Postgame Show: JuJu Fixes Things

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Postgame Show: JuJu Fixes Things
Release Date: April 17, 2025

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Thursday Thunder: Betting Insights and NBA Player Analysis

The episode kicks off with the Thursday Thunder segment presented by DraftKings, where Fitz shares his sports betting picks for upcoming NBA games. Fitz confidently predicts that Austin Reaves will secure over 4.5 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves (01:32). He also highlights Michael Porter Jr. as a pivotal player for the Denver Nuggets, asserting that Porter Jr. will exceed 15.5 points in his next game (03:35).

Juju challenges Fitz's optimism regarding Porter Jr., questioning his past playoff performances and overall consistency:

“When Michael Porter, I believed when he played the Nuggets in the finals was the worst starter on the floor in those finals. He was worse than anybody who was playing was not a factor in that. Why is Juju telling me that Michael Porter's gonna give us.” (02:48)

Jeremy supports Juju's skepticism, emphasizing the physical strength of key Nuggets players like James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, which complicates defensive strategies against Porter Jr.:

“So the guy that you choose to basically lay off of are probably going to be Christian Brown and or Michael Porter Jr. And of those two, we imagine that Michael Porter Jr. has a better offensive package to take advantage of that.” (03:41)

Fitz counters by highlighting Porter Jr.'s recent form and his importance if the Nuggets aim to advance in the playoffs, likening his potential impact to that of Tyler Herro for the Heat (04:29).

Weekend Content Planning: Engaging the YouTube Audience

Amin introduces an idea to enhance the show's YouTube channel by incorporating interactive elements involving stakes, such as having Zaslow participate in challenges with high rewards tied to game outcomes (05:05). The discussion evolves into a lighthearted debate about steak preferences, illustrating the hosts' camaraderie and their efforts to create engaging, sponsor-friendly content:

“He's gonna be the one who's angry when I come home and say indentured servitude.” (07:03)

Fitz emphasizes the importance of maintaining respectful and inclusive content, noting recent feedback and the need to avoid misogynistic remarks:

“I think we should lean out of that misogyny of wives loves money because we've been getting a lot of heat online for that earlier today.” (08:50)

Pitch Clock: MLB Trivia and Season Analysis

Transitioning to baseball, the hosts engage in the Pitch Clock segment, a trivia game combined with in-depth analysis of the 2025 MLB season. Cody Taylor and Jordan Schusterman lead the trivia, posing challenging questions about historical team lineups and managerial changes. The competitive spirit is evident as Taylor struggles with answers like identifying Dusty Baker as the manager of the 2000 Giants (20:12).

The discussion shifts to standout MLB players, with Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman from CES Family Barbecue contributing expert insights. They highlight players such as Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers and Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, noting their remarkable season starts despite previous inconsistencies (15:20).

Juju and Jake commend the Chicago Cubs' explosive offense, led by Kyle Tucker and Peter Armstrong, discussing whether this performance is sustainable:

“We're going to see a lot of slugfests with this team, and that will be entertaining for the neutrals.” (18:38)

They also praise the Miami Marlins for their surprising performance, emphasizing the development of young talent like Clayton McCullough and Max Meyer as indicators of a promising future (24:18).

Final Thoughts and Banter

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on their trivia competition with good-natured teasing and anticipation for future segments. The camaraderie and dynamic interactions between Dan, Juju, Fitz, Jeremy, Amin, and Chris Cody underscore the show's engaging and personable atmosphere.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Juju on Michael Porter Jr.:

  “When Michael Porter, I believed when he played the Nuggets in the finals was the worst starter on the floor in those finals...” (02:48)

• Fitz on Player Impact:

  “...Tyler Herro and the Heat have been. So some of the players had to step up.” (05:05)

• Fitz on Content Sensitivity:

  “I think we should lean out of that misogyny of wives loves money...” (08:50)

• Jake Mintz on MLB Players:

  “Spencer Torkelson on the Detroit Tigers... Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks...” (15:20)

• Juju on Marlins' Future:

  “...the Marlins are a game over .500. That's with a couple of battles in division...” (24:18)

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This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers a blend of sports analysis, betting insights, interactive content planning, and engaging trivia, all delivered with the hosts' signature humor and expertise. Whether you're a dedicated fan or a casual listener, the discussions provide valuable perspectives on current sports trends and personalities.

