Blue Jays Happy Hour

Corbinistas

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:46:31 GMT

The Jays avoided a total bottoming-out of their vibes with a 4-3 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday, avoiding a sweep, but with a Patrick Corbin start on the horizon, a lengthy injured list, and a sputtering offence, the real worry isn't so much what happened over the last week or so, but what happens between now and when Alejandro Kirk, and some of their injured starters, are able to return.

This week we talk about which of their problems is really worth taking seriously, plus a look at some minor moves, a check in on struggling hitters, thoughts on some new guys, and a record-shattering hot-dog event.

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PREVIEW - 220b. Pumping the Brakes on ABS?

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:24:51 GMT

** THIS IS A SHORT, FREE PREVIEW OF THIS WEEK'S PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE. TO HEAR THE EPISODE IN FULL, VISIT US AT PATREON.COM/BJHH **

We're in the early stages of MLB's newest rule change, and while we've seen the ABS challenge system in the minors for a while now, it's a different thing when it's on the big league stage. So, in this week's Patreon exclusive bonus episode, we're discussing what we've seen so far, and what we think of it.

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Rating the Superhunks

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:59:29 GMT

The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays season has begun, and though the team has already had its share of setbacks—the Cody Ponce injury, all the returning guys expected to carry the load offensively coming out flat, Brendon Little—they've played well on the whole, and were just one hit from several huge opportunities against Colorado away from starting the season 5-1. So, with not all that much to nitpick, this week we spend a lot of our time discussing first impressions.

We've finally got our first (official) looks at Kaz Okamoto, Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, and Jesús Sánchez. And we also check in on the early results from the groups of Jays we each chose in our WAR Projection Over/Under Draft back in February.

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UNLOCKED: First Impressions of New Ballpark Eats!

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 16:17:19 GMT

The Jays have added several new items to the menu at Rogers Centre for 2026, and this week in our Patreon-exclusive bonus episode—which we've unlocked for all listeners—we went through each and every one of them to answer the question: Would we actually eat this?

Be sure to check us out at Patreon.com/BJHH for more exclusive content, including Stoeten's instant reaction to the Jays' Opening Day win over the A's, a recent appreciation of Vladdy on the occasion of his 27th birthday, thoughts on how we might change the World Baseball Classic, and more! There's a bonus show every week. And don't forget that Patreon membership gives you access to a feed of our shows that you can listen to completely ad-free, and without ever having to see the occasional "preview" episodes we sometimes drop.

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Extension Reaction Reactions

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:43:43 GMT

Blue Jays manager John Schneider and GM Ross Atkins were both heading into the final year of their contracts, and so before the 2026 season kicked off, the team did the only thing they possibly could, extending both of them for multiple additional seasons. Some of the reactions to this were oddly negative, and this week we discussed it—along with all the latest news on the club's roster decisions heading into Opening Day.

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Stress Fracture

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:50:59 GMT

This week, in yet another pitching-heavy show, we react to the news that José Berríos has a stress fracture in his pitching elbow and will miss the start of the season, though he aims to pitch through it. Plus! The knock-on effects on the rest of the rotation, the announcement of Kevin Gausman as the club's Opening Day starter, Dylan Cease's importance to the rotation, Daulton Varsho's fascinating spring, and more!

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Ramping Up Slowly

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:36:48 GMT

We recorded this one before news broke that José Berríos will be seeing Dr. Keith Meister—the Keith-meister!—for a second opinion on his inflammed right elbow, but I don't think that changes a whole lot about the episode, or our concerns over the Jays' slow-building pitching depth. So have a listen as we discuss Berríos's flagged MRI, Trey Yesavage's deliberate ramp-up, the progression of Shane Bieber and Yimi García, Scherzer the potential saviour—and the dangers of believing in anyone's age-41 season—plus Vladdy continuing his October momentum at the WBC, an odd IKF-related announcement from MLB, and a whole lot more!

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PREVIEW - 216b. - Spring Storylines Revisited

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:41:28 GMT

** THIS IS A SHORT, FREE PREVIEW OF THIS WEEK'S PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE. TO HEAR THE EPISODE IN FULL, VISIT US AT PATREON.COM/BJHH **

Exactly a year ago we discussed some notable performances coming out of Dunedin in the early-ish days of camp, and each of us gave a rating from 1-10 based on the degree to which we thought what we were seeing at the time mattered, or would be reflective of what we were to see once the season started for real. In this week's bonus episode, we revisited those stories and ratings, both to see how well we gauged them at the time, and to try to assess just how much or little the information we're getting at this time of year is actually meaningful.

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The Ghost of Elvis (Luciano)

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:16:32 GMT

This week, in a heavily pitching-focussed episode, we talk "phantom IL" stints, keeping eight starting pitchers happy, Max Scherzer's intangibles, early Cody Ponce impressions, Trey Yesavage's innings, European prospects, Joe Mantiply, Nate Garkow, and more!

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Spring to the Max?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:48:05 GMT

Could Max Scherzer actually rejoin the Jays? Are we ready to talk about Eloy Jiménez? Do we still like the Jésus Sánchez trade? How do we feel about the bullpen in light of Yimi García's injury? Will Ricky Tiedemann ever get built up as a starter after yet another setback?

It's still early enough in the spring that there are some pretty fascinating questions still up in the air down in Dunedin, where the Jays continue to ready themselves for the beginning of the 2026 season a month from now.

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Sprung!

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:58:29 GMT

Spring has sprung for your Toronto Blue Jays, who are gathering in Dunedin to begin the drive for a second straight American League championship—and, ideally, more—as we speak (or, you know, as you read this). But that's not all that's been sprung this week in Jaysland. The team has sprung some fairly significant news here at the dawn of camp, announcing that the shoulder that torpedoed Anthony Santander's first season now requires surgery that may make his second year a write-off as well, that Shane Bieber continues to be dealing with fatigue in his surgically repaired arm and will be brought along slowly, that Bowden Francis is going under the knife and will be out for the season, and—though this was more a Sportsnet thing than a Jays thing—that the legendary Buck Martinez has decided to hang up his microphone, announcing his retirement after an incredible career in Major League Baseball that began before Woodstock.

Not great, Bob!

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WAR Projection Over/Under Draft!

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:37:20 GMT

With the offseason all but over, and the season approaching fast, this week we decided to look ahead to 2026 by each drafting a team of Blue Jays players based on their projected 2026 WAR according to ZiPS, and choosing whether our selected player will end the year over or under that mark. Whoever is right by the most WAR at the end of the year wins! Let us know who you think made the best picks!

Plus, a Framber rumour, and (finally) a proper statue!

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Suck and Blow

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:01:13 GMT

Kyle Sucker—heh!—and Blow Bichette—get it?—are significantly wealthier today than they were a week ago, having freshly signed incredibly lucrative high-AAV, opt-out-laden free agent contracts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets respectively. But are Blue Jays fans the suckers here for expecting more from their front office? Did Ross Atkins and company blow their opportunity to truly become one of the game's elite franchises?

DISCUSS!

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Tuckered Out? Or In?

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:49:11 GMT

The top of the free agent market may finally be moving. Rumours about offers from the Mets to Kyle Tucker, and the Phillies meeting with Bo Bichette, indicate that a conclusion to their free agent sagas may soon be ending. Though, even if they do, there's still plenty of work to do—not just for the Blue Jays, who have a real chance in these next few years to ascend long-term to marquee status among MLB franchises, but for a pair of division rivals whose status may be slipping if they can't pull off a big finish to this winter: the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

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Hello 'Moto

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 22:59:46 GMT

The Big Oak Era has begun! The Blue Jays have finally made a big splash in the Far East, signing the first ever position player to be posted by the 22-time Japan Series champion Yomiuri Giants, Kazuma Okamoto.

A player of great intrigue for many reasons—including how he'll fit with the Blue Jays defensively, whether his improved strikeout rate in 2025 was for real (it jumped from a still-excellent 15.9% down to an unbelievable 11.3%), how well his ability will translate overall, and how much of a marketing win in Japan his acquisition will prove to be for the Jays—Okamoto was unveiled by the club in a press conference on Tuesday, where he charmed in both Japanese and, briefly, English.

If he can contribute even just a little more than half of his 2025 wRC+ of 210 in the big leagues, he'll be an outstanding addition on a Jays club where his high-contact/low-strikeout skillset should fit right in. And his arrival doesn't even appear to have taken the team out of the running for top free agent Kyle Tucker or a reunion with homegrown star Bo Bichette.

Fun times!

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2025 In Review!

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 19:17:22 GMT

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What a difference a year makes. It was only just 365 days ago that Jays fans were despairing, wondering why Ross Atkins still had a job after a nine year tenure that had culminated in a dreadful 2024, still smarting from Juan Soto's decision to sign with the Mets, trying to understand the Andrés Giménez acquisition, questioning whether Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be signed to a contract extension, and feeling nothing but dread about the future, the state of the club's house of cards, and the wisdom of those in charge.

Today they're viewed by players, fans, and the industry as a whole as one of the truly exemplary organizations in the sport, and potentially on the verge of ascending to marquee franchise status, having put together a brilliant, compelling, gritty, drama-filled, fun-as-hell campaign that took them to within mere milimetres of an unprobable World Series victory.

It's been a hell of a trip around the sun, hasn't it?

And this week we're looking back on all of it—from the low expectations, through the ugly start, to the coalescing of an elite team, to one of the all-time great—and all-time heartbreaking—seasons in the history of Canadian sports. Or maybe anybody's sports anywhere.

Have a listen...

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BONUS EPISODE: SEASON-IN-REVIEW: Addison Barger

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:10:54 GMT

Please enjoy in full our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, as we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays, focusing this week on the team's breakout slugger: Addison Barger.

WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 208C - SEASON-IN-REVIEW: Ernie Clement

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:43:06 GMT

Here is a short preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, in which we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays, focusing this week on the team's God of Contact: Ernie Clement!

FULL EPISODE, WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES, AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 208B - SEASON-IN-REVIEW: Kevin Gausman

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:38:04 GMT

Here in our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays, focusing this week on the team's true rotation stalwart: Kevin Gausman!

FULL EPISODE, WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES, AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Shapiro & Rogers & Lee & Plassmeyer & Bruihl (& Bo)

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:38:56 GMT

We're deep into transaction season, and the Blue Jays have had a few of them for us since our last episode—some big, some small. This week we take a look at all of them, giving the big ones—the addition of reliever Tyler Rogers on a three-year deal, and the new five-year extension for club president Mark Shapiro—the bulk of our attention, naturally.

Plus we look at a potential future transaction: a reunion with shortstop Bo Bichette, who is now reportedly indicating to suitors that he's willing to shift to second base.

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS—AND EVERY—EPISODE, PLUS WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREWVIEW - 207B - SEASON-IN-REVIEW: Alejandro Kirk

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:54:40 GMT

This is a preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, as we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays, focusing this week on a player who the Jays signed to a contract extension this spring that might have genuinely altered the trajectory of the franchise: catcher Alejandro Kirk!

FULL EPISODE, WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES, AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Winter Meetings Roundup

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:10:09 GMT

MLB's annual Winter Meetings took place this week, but if you're a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays you can be forgiven if you missed it—or, at the very least, didn't quite get what all the hype was about. Partly, that's because the Jays didn't have to sweat their way through the festivities distractedly chasing ghosts while Plan B types fly off the board like they often do. And partly it's because their biggest move of the week—outside of some Ross Atkins unforced PR errors—was their surprising selection of Spencer Miles from the Giants in the Rule 5 draft.

What a whirlwind! And this week we're talking about all of it—and how it has genuinely set up the rest of the offseason—and more!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS—AND EVERY—EPISODE, PLUS WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

*APOLOGIES FOR THE MINOR AUDIO ISSUES!*

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PREVIEW - 206B - SEASON-IN-REVIEW: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 02:24:44 GMT

This is a preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, in which we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays. In this one we look at the face of the franchise, and his tale of two seasons—the regular one and the post-season: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

FULL EPISODE, WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES, AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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The Cody Ponce Emergency Podcast

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:34:08 GMT

I'm seeing double here. Fourteen potential Jays starting pitchers??!?

OK, OK, the Jays may not quite have quite that many rotation options—Eric Lauer is pretty clearly slated for the bullpen at this point, at the very least—but with the additions of Dylan Cease and, now, Cody Ponce, they clearly have six. (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber, and Berríos, of course, being the others). And because of that glut, Ponce's arrival is not your typical three-year, $30 million signing of the reigning KBO MVP.

And this week we've jumped on mic a day earlier than usual to talk all about it!

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PREVIEW - 205B - SEASON IN REVIEW: George Springer

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:14:03 GMT

This is a preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, in which we continue our intermittent series of indeterminate length looking back on some of the key players from the 2025 Blue Jays. In this one we move on from free-agents-to-be to the poster boy for their "internal improvements" and embrace of bat speed: George Springer.

FULL EPISODE, WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES, AND AD-FREE VERSIONS OF OUR MAIN SHOWS ALL AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Cease the Day!

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 19:09:31 GMT

The puns have yet to cease, and why would they just yet? Because we're still very much in the afterglow of the Toronto Blue Jays handing out a $210 million contract to one of the absolute most durable, highest-strikeout starting pitchers in the sport. And they may not be done big game hunting, either.

