Blue Jays Talk

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre to begin the second half of the 2023 season! They take your calls and get straight to the performance from José Berríos, who only allowed one earned run over 5.1 IP. Was it a good decision to open the second half with Berríos? Plus, they give their thoughts on the starting rotation and the way it's lined up, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slamming another home run, and the play from Matt Chapman both on the field and 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.

Baseball is back! The unofficial second half of the Major League Baseball season kicks off tonight and Jays fans are amped to return. Guest hosts Ben Shulman and Julia Kreuz welcome their Jays Talk battery mate, Sportsnet’s own Sho Alli in-studio to get some of his overall thoughts on Toronto’s team this season so far and what he’s looking from them down the home stretch. Then, Ben and Julia tee up the Jays' first opponent after the All-Star break, the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks (37:15)! Jomboy Media’s Chris Rose kicks off hour two recapping his trip to Seattle for All-Star week, before getting into the second half storylines including why MLB needs high payroll teams like the Padres and Mets to succeed and what the Blue Jays (his A.L. World Series pick) need to be considered among baseball's best (52:18). We wrap up with some insight on the D-Backs from Arizona Republic beat writer Nick Piecoro, before Ben and Julia take some time to wrap up their week here on JTP (01:20:25)!

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.

With th All-Star festivities wrapped, guest hosts Ben Shulman & Julia Kreuz turn their attention to the future, specifically the Blue Jays in the unofficial second half of the season. They focus in on the American League as a whole and where the Jays fit in the playoff landscape, before MLB Network’s Jon Morosi stops by! He shares his expectations for the second half and the fast-approaching trade deadline, as well as offering a few ideas on what MLB can do improve All-Star Week (33:00). Later on, Ben & Julia hand out their first half awards for the Blue Jays, including MVP (51:33)! Who you got: Kevin Gausman or Bo Bichette? Next up, TV voice of the Blue Jays on Sportsnet and Ben's dad, Dan Shulman offers thoughts on what the Jays face in the second half on their quest for the postseason (01:02:31). To end today, we go over some items on our baseball bucket lists including which ballparks around the league we'd most like to visit (01:27:02).

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.

You either love the MLB All-Star Game, or hate it. On today’s JTP, guest hosts Ben Shulman and Julia Kreuz break down last night’s Mid-Summer Classic by going over the good, the bad and the ugly from last night in Seattle, unfortunately including closer Jordan Romano leaving the game with some lower back tightness. Next up, ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball analyst Eduardo Perez checks in to share his All-Star experience in Seattle, where he got to call the Home Run Derby that crowned Vladimir Guerrero Jr. king this year (35:16)! In the second hour, Ben and Julia turn their attention to the Jays with MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, who jumps on to talk about what stood out from Toronto's draft picks this year, before taking a look at some prospects ahead of that deadline (50:10). To close, MLB Insider for USA Today, Bob Nightengale joins en route home from Seattle to discuss some of his takeaways from the festivities at T-Mobile Park (01:26:02).

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.

History was made in a few different ways on Monday night in Seattle. A Toronto Blue Jay won the Home Run Derby for the first time in franchise history. That Jay, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, also became part of the first father-son duo to win the Derby along with Vlad Sr. JTP guest hosts Ben Shulman and Julia Kreuz look back on the night that was and what it could mean for Vlad Jr. in the second half of the season, before discussing Bo Bichette showing a different side of himself last night taking the mic and interviewing his teammate. The pair then move their attention to the All-Star festivities and brainstorm what events could be added with the help of some listener text suggestions (35:38). In the second hour, they turn their attention to tonight's All-Star Game with Sportsnet analyst Buck Martinez, who will be in the booth for the call (50:10)! Ben and Julia also check in with MLB Network’s Anthony Castrovince, who shared his takeaways following Vlad Jr.'s power surge last night, before highlighting some of the other great things Seattle offers as a host (01:26:02).

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.

We've arrived at the All-Star Break in Major League Baseball, but there's no stopping Jays Talk Plus! Ben Shulman and Julia Kreuz jump in as guest hosts to preview this week's festivities in Seattle, starting with the always fun Home Run Derby which features the Blue Jays’ own Vladimir Guerrero Junior! The pair discuss his entrance into the competition, how he has looked at the plate of late, and how he’s grown as a player since the last time he was in the competition. Later on, former Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero checks in to also re-live a few of his career highlights including his draft and All-Star experience, before breaking down what he saw from Alek Manoah in his start on Friday and why he seems to be trending up (28:45). Kicking off the second hour, Ben and Julia make their picks for the Derby tonight and crown a champion (50:44)! Next up, Sportsnet’s own MLB Insider Shi Davidi joins live from Seattle to share some of the things he’s taken in including watching the Vancouver Canadians and the Jays' young stars at the Futures Game (01:16:42). Given it’s the day home runs are featured, Julia and Ben look back on some of the most iconic long balls in franchise history throughout today's show!

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' 4-3 comeback win over the Tigers! They take your calls and texts, and get to the late drama in Detroit, including a Danny Jansen game-tying homer with two outs, and Nathan Lukes slamming a game-winning RBI double to score a speedy Daulton Varsho. They chat about the previous eight innings and the offence being largely shut out - any cause for concern there? Plus, they revisit their Spring Training bold predictions, make some second half bold predictions as well, and kick around some trade ideas that could be made before the trade deadline.

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' 2-0 loss to the Tigers following a combined no-hitter by Detroit. They take your calls and texts, and get right to the offensive offence - how does the offence take two steps forward and one step back so consistently? They take a look at Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s seventh inning as a microcosm of everyone's approaches all game, and discuss Bo Bichette's swings in the ninth as well. Plus, they get to Kevin Gausman's start despite an odd rainy beginning to this game, and discuss Gausman's announcement that he won't travel to Seattle for the All-Star 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 affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 12-2 win over the Tigers in Detroit! They take your calls, and get to the return of Alek Manoah, who notched eight Ks over six innings of work. They discuss the in-game adjustments, the swagger on the mound, and the overall body language and efficiency in addition to the actual pitch mechanics he demonstrated in his return. How important is it for him to come back and help out the rotation? Plus, the Jays bats blow up the Tigers pitching staff, including George Springer and Whit Merrifield both going yard.

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.

After winning the double dip in Chicago yesterday to sweep the series against the White Sox, Jays fans quickly turn their attention to tonight’s game against the Tigers with Alek Manoah taking the mound. Host Blake Murphy brings on Sportsnet’s own Jeff Blair of Blair and Barker to share his takeaways from this most recent series, before taking a step back to revaluate the team's entire month of June. Next up, Baseball Prospectus contributor Russell A. Carleton takes us through his recently released book "The New Ballgame", before diving into some sabermetrics around the league (33:18). We then turn our attention to the upcoming MLB Draft with Carlos Collazo of Baseball America and the Future Projection podcast, who shares why this year's crop of prospects might be the deepest one in over a decade (51:12). Blake also checks in with friend Eric Koreen, writer at the The Athletic live from Las Vegas, who discusses his view on the Blue Jays heading towards the All-Star break (01:15:08). To close today's show, Blake gives his take on what to watch for in Alek’s start tonight in hopes of seeing signs of the former Cy Young finalist (01:31:42).

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.