Transcript

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[Juju]

It's time for Thursday Thunder presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours Juju.

[Dan]

Take it away.

[Fitz]

Welcome back. Welcome back to another edition of Thursday Thunder where the question is always to fade or not to fade. First leg Austin Reaves going up against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're going to need big games. They're going to need big players to step up in big moments. So I think my brother will get over 4.5 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves this Saturday night. Lock it in or not. Second leg Michael Porter Jr. I think he's one of the key pieces on the Nuggets. The Denver Nuggets, you dig? Salute to his brother Johnte. I think that he is definitely going to get over 15.5 points this weekend. You got to know he will. He's going to need it. The Clippers, they're getting scoring from all over the field so I think he's going to have to step up if they want a chance. And winning this series. Last leg, the most important leg, the most important player in the entire NBA, Al Horford, over 7.5 points this Sunday against your Orlando Magic. Lock em in. Yes sir.

[Amin]

Juju. I mean I'd like an answer to this question on Michael Porter Jr. Okay. Because the. The first series there is super interesting. I think I can't wait to watch Kawhi and James Harden and all we were talking about strength that people don't understand. I don't believe that most people watching basketball understand how physically strong James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are, how much stronger they are than other human beings that going up against Denver for a first round exit. When Michael Porter, I believed when he played the Nuggets in the finals was the worst starter on the floor in those finals. He was worse than anybody who was playing was not a factor in that. Why is juju telling me that Michael Porter's gonna give us.

[Jeremy]

Well, I think you should ask juju first.

[Amin]

No, but I'm asking for your expertise on Michael Porter.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, I mean, I think Juju. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're thinking basically because he's the other option. If you are game planning against the Nuggets, you're worried incredibly obviously about Jokic and his catches where he's catching the ball. You're worried about the dhos with Jamal Murray, how he gets off and you're worried about Aaron Gordon running the baseline and being able those lob plays right there. So you only can take away certain things. You can't tell me everything. And so the guy that you choose to basically lay off of are probably going to be Christian Brown and or Michael Porter Jr. And of those two, we imagine that Michael Porter Jr. Has a better offensive package to take advantage of that. But having said that, yeah, he's had low moments in the playoffs in the past. But juju, am I, am I in the right ballpark while you got Michael Porter Jr over on 16 and a half?

[Fitz]

Hell yeah, you exactly right. Everybody's plotting to see how can we stop the joker, how can we slow down Jamal Murray. But over the past couple of months, whenever injuries have played a factor on that team, Michael Porter Jr. Has been forced to step up and take on a bigger role as well as Christian Brown as well. But I think that that stepping up in those moments, it will be fruitful. You feel me in this situation like Tyler Hero and the Heat have been. So some of the players had to step up. Khalil Ware. I think that during this playoff series where you're going to need different opt. He's going to be one of the key components if. If the Nuggets want to get it done.

[Jeremy]

And I'm glad you brought up Tyler Herro because a lot of people Kind of look at the step Tyler Herro took forward this year. A lot of it's kind of like Jimmy Butler getting out of the way. And sometimes when you have a person with that kind of big personality and clearing out, that can help a player like that play better. So Michael Porter Jr. I would imagine, would have been the guys that Michael Malone was probably the hardest on because of his potential, because also he's inconsistent. So maybe having David Adelman as a coach makes him feel more comfortable, more relaxed, and he's a better offensive player as a result.