What else does will Dylan Cease bring over the next seven seasons? That's... that's an interesting question. And it's the main one we grapple with this week!

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The Perennial Contender

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:22:34 GMT

*EXTREME WINGS-ERA PAUL McCARTNEY VOICE* Jeff! OooOooOoo OO ooOOoo! Jeff!

Yes, that's right. I said Jeff. As in Jeff Passan of ESPN, who is as credible as they come, and who this week left open all the possibilities for an incredible winter, telling us that the Jays “want a left-handed complement to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,” that they have “no plans to slow down,” that “they are considered the favourite by other executives to land (Kyle) Tucker,” and that they “still could conceivably sign Tucker and (Bo) Bichette."

So in this episode we talk all about it, and about the Jays possibly seizing the moment to truly try to become a perennial big-money contender.

Plus!: Qualifying offers, Nick Sandlin (and Andres Gimenez), Ricky Tiedemann, the team we'd least like to see Bo end up with, and more!

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Shane, Come Back!

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:14:43 GMT

Shane Bieber made a curious decision to return to the Jays, and Bo Bichette has finally reached free agency—though so have plenty of other intriguing targets for a Jays team with a real chance to be even better in 2026. And this week we talk about all that, and a whole lot more, as we turn the page on the magical season that was and begin looking to the future.

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Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 23:07:58 GMT

The Blue Jays got as close to winning a World Series as physically possible. But, as I am quite certain I do not need to tell you, the Blue Jays did not win the World Series.

On an unbelievable playoff ride, an instant classic of a series, and a wild ending beloved by all except the team and fan base crushingly heartbroken by it.

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One. Win. Away.

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:35:47 GMT

The job isn't done yet, but the Blue Jays have been getting it done, as they bounced back from an 18 inning loss in Game Three to win twice in Los Angeles and, behind another Trey Yesavage performance for the ages, head back to Toronto needing to win just one of the next two in order to become World Series champions. What a world!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF EVERY EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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To Live and Die in L.A.

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:06:26 GMT

After a cap-tip-worthy performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game Two (and an inexplicable appearance from the Jonas Brothers) the Blue Jays and Dodgers are taking the World Series to California tied at one game apiece. The Jays will need to win one of the next three to get back to Canada with a chance to become champions, and this week we talk about how we got here, and how they might get there.

Plus: The Bo Bichette of it all, folk hero Addison Barger, and thoughts on upcoming starters Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber.

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF EVERY EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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World Series Preview

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:29:24 GMT

It's hardly a surprise that a baseball podcast would do a World Series preview episode, but this podcast? Previewing a World Series involving the Toronto Blue Jays??? Still absolutely beyond surreal! From a confidence check, to the latest on Bo Bichette, and all else in between, this week we're talking everything Jays-Dodgers!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF EVERY EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Goodnight, Seattle!

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:42:55 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays will represent the American League in the 2025 World Series after overcoming the Seattle Mariners in an unbelievable Game Seven that, thanks to George Springer, provided us with an instantly iconic moment that will forever be part of franchise lore. What kind of unbelievable dream is this????

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF EVERY EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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BONUS: PLAYOFF INSTANT REACTION: Blue Jays 6 - Mariners 2 (ALCS Game Six)

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:17:34 GMT

Here's a free look at our PLAYOFF INSTANT REACTION post for Game Six of the ALCS: i.e. what you're missing out on if you're not on our Patreon, as our coverage of the Jays' magical run continues with post-game reactions, ad-free episodes, and a bonus show every week!

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Sweepless in Seattle

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 20:45:01 GMT

If ever there was a time to use such a corny title for a podcast, it's now. The Blue Jays have brought the ALCS back to Rogers Centre—basically the best outcome imaginable after they lost games One and Two at home—but were unable to take a series lead along with them despite being the better team in their Game Five loss. More intensity awaits! But it didn't have to be this way...

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Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:30:09 GMT

The Seattle Mariners did a number on the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in games One and Two of the ALCS. The Jays now have a mountain to climb as the series shifts to the Emerald City, and need to get their bats going in a hurry. Vibes: Not good!

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PREVIEW - 195B - The Pyramid of Dislike

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:17 GMT

The Blue Jays' magical run to the ALCS has been great for the aura of the Blue Jays' brain trust so far. But will it endure? Has the relationship between Jays fans and John Schneider, Mark Shapiro, and Ross Atkins turned a corner? Is the answer different depending on who we're asking the question about? In this week's Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, we explore all of these questions.

PLUS!: An update on how each team from our recent Unlikely Playoff Heroes draft is doing!

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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ALCS, BABY!!!!

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:30:33 GMT

The Blue Jays have vanquished the New York Yankees—by way of an insanely stressful bullpen game, no less—and are on to the ALCS to meet either the Tigers or the Mariners for the right to represent the American League in the World Series! It's a sublime and surreal moment, but are the vibes better today than after that glorious weekend after they blasted the Yankees in games One and Two to take an instant stranglehold on the series?

This week we discuss all of that, plus we ask whether we've learned anything about this Blue Jays team over the course of these last four games, whether there's an ALCS opponent we'd prefer and why it's the Tigers, and more!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Living in a Fever Dream

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:26:20 GMT

Daulton Varsho had one of the greatest playoff games in baseball history on Sunday, and somehow it’s, like, the third or fourth thing we need to talk about after a truly unbelievable weekend of Toronto Blue Jays playoff baseball.

Vlad setting the tone early in Game One, and Alejandro Kirk having a second straight Game of His Life. Vladdy blasting a Game Two grand slam on the sweetest swing in the history of the world. Trey f@&*%$@ Yesavage!

The Jays’ work isn’t done yet, but they’ve put themselves in the best possible position, with Shane Bieber set to take the ball in Game Three in the Bronx on Tuesday night, in the most utterly spectacular way possible. OH MY GOD! WHAT A WEEKEND!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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BONUS: 193b. The Unlikely Playoff Hero Draft!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:04:26 GMT

For this week's bonus show, which we're making freely available for everyone to hear, we each draft a five-man team of non-star/non-rotation members of the 2025 Blue Jays we think have the best chances to become unlikely playoff heroes.

Who do you think picked the better team? Let us know!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, VISIT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Bring on the Yankees

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:57:08 GMT

The Jays know who their opponents in the ALDS will be and, of course, it's the New York Yankees. How are we feeling? How are the vibes? How do the two teams match up? And how should the Jays deploy their starting pitchers?

Not the way we expected, it turns out, with Kevin Gausman named the Game 1 starter over Shane Bieber just moments after we finished recording. But nevertheless, we talk about all of it, and all the possibilities that lie ahead. Playoffs, baby!

Plus we announce that our playoff coverage will include off-day episodes, regular bonus episodes, and post-game instant reaction mini-episodes after each game!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND TO UNLOCK ALL OF OUR PLAYOFF COVERAGE, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 192B - Red Sox vs. Yankees: WHO YA GOT???

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:09:28 GMT

In this week's Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, we size up the Blue Jays' potential ALDS opponents—the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—and debate which one we'd prefer to see come through the Wild Card round for a visit to Rogers Centre starting on Saturday.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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AL East Champions!

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:09:00 GMT

It wasn't easy, it wasn't without drama, and it wasn't without a whole bunch of things going unexpectedly right—and wrong—over the course of the entire season, but your 2025 Toronto Blue Jays are winners of 94 games, the AL East crown, and the right to wait for the Yankees and Red Sox to duke it out in deciding who will be their ALDS opponent.

What a world! What a ride! What a team! And, before the story of these Jays gets rewritten by whatever happens next, we wanted to take a few moments to appreciate what an accomplishment it's been to even get this far.

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PREVIEW - 191b - The Manoah of it All

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:04:13 GMT

Alek Manoah was designated for assignment late last week and was subsequently selected off of waivers by Atlanta, ending a once incredibly promising Blue Jays career. And in this Patreon-exclusive bonus episode, we reminisce about how it all went, and where it all went wrong.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Where Did Our Vibes Go?

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:59:00 GMT

The Blue Jays have scored one run or fewer in six of their last seven games, and while there's never a good time time to reach such an ungodly level of ineptitude, this exact moment is certainly in the conversation as very possibly the worst. It's ugly out there.

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PREVIEW - 190B - A Yesavage Debut

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:43:51 GMT

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR LATEST PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE. Trey Yesavage had one of the most electrifying debuts for a Blue Jays pitcher in recent memory. How do we know? Because in this Patreon-exclusive bonus episode we reminisced about other top prospect call-ups over the years—like Nate Pearson, Alek Manoah, and Marcus Stroman—and discussed how Yesavage stacked up.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Good Vibrations

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:44:00 GMT

After getting a couple of negative things—Bo Bichette's injury, Orelvis Martinez's release—out of the way up front, we spend the rest of this week's episode vibing out on a Jays team that has won six straight, keeps hitting, keeps showing incredible resilience, has had its bullpen bounce back, has Kevin Gausman pitching like it's 2022, and has added a new playoff weapon in the form of Trey Yesavage—who, if he keeps pitching the way he did in his debut, may even wind up in the rotation come October.

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 189B - Irrational End-of-Season Takes!

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:05:17 GMT

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR LATEST PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE, in which we got a little bit irrational—which, for us, means some vibes-based predictions about the likes of Jeff Hoffman, Alejandro Kirk, Anthony Santander (whose rehab assignment was announced just moments after we recorded, making parts of that segment instantly out-of-date), and the Jays' impotent baserunning attack (which sees them rank 27th in MLB by both baserunning runs and total stolen bases).

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Bo & Jeff & Max & Doom & Gloom

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:04:37 GMT

The Blue Jays still have plenty of fight in them, but this week they're faced with some real questions, too. The injury to Bo Bichette, the continuing struggles of Jeff Hoffman, and Max Scherzer's potential unravelling all loom large over the club with the playoffs fast approaching. This week we talk all about it, plus some actual positives—like Vlad, Springer, Braydon Fisher, and the impending return of Tony Taters—too!

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PREVIEW - 188B - Spring-A-Ding-Ding!

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:15:46 GMT

Let's remember some old guys! George Springer is having an old man season for the ages—one of the best overall offensive seasons in Blue Jays history—and in this week's bonus episode we try to put it into context within the Jays' history of age-35+ campaigns.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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I Can't Get No Relief

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:40:37 GMT

The Blue Jays' relievers are in a collective funk, their starters aren't doing a whole lot better, time is running out to get the pitching staff sorted, and some guys seem seem less likely to reemerge than others. Fortunately, the hitters—led by George Springer, and with Anthony Santander getting closer to a return—pulled more than their weight this week in Cincinnati, and look poised to lead the team into a crucial weekend series against the Yankees.

This week we talk about all that, plus Addison Barger, José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, and a whole lot more!

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PREVIEW - 187b - Bieber Fever!

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:52:26 GMT

This is a short preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we reassess Shane Bieber after his spectacular debut last week, in preparation for a much tougher assignment against the Brewers in start number two.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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High Variance Vibes

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:56:01 GMT

The Jays stuck it to their most annoyingly miserable fans on Wednesday night with a wild comeback win to salvage a series win over the post-deadline husk of the Minnesota Twins, but a 5-4 stretch against sub-.500 teams and a collective bullpen wobble has frayed a lot of nerves, and this week we try to make sense of what's going on with a huge series against the Brewers on the horizon—not to mentioned a much tougher schedule ahead, and the Red Sox and Yankees footsteps audible.

Plus! The potential end of the Lauer Hour, Davis Schneider appreciation, and a whole lot more!

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PREVIEW - 186B - Watchability and the Blue Jays’ Rotation

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:52:41 GMT

This is a short preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we take assess the Blue Jays' current starting five purely subjectively, based on how much we enjoy it when each one is on the mound.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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As The Rotation Turns

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:10:08 GMT

After a brief digression to discuss Tommy Pham being an idiot, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s health, our thoughts turn to the Blue Jays’ rotation this week.

Shane Bieber will make his debut for the club on Friday in Miami, which means that Eric Lauer's dream season has taken another twist, as he head's back to the bullpen—albeit only temporarily. What's up with that? What's going on with Berríos? What do we expect from Bieber? We guarantee we'll answer all of these questions*, and so many more! (Not a guarantee).

Plus! Myles Straw appreciation time!

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PREVIEW - 185B - Ranking the Recent Blue Jays Playoff Rotations

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:52:37 GMT

This is a short preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we take a look back at the starting rotations the Blue Jays have gone into the playoffs with since 2015 and rank them, along with the group that the playoff-bound 2025 Jays will be bringing to the dance.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Spring Back in Their Step

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:16:46 GMT

The vibes around the Blue Jays continue to be good, despite some losses to a pair of the NL's best. And they're set to get even better, as George Springer has passed MLB's concussion protocol and is getting back into game action, with a brief rehab assignment in Buffalo expected before a likely return this weekend. That's what kicks us off this week, before we get into roster stuff, difficult pitching decisions ahead, Shane Bieber, Mark Shapiro, Trey Yesavage, and more!

