Lookout Landing

For Kate, Joe, and John, the offseason is the furthest thing from break time. That's because the draft order is now settled, which means we've got another layer of clarity on where Seattle might be picking at No. 12 overall and beyond. Despite *gestures in every direction*, high school baseball showcases have continued across the country, giving scouting departments and public scouting enthusiasts the chance to watch from afar as the next wave develops. We take listener questions on who the M's could target now that they're just outside the top-10. Is this the year that the M's finally go with a high-upside prep position player? Do guys like Marcelo Mayer have a chance of making it to the M's? And how might they look to add another competitive balance pick as they have the past couple years? Music: "Symphonies" by Kid Cudi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

0:00-13:25: Ashley MacLennan of DRaysBay is here to try and figure out how Mike Zunino ended up in the World Series. Her and Matthew begin by rejoicing over the fact that the Astros lost and how strange it is to not play an non-divisional opponent all season until the League Championship Series. Then we get into the Zunino zone. What were Ashley’s thoughts when the Rays traded Mallex Smith and Jake Fraley to land Z? Did anything surprise her about Zunino’s skill set? Also does Tampa want Jake Fraley back? 13:30-29:40: How did the Rays use Zunino during the regular season? Can we expect that to continue in the World Series? With a player like Mike, the non-quantifiable things are arguably the most important. How does Ashley feel about that, and how does that affect the way she watches the team? A discussion about players excelling after finding the best fit for them blooms out of this. Will Mikey be able to just sit fastball and feast off the Dodgers’ velocity? 30:10-41:34: The Rays are great y’all, get over y

0:00-8:00: We have three guests! Four total people! Dogs and cats living together! We’ve decided to examine each of the teams still playing in the League Championship Series and figure out how the Mariners can steal some of their ideas. On the American League side, Kate Preusser kindly chose the Astros while John Trupin covers the Rays. Isabelle Minasian, Lookout Landing emeritus member and current Digital Content Specialist for the Baseball Hall of Fame, talks about the Dodgers while Matthew Roberson breaks down the Braves. After briefly getting sidetracked by pleasantries and a discussion about the Pittsburgh Pirates (?), we get to the meat of the show. 8:05-30:10: How did the Astros get to this point after being laughably bad when they first joined the American League? As Kate explains, everyone stupidly continues to trade with them, they exploit the lesser teams, and they also nailed a bunch of draft picks in the pre-death machine days. Houston also remains fairly inactive in international signing, someth

0:00-20:00: Matthew calls up chef Eric Rivera (who was recently profiled in a wonderful Eater story by Alberto Perez) to talk about his experiences as a fan of the Seattle Mariners. Eric is also the owner of the restaurant Addo in Ballard, which is doing a lot of easy to make and inexpensive take-out meals. How did Eric feel about micro dosing a baseball season? How does he feel about what Jerry Dipoto has cooked up at his executive table? 20:05-39:35: Let’s talk about the unwritten rules, which are stupid, and if you like them, guess what? You are also stupid. Eric spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico as a kid, which means he also learned a lot about how the game is played there. What are the main differences? Why does America hate fun so much? 39:40-51:10: Where, when, and how did this whole journey of baseball fandom begin for Eric? Steroids and The Peanut Guy were heavily involved. He also talks about living in Chicago as the Cubs finally got over the hump and all the thoughts it invited. This portion ends

0:00 - 46:00 - We go through the Mariners full slate of rookies, from the two Rookie of the Year candidates to those who never quite got started. What's the ceiling for guys like Kyle Lewis and Justus Sheffield, and have they established trustworthy floors? Who among us still believes in under-performers like Justin Dunn and Jake Fraley? And what do we expect from some of the pitchers who flashed potential, like Yohan Ramirez, Joey Gerber, and Nick Margevicius? 46:00 - End - Let's talk Fall Developmental Camp! We take listener questions on the makeshift fall league/instructional league amalgamation Seattle is kicking off this week down in Arizona. While they take on the Padres, Rangers, and Royals prospects, we'll be hoping to get updates as possible, but it's hard to say how! We wonder about Taylor Trammell's time down in Arizona compared to a few of his new 17 year old teammates. Music: "No Tengo Para" by El Mayor Clasico and Rochy RD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