[Amin]

Can we do something together here this weekend? I want to have a buildup of the weekend. Help me do something this weekend as a group. What I would like to do is I would like to figure out how to get tonight's or tomorrow's stakes on Zaslow in the studio to be something, watching Zaslow with the biggest stakes of his life going into Pearl Jam and the Miami Heat. I would like to, on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the game, to have juju pop up with Alley oop with whatever game he wants to do, and Amin to pop up with Oddball somewhere so that we can do some things around the basketball this weekend that makes the YouTube channel feel a little bit alive. How do we do that? Can the three of you explain to me how I execute this weekend? You guys doing stuff to promote your vehicles in ways that's fun.

[Jeremy]

Well, Dan, number one, we get with sales, and we got to sell this thing. And. And I'm thinking Omaha Steaks. I'm thinking maybe. Maybe poppy steak. Maybe prime 112. Someone should be sponsoring the show, giving us product. And I should be able to watch Zaz eat a steak as the stakes are rising for him.

[Chris Cody]

Well, I like steak, all right? And I like the Miami Heat, and I like Pearl Jam. I'm willing to do it here tomorrow night. Okay. You guys get the game here? Yeah.

[Amin]

Yes. Got many, many televisions.

[Chris Cody]

Got espn.

[Jeremy]

We have cable.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I watch the game right here. Stakes will be nice. I'm not asking for anything extra, but stakes would be fantastic.

[Cody Taylor]

You seem like a medium well guy.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I am a medium well guy. How about that steak? Yeah, why not?

[Dan]

It's got to be a medium rare thing.

[Chris Cody]

It depends. Depends on the cut. You know, sometimes it's medium, sometimes medium well. Depends on cut. All right, well, we're not just down the line, Tony. It depends what we got in front of us. I will come here tomorrow night. I'm going to watch the game. I'll probably bring my son because he's just as involved. I mean, come on, two tickets. We'll come here. We will watch. But here's. We got to finalize the stakes, right? Okay, so here's. Here's what I am. I'm about to agree to, all right?

[Amin]

But Juju. And, I mean, think about what it is that you're going to do while he's talking here.

[Chris Cody]

Here's what I'm going to agree to, all right? If the Miami Heat win tomorrow night, I get tickets for both shows. Got two tickets for both Pearl Jam shows. And I work. But, like. Like, I'm working for normal pay, you know?

[Jeremy]

Got the chart right there, right?

[Chris Cody]

I'm paid work. Right. If the Heat come through, I continue to get paid work. As much as you guys want to have me here, I love coming here, and I get the tickets for Pearl Jam. If the Heat lose, I guess you're. I guess I lose it all.

[Amin]

No. And free. And you work for free throughout the hockey playoffs.

[Jeremy]

And. And your wife.

[Dan]

And your unhappy wife. Kid hates you.

[Cody Taylor]

I thought he lost his wife for a second.

[Dan]

I was like, he will.

[Chris Cody]

I don't know if you guys know this. That one's gonna be tough because wives love money.

[Jeremy]

They do.

[Fitz]

Okay, let's. I'm gonna draw the line right there. I think we should lean out of that misogyny of wives loves money because we've been getting a lot of heat online for that earlier today. Loves money. Husbands love money. Kids love. Loves money.

[Chris Cody]

You're right.

[Fitz]

I put it on the wives. I mean, but salute, though.

[Chris Cody]

But they do. And husbands love money. And like. But wives love money.

[Amin]

I don't know why you keep doing that, though. Like, I don't understand. And we still haven't gotten the right stage.

[Chris Cody]

He's gonna be the one who's angry when I come home and say indentured servitude.

[Dan]

Those are good stakes.

[Fitz]

Anyway, so we should. We should also lean away from taking of the ass. That's not necessarily. That's a heinous crime these days, you know? Like, just remember, we're broadcasting amongst a lot of different airwaves. You feel me? Trauma is everywhere. It's not. Take ass.

[Amin]

There you go.

[Chris Cody]

Take us one by a lot.

