Leadoff Talk: A Baseball Podcast With Katelin and Gabe · Leadoff Talk: A Baseball Podcast

Episode 43: OUR TOP 7 AT EACH POSITION (2023 SEASON PREVIEW)

·1 hr 51 min·4 clips

Caitlin puts Andres Gimenez at number one because of elite defense, stolen bases, and no shift.

1. Leadoff Talk: A Baseball Podcast With Katelin and Gabe uses Episode 43 to rank the top seven players at catcher, first base, second base, and third base for the 2023 season. 2. Caitlin and Gabe host the show, and their ranking process matters because they compare their own lists without sharing them first. 3. The episode asks which hitters and defenders belong in the top seven at each position before Opening Day. 4. Gabe says he weighs past performance, late-season breakout trends, and projections when building his lists. 5. He also mentions FanGraphs and three-year averages as the main tools behind the rankings. 6. Caitlin says she looks at current production, team context, and whether a player can still improve during 2023. 7. Both hosts keep returning to defense, especially at catcher, second base, and third base. 8. At catcher, Jonah Heim is the number seven name for Gabe because FanGraphs projects him as the best defensive catcher in its top-10 WAR group. 9. Tyler Stephenson comes up as a player both hosts like if he can stay healthy after injuries. 10. Adley Rutschman and J.T. Realmuto finish near the top, with Realmuto described as a five-tool catcher. 11. At first base, Gabe pushes Josh Bell as a Cleveland hitter he wants to see without the shift. 12. Caitlin backs Pete Alonso despite ranking him sixth, using 40 home runs and 131 RBIs as the case for him. 13. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, and Paul Goldschmidt make the top tier at first base. 14. At second base, Caitlin puts Andrés Giménez at number one because of elite defense, stolen bases, and projected offensive growth. 15. Gabe counters with Jose Altuve at three, Jeff McNeil at four, and Marcus Semien at two. 16. The second-base segment also includes Cattell Marte, Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Luis Arraez, and Bobby Witt Jr. shifting toward third base. 17. The tone is conversational and argumentative, with both hosts interrupting, laughing, and changing their minds in real time. 18. The format is a position-by-position draft-style debate, not a guest interview or narrative story. 19. Fans who enjoy baseball rankings, fantasy prep, and roster debates. 20. Listeners who want a single-player interview or game recap.

As heard by us

A top-seven-at-each-position ranking show that gives equal weight to defense, bat, and the reasons behind each pick.

Caitlin and Gabe open a 2023 season ranking show that moves position by position from catcher through the outfield and DH, then into starting and relief pitching. The appeal is in the reasoning more than the final order.

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Why you'd press play

You want a deep baseball ranking fight, not a skim.

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