MLB London Series FOX Bet Super 6: Host shares Cubs-Cardinals insight, picks

By Erica Renee Davis
Special to FOX Sports

After navigating the challenges of a high-profile career, most folks would be deterred from taking a swing at another. But not Ben Verlander. After getting drafted into the big leagues in 2013 and spending five years in the Detroit Tigers organization, Verlander launched a second act as an MLB analyst for FOX Sports.

"Baseball Ben is very similar to broadcaster Ben," the lively host of FOX Sports' Flippin' Bats divulged. "I eat, sleep and breathe what I do to the point that it keeps me up at night. And I probably do some things that most people in my position in this field don't do."

And some of those things, he told me, include personally pushing out his own content. In a world where handlers and managers are tasked with posing as the talent's voice, Verlander steps up to the plate to take charge.

"An episode will drop at 2 a.m., and I'll set the alarm for that time to get the link and then post it because I know that there are people awake. And I know there are fans in Japan who'll be up listening."

Baseball fans in Japan, by the way, have gained an affinity for all things Ben Verlander — the younger brother of NY Mets pitcher Justin Verlander. Flippin' Bats is the country's No. 1 sports podcast. And then there's Searching for Shohei, an interview special where the player-turned-host dived into Japanese-born Shohei Ohtani's meteoric rise to baseball stardom.

"I remember seeing a sign from one little eight-year-old girl who painted the Flippin' Bats logo and in Japanese it said, 'thank you for making the game of baseball fun. We love you.' That entire trip was so emotional. It definitely changed my life and was the coolest, most significant trip I've ever been on."

But Asia isn't the only destination outside the United States that has captured the analyst's eye in 2023. This Saturday in London, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will face off in an MLB game across the pond that can be seen on FOX and the FOX Sports App. And FOX Bet Super 6 has an MLB World Tour $10,000 contest featuring Game 1 of the two-game series.

So naturally, I pressed Verlander for some of his predictions for the June 24 Cubs-Cards showdown.

Per the talented host, the Cubs will have more strikeouts (12) than the Cards. When it comes to the team that will notch the most hits, Ben gives the Cardinals the edge with 15 since "they definitely have the better offense with Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, who just won an MVP award." Also, in the Saturday game, Verlander is taking St. Louis to win by three runs. 

"I just refuse to believe that the Cardinals are actually as bad as they have been this year."

Whether you're riding with Verlander's expert picks for the FOX Bet Super 6 challenge or coming up with your own, head over to the app and submit your own selections before the game starts this Saturday for a chance at the 10 grand.

And If you're in the prop market for throwing some money on Saturday's Over/Under run total, Ben's got some advice on that, too.

"I think this will end up being a high-scoring game. No, the Cardinals don't pitch very well, but they can hit. I think they'll be able to out-hit the Cubs — and hopefully, for my prediction's sake, by 3 runs."

I also pressed the broadcaster on where he's wagering his cash when it comes to MLB World Series futures.

"If I had to choose between the Cubs or the Cardinals to win it all, I'd pick the Cardinals. They've vastly underperformed, but the talent is there. They were a playoff team last year and have been for the majority of the last decade. If they could just get out of the hole they're in now, I'd take them over the Cubs."

However, a quick glimpse at the odds reveals to even casual bettors that the two squads squaring off in London this weekend are long shots for the Fall Classic. So I nudged him for his more realistic World Series pick based on the current lines.

"The Atlanta Braves were my prediction to win the National League and to be in the World Series this year, so I'm sticking with that."

Something else that the former Old Dominion University standout student-athlete is sticking to is his belief that, when it comes to kids training to become the next Verlander or Ohtani, parents shouldn't force it.

"AAU was dominant when I was growing up, and it's even more dominant now. You have teams telling kids that if they don't do [one sport] year-round, they're gonna fall behind. But I feel that if you're a good enough athlete, you're going to get recruited to go to the next level."

Even more sinister, he notes, is when moms and dads go too hard too soon.

"I see parents starting social media pages for their kids for the recruiting process at eight and 10 years old. That can take the fun out of baseball and make it seem like a job. And it shouldn't feel that way."

In his own job, though, Ben flexes his wit while pulling no punches. For example, he admits that his big brother Justin is his favorite MLB player. But he also concedes that the Mets have been one of the most disappointing teams this season.

"The Mets pitching staff was built to be the best pitching staff in the game of baseball, but they — like the Cards — are really underperforming. They've dealt with injuries, and their offense just hasn't been as good as it should've been.

"Mets won well over 100 games last season. This season, they're struggling to find .500 with one of the biggest payrolls in the history of baseball. That's not good."

The light at the end of the tunnel for the Mets this season might be non-existent, according to Ben's projection. But for the former pro player and current MLB analyst's own future? Well, he informed me that the forecast is bright, with a 100% chance of success.

"I work hard to be an evolving, younger voice in this sport that I love," he emphasized. "For me, it's not about being a traditional media personality, and it's not about never showing my bias. So in 10 years, Ben Verlander will still be working in baseball and growing it. I hope when I look back on this day, that I can say that I accomplished that goal."

And at the current pace — just like during his time on the field — Ben Verlander is poised to knock his career in front of the camera out of the park.

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