Hour 2 - Luke Raley Vs Connor Joe, What Changes Could The Mariners Make, Blue 88
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The Mariners' 8-12 start and 1-8 road record have sparked intense fan frustration, with host Brock Ewert calling Dan Wilson's decision to pinch-hit Connor Joe for the hot but left-handed Luke Raley in a key late-inning situation 'malpractice.' Ewert argues that Raley's career .158 batting average against lefties, especially against elite lefty reliever Andrés Muñoz, makes the move indefensible — a sentiment echoed by the host's co-panelist Mike Salk, who notes that 30 out of 30 managers would have made the same substitution. Despite the backlash, both hosts acknowledge that the team’s struggles are not solely managerial, with key players like Josh Naylor and Cal Raleigh showing signs of being out of sync. However, they stress that the early season is not yet a full sample size, and patience is warranted for players like Luis Castillo and Rob Refsnyder, whose long-term value remains intact. The episode concludes with a call for tactical lineup adjustments — moving Raley up and dropping Naylor down — as low-risk, high-reward changes that could spark offensive improvement without long-term consequences.
Pinch-hitting Connor Joe for left-handed Luke Raley against a dominant lefty reliever was 'malpractice' due to Raley's .158 career batting average vs. lefties.
30 out of 30 MLB managers would have made the same pinch-hit decision, indicating a systemic issue with the current strategy.
Moving hot hitters like Luke Raley and Randy Arozarena up in the lineup is a low-risk, high-reward adjustment that could boost offensive output.
Patience is required for players like Luis Castillo and Rob Refsnyder, despite current struggles, due to their long-term value and lack of viable replacements.
Andrés Muñoz may be tipping pitches, which could explain recent struggles against quality hitters — a potential issue worth investigating.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Opening Rant: The Connor Joe Pinch-Hit Controversy
“I just happened to have – I was having some fun with this this morning. Have you looked at what Morihone did last year against lefties? Do you know what Morihone does to lefties? Do you see how pissed Morihone was at Mitch Garver? oh you think i walked you put your put your little ankle guard back on and and eat this 99 at the top of the zone and he like patted his head afterwards we're done here thanks get out of my face more home last year lefties had an ops brock of 325 against him on base plus slugging yeah you add them together And you get 325 last year. Letting a lefty in Luke Raley who doesn't hit lefties at all, has 32 hits in his career against lefties. Letting Luke hit against Morhorn with the bases loaded. You'd have got crucified. It's malpractice.”
The 8-12 Start and Road Struggles
The hosts analyze the Mariners' 8-12 record and 1-8 road record, emphasizing how the team has underperformed expectations despite a strong offseason and high hopes. They discuss the gap between preseason optimism and current reality.
Player Performance and the 'Edgar Factor'
Ewert and Salk dissect the struggles of key hitters like Josh Naylor, Cal Raleigh, and Julio Rodríguez, questioning whether the hitting coaches are to blame. They critique the tendency to credit Edgar Martínez when players hit, but ignore him when they don't.
What Needs to Change vs. What Requires Patience
“I think that is a fair thing after 20 games. What's the most controllable and the easiest change? It's an easy change that, quite frankly, doesn't have a lot of long-term impact. Right? It's not like somebody's going to be like, I can't believe my manager didn't believe me after I was the worst player in baseball. He dropped me down in the order. Like, yeah, no kidding. We're just trying to maximize for a little while.”
Andrés Muñoz and the Pitch-Tipping Concern
“He dealt with this more than just that Yankees game last year. And I'm not just making excuses. Again, I go back to that. There's some sort of tell there with him because now we're getting some decent swings off pitches that when you throw a 99 with movement and that slider, it's very difficult to have the kind of reaction time and the reaction in general that they had.”
“He dealt with this more than just that Yankees game last year. And I'm not just making excuses. Again, I go back to that. There's some sort of tell there with him because now we're getting some decent swings off pitches that when you throw a 99 with movement and that slider, it's very difficult to have the kind of reaction time and the reaction in general that they had.”
“30 out of 30 managers would have pinch hit for Luke Rayleigh last night. 30 out of 30.”
“You're not going to cut Luis Castillo. You're not going to – I just think you give this – he's an important piece for them. He tends to go deep into games. He gives you – the last one was not it, but a lot of quality starts. I'm not losing faith yet.”
Hosts
brock ewert
person
mike salk
person
luke raley
person
dan wilson
person
josh naylor
person
luis castillo
person
connor joe
person
cal raleigh
person
andres munoz
person
robert refsnyder
person
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