John Jastremski Joins to Talk the Latest in New York Sports

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00:00J.J.'s back, John Jastrzemski, the great New York, New York show on Ringer, the best podcast

00:09in the world. J.J., good to see you as always. I was talking about the Mets earlier on the

00:15show and how tough I think they are. I'm a Yankee fan. Like I go Pirates, Yankees, that's

00:22my thing. And I don't like the Mets, but I respect them. I think they're tough. I think

00:27they got bats. I think they got some level of pitching. And I just don't think you want

00:34to run into them in the playoffs as a wild card. That is not a lineup that you're going

00:39to have fun pitching to. Do you respect that Mets team and how dangerous they've started

00:44looking in terms of the playoffs? Well, I think you have to, Scotty, considering they

00:49started off the year on six. They were double digit games under the 500 mark and they played

00:54brilliantly in June and kind of put themselves in a position to be in position. Now, I'd

01:01be a little concerned about the bats since the All-Star break. They've been very feast

01:06or famine. You see him go score 10, 11 runs, and then you see him score one or two runs.

01:11They had that terrible series against Anaheim. Give them a lot of credit. They had a fly

01:15to St. Louis, weird travel, bizarre situation. And you get the brilliant game out of Sean

01:21Mania. You're going to Colorado this week, Scotty, with the schedule they have coming

01:26up at the end of this month, when they're going to get San Diego, where they're going

01:29to get Arizona, you can't mess around with a team like the Colorado Rockies.

01:34You got to score consistently in these games. And I think that will be the determining factor

01:39in whether or not the Mets are a playoff team. I don't love their rotation. It's just not

01:43deep enough. Their bullpen kind of is what it is. Can they do it consistently offensively?

01:50Not even to the level they were in June, but close to that. If the answer is yes, I

01:54think they're playing playoff baseball.

01:55So I'm seeing the Pirates are seeing this Padre team right now and they're playing great.

02:01And they got that bullpen all locked up at the deadline with moves Preller made. We were

02:07just talking, Joe Ranieri and I, about how they're five out now of the division with

02:13the Dodgers. They're creeping. And then they're in the thick of the wild card. That's a dangerous

02:18baseball team as well.

02:20No question. And look at their schedule, Scotty. They got one of the softest schedules over

02:26the final seven weeks of the year to the point where I think they can flirt with the idea

02:31of chasing down the Dodgers. Now, for what it's worth, I don't think they will. I think

02:36the Dodgers will get some guys back. They'll be fine. Remember Mookie Betts on the horizon

02:40in the next few weeks. But you're right. Preller is like a drunken seller at the trade deadline.

02:45He's like the Rams. He doesn't care about draft picks. They don't care about picks.

02:49He doesn't care about prospects. He trades them every single year. Their bullpen is stacked.

02:53I like what they have in the rotation led by Dylan Cease. And you got to figure with

02:58their schedule being as easy as it is. San Diego, I think slots in to be one of those

03:02three as far as wild cards are concerned.

03:06And how do you feel about the Yankees tied with the Orioles the way they've looked since

03:11they got jazz and they started winning some series. They started playing good ball and

03:16taking series back to back the Phillies series. What do you think of the way they're turning

03:21the corner?

03:22Scotty, nobody was more down on the Yankees, maybe aside from our pal Mike Carver. But

03:26aside from Mike Carver, me, right? Like they were disastrous for about seven or eight weeks.

03:33They had one of the worst records in the American League from Father's Day until the end of

03:37July. But that Boston Saturday night win down to their last strike, getting the big game

03:43tying hit from Grisham and winning that game. It kind of has been a springboard for them

03:49since they've won three consecutive series.

03:52You mentioned the idea of getting jazz Chisholm and kind of lengthening out the lineup and

03:56the fact that their young guys are finally giving them a boost. Austin Wells is played

04:01really well. Volpe, who was kind of symbolic for the Yankee season as a whole, because

04:06when they were going great in April, he was going great when they stunk up the joint.

04:11He stunk up the joint. And since he's been hitting again, down at the bottom of the

04:15order, not putting as much pressure on him. All of a sudden, the Yankees have taken off.

04:20You need guys other than judge and Soto to go and compliment this lineup. But I think

04:25the fact that the Yankees survive this nightmarish stretch from June into July, Scotty, I thought

04:32the Orioles would be more aggressive at the deadline.

04:35I don't love what I've seen from them over the last few weeks. And I kind of think it's

04:40there for the taking. I think the Yankees at this point in time are going to find a

04:44way to win the American League East, which is something, by the way, I wouldn't have

04:47said a month ago. No chance.

04:49When you are doing Rainer and doing New York, New York, what's the hype like on the football?

04:55Now that it's back, we saw the Giants fighting in camp with the Lions. And we've seen the

05:01bottom line is all they talk about is Aaron Rodgers when they talk about the Jets. But

05:05we've heard all the hype about their defense and that they're going to win the East and

05:10that they're a Super Bowl contender and all this other rhetoric.

05:14What's the football talk like on New York, New York these days?

05:17Well, Scotty, it feels like deja vu over again with the Jets. Right. Because I wondered if

05:23Jeff fans, after what happened a year ago, Rodgers going down, what, four plays into

05:28the year would be able to hype it up going into another year.

05:33Well, they've done exactly that, because all of the Jeff fans in my life are thinking about

05:37a deep run in January. They're thinking about winning the AFC East. And listen, I think

05:42on paper, there's a lot to like. I think the offensive line has improved. You mentioned

05:46it. There's a lot of talent on the defense, but you got a 41-year-old quarterback. I know

05:51he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. Torn Achilles wasn't great two years ago. There are questions

05:57about Aaron Rodgers. I also think there are bigger questions about their head coach, who

06:02I simply don't trust. I'm sorry. You want to tell me Robert Silas at Zach Wilson, or

06:07is that this guy? Is that that guy? You watch him coach games week in and week out. I'm

06:11sorry. So far, he has left a whole lot to be desired. I think the AFC East has a chance

06:17to have three playoff teams. I think Buffalo with Josh Allen has the best quarterback in

06:21the division. Miami, I think they have the best coach in the division, and they got a

06:26whole lot of speed. Listen, nobody's talking about the Dolphins, but I think all three

06:30go to the playoffs. A lot of questions with the Jets Giants flying under the radar. Everyone

06:35gushing over neighbors gushing over Burns total. It's six and a half, though. Scotty,

06:40listen, John's going eight games. Dables in that the coaches were Randolph 20 seconds.

06:45I love your Dolphins. I think they're the sleeper in that East. I think they can be

06:51if they figure out how to replace Christian Wilkins. The offense will be there. Questions

06:55about cold weather is going to be there. Can the Dolphins replace Wilkins and Van Ginkle,

07:00who was so good for them a year ago?

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