Ranking My Preseason MLB Predictions (Tier List)
Aug 25, 2026
Hello and welcome to a very special edition of Wake and Jake.
We're going to do some, where was I right?
Where was I wrong?
Uh, mostly the wrong.
I think you sickos like that a little more.
Uh, we did this earlier in the year with some ball players.
We did it.
Uh, we didn't went around the horn and did players.
I was the most wrong about, uh, with a month left to go.
The regular season ends September 27th.
It's August 24th, kind of a month.
I could have just waited till the midweek episode said one month exactly,
but where's the fun in that it isn't.
Uh, and more so, uh, something that coach Trevor Ploof, not a
coach brought to my attention.
Uh, he did an award today on talking baseball.
That was a little mind blowing.
He, he said he did math on his end to figure out whose power
rankings were more accurate.
I would have loved to see him actually doing the math.
It was something around doing subtraction from their current place in the standings
versus what we thought they would be on the whole, um, it was definitely some
which voodoo math and probably inaccurate, but I graded out better than him slightly.
So I'll take it.
Uh, that I wanted to go through some where I was wrong.
You were right.
Uh, Rufus, the soul song.
Um, and then I wanted to chop it up a little differently.
Some, some partially, some partially right, some partially wrong.
And because it's waking Jake, and I'll tell you what, if you're a podcast
only person, I appreciate you.
However you consume the show.
I appreciate you.
But boy, does the YouTube love a tier list.
So we'll tear it out.
Um, and I actually really liked this cause I think the tier list people that consume
because instead of S tier, the top one is going to be read it like a book.
I had, I had your team.
I had your team pegged.
Uh, I know that's a tricky term these days, but I had, I had your team locked
from the start, read it like a book.
Num, num, num, num, num.
Had it the next tier.
And again, as you do know, with our tier list, we leave ourselves some wiggle, but
we have predetermined them this time.
Uh, the next one, I thought the best way to phrase had it.
But it's like, yeah, I had your team, but I didn't expect this offensively.
I didn't expect this player's breakout.
Or maybe you go the other way injury.
Uh, and I do think that is going to be the other fun part with this one that, uh, the
good and bad teams could be viewed the exact same on this one.
You know, you could, you could have had a great year and I didn't think you were
gonna, you could have had a doggy year and I didn't think you were gonna, and you
could both be in the, I messed up at the bottom.
Uh, and the only tier, uh, we got sure in the middle right now.
Sure.
All right, whatever.
We'll see how that ages.
Um, and then I don't have it, but kind of like, I didn't have it, but in a way, did
I have it?
Try to give myself a little partial credit on the way through because that partial
credit can add up.
C's get degrees and sometimes that's the best way to do it.
So, uh, let's start chewing through it.
And as I mentioned, and I, uh, BBD has it, uh, Trevor and I did our preseason
rankings.
Uh, and this is, you know, when we're doing this, it's in March.
We've just gone through every team.
Um, free agency and injuries are still sorting out top prospects and all of
that.
Um, and that there was also, it felt like a defined tier this year when you got
towards the bottom that it was like, Hey, this is, this is it.
Um, I feel very good about my kind of top of the list and I'm actually pretty
disappointed in my mid to bottom where I think Trev felt a little different.
Um, he got stung bad by the Mets.
He had the Mets at three.
I had them at 11.
Uh, so I do think the other thing that needs to go into the scope of this is we
all have general expectations for these teams, right?
Like it, it would have been nuts if I looked at the Dodgers and I was like,
they're going to be, they're going to be awful this year.
Like even the Mets, and I'm going to leave the Metsiness out of it, even
though they had a Metsy season, maybe the Braves are Detroit.
Detroit's a fantastic example of this.
Trevor had them at seven.
I had them at eight.
I think if you were doing a power rankings of the teams and you really
disliked Detroit for whatever reasons it may be, you could have slid them down to
what, middle of the pack, 14, 15.
Like Detroit had Scooble.
They signed Framber.
They were coming off the playoffs.
They have a young core that you were thinking was getting better.
Like it's when you're responsible, though, it's really hard to do a power
rankings and be like, bang, Philly's 27th.
Like you just, you can't.
Even though each season is going to offer something like that.
Um, so I'm going to try to give myself some grace while also, um, if you're a
Jake hater and listens to these episodes, which that's nuts.
Imagine.
I really hate this little guy so much.
I'm going to tune in hard.
That's sick.
A lot of our society does that.
A lot of how it works.
Thanks for subscribing.
And we thank you so much.
It does help out the show a lot.
Tell you, show your friends and have them hate.
Um, I actually declined, declined that offer.
Uh, no thanks.
Uh, so let's get into it.
Let's try, let's try to tear this up.
Properly.
And again, I, I have my loose rankings there.
If I need to dig into some over over unders.
Uh, I do think there's a lot of low hanging fruit and like we do, we normally
try to start, start at the tap.
Um, and there's easy ones, uh, that it's, is it's Dodgers and Brewers.
Um, and part of Trevor's award was giving me kudos on the Brewers, uh, DVD.
I don't know how quick the flip is between those, those two.
Me putting the Brewers at two was slightly controversial at the time.
The last time we saw the Milwaukee Brewers, they got, they got beat off the
field, man, um, by the Dodgers in a big way.
And that was kind of their whole story is like, Oh, they're a fun regular season
team, but as Milwaukee gonna, do they have what it takes?
And also it feels like every MLB season offers variables and this guy gets hurt.
This team had a down year.
They're bad in one run games.
