Baseball Bar-B-Cast

Latest Episodes:

End of the Astros dynasty, Blue Jays panic, Tigers City Connect, Eitan Levine's journey for most first pitches May 08, 2024

Show notes

The Houston Astros have been one of the best teams in baseball since 2015. With multiple World Series wins and four American League pennants, they’ve been a model of success in MLB.

However, all things must end eventually.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman talk about the Astros dynasty and if their trip to the Bronx this week could result in the final death knell on this season. Between their underperforming offense and their disappointing pitching, after a pounding by the New York Yankees on Tuesday, the Astros are a shell of what we’ve been used to.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast the guys get into the Toronto Blue Jays’ struggles this year and if it’s time to panic about them, Corbin Carroll possibly on the rebound following his rough start to the season and they discuss all the happenings in the NL Central.

Later, Jake & Jordan are joined by comedian Eitan Levine as they dive into his journey attempting to break the Guinness world record for most first pitches in a season and they close out the show talking about the Detroit Tigers new City Connect uniforms and why the Rays can’t stop wearing theirs.

1:35 - End of Astros dynasty

8:12 - Panic in Toronto

15:28 - Corbin Carroll is back?

20:45 - NL Central round-up

24:47 - Eitan Levine joins the show

39:45 - Rays & Tigers city connect

46:51 - 20 inning softball game

50:40 - Jake needs glasses

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social

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

Blockbuster May trade by Padres, MVP Ohtani has arrived, Willie Mays’ 93rd birthday & weekend recap May 06, 2024

Show notes

It’s not too often you see a big-time trade in the beginning of May, but the San Diego Padres struck while the iron was hot and acquired two-time batting champ Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins this past weekend.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman talk about the trade made by general manager A.J. Preller, the instant impact that the two-time All-Star has already had on the Padres and why it’s a clear sign that the team is focused on making the postseason this year.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake & Jordan break down every series from this past weekend, including a potential NLCS preview that saw the Los Angeles Dodgers sweeping the Atlanta Braves thanks to Shohei Ohtani going full MVP mode, the Seattle Mariners taking two of three from the Houston Astros causing the 'Stros to sink even further in the AL West and why Jordan is finally jumping ship on the St. Louis Cardinals after a dreadful weekend against the Chicago White Sox.

The guys close the episode by wishing all-time baseball great Willie Mays a very happy 93rd birthday by reminiscing about his remarkable hall-of-fame career and the lasting impact he’s had on the game.

2:07 - Padres-Marlins make a trade

15:48 - Weekend recap, the sweeps

22:24 - Phillies time to strike

29:15 - Juan Soto is clutch

36:40 - The series wins

47:30 - Jumping ship on Cardinals

56:34 - Willie Mays’ 93rd birthday

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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

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🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social

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

Bees delay game in Arizona, Twins are on fire, Rays city connect & standings draft May 03, 2024

Show notes

You never know who will become an instant celebrity in baseball. This was the case on Tuesday night at Chase Field, when the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers was delayed by two hours due to an invasion of bees.

Enter bees control specialist Matt Hilton.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss what became a viral moment when Hilton eradicated the bees that gathered on the net behind home plate, which led to Hilton getting bestowed the honor of throwing out the first pitch prior to the game.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, the guys talk about the suddenly surging Minnesota Twins and their 10-game winning streak, coming to terms with the fact that Mike Trout is injury plagued at this point of his career and the Tampa Bay Rays releasing their city connect uniforms to rave reviews.

Jake & Jordan then do a baseball standings lottery, in which they try to predict which team will maintain their spot in the divisional standings by the time the season ends. The guys also give their good, bad and Uggla for this week, that includes Pete Crow-Armstrong’s helmet use, Kyle Bradish returning to the mound and so much more.

1:18 - The Twins are on fire

8:57 - Rays city connect uniforms

14:33 - Mike Trout is out

22:00 - O’s take 3-of-4 from Yankees

23:20 - Standings draft

39:39 - The good

43:17 - The bad

50:37 - The Uggla (bees talk)

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

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🖥️ Watch this f ull episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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

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⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz

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

Paul Skenes is getting close, Clayton Kershaw biography author Andy McCullough May 01, 2024

Show notes

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is one of the most accomplished MLB players of this generation and now, we have a comprehensive biography detailing the backstory of what made him the future hall of famer that he is.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman are joined by senior writer of The Athletic and author of The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness to discuss the biography about the All-Star lefty pitcher. In their discussion, the guys get into why Andy chose to focus on Kershaw, the mindset that the lefty needed to pivot his modest high school career into greatness in the bigs and how he has dealt with and overcome his postseason failures.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jordan talks about seeing Paul Sekens pitch in person in Indiana as he gets closer to his inevitable call-up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. And, the guys discuss why it’s taking the Buccos so long to call-up Skenes, who is clearly ready for the big time.

