Baseball Bar-B-Cast

The regular season has concluded, and it is time to shift our focus to the 2026 MLB playoffs. However, first we must dive into the Wild Card round, which begins on Tuesday. With divisional foes facing off against each other, as well as past playoff rematches, the best-of-three series are going to be a doozy.
On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman take a look at all four Wild Card matchups, including the New York Yankees facing off with their bitter rival, the Boston Red Sox, in the Bronx for the second consecutive year. With the Yankees opting to start Game 1 with their ace, Cam Schlittler, on the mound, will that prove to be a successful strategy in getting the Yankees to the ALDS, or will the Red Sox offense come alive and pull off the upset?
Later in the show, Jake and Jordan break down the Philadelphia Phillies versus Atlanta Braves matchup, which sees the two NL East rivals do battle in Atlanta. They then preview the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres matchup, which will take place this time at Petco Park, as well as try to make sense of what a Houston Astros-Chicago White Sox series will look like. The guys close the show by highlighting Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer's final starts in their potential Hall of Fame careers.

5:23 - The Opener: Yankees vs. Red Sox
26:35 - Phillies vs. Braves
44:06 - Cubs vs. Padres
57:23 - Astros vs. White Sox
1:13:02 - Turbo Mode: Final Weekend Recap

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🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us, and the postseason picture is just about set. However, there are still a couple of moving pieces that need to be determined before we can officially set sail onto the best time of the year. With the NL Wild Card, AL Central and AL West all up for grabs, we’re in for an exciting regular-season finale across the league.
On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman paint the picture for the series coming up, including whether the Arizona Diamondbacks can find a way into the NL Wild Card picture despite their odds being long, whether the Chicago White Sox can find a way to get back on top in the Central and who will come away with the AL West crown. Can the Houston Astros hang on and stave off the Texas Rangers to set up a matchup with the White Sox in the Wild Card round?
Later in the show, Jake and Jordan take a look at all the happenings around the league, including Max Scherzer trying to one-up Justin Verlander and pass him in career strikeouts before Verlander’s final career start, as well as some miscommunication issues between Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees. They also highlight a couple of managers who managed to parlay their interim titles into full-time positions. They then make their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:27 - The Opener: Where Things Stand in the NL Wild Card
13:38 - AL Central & West Up for Grabs
19:55 - Around the League: Scherzer vs. Verlander
29:17 - Judge & Boone’s Miscommunication
40:06 - From Interim to Full-Time
47:56 - The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
🎧 Apple Podcasts
🎧 Spotify
🖥️ YouTube
📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv
And check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:
🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social
🐦 @CespedesBBQ: https://x.com/CespedesBBQ
📷 @CespedesBBQ: https://www.instagram.com/cespedesbbq
⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz
🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_

As the 2026 MLB regular season enters its final week of games, there is still so much that needs to be decided before the postseason can officially begin. Between who will win the American League Central, which team will be the third and final AL Wild Card participant, and which team from Texas will win the AL West, there are quite a few situations we can’t wait to see how they turn out. And that’s only in the American League!
On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman take a look at the current postseason picture and try to make sense of the AL scene, as well as figure out how things will play out in the National League Wild Card situation. Will the Arizona Diamondbacks figure out a way to slither in, or will the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies deny their entry into the postseason dance?
Later in the show, Jake and Jordan ask one big question for every postseason team that has stamped its ticket to the playoffs, including how healthy the Los Angeles Dodgers are, whether we’ll see Aaron Judge play another game this season and how hot Ronald Acuña Jr. can stay for the Atlanta Braves. They then go Around the League to discuss the Detroit Tigers’ new ballpark name, Alex Bregman’s brutal face injury and the San Francisco Giants’ bad luck with their roster this season.

2:07 - The Opener: Where things stand in the AL
20:47 - Where things stand in the NL
27:55 - One question for every postseason team
55:34 - Around the League: Tigers’ new stadium name
1:05:12 - Alex Bregman’s injury
1:09:20 - Giants’ IL issue

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
🎧 Apple Podcasts
🎧 Spotify
🖥️ YouTube
📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv
And check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:
🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social
🐦 @CespedesBBQ: https://x.com/CespedesBBQ
📷 @CespedesBBQ: https://www.instagram.com/cespedesbbq
⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz
🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_

Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman take a final look at the MLB award races. Which awards—like Pete Crow-Armstrong’s historic run for NL MVP—are all but locked up, and which others are still hotly contested? They also debate the tight AL MVP race between Yordan Alvarez and Junior Caminero, spotlight the surge of reliever Mason Miller, ace Jacob Misiorowski and more.
This week's Good, Bad, Uggla covers a little bit of everything: from the Chicago Cubs team bonding at the race track, to Ichiro’s 127-pitch shutout against high schoolers, to a bizarre saga involving a Brewers owner and some sand.
Plus, key playoff races and a preview of the biggest matchups of the upcoming weekend slate.

(2:17) One last MLB awards check-in
(29:31) The Good
(39:10) The Bad
(44:40) The Uggla
(53:32) What to watch this weekend

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
🎧 Apple Podcasts
🎧 Spotify
🖥️ YouTube
📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv
And check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:
🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social
🐦 @CespedesBBQ: https://x.com/CespedesBBQ
📷 @CespedesBBQ: https://www.instagram.com/cespedesbbq
⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz
🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_

Pete Alonso returned to his old digs on Monday night in Queens, greeted by New York Mets fans giving a rousing ovation to show their appreciation for his time with the team. On Tuesday night, though, he paid it back to the fans by hitting his 300th career home run in the top of the ninth to tie the game. And the fans continued to cheer.
On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the warm welcome home that the Polar Bear received at Citi Field for his first visit since joining the Baltimore Orioles. They get into how Alonso nailed the moment, despite Mets players not being too thrilled with how fans responded to his heroics, as well as how David Stearns has failed the club so far in his tenure, which has given fans of the Amazin's a sour taste in their mouths.
Later in the show, Jake and Jordan talk about the two series they attended this week, including the Los Angeles Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds, where Freddie Freeman is reinventing himself and finding success. They also talk about the Cleveland Guardians taking two of three games from the Chicago White Sox and further improving their chances of possibly leapfrogging into first place in the AL Central. The guys close the show out by looking at Junior Caminero's MVP odds, Elly De La Cruz's monster home run and the Milwaukee Brewers winning the NL Central.

1:53 - The Opener: Alonso Hits 300
21:18 - Mets Fans' Fury Toward Stearns
29:58 - Field Report: Dodgers in Cincinnati
44:52 - Guardians Eye Division After White Sox Series
48:48 - Around the League: Caminero for MVP?
51:38 - Luzardo to the IL
52:55 - Brewers Clinch the NL Central

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
🎧 Apple Podcasts
🎧 Spotify
🖥️ YouTube
📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv
And check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:
🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social
🐦 @CespedesBBQ: https://x.com/CespedesBBQ
📷 @CespedesBBQ: https://www.instagram.com/cespedesbbq
⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz
🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_