Uh, whatever it may be.
Milwaukee for me last year, they fully won me over.
And I know I've gone over some of the team numbers with you guys and just how
good they've been year in, year out.
Uh, this off season was kind of funky.
I mean, they did the Caleb Durbin trade, which we were like, what, what's going on
here?
They traded away Freddy Peralta.
Like, you know, we, when the Brewers do these trades, we're often kind of looking
in, like how many times can a team really survive getting rid of one of their best
players every off season?
It's crazy.
But for me last year was the icing on the cake.
Um, you know, they, they transitioned to Pat Murphy in 2024.
Coming off of Craig council.
Um, they won 93 games.
Uh, they kind of had a chip on their shoulder versus the Cubs.
Then it felt like the Cubs loaded up again, right?
Like the Cubbies, the Cubbies added Kyle Tucker before last season, which was a
huge trade.
And it felt like the Cubbies were, they were finding their final form.
The Brewers never cared.
They won 97 games.
They had the best regular season record in baseball.
So I can understand if there's still some October doubts and the only counter I can
give you to that is that the pitching has trended up like Mizorowski, uh, is
obviously on an all time performance right now.
His fastball was down.
Uh, his last start, he averaged a hundred miles per hour.
Um, and Pat Murphy's quote, where a lot of teams would be like, oh shoot, Mizorowski's
VLO is down.
Pat Murphy came out and was basically like, yeah, you got to learn how to pitch
when you're not feeling great.
End of discussion.
Back to baseball.
Um, that Mizorowski feels different.
The question's going to be around the offense.
You know, there's a lot of those breweries, the brewery guys that, you know, the
pressure's going to be hot in October.
And who are they going to face?
Like the NL playoffs are looking sick, right?
The NL dance is awesome right now.
Um, I guess I can just click over there cause I literally have it up.
Uh, Brewer's Dodgers who deserve it.
And basically the two teams from the opposite ends of the spectrum.
Um, the Atlanta Braves who look like their back, the Phillies who look like
their big back, remember, remember they fired their manager.
Um, they've also won nine in a row.
They made a big ad at the deadline with a rise, uh, moving their whole infield
around, everything is kind of gone really well for Philly.
Andrew Painter's pitching well.
Um, and then San Diego who Tatis is playing out of his dome.
Um, and they're still just like a fun playoff team.
Cause it's Tatis it's Machado.
Um, and then obviously all the other guys outside of that Merrill to Bogarts
to tie France, having a great year.
Um, sorry, that was my NL playoff speech that I want to get off.
Um, but yeah, uh, again, this is going to be the complimentary part.
Cause we start at the top tier.
Uh, that, yeah, I was a little more in on the Brewers.
Uh, one of my running jokes this year has been, if you've been looking, I
don't give financial advice, but the one thing I will give you is the Brewers over.
Um, and again, Trev called himself out on this.
So don't think I'm twisting the knife.
Trevor had him at 10 and that wasn't, it wasn't hyper controversial.
It wasn't hyper controversial.
Um, am I saying that word right?
Controversial.
How do you say that?
I would say controversial, controversial, controversial.
That's just a little extra for kind of no reason.
Um, okay, let's, let's go down the list.
Um, give me the tears again, babes.
Cause we've got, I had it, but sure.
I didn't have it, but, and I messed, um, let's do a messed up team.
That feels good.
I feel if I'm going to compliment myself, let's say where I've messed up.
Um, Seattle's going to be an interesting part of this exercise.
Cause I mean, we had them two and three people forget they took Toronto.
It took Toronto to, uh, what was it?
Game game seven and extra innings.
I believe Leo Revis saving the season.
Um, yeah, Seattle's going to be a tricky one.
Baltimore, how down and out.
Okay.
I've got, I think I've got two teams to start that I can, I can
full blown say I was wrong.
Um, the San Francisco giants.
I messed up.
Today's episode is sponsored by booking.com booking.
Yeah.
An official travel partner of MLB booking.com makes it easy for every
baseball fan to travel and catch a game wherever the team schedule takes them.
Following my team on the road means exploring a new ballpark
and also an entirely new city.
The steakhouse worth the stop before the game, the hotel, that's a short
walk from the park, so the whole night stays easy.
That's the kind of road trip that ends up being about more than just the final score.
Booking.com makes it simple to find the right hotel or vacation home near
wherever the schedule is taking you.
So the trip comes together just as fast as the decision goes.
Once somewhere gets into your head, go on, book that trip.
It's easy.
The easiest way from where you are to where you want to be booking.com booking.
Yeah.
An official travel partner of major league baseball, major league baseball
trademarks are used with the permission.
I messed up.
I got excited right before the season.
Tony Vitello, they took a chance on something new.
I like when teams do that in sports.
There are so many sports has become so organized and it's a good thing, but
like, it's very rare that a team or a front office is doing something so
different and the San Francisco giants, they brought in the college manager.
Never been done.
Buster Posey calling the shots.
We love it.
Former player hall of famer from his team.
Like here's the keys.
It's kind of, that's like what sports used to be.
I don't know.
Bus Posey.
You were really good.
If you want to run our team, try it.
The giants have been a disaster every now and then checking in the
standings and being like, wow.
Uh, they are two games ahead of the Rockies for the worst record in the
national, um, that, yeah, I, as we were getting to our postseason picks, which
again, I, I'm not saying this in actual draggy way.
I just, I just do it.
I think a good exercise is for everyone to try to wear everyone else's shoes
and feel at what it feels like by the time the baseball season rolls around.
