Blue Jays Talk

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 1-0 shutout loss to the Guardians in Cleveland. They take your calls and discuss the seven innings of one-run ball from Yusei Kikuchi - should we all no longer be surprised after a good start from Kikuchi? They get to the lineup construction as well, and discuss seeing Daulton Varsho in the five hole - too many days off for more important players? Plus, how much of the offensive responsibilities fall on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s shoulders?

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 affiliate. 

Blake Murphy recaps the Blue Jays' series-opening victory in Cleveland then MLB's Keegan Matheson updates us on the team's injuries, playing time for Cavan Biggio, and where to slot Davis Schneider for the future. Next, Jon Morosi from MLB Network (30:35) delves into the post-deadline play around the AL, and a look ahead to the free agency in the Winter. Afterwards, Alex Anthopoulos (50:03), GM and President of Baseball Operations for the Atlanta Braves discuss how he feels about his team post-deadline, shares some of the lessons learned from his Jays’ tenure, then reminisces about a past acquisition he’s responsible for, José Bautista. Next, Blake was joined by Madison Shipman (1:09:46) sharing her impressions on the Jays’ opener in Cleveland, Gavin Williams’ dominance, and some expectations for their second game of the series. Finally, Andre Knott (1:25:06) from Bally Sports Cleveland provides some perspective on the next two starting pitchers for the Guardians, the recent addition of Noah Syndergaard, the brawl and resulting suspensions, and the Naylor Brothers.

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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Guardians to kick off their four-game series! They take your calls, and get to the play of Cavan Biggio, who knocked in a two-run homer and also made a terrific double play to end an inning. Can he build on that even if he continues to play part-time? Plus, they chat about the injury to Hyun-jin Ryu and how the rotation might adjust if he is out for a longer period of time, and what the effect might be on 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 affiliate.

The show begins with Blake Murphy providing an extensive recap of a weekend where the Blue Jays secured a sweep at Fenway Park in Boston. Following that, he’s joined by Kaitlyn McGrath, a writer at The Athletic, to delve deeper into the Jays' newfound success against an A.L. East rival, the remarkable Major League Debut of Davis Schneider, the impressive pitching of late, and the recent changes to the team's roster. Later in the broadcast, at the halfway mark, Blake engages in a conversation with Rob Friedman (31:01), a Pitching Analyst with Peacock and the MLB on Fox. They swiftly transition into their side roles as boxing analysts to break down the Ramírez vs. Anderson match-up in Cleveland, then quickly pivot into a discussion on how just having good ‘stuff’ trumps the analytics around velocity, the Jays six-man rotation, Rob’s favourite pitches and pitchers, and the FlatGround Pitching App. During the second hour of the show, Jay Jaffe from Fangraphs Baseball makes an appearance (51:17) to dissect the weekend that was in the A.L. East. This includes analyzing the Orioles' streak and the struggles faced by the Yankees, along with discussing the Mariners' newfound confidence. Jay also takes the opportunity to elaborate on his 2023 Replacement-Level Killers FanGraphs article and provides insights into what the Blue Jays should anticipate in Cleveland. Moving into the show's final half-hour segment, Blake extends greetings and birthday wishes to Lewie Pollis (1:13:56), a Data Scientist and Consultant associated with The Lewsletter. The conversation delves into Lewie's career journey within the baseball realm, his role in providing consultation to MLB teams, and a comprehensive exploration of how the evolving rule changes have impacted the game.

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 affiliate.

Sho Alli and Ben Shulman break down the Blue Jays' 13-1 win over the Red Sox for the series sweep at Fenway Park! They take your calls and texts, and get right to Davis Schneider making some history as the first player in MLB history with nine hits and two home runs in his first three games. How important is this for the Blue Jays infield, both before and after the return of Bo Bichette? They also chat about the play of guys like Daulton Varsho and Matt Chapman - Varsho having a pretty good series after a tough go offensively, and Chapman finally cashing some runners in scoring position. Plus, they discuss the seven innings from Chris Bassitt - how much does that help the bullpen going into a four-game road set vs. Cleveland?

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 and Ben Shulman break down the Blue Jays' 5-4 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park! They take your calls and texts, and get right to the Reese McGuire baserunning mistake that cost the Red Sox the game. Did he think the Connor Wong swing was a walk-off home run? They get to the play not made by Santiago Espinal earlier in the ninth inning - despite being overshadowed by McGuire, could Espinal be in danger of losing a roster spot? Plus, George Springer gets aboard five times, Davis Schneider stays hot with three hits and a walk, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s performance continues to see both peaks and valleys in 2023.

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' first win of the season over the Red Sox, a 7-3 victory at Fenway Park! They take your calls, and get right to Davis Schneider swatting his first big-league home run in his first big-league at-bat. Can he stick around and make a difference for the offence? Speaking of, they also discuss the five total home runs, featuring bombs from Schneider, Whit Merrifield, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Daulton Varsho, and Matt Chapman. Plus, they chat about Alek Manoah's start in which he let up three runs over 6.2 IP - best start since being brought back to the majors for Manoah?

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’ American League East struggles continue at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles, dropping the series finale on Thursday. Host Blake Murphy gives us some surprising stats from the series, and highlights one player in particular that almost beat the Jays single-handily. Then, theScore’s Jonah Birenbaum hops aboard to try to make sense of why the Jays' continue to struggle within their division. Next, Blake welcomes FanGraphs writer and "ZiPsetician" Dan Szymborski to dive deeper into some numbers around the league and how the Jays stack up (30:41). The second hour kicks off with Blue Jays radio voice Ben Wagner, who helps turn the page from the Orioles to the Red Sox this weekend (51:00). Blake and him look at continuing issues for the Blue Birds throughout the season, before sorting through some expected roster and lineup moves on the horizon. To close out, Blake checks in with Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald Red Sox reporter and founder of Girl at the Game, for some insight into the BoSox ahead of tonight's first pitch (01:18:32).

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' 6-1 loss vs. the Orioles at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and get to the offensive woes rearing their ugly heads once again - what, if anything, can be changed about that? Is it as simple as changing hitting coaches, or is there something more there? They discuss the mounting losses within the division, if the AL East is already lost, and what to expect out of the team heading into another important series vs. Boston at Fenway Park.

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 kicks off the show alongside Kevin Barker, co-host of Blair and Barker, following a big Jays win against the Orioles last night! They discuss Matt Chapman’s performance, Vladdy’s swing mechanics, the Jays' unsung heroes, and more. Next up, Baseball American Editor-in-Chief JJ Cooper sorts through some of the biggest prospects who moved at the deadline, the updated prospect rankings around the league, how information and stats have evolved for scouts over the past 20 years, and the Jays' deadline moves (28:00). To kick off the next hour, Michael Baumann of FanGraphs stops by to discuss which teams improved the most at the deadline, how the market played out for position players, and the improvements made by Yusei Kikuchi (52:05). Finally, Patrick Dubuque of Baseball Prospectus joins Blake to discuss the trade market at this year’s deadline, Jordan Hicks' development as a pitcher, how contending teams utilize their prospect pools at the deadline, and more (01:13:55)!

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.