All right, everybody.
Welcome back to another episode.
This one's a special one.
This is our tier list episode.
Check in in the middle of the off season.
We're three weeks out from spring training starting and we're going to go through all
30 teams.
We're going to rank them.
We have six tiers.
Kenji and I are going to explain each tier as we go.
We're going to rank all 30 teams, go through the different moves that they've made.
If we haven't touched on some of them already, Anthony Santander at Toronto, we're going
to get to it when we talk about the Blue Jays.
Don't worry.
However, that being said, let's walk through the tiers really quick for the people.
Kenji, do you want to do this or should we all kind of alternate?
Do we do like one end and the other?
I mean, I guess you should probably start with, you can start with the worst.
No, no, no, no, no.
The worst is the punch line.
So you go, we'll alternate.
We had this idea instead of just doing best to last or S to E or S to F or whatever.
Right.
We're not boring.
No, we thought we could get kind of creative.
And so we thought we would do something relationship related.
Yeah.
So the best pretty much teams that we expect to be in the World Series, we call it walking
down the aisle where you're pretty much set to get married, which is peak life, right,
Gabe?
It is.
It is funny because we have these six tiers on this dating scale per se, but both of us
are in committed relationships at the time of this recording.
So we're both kind of in this upper tier of where we're at.
But I mean, it's okay.
It's still entertaining.
So we have walking down the aisle is S tier.
That's at the very top.
You go down one rung.
It's engaged with no date set.
So this is like full Pam and Roy situation if you guys have watched the office.
This is you're engaged, but you don't have a date set.
You don't have invitations sent out.
None of the important stuff's happened yet, but you do have the ring on the finger.
So there's something to be said.
Rings on the finger, but you haven't closed the deal.
Next, Kenji, you want to go ahead with the next one?
Yeah, we went with window ring shopping.
So this isn't you actually ring shopping.
This is you maybe on a date going to the mall, walking by a jewelry store.
You see a Zales, you see Jared.
Yeah, Gabe would know.
I wouldn't know.
And you take a peek.
You take a peek in there or maybe when she's in the bathroom, you go and take a peek in
there.
Whoa.
I don't know.
Are you going room shopping with her?
Oh, when she's in the bathroom at the mall.
Yeah, she's in the bathroom.
Go check over the bathrooms right next to the jewelry store.
I mean, I don't know.
Not when she's in the bathroom.
You go take a peek at her in the bathroom.
Yeah, definitely not.
No, no, no.
Okay, yeah.
I just think it's important to clarify.
Lock me up.
We clarify for the people what's going on here.
Yeah, see, I wouldn't know.
I guess for those two people watching, let us know how you would ring shop.
Would you ring shop with them or would you ring shop without them?
You have to ring shop with them.
What are we doing here?
No, because my lady says she doesn't want to go shopping with me.
Your old lady, is that what you said?
My lady?
Oh, my lady.
She said, I'll give you my Pinterest and you decide.
Wow.
I thought someone was gonna walk me into the store, take my credit card and buy the ring.
But I have to find the ring, make sure she likes it somehow and then figure it out.
So if we get to that point, we're always gonna say the if.
We get to that point, you know I'll be sweating.
Okay.
Well, yeah.
So we have window ring shopping there is our third tier down, so keep in mind we don't
have any visuals on screen for these episodes.
We're gonna do video when spring training comes around, but you guys are gonna have
to deal with this right now with no video.
The next tier down, meeting the parents.
So it's a big, big deal.
Meeting the parents, big deal, but still in the grand scheme of things, you're not that
close to the finish line.
You got a long, long way to go.
Meeting the parents is down here.
This is the fourth tier down.
And then we got first date.
And then we got the first date, which is a lot harder than it used to be.
So if we got any older folks watching us, I don't know why you're watching us because
we're a little bit younger of a crowd, a little bit more energy, but we appreciate you.
But yeah, first date might mean a little bit something else compared to what it meant back
then.
But yes, the first date really doesn't mean anything.
If you live in Utah, you probably have been on around a thousand first dates and thousand
only first dates.
Not a dating podcast is not a dating podcast.
Please do not take advice from either of us.
Kenji is going to start.
Kenji is going on tangents about dating here.
So first date is your next.
We're talking baseball.
This is a baseball show.
How many first dates you think you've been on in your life?
Like four?
No, no more than that.
Listen, we'll another off season episode.
We'll get into our dating pass.
Okay.
Another episode.
Do a special behind the scenes.
The last tier, which is the one I'm most proud of.
Listen, it takes a baseball die hard to know this tier or to know this player, Miles Mastrobony.
However, the tier is called Mastrobony by yourself.
Listen, I'm not going to talk much more about it.
People that get it, get it.
If you don't get it, you don't get it.
That's okay.
Mastrobony by yourself is the last tier and that is for you got nothing else going on
in your life.
You just by yourself.
You're at the very bottom of the league.
Moving on.
This is what we're doing here.
So last year Mastrobony by yourself.
Let's jump right into this.
So I have them listed out on the sheet as by division.
So we can go by division or we can just go top down.
How do you want to go?
We go by division.
It'll probably make it a little bit easier.
