Hour 4: Mets Win & Judge Homers

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 4: Mets Win & Judge Homers

Release Date: April 4, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Episode Title: Hour 4: Mets Win & Judge Homers

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1. NFL Quarterback Draft Analysis (00:28 - 08:34)

Alan Hahn initiates the episode with an in-depth analysis of the 2021 NFL quarterback draft, expressing skepticism about the long-term success of many high-picked quarterbacks. He highlights the unpredictability inherent in drafting QBs, using examples from that particular draft:

• Trey Lance: Selected third overall by the 49ers, Lance's career has been marred by injuries, leading to his recent one-year deal with the Chargers. Hahn remarks, “Five quarterbacks in the first 15 picks of that draft… None of them by now have established themselves as, you know, bonafide” [00:28].

• Brock Purdy: Taken last in the draft by the 49ers, Purdy unexpectedly secured the starting position and is projected to receive a substantial contract. Hahn contrasts his success with Lance's struggles.

• Other Quarterbacks: Hahn critiques selections like Zach Wilson and Justin Fields, noting their lack of established success: “Justin Fields went 11th... that quarterback draft… it's still such a crapshoot” [02:41].

Don La Greca concurs, emphasizing the risks involved: “It's a crapshoot… you just gotta play it out” [04:55]. He references Patrick Mahomes as a rare exception, praising him as "the best player in sports right now" due to his immediate impact and strategic drafting [05:35].

Alan Hahn and Don La Greca further discuss the notion of "trusting the process," critiquing teams like the Jets for their poor drafting outcomes despite high hopes: “the Jets took Zach Wilson… it ended up being like a disaster pick” [07:06]. They reflect on how draft decisions often fail to pan out, fueled by external noise and hype rather than solid talent evaluation.

2. MLB Mets' Home Opener Victory (10:41 - 25:45)

The discussion shifts to baseball, focusing on the New York Mets' impressive 5-0 victory in their home opener at Citi Field.

Alan Hahn reports, “The Mets win five nothing in their home opener. They are now four and three on the season” [10:41]. Key highlights include:

• Pete Alonso's Performance: Hahn celebrates Alonso’s home run and RBI, noting the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction: “Alonzo had his name chanted by the New York crowd. And I think that's pretty special” [11:14].

• Juan Soto's Home Debut: Soto shares his excitement about his first home game with the Mets: “I think it's really good experience and great start” [17:23]. Hahn humorously questions Soto’s surprise at the large fanbase, given his previous tenure with the Nationals: “I don't know how players think about, like, number of people” [18:05].

• Aaron Judge's Record: The hosts laud Judge's power-hitting ability, comparing him to Barry Bonds and highlighting his dominance: “He's the most dangerous hitter we've seen since Barry Bonds” [12:21]. Don adds, “He just was scared to death of Barry” [13:26], emphasizing pitchers’ reluctance to face him.

• Team Lineup and Pitching: They discuss the strengths and areas needing improvement within the Mets' lineup, including concerns about Francisco Lindor's batting average and the performance of pitchers like McGill: “If not for him [Alonso], then who? Is it going to be Nimmo or Marte or Vientos?” [24:07].

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [11:14]: “Alonzo had his name chanted by the New York crowd. And I think that's pretty special…”
• Juan Soto [17:31]: “This fan base is amazing…”
• Don La Greca [12:26]: “He's the most dangerous hitter we've seen since Barry Bonds.”

3. Audience Engagement and Listener Calls (25:45 - 29:10)

The episode incorporates listener interactions, providing insights into fan perspectives:

• Mark’s Call [25:53]: A long-time Giants season ticket holder discusses his draft strategy, advocating for selecting versatile players like Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter to mitigate risks associated with quarterback selections. He states, “I think we got to get the best player available” [26:00].

Alan Hahn and Don La Greca respond by validating Mark’s approach, noting Hunter's versatility and potential as “the most intriguing player in this entire draft” [26:44]. They discuss the Giants' needs and the importance of strategic drafting to enhance team performance.

• JJ’s Call [27:26]: A passionate Grizzlies fan questions the decision to fire Taylor Jenkins, expressing support for Jalen Brunson and highlighting Jenkins' conflicting offensive strategies.

