Instagram. It's on Twitter. It's on YouTube as well.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_02]: It's on TikTok. It's a really good video and it shows part of Justin Turner's personality.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think a very fresh look of what one of the newest Mariners is like as a, as a player and as, as a human being, add a little bit of sense of humor and a smile on his face when he's thinking about this stuff.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_02]: But I will say, I thought everybody knew what Pike Place Market was.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_02]: I thought that was a given. I thought most people, for example, sit down and watch Sunday night football during the off season.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_02]: And the past 10 years, the Seahawks have gotten at least one Sunday night game every single year.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And Lyle, where do they go every single time? They're on national television.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, they go catch a fish at Pike Place Market, but he couldn't get it.

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe he doesn't watch the Seahawks on Sunday night football. I don't know.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Or maybe he just sees the shots of Pike Place on TV and he figures, oh, that's Seattle's market.

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe he actually just never knew the name.

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_03]: That would be an interesting thing to pull some non-Seattle people about.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe people from the East Coast or in Turner's case, people from L.A. where he spent most of his career.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Say, do you know the name of the market?

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Because I actually don't know. I actually thought that went about how I figured it was going to go.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Like the whole point of it was to have some fun with it and say, OK, he's new to Seattle.

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_03]: He's never really spent time here.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_03]: This is quite literally the first weekend he's been here because when he got traded, they were on the road.

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_03]: So I figured, yeah, like he probably wasn't going to know that much.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I actually didn't expect him to get the Pike Place thing right.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think people in the Northwest know what it is.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if everybody knows the name.

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not like the Statue of Liberty.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_02]: I would have expected him to get like at least one more.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't think he'd get the Rainier question.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_02]: So we asked him which mountain is on the license plate.

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_02]: That's tough.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Mountains, for the most part, look alike, especially when you're putting them on a license plate on a car.

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_02]: It's kind of hard to discern that.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Did get the Space Needle question wrong.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Was the Space Needle the tallest building?

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_02]: I think Justin had just not gotten a good skyline shot yet.

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_02]: He needed, eventually, if he spends enough time here, he had an off day today.

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_02]: It was nice and warm out.

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe he went out on someone's boat today.

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_02]: If he wasn't swinging in the cage or doing something, an off day at home.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Would have been a great day to go out on a boat in Lake Union and look back and see the skyline and realize that it's not the tallest building on the skyline.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_02]: I will say we did get a comment, which was, okay, next thing you have to do with Justin Turner is you have to have him pronounce like Puyallup.

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_02]: See how well he does.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm guessing he wouldn't get it.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_03]: No, probably not.

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_02]: It's like Puyallup and Squim and all these places.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_02]: The Native American names, which are for people not from the state of Washington, it would be tricky.

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_02]: It's like Muckle Teo or something.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Seattle is a Native American name, isn't it?

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it is.

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, people know the name Seattle.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure, that's different.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_03]: But, yeah, I mean, one, Justin was really cool, and that's the main takeaway of this.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think you had higher expectations than I did.

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_03]: If I was not from Seattle, had spent almost no time in the city.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Keep in mind, like, how many times did he make the trip to Seattle with the Dodgers?

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Twice?

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe?

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_03]: They used to come every three years.

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I was guessing off the top of my head.

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_02]: So he would have come here with Boston last year.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_02]: So that's one.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_03]: He was here with the Blue Jays this year.

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And the Dodgers were here.

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_02]: No, they were here last year.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_02]: And they wouldn't have been here 21?

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_03]: They were there in 21.

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_02]: So then it would have been four times.

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_03]: So I guess he just didn't leave his apartment that much.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_03]: When the Dodgers were here in 21, it was April.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was probably cold.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe they didn't go outside much.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's not like everyone.

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Because I like to think I know a lot of stuff about different cities.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_02]: For example, it's like, what's one of the main tourist attractions on the lake in Chicago?

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_02]: The Bean.

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Did you know that?

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I've been multiple times.

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_02]: So it's like, I think I had the impression it was something like that.

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_02]: But alas, as a lot of people in the comments also mentioned, I don't care if Justin Turner knows that much about the city of Seattle as long as he continues to hit.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And that's, well, that's exactly what he did this weekend.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And the Mariners offense, the first two games can say the same thing.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Two or three from the Phillies.

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I know the Phillies have scuffled a little bit.

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_03]: But you know what?

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Record-wise, that's still the best team in the National League.

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_03]: It's one of the best teams in baseball.

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_03]: They faced inferior starters, and they did what they were supposed to do.

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, it took them a while on Saturday.

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_03]: But all in all, in the end, they won the game.

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And they won the series.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_03]: They lost Sunday.

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_03]: But you know what?

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You can make the argument.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_03]: You can make the argument for some different guys.

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_03]: But you can absolutely make the argument Zach Wheeler is the best pitcher in baseball.

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_03]: So when the best pitcher in baseball stops a losing streak for his team and goes eight shutout and was just absolutely dominant, sometimes you just tip your cap.

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_03]: The Mariners offense, as we'll talk about here, has actually been much improved over the last month.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_03]: But sometimes you just run into a buzzsaw like Zach Wheeler, who is one of the game's best.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_03]: So they won two of three.

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_03]: They didn't sleep.

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know how people can really be upset after that weekend when they did what they were supposed to do.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_02]: That Sunday game is so much more important looking back on how the series was.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_02]: You're one, you know, you execute a little bit less down the stretch.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_02]: You lose a close game to the Phillies and then you lose another series.

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_02]: And we're probably we're probably being more negative right now than we are.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_02]: We're actually being positive right now.

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_03]: You mean the Saturday game was important?

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Saturday.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I meant to say Saturday.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Saturday.

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_02]: So they lost the Saturday game in extra innings or before extra innings if they didn't come back.

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, that game could have gone on their way.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_02]: And we're sitting here in a significantly more negative connotation.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And we would have still said, well, they haven't beaten a real team.

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, I'm going to keep saying that.

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Haven't beaten a real team in a three game series since they swept the Rangers and went 10 games up.

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_02]: But no, that streak's over.

[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_02]: It's over.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Did I see a tweet that that was the first three game series they've won against?

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_03]: What was it?

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_02]: A team with a winning record since the 13th to 15th of May.

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, but the Rangers have a winning record, don't they?

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Had.

[00:09:19] [SPEAKER_02]: They didn't then.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_03]: That is wild.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, all bad things must come to an end instead of good things must come to an end.

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_03]: So streak over.

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And they're going to need more of those 500 plus series wins.

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And if they go the same stretch without winning a series against a team over 500, they will not make the playoffs.

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Correct.

[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, they have a chance to do damage this week against the Tigers.

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_03]: A Tigers team that's not going to have Kerry Carpenter.

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not going to have Riley Green.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Jack Flaherty's off the team.

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Reese Olsen's on the IL.

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, you're going to get Tarek Skubel in this series.

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_03]: That's not going to be easy.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_03]: But there's no excuse for you to not win this series too.

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_02]: But also, when you're facing Tarek Skubel, you're going to have a guy opposite him who has been better than Tarek Skubel the last two months and George Kirby.

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Mm-hmm.

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_03]: So you can probably...

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_02]: You should still feel very good about that.

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_03]: You can probably expect Wednesday to be low scoring, I would guess.

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Hmm.

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Really?

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_03]: This team?

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I think so.

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Although, maybe we're going to have to start saying that less and less with, again, the way they've played in the last month, which we'll get into here in a minute.

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_03]: But overall, yeah, good series against the Phillies.

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_03]: They needed it.

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_03]: They capitalized on it.

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And now, as we're recording, they're a game and a half up in the West because on Monday here, the Rangers beat the Astros.

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Hmm.

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_03]: How about that?

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah.

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Wünschst du dir jemanden, der dich versteht wie kein anderer?

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Jemand, der deine Wünsche wahr werden lässt und mit dir das schönste Abenteuer deines Lebens erleben möchte?

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[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Let's get into our marriage storylines.

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_02]: About that offense.

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_02]: They have actually been a semi-decent to good offense since July 9th.

[00:11:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Now, why is July 9th so important?

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, you highlighted this a little bit on one of our social videos we posted this week.

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_02]: About what is the significance of July 9th?

[00:11:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, July 9th is the day that Jorge Polanco turned his season around and has been hitting significantly better since that point.

[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_02]: The Mariners over the stretch since then are 10% better than league average as an offense as a whole.

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_02]: So here's what this includes, right?

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_02]: So over this stretch, they're 13th in baseball in WRC+.

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_02]: An above-average offense.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_02]: How refreshing.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Really.

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_02]: How refreshing is that?