Okay.
And we reserve the right to change our opinion as we go.
So once we set somebody in a tier, we don't have to immediately swap.
We can, we have the right to change our minds basically as we do all the time.
Is you prepare or no?
I'm ready for this.
I'm ready to do it.
I'm going to cuff.
All right.
It's the reaction.
What do I think where these teams go?
So should we just knock down the worst ones before we know?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Listen, no, the, the word will as we go through the divisions, we'll, we'll divvy them out.
Okay.
We know what the worst ones are and we can make the jokes when we get to them.
All right.
Then tell us which division we're doing.
We're doing the AL East first.
That is the first one up here.
It's just not by preference or anything.
AL East is right here.
So the first one at the top, again, just ran by nature of randomness, the New York Yankees
are here at the top.
Okay.
Now, I think this is, this is either the top two.
I mean, they're the favorite to win the American league.
They have a second highest world series odds.
Really?
I think they do somehow.
I think the Yankees still have to be in walking down the aisle or engaged with no date.
I'm tempted because they are the favorite in the AL to say they're walking down the
aisle.
However, I'm open to any arguments here.
I'm a Yankee hater.
So where do you stand?
Well, I would say they are closer to window ring shopping and engage with no date.
Wow.
They're closer to walking down the aisle.
Wow.
You think they're window shopping?
Now let me tell you why.
Last year they made it to the world series because honestly the teams they played were
not that good.
That's true.
I'm a Royals fan.
I love the Royals, but we didn't really belong.
We'll get to the Royals in a minute.
Right.
And then they played the Tigers and played the Guardians.
That's probably the easiest run to a world series you've probably ever seen.
They didn't play the Tigers.
They played the Royals and Guardians.
That's it.
Oh, sorry.
They had the buy.
That's right.
But you could, I don't know.
I mean, we'll go, we'll go engage with no date, engage with no date right now because,
yeah.
And listen, S tier is a pretty revered spot.
Let's be honest.
It's pretty hard to get on there.
Yes.
Like we can't just put everybody up in S tier.
Like you got to be.
Because you have to be able to compete with the team that is automatically there.
And you look at everybody else on paper, you don't compete.
Yeah.
So, yeah.
So I will say how Yankees could be on there is if you can get a lefty bullpen, figure
out who's playing second base, who's playing third base.
We get a backup catcher, kind of important.
And also you got to figure out who's going to lead off for you guys because they have
had an enormous amount of leadoff hitters the past couple of years.
Their best leadoff hitter has been Aaron Judge in the past.
So they got to figure that out.
I think they need to trade with someone, but that's not what we're talking about today.
But that is why I would say Yankees belong and engage with no date.
Okay.
They still have some holes.
And listen, that's probably going to be on most of this goes.
I mean, there's one team that stands out above the rest for S tier for me right now.
But I agree that there are a lot of teams with still some holes and that's the nature
of doing this tier list in the middle of the off season.
So after the Yankees, the next team I have up here, again, by nature of randomness in
the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles.
And this is tough for me.
I got to set aside some bias here.
I'm going to get my feelings hurt by you.
I can see the look in your face.
I can see the smile.
You're going to hurt my feelings.
My gut says window ring shopping.
But my heart is telling me engage with no date.
Listen, they're the second highest favorite team in the American League.
They still have a lot of good pieces.
They will go as far as their young core takes them.
But again, that's a big if is if that young core can continue to develop if Adley Rutchman
has a better year than he had in the second half.
If Jackson Holliday does better than he did last year, then they're better.
And that's a that's a lot of ifs to put it in our second highest tier.
Yeah, I would say probably window ring shopping is probably the best.
And because of the off season that they have had, you know, I think the O's are heavily
reliant on having young players really, really break out.
Yes.
And it's a great it's a great place to be to be betting on these prospects that you
guys have been so excited for for a long time.
But it also has a chance of failing.
You know, it's a it's a high risk high reward situation for the O's.
It hurts that they lost Burns because you lost that alpha pitcher.
It's a ton.
Yeah.
Right.
And who's your ace again?
So I guess when Grayson Rodriguez coming back from Tonga John.
Oh, Kyle Bradish.
Yeah.
I think he's probably well when he's on the best day on the best he's the healthiest he's
anything he's not going to be back for a while.
And you know, just there's still just some question marks.
But I hope that they are by the end of the year, we can be like they were definitely
engaged with no date because of the young guys.
I hope I hope they're window shopping and they're looking at the biggest, fattest diamond
in that whole store and thinking I'm going to get that one.
That's the ring.
That's what I hope the team is doing right now.
Moving right along in the at least we're going to go with another big market team, the Boston
Red Sox.
Now they have had an awesome offseason.
They still might not be done.
An awesome offseason for the Red Sox.
I think they're also window ring shopping because they haven't proven it in the last
couple of years.
They made a lot of good moves.
Garrett crochet is kind of a big gift with his left arm.
Again, and I'm an Oriole fan.
So take everything I say about the ALE so the grain of salt.
But I think they're window ring shopping.
I do.
I think they're I think they're on the cusp.
I don't think they're at the same level as the Yankees and some of the other teams are
going to touch on.