[Amin]

He is right on all these things. If he wants to be the ombudsman there. Wait a minute. Like, we're not unaware that he's exactly right on everything he's saying. Correct?

[Jeremy]

Correct. And also, he's got a gray shirt on for the listeners. He's got a teen just shirt on. And that's one of the greatest hoodies that you've ever created, man. Teen Just teenage. I need more smolder.

[Chris Cody]

Are we doing this?

[Amin]

What?

[Chris Cody]

Tomorrow night. Are we doing this?

[Amin]

We're talking about Baby Billy right now. Is what we were doing dangerous?

[Fitz]

Salute to Baby Billy. Salute to Sledge Johns on Twitter today, you feel me? Who pointed out a very important fact from yesterday's show. He says y'all did Juju gotti wrong yesterday, implying that he listed too many members of Pearl Jam, when in fact he listed all active members and previous members, including every former drummer dating back to 1991. This show may be uncultured philistines, but this old grudge fan sees you, Juju, and I see you back. Guys.

[Dan]

Good job.

[Chris Cody]

Out of you.

[Dan]

You should have.

[Fitz]

I always know. I always know I'm right when y'all calling me.

[Amin]

No, but Zaz should have defended you. There's.

[Chris Cody]

I wasn't here, though.

[Dan]

I didn't hear it.

[Juju]

Oh, he wasn't here.

[Jeremy]

He left before.

[Amin]

So it's the rest of us. Okay. I'm sorry. We owe you an apology, Juju.

[Fitz]

No, it's okay. You don't. I don't defend myself in these situations, especially at this company. I realized that that just defending myself just offends or makes you guys uncomfortable. So I just let you guys call me whatever y'all want to call me.

[Chris Cody]

You.

[Jeremy]

God.

[Amin]

All right. All right. Now we need to lay down again. Jesus. Okay.

[Cody Taylor]

Oh, folks, Paul Maurice has released a statement. Quote, everyone's available for game one.

[Chris Cody]

See, that's what I'm talking about.

[Juju]

Oh, everybody except for Aaron.

[Cody Taylor]

Except for Aaron Eckblad.

[Chris Cody]

Well, he's not available. He's suspended. That's what I'm talking about.

[Fitz]

Why?

[Dan]

What do you do?

[Cody Taylor]

Chucky's back, baby.

[Chris Cody]

Zazlow, you know this means for Lightning, right? You know.

[Dan]

Don't say it. What does it mean? Don't say it.

[Juju]

Don't do it.

[Chris Cody]

Don't do it.

[Dan]

Don't do it.

[Cody Taylor]

Don't do it.

[Amin]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Chris Cody]

It's bad news for the Lightning.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Fitz]

Yeah.

[Juju]

All right, Coming up next, Pitch Clock.

[Cody Taylor]

Yeah, Jeremy.

[Dan]

Welcome to the pitch clock. Here's the pitch. A two part baseball segment combining a nostalgic baseball trivia game and an interview interview with an expert. This is the Pitch Clock. Pitch clock is back. That's Chris. Cody Taylor, vipulous with us as well. Our expert will be here momentarily to talk through the 2025 MLB season. But as always, you're on Pitch Clock. Chris.

[Cody Taylor]

That's an obnoxious mirror behind Taylor. I just wanted to say that.

[Dan]

Oh, that is. Is that Taylor? Is that your childhood home? Your parents place?

[Jordan Schusterman]

My parents place.

[Cody Taylor]

I'm rude. Sorry. That's probably like your great grandma's mirror. It's a really nice mirror, actually.

[Dan]

It looks very.

[Jordan Schusterman]

My mom listens, so she's probably gonna get a new mirror.

[Dan]

Taylor. Taylor, why don't you go ahead and tell us what our trivia game is for today?

[Jordan Schusterman]

So we're gonna alternate questions and if you miss, the other person has the chance to steal the high score at the end wins. So I just have trivia questions for you. All right, we'll start with Chris. Chris, the first question, the most stolen bases in 2007 was from this middle infielder from the NL East.