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_02]: But that stretch includes getting shut out by Zach Wheeler on Sunday.

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Which, by the way, if you nitpick, if you cherry-pick this stat and you exclude Sunday from the sample size,

[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_02]: the Mariners go from having the 13th best offense in this stretch in Major League Baseball

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_02]: to having the 6th best offense over that stretch in Major League Baseball.

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Let me repeat myself.

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Take the 9 innings against Zach Wheeler and whoever pitched out of the Phillies' Wolpen to end Sunday's game.

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Throw that away.

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_02]: And the Mariners, since July 9th, have the 6th best offense in baseball.

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And that includes the 6 losses in a row to the Angels.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_02]: It includes that.

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_02]: They've been the 6th best in all of baseball.

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_03]: It includes the 6 losses in a row to the Angels and includes that series at home against the Astros

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_03]: where they lost 2 of 3 and in 2 of those games, the 2 games that they lost,

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_03]: they look just absolutely...

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Inept.

[00:13:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Inept.

[00:13:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Inept at the play.

[00:13:36] [SPEAKER_03]: I was going to say lost again, but lost, inept, however you want to phrase it.

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Look at that home series.

[00:13:41] [SPEAKER_03]: So, all of this includes that home series where the Mariners played the Astros and then the Angels.

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_03]: They lost 5 of 6 games in that series, or in that homestand.

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Those 5 games that the Mariners lost in that homestand, they combined.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Combined!

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_03]: For 5 runs.

[00:13:56] [SPEAKER_03]: In those 5 losses.

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_03]: And all of that combined.

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_03]: They are the 6th best offense in baseball from July the 9th till August the 4th.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_03]: It's pretty good.

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_03]: So, why do you think that is?

[00:14:12] [SPEAKER_02]: So, there's a couple factors.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_02]: One is Jorge Blanco turning his season around.

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Hadn't gotten the offensive production out of your second base spot until that point.

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Which was refreshing.

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_02]: One of the reasons is a guy we're going to talk about with the second storyline in Victor Robles,

[00:14:29] [SPEAKER_02]: who could honestly be tabbed as one of the saviors of this offense and the season.

[00:14:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Period.

[00:14:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Period.

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_02]: But the number...

[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_02]: No, sorry, this isn't a hot take.

[00:14:40] [SPEAKER_02]: The number one driving factor of this offense over that stretch is Cal Raleigh.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And how he's turned it around.

[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_02]: He has managed to keep his same power output over that time frame, which is a little less than a month,

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_02]: while dropping his strikeout rate under 20%.

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_02]: 20%.

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Cal Raleigh on the season right now, even with this stretch, is striking out 30% of the time.

[00:15:02] [SPEAKER_02]: And that strikeout rate earlier in the season was hovering close to 35%.

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_02]: But this last month, even though he's been getting beat up, he's needed...

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_02]: How am I going to...

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_02]: He has been relied upon more behind the plate with Mitch Garver's struggles.

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_02]: So there's been more pressure on him to perform.

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_02]: And man, this dude is stepping up to the plate and just mashing.

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's flown under the radar, too.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Because it's been, I think for a lot of people, it has been Robles.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_02]: And it has been...

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_02]: And it has been Polanco.

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_02]: And then a Rosarena when they trade for him that are getting most of the attention right now.

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know what?

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Those guys are a blast.

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And they deserve every bit of attention they've gotten.

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't sleep on Cal Raleigh.

[00:15:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't sleep on that man.

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_02]: He, out of all those guys,

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_02]: he's been on top of them all when it comes to offensive production and the stretch.

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_03]: So there's two buckets to this conversation.

[00:15:59] [SPEAKER_03]: There's the individuals now taking a step forward in the last month.

[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And there's the numbers that the team itself has put together.

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_03]: But since we're on the topic of the individuals, yeah.

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_03]: So you talked about Robles.

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to spend more time on him later.

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_03]: You talked about Cal.

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_03]: There's some other guys that have really stepped up in this offense, too.

[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_03]: You talked about Polanco.

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_03]: But just to give some context.

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_03]: So Julio and Randy over the stretch have not played 10 games in a Mariner uniform.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_03]: In a uniform.

[00:16:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Either of them.

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, Randy's played 7 games.

[00:16:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Julio on the stretch has played 9 because he's been on the IL.

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_03]: When those guys have been in, though, they've been great.

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, their WRC pluses are way, way over 150.

[00:16:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Julio's is in, like, the 250s range.

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_03]: But again, he's played about 9 games.

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Randy's played 7.

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Point being, when those guys have been in the lineup, they've been very good.

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_03]: But it gets better.

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_03]: So if you want to add context to some of these numbers with Cal, not only has he dropped his strikeout rate.

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But since July 9th up until August 4th, 953 OPS, 163 WRC plus, A-bombs.

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Victor Robles.

[00:16:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Just a quick little highlight here of him before we dive in later.

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_03]: 914 OPS, 164 WRC plus.

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_03]: He is striking out 14% of the time in that stretch.

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Polanco, 877 OPS, 147 WRC plus.

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Also striking out less, 22%.

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_03]: And one final name, a guy who's really caught some strays from Mariners fans over the last month and a half, two months.

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_03]: But is all of a sudden starting to turn his season around?

[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Mitch Hanager.

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Mitch Hanager since July the 9th.

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_03]: 872 OPS, 154 WRC plus.

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_03]: He is walking 19% of the time over the last month.

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER_03]: So you look at those guys.

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You can talk about Julio and Randy in a small sample.

[00:17:46] [SPEAKER_03]: But those two, Robles, Cal, Hanager, Polanco.

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Even if you want to throw Dylan Moore into this.

[00:17:53] [SPEAKER_03]: He hasn't been some star, but he's got a 107 WRC plus in the stretch.

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_03]: He's been an above average bat.

[00:17:58] [SPEAKER_03]: That is the majority of the lineup that has all come together and done a total 180 on what this season has been for the offense.

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_02]: So I guess all you need to do is tell a player he's going to get cut and he'll turn a season around.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, there you go.

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_02]: You named three instances.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Robles, Polanco, and Mitch Hanager.

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_03]: And like if you want to throw Justin Turner into this group of guys too, you can.

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_03]: It's the same thing as Julio and Randy where he's only played a couple games in a Mariners uniform.

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_03]: But if you want to take a four game sample, 119 WRC plus again, super, super small sample, but he has hit in his first few games here.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_03]: So that is like how many guys that we just list off Turner included three, four, five, six, seven, eight guys who have all been above average hitters or way better than above average in the last month over this stretch.

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_03]: So this is what's turned the offense around.

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to say it again.

[00:18:53] [SPEAKER_02]: It is almost like when players play like they're supposed to, the offense works.

[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Almost like that's how it's supposed to work.

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER_02]: When you build a roster, you anticipate the players playing well.

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_02]: If you do build a roster and you anticipate your players not playing well, then I respect that that actually seems more difficult than doing the previous thing I just mentioned.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_02]: So credit to you on that.

[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_02]: But think of it in this context of the fact of thinking about how it was last year and the two guys entering this season that the Mariners are going to rely upon for most of their offense or the most, the biggest percentage of their offense from those two positions was going to be Julio Rodriguez and JP Crawford again.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Because they were the two best hitters on your roster last year, and you anticipated in a best case scenario they would also again be the two best hitters on this current roster as well.

[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Hasn't been the case this year.

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Julio has played nine games in X amount of at-bats of the totality of this stretch, which has turned the Mariners' offense around.

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_02]: He's been just such a small, tiny piece, and instead it has been everybody else, all the complimentary pieces that we've just been begging for to give support to Julio and to JP as well.

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And they've instead been the ones that have sort of picked everyone else up.

[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_02]: In case you're curious over that stretch, by the way, JP is a WRC Plus before he got hurt in that stretch in like the 70s.

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_02]: So he wasn't contributing to that.

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_02]: It's been the other guys.

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes.

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_03]: No, and you need more from Josh Rojas.

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_03]: You need more from Luke Raley right now.

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_03]: You need more from Mitch Garber.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Those are the guys that have still not exactly come around yet offensively.

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_03]: But again, when you list off eight guys that are all of a sudden doing what they're supposed to be doing, that is a real sizable piece of your offense.

[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_03]: I know people were not happy in May and June, and neither were we.

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_03]: It was a brutal offense to try and watch.

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But that was a collective group that was all at the same time having near career-worst seasons.

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Now when we're finally starting to see these guys come out of it and do what they're supposed to be doing, with the addition of somebody like Victor Robles being such a welcome surprise, the Mariners offense can do this.

[00:21:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Are they the best offense in baseball?

