Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

World Baseball Classic pool play is officially in the books — and the drama delivered.

Team USA barely survived after a shocking loss to Italy, while Samurai Japan continued their dominant run and the Dominican Republic proved why they’re one of the tournament favorites.

In this episode, I break down what went wrong for Team USA, why Italy deserves way more credit than they’re getting, and which teams have been the most impressive so far in the WBC.

We also take a look at some of the great stories from pool play — including Canada advancing to the knockout stage for the first time ever and the incredible atmosphere created by fans around the world.

Plus, I re-rank the top teams left in the tournament and preview the upcoming quarterfinal matchups.

Quarterfinal matchups:

Korea vs Dominican Republic

USA vs Canada

Puerto Rico vs Italy

Venezuela vs Japan

The knockout stage is set — and the road to the World Baseball Classic championship is about to get even better.

0:00 Intro

1:29 Team USA disappointment

10:56 Team Italy dominates

13:50 Canada Advances

18:48 Latin America making WBC fun

25:55 Re-Ranking WBC team

31:00 QF matchups

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The World Baseball Classic is off the charts this year, and it’s not even halfway done! In this episode, we break down all the must-watch moments and biggest storylines so far:

Team Japan punches their ticket to Miami, dominating Pool C with a relentless lineup and unforgettable performances.

Team Korea pulls off an insane 3-way tiebreaker over Australia—7-2 in the 9th inning, ending in a celebration you have to hear to believe.

Team Dominican Republic is redefining fun in baseball, playing with energy, flair, and pure excitement. Forget the “old way”—this is baseball made for the fans!

Team USA sits 2-0 entering a massive clash against Team Mexico, fighting to break a 20-year losing streak in the WBC rivalry. Gunnar Henderson, Paul Skenes, and the squad bring intensity, emotion, and unforgettable highlights.

We also recap the other top teams, key players, and pool play drama, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, and more. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or just tuning in for thrilling baseball, this episode has everything: historic rivalries, clutch plays, and a behind-the-scenes look at the excitement you can’t see on TV.

Tune in, subscribe, and get ready for all the WBC highlights, analysis, and stories that make this tournament one of the greatest spectacles in sports.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome

01:49 WBC Updates

14:00 USA vs Mexico

20:15 Team Japan

31:30 Upcoming WBC

34:00 Outro

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🔥 The 2026 World Baseball Classic is here — and this might be the most loaded tournament we’ve ever seen.

20 teams. 4 pools. 2 weeks. 1 champion.

In this episode, we break down everything you need to know:

🇺🇸 Team USA – No More Excuses
This is tournament number six. The U.S. has won once. With Aaron Judge wearing the captain’s “C,” a loaded lineup, and real pitching depth, it’s time to stop talking and start winning. We dive into their dominant 15–1 exhibition performance and why the pressure has never been higher.

🇯🇵 Japan – The Juggernaut
Three-time champions. Seven MLB players, including Shohei Ohtani, plus elite stars from NPB. Don’t sleep on the names you don’t recognize — Japan might still be the best team in the world.

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic – A Superteam
Vladdy. Soto. Tatis. Machado. Julio. And that’s just the lineup. Managed by Albert Pujols, this team brings unmatched energy and star power. Is this the most talented roster ever assembled in WBC history?

We also cover:

⚾ Full pool predictions & knockout bracket
⚾ Why WBC insurance rules are becoming a major issue
⚾ The impact of Jurickson Profar’s suspension
⚾ USA vs Japan finals prediction

First pitch from the Tokyo Dome is here — and the global baseball stage is set.

Who wins it all: USA, Japan, or the Dominican Republic?

Let’s break it down. 🎙️🔥

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Ben Verlander welcomes Los Angeles Dodgers' Kyle Tucker to the show. They discuss what made him choose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, first impressions of Shohei Ohtani & so much more!

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Ben Verlander welcomes Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to the show! They discuss Skubal's decision to play in the World Baseball Classic and how much USA Hockey fired him up to play in the WBC. He also discusses his offseason dealing with arbitration and the Tigers signing Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez & so much more!

CHAPTERS:
00:00 INTRO
01:50 TARIK SKUBAL JOINS
03:00 SPRING TRAINING
04:30 HOW'S JUSTIN VERLANDER AS A TEAMMATE?
09:00 THE OFFSEASON
10:50 ARBITRATION PROCESS
15:35 DID YOU KNOW ABOUT FRAMBER?
16:50 TIGERS ROTATION
18:00 THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
20:00 USA HOCKEY FIRING UP MLB
24:00 USA'S BASEBALL DREAM TEAM
25:40 2026 TIGERS BASEBALL
29:00 TIGERS' YOUNGSTERS
30:00 ADVICE TO YOUNG BASEBALL PLAYERS
33:00 OUTRO

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MLB Spring Training news and reactions.

We discuss the Yankees Spring Training sewage situation, Bo Bichette at third base, Shohei Ohtani WBC update, Tarik Skubal pitching one game for Team USA, Arte Moreno comments, and recent MLB signings including Rhys Hoskins, Jack Suwinski, and Michael Conforto.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Skubal WBC Update

06:20 Yankees Sewage Nightmare

09:35 Bo Bichette Defense

14:25 Arte Moreno Comment

19:20 Shohei Ohtani Updates

24:28 Miguel Rojas Interview

Subscribe for weekly MLB news, reactions, player interviews, and more!

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Ben Verlander talks about what he thinks of the 2026 Detroit Tigers and his thoughts on the saga between the Philadelphia Phillies & Nick Castellanos. Ben also comments on how the ABS system will affect MLB tv viewing moving forward.

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Ben Verlander previews the World Baseball Classic now that the rosters have been set. He also talks about the best lineup, rotation & team in the WBC. The Detroit Tigers surprised the baseball world by giving Framber Valdez the highest AAV for the left-handed pitcher & Tarik Skubal also won his record arbitration deal. That and so much more on Flippin' Bats.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 INTRO
01:30 TIGERS SIGN FRAMBER VALDEZ
07:00 TARIK SKUBAL'S RECORD DEAL
18:00 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC PREVIEW
19:30 POOL A
23:10 POOL B
29:00 POOL C
31:50 POOL D
35:50 BEST LINEUP
38:30 BEST ROTATION
39:50 BEST TEAM
42:50 TOP 10 TEAMS
46:30 OUTRO

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Ben Verlander is back with the latest news in baseball. Ben hits on the Boston Red Sox after their trade of Jordan Hicks to the White Sox and revists the Rafael Devers trade. He also touches on the Chicago White Sox sneaky good offseason. Ben touches on Eugenio Suarez signing back with the Cincinnati Reds and why no one else was in on him. Finally, Ben talks about the latest World Baseball Classic news.

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Ben Verlander is back with another new episode of Flippin' Bats! Ben talks about the New York Mets big backup plan after missing out on Kyle Tucker by adding Bo Bichette & Freddy Peralta to the roster. Ben also talks about the drama between the Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers being very far apart on their arbitration numbers. Then, he touches on the Texas Rangers huge trade for Washington Nationals ace Mackenzie Gore & the remaining free agents available.

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