Advertise on podcast: Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Guests: Canadian television icon Paul Sun-Hyung Lee; Clare Blackwood, The Beaverton; Second City alumnus Conor Bradbury This week in Deep Left Field, we gather a roundtable of Blue Jays fans from the stage and screen to do a year-in-review of the Jays' first-to-worst performance in 2026. Along the way, we reflect back on the 2025 World Series, the early and late disappointments - with some excitement in the middle - of this past season, and the roster decisions that have saddened some Jays' fans who don't want to break up the band quite yet. We also talk about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s terrible season, and the fans' reaction to it, and Paul gets angry about the impending lockout. Remember to fill up the mailbag with your Jays' thoughts, comments and questions at [email protected]!

Guest: Dave Stieb, the greatest Blue Jay in club history (according to the Toronto Star Top 50We ranked the top 50 greatest Blue Jays of all time)   This week in Deep Left Field, we present to you the greatest Blue Jay of all-time. Dave Stieb joined us to talk about his place in the Jays' Hall of Excellence, some of his great teammates and an incredible career that goes mostly unacknowledged south of the border, though we all know and appreciate what he did up here.   Also, we give the champion Milwaukee Brewers their due. They were the best team in MLB during the regular season and lost only once on their way to the World Series, where they dominated the best the American League could offer in the Tampa Bay Rays.   And we open up the mailbag - which will be looking for your contributions all off-season - [email protected]!

Guests: Former Blue Jays Danny Jansen, Kevin Kiermaier and Luke Maile; Mike Cieslinski, creator of Dynasty League Baseball Powered by Pursue The Pennant    This week in Deep Left Field, we discuss the impending 2026 World Series with some former Blue Jays who know a thing or two about the teams involved. Kevin Kiermaier, a Tampa Bay Rays legend after a decade on the gulf coast, joins us to talk about his days at the Trop and what it means to him and to the Tampa-St. Pete fan base for the Rays to be back in the All this, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays 2026 Rookie of the Year and 2026 Unsung Hero    This week in Deep Left Field, we continue to present the Blue Jays 2026 award winners as voted by the players, coaches, front office and support staff. Unlike last week, when only one interview was required to hear from both the Jays' 2026 MVP and Pitcher of the Year (since they were the same guy, Dylan Cease), the Rookie of the Year and Unsung Hero are different people, although they were both rookies. You'll hear from both of them in this episode. As well, you get my thoughts on how the post-season is unfolding, and how the Milwaukee Brewers' NLCS success could put the lie to ownership's contention that big-payroll teams are guaranteed championships and, therefore, a work stoppage is necessary so that a game-saving salary cap can be implemented. Also, I go over the Jays' five Gold Glove finalists. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays MVP and Pitcher of the Year; Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters    This week in Deep Left Field, we pay tribute to the late, great Larry Millson, then begin our reveal of the winners of the Blue Jays 2026 Awards as voted on by the players, coaches and support staff. You'll hear from the player the Jays voted their Most Valuable and the Pitcher of the Year! Also, we get to know Tristan Peters, the Winkler, Manitoba native who burst onto the major-league scene this year to become an all-star in his rookie season and is currently trying to get his Chicago White Sox past the Cleveland Guardians and into the American League championship series. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

This week in Deep Left Field, we dive into the end-of-season post-mortems held by Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins on Wednesday.   We break down what Shapiro had to say about his feelings watching the heart-warming final weekend of the Jays' miserable season and about the looming labour dispute.   Then we wade through what Atkins said about having baseball's worst offence in 2026, with an emphasis on what he saw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., how the Jays plan to help him find his way out of it and much more!   All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays outfielder George Springer, pitcher Max Scherzer, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, associate manager DeMarlo Hale     This special bonus episode of Deep Left Field comes to you as the Blue Jays wrap up what's been a frustrating and disappointing season with an incredibly emotional Game 162, leaving their fans with a good taste in their mouths for what promises to be a long off-season. We'll hear from Max Scherzer, who turned back the clock Sunday, and George Springer, who picked up a double in his final game with the Jays, about treasuring their time in Toronto and dealing with the feelings of what could have been their last game in the big leagues. Brandon Valenzuela, who caught Scherzer's masterful effort, joins us to talk about it (and fight back tears) and Jays' associate manager DeMarlo Hale is here to break down a truly ugly season that no one saw coming. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays playoff dreams have been extinguished. What looked only a couple of weeks ago like a team that had another playoff run in it has limped to the finish line, with 11 losses in 16 games through Wednesday's doubleheader sweep in Baltimore in which the Jays were mathematically eliminated after the first game. My Toronto Star Blue Jays beat partner Gregor Chisholm joins me to dissect what went wrong in the Jays' quest to defend their American League pennant, from injuries and underperformance to poor roster construction that led to overreliance on certain players. We also get into Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s viral comments about his contract. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage, prospect pitcher Josh Stephan   This week in Deep Left Field, we go over an up-and-down "week that was" for the Blue Jays, who find themselves a game and a half out of a playoff spot with nine games to play as they head into their final road trip of the regular season.   We also take a trip down to the farm, where we catch up with rookie Trey Yesavage, who made what he hopes will be his only rehab start for the Buffalo Bisons on September 15. The right-hander tells us what he thought of the five-batter, 34-pitch outing.   As well, we'll introduce you to Josh Stephan, one of several young starting pitchers acquired by the Jays at the August 3 trade deadline. He came over from the Texas Rangers, along with Josh Smith, for Adam Macko.   All that, plus your thoughts, comments and questions in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Blue Jays all-time great Carlos Delgado   This week in Deep Left Field, we take a deep dive into the muddled mess that is the "race" for the final playoff spot in the American League, of which the Blue Jays are very much a part.   We look at all the teams, their schedules, the math, the expectations, and what the Jays need to do in order to be a playoff team for the fifth time in seven seasons.   We also have an expansive mailbag segment, making sure that you get your voice heard at [email protected], touching on the playoff race, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s struggles, answering the question of who is the fastest Blue Jay and more!   And we're thrilled to be joined by the man whose name rests atop almost all the major categories in the Blue Jays offensive record book. Carlos Delgado stops by to talk Hall of Excellence, his Jays years and more!

