Baseball is a unique sport in more ways than one. For a team to be successful, it takes camaraderie and buy-in to reach a common goal. It is also impossible for this to happen without individual success.
We often compare a pitcher and hitter to a ‘cat and mouse,’ or a chess match where one is trying to out-smart the other. We have some pitcher/hitter matchups to be on the lookout for today. Let’s take a look at the three most intriguing matchups on Tuesday’s slate.
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Sandy Alcantra vs. Juan Soto
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantra and New York Mets slugger Juan Soto are division rivals once again. Back in Soto’s days with the Nationals, these two would face off quite a bit.
Soto has stepped in the batter’s box 44 times against Alcantra, racking up 11 hits including two that have left the yard. He has also been able to put the ‘Soto shuffle’ on display against Alcantra, walking six times.
Soto is 4 for 13 on the season with a home run. Alcantra received a no-decision in his first start against the Pittsburgh Pirates where he only lasted 4.2 innings, striking out seven but walking four. Many expect Alcantra to have a Cy Young type season and Juan Soto is the richest player in baseball history. This will be an exciting matchup to watch for on Tuesday.
Corbin Burnes vs. Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt will get the opportunity to take on one of his former teams at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night when Arizona comes into town. Goldschmidt played the first eight seasons of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he appeared in six All-Star games. Now wearing pinstripes, Goldschmidt is looking to show the Yankee faithful that they can believe in him.
The Diamondbacks will send Corbin Burnes to the mound. Burnes is in his first season with the D-backs after spending the majority of his career in Milwaukee with the Brewers. Between 2019-2023, Burnes and Goldschmidt faced each other several times as division opponents.
Goldschmidt is 10 for 34 (.323) against Burnes in his career with a homer but has whiffed 11 times. This will be an interesting matchup now that after 15 years in the big leagues, Goldschmidt’s home ballpark is considered a hitter’s park.
Nolan Arenado vs. Kyle Hendricks
The St. Louis Cardinals are not exactly expected to compete for a World Series this season. In fact, it seemed inevitable this offseason that they would trade away third baseman Nolan Arenado to ignite a full rebuild. Instead, Arenado started the year with the Cardinals and St. Louis won the first three games of the season before dropping an extra inning thriller last night against the Los Angeles Angels.
Game two of a three game set against the Angels will take place on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium where veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks will be on the hill for Ron Washington. Arenado has faced Hendricks a total of 51 times and only has 10 hits against him, equating to a .208 batting average. Arenado at least makes consistent contact against Hendricks, only striking out four times in those 51 plate appearances but doesn’t have much to show for it.
So far this season, Arenado has recorded five hits in 11 at-bats (.455) with a homer. He is the type of professional that wants to just go about his business and perform regardless of the circumstances. However, a trade is still likely at some point so Arenado can’t help but feel added pressure to prove he still has high offensive value this late in his career. One way to do that would be to have a big game against a pitcher he has historically struggled against.