Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker preview the Blue Jays' rematch against the Phillies in Philadelphia, how they can attack left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez, why Toronto's lineup performs well against lefties, and whether Kevin Gausman can build off his 6-inning outing against the Minnesota Twins. Then, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (25:58) stops by to chat about his lineup's success against lefties,...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan (3:17) in on the Blue Jays' off-day. They get into where the Jays rank among the best batting orders in baseball, how recent headline pitcher injuries shape the trade market, how the Braves approach the deadline and much more. Later, WEEI Red Sox reporter Rob Bradford (29:15) joins the show to discuss the dysfunction in Boston, the p...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker revisit the Blue Jays' sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis. They get into whether Yariel Rodriguez is ready to take over the closer's role, whether it's beneficial to have multiple options available to pitch in the 9th inning and the Jays' identity and plate approach through June. Then, Jeff and Kevin go through the Back Leg Line to hear listeners' calls! The views and...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome Sportsnet Blue Jays insider Shi Davidi (1:50) to kick off the second hour, and they get into the team's pitching options as they work around Bowden Francis's enduring struggles, whether they will look to add to their injured bullpen at the deadline, Jonatan Clase's maturity and whether Addison Barger's trial batting second can become permanent. Later, Athletics'...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show touching on the Blue Jays' second-most comeback wins (20) before being joined by Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (5:58) to chat about some of the positives from Bowden Francis' pitching performances, areas to zone in and improve on, Chris Bassitt's adjustment to stand closer towards first base, Yariel Rodriguez in high-leverage situations, the timeline fo...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in former Twins GM Thad Levine (1:20) to share his thoughts on the Red Sox calling up MLB's no. 1 ranked prospect Roman Anthony, the impact of A.J. Hinch's experience in Detroit, the challenge of winning with high expectations, the Jays' options for the struggling Bowden Francis, and why GMs are more focussed on 'platoon players.' Later, Cardinals analyst and fo...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, Bowden Francis continuing to struggle on the mound, what's best for him moving forward and Tyler Heineman's baseball IQ with his at-bats and behind the plate. Then, Blue Jays TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman stops by (27:50) to discuss if Bowden will make his start against the Phillies in Philadelphia, the bullpen's...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker kick off hour two with a discussion on the ABS challenge system as commissioner Rob Manfred hinted this week that it could be implemented at the MLB level in 2026. Then, they go to the Back Leg Line to answer your calls and questions! Finally, MLB Network insider Jon Morosi (25:20) joins Jeff and Kevin to share his thoughts on the ABS proposal, what the pitcher market m...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker dive into why the Blue Jays are in a better position to compete in the post-season after their recent stretch and series win over the Phillies, the AL standings, and the expectations for the upcoming 9-game road trip. Then, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (26:27) stops by to chat about the team's extended run of recent success, the buy-in from the bottom of the order,...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome Jeff Passan (3:12), ESPN MLB insider, to the show to discuss his recently published early deadline preview. He gets into when teams start thinking trade, whether the Jays buy, hold or sell at the deadline, their options for a potential Bo Bichette deal, what Sandy Alcántara would cost, how aggressive the Dodgers and Phillies will be and much more. Later, Jeff an...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back at the Blue Jays series-opening loss to the Phillies, Bowden Francis giving up 6 runs in the first inning, his pitch-location struggles, and what has changed in Addison Barger's at-bats and why he's a mainstay on the team's everyday lineup. Then, Jeff and Kevin dive into the Back-Leg Line taking listener's calls, discussing the mindset of a hitter seeing runs...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome David Samson (0:25), former MLB executive and host of Nothing Personal, to the show to discuss the Rockies' embarrassing season, the Red Sox's off-field dysfunction, why the Royals should've waited just a bit longer to call up top prospect Jac Caglianone, the Jays' ceiling this season and MLB pushing the ABS challenge system back another year. Later, Jays analys...