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 184B - Lightning in a Bottle

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:31:21 GMT

This is a short preview of latest Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we remember some cries, discussing Jays players who for a time looked like they had "it," but then lost it—and which members of this high-flying roster may ultimately suffer the same fate.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Rocky Mountain High

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:09:12 GMT

The Jays had a record-breaking series in Colorado this week, hopefully setting the tone for some big tests against the Dodgers and Cubs—and making some upcoming roster decisions even more difficult.

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 183B - Best of Enemies

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:20:49 GMT

This is a short preview of latest Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we discuss the trade deadline moves made by the other American League contenders and assess whether the Blue Jays' moves hold up.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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Are We Beliebers?

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 07:54:10 GMT

The Jays added a potential ace, two elite bullpen arms, and a right-handed bench bat at the deadline—exactly everything they seemed to need. But did they do enough? In this trade deadline reaction episode we assess the moves the team made and discuss whether they've done enough.

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PREVIEW - 182B - Front Office Confidence Check/Cotton Candy Fries Reviewed!

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:47:09 GMT

This is a preview of our second ever Patreon-exclusive bonus show, in which we discuss our levels of confidence in Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro's ability to pull off a needle-moving trade deadline. Then Nick brings you a long-awaited review of the Rogers Centre's most disturbing stunt food of the season: cotton candy fries.

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE AT patreon.com/BJHH

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The 2025 Trade Deadline Preview!

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:55:53 GMT

The Blue Jays won another series with the New York Yankees this week, and we can't avoid getting into a check of the immaculate vibes to kick off the show. But that's not what we're here for. The Jays are in the driver's seat in the American League East somehow, with their sights set on possibly even being a top seed in the league and getting a bye past the dreaded Wild Card Series. But they're in need of reinforcements, and with a week to go to the trade deadline, we preview some of the names they'll potentially be looking at—focusing mostly on players brought up in Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan's recent top 50 deadline candidates for ESPN. (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45568636/ranking-mlb-trade-deadline-candidates-alex-bregman-jarren-duran)

FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE AND WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, SUPPORT US AT patreon.com/BJHH

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PREVIEW - 181B - Ascending to the Level of Excellence

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:20:20 GMT

This week, in our first ever bonus episode, we take a look at the current Blue Jays roster—and, it turns out, farm system—and discuss which players, aside from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.—have the best shot at one day ascending to the Level of Excellence.

PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/134360093

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Breaking Good

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:15:19 GMT

The Blue Jays are headed out of the All-Star Break and toward the trade deadline in first place in the American League East. They're incredibly well-positioned to hit the gas pedal and strengthen their roster before the end of the month—and that's without even talking about some big names due to return from injury—even if we maybe don't quite fully understand how, exactly, any of this has happened.

This week we take a look at everything that's brought us here, where we expect to see regression, which trends seem most durable, and set things up for what could be the most exciting home stretch the club has had in years.

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Announcing our new Patreon page!

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:48:38 GMT

We here at Blue Jays Happy Hour have decided to take the leap into the mid-2010s and will now be hosting ad-free episodes and a weekly bonus show exclusively for paid members at patreon.com/BJHH. In this brief episode we explain what this all means, our motivation for doing it, what you can expect if you sign up to support us (or if you don't—HINT: nothing will change!), and, of course, where you can find us. Have a listen!

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Game Change

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:18:51 GMT

The Jays’ 10-game win streak is over, following a game that brought all sorts of grumbling about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. much too easily back to the fore. But it has changed the trajectory of the club’s season immeasurably, as they now head into their final series before the All-Star Break with an 88% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs—up from just 42% at the start of the season, and 40% at the end of May. Churn at the bottom of the roster matters deeply now, trade deadline thoughts are dancing in everyone’s head, Bo Bichette has a platform from which he can make himself a whole hell of a lot of money next winter, Anthony Santander and Alek Manoah still have time to put their stamps on the season, and this week we talked about all of it—and more!

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On Top of the World

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:01:30 GMT

The Blue Jays sit atop the AL East in the month of July for the first time since 2016 and therefore, I’d venture to guess, likely for just the second time since 1993. Yankees fans can cry and cry all they want about that not being reason to celebrate, not a single Jays fan could possibly care. Which is to say: things are pretty good with the Blue Jays right now! And this week we talked all about, starting with an extended vibe check, before moving on into all sorts of good stuff like Friday’s game being broadcast exclusively on (ugh) Apple TV+, the club’s recent roster churn, the Davis Schneider hype train, Vlad’s future legacy, and a whole lot more!

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The Drill Zone

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:44:25 GMT

This week Nick is mildly distracted by some drilling going on somewhere in his building—don't worry, it was very infrequent and barely noticeable when it did happen—as we rather coincidentally spend much of the episode talking about drilling of the baseball variety. As in: we discussed how Kevin Gausman pitched a gem to lead the Jays to a series win in Cleveland on Thursday, despite having intentionally put himself in trouble by throwing at Guardians star José Ramírez to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning with the Jays only just up 3-0 to send some kind of a message—and how the incident was talked about, too. PLUS: A vibe check, thoughts on the Robinson Piña trade, rating Jays relievers based on our current confidence levels, and a whole lot more!

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Erik's Swan Song

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:30:46 GMT

The Blue Jays have continued to roll over the last week, finally managing to reel in the New York Yankees a little bit, and have kept on doing so with contributions from unexpected places. And they’ve made it so they’ll need to keep on relying on those for a while yet, thanks to a number of transactions made in recent days, the most notable of which saw a pair of expected contributors—Bowden Francis and Erik Swanson— banished to the injured list and designated for assignment respectively.

That the Jays decided Francis keeping his spot had become untenable was hardly a shocker, but the presumed end of the Swanson Era—after just 30 batters faced—was at the very least a mild one. And it gave us a chance to talk about all things bullpen construction, to relitigate the Teoscar Hernández trade, and to look into the future at how the staff as a whole will function with a bullpen in transition and a rotation desperate to get Max Scherzer back—and, eventually, Alek Manoah—and could still probably use reinforcements beyond them as well.

Plus a whole lot more!

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Improving Internally

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:57:21 GMT

After what's seemed like years of waiting for their offence to arrive, over the last month the Blue Jays seem to have figured out how to hit and score runs. They're flying high, playing like one of the absolute best teams in baseball despite a rotation in shambles beyond the front three. This week we look at how internal improvements have powered their offensive outburst, and where improvements still need to be made in order to fix the pitching staff and weather the storms that surely lie ahead.

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Remembering Some Guys

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 17:28:13 GMT

It's been a good week for the Blue Jays, with some actually encouraging signs showing up in their offence. Addison Barger might be for real, Alan Roden and Davis Schneider are back after successful spells in Triple-A, but more important than that is the fact that lately we've been seeing the best of guys like Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, and George Springer—some of the very guys the team had futilely pinned their hopes for "internal improvement" on over the last two or three years.

Plus, we look at some of the club's recent roster shuffling and injury woes, check in on the state of the rotation, the bullpen, and some prospects, and take a look through the Athletic's recent Blue Jays All-Quarter-Century Team.

Blue Jays All-Quarter Century Team: Toronto’s best since 2000 - Mitch Bannon - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6381601/2025/05/27/blue-jays-all-quarter-century-team/

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RISPy Business

Thu, 29 May 2025 17:15:17 GMT

The Blue Jays won a series in Texas by scoring just four runs, and while normally that would be cause to celebrate some extraordinary pitching performances, that certainly doesn't feel like what we just witnessed. The Jays and Rangers were abysmal offensively over the three games, with Toronto batters going a staggering 2-for-31 with runners in scoring position. Ugly stuff!

But RISP numbers are so dependent on luck that, even though they greatly help to tell the story of individual games, they're barely worth talking about without also addressing the offence as a whole. So that's exactly what we do, before moving relatively quickly on to topics like the resurgence of Bowden Francis and Kevin Gausman, whether Daulton Varsho should get a contract extension, and more!

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500 Up

Thu, 22 May 2025 22:58:12 GMT

The Blue Jays are not a team without problems, as we've been seeing all season. But after (eventually) picking up a much-needed and well-deserved sweep of the San Diego Padres—and potentially finding some solutions to some of their run-scoring problems in Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, and a Daulton Varsho suddenly leaning in on his power—they now find themselves over .500 for the first time in more than a month. And just like that things feel about as good as they have all season.

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Don't Walk, Hit Dingers

Thu, 15 May 2025 16:48:11 GMT

After an episode last week that felt about as grim as any show we've recorded in-season for this podcast, the Jays brought us—and themselves—back to life. They've won five of six since we last spoke, and if not for three ugly bullpen blow-ups could be on an eight-game winning streak. Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho have been especially aggressive at the plate, and it's paying dividends as the club has averaged 6.5 runs per game over that span. But can the good times keep rolling?

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Sensible Desperation

Thu, 08 May 2025 20:53:08 GMT

The vibes around the Blue Jays would certainly feel a whole lot better if not for two stomach-churning late-inning losses in Anaheim this week. But they did lose those games. And though the immediate fault lies with the bullpen for failing to close out leads, the relievers would be in much better shape if the offence could build a lead bigger than one or two runs every once in a while, or if the back-end of the rotation wasn't down to relying on guys pulled off the street. Will Jonatan Clase and José Ureña prove to be the answers they've been looking for? Probably not!

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Back From the Brink?

Thu, 01 May 2025 19:03:24 GMT

It's been an awful couple of weeks for the Blue Jays, who looked like they were about to suffer their ninth defeat in ten games on Wednesday before embarking on a massive, home-run-powered, six-run comeback that reminded all of us what they ought to be capable of. And that entirely changed the tone of the conversation around the team—at least for a day.

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Not a lot of Levers

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:45:57 GMT

The Blue Jays have lost five straight, their power output has somehow been worse than expected, and they don't have a lot of levers to pull. The vibes? They're bad. And this week we talk about our confidence levels of the big three at the top of the lineup turning things around, where solutions beyond their best four starters and relievers will come from, and a whole lot more!

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Heads Above Water

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:27:29 GMT

The Blue Jays couldn't afford to dig themselves an early hole this season, and they've managed to avoid doing exactly that. Chris Bassitt, Jeff Hoffman, and Yimi Garcia pitching like the best starter, closer, and setup man in baseball will certainly help in that regard. But whether their success will prove durable—whether enough offence will come, whether the rotation will hold, and whether the bullpen can continue to live up to an impossibly high standard while being relied-upon heavily—remains to seen.

PLUS: Putting an over/under on Max Scherzer's innings pitched, figuring out the roster once Nathan Lukes returns (a conversation we had before Davis Schneider was optioned down to Buffalo), check-ins on Barger, Wagner, Clement, and more!

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A Blue Jay For Life

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:02:12 GMT

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now under contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for the next 15 years, and all it took to make it happen was a mere half-a-billion dollars. Everybody gets what they want except the pocketbook of a rich weirdo who couldn't spend all his money in a thousand lifetimes anyway. That's a win-win-win in my book!

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Positive Vibes Only

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:03:26 GMT

The Blue Jays split a four-gamer with the Orioles to start the 2025 season, and then swept the Nationals at home. Max Scherzer may be out, but with performances like we've been seeing from the likes of Andrés Giménez, George Springer, and Easton Lucas, his absence has barely been felt so far. And so for this week's episode, knowing precisely what the answer would be, we went for a quasi-traditional Vibe Check. And folks, the vibes are good. (For now.)

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Still Undefeated

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:13:23 GMT

The 2025 MLB season is nearly upon us, and the Blue Jays have a fighting chance in an ultra-tight American League in which every team still has the same record. But merely meeting their projections won't be good enough, and succeeding will rely on some good stories from a group of position player prospects older than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and health from a starting rotation with an average age of 34. This week we talk about what it will take for the Jays to have a successful season and how an unsuccessful one might play out, why the team chose Roden over Barger and parted ways with Ryan Yarbrough, the reasons to really like Alejandro Kirk's contract—plus predictions for the season and more!

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Food for Thought

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:06:35 GMT

We start this one off with an obligatory check-in on the Vladdy circus—and circle back on it at the end because of Mark Shapiro's surprising admission of optimism on still getting an extension done—and some of the goings-on in Dunedin, before heading full on into Food Talk. That's right, it's our annual review of the Jays' newly announced ballpark food offerings!

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Another Vladdy Conversation

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:11:44 GMT

New reporting suggests that the contract talks between the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stalled out with a gap of just $50 million over 14 years. Does that change how we feel? Is anybody being reasonable here? Can they still perhaps salvage this now that both sides can be credibly seen as ridiculous? This week we focus on the biggest story of the Jays' season—so much for not being a distraction!—plus some injury updates, bullpen talk, and more!

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A Time for Hope and Optimism

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 20:18:07 GMT

We mostly take Nick's advice this week and "focus on the season." Though big picture concerns about the franchise aren't going away anytime soon, the Jays have a talented group in camp, are already seeing some positive stories, and potentially have the makings of a fun and relevant team. It may not work out that way, of course. But if you can't get hopeful in March you've got real problems.

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Springing Springer

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:03:57 GMT

Spring has finally sprung for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have several high-profile players potentially in camp for the last time. Could one of those be George Springer, who—unless he's able to reverse the sharp offensive decline he's seen over his last two seasons—faces an uncertain future with just one more year on his contract after this one? That's just one of many storylines discussed on this week's episode, with others including Max Scherzer's arrival, the futures of Vlad and Bo, youngsters to watch, the revamped bullpen, the positional puzzle, and more!

