Baseball Bar-B-Cast

The Philadelphia Phillies became the second team in the first month of the 2026 season to make a change at the manager position, following the Boston Red Sox making that decision over the weekend. Rob Thomson was relieved of his duties after the Phillies got off to a disappointing 9–19 start to the season, with the hope that a change will be able to jumpstart what has been a sluggish campaign.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the Phillies’ decision to fire Topper and name Don Mattingly the interim manager, what the vibe was like at Citizens Bank Park yesterday following the firing and the interesting dynamic now between the manager and GM. They also highlight the rather surprising journey that found Thomson at the helm of the Phillies and what could be next for him.

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the debut of Cleveland Guardians’ top prospect Travis Bazzana, the impact he’ll have on baseball in Australia and whether the draft class he came out of will be one of the best of all time. The guys close the show by discussing Shohei Ohtani not hitting—at least for now—when he pitches and why this is different from what he was doing when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

1:07 - The Opener: Phillies fire Thomson

15:12 - What to expect from Mattingly

29:45 - Field Report: Travis Bazzana joins the show

39:40 - 2024 MLB Draft class all-timer

48:29 - Kind of a Big Deal: Ohtani not hitting

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

Over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox made the shocking decision to fire Alex Cora, along with five other members of the coaching staff, in hopes of jump-starting the club after a rough start to the season. Cora, who was in his eighth season managing in Boston, found himself as the fall guy for the Red Sox—but was his firing fully justified?

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman examine the difficult position Red Sox ownership created by making a change at this point in the season rather than sticking with the manager who delivered a title to Boston in 2018. Should the team’s Chief Baseball Officer, Craig Breslow, receive more blame, since this is the roster he constructed? Or is there a larger issue that needs to be addressed when it comes to payroll limits set by principal owner John Henry?

Later, Jake and Jordan take a look at the situation with the New York Mets after being swept by the Colorado Rockies following the end of their losing streak. If the Mets begin to slide after this weekend, is there a real chance Carlos Mendoza could find himself, like Alex Cora, out of a job? They also discuss Shohei Ohtani’s current odds of capturing his first Cy Young Award, the New York Yankees calling up Jasson Domínguez and preview the latest MLB power rankings.

0:43 - The Opener: Red Sox fire Alex Cora

37:01 - How Sweep It Is: Mendoza on the hot seat

45:53 - Other sweeps around MLB

51:13 - Around the League: Ohtani Cy Young watch

56:30 - Yankees call up Jasson Domínguez

59:34 - Turbo Mode: Everything else from the 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_

When the Chicago Cubs made some big moves this past offseason, the hope was to get the club back to its winning ways after a few disappointing seasons. Bringing in veteran Alex Bregman and star pitcher Edward Cabrera were just a few signs of that commitment, and so far this season, it’s paying off for fans in the Windy City.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about what the Cubs are doing so well during their nine-game winning streak, which has them sitting atop the NL Central and ready for a big matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though their pitching staff has been depleted due to injuries, the Cubbies are ready to make some noise in the National League and make a statement in Los Angeles this weekend.

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the Atlanta Braves impressing this season in all facets of the game with their MLB-best 18–8 record, and how manager Walter Weiss set the tone early for this team to fight until the end of every game. They then get into the San Diego Padres signing Lucas Giolito, the New York Mets finally snapping their 12-game losing streak and make their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:11 - The Opener: Cubs stay hot

19:00 - Field Report: Braves success in 2026

29:30 - Around the League: Padres sign Giolito

37:36 - Mets snap losing streak

44:35 - The Good

51:50 - The Bad

58:22 - 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_

The Philadelphia Phillies currently sit in fourth place in the NL East, only one win better than the New York Mets, and concern is starting to grow for a team that was a favorite to make some noise in the postseason this year. While things don’t look sunny in Philadelphia at the moment, there is slight hope this can turn around.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman are joined by a Phillies beat writer for The Athletic as they get into the major pitching struggles the team has been having and why a returning Zack Wheeler could be a major factor in turning their recent struggles around. With Philadelphia sports fans being slightly distracted by other teams in their area competing in the playoffs, now might be the best time for the Fightin’ Phils to get their worst play out of the way.

Later, Jake talks about his experience at Citi Field in the midst of the Mets’ 12-game losing streak, the Houston Astros being decimated by injuries and Chicago White Sox slugging Japanese free agent signee Munetaka Murakami hitting a home run in four straight games. They also bust out “Why Haven’t You Homered Yet?” to figure out why some notable players have yet to fill the home run column this season.

1:32 - The Opener: Phillies are in a mess

25:47 - Field Report: Mets losing streak hits 13

40:34 - Why Haven’t You Homered Yet?

51:18 - Around The League: Astros decimated by injuries

55:57 - Murakami smashes four in a row

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_

The New York Mets have found themselves in a really bad position, as they currently sit on an 11-game losing streak, which has led them to the worst record in the National League and tied for the worst in baseball. With the second-highest payroll in all of baseball for 2026, to say this season is not going as expected would be a complete understatement.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the Amazins’ rough road trip, which concluded with them getting swept in walk-off fashion by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Even though the Mets are missing Juan Soto due to a calf injury, how exactly they’ll be able to change their tune and stop their losing ways remains a bit of a mystery. They also discuss how the Flushing faithful might have a little less faith in this new core that was brought in during the offseason.

Later, Jake and Jordan recap all the other action from the weekend, including the Atlanta Braves sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies on the back of their MLB-best pitching staff and Salvador Perez showing displeasure at getting a rest while the Kansas City Royals were swept by the New York Yankees. Then the guys talk about Munetaka Murakami smashing home runs for the Chicago White Sox and remember Los Angeles Angels great Garret Anderson.

0:55 - The Opener: Mets have lost 11 in a row

18:28 - Braves are pitching great

29:51 - How Sweep It Is: Yankees over Royals

39:11 - Yordan Alvarez is the Astros’ shining light

49:51 - Tony Vitello is learning to win and lose

53:56 - Turbo Mode: Rest of the weekend action

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_