Guests: Blue Jays pitchers Joe Mantiply, Paul Sewald, Jameson Taillon; infielder Sean Keys   This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays have surged to within half a game of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games, including a big series win in Cleveland.   We go over the week that was, highlighting a sweep of the Seattle Mariners and what may have been Vladimir Guerrero's breakout game in an 11-0 pounding of the Guardians.   Right-hander Jameson Taillon, who will start Friday's series opener in Kansas City, joins us to discuss his deep Canadian connection and to talk, honestly and openly, about his struggles with the Chicago Cubs this season.   We hear from Sean Keys, a rookie enjoying a playoff race in his first taste of the big leagues, and a pair of veterans - relievers Joe Mantiply and Paul Sewald - who were teammates on the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that got all the way to the World Series after sneaking into the post-season in the last wild card spot.    All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, Jays icon Buck Martinez     This week in Deep Left Field, it's the first time in a long time that the Blue Jays have lost ground in the playoff race, but they're heading into September well within striking distance of the leader in the chase for the American League's final wild card spot. Thursday, that's the Cleveland Guardians, but that seems to change on a daily basis. We look back at the Jays' 3-3 Week That Was, with an emphasis on the Shane Bieber injury news that has made the climb toward a playoff position that much more difficult. Dylan Cease joins us, possibly on the way to a Cy Young award, to talk about what the Jays have to do in September to make it back to the post-season. He also discusses his artistic endeavours, with his work currently on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and how much he's gotten to explore Toronto in the first season of his seven-year deal with the Jays. Buck Martinez is being inducted into the Jays' new Hall of Excellence on the weekend, and the iconic Jays player and broadcaster, who also managed the team for 215 games, joins us to reflect on an incredible career that is more than deserving of Blue Jays immortality. Plus, a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, star of Kim's Convenience, The Mandalorian, Murdoch Mysteries, and so much more   This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on the cusp of a playoff berth as they come out of their toughest fortnight of the season, playing exclusively against the three best teams in the American League.   Going into Thursday, they're 6-3 so far and have closed to within one game of the final wild card spot in the AL.   We talk to Canadian icon of stage and screen - and huge Blue Jays fan - Paul Sun-Hyung Lee about everything that the Jays and their fans have gone through this season, with a special emphasis on Wednesday night's Jesus Sanchez Experience.   Also a look back at the Jays' week that was and a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Canadian baseball great Joey Votto, Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez and pitcher Spencer Miles This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on a roll and have closed to within a game and a half of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games. We talk to the Jays' "Captain Clutch," Andres Gimenez, about how he seems to elevate his game to produce in big spots, and to Rule 5 rookie Spencer Miles about notching his first big-league save Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox. And we are thrilled to have Joey Votto join us for a wide-ranging conversation about his post-retirement life, how he worked to become one of the greatest hitters Canada has ever produced and what he thinks has gone wrong with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Chicago Cubs pitchers Kevin Gausman and Trent Thornton; Blue Jays third baseman Josh Smith   This week in Deep Left Field we travel to the north side of Chicago to see Kevin Gausman in his new digs at venerable Wrigley Field.   The hope was to see Gausman square off against the team that traded him less than a week ago, but he felt that might be a bit too much.   Instead, we got what might be our last conversation with the right-hander for a while. He compares Wrigley to the Rogers Centre, reiterates his love for Toronto but also says how happy he is to be in a winning situation in Chicago.   We also speak to former Blue Jay and now Cubs pitcher Trent Thornton, who raves about his new team's acquisition of Gausman and looks back at his own Jays days, plus one of the new Jays acquired at the trade deadline, infielder Josh Smith, joins us to introduce himself to the masses.   All that, plus your Bluejays comments and questions in the mailbag at deepleftfield@the star.ca!