Alan Hahn addresses the concern by explaining, “Ja was not happy with his role in that offense and the way they were playing it” [27:43], while Don La Greca emphasizes the importance of player behavior and league standards in coaching decisions [28:26].

4. Concluding Remarks and Final Highlights (29:04 - End)

As the episode wraps up, Alan Hahn summarizes the key takeaways from the Mets' performance and upcoming sports events:

• Mets’ Outlook: Positive start to the season with strong performances from key players like Alonso and Soto, but caution about pitching depth and bullpen stability.

• Upcoming Games: Mentions of the Islanders hosting the Wild [25:45], encouraging listeners to stay tuned for more sports action.

Final Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn [29:07]: “I just want to know. It's good.”

Conclusion

In this episode of the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg podcast, the hosts delve into the uncertainties of the NFL quarterback draft, using the 2021 draft as a case study to highlight the challenges teams face in selecting successful QBs. Transitioning to baseball, they celebrate the Mets' solid start to the season, spotlighting standout performances by Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge. Through engaging listener calls, the conversation extends to strategic drafting and coaching decisions in both NFL and NBA contexts. The episode offers fans a comprehensive analysis of current sports dynamics, enriched with expert insights and memorable quotes.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Alan Hahn [00:28]: “Five quarterbacks in the first 15 picks of that draft… None of them by now have established themselves as, you know, bonafide.”
• Don La Greca [04:55]: “It's a crapshoot… you just gotta play it out.”
• Alan Hahn [11:14]: “Alonzo had his name chanted by the New York crowd. And I think that's pretty special.”
• Juan Soto [17:31]: “This fan base is amazing…”
• Don La Greca [12:26]: “He's the most dangerous hitter we've seen since Barry Bonds.”
• Mark [26:00]: “I think we got to get the best player available.”
• Alan Hahn [27:43]: “Ja was not happy with his role in that offense and the way they were playing it.”
• Don La Greca [28:26]: “But he could be the face of the...”

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For those who haven't listened, this episode offers a balanced mix of critical sports analysis, passionate fan perspectives, and engaging dialogues that encapsulate the fervor and unpredictability of both football and baseball seasons.

Transcript

[Don Legreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Don Legreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, so the Mets and Yankees both in good shape. The Mets get the 5 nothing win in their home opener. The Yankees right now have a 71 lead in the bottom of the sixth in Pittsburgh. So so far so good on, on those fronts. Don, there's, I saw something that, on the football front that, that caught my attention. Okay, you remember Trey Lance, right?

[Don Legreca]

Sure.

[Alan Hahn]

The quarterback. He was, he was taking, he was taking third overall in that 2021 draft that had all the quarterbacks in it and the Niners took him there. They also took Brock Purdy with the last pick of the draft and obviously we all know the story now. Brock Purdy ended up winning the job and now he's going to get paid a ton of money. Trey Lance got injured early and they ended up moving on from him. He went to Dallas last year. He's signing a one year deal with the Chargers now. One year deal guy. That was the third pick in the draft. And when you think about like how we get crazy about drafts and quarterbacks and draft picks, that draft to remind everybody, Trevor Lawrence went number one and he was the generational talent that was the can't miss choice. Yes. The second pick of that draft was Zach Wilson, the Jets and we all know that was an abomination. He's on his third team. Trey Lance goes third. Then like I'm going to give you these names and this is what happens sometimes with the draft. Did you get so excited and then you realize what was this? Kyle Pitts was the fourth pick, the tight end. And the, the Falcons took him. Not really becoming the generational tight end everybody thought he'd be. Jamar Chase was the fifth pick in that draft. That was the Bengals. You could argue there's your, there's your great player. Right?

[Don Legreca]

Yeah, there he is. No question.

[Alan Hahn]

Jalen Waddle went six. Penne Sewell, who's been very good in with Detroit, the tackle seven, you know, on and on. JC Horn and Pat Patrick, certain. The two corners went side by side. That's good. Nine, eight, nine. Devonte's bit. Then Justin Fields who the jets have now his third team, he went 11th, Mac Jones went 15th. That's five quarterbacks in the first 15 picks of that draft.

