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 Monday’s slate.
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Patrick Corbin vs. Justin Turner
After the Chicago Cubs missed out on third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency this offseason, they brought in veteran Justin Turner on a one-year deal. At 40 years of age, this is likely Turner’s last season, but he has a chance to leave his mark on Tuesday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
The Cubs took game one of the series on Monday by a score of 7-0 and will look to carry that momentum into Tuesday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin will be on the hill for the Rangers, and Justin Turner cannot wait to face him.
In 51 plate appearances, Turner is 17 for 45 (.378) against Corbin with two home runs. When most people hear these two names they likely aren’t intrigued but these numbers make this matchup worth watching for.
Framber Valdez vs. Jorge Polanco
Jorge Polanco was the hero for the Seattle Mariners on Monday night when he singled in the bottom of the 8th inning to drive in two runs which gave Seattle a 4-3 lead over the Houston Astros. This hit proved to be the difference in the ballgame, as that score held.
Polanco’s confidence is already high heading into Tuesday, but the cherry on top is that he will be facing Framber Valdez. In 30 plate appearances against the Houston southpaw, Polanco is 12 for 25 (.480) with a homer. Look for Polanco to be the spark in the Mariners offense on Tuesday night.
Zack Wheeler vs. Marcell Ozuna
The Atlanta Braves enter Tuesday as the worst team in Major League Baseball. Brian Snitker’s club will start a series at Truist Park that could actually make or break the season this early. NL East rivals will square off when the Philadelphia Phillies roll into Georgia. Although the Braves are optimistic they will turn their offensive struggles around this with, they will have a tough time doing so against Philadelphia pitching.
Zack Wheeler will be the starter for the Phillies and he has historically been phenomenal against a lot of the Braves hitters, Marcell Ozuna in particular. Ozuna is just 10 for 59 (.170) in 61 plate appearances against Wheeler.
The most jaw-dropping stat in this matchup is that Wheeler has struck out Ozuna an unbelievable 24 times. Ozuna does have two home runs against Wheeler and is currently seeing the ball well, leading the entire league in walks. Something will have to give when these two face each other on Tuesday night.
