Take 10 with Tim – May 23, 2025 @ 9:30 am

1.I know everyone loves Juan Soto, but with eight home runs and a .247 batting average after 30% of the games played this season, it looks a lot like 2022 when he hit 27 home runs and had a .242 average. He is stealing bases, which helps, but should owners be worried? Is this the player they drafted?
a.He’s also been criticized for his lack of hustle. Do you think that now that he’s being paid, he’s lost something?

2.Sal Perez and Adley Rutschman hit home runs on Wednesday. It was Adley’s first home run since April 20, and he’s barely hitting above the Mendoza line. Perez last hit a home run on April 13 and is also just above the Mendoza line. Who are you more concerned about for the rest of the season?

3.Dylan Crews will be out for a while after suffering an oblique strain on Tuesday. Robert Hassell III gets the call. He’s far from the player everyone expected when he was drafted by the Padres in the first round in 2020, but he’s played alright this season, with a .288 batting average, four home runs, and nine stolen bases. What do you expect, and how long do you think he’ll be out?

4.Patrick Corbin looked like he was playing out the string after signing that great contract with Washington. He went unowned in most leagues. This year, he’s been a different guy. Pitching for Texas, he’s won three games and posting a 3.59 ERA. However, he’s not striking out many (6.75 K/9) and his xERA is 4.56.
a.You can’t sell high (maybe you can), but what do you do here? Keep starting him every week? Pick and choose based on matchups? Something else?

5.In the past three games, Will Warren has a record of 2-0, with a 1.50 ERA and a 13:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has lowered his ERA to 4.05. Is this merely a hot streak, or are we witnessing a breakout?

6.Matt Shaw returns to the Cubs, and Moises Ballesteros is sent down. This is Shaw’s second chance. Will this time be better?

7.Rank the Top 10 pitchers you would like to own over the rest of the season.

1)Skubal
2)Skenes
3)Yamamoto
4)Wheeler
5)Fried
6)Brown
7)deGrom
8)Senga
9)Bibee
10)Warren

8.If something pops up today, we will include

9.What one hitter are you targeting in this weekend’s FAAB?
Robert Hassell III (OF, Was)

10.What one pitcher are you targeting in this weekend’s FAAB?
Daniel Palenecia (RHP, CHC)