Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

Latest Episodes:

Cubs Are Legit World Series Contenders! Astros Injury Nightmare + Junior Caminero is a STAR May 12, 2026

Show notes

The Chicago Cubs are off to one of the best starts in franchise history — multiple 10-game win streaks, leading MLB in OBP, wRC+, and WAR, and the best defense in baseball. Are they real World Series contenders who can beat the Dodgers and Braves? Plus, we break down why Junior Caminero is already a superstar at just 22 years old — 45 HR last season, 10 HR already in 2026, and looking like a future MVP. And the Houston Astros continue to be the most unlucky team in baseball — 16 players on the IL this year after setting the record for most injured team in MLB history in 2025. What’s going on with this injury curse? Full MLB Power Rankings + Team of the Week breakdown included. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:39 Are the Cubs World Series contenders? 5:20 Junior Caminero is a superstar 8:46 Bad luck Houston Astros 13:04 MLB Power Rankings 22:44 Team of the Week 27:43 Outro

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John Smoltz on Tarik Skubal injury and Framber Valdez meltdown + Ted Turner and John Sterling stories May 07, 2026

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John Smoltz on Tarik Skubal’s Elbow Procedure, Framber Valdez Meltdown & Sign Stealing Rumors John Smoltz joins Ben Verlander for a candid conversation on the biggest stories in MLB right now. We discuss Tarik Skubal’s elbow procedure and what it means for the Tigers’ ace. Then we break down Framber Valdez’s ugly ejection after giving up 7 earned runs, throwing at Trevor Story after back-to-back homers, and the ongoing mental side of his game. The Tigers desperately need Framber to step up as the leader of their staff, can he handle it? Plus: Sign stealing rumors and how prevalent it was during Smoltz’s playing days Remembering broadcasting legend John Sterling — Smoltz shares fun stories Remembering Ted Turner — classic stories from Smoltz’s time with the Braves

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

1:18 - John Smoltz Joins

1:25 - Smoltz on Skubal Elbow Surgery

5:11 - Can Framber Valdez lead a staff?

7:14 - Smoltz discusses sign stealing

11:30 - Smoltz remembers John Sterling

12:37 - Smoltz remembers Ted Turner

14:44 - Outro

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Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) News: Cy Young pitching CONTINUES but WHERE is the offense?! May 06, 2026

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Shohei Ohtani delivered his longest pitching performance of 2026 — going 7 innings for the first time this season and as a Dodger (since his second elbow surgery). He struck out 8, walked zero, and threw 89 pitches with 15 whiffs in a dominant outing. Yet the Dodgers continue to give him ZERO RUN SUPPORT! They’re just 2-7 in his last 9 starts and have scored nothing in his last 19 offensive innings on the mound. Ohtani now has a ridiculous 0.70 ERA (just 4 earned runs in 51.2 innings). On the offensive side, Shohei busted out of a major slump: 0-for-18, his second-longest hitless drought of his career, and 0-12 in one series. Am I worried? Will he be fine? Should he focus on one or another? Ben will answer it all this episode! Plus: Ohtani’s honest (and mature) comments on his slump, NL Pitcher of the Month honors, and more. #FlippinBats #MLB #shoheiohtani #dodgers #shohei #ohtani SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander content which includes a WEEKLY "This Week in Shohei Ohtani News": https://www.youtube.com/flippinbatspod?sub_confirmation=1 CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 1:06 - Shohei Ohtani pitching performance 9:13 - Shohei Offensive Struggles 11:04 - Ben Verlander Guarantee 12:00 - Shohei Offensive Struggles 15:55 - Dramatic HBP 16:53 - NL Pitcher of the Month 17:47 - Outro

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Ben Rice the best hitter in MLB?! Yankees SURGING + Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) stars in Team of the MONTH! May 04, 2026