0:00-25:55: The show begins with Mariners’ minor league pitcher Jack Anderson giving us a few minutes of his time! Our conversation begins with some Midwest small talk before getting into the fear of losing the MLB draft’s late rounds. Jack is also a submarine style pitcher, which, as he puts it, was the first of its kind when his college team traveled to Cuba. Jack also tells us about how he stayed sharp during the COIVD shutdown. This segment ends with Jack explaining the work he’s doing for Young, Black & Lit, an Illinois-based organization committed to increasing access to children’s books that center, reflect, and affirm Black children. If you would like to help donate, or want to see videos from Jack’s Swings for Stories event, visit this page. The next part begins with a discussion of the Mariners’ Player Development Fall League roster, of which Jack is also a part of. 26:00-44:40: John Trupin logs on to talk about that roster as well as Jerry Dipoto’s recent comments about the team contending in 2021.

0:00-15:40: We’re giving out awards! That are totally made up and hold no actual value or contributions to society! YAYYYYYYYYY! But first, a quick roundup about the state of the franchise and a shout out to the small sample gods. 15:45-57:15: Time for the awards, starting with favorite games, although Matthew takes a quick detour to make an important confession. When it comes time to actually pick games, we all veer into the Gonzales zone and learn about the existence of Jimmy Herget. Then, biggest surprises of this season, which was a surprise to begin with. Matthew and John talk about their experience in the Seattle Wiffle Ball League. The squad then picks their favorite newcomers to the Mariners’ organization.  57:20-1:30:41: Biggest disappointments of the year, come get y’all juice. To wrap up the festivities, we hand out the Tyler Smith Award for Most Forgettable and the Mark Canha Award for Best New Enemy. While it didn’t bring home the award, Kate mentions a new enemy in tweet form. We also all agree

0:00-21:00: Hanna Brooks Olsen is here, just in time for plumes of ash to block out the sun and end humanity once and for all! As an Oregon resident, where does Hanna find the Mariners in the Oregon sports hierarchy? Hanna grew up in a household with dueling fandoms, which led to her grandfather’s ashes being scattered at a division rival’s field. After a brief rundown of the perceived itchiest player in Major League Baseball, we find out how Hanna fell hopelessly in love with baseball, which will always hit different on the radio. 21:05-45:20: Everyone’s got a beloved Mariner who wasn’t good at baseball. Hanna’s is a recently departed, perennially thicc middle reliever. During this segment, the concept of time takes Matthew behind the woodshed and absolutely beats him senseless. As Mariner fans, we have a protective turtle shell that shields us from danger but also allows us to hide in our own comforting isolation. Toomgis, Larry King, juggalos, and a Pioneer Square bar with carpeted tables also come up. 45:

0:00-34:05: Great news everybody, your saviors are here. All of the troubles of the world will be fixed by this very episode of the Lookout Landing podcast. First, how do we feel about the Mariners playing baseball games on a field that looked like a Def Leppard stage? Second, which is funnier, the Mariners being okay enough to be in the race, or the Astros being bad enough to let them in? Third, are these weird circumstances setting the M’s up to be America’s team? 34:10-58:10: Guessing, successfully, who the unlikely gem of the Mariners’ bullpen has been. Guessing, unsuccessfully, why Jarred Kelenic is still taking reps against nobodies rather than in MLB games that matter. Matthew and Kate disagree on whether Kelenic or Logan Gilbert should be up with the big club.  58:15-1:14:05: Twitter questions for that ass. Does José Marmolejos make the club next season? Do the players actually call him Donovan? We also have a fun look into what it sounds like when news breaks during a recording session. At the very e