The guys also briefly touch on the Los Angeles Angels losing Mike Trout for a significant period of time after it was reported he will undergo surgery for his torn meniscus.

2:31 - Paul Sekens call-up is inevitable

11:57 - Watching Skenes in Indiana

18:43 - Andy McCullough joins the show

27:10 - How Clayton Kershaw deals with pressure

32:02 - Kershaw’s playoff failures

42:21 - Where are we at with Kershaw now?

49:30 - Kershaw finally winning a World Series

54:52 - Andy on the process of writing the biography

1:03:48 - Mike Trout needs surgery

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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_

MLB uniforms are changing again, Twins’ home run sausage & Ohtani vs. Blue Jays fans Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

One of the biggest stories in all of baseball has taken a new twist and it’s something that fans and players can equally rejoice about. Major League Baseball will be reverting their uniforms back to how they were from previous seasons, as reported on Sunday night by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

While the changes could take as long as the full season to go into place, it’s a step forward that many in the baseball community were hoping for. Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman express their delight in the changes, after which we’ll hopefully see larger letters on the backs of jerseys, pants that aren’t see-through and jerseys where players like Carlos Rodon aren’t completely sweating through.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, the guys recap all the action from the weekend including where the Minnesota Twins came up with their home run sausage dugout celebration and why manager Rocco Baldelli is trying his best to be the adult in the room over this outrageous new rally item.

Jake & Jordan also talk about the not-so-warm reception Shohei Ohtani received this weekend from Toronto Blue Jays fans, a recap of the Mexico City series between the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies and the recent complete dominance from Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller.

1:03 - Uniform changes are coming

9:15 - Weekend sweeps

19:03 - Twins home run sausage

32:46 - The series wins

39:47 - Ohtani’s not-so-warm reception

45:38 - Braves vs Guardians

56:23 - Shota Imanaga continuing to impress

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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_

Astros have dug a big hole, Ohtani returns to Toronto & Pete Crow-Armstrong’s first MLB hit Apr 26, 2024

Show notes

When we previewed the 2024 MLB season a few months back, it was pretty clear which teams would be in the basement of the baseball standings. With teams like the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies living up to their projections, it’s the Houston Astros and their 7-19 record that shocks us here on the Baseball Bar-B-Cast.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman try to make sense of how the once powerhouse Astros sit in last place in the AL West and place among some of the worst teams in the league. They talk about the numerous injuries that have ravaged their pitching staff, the bad signings that they’ve made and why the front office consists of former MLB players that probably aren’t qualified to make roster decisions.

The guys then discuss their Good, Bad, Uggla for the week, in which they highlight Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong getting his first major league hit, a home run, during a day game at Wrigley Field after failing to get a hit when he was called up last season.

Jake & Jordan also touch on what the reaction might be like for Shohei Ohtani when he plays in Toronto this weekend, the legend that is Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson and highlight a few big matchups on the slate for baseball this weekend.

1:24 - What happened to the Astros?

24:18 - Could the Astros break it down?

27:57 - The good

34:37 - The bad

40:35 - The Uggla

49:27 - Weekend preview

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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

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⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz

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

Aaron Boone’s ejection, Orioles successfully tanked & listener emails Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has developed quite the reputation within baseball as being someone who isn’t afraid to stick up to his players when they’ve been wronged by umpires. We saw that once again on Monday when he was ejected after only five pitches following a checked swing call at first base. However, it appears he was unjustly thrown from the game following a fan heckling home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the controversial ejection to the Yankees’ skipper and whether his reputation as someone who’s willing to go toe-to-toe with umpires is affecting how umpires call games against his club.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, the guys get into the discourse on how the Baltimore Orioles have gone about creating their roster following a few years of tanking. However, there are other reasons why the O’s have been able to successfully assemble a talented roster mainly made from their own pipeline.