I think you're correct.
I think they are a couple of moves away from being for contending for that division.
Right.
They really do have a great team, but there are significant holes.
If they would have gone Tanner Scott, they would have been an engaged with no day with
me.
They would have gotten that closer book.
What they would have got a bonafide closer.
I don't know if you can rely on old Chapman and Hendrix being this reliable guy for your
there was 2018.
I'd be stoked.
Yeah.
Yes.
But it is 2025.
Yeah.
So a little bit a little bit.
It's been seven years.
But and listen, if they go out and they add an Alex Bregman or somebody, then I might
shake them up a notch.
But as they stand right now, I think they're window ring shopping.
Yeah, they are one righty bat away and another bullpen player away from being in an engaged
with no date.
OK, sounds good to me.
We're going to go with the Tampa Bay Rays here.
Now, this one's a is there a bar for a question mark sound effect?
Yeah, there's there's a really it's a really interesting one here for the Tampa Bay Rays
is they just were ravaged by injuries last year, but they are so pesky and they've got
a lot of good arms coming back and Tampa is going to be right in the in the thing.
Like they're just a pesky team.
They just play a good brand of baseball.
They don't spend a lot of money.
Their pitching lab is awesome.
Tampa Bay is going to be right there with everybody.
I know Junior Camarero is going to be full season.
Christopher Morell gets a full offseason with them.
Their pitching guys all come back like the Rays are going to be in this.
Like let's be really honest.
I don't think they're at Orioles or Red Sox level yet.
I would put them at meeting the parents at this stage, although I could also talk them
down a tier because they do feel like they've lost some offensive firepower.
I think they belong in meeting the parents.
OK.
But if you look at it from if you knew nothing about the Rays organization, you would definitely
put them at first date because you look at that offseason, you look at the roster on
paper and you're like.
This is what you're putting out there.
Like there really isn't much that you're impressed with.
They lost Randy or Rosa Reyna, who was like, I don't know, he was their cleanup hitter.
I mean, who's hitting cleanup for that team?
I guess I don't know.
Cameron Arrow, probably.
Right.
Probably.
Wanda Franco is I think in jail now or prison.
Yeah.
But it is the Rays, right?
They find a way to win.
They get the most out of these players.
And so you have to kind of just for the way they are structured and the way they have
played in the past, you kind of have to put them up another tier.
Totally.
Because they are the Rays.
And so that's why I think they belong in meeting the parents.
OK, so I can get behind that.
Yeah, I can.
I can agree with that.
The last team in the ALYS I haven't covered, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now they did sign Anthony Santander as of just a couple of days ago.
That was a really good signing for them.
A lot of deferred money in his deal.
I think 65 of the 92 million was deferred.
So they pair him up immediately with Vlad and Bo Bichette.
It's going to be a formidable lineup.
I like Tony a lot.
It's sad to see him go from Baltimore.
Where do you stand with the Blue Jays right now and where they belong in this tier list?
Well, see, the Blue Jays are in a really unique situation where they could be really good.
Like they really could compete in that division or they could just be the worst team in baseball.
It all depends on if they can bring any free agents and if they can sign Vlad.
Right.
Santander is the first right move for them to get out of, I would say, the first date.
I would sell her a celery.
I would have put them at first date.
Honestly, they had great players.
Technically, if you roll that what they have today, they could compete for maybe not last
place the division.
But they are in a really good spot to be able to honestly, if they could sign the remainder
two free agents and just hand out cash to them.
Right.
I'm sure Canada has got some kind of money.
Right.
They do.
A whole country full of money.
Just go over the luxury tax like the Dodgers, pay Pete Alonzo, pay Alex Bregman, pay every
remaining free agent possible out there to tell them to come to Toronto for a nice little
buyout deal.
Well, not a buyout, but what are the deals called again?
After one year you can.
Are renewable contracts?
No, and like you can like the.
Like an option.
The Matt Chapman deal.
On opt out.
Opt out.
Yeah.
Just give them opt outs, but go all in this year and sign Vlad.
If they did that, honestly, I mean, it sounds crazy, but it's not too crazy.
If they can just open up their wallets and just say, we're going to go for it this year,
Toronto really could make a run for it.
They could.
They signed a couple more free agents that are out there.
I agree that they are right in the thick of it.
We got to speed this up a little bit.
We're taking forever on the ALEs.
I think when we get to the centrals, with all due respect, they're going to be a little
bit faster.
They'll be a lot easier.
Next division we have is the NLE.
So again, a bunch of juggernauts here.
A lot of a lot of contenders in this division.
We have first the Atlanta Braves and now I'm going to put them up with engaged and no date.
They did lose a bunch of pieces, but I look at that lineup and if Acuna is healthy and
playing well, it's a lethal group of hitters.
I can't put them any lower than that.
I think.
Yeah, they're going to be competing for a playoff spot.
So yeah, it's a tough division because you've got three serious contenders in there.
But yeah, the Braves are Braves, great players.
I mean, it's crazy how many good players they have under contract for such team friendly
deals.
Yes.
Yeah.
Acuna is coming back.
Chris, they're coming off a signing season.
