The JD Bunkis Podcast

Dan Shulman, play by play voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, joins JD Bunkis to talk. about the unprecedented popularity and anticipation of the Blue Jays season. Dan shares what he thinks is an underrated storyline to start the season, before getting into Addison Barger's role as the x-factor, how he sees the Jays offence playing out, and his first season broadcasting without Buck Martinez. JD then...

JD asks Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sportsnet's MLB insider, what he reads from Trey Yesavage’s shoulder impingement, what the next steps for José Berríos may be, the meritocracy of the starting rotation, what surprised him about the Opening Day roster, how the Jays could make up for a lack of historically powerful hitters, what he's noticed in the evolution of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and what he thinks is...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , talk about how they'll feel if the Blue Jays start the season off slow, which players could end up being scapegoats, the Jays stories they are most interested in following, and what they think are the underrated and properly rated Jays storylines for the 2026 season.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and gue...

JD asks Bobby Marks, ESPN NBA front office insider, about the possibilities and ripple effects of NBA expansion. Bobby analyzes the viability of the proposed destinations in Las Vegas and Seattle, what else is on the slate at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting, how tanking may be curtailed, if there's chance of reducing the 82-game schedule, and what he thinks of the projected 2026 lottery picks...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs win over the Boston Bruins and doesn't understand why the organization isn't embracing the tank. JD and James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, discuss why the Leafs seem adverse to tanking, if it'd be different without Craig Berube behind the bench anymore, what the Leafs decision-makers may be thinking about this teams chances in the near future, and if trading...

JD and Cliff Floyd, MLB Network Analyst and 17-year MLB veteran, joins JD Bunkis to talk about opening week feels, how different the start of a season is for a team who made the World Series, what Cliff thought about the Blue Jays after visiting their spring training camp, the maturation of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the Jays biggest question mark(s). The show ends with 'What We Missed! The views...

JD and Blake Murphy, host of The Raptors Show and Jays Talk Plus , chop it up about their Blue Jays opening week excitement, before moving on to the Raptors season. JD and Blake discuss why it’s complicated to measure success for the rest of the Raptors season and playoffs, what the next step for the team might be, the awkward Jakob Poeltl contract and Ja'Kobe Walter optimism. JD and Blake close o...

Tyler Hansbrough, former NCAA National Player of the Year, NCAA champion and Toronto Raptors forward, talks about what's been lost with the increased frequency of transfers in college basketball, how the NCAA can combat the wild nature of the transfer portal, if the tournament is harder for potential lottery or high draft picks, and his outlook on Darryn Peterson and Darius Acuff Jr. and his favou...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , get into the weekend of watching March Madness, Trey Yesavage's injury news, and how they see the Blue Jays starting rotation shaking out as the season gets underway. 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.

JD explains his frustration about the reports coming from the NHL's General Manager meetings; particularly his gripes about the league's playoff format and the Department of Player Safety's process. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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 affil...

JD reacts to news that José Berríos' has a stress fracture in his elbow. Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith joins JD to get into Berríos' injury; what we know about the diagnosis and the most identifiable ripple effects. JD and Ben also discuss Shane Bieber's comments and what his timeline could be, how the first series of the season could be effected, expectations for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s regular...

The Ringer's Tate Frazier makes his annual appearance on the show to break down everything you need to know for March Madness. JD asks Tate about which lottery pick has the most to win or lose during the tournament, how the top few lottery picks could shake out, point guards to be excited about, where the real drop off is in the 2026 NBA draft, what underdogs he likes to upset higher seeds, and Ri...

JD shares his optimism about the sport of baseball following Venezuela's World Baseball Classic win. Jared Carrabis, co-host of the Baseball is Dead podcast, joins JD to get into the momentum of baseball and the looming lockout threat. Later, JD asks Jared about how American baseball fans are taking the loss, if he thinks the WBC is bigger than the World Series, why the tournament was a success, a...

