Author: Yahoo Sports

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman engaged in a fun discussion about breakout performances so far this season by creating a unique belief scale to rate their faith in players.

The concept was inspired by Kyren Paris and his impressive early-season performance, with both hosts pondering whether they believe Paris and others can maintain their current pace.

Here are the five levels of belief:

• Atheist: Total disbelief, firm conviction that the player's early success is fleeting and won't hold up in the long run

• Skeptic: Doubtful but open, acknowledging that the player might continue their performance but unconvinced until more proof is presented

• Agnostic: Neutral territory, neither believing nor disbelieving in the player's potential to sustain their performance

• Believer: Optimistic belief, confident that the player's performance is meaningful and will continue

• Evangelist: True conviction, so certain about a player's success that they're willing to proclaim it loudly and widely

Now let's run through some of the players highlighted and how much Mintz and Shusterman believe in them.

Kyren Paris, Angels 2B/OF

Shusterman: Skeptic

"For how bad he was last year and for what his struggles, for what his limitations were as a hitter before, I need to see so much more to believe that he is an above-average hitter now."

Mintz: Skeptic

"I might be a little closer to agnostic just because the physical changes are so drastic, but I'm not someone who ever prefers to opt out of a conversation ... so I will say skeptic."

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers 1B

Shusterman: Believer

At this point, I think he's probably a little too flawed to become a top-five first baseman in baseball. But I'm a believer that he can be a very important, good part of this Tigers lineup."

Mintz: Believer

"I think next spring we enter the season being like, that dude's the first baseman for the Detroit Tigers. He's a good player. He hits fifth, and everyone's happy."

Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics C/1B

Mintz: Skeptic

"I remain a skeptic because I need to see him fail and rebound again. I need to see him get cold. I need to see pitchers adjust to his new approach, as they will, as they always do. And I need to see him readjust before I become a believer."

Shusterman: Believer

"Here's a very simple way to put it: I think he will absolutely be a top-three hitter on this team by the end of the season, maybe even top."

Pete Alonso, Mets 1B

Shusterman: Evangelist

"Everybody was overthinking Pete to a ridiculous degree. ... We know what Pete is going to be at the floor. And if he is now reminding us of the ceiling, which we have seen at other points in his career, that should make a lot of teams, who should have paid this extremely low price for a very good first baseman, feel extremely foolish."

Mintz: Believer

"I'm just a believer, and partially that's because I want to give you space to evangelize."

Hunter Greene, Reds SP

Mintz: Evangelist

"All in, all in. Scream it from the mountaintops. Tell your friends, and tell their friends, even if they don't want to hear it. Hunter Green looks so freaking good."

Shusterman: Believer

"What he's looking like right now, it's like, yeah, of course. This is like what he's supposed to be. He's been working toward this, and he looks awesome."

Ben Rice, Yankees 1B

Mintz: Believer

"I now think that Ben Rice is a big-league DH, for sure. His bat is going to play in the big leagues. Is he a star? I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready to call him a star."

Shusterman: Agnostic

"I do not want to say that this guy is a fraud. But it's so over the top right now that I also do not want to catch myself falling for it almost again."

Spencer Schwellenbach, Braves SP

Mintz: Evangelist

"I'm, like, beyond evangelizing like for him. I'm a zealot for him. I'm willing to shed blood. I'm willing to put my life on the line. ... He's going to get Cy Young votes."

Shusterman: Believer

"He is just the perfect story of everything you would bet on for that late-blooming superstar."

To listen to the full episode and hear more from the hot start belief scale, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The AL East is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable divisions in baseball this year. On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman examined the current state of play within this fascinating division. 

Let's dive in.

The enigma of the Yankees

The Yankees have been a surprise so far, with their offense arguably outperforming expectations. As Mintz noted, they've posted an impressive team WRC+ of 140. Yet the overall picture is not quite clear.

Mintz highlighted the Yankees' surprising struggles with their rotation, stating, "They have the worst ERA of any rotation in baseball. They only have one quality start all year."

Combine the bountiful pitching concerns with the Yankees' recent road trip primarily featuring chilly weather games, and it feels like this team is still trying to find its stride. Many fans are eagerly awaiting performances that match both the hype and the historical legacy that comes with wearing the pinstripes.

Red Sox's optimism and confusion

The hosts started the season with high hopes for the Red Sox, with both predicting them as strong contenders to win the division. But as of now, their record 8-9 does not yet reflect the talent that the team displays in bursts. As a result, it's difficult to determine whether this is the start of a promising run or just fleeting moments of excellence. 

As Mintz said, "Red Sox fans want right now to be irrationally positive, and they have so many reasons to just jump all in. ... The only thing holding them back is that they have more losses than wins right now."

One huge positive for the Red Sox so far has been Garrett Crochet, who is looking like a formidable talent in the rotation. The challenge for the Red Sox will be to translate the bright spots into consistent winning across the season.

