Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) 1st in MLB, Astros' Ronel Blanco suspended & Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. struggles

Ben Verlander and Alex Curry bring you everything you need to know about Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani in 'This Week In Shohei Ohtani News'. Ohtani became the first player in MLB with double digit steals and home runs. Ben also talks about the state of MLB City Connects after the Los Angeles Dodgers' second city connect was leaked. Ben also discusses Houston Astros' Ronel Blanco being ejected and suspended for sticky substances & more.
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Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) 1st in MLB, Astros' Ronel Blanco suspended & Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. struggles
• Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) 1...

[@FlippinBatsPod]

What is your stance on rosin & sweat in MLB?

[@joeydeemendoza]

In my opinion, the rules should be a little more flexible in terms of how and where rosin can be used by a player especially if a player is playing at a stadium/area that is known to be a hotter climate than most areas such as Houston Texas. I somewhat understand why the players cannot use it on the non throwing arm. But per the Ronel Blanco situation that was unnecessarily more complicated than it needed to be, i believe he should of been allowed to change his glove and move on

[@Michael-kf7gm]

It should be fair and consistent. Ronel Blanco is a scapegoat.

[@robg915]

Thank you Ben for calling out the biased MLB umpires.

[@user-oo4cv2fy6b]

lol he’s an Astros cheerleader what else is he supposed to do for that cheating franchise

[@robg915]

@user-oo4cv2fy6b Blanco literally asked the umps to check his throwing hand and they refused. But idiots like you will always point ro cheating because the Astros are just that good. I get it.

[@Lkidd99]

The Los Angeles Dodgers City connect leak is HORRIBLE and has nothing to do with Los Angeles AT ALL!!! I am a Dodger fan and want to literally protest this fun-fetti garbage.

[@JayDeafL]

Acuña has a lot of balls called strikes when he already has 2 strikes. Many of them outside. That has to be a huge factor for his struggles. He’s been affected mentally. He’ll swing at bad pitches and/or be late swinging. His strikes zone is inconsistent.

[@theirishman6825]

MLB needs to have some testing after an instance where a pitcher was ejected, before any kind of suspension is applied. If the substance is found to be rosin only, there should not be anything more than a discussion with that pitcher about limiting rosin usage. If the pitcher is removed for a sticky substance within 90 days of the initial instance, then they are suspended if testing finds anything more than rosin is found. If a 3rd instance occurs during that season, including playoffs, than the player is suspended immediately, and the organization is fined a $ amount that goes into a study /program dedicated to finding a solution to this problem.

[@Isaac-qe2in]

Here's a thought- when you're doing a segment on these 'city-connect' jerseys (or whatever they're called), how 'bout zooming in on your monitor profiling the uniforms, so the audience might actually be able to see what you're referencing. I couldn't get a gauge on what any of these uniforms looked like from these clips in this segment to really have much of an opinion on them.

[@FAR.KB24]

Your reputation is your reputation man. It’s like credit and trust. Tough as hell to build it, easy as hell to destroy it.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

Wow, Ben got something right for once. Ronel Blanco should not have been ejected.

[@BobbyU808]

What does Shohei need to do to prove that he is the GOAT? Win 20 games, hit .350, bash 50 home runs and swipe 50 bases? Maranatha

[@mommygarcia9137]

I know right ! He’s the GOAT in my opinion !! Go Dodgers

[@Matt-Ludlow]

Acuna is late on every 95mph fastball right down the plate. He’s “in between” and not adjusting.

[@NandoA130]

"That's (...) TEAMWORK!" Go ahead Alex, tell Ben the name of that Tenacious D song. I dare you 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Matt-Ludlow]

Ben can you talk about the challenges of what an offseason does to a player? Players like Acuna or Goldschmidt after winning MVP awards come out with slumping seasons. What happens in the offseason with these guys?

[@realsinceday1632]

I understand what the colors symbolize but those Boston jerseys are terrible and you’re allowed to say that it doesn’t mean you’re disrespecting the marathon or bombing

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

Not a fan of the CC's as a whole. But I do like the Rays grit and glow ones the best. The neon green and blue colors with the flames coming off the top of each letter makes for an attractive presentation. The skate ray cap takes a little getting used to because it does not incorporate either the TB insignia or stingray as other Rays caps have done.

[@earlybird9679]

Sorry.. just heard about the latest Scottie Scheffler story unfolding at the PGA Championship... baseball has gotta take a backseat for the moment as Scottie playing a major in an orange jumpsuit takes center stage. 😲

[@Dr.DFA666]

0:55 in more concerned about Matt Olson

[@susantownsend8397]

City Connect jerseys… Detroit Motor City ! Love them. The VIN number on the inside made me laugh. Opinions differ on my Astros but I like them.

[@htxseth]

When is Ben gonna wear the city connect jersey I sent 😂?