We've done team profile and projections on every team here on wake and Jake.
Um, we do the tier list with jolly by position that you talk a lot and you're
saying a lot of different stuff.
You're saying a lot of the same stuff that I'll be honest.
When that episode happens where it's like, Hey, make your picks.
Well, one, I, I unfortunately do have logic that like I'm picking the
Dodgers to win the world series.
Like you could have been cute and been like, I think the Phillies are going to
clip them or I think Milwaukee is going to learn from last year, but like the
Dodgers are the pick with what they do every year.
Um, when you start doing who's going to make the playoffs and sometimes it
doesn't even fully reflect the power rankings because you don't even
have it like that dialed in.
I think I tried to, I think I picked San Francisco as my last NL wildcard team.
Um, just cause I wanted it to work.
Not that I necessarily believed it, but because I wanted it to work.
I'm a Rafi Devers guy.
Um, that I thought him having a full season there, Willie Adamas, Matt
Chapman, Jung-Hoo Lee, like this team went out and added dudes.
And unfortunately it's just been one of the worst recipes we have seen.
Um, again, something that always gets me with Rafi.
He's now played 220 games as a San Francisco giant.
It's a one 25 OPS plus compared to a one 29 as a Boston Red Sox.
But it's the difference between Fenway and the ballpark he's playing.
And now I won't defend it too much anymore.
I just, in the baseball season, there's a variable of what can happen.
I thought the giants could catch the good side of that variable with all of
their veterans and wanting it to work instead, a chance to be the worst team
in the league, which again, nobody, nobody had that in their scoop.
I think the other one that I'll just eat now and get it over
with, uh, the Kansas City Royals.
Uh, again, another team that I liked what was going on.
I sneaky liked them to win the central.
Um, and a little bit of it is to blame brother, Jeff, Jeff Passon, who, when
we talked to him, uh, last year, and we were talking about teams that were just
set up for the future, he actually, the two teams he listed were Kansas City and
Seattle.
Um, he's like Seattle, not only do you think Seattle's here now, but they have
one of the best farm systems in the league.
And we did just see them call up Kate Anderson, uh, who looks the part by the
way, uh, with some of the best minor league numbers you've ever seen, uh, for
Kansas City, they're out of it.
Um, which again in the American league to be out of it is shocking.
The teams that are out of it are the angels, the athletics, and the Royals.
That's it.
And the Royals aren't supposed to be with them.
They're really not.
Um, they've just won eight in a row, which has brought them to 58 and 74, which is
horrific.
Um, I don't know.
I'll be very interested to see how they finished the rest of the season.
Like if they get hot and they almost landed around 500, their season on the
to land at around 500, they would have to play incredible, which goes into the
whole thing.
They, yeah, I thought the Royals could work.
I thought they were kind of a pitching factory.
Uh, and that's not what happened down there this year.
And Bobby Witt has still been Bobby Witt this year.
Uh, obviously Vinny dealt with injuries and poor play for a little bit, like
Caglione kind of broke out.
Um, like if I told you some of the things that had happened, Noah Cameron's on a
run from hell right now.
WACA is having a nice year.
Um, their bullpen let them down.
It's been one of the worst bullpens start to finish.
I referenced this recently, but I'll do it again.
Remember they came out of spring training and they're like, yeah, Carlos Estevez is
throwing like five miles per hour slower.
Like, okay.
And then they put him out there.
He got rocked twice and then he's been on the IL.
They've been gone.
Um, their bullpen 29th in ERA and 30th in WIP.
I guess the good news for Royals fans, maybe for next year, that is one of the
things that can change the quickest.
Um, that happened with Toronto in 2025.
They went from bad bullpen to good bullpen.
Um, but yeah, I, I just think as far as expectations went to my actual thoughts,
uh, the giants and Kansas city Royals are probably the two that hurt.
Um, I do think the good news is, uh, I can feed my ego again and go back to, uh,
read it like a book at the top there.
Um, and I just want to double check myself.
If you could hop back over Biebs.
Um, cause I think there's a couple bad teams that we can just check off easily.
Uh, Rockies and angels.
Absolutely.
Um, welcome to the welcome Rockies and angels.
Don't get to the top of the tier list a lot with the Dodgers and the Brewers for
sure.
Um, wow, that's a little jarring when you actually see it, huh?
Um, yeah, I mean, what do you say the angels are who you thought they were?
The Rockies even taking massive strides as an organization, uh, are still the
worst, the worst in the national league.
So, um, that's insane.
They had great crowds this weekend.
That's part of the problem.
Um, I don't want to dissuade people from going to game.
So like, um, yeah, and the halos are a game up from having the worst record in
the American league.
So that's, that's pretty jarring.
That is pretty jarring.
Um, let's see.
Uh, let me do another, what did I have on the nose?
Like who did I, who am I still feeling good about?
Um, Cubs and Phillies.
I don't, I mean, that's literally like where they're positioned, but there's a
little by default there.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
Something about nailing it should lean it a little bit.
It'd been into like, was that like a take?
Right.
Um, and the, you know, the internetification of all this, let's go.
Hmm.
More pats on the back for little Jake, little Jake, good nickname for me.
Um, no.
Okay.
Let's do Phillies and Cubs in the second row because it does feel like it by
default.
Uh, I had it, but it is by default.
There's still some stuff to sort there, by the way, uh, the Phillies are
sneaking up on the Atlanta Braves.
Uh, they are three games behind the Atlanta Braves.