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_03]: No.

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Are they ever going to be the best offense in baseball this year in 2024?

[00:21:12] [SPEAKER_03]: No.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_03]: No.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_03]: But they don't have to be.

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_03]: If they can do some form of this the rest of the way, it can work in the playoffs.

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_03]: What did I say?

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_03]: From August 1st and on, like post-trade deadline, be the 12th best offense.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Be somewhere in the top 12, 14.

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And it can work.

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Think of how much better you have to get at not striking out to drop your strikeout rate by nearly 2% in a month.

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_02]: On July 9th, I'm pretty sure their strikeout rate was almost 30 as a team.

[00:21:43] [SPEAKER_02]: It's 27.5% now as a team for the season.

[00:21:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Not over the stretch.

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_02]: For the season, it is now 27.5%.

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Now, that is still overall a very high mark.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_02]: But the fact that you were able to drop it 2% over that stretch is truly remarkable.

[00:22:01] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to just say I didn't see that.

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't see that.

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I thought they were going to keep striking out.

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Even if they were going to score runs, they were going to still strike out a ton.

[00:22:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Because that's what this team is.

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_02]: But over the stretch, it's a 24.8% strikeout rate.

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Still high.

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Still one of the highest marks in big league history.

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_02]: But it's certainly better than almost 30%.

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_02]: That's a lot more balls in play.

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_02]: It's an option to move a runner over.

[00:22:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Hit them in on a sack fly.

[00:22:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Do something besides getting immediate out.

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And hey, maybe even luck into a base hit or something.

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_02]: It's remarkable.

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Their mark since July 9th ranks 9th.

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not great.

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_03]: It's also not first.

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You're not in the top five.

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a pretty massive improvement from where they've been a lot of the year.

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Because now you have guys that are not going to strike out left and right all the time.

[00:22:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Victor Robles doesn't strike out that much.

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Jorge Polanco has cut his strikeout rate down.

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Justin Turner doesn't strike out much.

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_03]: This helps.

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, there are guys in the lineup that will still strike out.

[00:23:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Cal is still going to strike out a bit.

[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Julio is still going to strike out a bit.

[00:23:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, not in this stretch.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_03]: But I don't...

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Do you think Cal Raleigh is going to be a 20% strikeout guy the rest of his career?

[00:23:14] [SPEAKER_02]: No, no, no, no.

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_02]: But I will say what does contribute is with the emergence of Victor Robles...

[00:23:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Again, we will get to him here in a second.

[00:23:22] [SPEAKER_02]: With Robles playing as well as he is, Luke Raley is not playing every day now.

[00:23:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Raley is a 30% strikeout rate.

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Dom's hurt.

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Hasn't played a lot.

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_02]: This year he's been a 30% strikeout rate.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_02]: So, if you have a 14% strikeout rate guy playing in the outfield over to 30% strikeout rate guys on that position alone instead, then that helps.

[00:23:45] [SPEAKER_02]: And then there's the Jorge Polanco note we pointed out last week where he dropped his strikeout rate over this stretch from 30% to 21%.

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_02]: So, what is that?

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_02]: It's like almost three positions you're dropping from 30s into at least...

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Like, the ceiling is 20.

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_02]: If not lower.

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Mm-hmm.

[00:24:04] [SPEAKER_03]: That's great.

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a huge, huge step forward.

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_03]: They're not going to be the lowest strikeout team in baseball.

[00:24:12] [SPEAKER_03]: That's just not how this team's built.

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_03]: But again, if they don't lead the league the rest of the year, if they're around the number nine mark, I think everybody will take that at this point.

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Because it's such a step forward from where it was once upon a time.

[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Such a step forward.

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, if you want to look at what they've done as a team now, because we're talking about where their strikeout rate ranks in this stretch since July 9th.

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_03]: But there's some other things they've done well, too.

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_03]: First off, and this is actually pretty alarming, they're not getting lucky.

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_03]: This isn't luck, what they're doing in the last month.

[00:24:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Their BABIP as a team is 24th in baseball right now.

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_03]: It's 274.

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_03]: So what that says is, not only are they not a product of good luck, they could actually get more luck as time goes on.

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_03]: This is them actually turning this thing around in a very real way.

[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's not because they've hit the most homers.

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_02]: They haven't.

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I think they're 8th in homers over that stretch.

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_02]: It's 30.

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_03]: So, over this stretch, they are top 10 and toward the bottom half of the top 10 in home runs.

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Also in offensive F4, in WOBA, in on base, in walk rate over that stretch.

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_02]: But remember, in reference to BABIP, homers are never in play.

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_02]: So that doesn't help your BABIP battle.

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_02]: That's 30 hits that don't count.

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_02]: So you could say, well, if you're first in homers but your BABIP is low, it's like, well, because you're scoring all of your runs on homers.

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, the Mariners are hitting a decent amount of home runs, but not the most.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER_02]: It's not their primary source is the wrong word because they still do score a lot of their runs on home runs, but not more than others.

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_03]: For sure.

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's a good sign.

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what this offense was built to do.

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_03]: To not be a three-outcome offense or a two-outcome offense, strikeout, home run.

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Find other ways to score runs.

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_03]: They're doing that now.

[00:26:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, and they're first in walk rate now.

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_03]: So.

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Or sorry, second in walk rate.

[00:26:09] [SPEAKER_03]: That is one thing that this team has done all year that maybe isn't appreciated enough, but we're highlighting here.

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_03]: They do walk a lot.

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_03]: This team walks a lot.

[00:26:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Jorge Polanco, for as much as he struggled this year, walks a lot.

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Mitch Hanegar, the last month, is walking 19% of the time.

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_03]: There are guys that do draw their walks.

[00:26:28] [SPEAKER_02]: But it was offset by all the strikeouts.

[00:26:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:26:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Like, they were walking a decent amount earlier, but not enough to offset the strikeout rate.

[00:26:37] [SPEAKER_02]: But now that the strikeout rate is heading down and the walk rate is ticked up in the same stretch, it shows it a lot better.

[00:26:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Just remember, guys, in 2022, when the Mariners made the playoffs and they had a top 10 offense by WRC+, a big chunk of that offense was the fact that they drew walks almost better than everyone in baseball.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think they were first.

[00:26:57] [SPEAKER_02]: They were top three, I think, in 2022 in terms of walk rate.

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_02]: It was good.

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_02]: And this offense is right in that same boat now when it comes to walking and reaching base.

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_02]: And they need it to offset the fact that hits-wise and batting average-wise, they don't get on base enough that way and they have to make up for it by getting on base via a walk.

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Because their on-base percentage, Lyle, is still not great overall for the season.

[00:27:23] [SPEAKER_02]: It's 3-0-2.

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_02]: And that's not a great on-base percentage.

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_02]: But if you want to look at the sample, since July 9th, it's 3-19, which is better.

[00:27:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Still not great, but it is better.

[00:27:36] [SPEAKER_03]: It's in the top 10 since the stretch started.

[00:27:39] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not bad.

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Better.

[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Again, better.

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And better is all we can ask for.

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Again, they are not going to be the Orioles offensively.

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_03]: They're just not.

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_03]: But they can be a league average offense or even slightly above.

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Last year's offense, for as many problems as that offense had, was 9th by WRC+, I believe, at the end of the year.

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_03]: The Mariners can be in that range.

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER_03]: I still believe when everybody's at their best.

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's still not even happening right now because Rayleigh needs to get hot again.

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Garver could still turn some things around.

[00:28:14] [SPEAKER_03]: When everybody's at their best, I still believe this is a better offense than last year's offense.

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_03]: But now we're starting to see a little bit of the turn here of what this team was supposed to be offensively.

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Last point from me.

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Over this same stretch, the Mariners pitching staff is an area of 3-1-8.

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_02]: If you play enough games with this combination, you should feel pretty good about winning 58-60% of your games.

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Which, in case you're curious, is a slam dunk playoff spot.

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Play enough games, sustain this for two more months, and you will make the playoffs.

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_02]: I promise you.

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_02]: I guarantee it.

[00:28:48] [SPEAKER_02]: If you do this.

[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Look at me.

[00:28:50] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm making a guarantee right now.

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_02]: If you keep this up offensively and your pitching staff doesn't collapse, you will make the playoffs.

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Correct.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_02]: The numbers are so much in your favor that it would take a monumental fuck-up to not.

[00:29:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Look at what happened with Bryce Miller on Saturday.

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_03]: The Mariners, once in a blue moon, will have a starter that doesn't put together a great outing.

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Bryce Miller didn't have his best outing on Saturday.

