Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for the Toronto Blue Jays' series against the Cleveland Guardians. They discuss the Guardians' start to the season, whether José Ramírez is a top-five MLB talent, what the Jays can expect from Guardians starter Gavin Williams, and why hitting is a bigger early concern for the Jays than relief pitching. Later, Guardians TV analyst and former MLB catcher Chris Gimenez joins the show (29:27) to discuss what's behind Williams' recent dominance on the mound, Ramírez's clubhouse leadership, Brayan Rocchio's development, and Bo Naylor's slow start. Finally, Jeff and Kevin discuss potential solutions for Kazuma Okamoto’s struggles at the plate.

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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Anthony McCarron, Mets analyst for SNY, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to detail the latest news around the team after snapping their 12-game losing streak last night. Anthony looks into what's behind New York's slow start this season, Bo Bichette's comfortability with his new club, and the next steps to right the ship. Later, two-time All Star Jason Kipnis (23:26) stops by to share his impressions of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins during his time in Cleveland. Jason also discusses his experience battling through April struggles, the reality of George Springer's broken toe, the ever-persistent Guardians, and Juan Soto's radio silence on the IL. Jeff and Kevin wrap up today's show responding to your questions on the Backleg Line!

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 on the Toronto Blue Jays' 7-3 loss in their series finale against the LA Angels. They discuss the signs that the offence is starting to turn a corner with George Springer nearing a return, and who would be the odd man out of the rotation when Trey Yesavage returns. Later, Jeff Passan (24:16), ESPN MLB insider and host of Sources Tell, joins the show to discuss his recent sit-down with World Series managers John Schneider and Dave Roberts, whether the Phillies will make a move after their losing streak hit eight games, and if Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is on the hot seat after their rough start.

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 kick off today's pregame edition of Blair and Barker with a chance for the Blue Jays to sweep away the Angels! They dive into last night's 4-2 victory and break down how the team survived another shaky outing from Jeff Hoffman, before sharing the lineups for today's matinee. Toronto Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease (05:12) chats about his experience with the Jays' coaching staff, balancing strikeouts with soft contact, his process on the mound, the variety of pitches in his arsenal, his view on the ABS system, and more! After the break (29:15), the guys touch on Trey Yesavage's subpar outing with Triple-A Buffalo, listen back to John Schneider's comments about the ninth inning, and project who will close games moving forward.

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 outfielder and Blue Jays Central analyst Kevin Pillar (2:19) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about Vlad Jr. heating up at the plate, what makes Dylan Cease difficult to hit, Eric Lauer's comments about the opener, the relationship between players and managers, 'kangaroo court' in a baseball clubhouse, how teams are utilizing the ABS challenge, and Mike Trout adjusting his at-bats late in his career. Then, former Blue Jay and current pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels Jordan Romano (26:21) stops by to discuss the construction of the roster mixed with veterans and new guys, his transition through three teams in three years, handling slow starts as a pitcher, handling the noise from both home and opponent fanbases, what it's like having Trout as a teammate, motivation to face his former team, and the evolution of his pitches. 

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 on the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-2 win to kick off their series against the Los Angeles Angels. They discuss Jeff Hoffman's ninth-inning outing, Dylan Cease's performance and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. breaking his homer drought. Later, Sportsnet MLB insider Shi Davidi joins the show (25:09) to discuss the Jays' plan for Hoffman and the ninth inning, Vladdy starting to turn a corner with his power, how the roster will change when George Springer returns, and Eric Lauer's comments about the opener.

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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Miami Marlins catcher and first baseman, as well as Toronto native Liam Hicks (0:43) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about his hot start of the 2026 season, his hitting approach through the offseason and Spring Training, the team's performance so far, controlling your slumps, the use of ABS, calling pitches from the dugout, and playing alongside fellow Canadians on the Marlins. Then, Jeff and Kevin discuss who should be given the green light to use the ABS challenge and whether a kangaroo court should be implemented. Afterwards, Mark Gubicza (30:07), former MLB pitcher and current Los Angeles Angels TV analyst, stops by to weigh in on Mike Trout reinventing his game, a small change to his at-bat timing, Jo Adell's confidence, and the scouting report on José Soriano.

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 on the Blue Jays' weekend series loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which included a 10-run outburst in the finale. They discuss what was behind the offensive uptick, whether they can carry that momentum into their series against the Angels, Eric Lauer's criticisms of the opener strategy, and whether Jeff Hoffman should still be the closer after another blown save. Later, Dan Shulman stops by (26:33) to discuss what the Jays' bats can expect from Angels starter José Soriano, how Nathan Lukes is managing his vertigo, the plan for Hoffman, Kazuma Okamoto's hitting adjustments, and the Jays' early struggles with ABS.

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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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (0:56) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about using Braydon Fisher as the opening pitcher in their first game of the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, injury updates including George Springer, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos and Yimi Garcia, 9th inning options outside of Jeff Hoffman, struggling to put on runs, Vladdy's ground ball rate, Jesús Sánchez's impact on the lineup and the change in his at-bats, Kazuma Okamoto's defensive stance, Brandon Valenzuela's presence behind the plate, and Myles Straw's spark. Then, ESPN's Jeff Passan stops by (31:08) to discuss the San Diego Padres record-breaking sale, a salary cap implementation in MLB, his upcoming podcast debut episode with John Schneider and Dave Roberts, and if he's worried about the start of the Blue Jays' season. 

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They discuss the decision to opt for an opener with Braydon Fisher taking the mound in Game 1, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s early-season approach, and what the Jays' bats can expect from Diamondbacks' starter, Canadian Michael Soroka. Then, former MLB pitcher and Blue Jays Central analyst Jason Grilli (27:35) joins the show to discuss how relievers react to their role changing early in the season, and the importance of clubhouse leadership when the bullpen struggles.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.