And again, uh, the Braves have been leaking oil a little bit, uh, since
their start, hot start to the season and the Phillies, you know, if you really
wanted to butter knife stuff and you did since Mattingly, you can do since
the trade deadline, they've been nails.
They were missing that fifth starter.
Andrew Painter has kicked into gear.
Uh, even Nola, who was, you know, a little bit of a squeaky wheel for them.
Um, their offense was last in on base percentage and now their offense in the
month, in the month of August is getting on at a three 70 clip.
That's the best in baseball.
They added Louisa rise.
They went from being the team that scored the most on home runs, uh, to over the
past month or so, uh, that they've been one of the least, which again, you can
double edge sword that in baseball a little bit, like, and you got guys like
Schwarber who, you know, the home runs are still going to be there, but the
Phillies are coming, um, if they're not already here and man that NL East, which
for a little bit of the season, and it's just, it's a constant reminder of how
long the season really is.
It looked like the Braves were going to run away with it.
They sure aren't.
The Phillies are there.
And then the Cubbies, uh, they have given a couple scares this year.
Uh, remember at one point they dropped down to 500, uh, with a 10 game losing
streak.
And it was like, what, who are these Chicago does it not work?
Um, it works.
They're almost 20 games above 500 now.
Um, they weren't getting a ton from Bregman and Horner.
They're now starting to get some from Bregman and Horner.
PCA is the guy.
I guess you could have doubted that coming into the year.
Like if you really wanted to be a D bag crew, if, if you thought PCA was going
to take a step back from last year, like, you know, you could have been tough on
the on base percentage.
It could have been tough on his second half.
It's been anything but that.
Um, I mean, look at those numbers.
That's PCA's last year, 247, 287.
If those numbers take a step back, like a 227, a two, that's a different ball.
Instead, he has gone the complete opposite direction.
Uh, he's looking like the favorite or even money would show.
Hey, a guy who plays both ways, uh, to win the MVP.
So I've liked the Cubs from the start.
Um, I tried to stay through it during the rough times.
I'm trying to see 34 and 34, June 10th.
Pretty crazy.
Um, and now they sit here, uh, 75 and 56, which, you know, if they got one more of
those Seattle games would feel a little different.
Doesn't matter.
Uh, these are two, these are two good teams that we were like, they're going to
be good that I, I can only give myself so much credit for.
Let's be negative.
I feel like we got to talk about Detroit because I think people are
forgetting what that is.
Um, and then another team that's, that's leaking out.
And I did this, I did this on talking baseball and I guess it can, it can still
work, but it's the Toronto Blue Jays.
Uh, I had the Blue Jays at fifth.
They were my second highest American league team.
Uh, I had Detroit at eighth.
They were what?
Fourth.
I had them right behind the Yankees.
I thought Detroit was going to Walton, uh, to the playoffs.
I thought they were going to have one of the best one, two punches in baseball.
I didn't think they were going to trade scuba and I was wrong.
Uh, I was wrong that I guess I left the window open of, yeah, if they have a
tough regular season, like then maybe you do trade scuba.
I didn't think they were gonna.
And again, neither of these teams are dead in the American league and I'm leaving
myself slightly susceptible, uh, because that bottom is still such a mess.
Detroit is now the fourth worst team in the American league, uh,
supplanting Seattle 61 and 69.
The run differential is crazy.
If they, I thought they were starting to feel good.
I thought they were starting to figure it out.
They've lost five in a row.
Again, the fact that that hasn't like killed them in the AL standings is just
insane, but it's just the world we're living in.
Uh, but no, I thought Detroit, I thought Detroit was going to
waltz into the postseason.
I thought they were going to be a, I thought they were going to be a team
that we were like, you know, need to be watching out for this postseason.
The Detroit Tigers, they got a one, two punch, blah, blah, blah.
Look at this young guy now currently don't care about them.
Don't think I'm going to have to care about them.
And then the Toronto Blue Jays who are game and a half out.
This one hurts me and, and maybe I'll make a new column at some point, but I
didn't at the end of the day, I had to put down power rankings.
I put Toronto at fifth.
I was not a believer in the Blue Jays this season.
I really wasn't, but I, I wanted to give them respect in the power rankings
that they're going to be a learning lesson for me going forward.
Uh, if you, if you go back and listen to old conversations, if you, if you know
my thoughts on it, I think I even did a BBD.
I don't know if there'll be too hard to track down cause it would have been an
old Instagram post or maybe Rob's got it, but you know, we did playoff predictions.
In my mind's mind, I didn't have Toronto in the playoffs, but when I did power
rankings, I put them at fifth.
Um, and again, that can lead into a whole conversation of what
our power rankings, blah, blah, blah.
Toronto had a magical year last year.
And the one thing I was trying to tell myself was that maybe they figured out
something offensively the rest of the league hasn't, a la Milwaukee.
And so if I'm going to take credit for Milwaukee and putting them at number two,
I need to take punishment for putting Toronto at number five.
I didn't fully believe in it.
I didn't think it would look like this.
Again, they could still make the dance and are they going to be doing the
Detroit thing I just talked about?
Like if they won yesterday's Yankee game, which was tied in the sixth inning, they
would be a half game out of the playoffs.
So again, I'm being a little aggressive there and I'm kind of mad at myself, but
I had them at fifth on the charts and they are not the fifth best team.
Um, could they be the fifth best team in the American league?
Kind of maybe, but that's a, that's an AL problem.
I'm not ready to address, um, Toronto.
What is he doing, baby?
Uh, let's do another team.
That's hurt me.
Come on now.