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look ahead to the Blue Jays series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and how significant the next few games will be for identifying Toronto's post-season hopes. Then, Ben Davis, Phillies TV analyst stops by (26:20) to chat about the team's offensive numbers, Trea Turner's hiccup in the infield and in his at-bats, where Philadelphia has their expectations levels...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome Jayson Stark to the show (2:25) to discuss the most controversial picks of his recently published column, the Athletic's MLB All-Quarter-Century team, including David Ortiz over Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge over Ichiro Suzuki. Then, ahead of his induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday, Greg Hamilton (31:16), director of national teams at...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays' series sweep of the Athletics, if they've bought in on Addison Barger and Ernie Clement, how John Schneider will fit Andrés Giménez back into the lineup, and if the Jays' hitters are finally adjusting to the ballpark with George Springer and Bo Bichette's uptrend in hitting. Then, Blue Jays radio analyst Chris Leroux stops by (23:40) to chat about w...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan (5:25) to discuss parity across the American League, who's to blame for the Red Sox's disappointing season so far, why teams are more cautious when calling up top prospects and his recent story on OneTeam Partners, an MLBPA & NFLPA firm being investigated by the FBI. Later, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (31:14) shares why an...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show reacting to the news that Anthony Santander has been placed on the IL with Alan Roden getting the call-up, and how much confidence the Blue Jays' hitters got after their monster series-opening win against the Athletics. Then, Blue Jays TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman stops by (27:10) to chat about Max Scherzer's live BP and his next steps, the state of...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker head to the Back-Leg Line to answer some questions before bringing on Vancouver Canadians' pitcher Trey Yesavage (17:04) to chat about what he's been working on within his pitch arsenal, how he's been able to ingest information from his coaches and training staff through the minor leagues, working on velocity, and his journey from college to the minors. Then, Athletics...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 2-0 win in the rubber match over the Texas Rangers and discuss what worked and didn't work from the team's mixed-up lineup. Then, they look ahead to the Jays' series against the Athletics kicking off tonight and how Toronto's bats can attack the A's below-average pitching staff. Later, Jeff & Kevin go to the Back Leg Line to answer your calls...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in ESPN senior writer David Schoenfield (3:15) to dissect the - through 100 games - MLB's best Detroit Tigers. He shares what's behind their jump this season, AJ Hinch's impact as manager, his impressions of the Blue Jays and the abundance of struggling teams across the American League. Then, Jeff & Kevin discuss the Tigers' 'what-if?' scenarios with Tarik Skuba...

Jeff Blair and 2025 Virginia Tech Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Barker chat about receiving the news of the honour and his time playing for the Hokies, before getting into the Blue Jays shutout loss to the Texas Rangers. Then, Sportsnet 590 The FAN's Ben Shulman (30:50) stops by to share his expectations for Paxton Schultz as the opener for their third game against Texas, Chad Green's workload, reas...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Hall of Famer Chipper Jones (0:24) to discuss how Anthony Santander can snap his season-long slump, Ronald Acuña Jr.'s explosive return to the Braves lineup after his ACL tear, Atlanta's ceiling this season, and how he's preparing for his management duties at MLB's All-Star Futures Game. Later, Jeff and Kevin discuss whether Aaron Judge needs a ring to stand...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap Kevin Gausman's 8-inning outing en route to a Blue Jays series-opening win against the Texas Rangers. They look at the scouting report on Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi before bringing in Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (17:21) to discuss Anthony Santander's place in the batting order, if Gausman will need to continue experimenting with his pitches, Bowden Francis' fastbal...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Texas Rangers hitting coach Bret Boone (1:07) ahead of his side's series against the Blue Jays in Texas. He discusses his adjustment to the staff side of the game since getting hired earlier this month, what he's learned in his time with the team and his hitting-coach philosophy. Then, Jeff & Kevin get into the urgency for the Jays in this series and how they...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker kick off the pre-game edition with a look back on the Blue Jays' weekend series in Tampa where the Rays swept them in three games. They get into the unique conditions at Steinbrenner Field, the 4-pitch third inning on Sunday, the Jays' struggles against the fastball, Anthony Santander's health and what's behind the extended slumps at the top of the lineup. Later, Jays T...