Blair & Barker

Chicago White Sox's Director of Player Development, Paul Janish (0:26) joins Jeff Blair and his former teammate Kevin Barker to chat about his role with the organization, how they approach players' goals season-to-season, if they've considered 'out of the box' methods of playing like the Colorado Rockies calling pitching from the dugout, how younger players are learning compared to when Paul and Kevin played, the evolution of scouting with analytics, how he would define a successful season for the White Sox, and ABS' implementation. Then, ESPN's Jeff Passan stops by (29:32) to discuss the Rockies' method of calling pitches from the dugout, the most surprising and disappointing teams to start their year, his expectations for the Blue Jays vs. Dodgers for the first time since the 2025 World Series and the flurry of contract signings and extensions for prospects on long-term deals.  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 the off-day edition with some Blue Jays takeaways through the first two series of the season. They discuss reasons to be optimistic with Jeff Hoffman, why they're not concerned with the team's offensive struggles with runners in scoring position, who fits best in the clean-up spot, and Kevin Gausman's stellar start. Later, MLB Network's Jon Morosi (29:56) shares his early-season Blue Jays thoughts, including his concerns for the rotation's health, Brendon Little's struggles, Hoffman's resilience, 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show discussing how John Schneider could navigate the pitching rotation with Cody Ponce's status up in the air, the best way forward for Brendan Little after strong Spring outings and two rocky relief stints to start the regular season, why Kazuma Okamoto's second career MLB home run was impressive, and Ponce's first pitches in the Majors. Then, the guys bring on play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Bisons Pat Malacaro (27:00) to chat about potential options for the main roster to call up if Ponce misses time, Josh Kasevich's popularity among the managers and coaches, and Josh Rivera's growing potential.  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 co-host of VSiN By The Books and former MLB pitcher Jensen Lewis (0:58) to chat about the first weekend of ABS' implementation, his takeaways from the Blue Jays' pitchers successful weekend with the strike zone, why he's not overreacting to Jeff Hoffman's first blown save to the year, and Rōki Sasaki's 2026 debut after a rocky Spring Training. Then, Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro (25:40) stops by to discuss the World Series' effect on the 2026 roster and organization, how he would define a successful season, what Kazuma Okamoto brings to the team on and off the field, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s growth into a leader and his ceiling, the Jays' pitch to Dylan Cease, and maintaining a high-end minor league teams. 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' first series of the 2026 season - a three-game sweep over the Athletics. They discuss the rotation's early statement, as Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and Eric Lauer combined for 32 strikeouts, share their first impressions of Jesús Sánchez and Kazuma Okamoto, and express early concerns for Brendon Little and Jeff Hoffman in the bullpen. Later, ahead of the Jays' series opener against the Rockies, Colorado TV analyst Ryan Spilborghs (27:25) joins the show to discuss the Rockies' goals this season, Ethan Holliday's progression, and his expectations for Cody Ponce's first start of the year. 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.