Blue Jays Talk

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker wrap up the Blue Jays' 2023 season following the 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Twins. They take your calls, and discuss the decision to yank José Berríos in the fourth inning for Yusei Kikuchi. Does John Schneider wear that decision? Should he have defied the higher-ups if it was a decision from above him? They chat about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting picked off at second base, and a missed Matt Chapman frozen rope down the line - how many missed opportunities can there be in tight ballgames? Plus, they discuss what comes next and what kind of changes are on the horizon for 2024.

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 with a recap of the Blue Jays' 3-1 loss yesterday afternoon to open their Wild Card playoff series against the Twins. He is then joined by the pride of New Westminster, British Columbia, and current Twins Analyst with Bally Sports, Justin Morneau! He offers his immediate insights on Minnesota's relief after finally breaking their 18-game playoff losing streak, before delving into how the young Twins hitters attacked Kevin Gausman, highlighted the impressive performance of rookie Royce Lewis. Later in the hour, Blake welcomes MLB.com's Keegan Matheson to revisit the investigation into Gausman’s missing run support, clarify that Bo Bichette's baserunning error might not have been as egregious as it initially appeared, the conclude by speculating about the potential unconfirmed starting pitcher for the Jays in Game 3, if necessary (25:46). Next up, Sportsnet’s Madison Shipman provides a comprehensive recap of the Jays' offensive struggles and crucial missed opportunities in Game 1, before looking ahead to identify the best approach to deal with Sonny Gray tonight (51:18). To wrap up the show, Mike Petriello of MLB.com reflects on how the city of Minnesota confronted their playoff challenges, highlights the numerous Twins players on the roster that hit for power, but not volume, and concludes by sharing his prediction for a potential Game 3 (01:17:10).

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' 3-1 loss vs. the Twins in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series at Target Field. They take your calls, and get to the outing from Kevin Gausman in which he could only complete four innings - was he tipping his pitches? How did the Twins lay off the splitter so effectively? They chat about the Bo Bichette run decision following a Jorge Polanco error - bad decision by Bo or great throw from Carlos Correa? Plus, they get to the overall performance of the offence, and whether or not they failed to take advantage of Pablo Lopez and the Twins 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.

Blake Murphy kicks things off preparing for this afternoon's Wild Card matchup in Minneapolis. He is joined by Ben Nicholson-Smith, Senior MLB Editor at Sportsnet, to explore the expected pitching matchups, the unveiling of rosters, and potential omissions. Next up, Lance Brozdowski from Marquee Sports Network furthers the discussion with a deep dive into tonight's starters, which team has the bullpen advantage, and how the Jays stack up against the other playoff contenders (33:20). Moving into the second hour, Ben Clemens from FanGraphs joins the show to dissect his Wild Card preview piece for the Jays-Twins matchup (55:23). This includes discussions about the released rosters and the impact of injuries on both teams, with Ben also sharing his thoughts on which series around the league should generate the most interest. Wrapping up today's show is MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park, who reviews the Twins' playoff roster and shares his take on Minnesota's 18-game playoff losing streak (01:15:09).

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 second season is here! Blake Murphy kicks off Jays Talk Plus by providing a brief overview of Toronto's weekend series and the festivities that followed the clinch. He is later joined by Jonah Birenbaum, Senior Editor at TheScore, who outlines why the Jays have reasons to be optimistic as they head into the playoffs and why it would be a mistake to underestimate the Twins. In the latter part of the hour, Jon Morosi from MLB Network joins, opening with praise the potential farewells of four sure-fire Hall of Famers, including Cabrera, Wainwright, Greinke, and Votto. They then dive deep into a preview of Wild Card week, discussing all four matchups, including the Jays/Twins series, and debating the MLB's decision to go with dual overlap games versus a quadruple-header format (31:05). During the final hour, Sportsnet Producer Chris Black joins in-studio for an extended discussion. They begin by weighing the pros and cons of playing afternoon games at Target Field, before delving into a comprehensive review of the 2023 Blue Jays' regular season (51:32). From there, they explore potential roster decisions, game strategies, and share their overall expectations for the first round (01:20:15).

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' 12-8 loss to the Rays to wrap the season at 89-73 overall. They take your calls, and discuss the coming playoff matchup, as they will be headed to Target Field to take on the Minnesota Twins - is that a positive for the team given the season to-date? Plus, they discuss the work accomplished by both John Schneider and Ross Atkins over the whole year, the offence and how it has fared, and we hear from a number of Jays during their champagne-soaked clubhouse celebrations.

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' 7-5 loss to the Rays at the Rogers Centre in extra innings. They take your calls, and get to the decisions that saw Jordan Romano enter the game in the eighth inning and Jordan Hicks take the mound in both the ninth and tenth - were those the right moves? Brandon Belt entered the game late as a pinch hitter - could he have just been in the starting lineup if that was the case? They also discuss the outing from Hyun-jin Ryu - was that the last time he will be seen in a Jays uniform? Plus, they get to the four-way tie scenario that could await the Blue Jays depending on out-of-town results from the Rangers, Astros, and Mariners, and what should (and could) happen in Game 162.

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' 11-4 win over the Rays to open the series at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get right to the playoff clinching scenarios, as the team's magic number is down to one after the victory. They discuss the play of the offence, including big swings from Matt Chapman, Alejandro Kirk, and Cavan Biggio, and also discuss the outing from Yusei Kikuchi. Plus, they debate - should the team make the playoffs - the difference between playing Tampa and Minnesota in the postseason.

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 starts the show with a summary of the previous day's crucial victory against the Yankees, avoiding a series sweep with a 6-0 shutout win. The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath stops by to discuss the remarkable achievement of the "unbelievable competitor" Chris Bassitt, before providing a brief preview of the potential Wild Card series between the Blue Jays and Rays. In the second half hour, MLB.com's Adam Berry hops aboard to review the Rays' season as a whole, highlighting both their early successes and challenges, before delving into the team's concerns regarding injuries heading into the playoffs (31:21). Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner kicks off the second hour with his perspective on Chris Bassitt's performance throughout the season, potential starting lineups for the upcoming week, and the cost of not securing a playoff spot ahead of this weekend (51:35). Levi Weaver from The Athletic wraps up this week with a comprehensive analysis of the various scenarios and potential outcomes for the A.L. and N.L. Wild Card candidates during the upcoming weekend (01:15:05). To conclude, they reflect on the 2023 Major League Baseball season, discussing the surprise contenders and the impact of rule changes. 

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' 6-0 win over the Yankees at the Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get right to the start from Chris Bassitt, who notched 12 Ks over 7.2 IP, as he hit 200 IP for the first time in his career. How good has he been in 2023? Does he deserve a Game 2 playoff start in a potential Wild Card series? Plus, they chat about the revamped lineup, including Bo Bichette batting cleanup, and both Daulton Varsho and Matt Chapman going yard at the bottom of the order.

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.