Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning, everyone. I got my courvoisier right here, what seems to be your query?

Guest: The Aces scratching Lawlar right before first pitch and then not giving a reason after the game is nasty work.

Eric A Longenhagen: I didn’t see that, that’s fun. He’s hit a ball harder already this year than he did in each of the last two seasons, there’s a real chance he’s taken a leap.

Jeb: When does Bubba Chandler come up? Not sure there is much more for him to prove in AAA at this point. Probably not Skenes level good, but level below good?

Eric A Longenhagen: If I had to bet, I’d say he comes up late enough to retain rookie eligibility next season.

bk: If Nimmala can sustain this level of K rate, how much does that improve his prospect stock?

Dan Szymborski: It’s time for chat!

Dan Szymborski: https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1852454076229022034

Dan: Aaron. Judge.

You Buying…: Wilyer Abreu’s start? His k-rate is a smooch above where you’d probably like it to be but the underlying metrics seem to really support this breakout. ZiPS was already the most bullish projection system on him and hopefully that continues, for my fantasy team’s sake.

dylan: Wilyer Abreu is having an MVP caliber season and it isn’t close!!!!!

Dan Szymborski: He has an above-average contact rate!

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat!

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I wrote about Eugenio Suárez’s four-homer game https://blogs.fangraphs.com/eugenio-suarez-joins-the-four-homer-club-a… and the changes he’s made over the past year.

Jay Jaffe: Tomorrow I’ll have something on the Logan Gilbert injury and the shape of the Mariners rotation.

Jay Jaffe: Today I am alas nursing a sore lower back, something that’s dogged me for over a week and has me in a bit of a grouchy mood. I’m moving gingerly at best. Ugh.

Mr. Fister: Jay, thanks for chatting!  I asked this about 5 years ago, and I’d like to re-visit it.  I know the odds are probably that he does not make the HOF, but what would Salvy Perez have to do in the remainder of his career to increase those odds?

Jay Jaffe: he’d have to convince me that his -115. 8 framing runs was just an accounting error.

Dan Szymborski: ITS PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME

Dan Szymborski: Well, may not. I never liked peanut butter and jelly. Mostly because I only like peanut butter by itself

I watch the rockies: it is “April” but is Kyle Karros better than Ryan McMahon right now?

Dan Szymborski: PROBABLY a stretch, but I don’t think the gulf is as big as the Rockies may think

Dan Szymborski: Especially if ZiPS is correct in loving his defense

Miggy: Is PCA ready for a break out?

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks!

Jay Jaffe: After spending most of the past 24 hours in bed with a low-grade fever and stomach bug, I have returned to the land of the living

Jay Jaffe: Before I went under, I wrote about the weirdness of Sunday’s Yankees game, with the official scoring change regarding Max Fried’s no-hit bid and the umps appearing to mess up a call on a potential Aaron Judge home run https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-no-hit-bid-and-home-run-that-wasnt/

Phil: There’s been a lot of justified caution tempering expectations about Trevor Story. Can we finally start to feel like, yes, the Red Sox have their shortstop at long last?

Jay Jaffe: He’s off to a great start, and it’s certainly nice to see. I don’t expect him to stay this hot but I think he can be a force in that lineup if he stays healthy. The thing is, health is a skill, and he’s had a hard time staying available. Fingers crossed he can do so

Idiotic Failson: Is Semien cooked? He’s been awful.