As the calendar turns to September, the entire baseball world’s sights are set on the 2025 Postseason and who will ultimately be crowned champion. While the playoff field is becoming more clear, there are still some notable questions that will need to be answered down the stretch.

Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman ask one big question for every postseason team currently in the mix including whether the New York Yankees are capable of beating good teams, how the Milwaukee Brewers will deploy Jacob Misiorowski, if the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff can stay healthy and whether the Chicago Cubs’ offense can get its groove back.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake and Jordan take a look at the Texas Rangers surging toward a postseason spot, now just 1.5 games out of a Wild Card berth. They also highlight some notable September call-ups from the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners & Kansas City Royals and discuss the Atlanta Braves making an interesting acquisition.

1:56 – The Opener: Rangers make playoff push
11:42 – Around the League: One question for AL postseason teams
34:39 – One question for NL postseason teams
1:06:15 – Jordan’s Prospect Hut: Notable September call-ups
1:12:17 – The Braves make a move

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After getting swept by the New York Mets this week, the Philadelphia Phillies were looking for a way to jumpstart their final push toward an NL East title at home—and were given an incredible boost on Thursday night. Kyle Schwarber swatted four home runs, a feat that has only been accomplished 21 times in MLB history, helping propel the Phillies to a victory against the Atlanta Braves.

Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the feat—which, oddly enough, has already happened twice this season—and how Schwarber’s stellar season could impact his upcoming free agency. They also debate how many home runs Schwarber would need this year to give Shohei Ohtani a run for his money in the National League MVP race.

Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake and Jordan talk about the upcoming MLB debut of Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle, Nolan McLean’s impressive first three starts for the New York Mets and why the Milwaukee Brewers could be facing some tough times after losing Trevor Megill. The guys close the episode by making their picks for The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

1:18 – The Opener: Kyle Schwarber’s 4-HR Game
14:01 – NL MVP Race Heating Up?
24:19 – Around the League: Payton Tolle Debut
34:40 – Mets Bring Up Big Arms
41:55 – Brewers Take a Blow
45:38 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

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_

The 2025 MLB season has not even reached the postseason yet, but we already have the schedule for what the 2026 season is going to look like. That schedule was released on Tuesday with some very notable takeaways. The season will get started in primetime with an Opening Night on Wednesday, March 25th as the New York Yankees fly across the country to visit the San Francisco Giants. The other 28 teams will start their seasons the next day for the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history, on March 26th. The New York Mets and Yankees will play each other in a series starting on September 11th for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Every team will be in action on the 4th of July to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday. The All-Star game will be in Philadelphia on July 14th. These are just a few of the many notable dates on the 2026 MLB schedule. Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss their thoughts on the schedule, what stands out to them and how they feel about a balanced schedule. Plus, the World Cup arrives next summer. How will these games affect MLB games?

Then, the guys talk to a legend as Cal Ripken Jr. joins the show! He talks with Jake and Jordan about his Hall of Fame career. He chats about breaking the record for most consecutive games played, what he thinks about current players not playing all 162 games, his transition after baseball and more!

Next, the guys chat through some notable news. The new Women's Professional Baseball League held tryouts recently, finishing up with their final day of tryouts at Nationals Park on August 25th. Over 600 women from 10 countries showed up to try out! Jake and Jordan talk about the impact this is having on the sport and where they hope to see this grow. Plus, the Mets call up a top pitching prospect to start Friday, Junior Caminero continues to impress at just 22-years-old and Garrett Crochet continues to make a case for the AL Cy Young.

Finally, the biggest news of the day, on Tuesday, didn't come from the baseball world, but it did come from the sports world as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced they are engaged. Jake and Jordan discuss who are the biggest celebrity couples involving an athlete. Are Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift bigger than Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe? Where might David and Victoria Beckham land in this debate?

All of this and more on today's Baseball Bar-B-Cast.

(1:54) - MLB 2026 schedule release

(29:39) - Cal Ripken Jr. interview

(56:50) - Women's Professional Baseball League

(1:03:54) - Mets call-up, Caminero impresses & Crochet pushes for AL Cy Young

(1:13:31) - Ranking Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift's celebrity couple stardom

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

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network

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_