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_03]: The offense picked him up, stormed back from a five-run deficit, and won the game in extra innings.

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Two weeks ago, would you have said this offense has any chance if they even got down 2-0?

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_02]: No.

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And definitely not if they have to face Estevez for two innings at the end of the game.

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_03]: But this offense, the offense right now, they did.

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_03]: They did mount the comeback.

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_03]: They did win that game.

[00:29:42] [SPEAKER_03]: They took the series.

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Because now they're starting to play a lot better.

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And the key here, like you said, please keep it up.

[00:29:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't let this be a one-and-done thing.

[00:29:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't let this just be one good stretch.

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Keep it up the rest of the year.

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And there's reason to believe that they will with, again, the acquisitions they made, guys starting to play well.

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_03]: You're going to get Julio back.

[00:30:01] [SPEAKER_03]: We expect in the next few days here.

[00:30:03] [SPEAKER_03]: It's kind of unclear still, but we expect at some point in the next few days.

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's going to help a lot.

[00:30:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:30:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Let's hope so.

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_02]: And most importantly, I think it'll be this dude we talk about next.

[00:30:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Mm-hmm.

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Before we get to him, let's take a pause here.

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to talk to you guys about our friends at Pagotch's Pub 85.

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Mariners are getting hot.

[00:30:20] [SPEAKER_03]: They're drawing interest.

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm guessing a lot of people are feeling better about them these days like we are.

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And if you want to get out and watch some games, head over there.

[00:30:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Make it a night out with your friends.

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Watch the Mariners.

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Go over and get some great food.

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_03]: You can get over for happy hour and get some awesome drinks.

[00:30:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Get there early.

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Those happy hours are 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

[00:30:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Drinks are $3 and $4.

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Those are pretty good happy hour deals.

[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_03]: In fact, I'd even say they're really good happy hour deals.

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So you want to go do that and have a good time with your friends.

[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Watch some sporting events.

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Head over to Pagotch's Pub 85 in Kirkland.

[00:30:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Storyline number two.

[00:30:52] [SPEAKER_03]: We have delayed this for so long because there's been so many other things to talk about.

[00:30:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Trade deadline, draft, All-Star Week, etc.

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_03]: It is time to sit down and at length for a full segment talk about Victor Robles.

[00:31:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Why?

[00:31:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Because he's earned it.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And he is arguably the coolest story in baseball right now.

[00:31:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Can you tell me where the Mariners would be without Victor Robles right now?

[00:31:17] [SPEAKER_02]: The injuries in the outfield and some of the ineffectiveness in the other spots.

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Could you tell me?

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say lost in no man's land right now.

[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm serious.

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Like just so let's think about this.

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_02]: So Julio's been out since the beginning of this month.

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Robles has been forced to play center field for him.

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_02]: For Robles is not a Seattle Mariner right now.

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_02]: It's Luke Raley playing center field.

[00:31:37] [SPEAKER_02]: And Raley, I will say, hit a just tank on Friday.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_02]: I still can't believe where he hit that baseball.

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_02]: 458 feet.

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_02]: But even with that tank, he has a 63 WRC plus since July 1st with a 32% strikeout rate.

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And who knows what those numbers would be if he had to play every single day against both lefties and righties over that stretch.

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Dom Canzone would have A been hurt.

[00:32:01] [SPEAKER_02]: B been he's been over the stretch since June.

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_02]: June 1st.

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_02]: League average hitter.

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_02]: He's stuck in the corners.

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_02]: And he's also striking out 30% of the time.

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Like this is where you're trying to get some offensive production from your outfield.

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_02]: You would essentially need to be banking on Randy.

[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_02]: On trading for Randy.

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_02]: That would be the only option you would have.

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And imagine where the team would have been at before they traded for Randy without Robles.

[00:32:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Your outfield in that case is what?

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER_03]: With Julio out, it would be in Canzone out.

[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_03]: It's Raley, Hanager, Cade Marlowe, I guess, or Jason Vossler.

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Like every day.

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER_02]: And Victor Robles instead has inserted himself in and been a top 20 hitter in baseball since he signed in Seattle.

[00:32:53] [SPEAKER_02]: So crazy.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Incredible.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you know what?

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Let's throw this back.

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Because I forgot about this.

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you remember his first at bat and his first defensive play in the outfield?

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you remember?

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_03]: I've got it written down.

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I was going to say, do you remember his first game as a Mariner in Oakland where he dropped that routine play in left field?

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER_03]: First game.

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think all of us were like, I don't think he's going to last here very long.

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_03]: This feels like it's going to be a short term thing.

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And when things get itself worked out, he's probably going to be gone.

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Think about how far we've come since then.

[00:33:28] [SPEAKER_02]: The night before he ended the game, grounding into a double play.

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:33] [SPEAKER_02]: So first at bat, double play.

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And then he dropped the ball.

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I think when we're talking about the fan base suggesting guys get cut, that was Victor Robles' suggesting he gets cut moment.

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_02]: From this fan base.

[00:33:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Not even the one he actually got cut from.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_02]: This one.

[00:33:50] [SPEAKER_02]: And what has he done since then?

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Top 20 hitter in baseball.

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_02]: I just want to give you some context on what kind of hitter Victor Robles was in Washington before he came over to Seattle.

[00:34:04] [SPEAKER_02]: So last year, he had made some mechanical changes in 2023, which had given his profile a little bit more of what we currently see with the lower strikeout rate.

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_02]: But he's battling injuries last year and really struggled, so he didn't get a whole lot of run last year.

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Never really got into rhythm to see what that would be like.

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_02]: But the three years before that, before he made some mechanical changes to his swing, when he was still really trying to figure it out,

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_02]: the highest slugging percentage he had in his season was 315.

[00:34:36] [SPEAKER_02]: He is currently slugging with the Mariners.

[00:34:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, for the season, sorry.

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_02]: He's currently slugging 432 with the Mariners.

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_02]: He's slugging 523.

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_02]: We're talking about a guy who's not that far removed from being a guy who was a soft-hitting, low-contact, fading defensive outfielder.

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_02]: He used to be known for his defense in Washington, but age and injuries had kind of sapped that away from him.

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I think he's played well in center field in Seattle.

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_02]: He's not what he was tabbed to be as a prospect, but he's been fine.

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_02]: But just to think of the turnaround this dude has had in Seattle, it is something that happens once every five years, maybe.

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER_02]: It is remarkable.

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_03]: It never happens here.

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_03]: It never happens in Seattle.

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_02]: It's certainly not here.

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Especially, well, because the Mariners can't teach hitting.

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, I forgot.

[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_03]: They never.

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, no.

[00:35:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, Mariners Twitter said so.

[00:35:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Therefore, it's a fact.

[00:35:44] [SPEAKER_03]: So, it's so crazy.

[00:35:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, to put that all into context, his career OPS in Washington was 667.

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_03]: That wasn't the top five prospect he was heralded to be.

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_03]: It's still so crazy to look back at that list.

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_03]: When he was a top five prospect, the guys that were ahead of him, Vladdy, Tatis, Eloy Jimenez, Royce Lewis was number five.

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_03]: He was ahead of, Victor Robles was number four at this point.

[00:36:10] [SPEAKER_03]: He was ahead of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Austin Riley, Luis Robert, certainly Juan Soto.

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_03]: We talked about this in our social post that we did about him.

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Before you go here, I was going to say,

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_03]: when Nationals fans were waiting on their heels for all these prospects to get up to the big leagues,

[00:36:27] [SPEAKER_03]: the guy they were waiting for was not Juan Soto.

[00:36:30] [SPEAKER_03]: No, people were interested in him.

[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_03]: They were excited about him.

[00:36:33] [SPEAKER_03]: He was still a top 100 guy.

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_03]: But Victor Robles was tabbed to be the savior.

[00:36:37] [SPEAKER_03]: He was supposed to be Juan Soto.

[00:36:39] [SPEAKER_03]: He was supposed to be the guy offered 400 million bucks.

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_03]: But, like, that's how highly he was tabbed as a prospect.

[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_02]: I was going to add Rafi Devers.

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_02]: He was also a Rafi.

[00:36:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Another one.

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_03]: That's pretty good.

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And now, over these 36 games that he's played in Seattle,

[00:36:58] [SPEAKER_03]: has it taken him a long time since he got called up?

[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes.

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_03]: In this stretch, he looks like the top five prospect he was once tabbed to be.

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what he looks like.

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_03]: He's only 27.

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_02]: It's not like he's old.

[00:37:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Sometimes guys do take a while to figure it out.

[00:37:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Think of one example.

[00:37:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Brent Rooker was never the prospect that Victor Robles was,

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_02]: but it took until, I think, a year later.