Profar.
Great signing for them.
So yeah, they're definitely going to be up there.
Yeah, I agree.
I like the Braves a lot.
Now the Phillies, Brady's Phillies.
This is going to be contentious.
I mean, Brady, I hope you're listening.
I doubt you are.
But where do we want to put the Phillies?
They have had kind of a quiet off season.
They lose Carlos Estevez.
They lose a couple pieces, but they're still mostly the same squad.
I also I also would put them in engaged with no date.
I just like.
They're on the cusp.
I think they're right.
Engaged no date and window ring shopping.
They're like right on that line.
Like getting Jesus Lazardo was cool, but I don't know if that's what you needed.
But where does he go?
Is he a six man in the rotation?
He's number five in the rotation.
OK, I think Rangers for just back in the back in the whatever it's called in the bullpen.
Isn't it going to be because it's going to be Wheeler?
No, Ranger was so good last year.
Jesus Lazardo.
Yeah, he's there five Wheeler Sanchez, Nola Suarez, Lazardo.
That's pretty good.
OK, I like it.
Yeah, but their bullpen worries me.
But it is the Phillies and the talent they have on there is just harder than I.
And so I would say, yeah, they probably are.
OK, engages no date.
The New York Mets, the biggest free agent signing in the history of pro sports, Juan
Soto, and they sign a couple other minor pieces as well.
They signed.
What was Albert Alzalai today?
They got AJ Minter.
So they've got a couple of bullpen pieces.
I'm going to put the Mets in a window ring shopping.
I feel like they're just another piece.
They're a Pete Alonso.
They're an Alex Bregman away from being right kind of where the Phillies are.
I love Juan Soto for them.
I love it.
I just still think they're a step down.
Yeah, they are so reliant on it's like the Yankees last year, but the Yankees kind of
got away because of how good Aaron Judge played.
And Juan Soto was a big part of it, too.
But Lindor, Vientos and Nemo aren't going to be what Judge does.
Correct.
Yeah.
And there's just still a lot of questions of like, can this team actually be a playoff
team?
You know, one year is fun and all.
It was a crazy run, but I got I got to see it again.
There's a lot of questions in the rotation.
The bullpen, they've shored up a little bit, but that rotation is still, you don't know
year to year what you're going to get.
They got Manaya back.
They still have David Peterson, but they lose Severino to the A's.
So there's a lot of question marks, in my opinion, with the Mets, but they still have
enough talent where I'm putting them in window ring shopping with the Orioles and the Red
Sox because I feel like they're still they're at that level.
They're right there.
Let's hope Clay Holmes becomes a Cy Young, right?
Yeah.
So we have our first master bony by themselves.
I think this is a pretty slam dunk.
This is Miami Marlins.
Yeah.
I mean, we don't want to talk too much about the Marlins here.
There's not much on the Marlins.
There's not that much to get excited about.
They don't have the lowest payroll in baseball.
Xavier Edwards is your star.
They traded jazz chism for pennies on the dollar.
There's just not much here.
Payroll means like the lowest that they're dishing out to players, right?
Correct.
Yeah.
And they're like one of the richest teams in the league.
Like don't they isn't their owner insanely rich?
I have no idea.
And it's Miami.
Like this should be a destination baseball players want to play in.
It's a listen.
It's a it's a very desirable like place to play.
Yeah.
No, they just stink.
I mean, they have they fill that stadium every time the WBC comes around.
They fill that place, they pack it because fans in that area want to watch good baseball,
but there's never a competitive product on the field.
So people don't go to watch the baseball there.
So it's tough.
I mean, you look at their lineup, Xavier Edwards, Connor Norby.
Like there's just not a lot to get excited for there.
So we're not.
Who's that?
The age guy, David De Los Santos.
He's good.
They got him in the trade for AJ Puck.
I think last year they got him from the Diamondbacks.
He's good.
He got out a season last year in the minors and he's going to get a lot of bats for him.
So we'll see what he turns out.
That's it for the Marlins.
I mean, I don't really want to spend much time on them.
The next one.
Now, this one's a bit more interesting to me because I think they this is the season
that they're going to step up here a little bit.
The Washington Nationals.
I really like their young core.
I really do.
James Wood, CJ Abrams, Mackenzie Gore, who's Dylan Cruz.
I really like what they got.
And they get the net.
They get the first pick this next year.
I'm going to take Jackson Holliday's brother, Ethan, which would probably be helpful because
I don't know, man.
See, you're Abrams staying up late gambling.
He had a tough year last year.
I don't blame CJ.
I mean, last year was his year to really like take the next step.
I still think CJ is a great player.
I'm putting the Nats in first date.
They're not at the bottom.
They're right there.
They're with Toronto at this stage in the tier list.
I like the Nats there.
I feel really good about that.
That's where they belong.
They got potential with pitchers.
Mackenzie Gore has all the potential in the world to be a great pitcher.
Jake Irvin at parts last year was great.
Mitchell Parker, I mean, he's like a six foot five lefty.
Right.
I mean, they've got potential.
They're just going to put together and they are still a couple pieces away.
So it's the start of something new.
Okay.