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Vlad to the Bone

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:53:18 GMT

You had one job, Ross and Mark! And in this Vlad-centric episode, we discuss how and why they failed at it.

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Ending on a Positive Note?

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:30:34 GMT

Like this very podcast episode itself, the Blue Jays' offseason may be ending on a positive note. January signings of Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer—the latter only made official this week—have put the club back firmly into the American League playoff mix. But they aren't out of the mushy middle yet. And with projections that may seem a bit too bullish—for example, Alejandro Kirk, Andrés Giménez and George Springer have produced wRC+ marks of 95, 90, and 100 respectively over the last two seasons combined but are somehow projected to 114, 106, and 108 according to FanGraphs—and playoff odds that place them behind 10 other American League teams, it feels like there's very much still work to do.

There's work that can be done, of course. Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso remain available on the free agent market. But can the Jays actually reel them in? How would we feel if they don't? What else might they look to do to flesh out their roster. And, of course, what of Vlad.

This week we discuss all this, and more!

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Enter Santman

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:59:51 GMT

The Blue Jays have finally added some desperately needed power to the middle of their lineup, signing switch-hitting Orioles slugger Anthony Santander to a five-year, $90 million deal—with an opt out, a potential sixth year, and a whole bunch of deferred money. This week we talk about what the signing means and how Santander fits. Plus, what's next for the Jays, which free agent targets make the most sense, whether a trade of significance could still happen, what happened with Roki Sasaki, and why on earth are they paying Myles Straw?

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Don't Hassle the Hoff('s Medicals)

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:33:40 GMT

Jeff Hoffman is the Blue Jays new closer, but not after a couple of failed physicals elsewhere—potentially an odd choice given that medicals seemed to be a big part of the rationale for the club parting ways with the popular Jordan Romano. PLUS: Roki Sasaki's decision seems to be imminent, and as of the time of this recording the Jays hadn't been ruled out of the running for the man with the "Japanese-style delivery." Also: Vlad stuff, another swing-and-a-miss on Corbin Burnes, an Alek Manoah update, and more!

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2024 in Review

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 20:34:48 GMT

After a quick opening digression to discuss Vlad's recent contract comments and the offseason so far, this week we dive into what we've learned in 2024—about the franchise, the front office, and its most important players—looking backwards and forwards, as your Toronto Blue Jays enter a pivotal year teetering on the edge of the abyss.

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Giménez, García, Guerrero

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:09:45 GMT

The Jays made a trade just after we recorded our previous episode, but have been kind enough not to do much else since. So this week we review the Andrés Giménez deal, touching on Nick Sandlin, who—along with the newly re-acquired Yimi García—is part of a bullpen that may be more complete than fans realize. Plus: the biggest question hanging over the franchise: the future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

All that and so much more...

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Mid-Meetings Madness

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:35:59 GMT

The Winter Meetings are on, Juan Soto and Jordan Romano are gone, and the Blue Jays have entered their pivot. In is former interim closer Yimi García, and—though we didn't know it at the time of this recording—glove-first-except-for-that-one-season second baseman Andrés Giménez. But as deck chairs get shuffled, big questions—Will they be able to sign Vlad?, Can they actually land Corbin Burnes?, What's up with Ken Rosenthal's weird anti-Blue Jays thing?—loom large...

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Spending the Unicorn Budget

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 22:00:59 GMT

The Juan Soto saga will continue on through MLB's traditional quiet period for American Thanksgiving—no, he is not joining the Boston Red Sox, as some were fooled into thinking was happening this week—which means that we're obligated to check in on the race for his signature. Plus, we've got some big name pitching signings to talk about—Snell to the Dodgers, Kikuchi to the Angels, Fernando Rodney to... the Intercounty League?—as well as a minor signing for the Jays, plenty of talk about payroll, ambition, unicorn budgets, and a whole lot more!

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Bell, Biz, Soto

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:12:02 GMT

Juan Soto "rumours" continue to fly, as Jays fans brace themselves to be hurt again. Plus, the Jays have hired former Reds manager David Bell as the latest "name" to join their front office, and the business of the offseason continues, with the Jays choosing not to add any Rule-5-eligible prospects to their 40-man roster in order to protect them from selection, as several non-tender decisions loom with Friday's 8 PM ET deadline upcoming.

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The Desperation Offseason

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 21:19:49 GMT

It's Juan Soto's world, we're just living in it. But probably not for a whole lot longer! So, for this week's episode, we checked in on a "reeking of desperation" pursuit of the league's top available free agent that is once again being undertaken by the Toronto Blue Jays. Plus: Making the pitch for Roki Sasaki, Blue Jays trade chips, some actually realistic free agent targets, and more!

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Scott Bores Us

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 22:54:31 GMT

The "uber-agent," Scott Boras, was in his element this week in San Antonio, Texas. That's where the MLB world met for the league's annual GM Meetings. And, though not before rounding up all the latest Jays-related chatter—Ross Atkins' "easy no" on Bo, experimenting with Vlad at third base, dabbling in the high-end pitching market, questions about the finances—in this episode we grade the puns Boras spouted as he touted his huge stable of high-end clientele.

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Revisiting Our Pre-Season Thoughts

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 19:33:01 GMT

Did the Blue Jays have a good-enough offseason? Which players were getting too much hype, and which weren't getting enough? How well would the team do this season? These were all questions that we discussed back in the spring, before the Jays embarked on what ultimately became their most disappointing season in years. Come join us as we revisit our thoughts—some prescient, most not so much.

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The Season Debrief Debrief

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:57:17 GMT

Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have met the media to wrap-up another disappointing Blue Jays season, and this week Nick and Stoeten discuss the highlights and lowlights of what they said, and whether fans are ready to swallow another helping of what it feels to many has been sold to them for the last nine straight years.

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A conversation about the 2024 Blue Jays

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 19:14:05 GMT

The Blue Jays' season has mercifully over. But as a crucial offseason begins, fans seem to have little interest in showing mercy to those responsible for putting the team together—especially as it seems increasingly clear that President Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins will continue to lead the club into 2025.

This week Nick and Stoeten have a wide-ranging talk about the season that was, the vibes here in the aftermath, and what comes next.

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Buns, Bandages, Bullpens, and Bo

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:06:46 GMT

Bo Bichette tries to play baseball in 2024. No-show Bichette.

It's been a tough year for the Blue Jays' star shortstop, who had his season end last week after returning for just a single game following a two-month layoff. But it's been tough for a whole lot of people, hasn't it? Daulton Varsho just had surgery, several relievers are not going to return, Jonatan Clase appears to need more minor league seasoning, and Jays fans have eaten a stunning amount of meat—all subjects that we discuss in this week's episode!

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Bowden Franchise

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 21:59:05 GMT

Bowden Francis continues to pitch his way into the Jays' 2025 rotation, but what will happen to him now that his "personal catcher" is off the roster? PLUS: Davis Schneider's resurgence, Yariel Rodríguez's season, Addison Barger's tools, Chris Bassitt's comments, Heyman-Schneider nonsense, and more!

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There's Bo Place Like Home

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 21:43:05 GMT

Bo Bichette has declared his desire to stay in Toronto long-term, and to win a championship with teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It's a bold and surprising statement for a player long considered to be more willing than most to test free agency, but how important is it? Does it change anything? What does it really mean?

Plus: Was keeping Chad Green a mistake? Can Spencer Horwitz continue to produce? (Because he'll need to if he's a first baseman long-term). Are we finally over the Votto thing? And more!

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Are You Experienced?

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 02:11:57 GMT

The Blue Jays stuck with MLB's least experienced lineup of the season on Sunday, even when down one run in the ninth with a bench full of veterans. Does a team owe fans better, even in a lost season like this one? Nick and Stoeten talked all about it this week—but not before checking in on Bowden Francis, assessing the young hitters currently getting a long look, joking about Bo Bichette being traded (obligatory), and a whole lot more.

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A New Hope

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:07:00 GMT

The Blue Jays have been MLB's sixth-best team by wRC+ in August. They're tied for seventh in home runs, and if you counted the four runs they scored when completing their June 26th game against the Red Sox on Monday they'd rank ninth. Suddenly they're... watchable? But what, if anything, does all that mean? PLUS: Bo's imminent return, Votto's departure, and a whole lot more.

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The Hound is Barking

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:20:58 GMT

Jays RHP Chris Bassitt stirred up controversy this week with some fairly benign—but, admittedly, fascinating—comments about the Blue Jays, their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, and the failures of their offseason and 2024 as a whole during an appearance on the Chris Rose Rotation, before clarifying in a hasty seeming follow-up interview that his intention was never to validate every frothing weirdo's incoherent hatred of the front office. Nick and Stoeten talk all about it in this week's episode, plus Bob Nightengale, Bo Bichette, Bowden Francis, Joey Loperfido, and more!

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Youthquake!

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:25:25 GMT

The Blue Jays and their fans are now firmly into the process of getting to know a number of young players acquired at last month's trade deadline, so it's time to think about first impressions. Joey Loperfido has struggled, Davis Schneider still looks lost, and Addison Barger has yet to find his footing, but Will Wagner had a loud debut, and we've seen good things so far from Spencer Horwitz and—to an extent—Leo Jiménez as well.

Plus! The bullpen has its own share of new faces, Bowden Francis has rejoined the chat, Vlad's hit streak has ended (but the need for him to get a new contract hasn't), and a whole lot more.

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Post-Deadline Vibes

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 23:55:39 GMT

The trade deadline has come and gone, the Band-Aid has been ripped off, and now the Blue Jays—and their fans—get to float along into the unknown. The vibes feel like they've improved in the days since 1/3 of the roster was overturned, but how long with that last with little to do but watch young hitters experiencing growing pains and struggling veterans trying to get their lost seasons back on track? Especially with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract situation casting a massive shadow over the organization's future.

This week Nick and Stoeten talked about all that, and a whole lot more...

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Out with the Old, In with the Nucleus

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:42:51 GMT

Trades, trades, trades! The Blue Jays had a wildly active trade deadline, and in this episode Nick and Stoeten review the particulars of all eight of them and discuss where this leaves the team in 2024, how it sets them up for the future, and whether or not the team was successful in this one small aspect of what's obviously been—and will continue to be—a truly unsuccessful season.

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Deadline or Lifeline?

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:03:31 GMT

For the first time since 2019, the Blue Jays will unambiguously be sellers at the trade deadline, giving them just a week to start reshaping their roster for 2025—assuming they believe that taking a crack at the playoffs again next year is even viable. Whichever way that plays out, the choices they need to make with their two most important players, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, loom larger and larger by the month.

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Springer Surge

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:47:45 GMT

One of the worst qualified hitters in baseball after nearly three months of play, George Springer has suddenly, surprisingly been one of the best in MLB over the last few weeks. Is this anything? PLUS: Prospect talk, Yariel Rodríguez, Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah, Nate Pearson, the future of the Jays' rotation, and a whole lot more.

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Vibes, Vlad, and a Very Big Trade Deadline Upcoming

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:53:16 GMT

We're now less than a month away from what will likely be the most significant moment of the 2024 Blue Jays' season: the trade deadline. And while Vlad's heated up, and guys like Spencer Horwitz and Yariel Rodríguez have been good, the team has continued to spin its wheels.

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Orelvis has Left the Building

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 19:02:28 GMT

Well that was quick. Top Blue Jays hitting prospect Orelvis Martinez is gone as quickly as he arrived, thanks to an 80-game PED suspension. And somehow that wasn't even the worst part of the week for the losers of seven straight.

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Orelvis has Entered the Building

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:47:10 GMT

The Blue Jays are once again turning to a product of their farm system, as top hitting prospect Orelvis Martinez has joined the club—though only because (future Dodger?) Bo Bichette's calf strain has landed him on the injured list. And more help is potentially also on the way in the form of Joey Votto, who has finally started a rehab assignment down in Florida. But can anything change this middling team's fortunes?

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Under the Knife

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 19:19:36 GMT

Alek Manoah's brief resurgence will end in surgery this week, meanwhile the Jays cut bait on Cavan Biggio, and their playoff chances—though nominally increasing—continue to feel as though they're hanging on a knife's edge. In this week's episode Nick and Stoeten talk about all of that, plus Spencer Horwitz at second base, the bizarre Yusei Kikuchi play in Oakland, a Vlad Jr. trade "rumour," and a whole lot more.

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Vlad at Third? Based

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 19:26:43 GMT

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. started at third base for the first time since 2019 over the weekend, and in this week's episode, Nick and Stoeten talk themselves into the idea—while also reviewing the recent soft portion of the schedule, Ross Atkins' comments on MLB Network Radio, fresh pitching woes, the real City Connect uniforms, and a whole lot more.

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Jackets and Jerseys

Tue, 28 May 2024 19:57:18 GMT

The Blue Jays' Home Run Jacket has returned, and with it has come some additional offence. It is already too little too late? In this week's clothing-heavy episode, Nick and Stoeten talk about it, as well as the sorry state of the Blue Jays, positive stories to watch going forward, the upcoming City Connect uniform reveal, and the (possibly fake?) "leaked" jersey making waves this week.

