Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to another edition of my Friday chat! Later today I’ll head up to Yankee Stadium for my first game of the year — my first since last September 16, when Kyle Higashioka hit three home runs in a game I covered (though my attentions were elsewhere when it came to subjects) and my first as a fan since September 19, 2019.

Jay Jaffe: Speaking of Higashioka, I wrote about him, Gary Sánchez, and the Yankees’ not-so-sudden catching controversy yesterday https://blogs.fangraphs.com/amid-yankees-funk-kyle-higashioka-catches-….

Jay Jaffe: I wrote about position player pitching weirdness today https://blogs.fangraphs.com/position-players-are-suddenly-and-probably… and also had a spot on the FanGraphs Audio podcast talking to Dan Szymborski about the Pioneer League’s experimental rules https://blogs.fangraphs.com/fangraphs-audio-dan-szymborski-recites-his… which I wrote about here https://blogs.fangraphs.com/decision-by-derby-the-pioneer-league-joins…

Jay Jaffe: And that’s enough housekeeping for now

Estevão: Mookie Betts is the fifth best hitter on the Dodgers? Thoughts

Jay Jaffe: Betts has been a bit banged up; he missed a couple days due to lower back stiffness and then got drilled on the right forearm. I don’t think there’s much to worry about here; his 121 wRC+ is still solid, and the Dodgers do have a bunch of good hitters, though their recent slide suggests they’re missing Cody Bellinger more than before, and their depth has taken a few other hits.

Dan Szymborski: The appointed time for chat has arrived.

Dan Szymborski: Also changed my avatar. Some of you were confused why I looked so old at 42. That was the Old Dan Szymborski avatar.

Dan Szymborski:

Greg: Can Huascar Ynoa stick as a starter? Pretty much fastball/slider only so far.

Dan Szymborski: I do worry about two-pitch starters. I’ve wanted Kevin Gausman to develop an actually effective breaking pitch for years now to at least a cutter or something.

Dan Szymborski: Hitters are very adaptable creatures. I’d love if Ynoa’s occasional change was more of a weapon he could use

Meg Rowley: HI everyone, and welcome to the chat. Going to grab a fresh cup of coffee and then shall get started.

o’s: will we ever see chris davis again?

Meg Rowley: Perhaps around town, having a coffee, running some errands…

Meg Rowley: I’m sure when he’s completed his injury rehab that he’ll be back, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see his playing time taper. There’s too much left on the contract and the club too far from contention for him to totally fall off, but getting a better sense of what they have in their young guys and any veterans who cycle through is too valuable to afford him a ton of ABs.

Andy: Where can my young daughter and I watch/listen to women analyze baseball. Podcasts do not hold her attention, but she enjoys broadcasts and YouTube channels like Fuzzy. She’s growing frustrated with the lack of voices like hers around a game she loves so much

Meg Rowley: There’s always the Yankees radio broadcasts, which are an audio option on MLB dot TV. And while their games might not be the most scintillating, you could try Orioles radio, where I believe Melanie Newman is doing play by play.

Eric A Longenhagen: Howdy howdy from lovely AZ, where I’m debating either hanging here in the Valley today and tomorrow to see more minor league spring stuff or making a last-minute SoCal drive to see amateurs.

Eric A Longenhagen: I only have a couple days of minor league spring left and then what will probably be a little gap between that and Extended (no schedules yet), which may be the best time to skip town for amateur stuff…

Eric A Longenhagen: anyway, chat…

Toshi: I remember you were concerned about Julio Rodriguez’s approach at plate during winter ball. Has your opinion changed since then?  Thanks.

Eric A Longenhagen: Yeah, still thirsty for sliders. Looks leaner and is running a full grade better now than the winter, though. Still making hard contact when he picks something good to swing at

Mike: Hey Eric – when do you plan to make your next update to your draft list on the BOARD?

Dan Szymborski: Greetings all!

Dan Szymborski: Sorry for the lost chat last week. I was getting COVID vaccine deux.

Dan Szymborski: And definitely felt awful afterwards!

ballsandgutters: Proud FG ad free member here….

So about 5 years ago you and I got in a Twitter fight about whether Carlos Beltran is HOF worthy.   I said no.      I think I’m gonna win on a technicality.     BTW – if you want to get me a beer ask Eno for a rec

Dan Szymborski: Thanks for the support! I’d grumble about you winning on a technicality but…

Dan Szymborski:

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, good people, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. You have no shortage of me on FanGraphs today: 

• I wrote about Carlos Rodón, Craig Kimbrel, and hidden perfect games

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/carlos-rodon-and-craig-kimbrel-attaine…

• I had the honor of serving as the guest host on this week’s Chin Music podcast with Kevin Goldstein https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/chin-music-episode-9-counting-with-jay…

• I had the honor of chatting with Jason Martinez about Fernando Valenzuela for this week’s FanGraphs Audio https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fangraphs-audio-ross-atkins-feels-fort…

• And speaking of Fernandomania, I’m quoted a couple of times in Jesses Sanchez’s great MLB feature — a discussion that inspired my own piece last week https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/remembering-fernandomania-40-years-l…

Jay Jaffe: (here’s my piece on the latter: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/remembering-fernandomania-40-years-later/)

Jay Jaffe: and while I’m hyping things up, for those of you with kids and grandparent-grandchild relationships in the picture who might be looking for an appropriate Mother’s Day (or Father’s Day) gift, here’s my mother-in-law Paula Span’s collection of New York Times articles on grandparenting, drawn from her own reporting and personal experience with my daughter, aka “Bartola” https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Bubbe-Diaries-Audiobook/B091J7M7FL

CoryMC: Any Vladdy articles on the site planned for the future? He’s looked absolutely fantastic to start the year.

Another Blue Jay question, what the heck happened with Danny Jansen?

Jay Jaffe: New contributor Carmen Ciardiello  debuted with a piece on Vlad Jr. I’ll be keeping my eye upon him for a future article as well, but let’s see him get a larger sample size under his feet first https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-obvious-vladimir-guerrero-jr-tweak/

Jay Jaffe: This, though