Road to Opening Day with John Schneider + Mark Topkin's Rays Report

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker step into the box on Friday's edition of Blair and Barker with a promising update on Max Scherzer's thumb injury, before sifting through today's Blue Jays lineup. Manager John Schneider (15:56) joins the guys to discuss the latest on Scherzer, before getting into how Bowden Francis can build off of his strong second half of 2024, Yariel Rodriguez' form this spring, and how Will Wagner is fitting in at third base. John also sheds light on the plan leading up to Opening Day, how he wants his team to utilize the Automatic Ball-Strike system, the general reception of ABS from umpires, and who he envisions batting clean-up. Later, Marc Topkin (33:27) of the Tampa Bay Times checks in on Rays as they gear up to play the 2025 season from George Steinbrenner Field. Marc looks into how the minor league park could impact the team's offensive presence, the "big three" in Tampa's lineup, Shane McClanahan's status, and how former Jay Danny Jansen is fitting in. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.