Uh, I think I want to do Baltimore.
I have Baltimore 10th on this list.
Again, the recipe there was they had a bad season.
They added, remember the fun fact was, uh, Alonzo and Taylor Ward.
They added X amount of home runs.
So, okay.
I don't remember the fun fact, but it was a lot.
I think Taylor Ward out homered a lot.
They added the most homers in the off season, something like that.
And then it was like, they still had room to grow and their pitching was
heard and how good Kyle Braddish was in the second half, um, that I had down
yours that like that'll bounce back at least a little, right.
And it felt like I had the recipe there.
Gunner.
A gunner took a step back and I still believed Adley.
That's, that's a whole deal.
Um, I had them at 10th that I would put them in that second to last row.
Again, like a lot of American league teams, they still have hope.
I just thought it was going to feel a lot different, um, in Baltimore this year.
And like Pete's done his, his end of the deal.
Uh, which again is part of the reason I love Pete so much.
Cause it's so hard to be good at this game every year.
But if you look at the other guys he's surrounded by, how do you feel
about Gunner Henderson right now?
I don't know.
I have mixed feelings.
I, I don't know who Gunner Henderson is.
How do you feel about young Jackson holiday?
I have no clue.
Gunner's got an OPS in the sixes.
So is Jackson holiday?
Like we can't be doing that.
Um, like Tyler O'Neill.
I've never known who he was in his career.
Um, Dylan Beaver, Sam Basayo, Colton Couser.
I believed in the Orioles a little bit.
I'll just stop saying it because every AL team somehow has hope.
Um, that I didn't have it, but I guess I had Alonzo.
So I, I believed in that.
Um, their team is not really good at anything.
OPS 20, starting pitching ERA 16, whip 27th, bullpen ERA 14th, defense
middle to back of the pack.
They've got a big roadie coming up.
I keep, I keep wanting to say it's do or die for a lot of these teams.
And guess what?
It's just not because of the mid fest going on this year.
Um, put Cleveland at sure.
I just don't, don't need to give ourselves credit for anything.
They're just there.
By the way, tied for the final playoff spot right now.
They feel exactly like Cleveland.
It's unexciting, but they got a couple of guys that can pitch J Ram having a sneaky
bad year, which he doesn't do that.
Um, between injury and performance, you really haven't seen a Jose Ramirez
season look like this, a three 75 slug.
Like he's between injury and being a guardian.
He's gotten covered up a little bit.
Like, you know, a lot of people have been on Vladdy for what
he's not done this year.
Jose Ramirez, uh, is a sneaky one.
Um, still swiping his bags.
Obviously not, not going to flip his bags.
Cleveland.
They are who we thought they were.
Um, okay.
A team that had big expectations that I was okay.
No, this is perfect.
I had to reread the categories.
I'm going to do the New York Mets.
Trevor had the Mets at third.
I had the Mets at 11th.
This episode is sponsored by ultra pouches.
Getting good sleep is harder than it sounds.
And most of the stuff out there makes it worse.
Melatonin gummies are overdosed and leave you groggy the next morning.
Over the counter sleep aids build tolerance fast.
Ultra sleep pouches are a different approach.
A pouch you place before bed made with six clean research back natural ingredients
that help you wind down, fall asleep and stay asleep.
The melatonin is dose at the clinically optimal level enough to work, not enough
to drag you the next day, no grogginess, no dependency safe to use every single
night.
Just place one in before bed and you're asleep within 10 to 20 minutes.
Ultra sleep pouches deliver better, deeper sleep with properly
dose and natural ingredients.
New customers can use code bakers to get 15% off at take ultra.com.
That's take ultra.com.
15% off with code bakers.
After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them.
Please support our show and tell them.
Wake and Jake sent you.
The Mets did a lot and they were supposed to kind of be the brewers.
Brewers with money.
Cohen tax, Stearns.
Oh, Polanco's a sneaky ad.
And what if Luis Robert and Simeon, my sniff test was off because they made their
whole thing was, we're going to be a lot better at defense.
That was like a stated priority going into the off season.
That was their reason.
They're letting Pete go.
Simeon at second and Luis Robert and center, which two declining players.
That's what they've been doing for different reasons, but hard to describe
them differently than finding expensive, declining players felt like a bad
formula that felt like a bad formula.
And then, so you're bringing expensive, declining players to play defense, to
play defense, and then on the corners, you have guys that haven't played the
corners or a Polanco learning.
First base, third base, Bo Bichette at the deadline, not the actual deadline,
but a fake free agency buzzer.
Smart to go elsewhere and sweep them out from Philadelphia with Juan Soto in one
of your corners who I love Juan Soto.
But if you're going to be doing a defensive formula for your team and your
corners and one of your outfielders, it didn't add up.
It felt messy to me that to give my hope at those Jorge Polanco numbers off the
screen, because I kind of like Jorge Polanco, but I didn't love him as a
first baseman replacing Pete Alonzo.
God, I'm not even going to say it.
Me putting the Mets at 11 was kind of bold.
The Mets were thought to be a top team in this league.
My guy, Trevor, had them at third.
I'm going to give myself a pat on the back on this, and maybe people will be
mad because I didn't bury them.
I had it, but I didn't think it would be this bad.
That would be the but.
I think like going into your conversation about the Mets, I thought I was going to
have to tell you, no, I would give you credit for where you had them.
Nobody had them outside the top 10.
Like everybody thought they were going to be good.
Like that was as far down as I think you could have responsibly placed them.
It's one of those things where you're checking in and you're like,
we still thought they'd be okay.
