Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

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Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander episodes

June 20 Saturday with Smoltz: How Serious Is Shohei Ohtani's Blister? + Braves Concerns Growing
Could Shohei Ohtani's blister become a serious problem as he chases one of the most historic seasons in baseball history?
This week, Hall of Famer John Smoltz joins the show to discuss the growing concern surrounding Shohei Ohtani's blister issue and how difficult it can be for pitchers to perform through finger injuries. After allowing just 5 earned runs through his first 10 starts before surrendering 7 in his last two, is the blister to blame or is it something bigger?
We also discuss whether there should be any concern surrounding the Atlanta Braves after injuries to both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr., the Mariners' unique piggyback pitching strategy, and the latest proposed Home Run Derby rule changes.
Don't miss another great baseball conversation with one of the greatest pitchers to ever take the mound.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:49 John Smoltz Joins
2:17 Braves Concern
5:38 Shohei Blister Issue
8:27 Mariners Piggyback
11:01 New Derby Rules
12:39 The Pro Tour
14:43 Outro
#MLB #ShoheiOhtani #JohnSmoltz #Dodgers #Braves #baseball

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18 min
June 15 Jacob Misiorowski Just Threw One of the Greatest Games in MLB History, White Sox prove they are LEGIT + MLB Power Rankings and more
Did Jacob Misiorowski just throw one of the greatest games in MLB history?
On this episode, we break down a truly historic performance from the Brewers’ young ace and ask the question everyone is now talking about: is Jacob Misiorowski already one of the best pitchers in baseball?
We dive into the dominance, the velocity, and the numbers behind a start that may have officially announced his arrival on the MLB stage.
Plus, the Chicago White Sox continue their shocking rise after years of struggles, the latest MLB Power Rankings shake up the league, and Braden Montgomery makes history with a walk-off home run in his MLB debut.
We also cover the Athletics’ wild week in their future Las Vegas home, Team of the Week, and all the biggest stories around Major League Baseball.
Subscribe for new episodes covering the biggest moments, players, and debates across MLB.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:39 A’s Play First Vegas Games
2:24 Jacob Misiorowski Becoming a Star
5:18 White Sox Keep Rolling
7:15 Braden Montgomery Journey
9:58 MLB Power Rankings
19:29 Team of the Week
25:55 Scottish Fans Take Over Fenway Park

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28 min
June 11 Is Shohei Ohtani Having The Greatest Season Ever? Leads MLB in ERA AND OPS
Is this the greatest season we’ve ever seen in baseball history?
In this week’s This Week in Shohei Ohtani News, we break down another unbelievable stretch from Shohei Ohtani as he continues to dominate both as a pitcher and a hitter at the same time.
Ohtani currently leads MLB in both OPS and ERA, a combination that simply shouldn’t exist. Through 10 starts on the mound, he’s posting one of the lowest ERAs in baseball history while also hitting over .300 with elite production at the plate. We dive into the numbers, the historic comparisons, and why what we’re watching right now may be unprecedented even in the long history of Major League Baseball.
From 0.74 ERA dominance to elite offensive production, on pace for one of the highest WAR seasons ever recorded, everything about Shohei Ohtani right now is pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
This episode is all about appreciating greatness — because we may be watching something we’ll never see again.
We also dive into his 11th start on the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates and how he did at the plate as well, blasting his 12th HR of the season!