Now we're going to go to the AL Central.
So we're going to finish off the AL here, starting with the Minnesota Twins.
Now you have been a massive critic of the AL Central.
We're going to start flying through these teams.
I don't even know.
First date meeting the parents.
Where are they at?
I mean, this is our lineup.
It's Willie Castro, Correa, Larnac, Buxton, Walner, Lewis, Miranda, Brooksley, Ryan Jeffers.
Offensively they look great.
If Royce Lewis doesn't get hurt, if Byer Buxton doesn't get hurt, and if Carlos Correa doesn't
get hurt.
Meeting the parents.
Yeah.
Meeting the parents.
That's it.
That's our ceiling.
We have a great pitching.
Pablo, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober.
Chris Paddock isn't too bad, right?
I don't know who Simone Woods Richardson is.
Oh, he's all right.
Simeon Woods Richardson.
Like they could be solid, but I mean, that's about it.
I like the spot.
I like the twins there.
Meeting the parents.
Cleveland Guardians.
They've traded more hitting and gotten more pitching, even though their problem last year
was they couldn't hit.
Yeah.
I'm going to put the...
The little Seawolves thing just doesn't make sense to me.
I know.
Like that's what you're-
That was their big move.
Working overtime in the off season for is a signed Paul Seawolves, who honestly did not
have an impressive year last year.
I don't know what they're doing.
I'm putting guard dogs at first date.
Sorry.
It's controversial.
I'm putting him at first date.
I agree.
Who's going to replace Josh Naylor?
That's a hundred RBIs that's gone from your team.
Kyle Manzardo.
I think they really like him, but I don't-
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
I can't wait for him to hit two-
It's a lot of question marks.
Yeah.
Question marks in Cleveland.
We're going to start firing these up.
Detroit Tigers.
Mm.
Meeting the parents for me, Detroit Tigers.
Yeah.
They still need starting pitching.
They need a freaking arm, dude.
You can't just trot scubal out there.
Go get Jack Flaherty.
Give him the bag.
He was so good for you last year.
Or Bregman.
Get Bregman.
Go get Flaherty.
Bregman and Flaherty.
If you got those two, you would be window ring shopping.
Maybe.
And if it opened-
He could be engaged with no date.
Maybe.
Because of how 40 went last year.
Right?
Like, Tiger is like, this is your year.
You have a good chance to make it way farther than last year.
So yeah.
All right, Ken, put you on your soapbox here.
Kansas City Royals.
Oh, just, I guess window ring shopping.
But what?
They are not the Mets or the Red Sox or the Royals.
They are meeting the parents.
Come on.
Don't mind the best baseball player in the world.
Bobby Wood Jr. is amazing.
Yeah, we're meeting the parents.
Our off season.
You know, if we had a decent off season, if we had a decent off season, we maybe could
have pushed it.
But I mean, I still got random white dudes starting in my outfield.
So I don't know.
Yeah.
Meeting with the parents is one of my two thoughts.
Okay, another master bony.
Master boating by yourself.
Chicago White Sox.
Have you looked at their starting roster?
I don't want to.
I think I'm going to vomit.
I'm going to look at it, dude.
I'm going to vomit.
It's so bad.
Chicago White Sox.
Over here off to you guys.
It's Mike Tachman, Luis Robert.
Okay, not too bad for us too.
Andrew Benatendi.
Yeah, this isn't, was it like 2020 when he had a good year?
Andrew Vaughn.
Number one overall.
Oh my goodness.
Josh Rojas.
He can't hit.
Lenny and Sosa.
Don't know who you are.
Miguel Vargas.
What a drop off.
Brooks Baldwin.
Never heard of him.
And Corey Lee.
Yeah, so let's move on.
No, hold on.
Look at this rotation.
Martin Perez, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Bryce Wilson.
That's it.
Sean Burke, like a reliever for the Dodgers.
I don't even know.
I know, I know Martin Perez.
I don't know any of these other guys.
I swear Sean Burke was some like bullpen guy for a team for a while.
Moving along.
NL Central.
So we didn't finish the AL.
We still have the AL West.
That was my bad for saying that before.
We have the NL Central.
Pittsburgh Pirates.
No because of how stupid they are, they should just be put in master boning yourself.
I like it.
I agree.
They got the best pitcher on the planet arguably and they haven't done anything with it.
Sorry, Pirates.
No, but bringing back Andrew McCutcheon on a one year deal.
That's gonna, that's gonna make the most of Paul.
Paul Sikins' career.
Yeah.
Yep.
And offering that what 14 year old kid from LA, probably like a $20 million offer for
that one card.
Yeah.
Is how you guys turn it around.
But you got, hey, you got a beautiful baseball park and you got Olivia Dunn and Paul Sikins.
All right.
Chicago Cubs.
I think they're window ring shopping.
You think they're window ring shopping?
I think so.
Look at their, look at their roster, dude.
If they had Tanner or Scott, it would have been a solid, it would have been a no doubt.
If I had the sizzle button, I would be sizzling.
Ian Hap, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Bush, Dan Zvi Swanson, Nico Horner, PCA, Matt
Shaw, Miguel.