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_02]: It was until Brent Rooker was 28 to really break out offensively.

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_02]: And now at age 29 this season, he's been one of the 15 best hitters in baseball in totality.

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Not saying Victor Robles is going to be one of the 15 best hitters in baseball, period.

[00:37:36] [SPEAKER_02]: But there's some sustainable things to what he's doing.

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_02]: So here are a couple things that he's doing.

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_02]: If you're not familiar with some of the changes Victor Robles has made over the course of his career,

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_02]: and now more specifically in Seattle.

[00:37:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Let me highlight a few of those things.

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Let's start with his batting stance.

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_02]: So he has now become a little bit wider at the plate, right?

[00:37:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Watch the breakdown on this.

[00:38:00] [SPEAKER_02]: He widens his feet a little bit more.

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_02]: That's what he started to do last year.

[00:38:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And it helped him not strike out as much.

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_02]: But he was still struggling to get on time and hit pitches because he still had a leg kick in his swing.

[00:38:14] [SPEAKER_02]: So he comes to Seattle.

[00:38:16] [SPEAKER_02]: And yes, the same franchise that allegedly cannot teach any hitting.

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Everyone comes here and immediately sucks because the Mariners tell them to suck on purpose.

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Not.

[00:38:24] [SPEAKER_02]: But maybe.

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_02]: But depends who you ask.

[00:38:27] [SPEAKER_03]: You ask the Baines of Mariners Twitter.

[00:38:30] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what they'll tell you.

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, yes.

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_02]: So Jarrett DeHart is what from what it sounded like.

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Jarrett DeHart, Tommy Joseph.

[00:38:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Analysts.

[00:38:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Whoever sat down with Robles and sort of analyzed how do they get the best out of his swing.

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, what they did is they essentially eliminated that leg kick from his stance.

[00:38:48] [SPEAKER_02]: So he essentially just sort of rotates the ball of his foot now to load himself.

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's helped him get on time.

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_02]: And as you can tell, man, he's hitting the ball two and a half miles harder on average as a Mariner than he did as a National.

[00:39:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Two and a half miles an hour.

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Now, he was first percentile as a National.

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And he's still not going to hit the ball like John Carlos Stanton.

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_02]: But that's a pretty significant increase when we're talking about how, like, what kind of percentage increase a person can take in terms of their offensive output.

[00:39:24] [SPEAKER_02]: But that's about as big as it gets.

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_02]: And I have one last thing to point out here before I'll let you speak.

[00:39:29] [SPEAKER_02]: So not only is his hard hit rate jumped in Seattle.

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_02]: In Washington, it was 17%.

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_02]: In Seattle, it's 36%.

[00:39:38] [SPEAKER_02]: A 19% increase.

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Mike Petriello at MLB.com does a fantastic job breaking down especially StatCast stats and explaining them so less smart people like myself can understand them.

[00:39:53] [SPEAKER_02]: But with the Nationals, when looking at bat speed itself and something what this stance allows Victor Robles to do now that he's on time a little bit more,

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_02]: the percentage of swings over 70 miles an hour with the Nats was only 30%.

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_02]: With the Mariners, it's 44%.

[00:40:11] [SPEAKER_02]: So not only is he making more contact, but being on time is allowing him to swing a little bit harder

[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_02]: and get a little bit more out of, you know, his rotation into the zone and hitting the baseball.

[00:40:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And the results are pretty evident.

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_02]: As that leadoff home run he hit on Friday, we're walking around the concourse in left field.

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_02]: You hear the crack of the bat.

[00:40:32] [SPEAKER_02]: You look towards home plate and all you see is Victor Robles jumping up and down.

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Like he won the World Series?

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_03]: No, he was fired up after that home run.

[00:40:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Like he hit it.

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_03]: He turns immediately toward the first base dugout.

[00:40:47] [SPEAKER_03]: He's pumping his fists.

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_03]: He seems to really like it here.

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And we can get to that in a minute too.

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_03]: But to your point and to piggyback, you know what him being on time and changing his stance has done?

[00:40:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Now he hits fastballs.

[00:41:00] [SPEAKER_03]: That seems to be the whole difference in his results offensively taking a massive jump forward.

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Like changing the stance, changing some of his mechanics is the proper blueprint to follow and the steps to take.

[00:41:12] [SPEAKER_03]: But the results, now he's squaring fastballs up.

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Look at these numbers, what Victor Robles has done in his career against fastballs.

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm just going to go through a couple of years.

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_03]: 2019, he hit .229 against four seamers.

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_03]: He slugged .318, run value negative eight.

[00:41:27] [SPEAKER_03]: 2020, he slugged .254, run value negative seven.

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_03]: 2021, he hit .221.

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_03]: His run value was negative six.

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_03]: 2022, he slugged .297, run value was negative four.

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_03]: That's four years in a row where the dude just could not get around on a fastball.

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_03]: They were eating him up.

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_03]: He just was having struggles with it all the time.

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's a big reason he wasn't putting up offensive output.

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_03]: You mentioned .23, started to figure some things out a little bit, didn't really get enough runs.

[00:41:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Sample size wasn't big.

[00:42:00] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's true.

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_03]: You started to see it come to fruition a little bit more in .23, but not to a great level.

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Now here in 2024, Victor Robles against four seam fastballs is hitting .378.

[00:42:13] [SPEAKER_03]: He is slugging .649.

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_03]: And his run value against four seamers in these games that he's played this year,

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_03]: .35 with Seattle, handful with the Nationals, it's four.

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_03]: It's four.

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_03]: He is crushing fastballs.

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know what's crazy?

[00:42:29] [SPEAKER_03]: The expected numbers say he should be even better than that.

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_03]: His expected slug, .774 against fastballs.

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Again, his slug against fastballs is .649.

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Expected, .774.

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Victor Robles now hits fastballs, and as a result, he's a good hitter.

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_02]: And he's the best hitter at not striking out in the lineup.

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And he's your leadoff hitter.

[00:42:53] [SPEAKER_02]: And we had this discussion last week on the mailbag.

[00:42:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Who hits leadoff when JP comes back?

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_02]: I said JP stays up there.

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Robles making a case.

[00:43:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know how you can move Robles out of this spot at this point if he keeps hitting like this.

[00:43:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I just don't.

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_03]: He needs the bats.

[00:43:09] [SPEAKER_03]: You need that guy hitting a lot.

[00:43:11] [SPEAKER_02]: You need him to be one of your best bats down this stretch.

[00:43:15] [SPEAKER_02]: That's crazy to say.

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_02]: But you do.

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_02]: He brings so many tools.

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Even though he doesn't have the elite speed anymore, it's still good enough.

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_02]: He's still a good athlete, and he's a really good base runner.

[00:43:25] [SPEAKER_02]: He is a really good base runner.

[00:43:27] [SPEAKER_02]: So, you've got to find every way possible to let Victor Robles make an impact on your roster, even when Julio gets back.

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Him, Randy, Julio should be playing every single day in the outfield.

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Every single day.

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_02]: No, I don't.

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Love to the other guys.

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't care about platoons.

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't care one bit.

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Every single day, those guys should be playing.

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Because they've shown, like, Randy's proven.

[00:43:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Julio's proven.

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And Robles, like, he's showing you all the right things you need to see for a sustainable offensive profile.

[00:44:01] [SPEAKER_02]: The BABIP is a little high.

[00:44:03] [SPEAKER_02]: So, it could come down a little bit.

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER_02]: But Victor Robles probably isn't a 170 WRC plus guy for the rest of his career.

[00:44:10] [SPEAKER_02]: No.

[00:44:10] [SPEAKER_02]: If he was, he'd be in the Hall of Fame.

[00:44:12] [SPEAKER_02]: But I don't think Victor Robles is going to the Hall of Fame.

[00:44:17] [SPEAKER_02]: So, even if it goes from a 170 to a 120, okay.

[00:44:23] [SPEAKER_02]: That's fine.

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Still someone who should be playing every day with the base running he has and his probably now serviceable corner outfield defense.

[00:44:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Not only should he be playing every day, but if you're a 120 WRC plus hitter, especially in this lineup, yeah.

[00:44:37] [SPEAKER_03]: You should stay in the leadoff spot.

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_03]: You go Robles one.

[00:44:40] [SPEAKER_03]: You go Julio two.

[00:44:41] [SPEAKER_03]: You go Randy three.

[00:44:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Cal can hit four.

[00:44:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Rest can go from there.

[00:44:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You figure it out.

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Turner.

[00:44:47] [SPEAKER_03]: You go Polanco.