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:15 Greatest Season Ever
7:00 Shohei’s Offense
9:17 Pitching Performance vs Pirates
17:37 Postgame Comments
21:19 Recap

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26 min
June 08 Roki Sasaki's Emergence, Astros A Playoff Team?! + Aaron Judge Injury Update | MLB Power Rankings
Has Roki Sasaki finally arrived?After an up-and-down start to his MLB career, Roki Sasaki is beginning to look like the dominant pitcher baseball fans were promised. We break down his recent surge, what's changed, and why his latest outing may be the clearest sign yet that he's figuring things out at the Major League level.Plus, Aaron Judge is on the injured list with a stress fracture, what play did it happen on? How long is he out? All that and more is answered! Shohei Ohtani continues to put up numbers that don't seem possible, Cristopher Sanchez's incredible scoreless streak comes to an end, and I explain why I believe the Houston Astros are going to make the playoffs.We also dive into Josh Naylor's heated weekend, Tarik Skubal's return, this week's MLB Power Rankings, Team of the Week, and everything else happening around Major League Baseball.Subscribe for new episodes multiple times per week covering the biggest stories, players, and moments from around the game.#flippinbats FlippinBats #MLB #shoheiohtani #houstonastros #rokisasaki #japan #npb #aaronjudge #tarikskubal #powerrankings
SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander content: https://www.youtube.com/flippinbatspod?sub_confirmation=1Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:41 Around The League Recap10:48 Roki Sasaki 13:45 Houston Astros17:05 Kevin McGonigle19:27 MLB Power Rankings28:56 Team of the Week37:43 UC Health HR Derby40:08 Outro

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43 min
June 06 Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) or Deion Sanders? John Smoltz Has His Answer
Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest athlete of all time?
This week, John Smoltz joins the show to weigh in on one of the biggest debates in sports. Smoltz not only faced some of the greatest athletes ever—he was also teammates with Deion Sanders. So when it comes to comparing Deion and Shohei Ohtani, his opinion carries more weight than almost anyone else's.
We discuss Ohtani's incredible season as he lowers his ERA to 0.74 while raising his batting average above .300, continuing one of the most remarkable two-way stretches baseball has ever seen.
Plus, we dive into whether the Yankees can survive without Aaron Judge, Cristopher Sanchez's dominant scoreless streak, and whether he has emerged as a legitimate Cy Young favorite alongside Ohtani.
All that and more with Hall of Famer John Smoltz on this week's episode of Flippin' Bats.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:20 John Smoltz Joins
2:41 Shohei Ohtani is UNBELIEVABLE
4:48 Better Athlete: Shohei or Deion
7:08 Cristopher Sanchez remarkable stretch
8:40 Cy Young Front runner?
9:50 Yankees OK without Judge?
10:33 Outro

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14 min
June 01 Braves First to 40 Wins + White Sox Are LEGIT! | New MLB Power Rankings
Braves First to 40 Wins + White Sox Are LEGIT! Tatis Finally Homers | Flippin’ Bats
The Atlanta Braves became the first team in MLB to 40 wins and continue to look like the best team in baseball.
Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox are officially for real, they’ve already matched their entire 2024 win total before June, Munetaka Murakami is smashing records with 20 HRs as a rookie, and the energy on the South Side is back.
Plus:
- Fernando Tatis Jr. finally ends his homer drought with a massive 451-foot bomb
- The Mariners have taken control of the AL West
- Christopher Sanchez vs Jacob Misiorowski — Who had the better month?
- Full Power Rankings + Team of the Month
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:24 Around the MLB
6:28 White Sox On Fire
9:30 Fernando Tatis Jr Homers
11:43 Sanchez or Miz in May?
16:14 New MLB Power Rankings
26:20 Team of the MONTH
31:00 Outro

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34 min
May 31 Most Disrespectful Celebration in MLB History?! Who is the Best Team In The NL Central? + Do Combined No-Hitters Count?
John Smoltz joins Ben Verlander for another great weekly breakdown.
We discuss:
- Does a combined no-hitter actually count as a real no-hitter?
- The wild NL Central race... Why the Cubs are such a rollercoaster while the Brewers remain the model of consistency (and how they turned Kyle Harrison into an ace).
- Who's the best in the NL Central?
- One of the craziest celebrations you’ll ever see! Abner Uribe’s over-the-top, derogatory strikeout celebration + the craziest thing Smoltz ever saw or did
Smoltz also shares his unfiltered thoughts on what counts as “disrespectful” in today’s game and his most memorable celebration stories from his playing days.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:34 Smoltz Joins
1:47 Do Combined No-Hitters Count?
4:21 Cubs or Brewers in NL Central?
7:04 How Do The Brewers Do It?
9:23 Most Disrespectful Celebration Ever?
13:00 Outro