Let me, let me just, let me just talk about this real quick.
Okay.
Ian Hap.
His average don't look pretty.
He don't swing pretty, but his OPS and his defense is great.
Kyle Tucker is probably one of the better outfielders in the league.
He's probably top five, easily top 10.
Say it's Suzuki before he got hurt last year, right?
Before he got hurt, he was one of the best hitters in the league.
He started off great and he wasn't too bad after he's a horrible defender, but he's a
DH now.
We're all good.
Michael Bush.
To quote Brady, he's up there for rookie of the year is what he told us all year long.
He's all right.
He holds his ground.
Dan Zvi Swanson, great defender.
Not thing to write home about, but he's all right, but a good contributor.
Nico Horner, great defensively.
Got speed.
He didn't steal as many bases last year, which I was a little concerned about, but hey, he's
still...
Anybody would want Nico Horner on their team.
He's what you want as a second baseman.
And oh my gosh, probably one of my favorite players this year, someone I can't wait to
draft is Pete Crow Armstrong.
Holy cow, do I love watching this guy play baseball.
Fast.
Dude, let me tell you, in the next three years, he's going to be an all-star.
All the next three years?
No, in the next three years, he's going to be an all-star.
He is...
He's got a lot of talent.
Oh my gosh, he's so fun to watch.
I think that Dodgers game, when he robbed three home runs in the final last inning,
oh, Goosebumps thinking about it.
And then I don't really care about who...
I don't...
Matt Shaw, he came over from the...
No, who is Matt Shaw?
Is he...
Is he the Cubs' prospect?
Yeah.
That's what it is.
He's the guy that they have when they traded parades away.
Oh, okay.
He's there to take their spot.
Perfect.
Yeah, that's why I was like...
I like him.
He's a good prospect.
He's a good pick.
And their pitching is great.
Imanaga, Steele, Talion, Talon, I don't know how you say it.
Not too terrible.
Matthew Boyd, Javier Asad.
Really solid, but Imanaga and Steele, I love those two starters.
But yeah, the bullpen is nothing to write home about.
So...
Benji's wearing a Cubs hat right now for anybody that's curious.
I am.
I am a big supporter of the Cubs.
St. Louis Cardinals, first date.
Yeah.
Sorry, Griffey.
Griffey, I'm sorry, dude.
They're down there.
I don't know.
Do they even deserve a first date?
Yeah, they do.
They still got...
They got...
No, but see, they got players, but it doesn't mean anything.
Aronado is probably going to be traded.
They're masterboney by themselves.
Brandon Donovan is probably going to get traded.
Lars Newpar.
I love Lars Newpar.
Got a jersey of him next to me.
He can't stay healthy, dude.
So actually, no, they probably should be on the first date.
It's hard to compare the Cardinals to the Marlins and the White Sox and Pirates.
So I think probably first dates probably more important.
Milwaukee Brewers.
This one's pretty easy for me.
This is meeting the parents.
Yeah.
I don't even want to...
I look at their pitching.
I don't know what to get excited about.
Christian Jelic is only getting worse.
But they're going to win gold glove for their team award again or whatever.
And the good defensive gold glove for their whole...
Yeah, that's what they win for every year.
There you go.
Good job.
Cincinnati Reds.
On paper, you know.
Meeting the parents.
Oh, fine.
Meeting the parents.
Dude, when last year...
Ellie Daly-Cruz.
Or like a couple of years ago when like first Ellie and...
What was it?
Who's our second baseman?
Why can't I remember?
McLean.
When they got pulled up and they were on fire, oh my gosh, were they so fun to watch?
They have the potential to be like the best offense in the league.
They do.
Cincinnati should be really fun.
But they need a fourth hitter.
They need a cleanup pop and they need pitching.
But offensively, oh, they got so many young talented...
The Reds need to play this right.
They have a...
Sure do.
Hunter Green found something last year.
Oh, he was so good last year.
I think he was statistically top five, top three pitcher last year or something.
Yeah, Hunter Green is awesome.
But yeah, let's move on.
National League West.
Listen, I'm going to save everybody some time here.
This is the only walking down the aisle pick that I have.
The Los Angeles Dodgers.
They're not even down the aisle.
They're not even walking down the aisle.
They are at the altar waiting to say their vows.
That's where the Dodgers are at right now.
They're head and shoulders above everybody else.
The league is pissed about what the Dodgers are doing.
But they're playing by the rules.
The Dodgers are doing what they do best and that is run the organization better than the
other 29 organizations.
So Dodgers are walking down the aisle.
That's an easy one for me.
Padres.
You know, I think they're window ring shopping.
Oh, you think so?
Their ownership fighting, their pitching is not impressive.
I think they're meeting the parents.
Really?
I thought I was crazy for saying window ring shopping.
Oh, I think they're even though.
Can you say meeting the can you really say that that roster is worse than.
I think they're right there with Tampa and Minnesota.
I don't know if you got Tati's and Machado.
They lose profile.
They lose Tanner Scott.
They probably might lose.
I mean, they got two great bullpens in the back there.
Suarez, the other guy.
They lost Scott.
Scott was their guy.
