Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner: Daily Summaries Delivered

A walk-off, grand slam episode with Blue Jay Ernie Clement, and old friends John Gibbons and Alek Manoah

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah and bench coach John Gibbons This week in Deep Left Field, we take you through a Blue Jays week that ended with a bang - the first grand slam of the season and a walk-off, at that! Then Ernie Clement joins us to talk about the team's rough start to the season, his ever-increasing popularity (and visibility on your television between innings!), and how last season's late-May rebound weighs into the Jays' feelings about this season's issues. With the Angels having been in town, we catch up with a couple of old friends. Two-time Jays skipper John Gibbons sits down for a trip down memory lane and we chat with Alek Manoah about his return to the big leagues in his old home ballpark, as well as his meteoric rise with the Jays and the fall that sees him with his third different team in eight months. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Another rough week for the Jays, plus we continue celebrating the Jay's 50th season and the mailbag

Guests: Blue Jays alumnus Shannon Stewart, Jays catching coach Drew Butera, Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski This week in Deep Left Field, we force ourselves to look back at a rough Blue Jays Week That Was, in which they got to within one game of the .500 mark then lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep at the House of Horrors that is Tropicana Field. Continuing the celebration of the Jays' 50th season, we talk to Shannon Stewart, one of the greatest pure hitters in the history of the team, and hear his memories of those mid-'90s to early 2000s teams for which he played such a big part. We introduce you to Drew Butera, the Jays' new catching coach, and discuss his role on the team that he helped knock out of the playoffs as a member of the 2015 Kansas City Royals. Young Canadian Erik Sabrowski joins us as well. The Edmonton, AB native has posted a sparkling 1.55 ERA through the first 59 appearances of his big-league career. All that, plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

The Jays had a winning week, plus they get some help with players returning from injury

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, Boston Red Sox infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a winning Blue Jays Week That Was. With the injured players starting to return, the Jays went into Thursday's action just half a game out of a playoff spot in the American League. Dylan Cease has had a strong start to his Jays' career, posting a 2.87 ERA through six starts, leading the American League in strikeouts and not having allowed a home run yet. He joins us to talk about the first month of his seven years as a Blue Jay, how he feels he's performing, what he's seen from his new team and why he always looks over at third base before releasing the ball. Brandon Valenzuela has been a big-leaguer for just about a month now, and we check in with the rookie catcher to talk about the work he's doing in the batters' box, filling the shoes of Alejandro Kirk and just how much he likes the ABS system. Also, we catch up with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had a rough final outing as a Blue Jay in Game 7 of the World Series. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Listen: Brendon Little and Trey Yesavage down on the farm, plus closer controversy as the Jays start winning

Guests: Rehabbing Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage, Reliever Brendon Little, Team Canada/Buffalo Bisons pitcher Adam Macko This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a Blue Jays week that included a three-game winning streak but also saw the closer controversy take another step forward, likely with Jeff Hoffman losing his job, at least for a while. Then we go down to the farm in Buffalo to hear from Trey Yesavage after a truncated rehab start, check in with Brendon Little to see how he's dealing with life away from big-league pressure, and catch up with lefty Adam Macko after a strong World Baseball Classic for Canada and terrific start to the minor-league season. All that, plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Another rough week for the Blue Jays, a chat with Jeff Hoffman, plus the curious trade for infielder Lenyn Sosa

It was a rough week for the Blue Jays

Guests: Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer and reliever Joe Mantiply, Dodgers 1B coach Chris Woodward This week in Deep Left Field, we go over what was nearly a winless Week That Was for your Toronto Blue Jays, with two key players hitting the injured list and another set for regular-season- ending knee surgery. It was a rough week both on and off the field for the Jays, many of whom have been struggling with a bug that's tearing through the clubhouse. Eric Lauer believes he may have been Patient Zero for what he calls the "Flu Jays," and he joins us to talk about the team's rough start as they suffer through illness and injury. We meet the new guy, 35-year-old Joe Mantiply, who is here to help stabilize the bullpen with Brendon Little having been shipped out to Buffalo. Former Jay Chris Woodward, now first-base coach of the L.A. Dodgers, stops by to talk about winning the World Series at his former home and to reminisce about the early-2000s Jays teams he was a part of. All that plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Was Game 7 of the Blue Jays-Dodgers 2025 World Series the greatest baseball game ever?

For a few fleeting hours on Nov. 1, 2025, Toronto felt like it might be 1993 all over again. And though the Blue Jays didn't win the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, some people ask if that winner-take-all Game 7 might have been the greatest baseball game ever played. That's probably a hard idea to stomach if you're a Blue Jays fan, but the advanced statistics might support it. MLB analysts have discussed it, online community groups have debated it, and according to the numbers, Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA) changed win probability more times than in any other game in history. The only thing that game was missing was a walk-off win. Had that happened you can all but guarantee more Canadians would have supported the idea of it being the greatest baseball game in history since it would have meant their team came out on top. Toronto Star baseball columnists Mike Wilner and Gregor Chisholm break down some of the plays and analytics within what is undoubtedly in the conversation as one of the greatest baseball games — and World Series — ever played. Editor's note: You can watch this as a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJyTXYJwivQ

The Blue Jays opening week that was

Guests: Blue Jays pitchers Max Scherzer and Spencer Miles, Athletics outfielder Denzel Clarke This week in Deep Left Field, we go over the Blue Jays' week that was, which featured a sweep of the Athletics and an ugly series loss to the sad-sack Colorado Rockies, with a special emphasis on Cody Ponce's catastrophic knee injury and what that means for the rotation. Then we hear from two Jays pitchers at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. Max Scherzer is starting his 19th season in the big leagues and is ticketed for immortality in Cooperstown when he's done. Spencer Miles is a rookie, selected in the Rule 5 draft, who still hasn't hit the 25-inning mark as a professional. Incredibly, the two hurlers are linked by a Missouri snowstorm. They both tell us that story. Also, Pickering's own Denzel Clarke made an opening day roster for the first time in his career, after playing for Canada at the World Baseball Classic for the second time. We catch up with the centre field magician as we look out at the stands where he saw his first big-league game. All that, plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!