Locke'd In Baseball

It was a glorious first weekend of baseball and the boys are back to recap it all. Luis and William give their instant reactions to every series this weekend, including the new rules in action, the electric Guardians-Mariners series, the Mets' injury issues, Jazz in center field, poor pitching all around, the abysmal Tigers, the new-feel Yankees, and more. They are also joined by special guest (and Cubs correspondent), Kayla Robinson, who attended the Cubs game on Saturday. She gives her thoughts on seeing the new rules in action, the freezing weather, the Cubs' prospects this season, some of her favorite Cubs memories, the White Sox-Cubs rivalry, and more (26:27).

The boys are back for their final season preview podcast, this time focusing on the AL & NL East. They begin with the AL East and discuss William's team, the Yankees, and what they have NOT changed this offseason, the retooled and hungry Blue Jays, the run-it-back Rays, the lurking Orioles, and the "meh" Red Sox (2:26). They list their AL playoff teams following the AL East discussion. The two then dive into the most toxic division in baseball, the NL East, including the loaded Braves, overhyped (?) Mets, hobbled but improved Phillies, the nothing but pitching Marlins, and.... Washington (47:10). They list their NL playoff teams following the NL East discussion. The fellas wrap the podcast by giving their predictions for the Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and MVP awards (1:17:55), some breakout candidates to watch this season, and finally their playoff predictions (1:24:05).

William is back in Chicago, but the podcast rolls on. The boys recap the electric semifinals and final of the WBC and discuss Mexico and Japan's game of the tournament, Team USA's inability to hit with RISP, and the movie-like Trout vs. Ohtani moment (1:02). They then preview the NL West, including, the Dodgers kitchen & bath renovations, not buying San Diego just yet, the young and exciting Diamondbacks, and 50/50 Giants and... the Rockies (19:39). Finally, the boys preview the "league pass" worthy AL West, including, the Triple-A A's, very thin yet interesting Rangers, why we liked the Angels' offseason and might be rebuying their stock, America's Team in Seattle, and the Astros rotation without Justin Verlander and their lineup without Altuve (55:06).

The boys attended two electric WBC Quarterfinal matchups in Miami over the weekend in Puerto Rico vs. Mexico and USA vs. Venezuela. They recap both games including the insane atmospheres, Trae Turner's iconic grand slam, Randy Arozarena's catch, Mexico's comeback, poor pitching, the ballpark, and much more. They then preview the 2023 NL Central which includes deep dives of each team, O/U win total and final standings predictions.

It's a LIVE recording in Miami and the boys discuss a wild week in the WBC which included electric atmospheres, high-level baseball, and unfortunate injuries. They parse through the heated discourse surrounding the Edwin Diaz injury before previewing the rest of the tournament. The two hosts then dive into their 2023 AL Central Division preview, including full deep dives of each team and predictions.

After discussing recent WBC happenings and William's game-winning half-court buzzer beater from last weekend, the boys discuss MLB's future stars. They break down Keith Law's Top 100 MLB Prospect list (while comparing it to MLB.com's list), including deep dives of the top-15 players. The hosts then pick their favorite/best bet prospects and discuss which organizations have the best farm systems moving forward. They wrap the podcast by discussing recent news and notes from Spring Training. 

After opening the pod highlighting the impressive Morgan Wallen tour sites, Luis and William have a much-needed debate about the new rules in MLB and their first week in action this spring. The two discuss how the new rules will impact the game and potential interest in the sport, before analyzing how baseball might be marketing its product incorrectly. The boys then discuss the recent happenings across Spring Training including the Machado extension, some notable performers, a series of brutal injuries, the Blue Jays hiring James Click, and more.

Joe Sieben joins the podcast for a LIVE in-person Chicago recording to conduct our second annual NBA Bright Futures Draft! After discussing the results from last year's draft, each host selects five teams that they think have the brightest futures for the next 3-10 years (certain teams are ineligible). They then predict how many Conference Finals/Finals each team on their roster of teams will appear in and win over the next 10 years. 

Spring Training has finally started marking the beginning of the 2023 MLB Season. Luis and William open the pod by discussing their favorite Spring Training sites and which teams they plan to watch the most this Spring. They then dive into recent news around the league, including Corbin Burnes' awkward interview, Manny Machado's opt-out announcement, and Clayton Kershaw's withdrawal from the WBC. Will Burnes get traded? How much will Machado earn on the open market? Is Team USA in trouble? They also break down some recent transactions around the league before recapping the opening weekend of the College Baseball season.