Artificial Turf Wars

Greg and Josh break down the last week in the Blue Jays and baseball world. They discuss the recent 3-2 Jays week that somehow included two disaster losses, the returns to form of Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, Roberto Osuna's All-Star appearance and Marcus Stroman's absence, the struggles of the returning Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada and John Gibbons' recent performance, and the promotions o...

Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus stops by to discuss the recent Jays' massacre at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the mastery of Chris Sale, and to look at the odd struggles of the Toronto Blue Jays against even mediocre arms. Greg and Josh also discuss Justin Smoak's All-Star starter nod, the pickup of Miguel Montero, J.A. Happ's success, the offensive struggles, Marcus Stroman's blister conspir...

The Ringer and Effectively Wild's Ben Lindbergh drops by to talk about his recent piece on the effect of the ball on the home run surge across baseball. He goes over his findings relating to the bounce of the ball and the lower seams, the cause/effect relationship of the new ball and the "flyball" revolution, and looks at why the home run increase is larger in the middle, as opposed to the big bop...

Greg and Josh break down the latest 3-3 week in Blue Jays land. They look at the strange problems the starters seem to have when faced with a potential .500 record, the fun comeback against the Rangers, Marco Estrada's struggles, Justin Smoak continuing to swing a hot bat, Kevin Pillar having issues both at the plate and in the field, and the untimely injuries to Joe Smith and his replacement, Leo...

Burke Granger of 2080 Baseball stops by to discuss the 2017 draft. He gives reports on the first few players taken by the Jays in the draft, then discusses some surprised from day 1, the process for amateur scouts, and how they compile their rankings at 2080 baseball. Greg and Josh then discuss the last week in Jays land, with a look at the failure to reach .500, the dominance of Roberto Osuna and...

Greg and Josh go over the last week of stories from the Blue Jays' 4-3 week. They go over the games against the Yankees and Reds, touch on the triumphant return to superstardom (and health) of Josh Donaldson, the latest injury to Devon Travis, Francisco Liriano and Joe Biagini's rest of the season outlooks, and the J.P. Howell/Jason Grilli conundrum. They also give out THREE Do-Overs, and talk abo...

In a special bonus interview episode, Eno Sarris of Fangraphs stops by to discuss Joey Votto's unique approach to hitting with focus on the ways he has adapted to the pitchers' attack patterns, changed his swing path, and the mental aspect of hitting. He also discusses the mood in AT&T park after the Strickland/Harper altercation, Strickland's reaction, and how things could play out going forward....

Greg, Josh, and Nick break down the very successful last week in Blue Jays land with a specific look at the surging Devon Travis, the returning Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, a finally full starting rotation, and the Rangers falling apart whenever they play the Blue Jays. They also discuss the Giants-Nationals brawl, answer listener questions, and give out a Do Over to Buck Martinez. Learn mo...

Greg and Josh break down the last week of news in Blue Jays land. They discuss the resurgent bullpen that is being led by surprising performers Ryan Tepera and Danny Barnes, a tremendous performance by Marco Estrada, the improved hitting from Jose Bautista and Devon Travis, and the constant shuffling of injured players on the Blue Jays roster. They also answer listener questions, give out two Do-O...

Jesse Goldberg-Strassler stops by to discuss the Jays minor league system with a specific focus on the loaded Lansing Lugnuts roster. He gives his views on wunderkinds Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the phenomenon that is Bradley Jones, and gives his view on some AAA players who could help the big league club in a pinch. Greg and Josh also discuss the winning streak, the hot hitting of Kevin P...

Mike Petriello of MLB.com stops by to discuss Statcast and its effect on our ability to understand what is going on in the game of baseball. He goes into depth on the process by which stats are created, discusses some stats that didn't work out as hoped, and goes into the notion that Statcast can be overbearing at time for viewers. Greg and Josh also discuss the 3-3 week, the mounting injuries (th...

Dr. Mike Sonne of BP Toronto and Rotographs stops by to discuss his Fatigue Units stat and factors that help predict/prevent injury with a specific look at Roberto Osuna, while also taking a look at the Blue Jays pitching staff through the lens of his STUFF metric. Greg and Josh discuss the brief glimpse at hope that came with the three game winning streak, a slightly improved offense, give update...