[Don Legreca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

None of them by now have established themselves as, you know, bonafide. I mean Trevor Lawrence, the only one that got the big contract, he's a bona fide quarterback one but even he. It's not like he is already now become like a star, like again. Burrow did it pretty quickly, you know, some others did it quickly. He has not. So this, this quote unquote quarterback draft where everybody was making a. They were running to get these quarterbacks, some of them picked way too high, including Zach Wilson and Trey Lance. It is still such a crapshoot. I think this is just an example of it.

[Don Legreca]

Well, I say, you know, the idea to tank most of the time, I think if you go to the right place, but sometimes just not a good quarterback. Trevor Lawrence was a generational can't miss guy. Now he's the best of those quarterbacks. The one thing they got right was taking him one. But. And he's gotten a big contract and he did take them to the playoffs and won a playoff game, but it doesn't look like it's working out. And that's how crazy it is with these guys. You want that he was supposed to be can't miss. And then you get guys like Josh Allen was the third quarterback taken in that draft. You guys, Russell Wilson in the second round, Joe Montana in the third round.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Lamar Jackson, the 30th pick in that same draft which had all the quarterbacks again at the top, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold and.

[Don Legreca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

It just, you know. Remember, Remember Rosen?

[Don Legreca]

Yeah. Like Josh Rosen.

[Alan Hahn]

Josh Rosen, yeah. Yeah. Another guy, he's. I don't even know. Is he in the league? He was on a practice squad.

[Don Legreca]

Well, if he's, if he's in the league, practice squad, third string, whatever, he did not pan out at all. You know. And that's why I think that people are starting to catch wind of this and in the draft where it's Ward Sanders, well, maybe, maybe take a chance on Jackson Dart, who is going to be the guy that wasn't talked about all year that now all of a sudden is going to climb up and be the best quarterback.

[Alan Hahn]

And then five years from now we'll look back and say, remember that draft, this guy's not even in the league now. Right. Because that's the value of a quarterback. And just taking that gamble, risk, whatever you want to call it, to see if you can hit, but we're showing you more times than not, you don't.

[Don Legreca]

That's why you just gotta, you gotta play it out, you know. And I, and I always think I win the argument. When you look at guy like Mahomes who was taking 10th overall best quarterback in the NFL, it's like, just play it out and if you know what you're doing, you'll figure it out. But there's this whole generation of fans who think, trust the process tank, get the best players, throw away. I guess that's when you're young, you can throw away a decade. If I'm going to watch bad football, might as well be on purpose so I don't have any pressure to win. And we'll just accumulate all this talent. And how's it working out in Philadelphia, by the way? Accumulating all that talent and trusting the process? It seems like they keep going backwards and backwards.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, the Sixers, you mean? Yeah, Eagles.

[Don Legreca]

It's worth. Well, that's right. Well, trust the process thing. Yeah, they took in the second round, right. And now he's a, he's an mvp. A Super bowl mvp. He's been to the super bowl twice. I mean, that's the, that's the thing, man. If you know what you're doing, you're not going to have to take. There's no easy way. There's no easy trick, kind of jimmy switch way of doing it. There's no cheat code to getting this thing done. Know what you're doing.

[Alan Hahn]

Know what you're doing. Is, is. I always go back to the phrase, you know, Herm Edwards, and not it's you play to win the game. That's what he's famously known for. But this is one of my favorite. Herm Edwards. It's when there's so much noise around something, you know, like again, the draft is the biggest thing. You get so much noise. And everybody has an opinion, everybody has something to say. And all these guys, what are they saying? What are the rumors? And he always says, when it comes to judging talent, listen with your eyes.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah, I.

[Alan Hahn]

That's the best way to put it. As you said, if you look at it and you trust it, then that's what you go with, not what everybody's saying, not the fear that way. Well, everybody's saying this about, you know, we got to take them because there's just. Everybody's talking about him. You know, I don't know if that's why the jets took Zach Wilson that year. I honestly, I don't know why, but it ended up being like you talk about a disaster pick. It's the second pick in the draft and you took a quarterback that not only was not ready to play in the NFL, but may never be a true starter in the NFL.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah. And now, now a lot of times it's just going to the wrong place. I really do believe that's what happened with Sam Darnold.

[Alan Hahn]

I agree.

