The JD Bunkis Podcast

JD and James Mirtle, senior writer for The Athletic, break down Auston Matthews' comments about not being able to predict the future and how the team reacted to his injury from the Radko Gudas hit. JD asks James if the Maple Leafs would consider trading William Nylander, the evolution of player empowerment, the differences between the general managers the Leafs are considering, and how the timelin...

JD reacts live to the interviews of Craig Berube, Auston Matthews and William Nylander at the Maple Leafs locker room clean out day. To close the hour, JD touches on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s quiet bat.   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.

Chris Pronger, Hockey Hall of Famer and author of 'Earned', joins JD to discuss what he hopes people can take from his book, managing accountability, how a team builds up culture in 2026, and what a best player on a team wants to understand about a franchise's direction. JD and Producer Armen then get into Lamelo Ball's dirty play and Rick Bowness' poignant post-game comments (29:00). The views an...

Ernie Johnson, host of Inside the NBA on ESPN, talks about the regular season crawl to the NBA playoffs, the success of the Play-In Tournament, who the most compelling player of the postseason is to Ernie, Dillon Brooks' villain arc, Victor Wembanyama's future as the face of the league, and Inside the NBA's first season on ESPN. Later (40:00), JD reacts to Jeff Hoffman blowing the lead for the Blu...

AJ Pierzynski, MLB analyst and World Series champion, joins JD to talk about what the most important factors are early in the MLB season, if there's a chance Max Scherzer would open to pitching out of the bullpen, the importance of Alejandro Kirk, the best way to determine a catcher's playing time, and why ABS makes framing pitches even more important.  The views and opinions expressed in this pod...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , banter about aging before debating Rory McIlroy's legacy, if he draws casual fans and his rivalry with Scottie Scheffler. Later, the duo discuss how they feel about the Blue Jays a few weeks into the season.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sp...

JD and Blake Murphy, co-host of The Raptors Show , evaluate the Raptors season in relation to goals and expectations, the optics of making the playoffs versus the play-in, why playing the Cleveland Cavaliers are a more favourable matchup than the New York Knicks, and if they think Scottie Barnes should defend Donovan Mitchell. JD and Blake then get into their biggest wins and disappointments of th...

JD reacts to the Toronto Maple Leafs odds in the draft lottery and what he's pessimistic about.  Ben Nicholson-Smith (13:00), Sportsnet MLB insider, joins JD to break down about the Blue Jays slow start to the season. JD asks Ben about George Springer's injury timeline, how the Jays can temporarily fill the lead-off spot, and what if Max Scherzer continues to struggle. JD and Ben also discuss if t...

Cliff Floyd, former MLB veteran and MLB Network analyst, joins JD to talk about the early pressure on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the effects of not having a consistent clean-up hitter, when you really start to worry about a team's record, Addison Barger's expected leap, and dealing with having a target on your back. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , debate if the Blue Jays' 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers was a must-win, the fans complicated relationship with Jeff Hoffman, if Davis Schneider has gotten closer to an everyday player, if the extra time allotted to Shohei Ohtani during games is fair play, and thoughts on the looming MLB lockout.  The views and opinions expressed in this pod...

The Ringer's Joe House chats about the Raptors' season outlook, before diving into The Masters with JD. They discuss the looming effect of Tiger Woods' accident, if golf could deliberately distance itself from Woods, the most compelling narrative of the tournament, Rory McIlroy's chances to repeat as champion, and his favourite bet to make at Augusta. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The view...

JD explains how he feels about the Blue Jays amidst their six-game losing streak. JD asks James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, if there are front-running candidates for the Maple Leafs general manager job, Sunny Mehta's fit with Toronto, who the next Leafs head coach could be, James' reporting on Mike Gillis and what role Gillis views himself in, if there's any clarity about the Leafs hiri...

Es Baraheni, co-host of NBA Daily at The Athletic, joins JD to explain why this offseason is one of the most important in Raptors franchise history. JD and Es talk about why the Raptors are facing a fork in the road, the viable routes to become a legit contender or make the roster younger, Darko Rajakovic's job security, and which kind of player could take the Raptors out of the middle. The show e...

