Blair & Barker

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker bring in Vancouver's mayor, Ken Sim (13:50), to chat about how far along the city is in their plan to bid for an MLB franchise, why he is pushing for a bid now, the Vancouver market's interest, and the council's role in the bid. Then, Milwaukee Brewers TV play-by-play voice Brian Anderson joins the guys (32:49) to weigh in on the fans booing their pitcher Trevor Megill, the team's history of postseason berths, Jake Bauers and Gary Sánchez's presence in the clubhouse, Christian Yelich's injury, and if William Contreras has become the perfect catcher for the Brewers. 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 look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' series-opening win over the Milwaukee Brewers. They discuss Jeff Hoffman's blown save, Louis Varland's reliability, Kazuma Okamoto's defensive mistakes at third base, and Kevin Gausman's shakiest start of the season. Later, Blue Jays radio analyst Chris Leroux (27:28) shares his thoughts on whether Hoffman should remain the team's closer, Varland's viability as a ninth-inning guy, what Dylan Cease needs to adjust ahead of his fourth start, and his concern levels for Max Scherzer. 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.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi (0:54) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to share his thoughts on the Vancouver mayor Ken Sim calling to launch a bid to bring an MLB team to the city, if he's more worried about the Blue Jays or Red Sox, which teams in the National League he'd buy stock in with their performance to start the year, what's gone wrong for the New York Mets, and Lenyn Sosa's addition to the Blue Jays. Then, Milwaukee Brewers TV analyst and former MLB pitcher Tim Dillard (29:00) stops by to discuss Jacob Misiorowski's reverse splits, the team's identity heading into 2026, who the Brewers rely on just like the Jays with Vladdy, and Gary Sánchez's usage at first base. 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 get set for the Toronto Blue Jays' series against the Milwaukee Brewers. They discuss whether the Jays should mix up the batting order and move Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the two-hole, the outfield defence, and Kazuma Okamoto's play at third base. Later, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (27:00) stops by to discuss the team's depleted rotation, how they can get the most out of Max Scherzer, whether they'd consider using an opener, Kevin Gausman's strong start to the season, Jeff Hoffman's stability, and much more. 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.

Host of Baseball Today and Dugout Discussions, Chris Rose (1:10) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the slow starts from American League's star players, who's the second best team in the league, Shane Bieber's decision to return to the Blue Jays, Fernando Tatís Jr. playing at second base, why Oneil Cruz needs to be the centrepiece of the Pirates' offence, and how he projects his Cleveland Guardians for the rest of the season. Then, Blue Jays legend Buck Martinez (27:24) returns to the show to discuss the team's growing list of injuries to start the season, if the World Series hangover is real, Kazuma Okamoto's adjustment to the MLB, why Dylan Cease benefits from working with Pete Walker, how he would manage Max Scherzer's outings, and the team's erratic defence. 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 look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. They discuss concerning starts from Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer, George Springer's injury, the Jays' trade for infielder Lenyn Sosa from the White Sox, and positive signs from Daulton Varsho, Andrés Giménez and Louis Varland. Later, Jays' radio voice, Ben Shulman (28:42), joins the show to share his thoughts on the Sosa trade, Kazuma Okamoto's play at the plate, and how Nathan Lukes can get back on track. 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.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (2:25) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the outcome from their series rematch against the L.A. Dodgers, his argument with home plate umpire Dan Merzel on calling Kevin Gausman's balk, conversations with his coaching staff handling mental mistakes from their players early in the season, his upcoming podcast conversation with ESPN's Jeff Passan and Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts, Daulton Varsho's struggles after a strong Spring Training, injury updates on his pitchers including Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios, how Kazuma Okamoto is handling the swing and miss at-bats, and the path for Davis Schneider to play more games. Then, Blair and Barker head to the Back-Leg Line ahead of the weekend! 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 get set for the Blue Jays' weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. Dan Shulman stops by (3:31) to discuss how the Jays can build off their win against the Dodgers, Tyler Rogers' efficiency, Kazuma Okamoto's offensive ceiling, his expectations for Patrick Corbin, and much more. Later, Twins manager Derek Shelton (27:45) shares a Minnesota perspective on the upcoming series, their unorthodox bullpen hierarchy, their goals for this season, and his growth as a manager since his stint in Pittsburgh. 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.

Sean Casey, former big leaguer and host of The Mayor's Office podcast, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about finding your rhythm as a hitter in April, dealing with fan criticism, the Automated Ball-Strike system, and his favourite player to watch as a fan. Later, New York Post columnist and author of The Bosses of the Bronx, Mike Vaccaro (26:50) joins the guys to discuss his new book about George Steinbrenner and the history of Yankees ownership, along with thoughts on the 2026 team! 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 start the off-day edition with a look back on the Blue Jays' win over the Dodgers to avoid a sweep and snap a six-game losing streak. They discuss Daulton Varsho's slow start, Shohei Ohtani's 'special treatment', and their impressions of Dylan Cease after his third start. Later, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan (23:58) joins the show ahead of the debut episode of his new podcast, Sources Tell Jeff Passan. He discusses an upcoming episode featuring John Schneider and Dave Roberts reflecting on the World Series, the Jays' slow start, the biggest surprises so far this season, the Brewers' culture, and the Astros' ceiling. 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 open today's pregame show in a sour mood following the Blue Jays' 4-1 loss to the Dodgers to extend their losing streak to six games. The boys discuss the Jays' dismal offensive output of late, the importance of tomorrow's off day to reset, and the balk call on Kevin Gausman that resulted in John Schneider's fiery ejection. They also dig into the statistics to find some positives from the first two weeks, identify some players that need to step up in order to right the ship, and chat about Andy Pages' hot start to the year. Ryan Howard (26:27), World Series champion and 2006 MVP, joins to discuss how the Phillies overcame fatigue from October baseball, battling through early season struggles, and the pressure to perform in a major market. 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 kick off this episode chatting with Caleb Joseph, former MLB catcher and Sportsnet analyst. They dig into the issues behind the Blue Jays' five-game losing streak, Max Scherzer's road back to the mound after exiting Monday's game with forearm tendinitis, expectations for Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Kevin Gausman tonight, the options behind the plate in Alejandro Kirk's absence, and the lingering emotions from the 2025 World Series. Later, Jayson Stark (24:45) of The Athletic discusses the mediocrity early in the American League, storylines to watch in this week's Blue Jays vs. Dodgers series, and his impressions of the Automated Ball-Strike system. 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 look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' 14-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and stretching their losing streak to five games. They discuss the residual animosity between the two teams after the World Series, Max Scherzer's early exit, and what adjustments Kevin Gausman must make to get a better result this evening. Later, Dodgers Pitching Coach Mark Prior (26:17) discusses his role, what Jays hitters can expect from tonight's starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, what Shohei Ohtani's pitching workload might look like this season, and more! 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.

Host of Nothing Personal and former MLB President David Samson (0:28) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about how teams navigate a slow start after playing in the World Series, Roman Anthony's outspoken comments around the Boston Red Sox's start to their year, what Konnor Griffin's long-term contract indicates to fans, players and owners around the league, why the Cleveland Guardians have surprised him the most, and Carter Jensen being pulled from the Royals lineup after sleeping through an alarm. Then, L.A. Dodgers reporter Katie Woo stops by (26:35) to discuss Freddie Freeman's longevity, Shohei Ohtani's 2026 pitching plan, if any manager can manage the current Dodgers roster, who is the second-best player on the team and how Kyle Tucker has fit in. 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.