[Don Legreca]

I think if Sam Darnold had ended up with a good organization, a sound offense with a veteran quarterback, I think he could have panned out and we would have saw. We saw in Minnesota a lot earlier than we did.

[Alan Hahn]

I agree.

[Don Legreca]

Stability. And sometimes it's about changing. Listen, Sam had to go to a bunch of different places. I'm sure he accumulated knowledge in Carolina and San Francisco, and then certainly it got topped off in Minnesota. Sometimes you do so much damage that even if you end up in the right place, it's too late. So you got to be drafted by the right guy. But like I was talking about with Shador, the jump is gargantuan. It's. I think it's almost the equivalent of going like from high school to Major league Baseball, like college football especially, where there's so many games and so many teams that aren't worthy of you that you have to play and it's a shorter schedule and you're not there. You're there three years, but still, that's not a lot of time in football. You make that jump to the NFL and these. Everybody's an All American, you know, everybody was a draft pick for the most part. It just, it's. And listen, he might do it and do it fine, but that's why I just don't know. With all the ways, all the pitfalls, all the things that can go wrong, even for the best of them to like to talk that smack, why add other levels of difficulty to what is already. I get it, a very tough thing.

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[Alan Hahn]

Well, the Mets win five nothing in their home opener. They are now four and three on the season. And you know, again all around it's the perfect kind of day because you get everything that you're looking for, including a Pete Alonzo home run, which for the Citi Field crowd, like that, that's the beloved son at this point, Juan Soto, his home debut, he comes through with an RBI and you know, again you get the nice win. Do you want to hear from Alonzo first or Juan Soto? I'll give you dealer's choice.

[Don Legreca]

Well, let's get Pete had the dinger. Let's hear from Pete.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, Pete Alonzo. Because the fans now it sounds like the fans chanted MVP for Lindor. Loud ovation for Soto. But Alonzo had his name chanted by the New York crowd. And I think that's pretty special when the crowd is chanting your name. So Alonzo talked about the reaction he got from the fans.

[Don Legreca]

It was sick. That type of stuff is what you.

[Alan Hahn]

Dream about as a kid and to.

[Juan Soto]

Have that type of support being reciprocated.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, it's really special for sure. And enjoyed every second of it. It's like almost part of the lore now, right? Like, not only does he have the home run last year, which the season was almost over, his career as a Met could have been over. And he comes through and he has that big moment. The beloved, you know, the beloved, of course, player. And then to come to the home opener and do what he does. I mean, think about that. By the way, Aaron Judge, that's six now. Yeah, that's six. And, and it was a two run shot. So he's got 16 RBI now, if I'm not mistaken, right?

[Don Legreca]

No, it's, it's, it's pretty incredible.

[Alan Hahn]

403Ft. For those who are wondering, Alan, I.

[Don Legreca]

Don'T want to have the Yankee callers represent the entire fandom, but God, appreciate this guy. I don't know if he's ever going to win a World Series. It's hard to win championships. There's 30 teams in league now. You got different layers of wild cards. There's so much going on, you know, just, just appreciate which to me is the most dangerous hitter we've seen since Barry Bonds. And we know why Barry was so dangerous.

[Alan Hahn]

Most dangerous hitter since Barry Bonds is probably from you, Don, all due respect, the better take then could end up being the best player in the history of the Yankees most dangerous hitter is a pretty significant thing to say when you consider since Barry Bonds, you know, there's been, hey, we've had some guys, but that's pretty good. Like you really have to be careful. Yeah. Aaron Judge has more home runs than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates roster this season. They have five, he has six.

[Don Legreca]

He just was scared to death of Barry. They're walking him with the basis load of Bucks show. Walter did that famously right back in the day when he's the manager of the Diamondbacks and you're starting to see it now happen with him. Like why, why would you pitch to him? Why?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I was just going to ask you that question. Because Jazz Chisholm is up now. He's 0 for 4. And like, what is it about? Like, especially late in the game, you're getting smoked. It's 7:1. This is your home opener. What are you pitching to him for? Right? Like in that situation, just get, put him on. Who cares?

[Don Legreca]

Right? And it's not even a disrespect to anybody else. Anybody else is not going to be as hard to get out as him or just do as much damage as him. Yeah, he'll strike out like he did the other night.

