Baseball is a unique game 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 slate.
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Dean Kremer vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
We are just a few days into the regular season, and the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles find themselves squaring off in a rubber match against a division rival. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 2-4 with an RBI in yesterday's victory.
Guerrero is expected to have an MVP caliber season and has a favorable matchup today. Guerrero has 28 career at-bats against Baltimore's starter Dean Kremer in which he has a .357 batting average and a dominat five home runs against. Look for Guerrero to have a big day at the plate on Saturday.
Griffin Canning vs. Yordan Alvarez
The Houston Astros and New York Mets also find themselves battling for a series win at Daikin Park on Saturday night. Houston's slugging DH Yordan Alvarez will step in the box against an arm he has had success against in the past, Griffin Canning.
In somewhat of a small sample size, Alvarez has 7 hits in 13 at-bats against Canning, including a pair of long balls. Although the sample size is smaller, it most certainly provides enough intel that Alvarez is comfortable facing Canning.
Max Fried vs. Rhys Hoskins
This one is quite an interesting matchup to keep an eye on. Max Fried and Rhys Hoskins have met several times in the past but both were on different teams. Hoskins and Fried were division rivals in the NL East for years when Hoskins was with the Phillies and Fried with the Braves.
Fried has dominated Hoskins in these matchups, holding him to a .188 average and striking him out eight times in 37 plate appearances. Fried will make his New York Yankees debut on Saturday where he will face Hoskins, who is now a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. It will be interesting to see if Fried continues his success, or if the change of scenery creates a change in results.