Tuukka Rask, Stanley Cup Champion and TNT analyst, joins JD Bunkis to give his thoughts on the Auston Matthews-Radko Gudas situation and debates if it's time for the NHL Department of Player Safety to revaluate their process. The pair also discuss the grey area regarding goaltender interference, the difficulty of playing behind a lousy defence, the shrinking gap in international hockey, and what c...

JD reacts to the World Championship news coming from the NHL General Manager meetings and explains why he thinks the World Championships may become the premier international hockey tournament. The Athletic's James Mirtle joins JD (10:00) to dive into how they felt about the World Championships of the past and predict what the next tournament may be like. Next (20:00), JD and James get into the rip...

Ryan Dempster, former MLB All-Star, Team Canada pitcher, and MLB Network analyst, joins JD Bunkis to share his feelings about seeing Canada advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Ryan and JD also chat about the nuances of youth baseball development and how the Blue Jays starting rotation could shake out, before the show wraps up with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed...

JD laments about the moment Auston Matthews' hurt his knee and debates if that was a new low in this Maple Leafs era. Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , joins from Texas to get into the World Baseball Classic with JD. JD and Ben discuss if they are looking more or less forward to the automated ball-strike system in the MLB after the WBC, Canada not qualifying for the Olympics, Josh Naylo...

Jackie Redmond, from the NHL on TNT and WWE, joins JD to talk about her experience at the Winter Olympics, the recent successes for the sport of hockey, how different public relations teams handle player access, and the difference between the Toronto's sports market and others.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the po...

JD reacts to Canada qualifying into the knockout round at the World Baseball Classic. Sportsnet's Chris Leroux, former MLB and Team Canada pitcher, analyzes Canada's history and why this moment is special, Canada matching up with the United States in the quarterfinals, what advantages Canada may have over USA, where Canada needs to improve in developing players, Owen Cassie's chances to become a h...

Chris Mannix, writer and host at Sports Illustrated, joins JD Bunkis to break down how the NBA media and league office felt about Bam Adebayo's 83-point performance, why the Raptors can't beat good teams and how they get better, if Jayson Tatum's return means anything for soft tissue injuries at large, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's legacy and case for back-to-back MVP's, what makes Victor Wembanyama's...

JD reacts to a wild night in sports and focuses on the current state of Maple Leafs fans. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos joins JD to talk about what a prospective trade for Matthew Knies would have looked like, why the Leafs may have considered moving on from Knies, if he's convinced one way or the other with the Leafs direction, if a Knies trade is more likely in the future now that his name has been f...

NFL insider James Palmer joins JD to get into the start of NFL free agency; what moves he thought were the most potent and most surprising, if DJ Moore materially changes the Buffalo Bills, where Kyler Murray is most likely to land, Tua Tagovailoa as an Atlanta Falcon, and Geno Smith's future. The show ends with 'What we Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the ho...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , debate if Canada has real pressure at the World Baseball Classic, what would make it feel more important, and if Owen Cassie can become a Canadian household name. JD and Ben then discuss Max Scherzer's strong spring training debut, the Blue Jays deployment of Trey Yesavage, and how the Jays starting rotation could shake out.  The views and opinio...

Sportsnet's Jason Bukala, former director of amateur scouting for the Florida Panthers, joins JD Bunkis to break down Easton Cowan's disjointed season and how he was handled around the Olympic break, what Maple Leafs fans can expect from Ben Danford and Jacob Quillan, and what the word is around the 2027 NHL Draft. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The views and opinions expressed in this podc...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs activity, or lack thereof, at the NHL trade deadline. The Athletic's James Mirtle joins JD to compare Kyle Dubas' tenure in Toronto to Brad Treliving, if the litany of no-move clauses stumped the Leafs trade creativity, Craig Berube's imprint and if he has a future with the Leafs, why the Leafs considered trading Matthew Knies, how Auston Matthews complicates the Leafs...