Blair & Barker

David Popkins, Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the state of the team. David discusses his work to get the team's offence in sync, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s lack of power, the impact of Kazuma Okamoto's change in approach, Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez' performance at the plate, utilizing the Automated Ball-Strike system, and George Springer's status. Later, Kevin Pillar (27:45), former Blue Jay and Sportsnet analyst, stops by the studio to share his view on Vladdy's start to the season, the current vibe in the clubhouse, the Jays' approach at the plate, 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker kick off today's show breaking down the Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to the Rays including Eric Lauer's issues in the first inning and how Tampa Bay shut down Toronto's bats. Marc Topkin (16:15) of the Tampa Bay Times checks in with his evaluation of the Rays' season so far. The boys ask Marc about Tampa's place in the American League East, Bryan Baker's strong 2026, the recent changes at Tropicana Field, and what Jonathan Aranda brings to the lineup. After the break (29:50), Jeff and Kevin share today's trivia question, before discussing the approach change behind Kazuma Okamoto's power surge and who the odd man out might be once Addison Barger is ready to return. 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 are joined by Vancouver Canadians' Jose Mayorga (3:11) to chat about the promotion of No. 3 prospect in the Blue Jays organization Arjun Nimmala to Double-A, his development at shortstop and running the bags, how coachable he is, his advice to Arjun in playing in a league up, pitchers Johnny King and Holden Wilkerson's developments on the mound, and if he's seen a difference between the current group of players compared to previous years coming through the organization. Then, Kevin shares his experience getting promoted, playing in the minors and when we can expect Nimmala to play in the Majors. Later, former MLB pitcher and Tampa Bay Rays TV analyst Brian Anderson (28:00) stops by to discuss the differences between the 2026 team and the AL East-dominating rosters of the past, Nick Martinez's reliance on his secondary pitches this season, Bryan Baker's success in the 9th inning, and Drew Rasmussen's fastball usage.  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' split series against the Minnesota Twins. They discuss John Schneider's decision to bench Tyler Heineman, Kazuma Okamoto's hot streak, and whether Dylan Cease's pursuit of efficiency is compromising his strikeout stuff. Later, Sportsnet MLB insider Shi Davidi joins the show (27:18) to help tee up the Jays' series against the Rays in Tampa and discuss Heineman's benching, George Springer's tough luck in the batter's box, and what the lineup might look like when the team is back healthy. 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.

Blue Jays Manager John Schneider joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker for his weekly chat! Skip shares the latest on José Berríos and Addison Barger as they continue to work back from injury, his takeaways from Trey Yesavage's return to the mound, and what he learned from the team's "State of the Squad" meeting. They also touch on his lineup's lack of home run production, what's changed for Daulton Varsho and Kazuma Okamoto at the plate, the keys to success for Patrick Corbin and Tyler Rogers, and how Jeff Hoffman has handled his role change. John wraps up with his thoughts on the Blue Jays' outlook heading into May with a 14-17 record. Later, Thad Levine (27:45), former Twins GM and co-host of Rosters to Rings, investigates Carlos Mendoza's vote of confidence in New York, the Red Sox clearing house, and the Phillies' struggles through April. They wrap up the week with discussion about a potential lockout in 2027 and what's on the table for both sides. 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 begin with thoughts on the Blue Jays' 7-1 loss in the series opener against the Twins. They break down what went wrong for Kevin Gausman and the lineup's quiet night offensively, before debating how to view Toronto's 14-17 record as the calendar flips. Paul Molitor (28:31), 1993 World Series MVP, Hall of Famer and Twins analyst, joins the guys to chat about when in a season it's time to be concerned and if there's any truth a "World Series hangover". Paul also discusses the state of the Twins, Byron Buxton's work to stay healthy, former Blue Jay Austin Martin, and Louie Varland's growth since his trade to Toronto. 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.

Former MLB catcher and current MLB Network analyst Anthony Recker (3:21) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the identity of the 2026 Minnesota Twins, if they're working towards a defensive or offensive-first mindset, Bailey Ober's changeup, why a healthy Mick Abel would help the team's pitching staff, what impresses him the most about Kevin Gausman, and why the Padres have been the biggest surprise to start the year. Then, Blue Jays analyst Joe Siddall joins the guys (26:54) to discuss the adjustments Kazuma Okamoto has made, Brandon Valenzuela's potential, Ernie Clement's ability to cover all areas in his at-bats, Daulton Varsho's strengths and weaknesses, and Jeff Hoffman's usage in low-leverage situations.  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 ahead to the Blue Jays' series against the Minnesota Twins after an 8-1 win over the Red Sox. They discuss the bullpen's recent turnaround, Kazuma Okamoto's adjustment paying off, and what to expect from Kevin Gausman tonight against a Twins team he's struggled against historically. Later, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan joins the show (28:08) to reflect on the first month of the MLB season, including the Red Sox's disappointing start, Ben Rice's All-Star-calibre play, Drake Baldwin's emergence, the Reds' success on the road, 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open today's pregame episode setting up this afternoon's rubber match at Rogers Centre. They discuss George Springer's activation from the 10-day IL, Eloy Jiménez' subsequent DFA, and Eric Lauer's start today, before looking back on Tuesday's 3-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. They break down Trey Yesavage's strong form his return to the mound, Kazuma Okamoto heating up at the plate, the Hoffman-Rogers-Varland bullpen experience, and some eye-popping Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stats. Later, Ben Shulman and Chris Leroux (26:25) join the guys live from the Sportsnet 590 The FAN radio booth for a roundtable chat! They touch on a variety of topics including the Jiménez' decision, Okamoto's form, Vladdy's April, the state of the rotation, Yesavage's return, Lauer's start, and Hoffman's new role. 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 (1:02) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about seeing a team with high expectations into the new year start on a losing skid, if he's surprised by the managerial firings of Alex Cora and Rob Thomson, why it's better to make the change early, Don Mattingly stepping into an interim role with the Philadelphia Phillies, which teams have a bigger issue between the Red Sox, Phillies and New York Mets, and when Blue Jays fans should start to panic. Then, Red Sox analyst, former closer with Boston and Philly, Jonathan Papelbon (34:36) joins the guys to weigh in on which market was the toughest to play for, if Chad Tracy has a chance to get his interim managerial tag removed, and how hard it is to lose your closer job. 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.