0 - 15:00 General intro, bemoaning of the MiLB season lost. At about the five minute mark we get into our first listener question and the general state of the 2020 Mariners, surprisingly not as awful as we thought they might be! This is good! We roundtable our choices for the prospect who has surprised us the most at the big league level, and the answers might surprise you. Namely, we get a little fast and loose with the definition of prospect. 15:00 - 30:00: It’s never too early to talk big off-season signings, so that’s exactly what we do. There’s also some talk about the bullpen, and how Jerry Dipoto has spent money on the bullpen, and for that, we are sorry. 30:00 - end: Perfect Game chat! Joe puts some respect on Benny Montgomery’s name and Borat impression. Kate continually calls James Wood “Ed” Wood and for that she is sorry. Brady House and Jordan Lawlar are marveled over in a class that is especially strong on shortstops, hooray! Please don’t disappoint us again, Jerry. At about the 55 minute mark is

0:00-10:55: Calling our first ever guest (we think) in Europe to talk about all things Mariners. This week’s guest is author and podcast host Mike Duncan, who moved to Paris to write a book, while Matthew moved from Queen Anne to Fremont to have a quieter place to record podcasts. Mike and Matthew exchange pleasantries about life and baseball culture in France before diving into his history as an M’s fan. How has moving – first domestically, then internationally – molded Mike’s attachment to baseball? We also recorded this before the Bucks were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, so please do not make fun of Mike for saying they’re cool. 11:00-22:50: Favorite players from a 1980s childhood in the Pacific Northwest. The Mariners being a mystery to the rest of the world back then allowed for a singular experience and shameless bandwagoning once the playoffs rolled around. This opens a discussion about attending Seattle sporting events to see the other team’s great players. Then, an adorable story swap about seein

0:00-14:15: Amanda Lane Cumming is here to discuss her spectacular “War, Pandemic, and Seattle Baseball in 1918” three-part series. But first, we introduce Amanda and the things that make her baseball heart sing. Listen closely to this part for some juicy cocktail gossip. 14:20-29:20: What inspired Amanda to research a 100-year-old pandemic and the way that affected baseball? This is the part where you learn a library’s worth of information about shipyard baseball teams. As one of America’s shipyard hubs, Seattle was heavily involved in World War I baseball as a morale-building activity. Kate and Amanda also have a thoughtful discussion about history and the things we learn, or don’t learn, from it. It’s also finally time to examine Daddy Warbucks and his fetishization of orphan culture. 29:25-40:55: Which, shall we say, icky organization sponsored one of these offshoot baseball teams? Which current Midwestern MLB team used to have a much different, much bleaker, name? After the big reveal, Amanda shares some

Kate, Joe, and Mikey examine the trade return for Austin Nola and his reliever buddies, talk about the future of the franchise, look at how the Mariners are set up in 2021 and beyond, and make some very immature jokes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

0:00-12:25: John is gone so we’ve called upon the indelible Mikey Ajeto to take his spot! Mikey joins Matthew and Kate to discuss the Mariners’ recent turnaround and dig into possible trades. But first, let’s dump on the Angels! They’re really bad! One of the worst teams in the league, as it turns out! 12:30-32:55: Kate breaks down some of the reasons why Evan White’s hitting has improved lately. We also shower Austin Nola with the All-Star hype he deserves before going down the trade rabbit hole. How would we feel about the M’s trading Nola? What about Taijuan Walker and the bullpen guys? 33:00-44:55: How has Taylor Williams been so effective? Let Mikey, our pitching analytics expert, explain. We also mentally prepare for the possibility that Kyle Seager, father figure for the entire Pacific Northwest, could get traded. The most interesting part of this discussion, of course, is that there are already so many good third basemen across the league. Five dollars to anyone who has some dirt on Las Vegas’ totally

0:00-30:00: We’re…a third of the way through the season? None of the Mariners have contracted the ‘roni, but strangeness still dominates this whole year. How do we fell about the way MLB, and specifically its players, have handled all this? Please refrain from getting horny at the team hotel. A good chunk of our happiness comes from being extremely correct. We’ve also reached a Zen state from watching inconsequential bullpen guys. This is part of the Tao of Mariners. 30:10-43:35: What is really the goal of this season? How does having a perennially on fire bullpen actually help the Mariners? Then we get lost talking about J.P. Crawford for an extended period of time. 43:40-57:15: We now move to the negative parts of this season, which go by the name White, Evan. He is, sadly, approaching a dangerous zone. Can someone check to see if Mallex Smith’s bat has a barrel? Sending either of them to the alternate site will do more harm than good though. Let people struggle without bullying them online or trying to dia

