Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander

John Smoltz on Shohei Ohtani's MVP Case + The One Thing He'd Trade for Another World Series Ring

July 25, 2026·19 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

John Smoltz joins me for another edition of Saturday with Smoltz, and this week we start with the biggest question in baseball: Should Shohei Ohtani still be the favorite to win the National League MVP? We break down Shohei's latest injury update, what it means for the Dodgers, and whether the MVP race has become much more interesting. Then, Smoltz shares one of the most fascinating answers he's ever given on this show—revealing what he would've traded for another World Series championship. We also discuss: - The Dodgers' outlook - The MLB trade deadline - The biggest stories around baseball Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:30 Shohei Ohtani Injury Concern 3:11 Is Shohei Still the MVP? 4:26 Boston Red Sox Legit? 6:54 Was He Ever Almost Traded? 11:51 Favorite Part of All-Star Week 15:54 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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