Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

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 st...

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 K...

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 long...

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...

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...

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...

The Yankees are off to a historic start, led by a dominant rotation putting up one of the lowest ERAs to begin a season in over a century. We break down what’s fueling their early success, including standout performances from Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and a healthy Giancarlo Stanton. Plus, are the Pittsburgh Pirates actually for real? With elite pitching, emerging prospects, and a strong start to...

The new ABS Challenge System is an absolute GAME-CHANGER for baseball. It fixed brutal missed calls, upheld the tight ones, got crowds roaring, and adds a fresh layer of strategy and excitement for fans. Best part? Challenges are lightning fast — often just 10 seconds. Key ABS Stats from the Weekend: 10 oldest umpires: 69% of calls overturned 10 youngest umpires: 39% overturned Across 47 games: 94...

Opening Day is in the books and it delivered chaos, surprises, and some BIG early storylines across Major League Baseball. Paul Skenes had a tough first outing and didn’t make it out of the 1st inning... but there’s more to the story than the box score. On the other side, Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers looked dominant, raising the question: are they already the team to beat in the American Le...

The 2026 MLB season is here! And it’s time for Ben's full World Series prediction and award picks. In this episode, Ben breaks down his picks for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP in both the American League and National League, along with his full playoff bracket and World Series champion. There are a few award races that feel wide open… and at least one prediction that might surprise you. Pl...

The National League might run through the Dodgers again… but it’s not that simple. In this episode, Ben breaks down my full 2026 National League preview! Including division-by-division predictions, playoff teams, and who he thinks is representing the NL in the World Series. Can Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers dominate again, or is there a team ready to take them down? Plus, I’m giving away a copy of...

The American League might be the most unpredictable it’s been in years. In this episode, I break down my full 2026 American League preview! including division winners, playoff teams, and who I think is representing the AL in the World Series. Some teams I’m higher on than most… and at least one contender I’m not buying. Plus I’m giving away a copy of MLB The Show 26 Digital Deluxe Edition. Listen...

Venezuela upset USA in the World Baseball Classic Final. Ben Verlander breaks down the WBC final and what this win means for Venezeula and how big of a disappointment this is for Team USA. Ben interviewed Miguel Cabrera, Gleyber Torres, and Eugenio Suarez after the win. CHAPTERS:0:00 INTRO0:45 VENEZUELA DEF. USA2:48 VENEZEULA WINS 1ST WBC CHAMPIONSHIP3:45 MIGUEL CABRERA4:15 WHAT THIS MEANS FOR VEN...

Ben Verlander breakdown the instant classic between the USA & Dominican Republic LIVE from the field in Miami. Ben also talks about the atmosphere and why attending a World Baseball Classic should be in every baseball fan's future. He talks about Japan failing to make it the Semis for the first time ever & also takes a brief look ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

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 t...

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 celebrat...

🔥 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 ExcusesThis 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 talkin...

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 INTRO01:50 TARIK SKUBAL JOINS03:00 SPRING TRAINING04:30 HOW...

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 Biche...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 INTRO01:30 TIGERS SIGN F...

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...

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 Nati...

Ben Verlander is finally back from his wedding & honeymoon to recap and breakdown all the latest big offseason moves in the MLB. The reigning champs signed the biggest free agent again this offseason in Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets pulled Bo Bichette away from the Philadelphia Phillies and more! 00:00 INTRO01:30 BICHETTE TO METS08:00 BREGMAN TO CUBS13:00 WHAT DO THE PHILLIES DO?19:30 TUCKER TO D...