Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in extra innings. They discuss the Jays' five-run seventh inning, the Rays taking advantage with their speed, Shane McClanahan's dominant outing, Daulton Varsho's outfield defence, and how Dylan Cease can set the Jays up for a better result in the series finale. Later, three-time manager of the year Joe Madd...

Former MLB right fielder and current hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays Chad Mottola (0:34) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about what makes a great run producer, the types of development paths for his hitters, if batter technology has caught up to pitcher tech, the transition back to playing at Tropicana Field after a season at Steinbrenner Field, the next steps in Junior Caminero's o...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' series-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. They discuss whether Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should be moved from second in the lineup like fellow struggling superstar Cal Raleigh, Kevin Gausman's rough outing, and whether the 'Rays Way' is sustainable. Later, former pitcher and MLB Network's Jensen Lewis (28:27) joins the show to share his...

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine (3:30) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to remember the former third baseman, manager and Baseball Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, what it was like playing for him, Bobby's relationship with his pitching staff, and how he managed different personalities throughout his tenure with the Atlanta Braves. Then, Blue Jays analyst Caleb Joseph jumps on (28:38) to weigh in on the...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend series win over the Angels. They discuss Addison Barger's brief return as he is set for an MRI on his elbow, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showing frustration, Trey Yesavage's outing on Saturday, and whether Spencer Miles can be the Jays' fifth starter. Later, host of 'Nothing Personal' and former MLB president David Samson (26:34) st...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Blue Jays manager John Schneider to discuss looming roster decisions once Addison Barger returns, the latest on José Berríos’ injury, and Jeff Hoffman settling back in after changing roles. They also get into Dylan Cease’s efficiency, Trey Yesavage’s pitch mix, Jesús Sánchez’s struggles, and whether there’s lingering concern around George Springer’s injury...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Dan Shulman to dig into what’s fueling the Blue Jays’ struggles, including unexpected defensive issues and John Schneider’s performance through the skid. They also hit on early MLB surprises, Jeff Hoffman’s return to form, Kazuma Okamoto’s hot streak, and Dylan Cease’s ceiling this season. The hour wraps with listener questions on the Back Leg Line. The vi...

John Gibbons, bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about how the role has changed in the modern game. The former Jays skipper also shares what it's like coaching a healthy Mike Trout, how he would've fit into Toronto's 2016 lineup, and his early impressions of the Automated Ball-Strike system. Jeff Passan (22:43), host of Sources Tell Jeff Passan , join...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-0 loss Wednesday afternoon in Tampa Bay, completing a three-game sweep. They take a closer look at Toronto's sputtering offence and discuss what needs to change to get it back on track. With Addison Barger nearing a return, the boys also chat about the jolt he can bring to the lineup and who will be the odd man out once he's activated, along...

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 statu...

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...

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 diffe...

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 T...

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 V...

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 se...

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 bi...

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...

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...

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 tea...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to the Philadelphia Phillies cutting ties with Rob Thomson and naming Don Mattingly interim manager after a 9-19 start. Then, they discuss the Toronto Blue Jays' series-opening loss to the Red Sox, Dylan Cease's up-and-down start, the impact of Alejandro Kirk and George Springer's absence, and what they expect from Trey Yesavage in his season debut tonight. Later,...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Baseball Today's Chris Rose (3:48) to chat about the worst start to the New York Mets' season, his recent conversation with Kevin Gausman and his longevity on the mound, the Boston Red Sox firing their coaching staff including manager Alex Cora, who's in a tougher situation between the Mets, Red Sox and Phillies, and if Cora could return to manage the Phil...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend series win over the Cleveland Guardians. They discuss Max Scherzer's inconsistent start, the bullpen hierarchy without a clearly defined closer, Kazuma Okamoto's improvements, the next steps for Jesús Sánchez, and Ernie Clement's play in the lead-off spot. Then, Red Sox reporter Rob Bradford stops by (30:14) to discuss why Bos...

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (2:20) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to share some injury updates on George Springer, Trey Yesavage and more, why he isn't definitive on who he's bringing out in the 9th inning, Louis Varland's increase high-leverage workload, what adjustments he'd like to see from Kazuma Okamoto's at-bats, if he sees remnants of the 2025 Jays' identity on their recent...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for the Toronto Blue Jays' series against the Cleveland Guardians. They discuss the Guardians' start to the season, whether José Ramírez is a top-five MLB talent, what the Jays can expect from Guardians starter Gavin Williams, and why hitting is a bigger early concern for the Jays than relief pitching. Later, Guardians TV analyst and former MLB catcher Chris Gim...

Anthony McCarron, Mets analyst for SNY, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to detail the latest news around the team after snapping their 12-game losing streak last night. Anthony looks into what's behind New York's slow start this season, Bo Bichette's comfortability with his new club, and the next steps to right the ship. Later, two-time All Star Jason Kipnis (23:26) stops by to share his impress...