[Alan Hahn]

But the Jazz over five now, right as the cleanup after judge.

[Don Legreca]

So just, I just. That that's probably what's going to stop him from really putting up the historic numbers. But if you had to pitch to him, this guy would hit 80 home runs. That's what I thought about Barry. I'm like, Barry would have. Barry walked like 200 times in his MVP year. Like, God, if those were actual, like, at bats where you had to pitch to him, probably was intentionally walked a hundred times in that season. If you had to pitch to him, my God, do you think. I just, I don't want to have conversations anymore, Alan. But he's got to win a World Series. Do it, you know, do it in the post. I, I get, I get that when we get to the postseason, but please don't have it come at the expense of appreciating watching someone be as dominant as he is at what he does.

[Alan Hahn]

That's great. And everybody's going to say, that's great, but we're about championships. He's the star. And if they don't win championships, he's got, you know, he's going to have to carry the weight, especially if he doesn't come through again. If he's going, if he's, if he's just, you know, two for four. You know, RBI is like crazy home runs in the postseason, but yet the pitching stinks and the bottom of the order can't do anything. Nobody's going to say boo about him, but if he's doing what we've seen, you know, the over four with three strikeouts in the postseason, you know, fly balls, but they don't get out of the park because it's cold weather and for some reason the ball's not traveling anymore off his bat that he's going to hear about it. The dogs are going to be barking at his door. That's just what comes with being the captain of the Yankees.

[Don Legreca]

Fine, but can we wait till when it. When and if it happens in October.

[Alan Hahn]

But it already has. That's why fans are doing this. So what? Do it in October.

[Juan Soto]

So.

[Don Legreca]

But in April, when he's got, you know, six home runs and 16 RBIs and start to talk about October, we can't do anything. October is not for a few months. The World Series is going to be played until October. So I'm all for having that conversation. If you lose a playoff game and he goes over four with four strikeouts or drops a fly ball, it was the right conversation to have after that Game five loss. It was the right conversation to have, no question but now I think what you're doing is damage to your enjoyment and your fun of watching the best player in sports right now. Honestly, like, you know, you could say Connor McDavid, he's hurt right now. Way Brunson's playing with the Knicks.

[Alan Hahn]

What you're trying to say is he's. Is he box office? There are not many box office players in Sports right now. McDavid definitely right. LeBron's box office. Steph Curry is box office. Right. You know, you're not going to get cheated if you buy a ticket to watch these guys play. Aaron Judge is that guy in baseball probably along with Shohei Ohtani, that I'll buy a ticket. And I know I'm going to see something like, I feel pretty good about watching this guy play because I'm going to get something out of it. That's a. That's rare air to be in that kind of category. And Judge is definitely there now. Soto could be there, too. Do you want to hear what Soto had to say about his first real Met experience, which is, of course playing at Citi Field? Of course.

[Juan Soto]

It was pretty cool to see all the fans out there, you know, cheering for you and supporting the whole team. I think it was really good experience and great start.

[Alan Hahn]

Sounds kind of like, you know, how about this one? Does it feel like home already?

[Juan Soto]

Yeah, I mean, it feels great. This fan base is amazing. Like I said in the past, I didn't realize how many fans they have and how many passionate they are. And it's really cool.

[Alan Hahn]

Did he really say, I didn't realize how many fans they had? Oh, Don. Oh, Don didn't realize they had all these fans. I mean, it's the Mets, after all. You know, he did play for the Nationals. It's not like it's his first time playing at Citi Field. He didn't know they had this many fans.

[Don Legreca]

I don't know how players think about, like, number of people. I don't know. I'm sure. I'm sure all he was told by people within the Yankees, why do you want to go to the other team? Nobody roots for them.

[Alan Hahn]

But he played for the Nationals. It's not like he's new to the Mets. He had to have known, right?

[Don Legreca]

Again, I don't. Do they pay attention how many people are in the building? I guess if there's nobody there, they would notice.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, it's a bigger deal, but it.