Jake & Jordan close out the episode answering some listener emails including a cricket vs baseball debate, prospect evaluations gone wrong and ask if the World Series winner goes to the White House, where should the worst team in baseball go.

2:30 - Aaron Boone’s ejection

19:20 - Orioles discourse

26:23 - Why the O’s did more than just tank

33:30 - Listener emails

48:31 - San Francisco Giants light show

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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

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⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz

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

Elly De La Cruz is doing it again, Juan Soto is elevating & the Astros may be in trouble Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Another weekend is in the books for Major League Baseball and the Baseball Bar-B-Cast is here to catch you up on all the sweeps, series wins, splits and news that you might’ve missed, which includes Cincinnati Reds young star Elly De La Cruz playing like he did last season when he was first called up. Elly’s numbers since the solar eclipse a few weeks ago should have Reds fans very excited for what the future potentially holds for their shortstop.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman break down the multiple sweeps from the weekend including the Milwaukee Brewers taking care of business against their division rival St. Louis Cardinals to which Jake wonders if Jordan is ready to jump ship on the redbirds after a rough start from players like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Miles Mikolas.

The guys then discuss the rather large hole the Houston Astros have dug themselves in the AL West after the Washington Nationals took the series from them this weekend, appropriately enough when the Nats honored their 2019 World Series championship team. They also talk about how Juan Soto appears to be elevating the baseball a little more in what has been an absolute dream start with the New York Yankees.

Closing out the show, Jake & Jordan highlight the flop that was the Blake Snell vs. Jordan Montgomery matchup in San Francisco, Colton Cowser tossing an important baseball into the Kauffman Stadium fountains and Jake’s dive into how the word “show” has become a big-time verb used in baseball.

3:35 - The sweeps

9:36 - Jordan on the Angels

25:40 - Time to jump ship on Cardinals?

30:25 - The series wins

33:54 - Are the Astros in trouble?

43:20 - Juan Soto’s big change

56:46 - The splits

1:00:42 - “Show” in baseball

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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

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⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz

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

Logan Webb keeps spinning, Mike Trout is fully back & Mets city connect uniform released Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

After a quiet Thursday in the baseball world, the Baseball Bar-B-Cast is back with a jam packed episode including a break down of the disappointing start and debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter and Logan Webb continuing to be a steady, fun presence to watch in the San Francisco Giants rotation.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman then talk about whether they love or hate Detroit Tigers prospect Max Clark’s custom cleats, in which they feature both positive and negative tweets, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie pitching through a torn ligament in his arm and Mike Trout appearing to be fully back to dominating baseball.

Later, the guys give their good, bad & Uggla for the week that includes Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez joining in on a conversation with LeBron James, Colorado Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Boston Red Sox defense looking really bad early on.

To close out the show, Jake & Jordan react in real-time to the New York Mets city connect uniform and give their thoughts on what they like and what they don’t like from the new release, as well as mention a few headlines they’re keeping an eye on for this weekend in baseball.

2:19 - Jack Leiter’s rough debut

6:48 - Giants-Dbacks thoughts

12:11 - Love it or hate it

22:55 - Congrats on your mentions

28:09 - The good, bad & Uggla

46:58 - Mets city connect reaction

50:44 - Weekend headlines

53:57 - John Sterling tribute

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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_

Early MLB season evaluations, who’s up and who’s down & Jack Leiter debut Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

Thursday marks the three week window from the start of the 2024 MLB season, so we thought this would be the perfect time to give some early season evaluations based on what we’ve seen thus far.

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman go through all thirty Major League Baseball teams and discuss whether they’re feeling better, worse or the same about each club compared to how they were feeling before the season started. While clubs like the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees have lost their aces to injury, the guys are only feeling better about one of those teams.

The guys also talk about why they’re feeling better about teams like the Los Angeles Angels (thank you Mike Trout) and the Milwaukee Brewers (thank you Jackson Chourio) and why they’re now down on the Los Angeles Dodgers and somehow even more down on the Chicago White Sox.

Later on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake & Jordan discuss the long-awaited debut of the 2nd overall pick of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, Jack Leiter, and what Texas Rangers fans might be able to expect from the 23-year-old.

2:52 - AL East

10:56 - AL Central

20:08 - AL West

29:51 - NL East

40:39 - NL Central

51:04 - NL West

1:00:11 - Jack Leiter debut

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube