Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

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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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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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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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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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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