#526: Blue Jays' John Schneider (from 2018), A's Joshua Kuroda-Grauer

October 24, 2025·1 hr 47 min·5 clips

Sam and Tyler clash over whether the Dodgers' dominance or the Blue Jays' momentum will decide the World Series.

This episode of The Show Before the Show, the official Minor League Baseball podcast, features hosts Tyler Maun, Sam Dykstra, and Benjamin Hill. They discuss recent MiLB news and preview the 2025 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. The hosts revisit a 2018 interview with then-Double-A manager John Schneider, now the Blue Jays' big-league skipper. Benjamin Hill reports the Frederick Keys are returning to affiliated ball in 2026 as a High-A Orioles affiliate, unveiling a refreshed logo featuring literal keys. Five new MiLB ballparks are set to open in 2026: CarMax Park in Richmond, a new stadium in Wilson, ONT Field in Ontario, Erlanger Park in Chattanooga, and a new park in Hillsboro. The Modesto Nuts, replaced in the California League, will become a Pioneer League team, with fans voting on new names like the Graffiti, Bombers, or Harvesters. The hosts analyze the World Series matchup, highlighting Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s emotional ALCS performance and Shohei Ohtani's historic three-homer game as a pitcher-DH. They note the Dodgers' rotation strength with Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and a bullpen featuring Roki Sasaki. Tyler Maun predicts the Dodgers will win in six games, while Sam Dykstra favors the Blue Jays in a potential seven-game series. A surprising claim is that teams winning seven-game LCSs are historically unbeaten against teams coming off sweeps in the World Series. A memorable moment is the discussion of Hazel Mae's emotional interview with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after the ALCS. The hosts express astonishment at Shohei Ohtani's dominance, with Sam Dykstra calling him "the best baseball player we're ever going to see." The tone is conversational and enthusiastic, blending news updates with passionate baseball analysis and nostalgia. The style is informal and banter-filled, with hosts joking about time zones and conspiracy theories regarding Roki Sasaki's regular season. Minor league baseball enthusiasts and fans of franchise history would love this episode for its deep dive into team branding, new ballparks, and the John Schneider interview archive. Listeners seeking only Major League playoff analysis might skip the first half focused on MiLB updates.

As heard by us

A conversational look at Double-A development, bullpen management, and the practical side of a faster game.

The episode starts with time zones and daylight savings chatter, then settles into a manager's view of what changes at Double-A. From there, it stays focused on development, bullpen use, preparation, and the value of a team that has already lived through a playoff atmosphere…

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Why you'd press play

If you like baseball talk that starts with chaos and ends with bullpen truth, press play.

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