[Don Legreca]

Also just tells you that, I guess was all the other things of the future of winning and fans, like. And he didn't know Mets were. Mets were going to pay him and give him the things that he wanted.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. And Boris told him all the business stuff. Boris told him about, you know, the future and the money that you can see, they'll build the team and all. I guarantee this. Boris was filling him in on all that stuff. It sounds like as great a player that Soto is when it comes to the sport and you know, the fundamentals and all the things that come with it. I don't think he's exactly a student of the history of the game or the understanding of it. Right. Like, I don't think he's really up on that. Like some, some players like you love it that you could tell they're just die hard baseball fans. They're watching every night. They know everything about the league. That was always my, my favorite thing as a sports writer, being in the locker room and you'd find like a player who you could tell was a huge sports fan or at least a fan of his sport and he would love to talk to you about the league because not a lot of players do that.

[Don Legreca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

And they were fun to talk to because they could just. I'll just see this. Like they have a passion. I don't know if Soto's got that going on.

[Don Legreca]

I don't know if I could take a moment. Alan, if you don't mind, please. There might be a lot of people that are just baseball fans. They listen to the Mets and maybe didn't listen to 880 since last season. That this show is Don Hahn and Rosenberg. Don Legreca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, and we are on from 3 to 7 every day, Monday through Friday. So if this is the first time you've been exposed to a post Met game broadcast and weren't sure what this show was, allow me to introduce you to this show and you should be listening every day three to seven when your Metzi's aren't on.

[Alan Hahn]

Especially because Don is a die hard Mets fan just like you. For those who are curiosity and my whole family Mets fans, my mother, God bless her, loves the Mets. She was there from the first day and so I grew up with it. Although I am not a Mets fan.

[Don Legreca]

But still Peter will prostitute himself to whoever the better team is.

[Alan Hahn]

So whatever benefits him.

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Legreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alan Hahn]

Foreign let's give you a game time brought to you by Telemardu Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, it is telly time. The Mets win their home opener today at Citi Field. Five nothing. Alonzo homer soda with an rbi. Everything good. The Yankees are in Pittsburgh. They had a 9 to 1 lead. I say had because they're in the bottom of the seventh. You get to the bullpen and what happens, of course, give up a home run, it's 9 4. Judge did Homer. That's six on the year for him already. But still, the bullpen thing is obviously a bit of a concern. The Islanders played tonight. They host The Wild at 7:30. And there's your action for tonight on a very busy sports weekend. Telemore. Do the original triple distilled, triple blended, triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Telemore due or try the new Telemore due. Honey. During tonight's action, glasses up to enjoying Tullamore do responsibly. Interesting enough. I just. I wanted to play this for you, Don, because as we're talking about the Mets and their big win in Juan Soto and you know him, you know this is home now for him and him. Even remarking. I didn't know the Mets had this many fans. How about having Alonzo hit behind him in the order? Here's what Juan Soto said about that.

[Juan Soto]

I think it's great to have a guy behind you when he's swinging the bat well and when he's hot. I think he's really good protection. Give me a chance, you know, to see more pitches around the strike zone and try to do damage. Everybody knows I can control the strike zone. But sometimes at bats get longer and they running away from it. But when you have a guy like Pete, I think it's, it's great protection.

[Alan Hahn]

And it's exactly why it made sense to do what the Mets did.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And bring him, bring him back for just this. And. And again the Verducci story, Don, it's as if Soto asked for this. It was one of his concerns about the Met lineup is. Hang on a second. You know, I had, I had Judge over there. What do you give me over here? And it. That could have turned everything. Because there was a point in the off season that the Mets looked like they were ready to walk away from Pete Alonso and it's a good thing they didn't. He's got three home runs, 10 RBIs in his first. How many games is now seven games. That's a pretty good start for him.

[Don Legreca]

No, it's very good. And if not for him, then who?

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Legreca]

Is it going to be Nimmo or Marte or Vientos? You know, solid players. But to get a home run threat. And if Lindor is going to do as the leadoff batter that he did when he became the leadoff batter last year, he's still struggling as he normally does in April. Although today did go 1 for 2. But he's still batting.136. But if Lindor does what he did last year as the leadoff, that's a nice potent top of the order. And just need Vientos to get going. He's betting.074. Took an O for today again. That's a little scary.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Yeah. And you hope he figures it out. That's what you look such a long season ebbs and flows. Right. But when you all you need is one or two guys to be hot at the start of the year, it can get you going. Get you, you know it. And then along the way the guys that maybe aren't off to the quick starts figure it out. I mean Vientos, if I'm not mistaken, was a late season guy anyway last year. Right?