Am I a Yankee hater?
Am I?
I didn't.
The whole recipe felt off from the start.
And there was part of me that wanted to be wrong and hope, Hey, maybe Benj is the
guy.
And because again, Benj was supposed to be the other outfield spot, which I give
this speech every year, but go look at how hard it is to be a good rookie.
And by the way, Benj has been a good rookie.
He's been one.
Like I, I think one of the MLB.com articles today is like, is he the favorite
for rookie of the year now in the NL?
So, uh, which I'd have to go through that.
I'd have to think weather Holt still.
Clear.
I guess, depends what, what things you like this.
Like I haven't deep dove.
Okay.
I think there's a decent butter knife to be made on bench too.
I'm looking.
So I'll give myself some Mets credit there.
Um, let's see.
There's still a lot of teams.
It's a lot of teams left.
Should I be complimentary still?
Or should I put myself in check?
Let's go.
If you could bring me back, babes, let me, let me keep myself in check a little bit
more, uh, and just start doing some teams that I was pretty wrong about.
Um, there's the bench butter knife, by the way, on, on screen 300 with an
eight 23 on base since April 23rd.
Okay.
I mean, yeah, you take out the first month and not even weeks.
Um, okay.
The reds and the A's, um, wrong about, and the white socks.
I, I mean, I guess everyone's wrong about the white socks.
Um, the A's I had at 21, the reds I had at 19.
So I had, uh, the A's like, again, I've, you guys have heard me give
speeches about offensive formula.
Um, I thought the A's were going to have that offensive formula.
Uh, there's been questions about their ballpark, uh, their 20th and run
scored and their pitching is last.
Their pitching is last.
Their defense is last.
I, I thought the A's were going to be a fun, like good to watch team this year.
They have not been, they're the worst team in the AL.
I mean, they're worse than the halos that, um, I'll say I didn't have it, but I
don't know, maybe I don't deserve that.
I didn't think they'd be good, but I didn't think they'd be good.
I thought they'd be fun.
I didn't think they'd be good.
I thought their pitching was too thin.
Um, yeah, I didn't have it, but I never believed they'd be good.
I just didn't think they'd be this bad, but that's crazy.
Uh, Cincinnati, maybe you can even go.
I messed up because spiritually I feel that way.
I I've just always thought from them being a hitting team to them
turning into a pitching team.
I, I just always thought the parts could come together and now I don't like
Hunter green's out all the next year.
Ellie's got two years left.
Who else do you like on their team?
And like, uh, and like a way that matters, like chase Burns definitely
deserves love as, uh, you know, one of the breakout and most
talented players in this year.
Uh, Andrew Abbott has been solid.
Um, it's a four one five ERA.
I mean, in their lineup, Sal Stewart has become one of my favorite players.
So I should give that some love.
Um, but man, outside of that, it's like, okay, are you the second team that
thinks you've tapped into JJ Bladet?
Um, and I hope they have in a way, but like, I just, I look at the roster
now from three years ago when I thought they could hit and I was like, Oh man,
a lot of these young guys can bop in Cincinnati, they haven't had a 30
home run hitter since 2021, 2021.
They had three of them.
Is that that last Votto year Votto Castellanos, the red and Gino.
And I believe a negative war season.
Um, they, yeah, I think Sal Stewart's going to get there.
He's got 27.
He leads an RBI.
Uh, the team has no lack.
The team lacks identity.
I think the Brewers just laugh at the reds and then like they
can't keep up with the cubs.
And then St.
Louis in a rebuilding year is better than you.
And like, they have more young potential going forward that I just, I feel like
I've messed up on the reds as a whole, that I don't, I don't know what's next
for them.
Um, and I thought I kind of did, uh, if I'm gonna keep NL central receipts,
let me do another pat on the back.
I'm going to put the Pittsburgh pirates that I had it.
But I don't know.
I kind of read it like a book people.
I don't know.
I think you, you did pretty good with put them up top.
Um, their season ended officially this weekend.
They got swept by the Dodgers.
Um, they're about to play San Diego.
There's, this is rude for me and I'm sorry, Pittsburgh fans.
Although I'm not, cause I did read it like a book.
I hope San Diego really puts it down.
They're over under to start the year with 78 and a half.
I believe I took the under and that's again, think about where we were with
the pirates a little while ago and where I wanted to put them in the butt column
was their offense is banged their third and runs fourth and OPS.
If you had told me that before the season, like if I, if I had a dream and
Willie Stargill talked to me and he's like, I guarantee you the pirates have
a top three offense by the end of August.
I've would have put a lot of chips on the pirates.
I didn't think, I didn't think the offense was going to click.
I also didn't think the pitching staff was going to fully come together.
I didn't think it was going to be this.
I thought skeins was as safe as a pitcher can be.
And it turns out this game comes for everyone along with their defense, which
Jolly was also tough on.
And I, I would throw in as my sprinkles on the ice cream.
The pirates are 63 and 69 as rough as I was on the reds.
Um, I gave them my award last week.
Like I'm so mad and done with the Cincinnati reds.
The pirates are a half game up on the Cincinnati reds right now for last
place in the central, this was supposed to be like the pirates.
Now we run, where are you running by?
Where are you running?
Um, I'm happy with it.
I was going to give them a butt on the offense, but if you had me guess the
pirates record after how many games have we played a hunt, they've played 130
to, is that right?
Holy smokes.
Yeah.
If you had me guess at 132, how many games they'd won.
