AI Summary
5 min readBest of The Ben Maller Show
The National League MVP race has tightened dramatically. According to prediction markets, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has leapfrogged Shohei Ohtani as the betting favorite, a shift that Ben Maller calls "a thirst trap drama orama situation" driven by "acute Ohtani fatigue" and the fact that Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3rd. Maller is selling the PCA hype, arguing the Cubs outfielder is a "feast or famine" player who has historically been "great for three months and then absolutely horrific" for another stretch. Ohtani still holds "the ultimate cheat code" — the aura that comes from being a two-way player — even if there's no guarantee the Dodgers let him pitch again this season. "It's like the Beatles," Maller says. "You don't dethrone the Beatles because you had one hit single in the summer."
The Dodgers' alarming slide
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:16) **NL MVP Race Tightens: Ohtani vs. Pete Crow-Armstrong** - Ben introduces the shifting NL MVP odds, with Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) now reportedly ahead of Shohei Ohtani in prediction markets.
- 2 (09:48) **Dodgers' Sweep in Chicago & Dave Roberts' "Flush It" Comment** - Ben reacts to the Cubs sweeping the Dodgers and analyzes L.A.'s concerning recent play.
- 3 (16:32) **The Unintended Consequences of MLB's Anti-Tanking Lottery** - Ben argues that MLB's draft lottery, meant to curb tanking, has backfired by incentivizing teams like the Mets and Blue Jays to lose strategically.
- 4 (25:50) **Aaron Donald's "Perfunctory" Tryout with the Rams** - Ben discusses the news of retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald officially logging a tryout with the LA Rams.
- 5 (31:20) **Ty Simpson's Weak Training Camp Throws** - Ben addresses viral clips of Rams rookie QB Ty Simpson throwing a limp pass in practice and the resulting trolling.
- 6 (36:09) **Justin Herbert's PDA & Media Kid Gloves** - Ben discusses a viral video of Chargers QB Justin Herbert getting his hair stroked by his fiancée at training camp, questioning why he gets a pass from the media.
- 7 (45:41) **Speed Round: Bills RB James Cook, Aaron Rodgers, CeeDee Lamb** - Ben fires through rapid-fire takes on three NFL storylines.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Big Ben talks about Cubs OF Pete Crow-Armstrong pulling ahead of Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP front-runner, Aaron Donald having a free-agent style "tryout" for the Rams, Maller to the Third Degree, another edition of #AskBen, and more!
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