Opening Weekend MLB Reactions

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1:00You can watch the show live on Twitter at Bed MGM tonight. And you can listen to the program on the Westwood One's Sports app. The Odyssey app. Serious XM channel 375 and hundreds of local affiliates throughout North America. The phone number to join the show. We've got some folks on hold. We'll get to your calls in just a bit. It's 310-840-4910. You can also text the show. Just text us your name and where you from. And then your thoughts at 310-840-4910. All right. We talked a lot of final four or this past week at a college. In the first hour, we're going to get to our first little dip of the toes into the final for this upcoming weekend a little bit later on in the show. But we also did have opening day for the Yankees and Giants on Wednesday. Opening day for 22 other clubs on Thursday. Opening day for six clubs on Friday. And then everybody had their first weekend of baseball. So this segment is sponsored by Progressive Insurance.

2:00Save on Commercial Auto Insurance. Fund Progressive. Get a fast quote at ProgressiveCommercial.com. It is the first Monday of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. And we got four games in action right now. We got one final. The Royals beat the twins earlier today. Three to one with Chris Boobitch picking up the win for Kansas City. Six innings allowed just one run. They got a home run from Kyle Isbell. And they got a home run from Isaac Collins. So Kansas City gets the win. And before we get to the weekend, that was our friends at that MGM. Want you to know this. Looking to take your MLB action to the next level this season. Boosted odds are here to crank up every pitch swing and home run. That MGM is hooking you up with your very own MLB odds. Boost token to get things started this weekend and all season long. Just add any MLB bets to your bet slip. Activate your odds boost token and lock it in. If your bet hits, you're cashing out with an even bigger payout. Okay, Brad. So the weekend, that was my friend.

3:02For your Chicago Cubbies, it was a rather uneventful opening first week. They all started opening day of the NAS. That's great. And they crossed them 10-2. Then they lost 6-3. The New York Yankees went 3-0. So I guess we could start with your Cubbies. Are 1 and 2 against the Washington Nationals? That's not a promising start. No, it's not. And again, some of my concerns with this Cub's team this season. Once again, it's the bullpen. I think they're mediocre at best. Valencia. Valencia is a very good back end guy. He could really slam it or bring in a hundred-mile hour gas. Cub's bats. They were a little bit up and down. He and half off to a hot start. What you like to see, the big dumper. He's the original big dumper. I mean, the backside on that guy is rather wide. Congrats, he and half for throwing that back into it to say the least. But it's a massively long season. It's 162 stinking games or three games in, four games in for some teams.

4:06The Cubs dropped two out of three of the Washington Nationals. And it stings right now. But you got plenty of additional opportunities of coming. Talk to me in some temper. The Cubs should still be atop the annual central when it's all said and done. So relax, my babies. We got a long way to go before we sleep. Yeah, I will say the Alex Bergman dividends are paying off immediately. He went deep twice in the loss on yesterday. At least he went deep twice. That's six three loss. Peacrow Armstrong PCA went over four and showed to him an aga. I mean, his stuff look flat, man. Stuff look flat. I served up a three run bomb in the first inning of Wimer. But like you said, it's three games. It's the opening weekend. I don't want to get carried away. And I don't want to get carried away on the other end of the spectrum with the New York Yankees, who basically just took the San Francisco Giants and flipped them across McCovie a sweep, which by the way, classic Rob Manford, classic schedule makers.

5:11I just blame everything. Whenever I can blame something, I'm Rob Manford. I'm going to do it. Why the hell the Yankees didn't just play a four game series with the Giants is completely beyond me. What would you play a series that doesn't have a game on Sunday? When San Francisco is going to San Diego to play the Gi, to play the Padres, which is what? A freaking two hour, an hour plane ride, if that. And the Yankees are going to Seattle to play the Mariners. Why did they have off yesterday? I mean, we couldn't get the computer to spit out some different, you know, combination of games on the schedule. So that was just, but that was bewildering. You know, my aunt, who is a diehard Yankees fan, her and my pops were, they've been for years. And she goes, why the, why the freaking Yankees not playing today? It's opening weekend. I was like, I don't know. They're three and oh, so they, and they only gave up one run. That was the takeaway. This Yankees pitching staff looked absolutely untouchable. They outscored the Giants 13 to one in the opening weekend in brand. I'm, I, you know, you're not trying to get too upset to concern with the Cubbies.

