JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 5/20/25

Ben Clemens

2:00

Hey everyone, welcome to the chat

2:01

Let's get started

Jake

2:01

What is wrong with Michael Harris, and is he at risk of losing playing time when Acuna returns? Time to cut bait on him in fantasy?

Ben Clemens

2:02

I think it might be time to cut bait for the year, all the contact quality stuff is completely falling apart. I don't think he's very likely to lose playing time because he's just spectacular defensively but he is definitely not helping your fantasy team at the moment. If I'm the Braves, I'm running him out there without hesitation, but if I'm a fantasy player, I mean, presumably you can do better

Streakers

2:02

Do you think either the Cards or Twins are actually playoff teams or just catching a good streak at the moment?

Ben Clemens

2:03

Cards, I'm gonna say no, just becuase there are so many hot starts in the NL that it feels like NLC or bust to me and I really like the Cubs. Twins, I'll actually say yes; they're playing for the Wild Card as well but for me, that's an easier lift in the AL

Tim Livingston

2:04

As a fellow Giants watcher, is there anything statistically relevant to gleam from the anecdotes of how the team (Flores being the obvious but example) have supposedly changed their approaches in situations with RISP? It seems very ipso post facto, but it’s been a loud talking point this season.

Ben Clemens

2:04

I mean, maybe. But you'd need WAY more PA's to have any idea. In high leverage spots, the Giants have batted 197 times this year.

Their standout skill is actually slugging, which doesn't really jive with the "shorten up and put the ball in play" story

Bosoxforlife

2:04

I enjoy these chats so much that I hoped that yesterday was just a rainout and you would reschedule the game for today and I am rewarded.

Ben Clemens

2:04

hooray! And hello

Tito Please Stop

2:05

McLain now batting 9th with relative success. How much longer til he's back at the top of the order; or is this just some weird superstition. When do you move on?

Ben Clemens

2:05

I think probably the next time there's an off day for someone at the top

it's a little bit superstition and a little bit 'the gains are very small so why make the transition messy?'

alexis anthopolous

2:05

Would it make sense to pursue a Sean Murphy trade given the emergence of Baldwin? While having two quality catchers is nice, the Braves team has several other holes that need filling

Ben Clemens

2:06

Catchers are famously hard to trade in-season because they need to learn their new pitching staff. Not that it never happens, but it's not common, particularly for starters

2:06

Ben, thanks for doing this. Between Judge and Ohtani, who is the better deal for the ball club?

Ben Clemens

2:06

Oh, fun one!

On the field, I'd have to say it's Judge

he's cheaper and better right now

so like.... yeah that's good

counting off field stuff, I think I'd take Ohtani. The Dodgers are just making BANK off of his celebrity

Sonny

2:07

People seem to forget that ‘young’ teams drop these duds all the time. Baltimore joins a long list of teams that peaked a year early (2023) then struggled to follow up and make ‘the leap.’ See the 2014-2017 Astros for more of Elias’s handiwork.

Ben Clemens

2:07

I mean, the Astros won the World Series in 2017

but I take your point

it's a little different, right? in that the first time the Astros were actually great, they won the WS

Scoreboard415

2:08

Is Will Warren real? His FIP looks great, his stuff looks great live, but it feels like each inning there's a 50% he walks 2 players or gives up absurdly loud contact.

Scouts still seem mixed, with Keith Law insisting he's destined for the bullpen.

Ben Clemens

2:08

Okay, so I'm a huge believer. That's going to color my opinion - before the year started, I was a strong yes

so.... strong yes

Scoreboard415

2:08

Best non-mexican burrito in SF? Saucy Asian? Señor Sisig? Curry Up Now?

Ben Clemens

2:08

Ooooooh, I have a good one for you if you haven't had it

Poke burrito at Hook Fish Co

2:09

I read that it was Chesa Boudin's favorite burrito in the city and I was like "what an idiot, pick la taq or you'll look like a dummy"

but then I had it and yeah, it's phenomneal

DeeBo

2:09

Who do you think will be the best player dealt at the deadline? I'm not surprised at the Skenes rumors - the Pirates are bad and he has incredible value so many years away from FA - but I'm not sure I buy them

Ben Clemens

2:09

It's not Skenes

They might as well burn down the stadium if they trade Skenes, because they wouldn't need the seats anymore

2:10

how about.... Freddy Peralta? Luis Robert Jr.?

Bullock

2:10

Is it going to turn out that the O's were actually smart not to extend any of their players because it turns out none of them are as good as they seemed? That would be so depressing.

Ben Clemens

2:10

I don't think so. The deal with these early extensions is that you buy yourself a pretty good breakeven

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