Kate and John are joined by Mariners RHP prospect Jarod Bayless from his current training grounds in Dallas, TX. The 33rd round pick from 2019 out of Dallas Baptist University by way of San Jacinto CC is an enthusiastic adopter of the many technological assets available to baseball players these days, and he breaks down the various ways in which devices like Rapsodo, Trackman/Hawkeye, Motus, and others specifically help him develop. Bayless has chronicled his development - and struggles - on his Instagram page (@JarodThrows), offering a great training resource for those interested in pushing themselves from borderline talents towards big league potential pitchers. Music: "Daniel, You're Still a Child" - Declan McKenna / "Space Cadet" - Metro Boomin (ft. Gunna) Editor’s Note: We originally recorded this with Jarod back in late July, before the season began. Due to bizarre audio issues that required heroic efforts from the developers at Cast, this episode comes to you at last. That said, a brief chunk of this e

0:00-27:20: Matthew is back from some extreme chillin’ in Idaho and is now Idahosting this podcast again, restoring balance in the universe. While Matthew was gone, the Mariners played roughly 10 percent of the season, so he’s got some catching up to do! We’ve gathered some headlines from that period, and it’s up to John and Kate to fill him in on what happened. After getting updates on Kyle Lewis, we start talking neck. Then it’s on to Joey Gerber and his first MLB game against a man who debuted before his fourth birthday. 27:25-39:50: A direct plea to Rob Manfred and an appreciation of Rebelution, a band that J.P. Crawford apparently loves? Our last headline centers on Yusei Kikuchi and his recent masterful performance against Oakland. 39:55-1:11:06: Time for listener questions! Which player does Kate already anoint as a dark horse MVP candidate? Is there any chance for trades during this loopy, hard to figure season? The only thing that derails our intellectual, stimulating conversation is the news that Ky

The games at the big league level count at last, so John, Kate, and Joe take a look at how the Mariners prospects - hello Evan White and Kyle Lewis - are doing in their everyday roles. It's a listener mailbag episode, with questions on what the outfield will look like if Lewis turns into something like the player he's playing like right now, how to handle the pitching vs. hitting quality and development discrepancy in the Tacoma alternate site, and how Seattle's farm stacks up against the rest of their division. Music: "Space Cadet" by Metro Boomin' / "Mindmaker" by Lost Cousins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

0:00-31:30: We truly cannot believe we made it. Get in here, y’all. We’re gonna try to do a season real quick. We’re gathered here today to share three things that we’re excited to watch this year. Kate kicks us off with an awfully specific thing relating to Marco Gonzales. Then we talk some DEFENSE! Remember that the Mariners will be without infield wizard Perry Hill, at least in person, as the 68-year-old coach has opted to stay home. We’ll also have the wonderful joy of a balletic first baseman scooping and stretching for all 60 games. 32:00-49:15: Which starter’s pitch mix is getting John all riled up? Hint: it’s a guy who is, at least on a physical plane, embracing his new life on the west coast. What part of Kyle Lewis’ game is worthy of your number crunching? If any of you off the top of your head know what Jake Stahl is famous for, give yourself a pat on the back. 49:20-1:03:05: This could be an emotional season. Lots of things happening during these unprecedented times, folks! Somewhere in here the t

0:00-20:55: We have an actual player for the Seattle Mariners on the show! Joey Gerber, who is currently at Summer Camp with the team, calls in from the team hotel. What’s it like to have your entire life distilled into a baseball stadium and a hotel? Who’s in charge? Are the feds watching? We also learn what players Joey has gravitated to and how they’re passing the time. Joey shares his excitement to be in a temperate climate after growing up in the Midwest and spending last season between Modesto and Arkansas. 21:00-36:25: Joey has what scouts and writers love to call a “funky delivery”. Where did that come from? Being from a cold-weather area in an overlooked part of the country, how did Joey end up making a name for himself in baseball? Now that he’s here, what’s the approach to camp and seeing live hitting again? 36:30-49:55: What sort of dark magic had to happen for a dude from a town called Maple Grove to end up with the Mariners? Is there anything from back home that Joey wants to bring here, or vice