Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

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

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 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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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!

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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!

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