Show Notes
Baseball Prospectus' Mikey Ajeto joins Blake Murphy for the full hour to discuss his confidence level in the Mariners heading into a 3-game series against the Blue Jays, how worried pitchers are about walking batters in the postseason, and if he'd consider prospect Jarred Kelenic in the Wild Card lineup with Julio Rodríguez returning (01:27). Then, the guys look into the potential starters following Game 1 with Luis Castillo, why he gives the edge to Castillo over Alek Manoah, and the comparisons between both teams' bullpens (28:37).
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.
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Sho Alli and Ben Shulman break down the Blue Jays' 8-1 loss to the Rays to wrap up the series at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, and get straight to the start from Alek Manoah, who was hit hard once again (7 ER, 4 BB) and yanked after 4.2 IP. Is it too early in the season to be concerned, or are there underlying numbers that are an issue? They also chat about his slider in 2023 vs. the 2022 version, and whether or not he's fighting his mechanics. They also get to the bullpen, including another good outing from Trevor Richards - can he be trusted with higher leverage spots going forward? Plus, Caleb Joseph sticks around to shed some light on the pitcher-catcher relationship, and discusses the idea of having Alejandro Kirk catch for Manoah vs. Danny Jansen.
Sho Alli and Ben Shulman break down the Blue Jays' 5-2 win over the Rays at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get right to Yusei Kikuchi, who might have turned in his best start as a Blue Jay: nine strikeouts, one earned run, and one walk over six innings of work. They discuss Danny Jansen's contributions both offensively and as a game caller - how much has he helped both Kikuchi and José Berríos? Plus, Jordan Romano earns another save, but is the closer relying too much on the slider vs. his fastball? To wrap, they discuss the stellar defence, including plays from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Daulton Varsho.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-3 win over the Rays at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and discuss history being denied, as the Rays' 13-0 streak to start the season was snapped by José Berríos and Bo Bichette. Berríos shoved for five innings before leaving with a knee contusion, while Bichette grabbed five hits, including the 500th of his career - does the offence put to rest any concerns with his defence? They also discuss the bullpen usage, including a rusty outing from Yimi Garcia, and get to yet another leadoff dinger from George Springer.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-1 loss to the Tigers at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the third start of the season from Chris Bassitt - is it another step in the right direction for the newest member of the rotation? They also chat about the second base situation, Cavan Biggio's playing time, the left-handedness of the bullpen, and Brandon Belt's place in the batting order.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 4-3 walk-off win over the Tigers down at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and discuss the small ball approach - Barker gets fired up with some well-placed bunts! They get to George Springer's walkoff hit, and the first base defence displayed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his gold glove. The guys also discuss the eight inning performance from Kevin Gausman, and the fastball/slider usage by Jordan Romano.