Blair & Barker

Blue Jays radio voice Ben Shulman (1:53) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker ahead of the team's series opener against the Miami Marlins. They discuss the decision to send Davis Schneider down, Kazuma Okamoto's slump, Jeff Hoffman's turnaround, Dylan Cease's injury and the plan for his spot in the rotation, whether Yohendrick Piñango's production is sustainable, and why the offence has struggled so much in early innings. Later, former MLB president David Samson (27:08) shares how teams self-evaluate at this point in the year, when to start panicking about Vlad Jr., how looming labour negotiations will factor into this season, why the Tigers must trade Tarik Skubal, and Fernando Tatís Jr.'s lawsuit against Big League Advance.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show discussing Davis Schneider being sent down to Triple-A Buffalo and the Blue Jays activating Nathan Lukes for the series opener against the Miami Marlins. Then, they recap the weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jeff Hoffman's performance using his slider, how the Jays' hitters approached Paul Skenes, Alejandro Kirk's light rehab in Toronto, updates with Shane Bieber's progress, and Vlad Jr. getting hit in the elbow. Later, Marlins TV host and reporter Craig Mish joins the guys (31:30) to chat about how he would compare this team to previous rosters, Otto Lopez reaching 70 hits, how far the roster is from competing and winning meaningful games, and if Sandy Alcántara will survive another trade deadline. To wrap up the hour, we hear from John Schneider ahead of their series opener against Miami. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker talk to Blue Jays manager John Schneider (0:40) ahead of the team's return to the Rogers Centre, where they will host the Pittsburgh Pirates. The skipper shares injury updates, reflects on the Jays' road trip, Andrés Giménez's approach adjustments, Adam Macko's potential, Brandon Valenzuela's game-to-game growth, what a save against the Yankees means for Jeff Hoffman, and much more. Jeff continues on the Friday edition solo, and he weighs in on who will be the odd men out with Alejandro Kirk and Nathan Lukes nearing a return. To close out the week, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan stops by (24:50) to discuss Tarik Skubal's rapid progress after undergoing elbow surgery, whether he'll factor into this year's trade deadline, what Gerrit Cole's return means for the AL East landscape, why teams stay away from high school arms in the draft, and what the Jays can expect from the Pirates this weekend.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back at the Blue Jays splitting their series against the Yankees in New York, the pitching performances from the opener Braydon Fisher, followed by Adam Macko and Spencer Miles, Jays' success against Aaron Judge, if Miles is ready to get stretched out, Vlad Jr.'s stint hitting second in the order, and what they should expect from Kevin Gausman against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The guys look at Daulton Varsho's performance through May before bringing on Pittsburgh Pirates analyst and former MLB pitcher Matt Capps (34:44) to chat about what Toronto fans should expect to see from Paul Skenes, the team's identity, Bubba Chandler adjusting to a starting role, and if the Pirates' bullpen is strong enough. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Former GM and current MLB Network analyst Dan O'Dowd (1:22) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to kick off the second hour. He shares his thoughts on Trey Yesavage's rise after a dominant start against the Yankees, the difficulties of making big trades at this point in the season, what's behind the Jays' offensive regression, whether the Rays' play is sustainable, and why so many star players are off to slow starts in 2026. Later, Blue Jays Central analyst Caleb Joseph joins the guys in-studio (30:15) to discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s recent approach adjustments, how rain delays change a player's routine, how Louis Varland has gotten the most out of his fastball, and the Jays' recent defensive mistakes.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Yankees, Trey Yesavage's first start at Yankee Stadium, signs of positivity with the Jays' bullpen performance, Vlad Jr.'s at-bat, Brandon Valenzuela's crucial bunt, and Toronto's outfield defence issues. Then, Sports Illustrated's and MLB Network's Tom Verducci stops by (26:00) to chat about Yesavage's historic and meteoric rise from the Minors, World Series, and now a starter in the Jays' rotation, how Toronto's ballclub stacks up against the AL East through May, the pitch mix that Vladdy is receiving, how pitchers and hitters are always experimenting with their attacks, and if the Yankees are a better team in 2026 than last year. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to the news that José Berríos has undergone Tommy John surgery before being joined by Pittsburgh general manager and former Blue Jays executive Ben Cherington (13:05) ahead of the Pirates' weekend series in Toronto. He shares his thoughts on the Pirates' season so far, Brandon Lowe's impact, how Konnor Griffin has adjusted to the majors, and Paul Skenes' elite mentality. Then, Jeff and Kevin listen to John Schneider's pre-game availability. Finally, Sportsnet MLB insider Shi Davidi (32:02) shares the latest on Alejandro Kirk's status, what the team expects from Trey Yesavage against the Yankees, Daulton Varsho's recent adjustment at the dish, the plan for Spencer Miles and the fifth spot in the rotation, and what the batting order might look like when the team is fully healthy.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back at the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss to the Yankees, Dylan Cease's outing, and the lack of converting runs in big moments from Toronto's top two hitters in Springer and Guerrero. Then, World Series champion, former pitcher and MLB Network's Ryan Dempster stops by (29:18) to chat about what has changed for the Phillies since Don Mattingly took over the managerial job, the Padres/Dodgers rivalry, Shohei Ohtani's performance so far this season on both end of the bat, his concern level with the Blue Jays' year so far after their World Series berth a year ago, Cease's pitching arsenal and the state of the American League. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome Newsday Yankees reporter Erik Boland (3:05) ahead of the Blue Jays' second game in the Bronx. They discuss the breaking news that Gerrit Cole will return this week, what the Jays bats can expect from Will Warren, Aaron Judge's season so far, and whether Ben Rice's hot start is sustainable. Then, Jeff and Kevin chat about where Judge stands on the list of the greatest hitters of all time before listening to John Schneider's pre-game availability. Later, the voice of the Blue Jays, Dan Shulman (27:55), stops by to discuss the vibes in New York, positive signs from George Springer despite a rough final at-bat, John Schneider's decision to go to Yariel Rodriguez, how Dylan Cease should approach the Yankees' lineup, Brandon Valenzuela's eventful Yankee Stadium debut, and why tonight's matchup is a 'must-win.'

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the New York Yankees series opening win over the Blue Jays, how both teams found ways to score runs, Yariel Rodriguez's 7th inning collapse, George Springer and Vlad Jr.'s at-bats against David Bednar in the 9th, Dylan Cease vs. the Yankees, how the relievers are working to keep runners from stealing and Brandon Valenzuela's home plate tag attempt on Anthony Volpe. Then, YES Network analyst and 4x all-star pitcher with the Yankees, Dellin Betances, stops by (23:37) to share his thoughts on how top-heavy the AL East has become, his experience pitching at Yankee Stadium, how Aaron Boone has evolved as a manager, and roles out of the bullpen. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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