The Top Step with Ryan Rowland-Smith

Jason Kanzler’s first managing job is with the Seattle Mariners. He’s coached on a World Series winner in Houston and led player development for the Cubs. What made Seattle decide he was the guy for this clubhouse?

Former Mariner Bucky Jacobsen joins Ryan after their Home Run Derby practice session to discuss preparing for the event, his transition from professional baseball into sports radio and the lessons he learned during his journey to the major leagues.Bucky also goes pitch by pitch through the first home run of his MLB career—a massive shot against CC Sabathia during only his second day in the big leagues. He explains how working with Edgar Martinez before the game helped prepare him for the inside fastball that he eventually drove into the bullpen.Plus, Ryan examines the Mariners’ upcoming schedule, the difficult opponents waiting for them in August and the opportunity they could have if they remain within striking distance heading into September.Ryan has set his Home Run Derby over-under at 2.5 home runs. Are you taking the over or the under?Subscribe to The Top Step for weekly Mariners conversations, player interviews, baseball breakdowns and more.Subscribe now and get amongst it, mates! 🎥🔔Join the conversation!Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetopsteptvInstagram: https://instagram.com/thetopsteptv#mlb #mariners #SeattleMariners #mlbstats #baseballpodcast

The MLB trade deadline is almost here, and Ryan Rowland-Smith breaks down what the Seattle Mariners need to create a more complete offense and make a serious postseason run.Does Seattle need another right-handed bat? Would a versatile infielder be the better addition? Could one of the Mariners’ starting pitchers become a valuable trade piece?Then MLB Network’s Sean Casey joins The Top Step to discuss what he has seen from Cal Raleigh, why hitters sometimes press after a monster season and what Cal may need to do to have a strong second half. Casey also shares how the World Baseball Classic can disrupt a hitter’s normal preparation and routine.Ryan then surprises Sean with footage from their 2008 matchup and takes him through the memorable at-bat pitch by pitch.Plus, Sean Casey attempts to speak Australian, and Ryan answers a fan question about MLB’s new challenge system during Get On The Horn.What should the Mariners add before the trade deadline? And what does Cal Raleigh need to do to turn his season around? Let us know in the comments 👇Subscribe now and get amongst it, mates! 🎥🔔Join the conversation!Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetopsteptvInstagram: https://instagram.com/thetopsteptv#mlb #mariners #SeattleMariners #mlbstats #baseballpodcast

My reaction to Dan Wilson being let go. My recap of the season and getting used to the live session for the offseason!My first offseason live session. New episode is available with Aaron Goldsmith.

Grant Balfour joins Ryan Rowland-Smith on this week’s episode of The Top Step for one of the funniest conversations of the season.The former MLB All-Star reflects on representing Australia, returning to baseball through broadcasting and the mental reset players can get from the All-Star break. Then, Grant goes pitch by pitch through an unforgettable late-season battle with Jurickson Profar—and explains exactly how he tried to make hitters uncomfortable.Ryan also reveals the three things that could decide whether the Mariners reach October: smarter baserunning, another shutdown bullpen arm and Cal Raleigh finding his timing again.Plus, Grant joins Ryan for a special edition of How to Speak Australian and explains one of Australia’s fiercest sporting rivalries!

Bryce Miller is healthy, his velocity is back and his confidence may be higher than ever.Sitting inside the Marlins dugout in Miami, Bryce joins Ryan Rowland-Smith to explain what changed after a difficult, injury-filled season. He discusses rebuilding his body, adding weight, eating 4,000 calories a day and finally being able to trust his fastball and off-speed pitches again.Bryce also talks about the mental snowball that can happen when a pitcher loses velocity—and why trying to force more out of his body only made his command problems worse.This is an honest look at how Bryce Miller rebuilt himself and became the best version of the pitcher we have seen so far.

This week on The Top Step, Ryan Rowland-Smith is at T-Mobile Park breaking down one of the biggest questions in baseball: how much do coaches really impact players at the big league level?Mariners assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes joins the show from the dugout to talk about what really happens before games, how hitters use the cage, why trust matters, and how coaches help players like Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodríguez, and Josh Naylor stay locked in.Plus, Ryan answers a fan question about what actually gets said during mound visits, explains why Cal Raleigh is so valuable in those moments, and brings another edition of How To Speak Australian.

Nick Davila’s first MLB save came with one of the wildest lead-ups you’ll hear.One minute, he was at dinner celebrating his two-year anniversary. The next, he was getting a call that he was headed to Baltimore, racing to the airport, and taking a red-eye to join the Mariners.Then came the 10th inning.Ryan Rowland-Smith talks with Nick about the pressure, the mindset, the pitch sequence, and the moment he realized he had just locked down his first save in the big leagues.Also in this episode: Ryan makes his case for Bryce Miller as an American League All-Star and breaks down what separates starters from relievers when hitters see them multiple times in a game.

Hi [Name],Thanks so much — really appreciate the response.And absolutely, I completely understand the ROI side of things.I actually think there could be a really simple way to make this work for Lone Pine without it needing to be a huge sponsorship.My bigger goal with these events is to raise enough support to run our January clinics completely FREE for kids in Western Sydney.For Lone Pine, I was thinking something more along the lines of an Official Community / Hospitality Partner, rather than a major presenting sponsorship.There are a few ways we could make it tangible for you rather than simply putting your logo on a banner.For example:Lone Pine branding across the Travis Bazzana event and January free clinicsSocial media and email promotion through NxtGenA dedicated post recognizing Lone Pine for helping us provide free clinics for local kidsA trackable Lone Pine offer specifically for camp families — for example, a family meal offer using a unique NxtGen codePotentially a post-camp family gathering or another activation at Lone PineFamily dining vouchers/prizes at the eventA small number of camp/clinic spots that Lone Pine could give to staff or customersOn-site signage and recognition as a local community partnerThat way we could actually track how many NxtGen families visit Lone Pine rather than just hoping the sponsorship creates awareness.I was thinking somewhere around A$2,500–A$5,000, depending on how much we build into it.The bigger picture is that every partnership helps us reach the goal of providing the January clinics completely free to Western Sydney kids.I’d love to hear what would be most valuable to you from an ROI standpoint as well, because I’m very happy to shape it around what makes sense for Lone Pine.Thanks again — really appreciate the interest.Ryan

This week on The Top Step, Ryan Rowland-Smith sits down with Ferrer for a fun conversation about his nickname, his custom spikes, his journey through the minors, and what helped him develop into a lefty throwing 98 mph with sink.Ryan also goes pitch-by-pitch through a nasty at-bat, breaking down Ferrer’s inside sinker, left-on-left approach, and the slider that has quickly become a pitch to watch.Plus, Ryan debates the three most influential players in Mariners history, talks through his upcoming Mariners Legends Home Run Derby nerves, answers a fan question about whether hitters are adjusting to Mariners pitchers, and brings back How To Speak Australian.Who has been the most influential player in Mariners history? Let us know your list in the comments.Subscribe now and get amongst it, mates! 🎥🔔Join the conversation!Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetopsteptvInstagram: https://instagram.com/thetopsteptv#mlb #mariners #SeattleMariners #mlbstats #baseballpodcast