[@silverwhiteknight]

It would be interesting to find out how has the injury of pitchers increased to all of this foreign substance banning enforced. It seems that the best solution would be for the league to provide an approved substance like rosin all around and just get rid of this nonsense

[@toonheaded1]

You're giving the benefit of a doubt to a team that lost it years ago. Anything they do know that looks SUS is SUS. Next umps are bad at calling strikes I get that but when they're judging something like stickiness and not where a 100mph fast ball crossed an hypothetical strike zone in a millisecond that it traveled through said zone. It's pretty easy to double check sticky stuff when u're given time to be there checking and verifying. Only thing that could have been added to this was to do a substance check at a lab the next day and then whatever it concludes u can put the suspension ban amount then or if any fines etc.....

[@davidstockman7405]

Jose Abreu just lost it from last year and got even worse this year sometimes you lose it and you can never get it back, but Acuna is much younger than Abreu

[@robertclark5478]

Ben’s gotta watch tenacious d pick of destiny lol

[@jeremiah_12]

Yeah Acuña’s head isn’t in the game like it should be. Too many K’s and the base-running has been terrible. Getting picked off twice by the Mets on basic pickoff moves and then the next day, he was picked off by Shota!!!! Olson and Riley, same thing.

[@oscarac7206]

Anyone who thought acuña is better than ohtani is out of their damn minds

[@Sjguitarpnw]

MLB has enough revenue and resources to figure out these "gray areas" in regulations besides ego/emotional Umpires decision making. Blanco's ejection and suspension is an absolute joke

[@jackgreenway4679]

I do agree that there needs to be consistency with the Blanco situation. It’s the consistency problem which makes this look bad if they have rules that make it where everyone is treated the same. I do think Blanco should have been ejected but I think that it shouldn’t be based on what umpire is umping.

[@susantownsend8397]

So you also think Yamamoto should have been ejected instead of being allowed to simply switch gloves.

[@jackgreenway4679]

@@susantownsend8397 no I never said that if Yamamoto switched gloves because they found stuff that is sticky and illegal in the glove then yes he should be throw out because you can’t cheat. Not saying that was the situation. The whole problem is tho is the umps are confusing players by not throwing out some players and throwing out and suspending others. All I’m saying is choose one or the other. So it’s easier on everyone playing and watching. This is coming from a Giants fan btw. It’s the rules that aren’t clear thats what’s causing all these other problems it stems from that.

[@susantownsend8397]

@@jackgreenway4679 Agree 💯. Need clarification and consistency.

[@billytumorenito]

Simple last year he came and worked out with Tatis Sr !! This year he did not come to work out with the patron !! Look at his hips and head every time he swings !! !! Hips opened and Head no in the the ball !! Reason why his swings is so late with fastball

[@augie2802]

RAJ numbers this year brings into question his numbers last year. Is he that good or is he this bad, or just average and had a career year last year….

[@Jbryan23]

This is a really goofy post with all due respect. Nobody wins the MVP and is a bad player. Acuna is a gifted player. He is off to a slow start, but he has been playing a few years years dude, so the sample size for anybody with an IQ, is ACUNA is one of the best outfielders in the game period. He has shown that way more than his struggles in 2024. I'm a braves fan and not that worried yet about it. I think he will snap out of it soon. For the record, Riley, Olson and Acuna are all struggling this year. When those bats come alive, this team will be lights out. Just my opinion...

[@jeremiah_12]

@@Jbryan23 You ain’t lying. It’s like he hadn’t watched Acuña before his MVP season (and pre injury). I had to laugh while reading those comments. Someone paying attention would not ask what he’s asking.

[@MaverickTomcat69]

Remember how Acuna said he's the 'best'? PMSL what a muppet .. he's no where in the same bracket as Ohtani, Trout, Judge

[@jeremiah_12]

So a player can’t say that he’s the best after coming off of an MVP season and setting some records? That makes him a “muppet?” Okay now….

[@jodymoney1186]

Generally, I'm not a fan of the City Connects. I'll go ahead and be the old man yelling at clouds; I'd much rather have more Turn Back the Clock games.

[@danielwetzel7777]

Yeah when RAJ got picked off 3 times in 2 games it was obv a lil bigger than a lil slump

[@kellytaylor7699]

Love the show,and really enjoy all that you do 💪 I am a Texas Rangers fan,and we just won our first world series I was going to see if you could do a 5-10 min segment on the world champions is all I just don't here much about the Rangers is all I love the show,and meant all with all respect 🙏

[@user-zb9op5wz3q]

why they are not a good team try being a good team for 7-8 years like the ASTROS!!! IT doesn't mean the astros will win the division but they will fight until the end

[@user-pc9gz8be6w]

Acuna got old???

[@user-li7cr2ut1n]

personally i don’t think there’s much leeway when it comes to the astros trying anything suspect

[@Michael-kf7gm]

Acuna is 100% better than Ohtani!

[@upsych1042]

Lol

[@FAR.KB24]

Someone’s an Astros fan.

[@kellytaylor7699]

You should do teams that are stacked,compared to good teams that players are not as popular Go Rangers

[@Michael-kf7gm]

Kyle Tucker has more home runs than Ohtani. Kyle Tucker is a better player. Period. But because Tucker isn’t from Japan, Ben isn’t going to show him the same love.

[@fuqwytes6458]

how is Ohtani's ERA that high when his ERA has never been that high EVER? please explain

[@mikio6444]

Good question.