Baseball Bar-B-Cast

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers are the only teams in MLB this season to have eclipsed the 40-win mark so far. As leaders in their respective divisions, all three hold sizable leads and have shown they are among the best teams in the Senior Circuit. However, with many games still left to be played, which team will be able to handle the grind of 162 games and come out on top this season?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the success the National League division leaders have enjoyed this season, including breaking down the recent success of Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki. They also examine why starting pitching has been the key to the Braves' winning ways and how the Brewers have found offense in bunches during their sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss Tarik Skubal's current rehab process, which is fast-tracking him for a potential return, and why the "Skubal Scope" surgery could be an absolute game changer for pitchers in the future. The guys then talk about Manny Machado offering an interesting opinion on why today's game relies too heavily on analytics and they recap all the other action from around MLB this past weekend.

 

1:09 — The Opener: Best in the NL

10:45 — Brewers complete sweep

20:40 — Dodgers & Roki find success

37:30 — Around the League: Skubal Scope

50:05 — Machado and analytics

1:04:11 — Turbo Mode: Weekend recap

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
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🎧 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_

Shohei Ohtani has done pretty much everything you could want from an offensive standpoint. However, it's what he's doing on the mound that is garnering attention this season. After pitching yet another gem for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Japanese two-way superstar is performing at a historic level this season.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about what Ohtani is doing on the bump that's led to his recent domination and why this is the best we've seen him pitch in the big leagues. They then discuss where this current stretch puts Shohei in an already incredibly tight NL Cy Young race and whether he could finish ahead of Cristopher Sánchez, Jacob Misiorowski, and Paul Skenes for his first Cy Young Award.

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss Aaron Judge's injury, which will keep him out for an extended period of time, and how the New York Yankees will be able to weather the storm until he potentially returns. They also look at Corbin Burnes receiving bad news during his rehab from Tommy John surgery, the San Diego Padres falling into a deeper slump after getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, and make their picks for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:41 - The Opener: Ohtani is dominating

16:19 - A look at the NL Cy Young race

30:15 - Around The League: Aaron Judge is out

44:52 - Padres in a deep funk

47:39 - 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_

The Cleveland Guardians take on the New York Yankees this week in what could be a potential postseason matchup. The two franchises have a storied history of meeting in the playoffs and producing memorable games. However, this week's series feels like it could be more important to one side than the other when it comes to potentially raising the Commissioner's Trophy at the end of the season.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jordan Shusterman is joined by special guest Zack Meisel of The Athletic to discuss whether the Guardians are a serious threat to the Yankees' pursuit of their 28th championship in franchise history. Led by a potential future Hall of Famer in José Ramírez and promising rookie Travis Bazzana, is Cleveland ready to power past every other team in the postseason? They also discuss what a potential injury to Aaron Judge could mean for the long-term outlook of the Bronx Bombers.

Later, Jordan welcomes Yahoo Sports reporter Cassandra Negley to preview the Women’s College World Series, including who might be the favorite between Texas Tech and Texas as they face off in a rematch of last year's classic. Jordan and Zack then take an early look at what the MLB trade deadline could look like for some American League teams and why a potential lockout next year could affect how teams conduct business.

 

0:59 – José Ramírez keeps losing his helmet

8:56 – The Opener: Guardians a threat to Yankees

29:16 – Kind of a Big Deal: Aaron Judge is hurt

34:14 – Women’s College World Series preview

54:58 – WCWS predictions

1:00:42 – Around the League: Trade deadline preview

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 Toronto Blue Jays went on their incredible World Series run last season, there was plenty of hope that it was the start of what could be a dominant run by a stacked team. Fast forward to 2026, and Toronto finds itself in a bit of a sticky situation. Although, based on last year's success, all hope might not be lost just yet.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jordan Shusterman is joined by special guests Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi to break down what has gone wrong this year for the reigning American League champions and whether injuries are the main reason for their sluggish first two months. Even though the Blue Jays might be nine games back in the AL East, they currently hold a Wild Card spot, and with players returning from the IL, it still could be a very exciting summer in Canada.

Also on this episode, Jordan and Ben talk about the remarkable turnaround season the Chicago White Sox are having, which sees them sitting just one game back in the AL Central while also occupying a Wild Card spot. Instead of being sellers at the deadline, they could find themselves as buyers. However, with the injury to rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, will the White Sox be able to tread water until he returns? The guys then discuss the Seattle Mariners' use of piggyback pitching, the New York Yankees continuing to impress and their thoughts on the latest power rankings.

2:37 - The Opener: White Sox roll on

19:54 - Nationals also offering a turnaround

35:01 - Issues plaguing the Blue Jays

51:30 - State of Toronto pitching and hitting

1:09:27 - Around the League: Mariners pitching strategy

1:21:38 - Power rankings thoughts

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_

One of the biggest clouds hanging over the 2026 Major League Baseball season is the soon-to-be-expiring collective bargaining agreement between the MLB Players Association and the 30 team owners. The animosity between both sides, after comments were reported in the media, has many fans wondering whether a possible work stoppage could begin on December 1st when the deal expires.

On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the first proposals exchanged this week between the owners and the players, most notably the owners’ desire to implement a salary cap. While it is an encouraging sign that both sides are negotiating earlier than expected, are the differences between the two sides too large to overcome?

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the incredible month of May from Philadelphia Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, who is currently riding a historic scoreless innings streak. They also highlight the other outstanding starters in the Senior Circuit who are putting together great seasons and could make NL Cy Young voting extremely difficult. The guys then close out the show by making their picks for this week’s The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:48 - The Opener: CBA negotiations

13:02 - Early responses to the offers

28:54 - We Need To Talk About: Cristopher Sánchez

39:23 - NL Cy Young race is stacked

43:28 - The Good

50:47 - The Bad

55:53 - 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_