Baseball Bar-B-Cast

The Boston Red Sox have had a disappointing 2026 campaign thus far. With lots of hope and promise riding on the backs of their young starters, the team has struggled to get off the ground. However, this past weekend, they completed a four-game mop of their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees, and suddenly find themselves right back in a Wild Card race that appears to be up for the taking.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the Red Sox's impressive pitching performance against the Yankees, including shutting down the only team in the American League with a run differential better than +25. They also get into why there isn't a ton of concern for the Bronx Bombers, considering the team is struggling to keep key players healthy and on the field.

Also on the show, Jake and Jordan welcome Sam Blum from The Athletic to discuss the Los Angeles Angels firing general manager Perry Minasian, whether it could signal a change for the franchise, or if owner Arte Moreno will continue to struggle to find direction for his team. The guys then get into the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. problem the Toronto Blue Jays are facing, the latest update to the Yahoo Sports Power Rankings and recap all the other action from around MLB this weekend.

 

1:25 – The Opener: Yankees get mopped

11:49 – AL East shakeup

32:02 – Sam Blum joins the show

42:47 – Where do the Angels go from here?

58:04 – Turbo Mode: The Miz keeps dealing

1:04:58 – Power Rankings update

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:
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📢 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
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⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz
🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_

On Friday morning, the New York Mets made the decision to fire manager Carlos Mendoza after what has been a rough stretch, including a sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. The Mets, who currently sit at 34-47 and in last place in the NL East, find themselves in dire need of a shakeup, but should Mendoza be the scapegoat for what has been an extremely disappointing season thus far?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss how things have gone so wrong for the Mets this year and why David Stearns probably deserves more of the blame than Carlos Mendoza. After bringing in interim manager Andy Green, will the Amazin's be able to get a new-manager bump, like their rival Philadelphia Phillies did, and somehow get back into the postseason race before it's too late?

Also on the show, Jake and Jordan talk about the Philadelphia Phillies' recent stretch of magic in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals, where they took the final three games of a four-game set, winning each game with rallies in the ninth. They then get into Bryce Harper's interesting motions after his late-game heroics against his former team, the latest update in the MLB vs. MLBPA CBA negotiation saga and make their picks for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

 

1:36 - The Opener: Phillies in the 9th

13:31 - Harper vs. the Nats

22:07 - Mets fire Mendoza

41:15 - We Need To Talk About: CBA negotiations update

51:50 - The Good

1:00:36 - The Bad

1:09:21 - 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 latest round of voting for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game was recently released, and while Shohei Ohtani unsurprisingly leads all players in votes, there is someone on the American League side who is just 300,000 votes away from matching the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar. The shocking part is that it's not Aaron Judge or Yordan Alvarez, but rather Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the sudden surge in support for the standout player from the Blue Jays' World Series run last season and why Ernie Clement is garnering so much fan support. They then take a look at another second baseman making waves: Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was caught playing the field with a lollipop in his mouth, drawing the ire of manager Aaron Boone.

Later, Jake and Jordan are joined by Miami Marlins play-by-play broadcaster Jack McMullen to discuss the Tartan Army's invasion of Miami, what the experience was like during games and a couple of players who should be headed to the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia. The guys then wrap up the show by discussing the disappointing press conference held by San Francisco Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey, recapping the College World Series championship game and highlighting a wild matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

 

1:35 - The Opener: Surprising All-Star Game voting update

9:56 - Jazz Chisholm Jr. & the lollipop

19:35 - Jack McMullen joins the show

45:05 - We Need To Talk About: Buster Posey press conference

1:01:02 - College World Series recap

1:06:36 - Wild game in Washington

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 2024 MLB Draft class is already having a major impact on the 2026 baseball season. With seven of the first nine picks in the draft already debuting and contributing to their clubs’ success, there’s a real possibility that the Class of ’24 could go down as one of the best ever. The question now is: If we re-drafted today, who would go No. 1?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman examine the top 20 picks from the now-infamous 2024 draft and conduct a re-draft based on the recent performances of those players. Would the Cleveland Guardians still take Travis Bazzana No. 1 overall, or would they now prefer Sacramento A’s slugger Nick Kurtz or St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt?

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss Rafael Devers not exactly being thrilled with San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello after being pinch-run for, and whether he has a legitimate gripe with the move. They then talk about Bryce Harper’s controversial triple that earned him the first cycle of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Detroit Tigers’ make-or-break stretch in the postseason race and recap all the other series from the past weekend.

1:31 – The Opener: 2024 MLB Draft Re-Draft

35:48 – How Sweep It Is: Devers Is Not Happy

53:03 – Tigers’ Make-or-Break Stretch

55:53 – We Need To Talk About: Harper’s Cycle

1:02:55 – Turbo Mode: Weekend Recap

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 we rapidly approach the halfway point of the 2026 baseball season, some interesting trends are starting to become more apparent across Major League Baseball. One of the more jarring statistics is the difference in success between teams in the American and National Leagues. While NL teams seem to be having more success, is there a bigger issue at play for teams in the AL?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman try to make sense of why the vast majority of teams in the American League aren't having great seasons. While 10 teams in the NL have records above .500, only five teams in the AL are above that mark. Additionally, only the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians have reached the 40-win mark. Could it be the amount teams are spending on payroll, or is competition within the AL divisions simply tighter?

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the latest developments in the MLB and MLBPA negotiations over a new CBA, which could feature radical changes to how teams draft eligible players and what those changes could mean for the college baseball landscape. The guys then get into the new format change for the 2026 Home Run Derby, which some fans might not be thrilled about, before making their picks for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:34 – The Opener: What's wrong with the AL?

23:17 – Around The League: Latest in CBA negotiations

53:40 – We Need To Talk About: HR Derby changes

57:16 – The Good

1:04:01 – The Bad

1:07:58 – 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_