[Cody Taylor]

I think this guy might have been doing Raphael for call.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Oh, that's incorrect.

[Dan]

Oh, it's incorrect. Jeremy, chance to steal 2007. Is that gonna be Jimmy Rollins?

[Jordan Schusterman]

It's not Jimmy Rollins.

[Cody Taylor]

Really?

[Jordan Schusterman]

Jose Reyes from the Mets.

[Amin]

Oh, duh.

[Cody Taylor]

Yeah.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Jeremy, very similar question. The most stolen bases in 2009 was from this outfielder from the AL East, Jacoby Ellsbury. Jacoby Ellsbury is correct. Ball knower.

[Dan]

All right. Ball knower.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Chris Cody. In 1995, the Yankees acquired this All Star along with Jeff Nelson for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis before winning the World Series.

[Cody Taylor]

I'm gonna go with. This is totally wrong. Ruben Sierra. I know he's 03.

[Dan]

What is Paul O'Neill?

[Jordan Schusterman]

It's not Paul O'Neil.

[Dan]

It's not Paul O'Neal.

[Cody Taylor]

You don't know ball.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Tino Martinez.

[Dan]

Ah, man, same thing.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Jeremy. In 1992, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired this All Star for Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson before winning the World Series.

[Dan]

John Olerude.

[Jordan Schusterman]

It's not John Olrood. David Cohn.

[Cody Taylor]

Oh, I didn't get a chance to guess.

[Dan]

Oh, God.

[Cody Taylor]

I had that. I had that.

[Dan]

You were just five years. I had that waiting for that moment.

[Cody Taylor]

GQ's with me. I have that bull crap.

[Dan]

All right. It's still one.

[Jordan Schusterman]

I'm going to put an asterisk there for messing up.

[Dan]

I get one, Chris gets a half a point. I'm up one, two, a half. And now to the 2025 baseball portion of today. I have our experts with us. It's the fellas from CES Family Barbecue, Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman. Guys, it's awesome to have you back here on the pitch clock, and it's been a really fun start to the 2025 MLB season. I want to dive right into it with you. Who is a player in Major League Baseball this year who's gotten off to a hot start in these first few weeks that's been the most fun to you, whether that's a cool surprise or a player who maybe is, is now finally like living up to their potential, whatever you want that to be.

[J]

Spencer Torkelson on the Detroit Tigers, who was the number one overall pick in 2020, looked cooked, looked washed, sent down to AAA last year, was not necessarily an important piece of this Tigers team moving forward. Showed up with a new swing and he's been hitting the absolute snot out of the ball. On the other end, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who was horrible for the first three and a half, four months of last season, had two home runs on like July 18, caught fire down the stretch, ended up with a league average line. He has looked like a legitimate MVP candidate so far this season. I know those aren't the two biggest markets, but those are two players whose highlights are worth watching.

[Dan]

That's very. It's exactly why we asked you, right? Two guys who people aren't necessarily going to be watching. Yeah. You have an opportunity in those two players to see some elite baseball. Jordan, who has stood out to you so far.

[Juju]

Yeah, I'll go. I'll go. Two guys also. The first more on the Corbin Carroll end of things is just Tatis. You know, we've been kind of hoping that Fernando Tatis Jr. Could get back to full blown what it seemed like he was heading towards before his many off the field derailments. But now it's. He's the guy. It really feels like I for as awesome as Jackson Merrill was in his rookie year last year, I know Manny Machado is still kind of the face of this Padres era, but Tatis is. Seems to really be kind of grabbing hold of San Diego in a way that we saw him do earlier in his career and now it is just at totally other level. Another, he hit another home run last night and then I have to say too, another one. Just keeping in this in the west coast theme, Tommy Edmond, you know, I just love that Tommy Edmond. He. For him to, you know, arrive last year at the trade deadline and then have that amazing NLCS performance where everyone was like, oh, like what a fluky thing. Tommy Edmond wins, you know, NLCS mvp. Like that's baseball. You don't, you never know who's gonna, you know, emerge, you know, as the best player in a small sample. And now here we are the next season, and he looks like one of the best players in baseball. And it's not surprising that the Dodgers have been able to get an even higher version out of him now that he's fully healthy and swinging well from both sides of the plate.