6:14I'm not trying to get too carried away with the Yankees because no Garicol, no Carlos Rodan and the pitching staff gave up one run in 27 innings. It's tough not to puff my chest out right now about the Yankees. No, they look great. I mean, you're off to a rock and a rolling star, but he got eons ago and you know, the end of the season. What the bottom line is? Can you say upright? Can you avoid the injury amp? Can key players, you know, a dodge those bullets of landing on the aisle for a significant amount of time? That's the unpredictable part of any majorly baseball season. You know, you're going to have the highs. You're going to have the lows. You're going to have the slums. You're going to have the towards streaks where Aaron Judge clubs like a home run and seven eight three games, but bottom line is can your team stay healthy? And if guys are fall by the wayside, who's going to plug in and pick up the pace and pick up the bat and apply that lumber and you know, the boy you skipping a beat.

7:15I mean, that's the other key. And you know, that comes down to trades they may make in time by the deadline or with the farm system and you know, who's waiting in the wings that could, you know, elevate and get the call up from AAA from AA and beat that stopgap to ensure that you're going to collect the W. So again, we got an eternity to go folks. It's majorly baseball. It's an epically long season, 162 games that were barely a fraction into it. I'll say this about Aaron judge who went deep again yesterday, two home runs for judge 68 to go this year. I think he's going to hit 70 bread. I think judge is going to flirt with Barry Bond as all time record. Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, wow, yeah, that's, I think 70 is right there, I think 70 is possible for me. Duh. I can't give me odds of the hunter. I'm in.

8:15They off the weed about a guy who is six foot eight, 300 pounds and I don't know, here's some of the numbers, home runs he's hitting the season, 52, 58, 53, 62, which was the American League record. And we think that 70 is completely out of reach for Aaron. Oh my gosh. They sell the hell cares. We've got a, we got a very salty brand and comes, well, how about, two home runs was nice. Two home runs was nice for judge, Brad, how about three? How about three for moonitaka, Murakami, the Japanese import that the white socks got, now look, they lose all freaking three games over the weekend of the brewers, but they're newest rookie, three bombs and three games. He's got a chance to tie Trevor story tonight as they're playing the Marlins for the most

9:15consecutive games of the home run to start a major league career. And again, went deep on an opening day, went deep on Saturday, went deep tonight. And tonight against Miami, he's going against Chris Patek who averages one and a half home runs for nine innings pitched. Do you think Murakami does it again? Because I know our guy Cody Decker has been all over it. Oh, yeah, he was in the text all weekend saying I told you, I told you scoreboard. I'm like, all right, Cody, you know, you want some reassurance, great man, a good game. I'll slap you on the buttocks. Congratulations. You got something right. So I might have nailed it, but we, you know, it's a long season. We're going to see if he can continue on this toward pace. I mean, my hit 35 bombs, you know, he's 26 years old entering his power prime, a physical power prime. And a guy, you know, it's got several years under his belt, the professional level. Of course, it was overseas. If they look at the early advance out of that's rolled, and he's number 18 right now. And I just said exit Velo, according to baseball, Savant, 80% hard hit rate at his outstanding

10:17and sample size. I understand. But so a great start there, 40% barrel rate, which is utterly outrageous. He's making hard contact, punishing hard contact. You mentioned Patek of 1.5 home runs for nine innings pitches, what he's given up. Snowboy, no, I look at the numbers last year at baseball. So on that more Patek ranked, he was number 30 in barrel percentage among all eligible starting pitchers. And number 43 and highest exit Velo, not outstanding, and either one of those categories. I think it's very much on the table, the mirror coming, we could get a fat fastball across the middle plate. Messiah, Nara, see you later, could be home run, home run, home run, home run, to start the season for the Chicago white sock. Hey, maybe I actually got a reason to go to the south side for a game beyond the glorious hot dogs, which absolutely love in that ballpark outside of the actual product on the field. That's the only reason I would go.