I, I don't know if I would have give you a 63 and 69 if I was being in a goofy
mood, if you told me I had to pick which one was 69, I would have picked the loss.
So yeah, I'm going to give myself credit on that one.
I show you something messed up.
Please show me something messed up.
I know reliever, small sample stats, but.
Hey, I just funny Camilla Doval for the audio listeners.
Just a nice 10 innings so far.
Statistically speaking, I have some, I haven't checked in.
I have some Camilla Doval thoughts.
I'll, I'll, I need to eat them.
Cause he, he would be on this list with the Cincinnati Reds.
I thought I'd two minutes goes the first time I checked in on his numbers.
I just had to look at him.
He's so talented.
Why are you so sexy?
Um, we got to start chewing through teams.
We're starting to get deep into it.
Um, so let's do some of the teams starting to get ready for the home stretch here.
Um, is Boston.
I had it, but I just didn't know it was going to be such a ---- show.
Would that be the butt?
Yeah.
They, they like have it with ease.
Boston's kind of where we thought they would be.
Right.
I just figured they'd have more competition league wide and didn't
know they would start off bad and have to know they fire everyone.
Like, yeah.
Um, let me see.
Can't say, write it like a book.
Cause who didn't read it like a book season being this.
But so Boston, the Boston Red Sox have the eighth best record.
I think I had them on my power rankings at 10 or 11, 13.
So maybe I didn't.
Maybe it's a sure.
Cause I, I, I had my questions and I, I didn't, I guess I didn't have, who had
the Red Sox season on the whole nobody, nobody.
Um, I think you give me the Atlanta Braves.
I had them as ninth.
I coming off the season.
They had, yeah, there was, yeah, there was some taking a chance there.
And everyone was wondering if they were going to make a big
splash this off season.
They didn't.
Um, still had them as like, they're going to at least be pretty good
as a playoff team.
And yeah, they're, they're still, you know, the third best team.
Um, in the national league, as we record this today, uh, white socks,
you could give me, I messed up.
I mean, everyone did, everyone did.
You're not, it's, you're not unique to that.
No, I didn't have it.
But that's why that category is like that.
There's no, no, no, but if you got someone on the internet streets that
had the white socks went in the division and was serious, I mean, you couldn't.
The most optimistic you could have been was like, can they push for 500 at the
end?
Like, I think that would have been really generous.
It was, can they be fun?
That was a question mark.
And then people were wondering like, dude, when Murakami got off to a hot
start, there was trade rumors.
It was like, Oh, if you're the white socks, I think just flip this now.
And so, okay.
Um, let's see.
Nationals would be, I didn't have it, but I don't think anyone did.
Right.
Yeah.
No one was on the Nats.
I didn't expect their offense to be exposed, explosive.
And ultimately where are they right now?
And they would, right.
They're all there.
They've kind of ended up in a 24th best record in baseball.
Um, there was some stats there for a little bit that if they had a bullpen.
Yeah.
They, they had one of those, like what's the record after seven innings every
night, seven in game Nats were pretty dang good.
Uh, it's not, they've ended up there.
I, but I think they've turned heads and they've been fun.
So I actually 24th, where did I have them on, on my, my PR?
Oh, I had them second to last.
So yeah.
So did Trevor.
I think that's fair.
Um, you were right.
Uh, do Texas Rangers for sure.
Yeah.
I think Houston's the same.
I had them top 10th, I believe, which feels high or I had them 12th.
Like, dude, I don't know how the West is going to sort out.
It's still below 500 in first in first and just got rid of their GM.
Yeah.
65 and 66 after blowing a six Oh lead at home.
Well, we'll be looking at them up close this week.
So, I mean, sure.
Like, it's just sure.
I don't want to deal with you for this exercise.
Um, raises.
I didn't have it, but, and they're the other one that hurts me because if
you're a listener to this, if you're a listener talking baseball, the rays
were my first head tilt team that I need to remember this going into next year.
And when we looked at the rays, I was like, this team has a chance.
Um, and where, where did I have, Oh, I had them at 17th, which that was high.
Trev has them at 21.
Yes.
It's just that was again, like as optimistic as you probably were allowed
to be the rest of that division looks so good.
Yeah.
And that's where I start calling myself out.
Cause if I put the rays above the red socks, like the amount of Yankees,
Jake stuff I would have taken.
Um, 17, I want to give myself more credit, but I, I didn't have them being
the best team in the American league.
I didn't have them being this version of the rays that actually feel scary again.
Like I had them being, I had them being a punchy tough to end.
Like I had them in the race throughout the end of the season.
Now they're looking like an, unless the Yanks can snag them.
Um, they've been the best team in the ale for a long time that I, I
can't take credit for having that.
Um, what are the Yanks?
Sure.
Yeah.
It's a little bit too close to the situation.
Yeah, I had them ranked seventh.
They have the six best record in the sport right now.
Like sure.
The Yankees kind of are who people thought they were.
Obviously a season's going to feel different.
And in a way they're having like the exact same season they've
had the last few years.
There's a lot of copy and paste, a lot of copy and paste that
pitching exactly how you get to them.
Pitching looks good.
Get me the big fella.
Um, but yeah, I think the Yanks are a sure we kind of had it, you know,
in a way the swoon was kind of quicker than you than the last few years.
Like it sort of navigated it, but, um, let's see twins.
I think I ended up being low on, but I'm still not into them.
Put the twins at sure.
Um, I'm not dealing with that.
Make the dance play spoiler.
Um, so at the bottom of the list, it's snakes.
Marlins Padres Mariners and St.
