Baseball is a unique sport in more ways than one. For a team to be successful, it takes camaraderie and buy-in to successfully 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 Saturday's MLB slate.
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Michael Wacha vs. Ryan Mountcastle
When they are at their best, the Baltimore Orioles are one of the most entertaining teams in all of baseball. Young talents Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman are usually the center of attention but on Saturday, eyes should be on an underrated member of this Orioles team.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle will get to face veteran pitcher Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals. Mountcastle has had success against Wacha in the past, going 8-for-19 with three homers in those matchups. This is exactly what Baltimore needs coming off an 8-2 loss in the series opener on Friday.
Nick Pivetta vs. Dansby Swanson
Here is another pair of classic former division rivals facing off in new locations. San Deigo Padres starter Nick Pivetta and Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson have squared off quite a bit. Pivetta was with the Phillies while Swanson was with the Braves resulting in a lot of meetings.
Pivetta has won the majority of these battles with Swanson striking out 10 times in 30 at-bats. Despite being sat down on strikes by Pivetta numerous times, Swanson still holds a .267 average against the right-hander and has a home run against him. This is a matchup that goes back and forth and will be interesting to see how it goes today after the Cubs handed the Padres their first loss of the season last night.
Aaron Nola vs. Mookie Betts
It is no surprise that the game of the day has the most intriguing matchup of the day. The Philadelphia Phillies put an end to the Los Angeles Dodgers' win streak last night and are looking to take the series on Saturday. Aaron Nola will take the ball for the Phillies against a high-powered offense.
Mookie Betts is a big reason why the Dodgers offense is so dangerous. Betts is one of the best players in the game and has proven that over the years by having success against an impressive arm like Nola.
Betts has seven hits in 20 plate appearances against Nola including a double and two home runs. The Dodgers are off to a great start in 2025 and Nola is coming off a rough outing to start his season, where he gave up five earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. Let's see if Betts takes advantage of Nola's recent struggles.