11:19Yeah. I mean, look, he's given your reason why and I liked, I don't know if anybody has said this and I don't, this came off my dome. I hope nobody has said it already. It's only been three games. First names, Mooney Taka. If he goes deep, we should call it a Mooney Tank Mooney Tank Mooney Taka, I like that. He did get an app out already. That game started 10 minutes ago. He grounded out, you know, a little four three in the scorebook. So he grounded at the second base. So he is home for one, but we will be keeping you posted on Mooney Taka, Murakami all night tonight on the show, the newest white socks rookie who was, you know, loving home runs like there was nobody's business in the Japanese league. He's not your average every day, you know, rookie. Again, one of the looks like another great Japanese pipeline import coming to Major League baseball here. By the way, producer Brandon Cums is telling me Mooney Shot is what it has been called by the socks and answer. Well, mine's better. Oh, love that. Mooney Tank. Mooney Tank for Mooney Taka, mine's better. It's just Mooney.

12:20Not Mooney. Mooney. The money, baby. Oh, well, is it you pronounce his first name, Mooney Taka? Yeah. Mooney Taka, Mooney Taka, Murakami, Mooney Taka, Mooney Tank, Mooney Tank, Moon Tank, whatever. I like yours better. John Schiff has kind of not my guy. So I like yours better. I think he's trying to make that happen. It's not going to happen. Okay. New York Nets had a good weekend, but not everybody from the New York Nets had a good weekend. They beat the pirates. 11-7. Remember, they knocked Paul Schien's out in the first inning back on Thursday. Thank you, O'Neal Cruz. There's no way to catch a fly ball. They won in 11 innings on Saturday, thanks to an 11th inning home run from Luis Robert Walkoff to run, bomb. And that trade's gone pretty damn well so far, and then they lose in ten innings yesterday.

13:23But still, two in one for the Mets, pretty good start for most of the guys. Not for Boba Shett, Boba Shett, one for 14, with eight strikeouts in his first weekend when New York he was getting booed by the Mets fans in the seventh inning of the third game of his Mets tenure. He just signed a three year $126 million deal with the Mets in the off season. So Brad, is this our Mets fans? Do they have the right to boo him? Again, Yankees fans, I remember they booed Giancarlo Stanton in one of his first at-bats as a Yankee. Now, the Mets fans, I guess, because the bar has been raised at the longer the willpons, cheapskates, owners, it's Steve Cohen in all of his billions, you're paying 43 million a year, 42 million dollars a year to Boba Shett. I know those season ticket prices went up because I got a couple of Mets fans, Mets fans, friends that have season tickets. And so yeah, I think that the Mets fans, they've got a very high bar, they expect greatness, and if you're Boba Shett, it's saying Toronto anymore, brother, you don't perform, you're

14:23going to get booed. This is New York City, and I don't have a problem with it at all. Yeah, it's just kind of typical of New York, to be honest, like if you don't have Ulster or Calvary numbers, so you're going to be booed in a New York mid, it's applicable to that city. They want instant gratification, they want it, and they want it right, damn, now, yeah, Horrifics are for Boba Shett, you know, as you mentioned, the one for 14 with the eight strikeouts and pain him, Udels Akash, Quimlin to the gross domestic product, I think of Lichon Stein is what he is making right now, but I will say this against a long season, I had a 502 with bats last year, hit 311 with 18 home runs, and 94 driven, or 94 run scored in 78, driven in and forced on the basis, 172 ISO, it's not the greatest, you want to see that number above 200 and isolated power, news only number 66 and exit Velo, a number 44 and hard hit rate, which is encouraging, though the barrel rate at just 7.9% for Boba

15:27Shett. You got a club 25 home runs, no, I didn't believe that before this season began, I think it was slightly overpaid to say lease and effective glove, but a guy that's probably going to get you about 15 to 20 dogs, plugging a knock in, at least 7580 runs, is going to hit 311 again, probably not, but I bet he'll let round 280 and that will get the job done. Turn those frowns upside down, take a chill pill meds fans, relax, the numbers will eventually come in, Boba Shett is a proven veteran, they're too good of a hitter, they can do it about well below the Mendoza line. Yeah, how about the blue jays, by the way, any opinions you want to get in, Major League Baseball is opening day, opening weekend, 310 840 4910, that's the number to join, that's 310 840 4910, you can call, you can text, the blue jays, the reigning American league champions should have beat the Dodgers in the World Series as well, but choke that away.