[Dan]

I want to go to a particular team here because maybe the most fun start of the season has been the Cubs offense overall. I mean, they're averaging over six runs a game. I think they have like 20 more runs to this point than any other team in baseball. You know, games played changes some of those things, but it's been crazy. It's not just Kyle Tucker who's going crazy. It's. It's my favorite stats to look at right now. And Carson Kelly is one of the guys playing catcher for them. Pete Crow, Armstrong leading, you know, the National League, I believe tied for the National League lead and stolen bases at the time of this recording. Are the Cubs sustainable.

[Juju]

We're going to see a lot of slugfests with this team, and that will be entertaining for the neutrals. I know for Cubs fans, it might be a little bit exhausting, but also when you compare it to kind of the slog of mediocrity that they've given us over the last couple years, this is a far superior product. And from an entertainment standpoint, I have to imagine Cubs fans still feel like they're going to be in. In every game because you now have a Kyle Tucker anchoring. You have a guy like Peter Armstrong kind of coming into his own as a hitter. And then man Michael Bush, that's another guy. I thought about shouting out and with your first question, that's the guy who's. Who's been kind of everything you could ask for and more in terms of a young hitter that they traded for from the Dodgers, and that's been working out.

[J]

Anything P Car Armstrong does, I want to watch. Like, he's exhilarating in a way that we haven't had a whole lot recently. I mean, it's elite, top of the chart speed. Anytime he touches the ball and it goes into play, it's interesting. Is this Cubs offense this good? No. No, they're not. No offense is this good, right? No offense is finishing the year with this type of production, which is a boring, sad answer, and I sincerely apologize for it. That being said, they have not gotten really any production from Ian Happ, who has been their most consistent player over the last decade. Dansby Swanson, who everybody listening to this knows. And then Matt Shaw, who was a big deal, top prospect, who Broke camp with them. If those guys kind of go up and the offense from the catchers, which will not continue, goes down, I still think this can be one of the better offenses in the National League.

[Dan]

Taylor, what's the next question for Chris DC?

[Jordan Schusterman]

Chris Cody. In 2000, the Giants had the best record in baseball with. With this former Giant as their manager.

[Cody Taylor]

I'm gonna say that was Jerry Manuel or the. The Manual. Wait, hold on. Back up, all right? The hell am I thinking of?

[Dan]

You're thinking of Charlie Manuel.

[Cody Taylor]

No, no, I'm thinking of. My bad. I swear to. Please, just let me.

[Dan]

We're gonna let you.

[Cody Taylor]

I'm thinking of Moises Alou Senior.

[Dan]

Yeah, okay.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Okay. I'll. I'll.

[Cody Taylor]

I was like.

[Dan]

You're thinking of. I think what you're at. Are you thinking of Felipe Alu. Yes, Felipe Alou.

[Cody Taylor]

Sorry, that's.

[Jordan Schusterman]

I'll allow that. Still wrong. Jeremy with the chance to steal Dusty Baker.

[Dan]

Oh, sorry.

[Jordan Schusterman]

It is Dusty Baker.

[Fitz]

Idiot.

[Dan]

The two coaches.

[Cody Taylor]

I could think. Dusty Baker with the toothpick. God, I'm an idiot.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Jeremy, in 2006, the Mets had the best record in baseball with this former Met as their manager.

[Dan]

Is the answer Bobby Valentine?

[Jordan Schusterman]

The answer is not Bobby Valentine. I'm going to allow Chris the chance to steal it.

[Dan]

That's late. That was late. To guess Bobby Valentine. That was late.