Signs of hope for the Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays currently sit atop the division, but even with the power and talent they've displayed so far, there is room for doubt. Still, Mintz noted that watching the bottom of Toronto's order get on base, featuring players such as Ernie Clement and Myles Straw, creates an irrational belief in the 9-7 Blue Jays' potential to win the division. 

Another positive for Toronto is a strong start from the bullpen, led by offseason acquisition Jeff Hoffman. Shusterman discussed Hoffman's important role, saying, "I think Jeff Hoffman is the best reliever in the world right now." 

Can the Blue Jays' hot stretch last long enough for them to hold off the comparative might of their divisional rivals?

Orioles' roller-coaster start

Baltimore Orioles fans are no strangers to turbulent times, and this season's start might feel all too familiar. Although the Orioles have yet to secure a series win, they remain just a couple of games back from the division leader.

As Shusterman said, "They're in last place, but they're two-and-a-half games back of first. So they are just fine."

The hosts discussed Baltimore's burgeoning potential and how a variety of factors could still turn the Orioles' season into one with real hope and promise.

The 2025 MLB season is still in its early stages, and the hosts readily admit that they're still sorting out what to make of the AL East. 

As Mintz put it, "Every team, you look at them, you watch them for three innings, and you're like, 'They are going to win the division.' And then you watch them play another three innings, and you're like, 'They are going to get relegated,' and you just don't know where to end up."

To listen to the full episode and more, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The start of the 2025 MLB season has been a roller coaster for many teams, but few have begun their campaign quite like the Los Angeles Angels. In the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman dive in to how the Angels have managed to capture the baseball world's attention. 

The Angels are the only team yet to lose a series this season.

"I don't believe in this franchise," Mintz said. "And yet, so far this season, this team, at the very least, has provided reasons for optimism."

"Let us recall that this season began for the Angels with Nicky Lopez pitching on Opening Day against the White Sox," Shusterman noted. "And we were like, all right, here we go again. We're on our way to 100 losses. This is the most embarrassing franchise in baseball." 

And yet, through two weeks, the Angels stand out with their surprising achievement: They've won all four series they've played, albeit without sweeping any of them. Despite their success, the 8-4 Angels find themselves trailing the 9-4 Texas Rangers by a half-game in the AL West.

A standout story for the Angels is the unforeseen rise of Kyren Paris, who boasts an impressive 1.485 OPS, a 1.000 slugging percentage, five home runs and four steals so far. Paris, 23, was drafted by the Angels out of high school in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

As Mintz noted, "None of this is sustainable for even the godliest of men, but there does seem to be something interesting brewing here with Kyren Paris."

Paris' journey through the minors was fast-tracked, as the Angels like to do, and then he struggled massively upon arriving in the big leagues in 2023. 

"And then last year, it's even worse," Shusterman explained. "He hit .167 in 60 minor-league games. He had some injuries. They were still putting him in the big leagues for some of it. He hit .118 in 21 big-league games.

"He was 22, so it's not like you were dooming him forever. But this seemed like a case of, 'Oh, the Angels. They got too aggressive with one of their players that seemed to be on a decent track, and now he's paying the price.'"

But starting this spring, Paris has looked like a different player. As the hosts noted, Paris worked in the offseason with Aaron Judge's personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck, and has made some apparent adjustments to his stance in the batter's box, which are clearly paying off.

"Which is most compelling because Kyren Paris is not a big dude, you know?" Shusterman said. "To see kind of applying some of the same methodology, the same physical moves that have helped Aaron Judge — it's not a perfect replica, but it is maximizing and making the most of athleticism that Kyren Paris has always had."

Will Paris slug 1.000 for the rest of the season? Almost definitely not, but as the hosts pointed out, he also brings defensive versatility that will continue to benefit the Angels.

What else is going right in Anaheim? The hosts took a look at the rest of the lineup, highlighted by new right fielder Mike Trout, who has also hit five home runs. And the Angels have seen some improvements in their starting pitching, thanks to Kyle Hendricks and Jose Soriano stepping up early in the season. Lastly, the Angels have Kenley Jansen anchoring the bullpen and closing out games.

Shusterman summed it up well: "We're talking about 12 games, and when you have a couple good starting pitchers and an offense that's hitting a bunch of homers, you're going to win a decent number of games."

It's important to note that the Angels have played the Rays, White Sox, Guardians and Cardinals — not exactly the most daunting slate of opponents. Also, the Angels have started strong through April a few times in the past few years, yet they've always fallen off before the second half. 

As such, the hosts aren't buying this Angels team quite yet.

"I'm glad they're playing well right now," Shusterman said. "I am loving the Kyren Paris breakout. I'm loving Mike Trout. But they would just need to be doing it for so much longer and so many other ways for me to believe."

To listen to the full episode and more, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.