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Ross the Boss

Tue, 21 May 2024 19:00:07 GMT

Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins chose to meet with the media on the Saturday morning of Canada's first long weekend of the summer to talk about his team's full calendar year of wheel-spinning. In this episode, Nick and Stoeten try to make sense of his performance, and talk about the state of the offence, hope for Alek Manoah, Joey Votto's status, and more!

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Slowey Bats

Tue, 14 May 2024 19:22:48 GMT

Despite some uplifting recent performances, including a surprising one from Alek Manoah, the Blue Jays' bats still feel awfully sluggish—and Statcast's just-released bat speed data concurs. In this episode, Nick and Stoeten will try to make sense of that, while also talking about Manoah's big rebound, Vlad the singles hitter, Springer panic, Turner regression, and more!

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The Bottom of the Middle

Tue, 07 May 2024 20:47:36 GMT

The Blue Jays didn't have a great time in their weekend series in D.C., and now face a tough schedule ahead just as questions about the direction of the franchise are truly growing louder. A midweek tilt with a red hot Phillies team awaits, and it feels like things could get interesting over the next few weeks—and not in a good way. The vibes are bad! And in this episode, Nick and Stoeten once again check in on them, particularly when it comes to manager John Schneider's job security, while also talking about Alek Manoah's ugly season debut, the club's bullpen woes, the potential return of Aaron Sanchez, the future of Danny Jansen, and more!

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Six Gods

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:58:54 GMT

Things looked bleak for the Blue jays amid a five-game losing streak that featured three low-scoring losses in Kansas City and a blowout home loss to the Dodgers on Friday, but a fresh Danny Jansen hot streak and the ongoing magic of Justin Turner has powered the club back to relevance—or, at the very least, to .500. In this week's episode Nick and Stoeten once again check on the vibes around the team, while also talking about the club's strong catching duo, early impressions of Addison Barger, starting pitching depth, what to do with Dan Vogelbach, and more!

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The Var-show Finally Debuts

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:28:27 GMT

The Jays can't seem to score more than five runs in a game or finish off a sweep, but things are going well, and the way has been led lately by Daulton Varsho—last year's much maligned major acquisition. Granted, not everything is perfect for the club, but that just gives Nick and Stoeten plenty else to talk about in this week's episode, including: a bullpen confidence check, concerns for the top of the lineup, and the status of on-fire prospects Orelvis Martinez and Addison Barger.

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Almost All Pitching (Just Like the Jays)

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:18:19 GMT

After two ugly ones early on, Chris Bassitt has his ERA down to 4.03 after a second straight gem in a strong series opener against the Yankees on Monday. Berríos and Kikuchi are rolling. Yariel Rodríguez had a very good debut. The bullpen looks great and is only getting stronger. Granted, Alek Manoah remains a problem, but Kevin Gausman... should probably be fine. And in this episode, Nick and Stoeten talk about all that, plus Bassitt's comments about pitching injuries, the red hot Justin Turner, various other hitters, and more!

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Home Eye-Opener

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:47:15 GMT

The Blue Jays and their fans were able to (mostly) put some bad vibes and bad performances behind them—at least for one night—as the club unveiled the fully revamped Rogers Centre in style on Monday with a comfortable win over the Mariners behind José Berríos and the kind of offensive performance they've failed to muster too often already here in 2024. In this episode Nick and Stoeten check in on the post-opener vibes, contemplate some new food options, then look deeper at a tough start for the rotation and the lineup alike, before trying to end on a positive note.

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Getting Blanco'd

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 17:51:04 GMT

It's been a boom-or-bust start of the season for the Blue Jays and their much maligned lineup, and it was definitely a bust when they opened their midweek series with the Astros by getting no-hit by Ronel Blanco. In this episode Nick and Stoeten check in on the post-no-no vibes, and try not to draw any hard conclusions from the starts we've seen by Vlad, Springer, Kirk, Varsho, Francis, White, Clement, and more!

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Season Preview/Offseason Review

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:15:27 GMT

In the triumphant return of Blue Jays Happy Hour after a dormant offseason—for both the boys and the Blue Jays alike—Nick and Stoeten return to look back on an underwhelming winter, to discuss several spring training standouts, to talk about what's expected of the Jays in a pivotal 2024 season and beyond, and more!

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 120: It's Over!

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:01:30 GMT

Of all the seasons of Toronto Blue Jays baseball I’ve watched, that was certainly one of them. Fittingly, the team made a two run deficit feel insurmountable right to the very end—though not before embarrassing themselves with a too-clever-by-half pitching decision that will live long in the memory. Fire Schneider? Fire Atkins? Fire Walker and Hudgens and Mattingly? Trade Bo? Run Vlad out of town? Blow the whole thing up?

I mean, probably not. But people are sure going to have some thoughts about another year of wasted opportunity for this team. And in Episode 120 of Blue Jays Happy Hour, we give you ours.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts. (Google is still not updating our feed correctly, and apparently they’re ditching their podcast app and moving pods to YouTube Music soon, so maybe we won’t be able to get this sorted until then.)

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 119: Confirmed Losers (of Game One Against the Twins)

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 00:51:37 GMT

The Blue Jays played a decent, hard-fought game in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening, making some nice defensive plays, hitting some balls hard that found gloves, and getting the kind of outstanding relief work we’ve become accustomed to around here this season. Unfortunately, a couple of poorly located pitches from a struggling Kevin Gausman, some missed opportunities at the plate, a couple balls that just couldn’t quite leave the yard, and a glaring baserunning gaffe conspired to make it so that “decent” is about the nicest descriptor one can use—and one that’s maybe even too polite. They weren’t good enough. And because of that, tomorrow afternoon they’ll be playing with their season on the line.

In Episode 119 of Blue Jays Happy Hour, we talked about all that, and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 118: Here we go again...

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:17:21 GMT

The Blue Jays did it. They’re back in the playoffs. And they’re playing a team—the Minnesota Twins—that, based on their indifference toward Sunday’s result, they’re perfectly happy to be up against.

One of these teams will end a years-long streak of playoff futility, the other will be in for a longer and colder winter than any of their fans are ready to contemplate right now. They’re in and, for the moment, everything is possible.

How did the Jays get here? Just what was that game on Sunday? What would the conversation be like if the Jays had failed? What should we expect from the matchup with the Twins? Who should start games two and three? Who will win, and who will be the heroes?

On episode 118 of Blue Jays Happy Hour—the first of a number of playoff-related episodes we’ll be putting together for as long as the Jays are still in it!—we talk about all that, and much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 117 - On Trop of the World

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:08:47 GMT

A good weekend at the Trop? In this economy???

When Nick and I recorded Episode 116 back on Thursday, we figured that we'd better add a second episode to our schedule this week, expecting that the Jays by here on Monday night would be about to embark a fight for their playoff lives.

Instead, they've come through a second straight weekend in which just about every result they needed went their way. The Mariners lost three times to the Rangers, the Astros lost three to the Royals, and the Jays themselves took two of three in Tampa.

Things are good enough at the moment that in Episode 117 we actually allowed ourselves to indulge in discussing some playoff possibilities, like whether we would try to setup to face the Twins instead of the Rays, whether John Schneider is the right manager for the job, what to do with a slumping Davis Schneider, and more

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts (unless it’s Google still, though I remain hopeful that I’ll eventually get through to someone who can help and the feed will actually get fixed at some point).

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 116: Lumps of Cole, Rays of sunshine

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 04:02:08 GMT

The Blue Jays came up short against AL Cy Young frontrunner Gerrit Cole on Thursday night, and now face an incredibly tough test against the Rays this weekend at the dreaded Trop. But they’re still in the driver’s seat in the race for the final AL wild card spots. They are also, somehow, tied with the Astros for the third-best record in the American League.

It’s only going to get weirder from here, folks.

And to get you setup for the weirdness, we kicked this week’s episode off with a semi-traditional vibe check, and followed that up by discussing the road ahead, the AL West, the latest twists and turns in the Alek Manoah saga, Mitch White, Vlad pinch hitting on his bad knee, Yusei Kikuchi’s sleep habits, Mike Babcock for some reason, and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 115: Blue Jays Sad Hour

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 04:09:40 GMT

The Blue Jays are bad, the Alek Manoah situation is weird, Nick and I talked about both things on our latest episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour, and you should give it a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I’m still hopeful that the feed will actually get fixed at some point!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 114: Missing the Forest for the Playoff Tree?

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 01:16:40 GMT

Blue Jays fans are loving their Buffalo Backup QB Syndrome Boys! But how real are the things that Davis Schneider, Spencer Horwitz, and Ernie Clement doing? Where should those youngsters/older-than-Vlad-sters fit into next season's plans? And how much more would we appreciate what they're doing—or Chris Bassitt is doing, or the delightful return of Hyun Jin Ryu—if Rob Manfred's expanded playoffs hadn't resulted in a standings-obsessed race between mediocrities trying their damndest to back their way out of the postseason?

Yes, I'm looking at you too, Texas Rangers.

On episode 114 of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, plus Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alex "the big counterexample" Manoah, pitching development, and more!

Have a listen...

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I remain hopeful that the feed will actually be fixed one day.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 113: Meaningful September baseball is here! 🥴

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 02:16:05 GMT

Meaningful September baseball. It’s all you can really ask for at the start of a baseball season, and here we are about to have some, Blue Jays fans! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?

It's been a chaotic week for the Blue Jays, as they managed to go just 3-3 to begin a 15-game stretch against a bunch of mostly awful teams. For the time being the sky has yet to fall, but with the bunt-loving, pinch runner-hating John Schneider at the helm, that moment feels like it could come at any minute.

On Episode 113 of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all those vibes, good and bad. Plus: Schneider's decisions, human nature, Alejandro Kirk, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, Handsome Randy, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and so much more!

Have a listen!

Or, alternatively, check out Substack’s new beta transcription feature, which should be visible somewhere on this page. I went through and lightly edited the computer-generated words into something that’s hopefully at least semi-comprehensible, and that maybe someone will get something out of. Let me know in the comments if you do, or else I may not do it again!

Audio-wise, you can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I’m still hopeful that the feed will actually, finally be fixed soon! STILL.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 112: Swing and a Belt

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 00:11:08 GMT

At the end of this week’s episode of I mistakenly said that Davis Schneider was going to be in the lineup for the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. He wasn’t. Which only makes our open wondering about why the Jays haven’t managed to find more at-bats for him recently hit all that much harder!

Before that, we talked about the pesky Seattle Mariners, the Jays’ surging lefty power hitters (Brandon Belt and Daulton Varsho), John Schneider’s decision-making, Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I’m still hopeful that the feed will actually, finally be fixed soon!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 111: Being Bob Nightengale

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 01:20:05 GMT

Should Blue Jays fans be afraid of the Seattle Mariners? Do we believe anything about Bob Nightengale’s suggestion that John Schneider’s job could be in jeopardy if the Jays miss the playoffs? Would Ross Atkins actually bring the kind of heat onto himself that he’d receive by firing another manager? Will anybody remember a 1999 Spike Jonze movie that only made $23 million at the box office?

Except for maybe the last one, my guess is that the answer to each of these questions is no. But that didn’t stop us from talking about them all during this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Plus: Paul DeJong, the Jays’ dominant bullpen, YuCy Kikuchi, José Berríos, choosing Hyun Jin Ryu over Alek Manoah, the 2013 season for some reason, and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I’m hopeful that the feed will actually, finally be fixed soon!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour - Ep. 110: The Davis Schneider Episode

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 04:29:56 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays have never lost a game Davis Schneider has played in.

That remains even so after Tuesday's loss, in which the red hot rookie remained glued to the bench as the Jays were shut out 1-0 against the Guardian in Cleveland. That he didn't play is, of course, entirely fine and far from unexpected for a guy who wasn't deemed worthy of a spot on a big league roster until less than a week ago — and not until Bo Bichette got hurt and the trade market failed to produce an established right-handed bat at the deadline. It’s also incredibly funny, as the Blue Jays have managed to anger a bunch of those folks who can't seem to watch this sport without being utterly miserable about an aspect of the best story of the season.

But, make no mistake, that’s exactly what it is. And on episode 110 of Blue Jays Happy Hour, we spent a whole bunch of time talking about Schneider’s story, and just how impressive and rare it is for a player like him to have exploded out of the gate the way he did in Boston over the weekend. Plus: a quasi-traditional vibe check, Yusei Kikuchi, Ross Atkins on Bo and Ryu, the six-man rotation, José Bautista going up on the Level of Excellence this weekend, and more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user, I’m hopeful that the feed will actually, finally be fixed soon!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 109: Trade Deadline Reaction!

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 04:21:19 GMT

MLB’s annual trade deadline has come and gone and, like a whole lot of other teams vying for playoff spots, the Blue Jays are better, but probably not better enough. Génesis Cabrera. Paul DeJong. Jordan Hicks. These names are unlikely to go down in history alongside ones like Henderson, Tulowitzki, or Price.

Of course, it’s not going to matter where they rank if the Blue Jays keep playing against their division rivals the way they did in their first game after trade season officially wrapped up on Tuesday night — which, thankfully, we only barely touched upon in this week’s episode.

What did we talk about? All things deadline, including Ross Atkins’ comments, Hicks and DeJong, possible help from the farm, the dark cloud of Bo Bichette’s injury that hung over the entire affair, and so much more!