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16 min
May 28 Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) 6 NO-HIT Innings + HISTORIC Leadoff Homerun | Case Closed: Ohtani Is The GOAT
Shohei Ohtani continues to do things no one has ever seen before.
For the second straight week, Ohtani hit a leadoff home run on the day he pitched, becoming the only starting pitcher in MLB history to do it in back-to-back games. He now ranks 3rd in Dodgers history for career leadoff homers in less than 2.5 years.
On the mound, he delivered another strong outing, lowering his ERA to an incredible 0.82! That's the 4th lowest through 9 starts since earned runs became an official stat in 1913.
We also dive into:
- Ohtani’s fiery emotions on the mound (including some loud F-bombs)
- His insane two-way dominance compared to Babe Ruth
- Why we should never take for granted what Shohei is doing right now
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:41 Shohei Keeps Making History
1:24 Shohei Ohtani Leadoff Homerun
4:48 Shohei Ohtani 6 No-Hit Innings
11:01 Shohei Ohtani is the GOAT
14:04 Outro

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17 min
May 25 Tigers Nightmare Season: Do They Have to Trade Tarik Skubal? + Cristopher Sanchez is UNSTOPPABLE
Tigers Nightmare Season: Might Have to Trade Tarik Skubal? + Christopher Sanchez is UNSTOPPABLE | Flippin’ Bats
The Detroit Tigers are in a full collapse, sitting at 21-33 after losing 8 games in a row. In this episode we discuss the nightmare scenario they’ve been dreading: whether the Tigers will be forced to trade Tarik Skubal if they can’t turn things around soon.
Plus:
- The Milwaukee Brewers are a Factory! How they turned Kyle Harrison into an absolute ace (1.77 ERA) with a simple mechanical tweak.
- Christopher Sanchez is the most underrated player in sports on a 37.2 scoreless inning streak, currently the favorite to win the NL Cy Young, and putting up historic numbers.
- Full Power Rankings + Team of the Week included.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:33 Tigers playing BAD baseball
6:10 Brewers are a FACTORY
9:50 Cristopher Sanchez is ELITE
12:55 New MLB Power Rankings
21:45 Team of the Week
26:28 Outro

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30 min
May 21 FULL Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) Experience vs Padres + Shohei ALMOST TRADED WHERE?! 👀
This Week in Shohei Ohtani News: Leadoff HR + ERA Drops to 0.73… He’s BACK!
Shohei Ohtani delivered the full superstar experience in the 1st inning! Hitting a leadoff home run (the 2nd time a pitcher has ever done it in MLB history, joining himself) and dominating on the mound.
On the mound:
5 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, lowers his season ERA to a ridiculous 0.73 — the lowest through 8 starts in the live-ball era (since 1920) outside of a few all-time great seasons.
At the plate:
He’s absolutely on fire lately! 13 hits in his last 24 at-bats, and he DOMINATED his former team the LA Angels. A “down year” for Ohtani is still a career year for most players.
Plus:
- The crazy story of the Angels almost trading Ohtani to the Rays for Junior Caminero right before the 2023 deadline
- Ohtani’s honest post-game comments
- Historic two-way dominance
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:43 1st Inning Ohtani Experience
1:30 Pitching Performance vs Padres
6:32 Shohei’s Offense is BACK
13:40 Ohtani almost traded WHERE?!
18:18 Outro

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22 min

About Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

From the publisher's feed

Flippin' Bats is a fun baseball podcast bringing you everything you want from around the league! You'll hear from Hall of Famer John Smoltz every week, you'll hear from the game's best players, and…