No, they had the other righty that went like Estrada.
Yeah, he has a shot.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He had a crazy run last year.
He did.
Meeting the parents.
You know, you know, listen, no, that's disrespectful.
I love the city of San Diego.
I'll put you a window ring shopping.
They were considered the best team in the league last year by the Dodgers.
They were a game away from from sitting in the base.
But I get it, though.
They they're not really that respectable this offseason.
It's a lot of I don't know.
I'm putting San Francisco Giants in first state.
What?
They're too far away.
They're far away.
I mean, if you look at it, that division, yeah, but I don't know.
I feel like they have a really good chance of making the playoffs.
They're far away, man.
They're far away.
They're with they're with Toronto.
They're there with the Guardians.
You're like, yeah, you guys can make the playoffs, but I don't believe in you that much.
That's where they are.
Yeah, they're not going to do anything special.
Yeah.
D back Arizona Diamondbacks.
This one.
Listen, I'll call me crazy for this.
I think they're engaged with no date.
I 100 percent agree.
They in my opinion have the best chance of beating the Dodgers.
I agree.
I think I think Corbin Carroll full season, Corbin Burns, like they got dudes.
Arizona has starting pitching rotation looks so good.
It's so nice.
If they can somehow figure out Montgomery situation and get him to play a little bit
like he played with the Rangers.
Oh my gosh.
And we already know they got a great bullpen.
Maybe take it a little bit that offense.
They lost Christian Walker, but Josh and there is there.
They replaced him with a less capable first baseman.
But if the D backs at another bat somewhere like to I think to replace their D H so it's
not Pavin Smith.
Watch out Diamondback.
Watch.
They totally am wholeheartedly in agreement.
Diamondbacks, you are engaged with no date yet, but things are looking up for you, Arizona.
It isn't looking up for is the Colorado Rockies.
Goodbye.
Sell your team.
Tell them, OBE, you want to transfer because ain't nobody ever playing for your team.
But hey, I like to go to your stadium when the Dodgers come so I can see Ohtani hit a
500 foot bomb over the stadium is really pretty.
Ezekiel Tovar is good.
Is there center fielder last year?
Doyle.
That was great.
No, Charlie Blackman retired.
The first baseman.
He's got his Bryant can't stay healthy.
Yep.
That's about it.
All right.
Yeah, there's not much going on.
Sorry, guys.
You guys are masturbating by yourself.
Last division, the American League West division.
At the very top of it, I have the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
I'm going to put this down as a first date.
Just think this there are long ways away.
They're not at the bottom of the league, but they are first date in my opinion.
They've lost a couple of pieces.
Trout who knows if he's going to stay healthy, not trading Shohei set them back a long time.
I'm putting them first date.
I should have called out every team that I want the owner to sell their team and the
angels.
You are that team.
Sell your team.
Whoever, whoever the owner of the angels is.
Set your team.
Next team.
Texas Rangers.
Now listen, I'm high on the Rangers, Joe, a frequent guest and cohost of the show, engage
with no date.
Texas Rangers.
I love their rotation.
Their roster is so I love their roster.
The fact that you got a silver slugger and you don't know where to put him.
Good problem to have Evan Carter.
They don't know where to put him.
Wyatt Lankford.
He's their freaking.
Why Lankford is so good.
He's going to be such a great player.
So pumped to watch the Rangers this year, dude.
Whole season of Jacob deGrom.
Rangers are right there.
Engage honestly.
Honestly, if the Rangers made another deep playoff push, I would not be shocked.
And if they went up against the Dodgers, I would think they put up a pretty good fight.
I agree.
They're totally good.
They are so good offensively and their pitching could be so good.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Texas Rangers.
Houston Astros.
I'm putting them at window ring shopping because they have retooled.
They're not the juggernaut they once were.
They have retooled though.
They're going to get a lot of their arms back.
Still a friend of all days.
Christian Javier.
They still got dudes.
You can't count out Houston because they have been so dominant for so long.
Window ring shopping for the Houston Astros.
I'm going to say something.
I think the Astros are not going to make the playoffs this year.
And I think they're going to be trading framber this off season.
I think they're going to, in the next couple of years, they're probably not going to restart.
They are slowly declining each year.
They are losing pieces and trying to replace them each year, but it's just not working.
Yeah, I agree.
He hasn't become what he was in that World Series run or his rookie year.
The Astros, like I said, I do think they're probably not going to make the playoffs this
year.
And I think they're going to, their decline is about to start.
I think the beginning of the first half last year wasn't just a fluke.
I think it was showing something about their Astros.
And then they really picked it up at the end.
But I'm a little worried for the Astros this year.
I agree.
I think people should be a little worried in Houston, but you've been a dynasty.
So what do you mean?
Success.
Yeah.
You're okay.
Seattle Mariners.
Just put them in master bony yourself.
They are so stupid.
Sell your team.
I'm putting them in first.
They're not that bad.
They're some of the worst owners and I hate the angels owner, but wow, you have an insane
rotation.
They have an amazing rotation.
You are so bad at your job.
Your kids must be so disappointed in you.
I hate bad owners.
Just enjoy baseball.