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 108 - Pre-deadline vibes

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 04:51:43 GMT

Above you’ll see a picture of Danny Jansen, who was barely mentioned in this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour, but probably could have been! Jansen’s been swinging a hot bat lately, and is part of the reason the mood of the fan base is doesn’t seem as bad as it could be after a 3-3 west coast road trip that just as easily could have been 6-0 or 1-5.

Anyway, what did we talk about on this week’s episode? With the trade deadline coming up, naturally much of our focus was there. Plus, we got into those ever-present vibes, Trent Thornton, the Génesis Cabrera acquistion, Jay Jackson's surprising emergence, Alek Manoah's progress, Shohei Ohtani, payroll stuff, 2009, and so much more!

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 107: Vlad & Alejandro & Alek & Ross & Hot dogs

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 01:05:23 GMT

The Blue Jays salvaged their series with the Padres on Thursday afternoon, eking out a 4-0 victory despite having Blake Snell on the ropes all day, thanks in large part to a Vlad Jr. home run and Alejandro Kirk’s best game in weeks — maybe months. They now head to their home away from home, Seattle, for three games over the weekend a half game up on Houston, and 2.5 games ahead of the Red Sox, who currently sit fourth in the AL wild card race. Things could be worse, in other words, which is why when GM Ross Atkins met the media this week he fielded all kinds of questions about the upcoming trade deadline, and made it abundantly clear — just in case it wasn’t already — that the Jays will be buyers.

Will that mean going after starting pitching, though? After Alek Manoah’s step backwards this week, it may be a bigger question than the club had hoped.

On episode 107 of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all that, plus Chris Bassitt, the Mariners team shop, a hot dog record-breaker, Daulton Varsho, and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 106: Second half predictions!

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 03:51:55 GMT

The All-Star Game has come and gone, meaning that the second half of the Blue Jays’ season is about to get underway. In this week’s episode we look both forward and back, discussing Alek Manoah’s performance last weekend in Detroit, All-Star week’s most notable Jays moments — including Jordan Romano’s back tightness, Vladdy, Lourdes, the Jays being in the running for the 2025 event, and more — plus the draft, Orelvis Martinez, and our biggest fears, biggest hopes, and some predictions for the Jays in the second half.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 105: Three comebacks

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:20:35 GMT

The Blue Jays saved us from another grim episode on Tuesday night, as they actually managed to come back from a 3-2 deficit in Chicago to beat the White Sox 4-3 on the back of a two-run opposite field home run off of the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But that's not the only comeback Jays fans will be talking about this week. It was announced prior to Tuesday's game that Alek Manoah — who on Sunday struck out 10 Double-A hitters over five innings in a three-hit, one-run start for New Hampshire — is fixed! Or, at the very least, is on his way back to the majors and will start against the Tigers in Detroit on Friday.

Is he really ready? Are the Jays risking the long-term for the short by bringing him back so quickly? How might the timing actually make sense? What do we now think of the shellacking he took at the hands of a bunch of Yankees teens last week?

In episode 105 of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all of that stuff, plus Hyun Jin Ryu on the comeback trail, Vlad in the home run derby, improbable All-Star Whit Merrifield, the Jays' catching situation, some early trade deadline thoughts, and more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 104: Marcus Strawman

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 04:54:51 GMT

Alek Manoah was shelled this week in his first competitive outing after being sent all the way to the Florida Complex League, and a certain former Jays pitcher had some thoughts for the haters — whoever they may be. Clearly the ugly box score drew a lot of attention from around the baseball world, but should it have? Should it matter? And where do the Jays go from here with respect to their rotation?

All that Manoah stuff, a midseason vibe check, Chris Bassitt’s wobbly stretch, Kikuchi’s lack of trouble with the curve, and Brandon Belt’s big personality — and reunion with his former Giants teammates — were just some of the topics we touched on in episode 105 of Blue Jays Happy Hour.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 103: Off the Schneid?

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 01:32:25 GMT

The 2023 Blue Jays continue to give us whiplash as they swing back and forth between good vibes and bad, and earlier this week things were bad enough that there was even chatter — though not of the particularly serious variety, as evidenced by the fact that a couple of wins and a few hits with RISP seems to have instantly quieted it — that manager John Schneider’s job might be in trouble.

A Scheider-focused vibe check, the potential fallout for Ross Atkins of making the rash decision to fire another manager, a hitter-by-hitter tour through the lineup giving out confidence ratings, and a painfully nostalgic philosophical question about the 2021 Jays were just some of the topics we touched on in this week’s episode. (Apologies to Ernie Clement.)

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (If you’re a Google Podcasts user you should be able to add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 102: Solving Vladdy and the fifth starter's spot

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 02:16:52 GMT

The glow of four straight series wins has long since dissipated for the Blue Jays, as they struggled this week, dropping two of three in Baltimore after a similarly disappointing weekend series against Minnesota. There have been bright spots, like José Berríos, Nate Pearson, and Trevor Richards, but — as always — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the centre of attention for this team, for good or ill. And right now it’s mostly been for ill.

A vibe check, Vladdy’s weird numbers, the search for a fifth starter, making your own luck, and a little love for Orelvis Martinez were just some of the topics we discussed this week. Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (Google Podcasts continues to incredibly stupid about our switch back to our previous Substack-based RSS feed, but I assure you I’m continuing to try to get it sorted! In the meantime, if you’re a Google Podcasts user you can add us to your app via RSS — just right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 101: The last time we have to talk about Anthony Bass

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:58:27 GMT

The Blue Jays keep winning, completing a series victory on Thursday night by taking their third of four from the Houston Astros — and, importantly, winning the season series and thereby giving themselves the tiebreaker in the event that both teams finish with the same record and tied for the final playoff spot. They’ve now won four straight series since their disastrous mid-May stumble against the Yankees, Orioles, and Rays.

More than that, though, after taking a number of off-field losses on Thursday, they announced a win on Friday afternoon. Anthony Bass has been designated for assignment!

Hey, it only took them 10 days and one more thoroughly embarrassing episode for the franchise to finally do something about the struggling reliever who amplified a video that called a huge number of fans demonic predators and literally called for a boycott of a major team sponsor, but who’s counting?

As I noted above, we recorded this episode on Thursday night, still dumbfounded by the Jays’ handling of the entire situation with Bass. Fortunately, all those questions remain relevant, even though they did eventually get it right in the end. (Which, as Nick points out, is better than never reaching the right conclusion at all).

Also fortunate? The Bass stuff was only a portion of this week’s episode, as we also did a quasi-traditional vibe check, and talked extensively about the Alek Manoah situation, the sudden resurgence of Brandon Belt, and more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 100: Large mouth Bass

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 01:37:16 GMT

Blue Jays Happy Hour has reached triple-digits. It's episode 100! Unfortunately, rather than giving us something celebratory to talk about, the Jays this week have given us a mess of a situation involving reliever Anthony Bass.

In this episode we discuss what Bass did, his "apology," the Jays' insufficient response, potential fallout, and why the team needs to listen to its fans on this.

We tried our best. Have a listen.

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 99: Not Suited to the Human Mind

Fri, 26 May 2023 00:36:12 GMT

Woof.

On losses and more losses, John Schneider’s future, Ross Atkins’ future, the Varsho trade, Alek Manoah, and so many more sources of existential angst!

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 98: In Defence of Meatballs

Fri, 19 May 2023 03:48:07 GMT

The Blue Jays had a chance to make a statement this week in their four-game series against the Yankees, but instead it was Aaron Judge who spoke loudest.

Or, actually, it was probably New York manager Aaron Boone who spoke loudest. But Judge and his mighty bat — which time and again managed to make loud contact that rose above the din of the Rogers Centre boo birds — were a close second.

Whether or not he was cheating — he wasn’t, but good lord don’t tell that to Yankees fans (their reactions to the suggestion are incredibly funny) — Judge lit the Jays up, going 6-for-14 with four home runs and five walks over the course of the four games, overshadowing not only his teammate who actually was caught cheating (the Yankees do that!), but another brilliant outing from Chris Bassitt, who provided several of the few Blue Jays bright spots in an otherwise ugly 3-1 series loss.

So, for this week’s episode, we had to talk about all that. Plus some struggling Blue Jays hitters, the lack of help from the farm, another daunting series ahead with the Orioles on their way to town, and so much more!

Have a listen…

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 97: Battle for the Belt!

Fri, 12 May 2023 00:52:51 GMT

The Blue Jays did not have a fun time in Philadelphia this week, but they return home with their heads clearly above water — despite playing in a ridiculous division — with a whole bunch of road games already in the books. Where they go from here metaphorically, however, is a different sort of question.

Two of the front office's major objectives over the winter were to add balance to the lineup, and to improve the defence. It's still early days, but in this episode we check in on how they're doing on both fronts.

Plus! Belt vs. Varsho — who ya got? Our fears and fantasies for Kikuchi, Vlad's defence, Robbie Ray, Matt Chapman, a tough upcoming series against the Braves, and so much more!

Have a listen...

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 96: Bullpen Gut Check

Fri, 05 May 2023 05:05:44 GMT

The Blue Jays have followed their best stretch of the young season with by far their worst. A week ago the club was riding high, in the middle of what would become a six-game winning streak powered by a near perfect homestand. Then came Sunday and a gut-punch loss to the Mariners that was just a little too reminiscent of last October’s disaster, which then led straight into an ugly four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in Boston.

The pitching was bad. The defence was sloppy. The vibes have maybe shifted just a little bit. And that’s the focus of this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour. It’s bullpen gut check time, as we discuss the performance so far of each of the Jays’ relievers and rate our trust in them at the moment.

Plus! The AL East race, the stupid Rays, health, a certain guy who might be washed, Cavan Biggio, whoever it is that plays for the Pirates, and more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Ep. 95: Danny's Bats and Yusei's Balls

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:11:15 GMT

The Blue Jays sucessfully dismantled the Chicago White Sox this week, and now head into a weekend set with Teoscar Hernández and the Seattle Mariners with a 16-9 record — the best start in franchise history. They're also, uh, currently in third place in their division.

But things are mostly going well. Especially when it comes to the club's two most maligned starters heading into the season, and their previously slow-starting catcher: José Berríos, Yusei Kikuchi, and Danny Jansen.

We kicked off this week's episode checking the vibes and chatting about all three. We also discussed Daulton Varsho, Brandon Belt, Alek Manoah, Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, the rest of the soon-to-be visiting Mariners, and so much more!

Have a listen...

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (Google Podcasts continues to incredibly stupid about our switch back to our previous Substack-based RSS feed, but I assure you I’m continuing to try to get it sorted! In the meantime, if you’re a Google Podcasts user and want to try to add us to your app via RSS, right click and copy this link.)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 94: You are now experiencing a rotation inversion...

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 05:38:55 GMT

The Blue Jays are really in it now. A tough series with the Astros only let up for a day on Thursday while the club travelled to New York for another tough series with the Yankees. And yet, things seem to be going fairly well for the club — save for one reliever, Anthony Bass, who continues to pile up losses. He's also not pitching very well. HEYO!

Fortunately for all of us — but mostly for Nick and I — Bass’s latest attempt to turn large swaths of Blue Jays fans against him happened as we were recording this episode, so we managed to avoid any mention of it.

What did we talk about? Hot starts for Vlad and Bo, Bo’s defence, Matt Chapman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, one-pitch pitchers, Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, my dalliance this week with ChatGPT, Friday’s starter Yusei Kikuchi, the upcoming series with the Yankees, and more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, and others. (Google Podcasts continues to be unable to point back at our new/old feed for some reason, but I assure you I’m continuing to try to get it sorted!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 93: Turtlenecks and Poutine Dogs

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 05:16:06 GMT

The Blue Jays have finally opened up the new look Rogers Centre, returning to Toronto to begin the home portion of their schedule with a series victory over the Detroit Tigers. There was a big win — thanks to a five-run, eighth inning outburst — in the opener on Tuesday, a thrilling walk-off in extras game two on Wednesday, and a grim slog through a Thursday loss that saw the club go 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

It was a fun and encouraging way to show off the new digs — Chris Bassitt looked better, Matt Chapman continues to be red hot (when healthy), fans' love affair with Kevin Kiermaier continues, poutine dogs were consumed, new bars were explored, turtlenecks were made fun of — but the Jays will need to be better with the undefeated Rays heading in for a weekend set.

In this week's episode we talk about all that, plus bullpen placement, Manoah's start, stunt food, a look ahead, and so much more.

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google (or, at least, we’ll be back on there properly very soon!), or your podcast app of choice!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 92: Welcome to the Luplow era!

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 17:41:57 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays had themselves a roller coaster of a first week of the season, but as we looked up on Saturday morning, with their record at 5-3, all seemed just about right with the world. Sort of.

Vladdy and Matt Chapman are on fire. Daulton Varsho has come as advertised. The speed and the defence they wanted to add are there. And, uh, now the Jordan Luplow era has begun!

Who knows how long it will last? But for the time being they’ve got the lefty mashing-ish (124 career wRC+ vs. LHP), right-handed-hitting bench bat/corner outfielder the roster has been crying out for all spring. And on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all that — the hot starts, the changed roster, the new addition — plus pitching woes, Kikuchi hope, Alek Manoah vs. Alex Verdugo, and so much more!

