Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks! I’m back from my annual foray to Cape Cod and at my usual battle station for the Tuesday chat.

Jay Jaffe: I just published a piece on Jordan Walker’s latest hitting streak and what’s changed (and hasn’t) since his return from Triple-A. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jordan-walker-tries-to-get-off-the-ground/

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday, I took a look at the debut of the Padres’ Matt Waldron, the first pitcher to throw a knuckleball in a major league game since Mickey Jannis in 2021 https://blogs.fangraphs.com/matt-waldron-brought-the-knuckleball-back-…

Jay Jaffe: Current listening: Sparks, since I’m seeing them at the Beacon Theater tonight.

Jay Jaffe: And now, on with the show

babbganoush: Thoughts on Manoah getting shelled by 17 yo kids?

Dan Szymborski: GafternooN!

Chutzpah: Who are some prospects in this years draft you might be excited about that are not part of the top 20 group?

Dan Szymborski: Carson Roccaforte is one of the top of my head

Dan Szymborski: Cam Fisher has really fun power

Dan Szymborski: but these are probably Eric questions

Dan Szymborski: I’m not an amateur draft guru

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks and welcome to a special edition of my Tuesday chat. I’m a few days into the annual family trip to Wellfleet  — this is the seventh year in a row that my wife, my daughter, and my mother-in-law have rented this house — and the wi-fi is a bit dodgier than back in Brooklyn, but I always like to do a chat from here if I can.

Jay Jaffe: As it’s a two-week trip, it’s something of a working vacation, with the work front-loaded. Today I did a piece on Nick Castellanos’ rebound from a dismal 2022 https://blogs.fangraphs.com/nick-castellanos-is-mashing-again

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I took a look at the impact of Pete Alonso’s hand injury https://blogs.fangraphs.com/skidding-mets-lose-pete-alonso-when-they-c…

Liam: Making it to any CCBL games while you’re out there?

Jay Jaffe: Yes, we’re planning to get down to at least one Orleans Firebirds games. I think we have four to choose from in terms of their home games. Haven’t looked at rosters or fully sketched out a calendar yet.

mike: The Twins seem to have painted themselves into a corner here, and just need to hope Buxton and CC and Polanco hit…..Kepler hasn’t hit for three years, would you move on?

Dan Szymborski: It is time. A time. For chats.

Dan Szymborski: Or at least once!

B’ryce Szymbobski: EllyD… That is all.

Dan Szymborski: I got a DM from someone really annoyed I referred to him as Ellraiser

Bert: Hey Dan! The Cards, and others, need to give Jordan Walker more time, right? Especially with them being in the cellar.

Dan Szymborski: It was always iffy if this was the year he was going to contribute, he has huge upside, but the short-term was very uncertian

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks! Welcome to my first chat of June and my last one before embarking upon the annual family trip to Cape Cod

Jay Jaffe: I am battling my way through back spasms that began when I was warming up my daughter for her last Little League game (of the season for sure, of her “career” possibly)

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I took a look at Fernando Tatis Jr’s return from his injuries and suspension https://blogs.fangraphs.com/fernando-tatis-jr-s-uneven-return-from-a-l…

Jay Jaffe: Tomorrow I’ll have a tribute to Roger Craig, whose greatest contribution to baseball was in teaching the split-fingered fastball to a generation of pitchers, to such an extent that it became “The Pitch of the ’80s”

Guest: Manoah?

Jay Jaffe: he’s got minor league options, time to shuffle off to Buffalo.

Dan Szymborski: Greetings! I have a 1 PM appointment, so pretty strict on time today

CK: I noticed your Bengal reference and I appreciate it

Dan Szymborski: I made one?

Em: Do you think that first basemen would get fewer hamstring injuries, since they have to be flexible to receive throws from the other infielders?

Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure, I’m not expert enough on the human body to know why this effect, if it exists, might exist

Dan Szymborski: but it might be itneresting to study actual hamstring injuries by position

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to the post-Memorial Day edition of my chat. I had a weekend of solo parenting that was filled with activity, including taking my 6 1/2 year old daughter to a Yankees-Padres game on Friday night, but didn’t see much baseball otherwise until last night when I had Bobby Miller on one device and Bryce Miller on the other.

Jay Jaffe: anyway… no article from me today due to travel. ON Friday I checked in on Trea Turner’s struggles https://blogs.fangraphs.com/trea-turners-slide-has-not-been-smooth/ and the day before that on Carlos Correa’s foot https://blogs.fangraphs.com/carlos-correas-rebound-from-a-slow-start-h… Surprisingly, the latter has avoided the IL for now

Chairman Meow: What are your thoughts on  Francisco Alvarez after his hot start, future star or even current star?

Jay Jaffe: I’m impressed so far. I mean, who wouldn’t be given his .269/.327/.558 start through 113 PA?

Jay Jaffe: He’s +4.9 runs in framing, too. Didn’t see that coming

Jay Jaffe: He graded out as a 60 FV prospect, which is All-Star caliber. I haven’t seen anything to suggest he won’t be one though I don’t expect him to maintain a 142 wRC+