16:28We were debating whether or not they have the best pitching staff, our producer Brandon Combs seemed to think so, well, in terms of strikeout ammunition, they might be, they had struck out 50 batters, 5050, and their first weekend three games set against the A's, which they swept, although a couple of those are nailbiders, they won three to two on opening day after a hawk and blue save, then they won eight, seven and 11 innings, then they won five to two yesterday, but 50 strikeouts, Brad, that's the most strikeouts ever in the first three games to open a season by the blue jays, and it's just too shy of the all-time Major League Baseball record, 52 strikeouts in the first three games, that was courtesy of the Astros in 2016, it looks like the blue jays might be racking up a ton of case this year, if this first weekend was in any indication. Oh, yeah, no, they're going to eventually get a chain Bieber back, yes, a Vitch back as well, both those guys on the IL right now, so yeah, I mean, when their full systems

17:29go, they're going to have one of the best pitching staffs at all, a Major League Baseball, and they put it in a context, yeah, I thought it's the last season, they had a respectable not, you know, great, but a respectable 25.9% strikeout rate, that was the 11th highest Major League Baseball, so they weren't even top 10 in K-rate, and right now they're 45.5% after the opening series against the Toronto Blue Jays, that's how dominant the blue jays starters were swinging in a missing, and enticing that kind of action from the competition, so they got to tip your cap, blue jays off to a rock and start. This is a team that I picked to again win in the A.L. East, I mean, that is going to be the most competitive division, bar none top to bottom, the Major League Baseball with your beloved Yankees, Red Sox in the mix there, the much improved Baltimore Orioles these weeks, we expect, and even the Tampa race are going to be a decent ball club, that's going to be a rock and sock and roll by it, so throughout the entire summer, and the

18:31Jays rotation, just fine and dandy, they're going to be the reason why I believe they have an excellent shot at getting back to the full classic. By the way, producer Brandon Combs, let's me know in the show chat, that actually was the most ever strikeouts in the first three games of a season, a Major League Baseball history, and the Astros record that I mentioned, that was the most for a three game series, 50 strikeouts in three games, second most ever in a three game series, most ever to open up a season. I believe Gossman had 11 on opening day, cease had 12, and then Lauer had nine yesterday, those were just their starters, they had, was at 32 of those 50, that is pretty damn good, and they're going to have plenty of opportunities to rack up even more, because they play the Rockies and the White Sox this week before we get a World Series match. Yeah, but then look, we get, then we get Blue Jays Dodgers for a three game set next week, which Monday night, that's a nice little warm up to the national championship game.

19:34And then the first day without college basketball, what do you do? You watch Blue Jays Dodgers on national TV on that Tuesday, so that would be pretty damn good. I'm in. I'll bet on it too. Let's go. By the way, Brett, maybe your cubbies aren't that bad, maybe the nationals are just a wagon because they're crushing the Phillies already tonight. What? Five zip in the second inning. Five zip. They jumped all over Taiwan Walker. Well, that's absolutely bananas, to say the least, yeah, they're riding the hot hand right now. You know, maybe they're going to be a surprise story this season and not be the door mat that we expect in a national league. Also by the way, I speak at the Colorado Rockies that you just ran out there already off to an 0 and 3 start. Could they go 0 and 162? I think it's on the table. They're terrible. Oh my God. I was hoping they were going to turn it around. You know, my old show last year, I started celebrating every single Rockies win. Like it was like they won the World Series because we just didn't know how many, but

20:35not many there were going to get again. All right. So they're 0 and 3 to start this year. They started off last season. How quickly did things get off the rails for them? They were one and one on the road. Yeah, they won their second game. Then they got to, yeah, they were 3 and 17 and on May 1st, they were 5 and 25. So yeah, I'm terrible. Hopefully they start getting some wins soon. Otherwise, yeah, 0 and 162, that's on the table. All right. I would take your phone calls and we come back at 3 108 40 49 10. He's Brad Evans on Papua will more fun rolling on next on that MGM tonight here on West with one sports. The final four is set one week from today. A national champion will be crowned and you'll hear every moment of the final four exclusively on the Westwood one sports app from your official home of the NCAA tournament Westwood

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