[Cody Taylor]

Robin Ventura.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Oh, Willie Randolph went over from the Yankees bench coach.

[Dan]

Of course it was Willie Randolph.

[Cody Taylor]

Damn it.

[Jordan Schusterman]

The Yankees were 60 in the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 against this team, despite them having two MVPs on the roster.

[Cody Taylor]

Twins.

[Dan]

So annoying. It's two to one and a half now, thanks to Taylor's blunder. Now I'm feeling the pressure. All right. The Yankees.

[Cody Taylor]

You know, I had David Cohn.

[Dan]

It'd be two. Two. No, you didn't.

[Cody Taylor]

I had it.

[Dan]

I know you didn't.

[Cody Taylor]

Look back at my face. The replay of my face.

[Dan]

All right, we have the ISOs. I want you to take the face he just made. Audio listeners. He was very boisterous in the look that he just made. But you know what he wasn't doing when it was actually happening? Making any face at all.

[Cody Taylor]

Finger up.

[Dan]

Taylor, what's the next question?

[Jordan Schusterman]

This team failed to make an ALCS from 2000 to 2005 despite having two.

[Dan]

MVPs over that stretch from 2000 to 2005. I'm going. I'm going with the Texas Rangers.

[Jordan Schusterman]

No, it is not the Texas Rangers. Chris Cody with a chance to steal.

[Dan]

I'll just.

[Cody Taylor]

I Don't really know this one. I'm just gonna go with the team that I'm thinking of that had a great pitching staff somewhere in there. I'm gonna go with the A's.

[Jordan Schusterman]

It is the A's.

[Cody Taylor]

What was that like? That was like, Mark, that was like talking. Wasn't that like Mulder, Hudson, not mvp.

[Dan]

Tejada won an mvp.

[Jordan Schusterman]

And Giambi.

[Dan]

Giambi.

[Cody Taylor]

So I thought of it for the wrong reason.

[Dan]

You thought of it for all the wrong reasons.

[Cody Taylor]

Even thinking of it, I was just like, they were a good team in that era that I don't remember them making it that far.

[Dan]

And so let's just get this straight. Chris Cody is now beating me two and a half to two. Should be three because of Taylor's mistake.

[Cody Taylor]

Could be three.

[Dan]

And accidentally thinking about the MVP going to the A's because he thought all of the pitchers with their potential Cy Youngs, that they didn't win would be the reason why.

[Cody Taylor]

But that replay, I was like, trying to get in.

[Dan]

I was like, david, I want to stick with a couple of teams here now on the east coast that have been somewhat disappointing. I look at the Baltimore Orioles, I look at the Atlanta Braves. Jake, I'll start with you here. Which of these two teams should be more concerned about the start that they've had this season, projecting what the rest of their year could look like?

[J]

I think it's the Orioles, and that's just because of the pitching. The Orioles slow start has been the worst case scenario people could have anticipated. The rotation right now is a big shrug and some rosary beads like they are. Is the plan.

[Dan]

What's the plan?

[J]

The plan doesn't make sense.

[Dan]

That's where you can have a problem. So Jordan picking up from there. Is it. Does it have to be the Orioles? Like, are the Orioles the team that you have to look at and say, long term, they're. They're in more trouble than, you know, you would be if you're a Braves fan.

[Juju]

I still think the Orioles are going to score a lot of runs and remain competitive. But to Jake's point, like, it's literally exactly what we were concerned about. And we're only three weeks in. You see that they're last in era, last in whip, last in strikeouts, last and hits for nine among the rotation. And the only thing they're doing is throwing strikes. But when you're only throwing 90, 92, that's not a good thing.

[Chime Representative]

Right?

[Juju]

That's great that you're not walking guys, but generally you're Going to get hit around the yard, especially when you're, you know, you're in the AL east. And it's just, it's just not a good recipe.