[00:44:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Whatever.

[00:44:48] [SPEAKER_03]: The top three should be those three outfielders.

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, unless something drastic changes with Robles, I think you have to keep it like that.

[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_03]: I just, yeah.

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't get over it.

[00:44:58] [SPEAKER_03]: But it's so true that sometimes guys, even the top heralded prospects, take a lot of time to figure things out.

[00:45:06] [SPEAKER_03]: At 27 years old, Victor Robles has figured it out.

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_03]: It is as simple as he is on time and demolishing fastballs, and now he is really swinging the bat.

[00:45:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so then in two years, which team is Jared Kelnick doing this with?

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Probably the Braves, to be honest.

[00:45:24] [SPEAKER_03]: It would be such a Braves thing, still, to have him do this.

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_02]: In two years?

[00:45:29] [SPEAKER_02]: So, okay, but if he's following the Robles path, he'd be pretty bad next year.

[00:45:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Hmm.

[00:45:35] [SPEAKER_02]: So.

[00:45:36] [SPEAKER_03]: So if the Braves keep him, the Braves.

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:45:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Otherwise, I don't know, you want me to predict where he goes next?

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Do the Mets take another flyer on him?

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_03]: He goes back to Queen?

[00:45:45] [SPEAKER_01]: That would be funny.

[00:45:47] [SPEAKER_01]: That would be funny.

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_01]: That would be pretty funny.

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_01]: That would.

[00:45:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I think Frank would be okay with that.

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I'd be happy for him.

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_02]: But sometimes you do need a fresh start.

[00:45:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Reading some of these quotes from Victor Robles, he said it was like this enormous weight got lifted off his shoulders when he left Washington.

[00:46:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Like, the pressure's no longer on him.

[00:46:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Because as long as he was in Washington, it's, I'm in the, I was in the shadow of Bryce Harper.

[00:46:11] [SPEAKER_02]: However, I had Juan Soto coming up behind me, bursting onto the scene and turning into Ted Williams as a teenager while I'm struggling to figure things out.

[00:46:21] [SPEAKER_02]: No longer is that pressure case.

[00:46:24] [SPEAKER_02]: He's playing with house money in Seattle and seems like he's just having a lot more fun doing it.

[00:46:28] [SPEAKER_02]: He's smiling.

[00:46:29] [SPEAKER_02]: He's laughing.

[00:46:30] [SPEAKER_02]: He's eccentric.

[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_02]: And overall, he makes this team so much better.

[00:46:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And I really don't know where they'd be without him.

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_03]: How about those quotes after the game Sunday?

[00:46:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, you can't predict exactly what's going to happen in free agency.

[00:46:42] [SPEAKER_03]: We also need to see what he's going to do the rest of the year to see what type of money he could really get this winter.

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_03]: But the fact that he says, I really like it here and I want to be here.

[00:46:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, he didn't shy away from that.

[00:46:54] [SPEAKER_03]: He said that.

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I hope to be here for a long time.

[00:46:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Let me clean out my ear and make sure I heard that correctly.

[00:47:00] [SPEAKER_02]: So that was it.

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_02]: That's a major league hitter telling Seattle, I want to be here.

[00:47:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Just making sure I heard you right.

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_03]: You heard me right.

[00:47:08] [SPEAKER_03]: He wants to stay a Seattle Mariner, which is awesome.

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_03]: And again, I don't know what type of money he's going to get.

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER_03]: But if it's a reasonable contract, I would keep him if I were the Mariners.

[00:47:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Even if you sign him to, let's say it's a, I've thrown out the demo type contract for him, right?

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Where I could, I say you get three years, 9 million bucks.

[00:47:26] [SPEAKER_03]: If he really fizzles out and you had to move on from him, it's not that much money to eat.

[00:47:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Even now, if he keeps this up, if the Mariners offered him three years for $15 million, five a year.

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_03]: One, that's life-changing money for Victor Robles, no matter what.

[00:47:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Two, that gives him some security for the first time in his career.

[00:47:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And three, he'd stay in the place where he's talking about he wants to stay.

[00:47:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, we'll see what type of money he actually could demand on the market this winter.

[00:47:50] [SPEAKER_03]: But, man, like, that would make a lot of sense for the Mariners, I gotta say.

[00:47:55] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if they go all the way for a three-year deal over that amount.

[00:48:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Over, say, let's say over $10 million.

[00:48:02] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if they do three for that amount.

[00:48:04] [SPEAKER_02]: But, a one to two-year deal makes a ton of sense.

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Or a one with a team option.

[00:48:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Like a revesting option.

[00:48:13] [SPEAKER_03]: He just might want some security.

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_02]: Who knows?

[00:48:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:48:16] [SPEAKER_02]: He might.

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_02]: And if he keeps playing like this, he will get security somewhere.

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Someone would want him.

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, here's the other thing.

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_02]: But I hope it's Seattle.

[00:48:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I do, too.

[00:48:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, and here's the other thing.

[00:48:24] [SPEAKER_03]: If the Mariners get into the playoffs and Robles continues this hot streak into the postseason

[00:48:28] [SPEAKER_03]: and he just goes on a tear, then I think a lot of other teams are gonna be calling about him.

[00:48:32] [SPEAKER_03]: That's just how it is.

[00:48:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you gotta make room in the budget for him then.

[00:48:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:48:38] [SPEAKER_02]: That's what we've talked about.

[00:48:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, for sure.

[00:48:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And, again, we'll see what his price tag is at the end of the year.

[00:48:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You know what's crazy, though?

[00:48:45] [SPEAKER_03]: To your point about how often do you hear a hitter say he wants to stay in Seattle?

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Listen to these home road splits he has.

[00:48:53] [SPEAKER_03]: They're actually pretty crazy and not in the way you'd think.

[00:48:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Victor Robles on the road has a 678 OPS this year.

[00:49:01] [SPEAKER_03]: At home, it's 1007.

[00:49:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, so if that tells you anything, that tells you that this is real.

[00:49:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Because guess what?

[00:49:11] [SPEAKER_03]: If you can hit in Seattle, you can hit anywhere.

[00:49:14] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not like Teoscar Hernandez where he was not hitting in Seattle and he was going off on the road.

[00:49:19] [SPEAKER_03]: No, in the toughest park to hit in baseball, Victor Robles has an OPS over 1,000.

[00:49:23] [SPEAKER_03]: So that tells you what it should need to tell you.

[00:49:26] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think when the Mariners eventually find their next hitting coach, whenever that is, there are two names on the docket.

[00:49:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Victor Robles and Brent Rooker.

[00:49:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:49:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure.

[00:49:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, why Rooker?

[00:49:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, he said he loves hitting in the park.

[00:49:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Ah, like in terms of who to sign.

[00:49:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, great.

[00:49:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, yeah.

[00:49:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Coach, hitter.

[00:49:50] [SPEAKER_02]: He could be a player coach.

[00:49:51] [SPEAKER_02]: That's fine.

[00:49:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, you mean when these guys eventually retire as like an actual hitting coach?

[00:49:58] [SPEAKER_03]: All right, sure.

[00:49:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:50:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure.

[00:50:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I hope if this keeps up, I hope they find a way to keep Robles long term.

[00:50:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Again, like they're not going to pay him 15, 20 million dollars a year or anything like that.

[00:50:09] [SPEAKER_03]: But if it can work out with both sides, I hope they find a way to make that happen because that'd be pretty cool.

[00:50:14] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think so, too.

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_02]: And I assume they'll find a way to make this work.

[00:50:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And just hope he finds a way to sustain it.

[00:50:21] [SPEAKER_02]: I hope the Babbitt balloon isn't too sharp of a decline.

[00:50:26] [SPEAKER_02]: If he goes back down to a 300, what does that look like on his numbers?

[00:50:31] [SPEAKER_02]: I think we'll have to find out.

[00:50:33] [SPEAKER_02]: I think one last thing here on this episode before we wrap it up.

[00:50:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Just want to acknowledge the fact that we've been talking about this for a little bit and it's finally happened.

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Cole Emerson's going to Everett.

[00:50:43] [SPEAKER_02]: He's finally made it.

[00:50:44] [SPEAKER_02]: He's finally earned that promotion in 40 games.

[00:50:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Everett's 440 on base.

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_02]: No PS over 860.

[00:50:54] [SPEAKER_02]: He's now heading to Everett to finish out the season.

[00:50:55] [SPEAKER_02]: That is exciting.

[00:50:56] [SPEAKER_02]: And that's exciting for all of you living in the Seattle area.

[00:50:59] [SPEAKER_02]: And you want to go see the best prospect in this system?