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Ben Rice Is the Best Hitter in Baseball?! Murakami Leads MLB in HRs + Cardinals Surprise Ben Rice has taken over the Yankees, the former platoon hitter is now dominating with a 219 wRC+, leading MLB in OPS, SLG, and OBP while hitting .327 with 10+ homers. Is he the best hitter in baseball right now? Munetaka Murakami is a STUD. The White Sox believed in him when no one else would, now he leads all of MLB with 13 home runs in his first 32 career games (3rd-most ever) and has a 159 OPS+. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the biggest surprises in baseball at 20-14 in a rebuild year! Jordan Walker has completely figured it out. How? Plus: Latest Power Rankings (Yankees climb. Dodgers drop.) Team of the Month highlights (Ohtani, Mason Miller, Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez & more) Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Munetaka Murakami 4:53 - Cardinals hot start 9:20 - Ben Rice is a star 12:13 - Power Rankings 25:58 - Team of the Month 33:34 - Outro

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John Smoltz on Red Sox Chaos, Phillies Firing Rob Thompson & Power Rankings Debate (Braves, Dodgers or Yankees?) May 02, 2026

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John Smoltz on Red Sox Chaos, Phillies Firing Rob Thompson & Power Rankings Debate John Smoltz joins Ben Verlander for his weekly breakdown of the biggest storylines in MLB. We dive into the Boston Red Sox drama: What’s really going on with the organization after their coaching shakeup? Then we ask the tough question on the Philadelphia Phillies: Was firing Rob Thompson the right move, or is it still too early to panic on this talented (but struggling) roster? Plus: Power Rankings debate — Braves, Dodgers or Yankees at #1 right now? Smoltz shares his funniest mound visit story of all time Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:19 - Red Sox Fiasco 7:38 - Phillies Bad Start 11:29 - Smoltz #1 Team in Power Rankings 13:40 - Funniest Mound Visit Story 16:21 - Outro

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Red Sox Bloodbath: Cora Fired + Phillies Awful Start | Dodgers drop in new MLB Power Rankings Apr 28, 2026

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Red Sox Fire Alex Cora & Most Of Their Coaching Staff… Phillies Are Historically Awful + A brand new MLB Power Rankings with a BIG change at the top! The Boston Red Sox just fired nearly their entire coaching staff... but kept the people actually responsible. We break down the messy, petty drama: Alex Cora’s IG post,, the “Coaches for Hire” bus, and the awkward press conference where Breslow and Kennedy pointed fingers. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies are in total freefall! The worst record in baseball, worst run differential, worst defense (-17 DRS), and one of the worst offenses despite a $250M+ payroll. Are they living and dying by the home run too much? Plus: - Latest Power Rankings - Team of the Week highlights - Mexico City Series thoughts Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - Red Sox Fiasco 16:35 - Phillies Awful Start 22:54 - New MLB Power Rankings 32:18 - Team of the Week 36:11 - Mexico City Recap 38:22 - Outro What’s your take — did the Red Sox fire the right people? Are the Phillies in real trouble? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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Mets’ 11-Game Losing Skid, Shohei Ohtani's historic on-base streak continues, AL West is a mess & MLB Power Rankings + Team of the Week Apr 21, 2026

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Shohei Ohtani keeps making history his on-base streak is now at 51 straight games (dating back to August 24th of last season). He’s closing in on Barry Bonds, the Dodgers’ all-time record, and legends like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. We also react to one of the most wholesome moments you’ll see all week involving Jake Mangum. On the darker side: The New York Mets are in the middle of their longest losing streak in 22 years (11 games straight). Sitting at 7-15, they have the worst record in baseball tied with the Royals and are further out of first place than any other team. Is it time to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt? Plus, the AL West is a complete mess! Only a .500 team is leading the division, the Astros are struggling despite Yordan Alvarez raking, the Mariners look nothing like a contender, and the A’s and Angels are somehow the bright spots. We break down the latest Power Rankings and our Team of the Week, including standout performances from Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, Mason Miller, and more. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Shohei Ohtani’s 51-Game On-Base Streak 4:03 - Mets’ Historic Losing Streak 9:29 - The Awful AL West 12:40 - New MLB Power Rankings 23:27 - Team of the Week 31:03 - Wholesome Moment of the Week 32:20 - Outro What’s your biggest takeaway this week? Ohtani’s streak, the Mets collapse, or the AL West disaster? Let us know in the comments! SUBSCRIBE for weekly MLB breakdowns with Ben Verlander & John Smoltz: https://www.youtube.com/flippinbatspod?sub_confirmation=1 #ShoheiOhtani #Mets #ALWest #MLB #PowerRankings #FlippinBats Like Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flippinbatspod/ Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flippinbatspod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@flippinbatspod Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinBatsPod Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flippinbatspod/