Louis three S logos, which feels kind of rude.
Um, there was no intention on that.
Um, give me, Ooh, Arizona.
I mean, I kind of had Arizona wrong.
I have them at 22nd.
Um, I kind of have all these teams wrong.
So maybe I've been dragging my feet.
Um, flip back over.
Cause I, it's always has to look pretty to, um, Mariners.
Did I mess up?
No, I didn't have it, but nobody did.
They're another one of those teams, right?
Like we're still daydreaming.
Like if they make the dance, they just finally do the actual good month.
They're kind of there.
Like everyone, if they have a hot September, they're arguably the most
feared team in the area, which is disgusting, which is disgusting.
Um, San Diego.
I think I want to go.
Sure.
I think I'm technically a little low right now in the rankings
are in the standings.
They're ninth.
I had them at 15th and they're charging.
So maybe I don't deserve that credit.
Um, I don't know.
They feel, I thought they would be toe in toe with San Francisco
for the final wild card.
Um, that was a big, I assume a big part of where you ranked.
I just thinking where some other teams, I guess that's where I
want to call myself out.
Like I had the Padres as fighting for the final wild card.
And right now they're in the final wild card and they're two
games up on the diamond backs.
So mentally I'm giving myself that like the Padres are who I think they are.
They're a good team.
That's scary.
Especially when Fernando plays like that, I think their path is definitely
not sure I didn't have it, but where they are, like, does this not
feel like a San Diego team?
I think so.
Um, Cardinals Cardinals are going to be a sure.
I'm sorry.
I was actually in the power rankings.
They're lower than I remembered.
I took their over on the year.
Uh, but that's literally only because Ali Marmal was nice to me at winter
meetings, which shows sometimes maybe karma is real.
If Ali Marmal was not nice to me at winter meetings, I would
have taken their under.
I think things are going to start.
This is horribly rude.
I think St.
Louis is about to start swimming the other direction.
Like it's kind of over there back at 500 for the first time in a while,
after losing three this weekend, like I could see this, we had our run.
It's over.
Prove me wrong.
St.
Louis.
Uh, but I think if they end up finishing, you know, 78 in 84, is that the right
math?
Like, I don't know.
I could even potentially could be worse than that.
They are who I thought they were.
They've had a nice run.
I'm anticipating on the wrong way.
A little bit.
Diamondbacks and Marlins.
I was just kind of a little wrong about that.
I need to wear that.
Um, Diamondbacks.
I didn't have it, but what's the, but maybe I messed up.
I feel like that tier could use, could use a member.
That's like complimentary.
Say I messed up.
Yeah.
I think the D-backs they're a quality franchise.
I came too far away from Jake snakes.
I thought this would be a full blown, like rebuilding year for them.
It hasn't.
They're two games out of a stack nationally played.
Like I gave that whole, the national league is stacked.
Well, the Marlins are sitting right there and behind them are the fish who I feel
like my soul didn't hate.
I had them right behind the D-backs.
Again, I had these teams ahead of the pirates, which I feel really good about
now.
Um, the A's and the reds look bad, but I have them right with Cleveland, which I
don't know if that's me right or wrong.
Uh, put the Marlins in.
I didn't have it.
Um, cause the snakes can still do this.
I want to believe the Marlins can my soul doesn't again, that 12 game losing
streak.
If actual, if that was just a four and eight, I think they'd be tied for the
last playoff spot.
And then I'd be, I messed up, put them in a messed up.
I messed up.
I do have a little bit of faith in these fish.
They're about to play Boston, watch Boston, sweep them.
And then who cares?
Um, we hit the end of the list and there should have been, there should be
positive.
I messed up the snakes are good.
Even if this is a rebuilding or they don't make the playoffs, getting Corbin
Burns back, you might have a Cattell Marte situation.
You've played a lot of young people that you can, you can figure out your next
moves a little bit with some of those guys.
Um, and the Marlins, I mean, again, that 12 game losing streak kills me.
Um, and if I sent you that little fan graph screenshot, I know we showed on
here sometimes with the team rankings.
If you looked at the Marlins team rankings and I said like, Hey, what team
is this and how good is this team?
They have an argument for a top 10 defense.
They have an argument for a top 10 bullpen.
They have an argument for a top 10 staff and they have an argument for a top 10
offense.
I would counter myself on one runs, uh, 19th where average on base and OPS are
top 10, but runs 19th, ultimately that's the most important I'm a runs guy.
I'm a runs guy at the end of the day, but you look at that team snapshot and you
think of some of the bad teams or you think about like, this is a team that
kind of does everything well.
And if you take out 12 games of this season, but that's not how it works.
Um, be care.
I'm putting them there again.
It's being positive.
They play Boston three games.
Then it's Washington and Kansas city.
I don't really believe in my, my fish anymore, but they could make, they could
come back, but I might as well ride this thing into the ground because I wasn't in
on it now.
I kind of, I may not.
So maybe I've messed up all okay.
Well, that was the tier list.
Anything feel right or wrong?
I think we're kind of there.
I don't know if you, does anybody in shore want to elevate?
That would be the direction I'd move anything for graph shape.
Yeah.
But then it would make the next part on balance.
No, like I, I don't know.
I think I feel it.
Um, let me know what you guys think.
Comment below, share with a friend.
Uh, we're almost out of the dog days.
Exciting times.
Thank you so much.
You guys are the best 37 K subs on YouTube.
Uh, can't wait.
Football's coming.
Joe's is premier league.
You guys are the best.
We love you.
Bye.