Greg and Josh break down the first week for the 2017 Blue Jays that included "wins." They discuss the hot bats of Kevin Pillar and Justin Smoak, the early season struggles of Roberto Osuna, the strong pitching from the healthy starters, and a few bizarre plays from the week which culminted in Chris Coghlan's heroic dive. They also invite one of their Patreon donors onto the podcast to play "Swing...

Greg and Josh look back on the four-game set with the Orioles and all its accompanying fallout. They discuss the injuries to Josh Donaldson, J.A. Happ, and Aaron Sanchez, the continued ghastly hitting, the strong starting pitching from those who remain healthy, and some quality bullpen performance from some not-so-average Joes. They also give Starling Marte a Do-Over, discuss a potential new MLB r...

Greg and Josh look back at the rough start to the season for the Blue Jays, focusing on the toothless offense and what exactly had gone wrong there, the mostly strong pitching staff, the return of Jose Bautista's arm, and a nice welcome to the club for Kendrys Morales. They also give Rob Manfred yet another Do Over and answer listener questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell stops by to discuss the upcoming broadcast plans, look back at last year's playoff run and subsequent up and down offseason, and look ahead the upcoming season. Greg, Josh and Nick also talk about the Upton/Goins and Tepera/Bolsinger roster decisions, Roberto Osuna's injury, and give their thoughts from Opening Day. They also answer listener questions and give out an Apr...

In their annual 25 in 50 episode, Greg and Josh cover the entire (likely) opening day roster, with two minute breakdowns of each player (and a brief mention of a possible replacement), as well as their picks for the most important pitcher and hitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Russell of DRays Bay stop by to discuss the Rays in the final episode of the AL East preview series. They go over the Archer-led pitching staff, with a look at some of the confusing trade rumours, the Drew Smyly deal, Evan Longoria's 2016 resurgence, and the jam-packed Tampa outfield. Greg and Josh also discuss the Aaron Sanchez contract issue, John Gibbons sticking around for another few ye...

Jake English of Birds Eye View stops by to preview the Baltimore Orioles are part of the 2017 AL East preview series. He discusses the continual lack of strength/depth in the rotation, Chris Tillman's injury, the slugging offense, and some fancy roster maneuvering by Dan Duquette. Greg and Josh also discuss the recent returns to "action" for Josh Donaldson and Devon Travis, Kendrys Morales' contin...

Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus stops by to discuss the Red Sox as part of the AL East preview series. He discusses the issues related to David Price's health, compares the Jays rotation to the one in Boston, and looks at which hitters are likely to get better, and which ones are likely to regress. Greg and Josh also discuss the lingering injury to Devon Travis, the rumors surrounding Brett Lawri...

In the first AL East preview episode of the year, BP Bronx's Stacey Gotsulias stops by to preview the New York Yankees with discussion about the suspect pitching, the upside and unrealistic expecations of the young hitters, and the villainous Randy Levine. Greg and Josh also go over the news from the first week of Spring Training games, including Joe Biagini's 2017 role, the health of Josh Donalds...

Blue Jays pitcher Mike Bolsinger stops by to discuss reaction to his 2016 trade to the Blue Jays, battling for a job in spring training, transitioning from the rotation to the bullpen, and pitch selection. Greg, Josh, and a returning Chris also discuss the latest spring news, including Josh Donaldson's injury, Kevin Pillar's planned change in approach, Devon Travis' potential with the bat, Russell...

Greg Hamilton, coach and director of national teams for Baseball Canada, stops by to discuss Canada's World Baseball Classic team. He details the selection process for the roster, the need for a blend of youth and experience, and how the team reacted to the absence of so many top players. Greg and Josh also break down the last couple weeks of Blue Jays news with a look at the Joe Smith and Mat Lat...

Greg and Josh discuss the recent signing of left-handed reliever, J.P. Howell, with a look at what role he will fill in the Blue Jays pen and how he compares to other reported options. They also discuss other rumoured free agent targets, Blue Jays prospects and their placements on top prospect lists, and Roy Halladay's election to the Candian Baseball Hall of Fame. Finally, the guys answer a bunch...

Greg and Josh discuss Jose Bautista's return to Toronto with a look at what he means to the Jays and their fans, his polarizing nature, and how he may be used going forward, as well as a break down of the unusual minutiae in his one year contract. They also discuss the Andrew McCutchen trade rumours, the somewhat unusual Blue Jays arbitration cases, and the Hall of Fame results. Finally, they answ...