Blue Jays Talk

Blake Murphy opens the show with a quick trip around Monday’s Major League Baseball action, sans the idle Blue Jays. Sportsnet's own Ben Nicholson-Smith joins the show to chat about the curious case of  Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season, where in the world is Alek Manoah, the current condition of the pitching staff, and the heated Wild Card race in August. Following this, Geoff Pontes from Baseball America guides Blake through an exploration of prospects within the Jays' ranks who are on the cusp of advancing, as well as those who have faced setbacks (31:16). In the second hour, Craig Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus stops by for a detailed look at Vlad's season statistics, how the dimensions of different parks impact player performance, and how to evaluate team execution data in high-leverage scoring situations (52:56). We wrap up with a visit from Mid-Atlantic Sports Network’s Melanie Newman, who shares her colleague Kevin Brown’s thespian exploits, before delving into the upcoming AL East showdown between the Jays and Orioles (01:18:47).

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.

Blake Murphy opens the show with a quick recap of the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend series ‘dub’ in Cincinnati. The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath then shares some insight into the team's promising start to their road trip and the significance of Bo Bichette's return, before contemplating whether there's a comprehensive narrative behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s seemingly problematic middle finger. Shortly thereafter, Mike Petriello of MLB.com takes us through his latest piece exploring 11 theories on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season, and delves into the downturn of the Yankees juxtaposed with the ascent of the Dodgers (28:46). On the back nine of the program, Blake opens up the JTP Mailbag to answer your questions (51:33)! We wrap up with Dr. Justine Siegal, the visionary behind "Baseball For All", an organization dedicated to promoting girls' participation in baseball. Together, they delve into Dr. Siegal's personal odyssey within the sport, the strides women are making across different tiers within Major League Baseball, and her contributions as a baseball coordinator within the realms of film and television (01:15:41).

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.

Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 10-3 win over the Reds that earns them a series victory in Cincinnati! He takes your calls and texts, and gets right to the five innings of two-run (neither earned) ball from Hyun-jin Ryu. What does the future hold for the crafty lefty? Should he be re-signed to a short-term deal by the Jays even if the 2024 rotation is in theory already set? Plus, the offence showed up today! They got five home runs (Bichette, Springer, Kiermaier, Belt x 2) to make it a laugher - was this the optimal batting order? Plus, Sho gets to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. being removed with finger discomfort and Matt Chapman continuing to struggle 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.

Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 4-3 win over the Reds to even the series in Cincinnati! He takes your calls and texts, and gets right to the performance from the bullpen, as Jordan Hicks throws some filthy heat to shut down the heart of the Reds order. He also discusses Jordan Romano's outing who made it an adventure but still escaped runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning - any worries? Plus, some thoughts on Bo Bichette's return, Paul DeJong being DFA'd, and the faith in both Santiago Espinal and Davis Schneider being immediately rewarded.

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.

Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 1-0 walk-off loss to the Reds in Cincinnati. He takes your calls and texts, and gets to the bats getting frozen out once again - why does this keep happening? Is there a singular explanation? Who should take responsibility, the manager, the hitting coaches, bench coach, is there one person to point at? He also gets to the start from José Berríos, who didn't allow a single run over 5.2 IP - he has been consistent all year long, though perhaps deserved a better fate. Plus, with Bo Bichette returning on Saturday, who gets sent down first, Davis Schneider or Santiago Espinal?

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.

The Blue Jays head into their weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds clinging to a half game lead on that last Wild Card spot. Host Blake Murphy brings on Sportsnet’s own Ben Nicholson-Smith to discuss this road trip and what the Jays need to do to come out of it with an increased lead with a focus on the usage of their pitching staff. Next up, with Friday Night Smackdown in town, WWE mega-superstar L.A. Knight joins Blake in-studio to discuss where baseball fits in his sports fandom, as well as his lengthy wrestling career which has recently seen a meteoric rise (31:09). In the second hour, Blake turns his attention back to the Jays and this important series with the Reds as he talks to Ryan Spilborghs (51:00) and Dan Shulman (01:20:20), both of whom who will be on the call for APPLE TV+ (Friday) and Sportsnet (Saturday and Sunday) respectively. In between those two chats, Blake checks in with utility man in the Blue Jays system, Ernie Clement, who has been red hot for the Buffalo Bisons recently (01:07:26).

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.

The Blue Jays walked away with a split in their two-game mini series with the Phillies; dropping the second game 9-4 to cap off the homestand. Host Blake Murphy welcomes MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson to dive into Kevin Gausman's shaky start and debate if he can still be considered a Cy Young contender. Later on, Blake answers some texts and tweets from our JTP mailbag (35:25)! In the second hour, Sean Forman, the President of Sports Reference and Baseball Reference, joins to discuss the growth, reach and spinoffs of the popular site (51:06). Blake then looks ahead to the Jays upcoming weekend in Cincinnati with Reds reporter and host at Bally Sports, Annie Sabo (01:15:44).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 9-4 loss vs. the Phillies at the Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the throwing error from Santiago Espinal at third base that let two runs score with two outs - is that on Espinal, Vladdy Jr. at first base, or are they both culpable? They get to the start from Kevin Gausman - did pitch selection play into him letting up five earned runs? Has the splitter looked a little more hittable lately? Plus, they discuss potential realignment with the eventual new CBA - what could that mean for the playoff format in a few years?

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.

The Blue Jays win the first game of their mini-series with the Phillies thanks to a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded! Host Blake Murphy recaps the game and weighs in on the Jays' good fortunes in the American League Wild Card race. Next up, former Jays infielder and current coach in the Royals system, Ryan Goins joins the program to chat about his transition to the coaching side of the game, before reminiscing about some of the most memorable playoff moments from his time in Toronto. Later, Blake enlists the help of Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling to discuss how great the likes of Yusei Kikuchi and Cavan Biggio have been over the team's recent stretch (26:16). In the second hour, former Jay Ricky Romero looks back on being a part of José Bautista's Level of Excellence celebration this past weekend, and shares his perspective on Alek Manoah's demotion to Triple-A Buffalo (52:32). To close today, Blake focuses in on the visitors dugout by getting some insight on the Phillies from Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (01:13:33).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Phillies down at the Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get right to the overall phenomenal pitching displayed tonight - both Yusei Kikuchi and Zack Wheeler were terrific, while the Jays bullpen of Yimi Garcia, Jordan Hicks, and Jordan Romano threw heat to lock down the game. How important was it for Romano to return and look as good as he did? Plus, they chat Cavan Biggio getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the game-winning run and Whit Merrifield continuing to get on base extremely well.

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.