Have a listen!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google (or, at least, we’ll be back on there properly very soon!), or your podcast app of choice!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 91: Yearbook-style opening day predictions!

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 06:17:40 GMT

Opening day is here! The Blue Jays are about to embark on the 47th season of Major League Baseball in Toronto, and there’s a realistic chance that it could be one of the most exciting we’ve seen here in a long time.

To preview the year ahead, on this week’s episode we decided it would be a good idea to make some predictions — yearbook style.

Most likely to succeed? Most likely to disappoint? Most likely to become the club’s newest folk hero? You get the idea!

Have a listen and enjoy opening day!

You can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google, or your podcast app of choice!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 90: Eight things to watch for in 2023

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:37:58 GMT

Opening day is quickly approaching for the Blue Jays. As I write this we are a mere eight days away from the club’s weird season-starting date with the Cardinals in St. Louis. And so, with the number eight looming large in our brains, on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour, we decided to take a look at an octet of things for Jays fans to watch during the 2023 season.

Things like the Jays’ catchers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, the various second basemen, Joey Votto for some reason, baserunning, and so much more!

Have a listen!

For those who did unsubscribe when we made last year’s switch, or are new to the podcast, you can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google, or your podcast app of choice!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 89: A gloriously uneventful week (in which to do some over/unders!)

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:53:17 GMT

Not a whole lot of consequence has happened over the last week of Toronto Blue Jays spring training baseball — which is exactly what you want at this time of year! No major injuries (Vlad’s fine, he doesn’t count). No big controversies (you can talk about Nathan Lukes getting called out on a pitch clock violation all you want; we didn’t). No performances either so sublimely good or disgustingly bad as to warrant mention in more than just passing.

No real change to the major storylines in camp, either. Well, save for Vlad’s knee inflammation. There’s that, there’s Kikuchi Watch, there’s Addison Barger and Ricky Tiedemann, and that’s really about it. Which is why, after touching on those, we decided this week to do something fun: choosing the over or under on the ZiPS wRC+ projection for each of the Blue Jays’ lineup regulars!

Plus, how the Jays’ pitching staff graded out in 2022 by the newly released Stuff+ metrics available at FanGraphs, WBC talk, better sound, and so much more!

Have a listen!

In case you missed it in prior weeks, those of you who didn't ever unsubscribe to our old feed will be pleased to know that our new episodes have resumed showing up there!

For those who did unsubscribe when we made last year’s switch, or are new to the podcast, you can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google, or your podcast app of choice!

Enjoy the weekend!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 88 - Kikuchi Clicks!

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 21:37:47 GMT

Spring storylines are starting to develop around Blue Jays camp down in Dunedin, Florida, among them a possible Yusei Kikuchi redemption tour. Is it time to get excited about last year’s failed fifth starter? What does the addition of former Houston Astros GM James Click mean for the Blue Jays’ front office? Has Ricky Tiedemann already started pushing up his timeline?

Plus! We rate and review giveaway highlights from the Jays’ recently-announced promotional schedule, discuss the new “hot dog porch” in the outfield at Rogers Centre, pun slander, and so much more!

Also: Better sound than last time!

In case you missed it last week, those of you who didn't ever unsubscribe to our old feed will be pleased to know that our new episodes have resumed showing up there!

For those who did unsubscribe when we made last year’s switch, or are new to the podcast, you can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google, or your podcast app of choice!

Enjoy the weekend!

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 87- We're back, in pod form!

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 21:04:35 GMT

A lot has happened since Nick Ashbourne and I last talked about the Blue Jays way back in October. The team's outfield defence has been remade, they've signed a couple high-profile injury-prone position players, the walls at the Rogers Centre have been transformed, Danny Jansen got jacked, etc.

This week we're talking about all that, plus spring storylines, our attempts at choosing the over-under on the Jays' win total for 2023, and so much more in the mighty return of the "classic" format of Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Those of you who didn't ever unsubscribe to our old feed will be pleased to know that our episodes will now resume showing up there!

For those who did unsubscribe when we made last year’s switch, or are new to the podcast, you can find us in all the usual places, such as Apple Podcasts…

…as well as Spotify, Google, or your podcast app of choice!

Happy listening! (I’ll try to get myself a mic upgrade in the coming weeks!)

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Changes are coming to Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 16:25:11 GMT

Change can be scary sometimes, but we’ve got what we think is some fun news to share with listeners of Blue Jays Happy Hour — and anyone else who has been thinking of listening, or are interested in what’s next for Nick and I. Today we’re excited to announce that we’re moving the podcast to Callin, the world’s first “social podcasting” platform.

What does this mean? Well, a few things.

• Firstly, we’ll be moving to two episodes per week!

• Secondly, all of our episodes will now be recorded live on the Callin app!

This means that you will not only be able to listen to the show live via the app, but that anyone listening along will have the ability to get in on the conversation, either chatting with us live on air, or via the chat.

Though it won’t always be possible, we’ll be trying our best to schedule episodes at the conclusion of Jays games, so you’ll be able listen in on our immediate thoughts, ask questions, rant about the game, etc.

Hopefully this will be a fun alternative way to talk and interact about the Jays in the immediate aftermath of a couple games per week!

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:

• Thursday at ~5:30 PM ET/Conclusion of Blue Jays vs. Red Sox (3:07 PM ET first pitch)• Sunday at ~4:00 PM ET/Conclusion of Blue Jays vs. Astros (1:37 PM ET first pitch)

• Third, for those who prefer to continue listening at your own convenience, we’ve got you covered. Our live shows will be available to listen to after the fact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and in the Callin app itself. Either way — and this is the annoying part — you will need to add this new version show to whichever app you choose to use. It will not continue to show up in your feed as normal.

If you use another podcast app, unfortunately, for the time being the show will not likely be available to you there. But that’s all the more reason to get Callin and come chat with us!

The really important stuff!

The new Apple Podcast and Spotify feeds for the show won’t be available until our first episode is published, so you’ll have to hold tight for those — and you’d best believe we’ll be making clear how to get them just as soon as they’re available.

In the meantime, here’s how you can get the Callin app and subscribe to the new show!

• You can get the Callin app via Callin.com, or by scanning the QR code below. Then once you’re signed up — it’s super easy if you’re on Twitter! — you can either search for the show title or click this link to follow Blue Jays Happy Hour.

As I say, this won’t be the last you’ll hear about this stuff around here, as we’re committed to getting as many of our loyal listeners onto the new format as possible. I know that for some it will be a pain, or it may not work out, and for that I apologize. But we think this is going to be really fun, and we hope you do too!

Be sure to follow @GetCallin on Twitter. Follow @AndrewStoeten and @NickAshbourne on Twitter for show and scheduling updates — though the best way to get those is on the Callin app itself. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to get in touch via the comments, via Twitter, or by email. I can be reached at stoeten@gmail.com.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 38 - Gausman's gem, robo umps, and early season thoughts

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 23:36:47 GMT

In the wake of a spectacular performance from Kevin Gausman, and a big series win at Fenway, comes this week’s edition of Blue Jays Happy Hour! With thoughts on Thursday afternoon’s performance, Jordan Romano’s red flags, the ump shows against Oakland last weekend, Zack Collins, Cavan Biggio, Hyun Jin Ryu, and more!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 37 - Vlad's pretty good, huh?

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 23:39:52 GMT

The Blue Jays’ season is rolling and, despite a couple of injuries they’ll have difficulty handling, it’s been pretty good so far. Why? Mostly because of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has a rather prominent place in this week’s edition of Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 36 - Previewing the season!!

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 23:43:25 GMT

The 2022 Toronto Blue Jays season is nearly upon us! So, naturally, on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we chatted about big picture stuff — what the future holds, what roster moves we’ll eventually see, strengths, potential weaknesses, which prospects will make their debuts, bold predictions, and more.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

THE BATFLIP is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 35 - Fairer or Fowler

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:29:02 GMT

The Blue Jays’ spring training continues to roll along — though hopefully not at 82 mph in a 45 zone — and this week we talk about a whole whack of goings on, including the nasty piece of business to which I am referring (which happened after we last recorded), but mostly baseball things. Things like Dexter Fowler, the Jays’ depth, the catching situation, the announcement of José Berrí6s as the club’s Opening Day starter, and more!

Have a listen!

*Please note: There’s a little bit of static on Nick’s mic this week. It’s not your speakers. I’ve done my best to mitigate it and we’ll be sure to get cleaner audio next week. (It’s not that bad, I promise.)

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 34 - Handsome Randy, We Hardly Knew Ye

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 23:53:13 GMT

The Blue Jays have a new left-handed hitting outfielder, and it’s not Brett Gardner! Better still, they’ve traded Randal Grichuk in order to make it happen. Ramel Tapia may not be the most exciting addition in the world, but they could have done worse! And on this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about that, the Bichette/Manoah contract flap, Adrian Pinto, and more!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

I have exciting news to share: You can now read THE BATFLIP in the new Substack app for iPhone.

With the app, you’ll have a dedicated Inbox for my Substack and any others you subscribe to. New posts will never get lost in your email filters, or stuck in spam. Longer posts will never cut-off by your email app. Comments and rich media will all work seamlessly. Overall, it’s a big upgrade to the reading experience.

The Substack app is currently available for iOS. If you don’t have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 33 - The Matt Chapman Emergency

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 20:39:32 GMT

I may have slept through Tuesday morning’s big news about the Blue Jays trading for A’s third baseman Matt Chapman, but I was at least able to get myself up in time for an emergency podcast on the subject! The Blue Jays now employ one of the best defensive third baseman in the world! And all it took was sending RHP Gunnar Hoglund (2021 first round pick/found money), INF Kevin Smith (meh), LHP Zach Logue (nice guy!), and LHP Kirby Snead (probably a nice guy but meh!) to Oakland to make it happen! (They also have Yusei Kikuchi as their $36 million fifth starter! What a time to be alive!)

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Hey, and while I have you here, before you hit play let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time a new podcast goes up, or I post something on the site, or if you would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep my posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 32 - Baseball is Back!

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:33:10 GMT

Baseball is back! And while the much-promised frenzy of transactions hasn’t quite materialized as yet, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot to talk about as the game returns to normal and gears up for a full 162-game season. So, on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we did just that, sharing our impressions of the new CBA deal, rule changes, expanded playoffs, a balanced schedule, the vaccination clause, and so much more.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 31 - Locking Down Our Projection Over/Unders!

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 21:43:07 GMT

We’re back! And while Rob Manfred’s attempt to break MLB’s players union continues unabated, that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t anything Blue Jays related to talk about! In this episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we review where things stand with MLB’s messy lockout situation, and also go through the Jays’ roster for some over/under predictions as the 2022 season (hopefully!) inches closer.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Be sure to follow me on Twitter // Follow the Batflip on Facebook ⚾

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 30 - The year in review!

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 21:05:48 GMT

Though not a whole hell of a lot has happened for the Toronto Blue Jays, or across the major leagues of baseball, over the last month, it has certainly been an eventful 365 days regardless. So with a new year on the horizon, this week we took a look back at all the comings, goings, Hand-ings, Cy-ings, and other-ings that have taken place in Blue Jays land over the past twelve months.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 29 - Gausman in, Semien and Ray out

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 20:17:01 GMT

With a lockout looming, transactions throughout MLB have accelerated at a rapid pace here early in the week, including the Jays signing Kevin Gausman to a five-year, $110 million contract. The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners have scooped up now-former Jays Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray. And there’s a chance for plenty of more activity to come before Thursday’s expected shut-down.

On this week’s early edition of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all that and so much more!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 28 - Selling the team?

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 22:16:17 GMT

Steven Matz is now a member of the St. Louis Cardinals — a move that created a surprising amount of fallout around the league. For the Jays it means going another route to fill out one of the two holes in their rotation, which could pose a challenge given the way the pitching market has been moving so far.

Another challenge the Jays may have in front of them is the fact that the owners of the club, Rogers Communications, is reportedly looking to sell the team! On this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all that and so much more!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 27 - Awards, and extension, and the AFL

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:52:59 GMT

The Blue Jays made big news this week in several ways, with the club coming to terms on a seven-year, $131 million extension with starter José Berríos, his teammate Robbie Ray taking home the American League Cy Young award, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finishing a near-unanimous second place behind Shohei Ohtani in the balloting for AL MVP. On this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all that, and were also joined by Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) of MLB Pipeline, who has been getting some looks at top Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno down in the Arizona Fall League.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 26 - The (temporarily) hot stove!

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 19:04:20 GMT

MLB’s annual GM meetings took place in Carlsbad, California, this week, and though the Blue Jays didn’t get any deals done, the landscape of available players certainly came into sharper focus. And with that as the backdrop, on this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about all kinds of potential acquisitions, both on the free agent and trade market, while also touching on the Jays’ many award winners, grading Scott Boras puns, and so much more.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 25 - You can't predict baseball (with guest Ben Nicholson-Smith!)

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 18:06:43 GMT

Alex Anthopoulos has been crowned a champion, the offseason is underway (for now, at least), and Blue Jays Happy Hour is back from our playoff hiatus! This week we talk about Atlanta’s victory, Gabriel Moreno, a whole lot more — plus we’re joined by the great Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet to revisit the over/under predictions we made back at the start of June to see what we got right and what we got wrong.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 24 - Now what?