[00:51:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, he's going to be in Everett.

[00:51:03] [SPEAKER_02]: So you should probably go out and see him.

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And Lyle.

[00:51:06] [SPEAKER_02]: There's only two more home stands left.

[00:51:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:51:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Everett does not have a lot of home games left.

[00:51:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Crazy enough.

[00:51:12] [SPEAKER_03]: And they're not going to make the playoffs barring some crazy unforeseen winning streak here in the second half.

[00:51:17] [SPEAKER_03]: So they'll be home next week starting the 12th, I believe, against Tri-Cities.

[00:51:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And then they're home the first week of September against Spokane for their last, not just home games of the season, last games of the season.

[00:51:31] [SPEAKER_03]: So you're going to have 12 opportunities to go see Colt Emerson.

[00:51:36] [SPEAKER_03]: You should go take advantage.

[00:51:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll probably want to go take advantage at some point.

[00:51:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And for anybody that's out there that wants to get pictures or is an autograph person, I'm probably speaking the obvious here.

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But it is so much easier to get those autographs at a minor league game, especially in Everett, than it is at a major league game or even some other places.

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Guys are pretty accessible.

[00:52:00] [SPEAKER_03]: So if you want to get out and see a guy who may be a cornerstone of this offense long term in Colt Emerson, get out and see him while he's in Everett because it's going to be pretty cool.

[00:52:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And this might be your last chance to see him in the state of Washington before he is a Mariner.

[00:52:15] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say odds are at this point if his trajectory stays the same, he's not going to play in Tacoma or he's not going to stop at Tacoma before hitting the big leagues first.

[00:52:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think he's probably going to start next year in Everett again.

[00:52:28] [SPEAKER_03]: That's too few games.

[00:52:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, but this stretch he is in Everett, not just this year, but this stretch he plays in Everett period into next year.

[00:52:37] [SPEAKER_02]: That will be your opportunity before he is a Seattle Mariner to see him play in the state of Washington.

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's not hard to say hi to him or have him sign a ball or a jersey or something or even just watch him play up close for pretty cheap.

[00:52:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:52:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Because I think once he goes to Arkansas, based on his trajectory and based on where everyone's ranking him, and he's number 13 in Baseball America's top 100, he's number 5 in the Athletics' top 100.

[00:53:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I think that dude will be making the jump straight from Arkansas to the big leagues if things play out and he stays healthy.

[00:53:13] [SPEAKER_02]: So this is a pretty big opportunity here that you guys have to go see him.

[00:53:16] [SPEAKER_02]: So it's probably a good idea to take it up on that.

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, and also Laz is there too, and Laz is the best.

[00:53:22] [SPEAKER_02]: So that's why you should go to Everett.

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER_03]: He'll be there, and there is a chance that Everett will have Durangelo Sanja at some point too.

[00:53:30] [SPEAKER_03]: So I don't know if that won't be until the last week of the season.

[00:53:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if it'll be as soon as next week.

[00:53:34] [SPEAKER_03]: It feels unlikely it would be as soon as next week because he just got activated in the Complex League.

[00:53:40] [SPEAKER_03]: But especially that first week of September, Mariners are on the road that week.

[00:53:44] [SPEAKER_03]: If Durangelo Sanja makes a start in Everett, and you've got Laz playing there, and you've got Colt Emerson playing there,

[00:53:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Everett should be a hot ticket that week for a very, very good reason.

[00:53:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, you'll probably have a chance to see Colt play in Everett a little bit next year too,

[00:53:58] [SPEAKER_03]: but to be honest, it may not be for that long.

[00:54:01] [SPEAKER_03]: If he continues to progress the way people expect him to progress,

[00:54:06] [SPEAKER_03]: and he has some great spring next year, gets some time in big league camp and plays well,

[00:54:11] [SPEAKER_03]: then all this—he's not going to be in big league camp, but you'll see him playing some big league games.

[00:54:15] [SPEAKER_03]: At least I'd assume he wouldn't be in big league camp next year.

[00:54:17] [SPEAKER_03]: But if he goes back to Everett next year and goes off for the first month and then gets promoted,

[00:54:25] [SPEAKER_03]: that may happen.

[00:54:26] [SPEAKER_03]: You might not get many chances to see Colt and Everett if this trajectory continues.

[00:54:31] [SPEAKER_03]: It would be the final couple weeks of this season, maybe a little bit next year.

[00:54:36] [SPEAKER_03]: But TJ's right.

[00:54:37] [SPEAKER_03]: He may be here in the state of Washington for a very short time and then not again until he's a big leaguer.

[00:54:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So take advantage because you've got a pretty cool opportunity to go see a guy that—

[00:54:48] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't want to put crazy expectations on him because it's not always fair to do to prospects,

[00:54:53] [SPEAKER_03]: but when you're the number five prospect in baseball per Keith Law,

[00:54:58] [SPEAKER_03]: that's somebody saying he can be Corey Seager or somebody like that.

[00:55:03] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not guaranteeing you will be, but you're saying he has a chance to be.

[00:55:06] [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah.

[00:55:08] [SPEAKER_02]: That's where Julio and Jared were.

[00:55:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.

[00:55:11] [SPEAKER_02]: We remember what that was like.

[00:55:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Actually, I don't think Jared was in Everett.

[00:55:16] [SPEAKER_02]: He was the West Virginia guy.

[00:55:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, not in Everett, but I meant where they were ranked.

[00:55:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, right.

[00:55:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:55:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, exactly.

[00:55:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Get out to the ballpark.

[00:55:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Like I said, I would bet at some point I'm going to get out there.

[00:55:29] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if TJ will be back in Washington before the season ends,

[00:55:31] [SPEAKER_03]: but I'll probably want to get out there at some point

[00:55:35] [SPEAKER_03]: and see some of the future Mariners.

[00:55:37] [SPEAKER_03]: They're exciting guys.

[00:55:38] [SPEAKER_03]: So go out and see them.

[00:55:40] [SPEAKER_03]: It's going to be cool.

[00:55:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:55:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Who do we?

[00:55:44] [SPEAKER_03]: So what?

[00:55:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay.

[00:55:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Before we wrap this up, when do we think Colt is a Mariner?

[00:55:49] [SPEAKER_03]: This is just a wild basically guess projection prediction based on the few,

[00:55:54] [SPEAKER_03]: like the little bit of knowledge we have.

[00:55:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Could we say, is there a world where he, let's say for six weeks next year,

[00:56:00] [SPEAKER_03]: goes off in Everett again, gets up to Arkansas, finishes 2025 in Arkansas,

[00:56:05] [SPEAKER_03]: and has a chance early 2026?

[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_02]: We're assuming fully healthy.

[00:56:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:56:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Assuming fully healthy.

[00:56:15] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say the absolute best case scenario could be end of next year.

[00:56:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Best case.

[00:56:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Unlikely.

[00:56:25] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, we're talking about like 100th percentile outcome of success in the minor leagues.

[00:56:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Most likely though, would be he most likely goes into spring training 2026 with a, you know, outside chance at a roster spot.

[00:56:42] [SPEAKER_02]: If not, and then if he doesn't, assuming he wouldn't make it out of camp, he could.

[00:56:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Again, there's always the, there's always a chance that guys just go out there and grab it.

[00:56:52] [SPEAKER_02]: But then it would be sometime in the first couple months of 2026.

[00:56:56] [SPEAKER_02]: 2026 would be an exciting year for prospects.

[00:56:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Given they don't get traded.

[00:57:01] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you think Harry Ford will be in the big leagues by then?

[00:57:04] [SPEAKER_02]: A good, good chance he'll be in the big leagues by then.

[00:57:06] [SPEAKER_02]: There'll be a chance we see Cole Young in the big leagues by then.

[00:57:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Because, you know, he's, he's ahead right now.

[00:57:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Pretty solidly ahead of, of Emerson.

[00:57:14] [SPEAKER_02]: Not in the prospect rankings, but in the system.

[00:57:16] [SPEAKER_02]: In terms of where he is at the level.

[00:57:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Cole, I mean, Cole, Cole Young next year is, you know, a very, a good two months offensively in Arkansas.

[00:57:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Away from seeing the big leagues.

[00:57:28] [SPEAKER_02]: We could see Sanja in 2026.

[00:57:32] [SPEAKER_02]: There's a chance, not, not for certain, but there's a chance.

[00:57:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Of course, of course, I got Logan Evans.

[00:57:38] [SPEAKER_02]: I think will be a big leaguer well before then, which is very exciting.

[00:57:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And then there's the outside chance that, that Ryan Sloan could be a big leaguer.

