Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks! I’m back from my annual Cape Cod trip, and i could almost pass for tanned and rested.

Jay Jaffe: it appears that a technical glitch prevented the word about this chat from getting out until just a short while ago so I’m going to take a couple minutes to finish lunch while the queue fills up

Jay Jaffe: Here’s my piece from yesterday — my only piece in the past week — about Mookie Betts’ strange season https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/mookie-betts-has-been-in-a-funk/

Gary: Evidence suggests Gary Sanchez got the timing right on his leg kick in the middle of an at-bat in Tampa in May and has been on a tear since then. How often do you think mechnical things are figured out mid-game like this? (Also, hey, he can still hit)

Jay Jaffe: It’s been great to see Sanchez turn things around given the unending shit avalanche to which he’s been subjected by a certain segment of the local fans and media. Color me skeptical that Sanchez hadn’t been experimenting with dropping the leg kick behind the scenes before going that route in-game.

Jay Jaffe: Here’s a quote from Aaron Boone via the NY Daily News’ Kristie Ackert:

“He’s worked really, really hard behind the scenes too and having the courage to make some real adjustments. But it’s been rooted in a lot of hard work and a lot of hours and correcting that. And now you’re seeing a real quiet, lower half a much more balanced hitter,”

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning from Tempe, everyone.

Eric A Longenhagen: It’s the last day of Extended Spring, my target game got moved to 6pm so here I am. Let’s talk prospects and whatever else your heart desires for about an hour…

Buff Chick: Cubs or Brewers list first?

Eric A Longenhagen: Brewers

>this guy<: Eric are any of the prospect bonus demands starting to leak out and are those causing people to allegedly rise or slide according to #sources?

Eric A Longenhagen: Nothing beyond the handful of guys who already have very strong commits or who had bad springs. If there’s one player who’s the inverse of this it’s FL prep SS Jonathan Vastine (Vandy) who sounds more signable than we thought a couple months ago.

Dan Szymborski: CHAT BEING NOW

DAN: Do you think the Giants rotation is going to sustain this success with the substance crackdown and/or escape more injury (such as the yearly Alex Wood 60-day trip)?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t have a real basis for saying which team will benefit from this really. It’s all an unknown right now

Dan Szymborski: But the Giants have enough wins bagged that they probably just need to go .500 the rest of the way to make the playoffs

Seth: Has perception of Christian Pache’s FV slipped due to his struggles offensively at the beginning of the season?

Dan Szymborski: He’s been lousy enough that you *should* think a little worse of him. But not *that* much.

Jay Jaffe: Hey folks, good afternoon and welcome to my first chat of June! I’m on something of a working vacation with my family’s annual trip to Cape Cod. Got a bit of sand between my toes, a bit of fried seafood in my stomach, and some local craft beers as well.

Jay Jaffe: (not yet today, last night that is)

ChuckNChino: Missed you last week — hope all is well.

Jay Jaffe: Thanks. Missed last week due to festivities for the end of my daughter’s school year and thus her preschool experience. It was pretty emotional but in a positive way

Slapshot: I saw your retweet yesterday of MLBN’s question about who is leading for AL MVP between Vlad and Ohtani.  Assuming they keep up their current pace (Vlad for hitting, Ohtani for both sides) with fairly close WAR, who do you see getting the title between those two at the end of the day?  Also, do you see writers giving Vlad more of an edge if he somehow nabs the AL Triple Crown along the way?

Jay Jaffe: The MLB Network screenshot was incredibly inane

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning from Tempe, give me one second to adjust The Board to reflect the Wisler trade…

Eric A Longenhagen: okay, thanks, let’s get to it…

Mike: Any draft rumors for the top 5 picks (Red Sox rumors specifically would be appreciated)?

Eric A Longenhagen: We’ll have our first mock early next week. Think PIT’s desire to cut at 1 means we won’t know who they’re on until the mixes behind them really solidify. Think Watson has a chance to be in the mix at two in addition to the obvious names. Boston I think would just take Leiter if there. Teams have BAL wanting to cut, too, prob w/ prep bat. It’s super early still

Mike: Anything on Spencer Strider this year? Stats seem impressive, does the scouting report match it?

Eric A Longenhagen: It’s basically what I have on the Braves list (he was 22nd entering the year, 40 FV) except now he’s backed up the velo spike he showed during instructs by holding it to start this season. Still relief probability there.