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 01:28:06 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays’ season ended on Sunday. It sucked! We talked about it and also about the future. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 23 - Thank you, Orioles?

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:23:22 GMT

The Blue Jays have been given a lifeline! With Boston’s loss on Thursday night, just one loss by each of the Red Sox and Mariners over the weekend would — provided the Jays sweep the Orioles — would result in a tie for the second American League wild card spot, and Toronto’s hopes for playoff baseball reigniting!

Is that likely to happen? Not necessarily, but it’s not especially unlikely either. And on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about that, about the likelihood of Robbie Ray winning the Cy Young after Thursday’s dud of a performance, about the likelihood of several members of the Jays playing their last games in Toronto over the weekend, about the stupid Mariners, the weekend ahead against Baltimore, and so much more.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 22 - Temperature rising (with guest Joe Siddall!)

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:05:31 GMT

For all intents and purposes the playoffs are already underway for the Toronto Blue Jays, and that’s not great news considering the way they’re going as this weekend begins. Two straight defeats for the first time in nearly a month. Back-to-back seven-run debacles. An injury to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. A suspension for Ryan Borucki. A Rays team licking their chops for a crack at the Jays if they do make it in.

It was a wild week, and in this episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, plus the road ahead, the Red Sox and Yankees, how the Astros can help the Jays, Charlie vs. Gibby, and so much more!

Plus, we had a great chat with Sportsnet’s outstanding analyst Joe Siddall, who told us about the work he does, how this week’s piece on Nate Pearson potentially tipping his pitches came together, shared his thoughts on the Kiermaier flap, and then some!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 21 - Scoreboard watching!

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:24:21 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays have a Cy Young candidate, an MVP candidate, and are now in the thick of a playoff race. Who will win those awards? Who will win between the Jays and Twins this weekend? How much should Jays fans be afraid of fraudulent teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox? On this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about that and a whole lot more. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 20 - Good Vibrations

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 21:02:21 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays are the hottest team in baseball and have thrust themselves into the playoff race by making up an improbable amount of ground over the last week. So, uh, we talked about all that on this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 19 - Meaningful September baseball? (with guest Kaitlyn McGrath!)

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 17:41:31 GMT

The Jays did reasonably well over their last week against Detroit and Baltimore, but the team still needs to make a big move in the standings and time for that is running out. Fortunately, one of the teams they’re chasing, the Oakland A’s, make a visit to the Rogers Centre this weekend, and with a big series in the Bronx looming, the Jays need to find their way even more definitively out of their recent offensive funk.

On this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, as we try not to look too deep into the future beyond a fun month of games still ahead. And we were also joined by the Athletic’s Kaityln McGrath for a great chat about the recent return of normalcy for beat writers, trying to produce unique content during a pandemic, the greatness of Robbie Ray, and more. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 18 - Trying to remain upbeat!

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 18:51:30 GMT

The Blue Jays’ playoff hopes continue to fade after a “rock bottom” type series against the Tigers and a split with the White Sox, but Robbie Ray is a legit Cy Young contender, Alejandro Kirk is emerging as the catcher of the present, José Berríos can only get better, and there are still winnable games ahead of them.

On this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, plus off-season plans, this weekend’s series in Detroit, deadline trades the team should have made, and so much more. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Hey, and while I have you here, before you hit play let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time a new podcast goes up, or I post something on the site, or if you would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep these posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 17 - Checkpoint Charlie

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:27:47 GMT

The Blue Jays did not have a good week. On this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talked about that! We also had a great chat with the great Ben Wagner, who is finally back calling games on the radio for Sportsnet.

Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Hey, and while I have you here, before you hit play let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time a new podcast goes up, or I post something on the site, or if you would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep these posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 16 - West Coast Best Coast

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 18:22:21 GMT

The Blue Jays just split four games with the Angels and are now headed to Seattle with their playoff hopes very much alive, but in need of more wins. Over the last week Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has continued to be in a funk, but he’s been picked up by teammates all over the place — guys like Alek Manoah, who has found another gear in his last few starts, George Springer, who has won two straight AL Player of the Week awards, and Teoscar Hernández, who needs more love (and maybe a contract extension!).

On this week’s episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, plus Ross Stripling’s injury, Steven Matz’s effectiveness, Julian Merryweather, Nate Pearson, the fraudulent Mariners, and so much more. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Hey, and while I have you here, before you hit play let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time a new podcast goes up, or I post something on the site, or if you would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep these posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 15 - The Glorious Return (with guest David Singh!)

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 18:32:20 GMT

The Blue Jays have now spent a week back home in Toronto, and it’s finally starting to feel like this is a real team with a real shot to do something special in 2021. José Berríos looked good in his first start as a Blue Jay, the bullpen is still a work in progress but on the upswing, and with the Red Sox on their way in for a weekend series the vibes are out of this world.

On this week’s Blue Jays Happy Hour we talk about all that, and also have a great chat with Sportsnet senior writer David Singh (@ByDavidSingh) about the job of a feature writer and his excellent recent pieces on Alek Manoah (and his mom), George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk. Have a listen!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

⚾ Hey, and while I have you here, before you hit play let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time a new podcast goes up, or I post something on the site, or if you would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep these posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 14 - Trade Deadline Instant Reaction!

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:13:54 GMT

The trade deadline is over! José Berríos is a member of the Blue Jays! Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson are not! Brad Hand! Joakim Soria! Stupid Yankees! It’s all here as we react to a wild day in the major leagues of baseball here on this week’s edition of Blue Jays Happy Hour.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 13 - A History of Deadlines

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 22:46:35 GMT

The trade deadline is fast approaching, the the Toronto Blue Jays have more than a little work to do — especially after the Tampa Bay Rays added slugger Nelson Cruz on Thursday night. Who are they targeting? Who will other teams be targeting? What have Mark Shapiro’s teams done historically at the deadline? That’s what we’re talking about this week on Blue Jays Happy Hour!

Plus: Nate Pearson’s diagnosis, a look ahead to this weekend’s Jays/Mets series, and so much more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 12 - Gettin' drafty (with guest Kevin Goldstein!)

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 21:02:16 GMT

It’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s world, we’re all just living in it. This week MLB’s annual All-Star game was held in Denver, and the largest of our adult sons made a huge splash, leading the American League to victory and taking home the game’s MVP award. It was also draft week! So, even though there weren’t a lot of Blue Jays games to talk about, there was plenty to discuss in this episode — which we did along with our special guest, draft expert, national baseball writer, and the host of Chin Music, Kevin Goldstein of FanGraphs!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 11 - Rowdy, Richards, and the Rays

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 18:56:02 GMT

The Jays made another trade this week, ending the Rowdy Tellez era by sending him to Milwaukee in exchange for another bullpen upgrade in the form of Trevor Richards. It’s not quite a blockbuster, but another move in the right direction for the 2021 Blue Jays, who look like they might be in for a very active July on the trade front.

This week we talk about that, plus the catching situation now that Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk are healthy, the first 159 games of Bo Bichette’s career, this weekend’s series against the Rays and more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 10: New month, new reliever, same bullpen (with guest Rob Wong!)

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 20:18:54 GMT

The Blue Jays stumbled a bit against the Seattle Mariners in their midweek series, undoing some of the good work they'd done against the Orioles and the Marlins. And though the bullpen is hardly the team's only problem, it remains a glaring area of need — even after the Jays jumped the trade market by acquiring Adam Cimber and Corey Dickerson from Miami.

This week we talk about all that, the upcoming series with the Rays, trade targets, and more! Including a chat with the great Rob Wong, host of Blue Jays Baseball and Jays Talk on Sportsnet 590 The FAN!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 9 - Thank goodness for bad teams!

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 21:23:01 GMT

The Blue Jays have had a good week! Sure, there have been dumb suspensions, bad news on the Nate Pearson front, and various other things to be down about, but a five game win streak and a rebounding bullpen is nothing to sneeze at. So we won’t!

This week Stoeten and Nick talk about all that, plus sticky stuff, Stoeten’s internet problems, getting reacquainted with the Orioles, and more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

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Blue Jays Happy Hour - Episode 8: "People are in a good mood" (with guest Mike Wilner!)

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:47:12 GMT

In last week’s episode Stoeten and Nick declared it was bullpen gut check time and over the week since the Blue Jays’ relievers have failed it by every measure imaginable. Nobody is happy with the state of affairs, save for manager Charlie Montoyo, for some reason. Fortunately, some dates with the Baltimore Orioles are finally on the horizon.

This week we talk about all that, and many frustrating times from years past, with special guest Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star — and his own new podcast, Deep Left Field!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 7 - Bullpen Gut Check

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 17:01:59 GMT

Cracks at the bottom of the Blue Jays’ lineup, on the bench, and in their bullpen, were especially easy to spot when contrasted with a very good White Sox team that got the better of them in their most recent series. On this week’s show, with a big (for June) weekend series against the Red Sox about to start, Stoeten and Nick take a look at those cracks, focusing specifically on the Jays’ wobbly group of relievers. Plus an encouraging start from Alek Manoah, prospect talk, George Springer’s running regimen, inevitable Spider Tack references and more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 6 - Hot takes with Benny Fresh!

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 19:01:00 GMT

The Blue Jays season is one third of the way over, which makes it a perfect time take stock of where the team is at, and where it's going. This week Stoeten and Nick did just that by conjuring up some hot takes and playing some over/unders with the great Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 5 - Manoah, Vlad, and Tyler talking out his Glasnow

Fri, 28 May 2021 17:45:48 GMT

Alek Manoah was everything the Blue Jays could have hoped for on Thursday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — a legitimate MVP candidate — has been everything the Jays could have hoped for all season. On episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour, Stoeten and Nick talk about those two very big, very important lads, plus Canadian baseball, a look ahead to the weekend series with Cleveland, calling Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow an idiot, and more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 4 - Manoahmentum! (With Guest Dan Shulman!)

Fri, 21 May 2021 20:35:28 GMT

The Blue Jays struggled to close out this week with a tough loss to Boston, but it’s the bigger picture that’s still got the attention of Stoeten and Nick, as Alek Manoah continues to make his case for a promotion to the big leagues much sooner than anybody expected. On episode four of Blue Jays Happy Hour you’ll hear that, plus talk about prospect Gabriel Moreno, Nate Pearson, the pesky Rays, and a great chat about broadcasting, stats, and the state of the Blue Jays with the legendary Dan Shulman!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

*not to mention, as was announced moments after we published this, his latest injury.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 3 - Living Up To Our Name!

Fri, 14 May 2021 18:29:29 GMT

Nate Pearson's terrible start and weird handling aside*, the Blue Jays are coming off a pretty great week thanks largely to another sweep of the Atlanta Braves. On episode three of Blue Jays Happy Hour you'll hear Stoeten and Nick talk about the lows, the highs, and the even higher highs, plus Alek Manoah, Teoscar Hernández, Marcus Semien, the A's potential relocation, and more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

*not to mention, as was announced moments after we published this, his latest injury.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 2 - Manoah and the Springer Mess

Fri, 07 May 2021 17:53:36 GMT

The Blue Jays continue to tread water without their highest paid player, George Springer, who had a brief but messy tenure on the club's active roster this week. On episode two of Blue Jays Happy Hour you'll hear Stoeten and Nick talk about all that, plus Alek Manoah, Nate Pearson, Robbie Ray's pants, the Joe Panik era at first base, and much more!

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice!

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMTM2MjgucnNz

• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=628692

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 1 - Goodbye April!

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:21:20 GMT

It's been a long, strange April so far for the Toronto Blue Jays, and on the very first episode of Blue Jays Happy Hour, Stoeten and Nick talk their way through all the highs (Vladdy, the bullpen, Matz and Ray, but mostly Vladdy) and the lows (infield defence, the catchers, Cavanpills).

Have a listen! And be sure to find us on your podcast app of choice and hit subscribe!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-jays-happy-hour/id1564979331

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lAHpAQtOdHqKKgNVIRqRK

Disclaimer: We recorded this episode before Friday's Roberto Alomar news broke.

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blue Jays Happy Hour: Episode 0 - The Teaser!!

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 09:41:05 GMT

Yes, it's finally time! Today I'm thrilled to announce my new podcast venture, which you'll be able to hear in earnest later this week, and my new partner in crime, the great Nick Ashbourne!

As the name suggests, Blue Jays Happy Hour is going to hit your podcast player of choice every Friday afternoon, just in time to recap the week and get you set for each Blue Jays weekend series. In time we’ll have guests, bonus episodes, and all that good stuff I’m sure you’ve been waiting for. And for today we’ve got a brief teaser to introduce ourselves and whet your appetite for what’s to come starting later this week!

I’m sure most of you already know Nick from his excellent work at Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports covering the Jays, but if not be sure to give him a follow on Twitter. Then give our little preview-sode a listen, and if you’re able to find us on your podcast app of choice, go and smash that subscribe button.

If you’re not able to find us just yet, don’t worry, part of the idea of putting out a mini episode now is to make sure everything is working as smoothly as possible on the back end of things for Friday, when we’ll be honouring George Springer by also making our belated 2021 season debut.

Talk soon!

Get full access to THE BATFLIP at stoeten.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.