[Dan]

This is where I want to wrap things up with you guys. Yeah, the, the, maybe the coolest surprise of the first 15 games of the season is that through 15 games, the Marlins are a game over.500. That's with a couple of battles in division with the Braves and the Nationals and the Mets. To me, coolest surprise of the season so far is the Marlins. Am I right in saying that?

[Juju]

For me, it's already nice to see some of the young players that they've brought in start to perform because that's really what you're looking for in a season like this. Who are going to be the players that could be around when this team starts to kind of build back up. And ultimately when you, when you have a Clayton McCullough in place, you want to. It's all about player development. It's all, all about guys getting better at the major league level. So hopefully they can have some more of those outcomes regardless of the actual record.

[J]

I just imagine you want a reason to care.

[Dan]

Yes.

[J]

Right. And Marlins fans just want a reason to turn on the TV and watch this team. And when you're a fan of a bad team, what you're really looking for is trying to figure out which players right now on the bad team deserve to be on the next good team.

[Dan]

That's right.

[J]

And when you look at this Marlins roster so far, there are more guys than I thought who fit that mold. Right. You can see a world where Stowers is on that team, where Xavier Edwards is on that team, even where Matt Mervis is on that team. And I think that's what should be so encouraging for Marlins fans is you are seeing a path forward. Look, are they going to make the playoffs? No, they're not. And that's okay. Right. But it is trending way better than we thought it would and that is a good thing.

[Juju]

Obviously, I think a lot of the concerns with Miami coming into the year is right, like how are they going to score any runs when you consider how inexperienced the lineup is. But Max Meyer is someone with draft pedigree with talent who is going to be important for this team. Because if we're being honest with ourselves, you know, Sandy Alcantara, it's hard to count on him being part of this long term vision. So thinking about who those next pitchers are, I know there are some of the minor leagues like Thomas White, who they're excited about as well. But Max Meyer is here and succeeding in the majors, and that's another guy that you should definitely be excited about.

[Dan]

Between him and Sandy, Yuri Perez comes back. It's going to be a fun season to watch some pitching with the Marlins and the rest of this baseball season. For that, you need to follow these guys at CES bbq, on Twitter and I believe, across platform. Jake Mintz, Jordan Schusterman, all their work at Yahoo. Sports. Thank you, fellas. We got to get back to our trivia game.

[Jordan Schusterman]

This team's 2003 opening day lineup consisted of Mo Van, Roberto Alomar and Jeremy Bernitz.

[Dan]

This is so easy.

[Cody Taylor]

Move on.

[Dan]

It's your move on.

[Cody Taylor]

I meant to say the New York Mets, but I said for some reason, move on.

[Jordan Schusterman]

It is the New York.

[Cody Taylor]

Course it's the New York Mets. Mo Vaughn, Jeremy Bernitz. This is like my 03.

[Dan]

I can't believe I can tell you.

[Cody Taylor]

Three players on every team in 03.

[Jordan Schusterman]

This team's 2002 opening day lineup consisted of Fred McGriff, Corey Patterson and Delino De Shields.

[Cody Taylor]

I got this one, too.

[Dan]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Damn it.

[Jordan Schusterman]

It's not the Tampa Bay Devil race.

[Cody Taylor]

All right. Say the names again. I'm gonna steal this one.

[Dan]

Really?

[Jordan Schusterman]

2002 opening day lineup.

[Dan]

I know.

[Jordan Schusterman]

Fred McGriff, Corey Patterson, Delino De Shields.

[Dan]

Chicago Cub.

[Jordan Schusterman]

The ball knower. The ball knower.

[Dan]

Chris.

[Cody Taylor]

Now I did. Now. Now I beat you by more than half a point.

[Jordan Schusterman]

So that was a ball don't lie.

[Dan]

Situation that sucked so much. Taylor. You threw me off my game and now I feel like a loser.

[Cody Taylor]

Guess what I didn't know. David Cohn. I knew it and I still won.

[Dan]

See you next week.