[Don Legreca]

Yeah. But he had such a big postseason. So yeah, expectations were really high.

[Alan Hahn]

Carried over. Right.

[Don Legreca]

But you know, we're talking about a handful of games. I mean during any seven game run you could bat poorly and struggle. It just accentuated when it's the first seven games. But right now you're not getting anything from Viento Sekunya or Siri. They're all batting at 100 or under. So that's going to have to change. But that, but they're, they're pitching well. You know, McGill was your starting pitcher, went five and a third. It's not ideal to have McGill have, you know, pitcher home opener, but that's what happens with the injuries that you have. But I think overall they've pitched better than expected and we'll see if that holds up, too.

[Alan Hahn]

Let's get some calls to finish up here. 800 now by 937-76- Mark's in the car. What's up, Mark?

[I]

Hey, guys, thanks a lot for taking my call. I appreciate it.

[Don Legreca]

Always.

[I]

So 50 years season ticket holder for the Giants.

[Don Legreca]

Wow.

[I]

My dad had tickets to the polo ground. I can't tell you. Every day I think somebody different. I won in the draft, but more and more I listen to you guys and all the other pundits that will talk and write. I'm really starting to sway towards. We better take either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter if they're there. I don't think we can take a shot at missing. And there is a chance, as you guys were talking about before, quarterbacks can be a crapshoot. Chador certainly has some of that with him. I think we got to get the best player available. Hopefully it can't miss. And then we can take either a Shock or a Milroe or a McCord somewhere later and maybe these guys develop. I think that's why they signed Wilson and Winston anyway. But that's where I'm leaning. I'm curious of your thoughts on that.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I think that's. Mark, I think you're not going to be disappointed because I think what you're thinking is how it's going to go. And Hunter is going to be a very intrigued. He might be the most intriguing player in this entire draft if you think about his versatility both sides of the football. And the fact that you heard Mike Tannenbaum say he thinks he has the potential to become the best cornerback in the NFL. And that's certainly an area of need for the Giants.

[Don Legreca]

And he also said that if given the choice between him or Carter, he would go with Hunter.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but you're saying a lot because everybody loves Carter as. Yeah, you know, as a guy that can get to the quarterback. Another pass rush and it's exactly what the Cleveland Browns want to do. JJ's in North Carolina. JJ, real quick.

[J]

Hey, gentlemen. What's going on? What's up?

[Alan Hahn]

How you doing?

[J]

Die Hard Grizzlies fan as Peter and Don probably remember, but Alan, before I get to the job thing.

[H]

What.

[J]

What in God's name were they doing firing Taylor Jenkins? You probably might know better than me.

[Alan Hahn]

But you have any. I can tell you why. It's. Ja was not happy with his role in that offense and the way they were playing it. And now all they do is. When Jaw's on the floor, they play pick and roll, and when he's not on the floor, they play the way Taylor wanted to play. That's a reality.

[J]

And it's funny. I think. I think the. One of the assistant coaches was. Was the main proponent of changing the offense, so it's funny how the head coach always falls short of that.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, they weren't playing well, though. They weren't playing well. JJ, we only got, like, 20 seconds, so. Real quick.

[I]

Sorry.

[J]

I just wanted to say Jaw, I think. I don't think Jaw is a big criminal here. He hasn't done anything like criminal wise. I just wanted to say he. He could be the face of the. Of the NBA if he gets his act together, and I love him, and he's a great player. Apprec. Guys.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you. Jj, look, he is. He is a great player. It's just the behavior again. The behavior stuff. The league. If the league asks you, just. Hey, tone it down. It's a bad look for us. It's bad for our brand. You know, play along with the league. This is. You make all this money because of.

[Don Legreca]

This, but four minutes later.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, my God. How crazy is that? What a weekend we got, Don. I mean, we got a lot going on, but you got. You're on the call. Rangers, Devils tomorrow, puck drop at 12:30. 12:30. Right here on 10:50. Right. So make sure you're listening to that, and we'll see if Jalen Brunson's on the court this weekend. Have a great weekend, everybody.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know. It's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.