[00:57:47] [SPEAKER_02]: They're a big leaguer then too.

[00:57:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:57:50] [SPEAKER_02]: In 2026.

[00:57:50] [SPEAKER_02]: So exciting stuff.

[00:57:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And that, of course, is also the Mariners still are expected to add players, by the way.

[00:57:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:57:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Real major league players.

[00:57:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:58:00] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if the Farmello injury takes him away from the 2026 timeline or not.

[00:58:04] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.

[00:58:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Depends on how it is next year.

[00:58:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I did accidentally.

[00:58:07] [SPEAKER_02]: I skipped over him.

[00:58:09] [SPEAKER_02]: But, like, let's say he rehabs great.

[00:58:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say end of 2026 for Johnny.

[00:58:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Like, best case, end of 2026.

[00:58:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Because he still would, when he gets healthy, he's going to go right back to Modesto next year.

[00:58:23] [SPEAKER_02]: So he's going to have to, you know, build back up and get back on a hot streak.

[00:58:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[00:58:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, maybe it's for a short time.

[00:58:30] [SPEAKER_03]: He's in Modesto.

[00:58:31] [SPEAKER_03]: And then they'll just bump him up to Everett as long as he looks not overmatched.

[00:58:34] [SPEAKER_03]: But just so they can keep his development going.

[00:58:36] [SPEAKER_03]: But we'll see.

[00:58:37] [SPEAKER_03]: We're not the Mariners development team.

[00:58:38] [SPEAKER_03]: So we're just guessing here.

[00:58:41] [SPEAKER_03]: But, yeah, that's pretty exciting.

[00:58:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Could you imagine if Colt Emerson got up at the end of next year where it was like a Xander Bogarts thing?

[00:58:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Red Sox are making a playoff run and they're really good.

[00:58:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And then you call up this stud who's 20, 21 years old to help you make a run in the postseason.

[00:58:56] [SPEAKER_03]: That'd be pretty exciting.

[00:58:57] [SPEAKER_03]: You know how much juice would be, like, put into the city if the Mariners have a good year next year?

[00:59:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And then Colt Emerson comes up to help with a playoff run?

[00:59:04] [SPEAKER_03]: That'd be pretty cool.

[00:59:05] [SPEAKER_02]: That would be exciting.

[00:59:06] [SPEAKER_02]: That's not something the Mariners have done since A-Rod.

[00:59:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Or A-Rod and Griffey, really.

[00:59:11] [SPEAKER_02]: They didn't.

[00:59:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Julio made the roster out of camp.

[00:59:15] [SPEAKER_02]: But they didn't.

[00:59:16] [SPEAKER_02]: In 21, they didn't yank him up.

[00:59:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Even though they probably could have, to be honest.

[00:59:21] [SPEAKER_02]: If they wanted to, they probably could have in 2021.

[00:59:24] [SPEAKER_02]: In a very similar role.

[00:59:26] [SPEAKER_02]: But otherwise, it's A-Rod and Griffey, really.

[00:59:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Are the two that have had that kind of opportunity.

[00:59:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Agreed.

[00:59:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Last thing.

[00:59:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Way, way, way too early redraft of the 2023 draft.

[00:59:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Colt Emerson was taken by the Mariners at 22.

[00:59:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You redraft him right now.

[00:59:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Is he the number two pick behind Paul Skeens?

[00:59:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Let me pull up this draft here.

[00:59:51] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he is, just based off where the prospects are at.

[00:59:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe you could still argue Cruz.

[00:59:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe you could still argue Langford because he's in the big leagues right now.

[00:59:59] [SPEAKER_02]: So, yeah.

[01:00:00] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say Skeens is a slam dunk one because you could say he's just the best pitcher in baseball right now.

[01:00:06] [SPEAKER_02]: And Colt Emerson's in Everett.

[01:00:08] [SPEAKER_02]: So, that's an easy one.

[01:00:10] [SPEAKER_02]: But let me...

[01:00:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I ain't arguing that.

[01:00:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Let me scour over this.

[01:00:13] [SPEAKER_02]: So, Jacob Wilson just made the big leagues, right?

[01:00:16] [SPEAKER_02]: He's in the big leagues now.

[01:00:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Can he get called up?

[01:00:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[01:00:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, but then he got injured.

[01:00:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[01:00:21] [SPEAKER_02]: So, that's like a TBD.

[01:00:23] [SPEAKER_02]: I still...

[01:00:24] [SPEAKER_02]: If teams had hindsight, I think Jacob Wilson would go.

[01:00:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Because we're having hindsight with Colt Emerson right now.

[01:00:30] [SPEAKER_02]: So, the hindsight has to also apply to Jacob Wilson.

[01:00:33] [SPEAKER_02]: So, let's say...

[01:00:34] [SPEAKER_02]: I'd say Jacob Wilson goes above him.

[01:00:36] [SPEAKER_02]: I'd say Langford goes above him.

[01:00:38] [SPEAKER_02]: I would say Cruz goes above him.

[01:00:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Still.

[01:00:42] [SPEAKER_02]: That might...

[01:00:42] [SPEAKER_02]: That's probably it.

[01:00:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Although, Cruz is not the prospect Emerson's now being tabbed to be.

[01:00:49] [SPEAKER_02]: He's still pretty high up there.

[01:00:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, he's close.

[01:00:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe I'm grasping for strong.

[01:00:54] [SPEAKER_02]: He's also in double A right now.

[01:00:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[01:00:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Now, if Emerson somehow passes him, like, that's great.

[01:01:00] [SPEAKER_02]: But, I know the Nats would want Cruz to be in the big leagues this year if he goes on

[01:01:05] [SPEAKER_02]: a hot streak and he looks ready.

[01:01:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I know he has had his struggles.

[01:01:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[01:01:08] [SPEAKER_02]: But, I would still say, even with the hindsight, that Cruz would still go ahead.

[01:01:14] [SPEAKER_02]: So, let's say it would go like this.

[01:01:16] [SPEAKER_02]: It would go like Skeens, Cruz, Langford, Jacob Wilson, and then I'd say Emerson at five.

[01:01:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

[01:01:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Five to the Minnesota Twins.

[01:01:26] [SPEAKER_03]: So, redrafted now, he'd be five.

[01:01:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, we can play this exercise back every year if we want to.

[01:01:32] [SPEAKER_03]: A year from now, we may say he's number two behind Cruz.

[01:01:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Sorry, behind Skeens.

[01:01:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Who knows?

[01:01:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[01:01:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Could be.

[01:01:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Could be.

[01:01:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it's pretty wild.

[01:01:40] [SPEAKER_03]: The Mariners got that guy at 22.

[01:01:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And now, he's, by some outlets, a top five prospect in baseball.

[01:01:45] [SPEAKER_03]: So, point being, get out to Everett, people.

[01:01:48] [SPEAKER_03]: You'll want to go see him.

[01:01:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Especially while the weather is warm.

[01:01:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Not only is that a more fun time to go watch games, but Colt Emerson will be in a much more hitter-friendly environment rather than next year trying to play in Everett when it's raining in April.

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Right.

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So, get out and see him.

[01:02:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Get out and see him.

[01:02:06] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[01:02:07] [SPEAKER_03]: That was a good episode.

[01:02:08] [SPEAKER_03]: That was a positive, upbeat episode.

[01:02:10] [SPEAKER_03]: And I like that.

[01:02:11] [SPEAKER_03]: It's way more fun to talk about the team when it's upbeat.

[01:02:13] [SPEAKER_03]: And those were three upbeat stories.

[01:02:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So, I think that'll just about wrap up this edition of the Marine Layer Podcast.

[01:02:19] [SPEAKER_03]: By the way, it has been a heck to a couple weeks again with draft, trade deadline, etc.

[01:02:25] [SPEAKER_03]: We haven't had a bunch of guests on as of late.

[01:02:27] [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to get back to that here starting on Friday.

[01:02:29] [SPEAKER_03]: We have a guest on to help with the Met Series preview coming up.

[01:02:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Then we're going to have a guest next week back to Wednesdays as well.

[01:02:36] [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to try to get back into the flow, obviously, of having more guests on.

[01:02:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So, I just wanted to let people know that.

[01:02:41] [SPEAKER_03]: But, you guys know the drill.

[01:02:43] [SPEAKER_03]: If you want to listen to the full podcast, you can do so on the audio forums.

[01:02:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Make sure to download.

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[01:03:06] [SPEAKER_03]: That's TJ.

[01:03:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm Lyle.

[01:03:08] [SPEAKER_03]: As always, we thank you guys for tuning in.

[01:03:10] [SPEAKER_03]: We'll talk to you soon.