JD reacts to the Blue Jays getting beat down 14-2 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ben Nicholson-Smith, MLB insider and Sportsnet reporter, gets into the Blue Jays' long list of injuries. JD and Ben discuss Max Scherzer’s forearm tendinitis; when it became a cause for concern and how the Jays might strategize their sudden lack of pitching depth. Later, JD and Ben talk about the weight of expectation an...

JD lists what he'll be paying most attention to as the Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers. JD and Producer Armen then discuss Sidney Crosby amassing another point-per-game season, a baby being born during an Oilers game, Soccer Canada giving away jerseys, and "What We Missed!"  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the...

JD reacts to a nightmare weekend for the Blue Jays, and a bleak weekend for Toronto sports at large. Blue Jays play-by-play voice, Dan Shulman, discusses Alejandro Kirk's injury and importance, Brandon Valenzuela's learning curve, what Dan finds most concerning with the team, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s pressure, and the weirdness of going up against the Los Angeles Dodgers again. JD closes the hour t...

JD asks Kevin Barker, co-host of Blair and Barker, about Addison Barger's start to the season, why Barker is picking the Blue Jays to win the World Series, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s regular season ceiling, Brendon Little's falling standing in the pecking order, how the Jays may manage their injured starting rotation, and early thoughts on ABS. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The views and opin...

JD and Jackie Redmond, from the NHL on TNT, chat about Max Domi's quote about the Maple Leafs culture and if "none of your business" is really true or what it could really mean. JD and Jackie then discuss what level of transparency fans deserve and how the organization has created an us-versus-them mentality. JD then reacts to the Raptors worst loss of the season.  The views and opinions expressed...

JD and theScore's Joseph Casciaro dig into the excitement of Scottie Barnes the point guard, make arguments for and against RJ Barrett to be a part of the Raptors long-term future, and talk about Brandon Ingram's first season with the Raptors. JD and Joseph then discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the lingering conversation about officiating, plus NBA expansion on the horizon.  The views and opini...

JD reacts to MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley's press conference following the firing of Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving. JD and Justin Bourne, co-host of Real Kyper and Bourne , explain what they tookaway from Pelley's comments about being "data-driven" and a planning a retool versus a rebuild. JD and Justin then debate if the Leafs should continue building around Auston Matthews. JD wonders if...

JD and Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sportsnet MLB insider and reporter, talk about the decisions ahead for the Blue Jays after Cody Ponce's knee injury in his Jays debut. JD asks Ben about Trey Yesavage throwing a simulated game and when his return timetable could be, his thoughts on the limited time Ponce was able to pitch, what Brendon Little's disastrous start to the season could mean, his thoughts on...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs firing general manager Brad Treliving and reflects on what the lesson(s) learned are. JD asks James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, why the Leafs made this decision now, if the new general manager will be hired by a hiring firm, how wide Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment might cast their net, how other teams around the league have turned their failures into s...

Blue Jays television analyst, Joe Siddall, joins JD to analyzes the emotional rollover from last season at opening weekend, his most impressive performance of the weekend, early impressions of the Automated Ball-Strike system, the sustainability of Kazuma Okamoto’s debut performance, and Ernie Clement's next step. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (37:30) The views and opinions expressed in thi...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , talk about attending the Blue Jays home opener, how Toronto feels connected to this Jays team and their early thoughts that might matter. JD and Ben discuss the lack of confidence in Jeff Hoffman, rank the debuts of the new Jays additions, the waning Brendon Little belief, Kazuma Okamoto's presence, Dylan Cease and Eric Lauer stock, and the evolu...

JD and Arden Zwelling, Sportsnet Blue Jays reporter, talk about their expectations for Dylan Cease, why Arden believes pitch framing is more important than ever with the Automated Ball-Strike system, what Cody Ponce could provide, if the bullpen has improved and how John Schneider may deploy it, which bat Arden sees improving, and the difference he's noticed from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The show end...