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John Smoltz on Shohei Ohtani and Miller Cy Young Cases, Are the Braves Back? & Mets Concerns Apr 19, 2026

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John Smoltz joins Ben Verlander for a full breakdown of the biggest storylines in MLB right now. We dive deep into Shohei Ohtani’s Cy Young chances, how realistic is it for him to win one as a two-way superstar, and what would he need to do to take home the award? Can Mason Miller actually win the Cy Young as a closer? Smoltz shares his Hall of Fame pitcher perspective on what it would take for a reliever to win the award for the first time since Eric Gagné in 2003. Plus: - Are the Braves legitimately back after their brutal 2025 season? - The Mets’ early struggles, should we be worried? Smoltz gives his unfiltered takes on all of it, including his thoughts on pitching dominance, team identity, and what stands out early in the 2026 season. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:40 - John Smoltz joins the show 2:00 - Can Shohei win Cy Young? 8:28 - Can Mason Miller win Cy Young? 12:33 - Worried about the Mets? 15:59 - Are the Braves back? 18:11 - When will the Braves build a statue? 20:28 - Brewers baseball on display 23:47 - Outro What do you think — can Ohtani win Cy Young this year? Could a closer like Mason Miller actually take home the award? Drop your thoughts in the comments! SUBSCRIBE for weekly MLB conversations with John Smoltz and so much more: https://www.youtube.com/@FlippinBatsPod

#JohnSmoltz #ShoheiOhtani #MasonMiller #Braves #Mets #MLB #CyYoung #FlippinBats #baseball

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Ohtani Passes Ichiro Record, Are the Braves Back? + Mason Miller Cy Young Talk?! | MLB Power Rankings Apr 13, 2026

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Shohei Ohtani makes history by passing Ichiro Suzuki for the longest on-base streak by a Japanese-born player in MLB history, reaching 46 games — and the viral broken Ichiro statue moment adds to the drama.

After a disappointing 76-86 season in 2025 that saw them miss the playoffs and the entire projected Opening Day rotation hit the IL, the Atlanta Braves are off to a hot 10-6 start in 2026. They lead the league in home runs and rank 3rd in batting average despite ongoing pitching injuries. Are the Braves legitimately back?

We also dive into whether Mason Miller is on track for Cy Young contention — the first closer to win the award since Eric Gagne in 2003. Miller is dominating with a 0.00 ERA, 19 strikeouts in 7.1 innings, and perfect save opportunities so far.

Plus, MLB power rankings shakeup (Dodgers holding strong, Braves rising, Padres jumping, Yankees sliding), our Team of the Week, and more early-season storylines.

What do you think — are the Braves back, and could a closer actually win Cy Young in 2026? Let us know!

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John Smoltz on ABS Challenges, Braves Brawl & Early 2026 MLB Surprises Apr 08, 2026

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Hall of Famer John Smoltz joins Ben Verlander to break down the hottest topics from the first week-plus of the 2026 MLB season.

We discuss the new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System: Is it perfect? Is three challenges per team the right balance, or should MLB move to full ABS? Smoltz shares his unfiltered take as a former pitcher.

Then we relive the wild Braves-Angels brawl from Tuesday night, including Jorge Soler charging the mound and Braves manager Walt Weiss, Smoltz's former teammate, delivering a memorable tackle takedown.

Plus, the ongoing feud between Willson Contreras and the Brewers — especially Brandon Woodruff. Smoltz opens up about whether he ever had heated rivalries with specific teams or batters during his career.

We also cover the most surprising teams so far in 2026 — who’s exceeding expectations and who’s struggling early in the season.

What are your thoughts on the new ABS rules? Let us know in the comments or reviews!

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#MLB #JohnSmoltz #ABS #Braves #MLB2026

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

2:22 John Smoltz on ABS

6:16 Smoltz on Braves/Angels Brawl

10:33 Contreras vs Brewers Fued

13:30 John Smoltz Surprising Teams

17:32 Outro

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