Maybe watch baseball and pay attention.
Maybe use money instead of collecting pitchers.
Guess what, buddy?
Pitching doesn't win you it.
It gets you there and it helps you win, but you also got to hit the ball.
You have to outscore the other team.
The Tigers found that out last year and so did the guardians.
So yeah, I mean the Mariners love to hoard starting pitching and the Orioles love to
draft white guys with blonde hair.
And neither team has achieved anything in recent times.
Their offense looks so stupid.
It does.
They wasted my man, my favorite player of all time, Ichiro's career.
They just wasted his career completely.
So it makes sense they would do it again.
But yes, last team.
Our very last team on the team.
Now Sacramento A's.
Kenji says wow because he just saw where I put them on the tier.
Take a chill pill now.
I'm putting them at meeting the parents.
You're telling me that they are a better team than the Giants, Guardians, and Toronto.
I think we have the Guardians too low.
I think we might have.
I think we want to make it emotional.
But I don't know.
I think we have the Guardians too low.
I'm willing to move the Guardians up a tier.
They did almost make it to the World Series.
Yes.
I think we have the Guardians too low.
But I think the A's.
I don't know.
I mean, Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler are great.
All right, fine.
Fine.
I don't think they earned themselves this offseason to not be at Mausher Boney ourselves.
You're right.
I'm delusional.
You're right.
Yes.
But athletics, we're open for you guys to come around.
Go do something, A's.
Go do something.
We don't want Tom to be happy.
We don't want Tom to be suffering no more.
A's, do something, you guys.
Let's have some fun, Oakland.
Wow.
Sorry, Sacramento.
That's going to take some getting used to.
I hope the stadium is cool.
All right.
Well, that's our tier list, everybody.
We're going to read down through all of them and make any last minute changes.
But I got to be honest, looking at this, I feel pretty okay.
Me too.
But our very top tier, walking down the aisle, we have only the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I think that's pretty indisputable.
Our next tier down, we have engaged with no date.
We have the Yankees, the Braves, the Phillies, the Diamondbacks, and the Rangers.
Any qualms there with those, Kenji?
Nope, I love it.
I think it's great.
Window Ring Shopping, which is now our third tier down.
We have the Orioles, the Red Sox, the Mets, the Cubs, the Padres, and the Astros.
I think that makes sense.
Again, I feel good about that.
I don't hate that at all.
Another one down, fourth tier, meeting the parents, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Kansas
City, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
I think those are all in that same vein.
Maybe we could put twins at Window Ring Shopping.
No, that feels too high for the twins because they haven't done anything.
You want to lower them?
No, twins are good right there.
I was going to elevate the twins, but I think they're in the right spot.
I think the twins are in the right spot.
Yeah.
Do you have any other qualms with those, Kenji?
I know your Royals are in there.
I think the twins are closer to first tier than they are Window Ring Shopping.
I still love their rotation, and they have a couple of good offensive pieces that if
they can stay healthy, I'd like to be able to contend.
First date, fifth tier, this is the second one up from the bottom.
Toronto, Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants,
Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Sacramento A's.
I got no issue with that.
Can we put the Mariners and Mastroboni yourself?
No, we can't do that, dude.
The Mariners, Logan, Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, just those three alone are
better.
It would be a historically good pitching staff if they knew how to do the truck and offense.
Yes, and look at the teams at Mastroboni by yourself.
Marlins, White Sox, Pirates, Rockies.
We can't put the Mariners down.
They're probably going to win the same amount of games this year.
I bet the Pirates win more games than the Mariners this year.
Mariners hater.
I am.
Talking about the Mariners, whoever voted against Ichiro Suzuki that he shouldn't belong
in the Hall of Fame, you don't know a waste ball.
Confirmed he does not know a ball.
You're an idiot.
He changed the game of baseball.
Congrats to all the Hall of Famers, by the way.
C.C.
Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and Billy Wagner.
All three deserve it.
I thought that the voting was just.
Ichiro being one vote from unanimous makes sense.
So was Derek Jeter.
Someone almost said that Jeter didn't belong in Hall of Fame.
Yeah, one person said.
Who gives these who gives these like voting to people?
Are they just morons?
They must be the most petty people in the world.
They must be.
Some people in this world have too much free time and too much power.
Yeah, they should have.
They should.
Yeah.
But that's our tea list, everybody.
That's that's what we have.
We're going to do another tea list before the season.
We might even do two.
This was quite a lot of fun.
I quite enjoyed it.
I know.
We should.
We should get the gang together.
We'll do a big tea list.
And like Griffin.
That's a great idea.
Yes.
So we're going to do at least one more tea list before the season kicks off and make
our final predictions.
We will do like division by division predictions for the season before the season begins.
And then you guys can expect an uptick in content as spring training gets going.
We're just revamping the show, getting editing down.
We got the new logo.
You guys are going to see brand new music.
It's all coming back.
We're going to be here all season long.
Excited to kick this thing off.
We're three weeks away from spring training.
Thanks for listening to this tea list episode.
And we'll be back with you guys next week.
Kenji, any thoughts?
Peace out.
That's all I got to say.
Peace out.
Thanks for listening, everybody.