New York- We arrive into Memorial Day weekend with the weather heating up; the same goes for trends in baseball. MLB has delivered some of the most exciting matchups of the season for this upcoming weekend. On the West coast in a 4-game set, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays enter Anaheim to battle the surging LA Angels with the defending American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. At T-Mobile Park in Seattle, rookie sensation Julio Rodríguez and the Mariners host their division rival, Houston Astros as Justin Verlander plans to continue his reign of dominance on the bump. Baseball fans have an abundance of enticing games to tune into for this weekend’s slate.
Friday May 27th – Sunday May 29th: Two Series Matchups on the West Coast
Toronto Blue Jays (24-20) vs. Los Angeles Angels (27-19) – 4 Games
Thursday 5/26 Result:
Blue Jays win 6-3
Friday 5/27 @ 9:38pm EST:
RHP Alex Manoah (5-1, 1.62 ERA) vs. RHP Chase Silseth (1-1, 2.61 ERA)
Saturday 5/28 @ 10:07pm EST:
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 3.47 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Lorenzan (5-2, 3.05 ERA)
Sunday 5/29 @ 4:07pm EST:
RHP José Berríos (3-2, 4.75 ERA) vs. LHP Patrick Sandoval (3-1, 1.79 ERA)
Houston Astros (29-16) vs. Seattle Mariners (18-27) – 3 Games
Friday 5/27 @ 9:40pm EST:
RHP Justin Verlander (6-1, 1.22 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Flexen (1-6, 4.99 ERA)
Saturday 5/28 @ 10:10pm EST:
RHP José Urquidy (4-1, 4.24 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Gilbert (4-2, 2.60 ERA)
Sunday 5/29 @ 4:10pm EST:
RHP Luis Garcia (3-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. LHP Marco Gonzales (3-4, 3.74 ERA)
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not? – Intriguing Statistics across Major League Baseball
*(Stats based from before play on Friday, May 27th)*
Toronto Blue Jays: 3rd in AL East (7.5 games back) – Four Players with 40 + Hits
Image Credit: Bill Menzel
Bo Bichette – 45 hits
George Springer – 42 hits
Santiago Espinal and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 41 hits each
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 2022 Regular Season Statistics: (43 games played)
.263 batting average, 9 HR, 23 RBI, .354 on base percentage, 20 walks
Los Angeles Angels: 2nd in AL West (2.5 games back) – Clutch on Offense
LA Angels Offensive Statistics: (46 games played)
60 Home Runs – 2nd in MLB
209 Runs Batted In – 4th in MLB
.418 Slugging Percentage – 2nd in MLB
No matter which team you root for, fans across the world have finally received the opportunity they’ve been waiting for. And that’s to watch two phenoms in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout within the same batting order, outfield alignment and most importantly, in winning moments. The power in the Angels lineup is no joke.
Houston Astros: 1st in AL West (2.5 game lead) – Winning Pedigree in H-Town
Image Credit: Bill Menzel
Justin Verlander – 2022 Regular Season Statistics: (8 games)
6-1 record, 1.22 ERA, 49 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched
Verlander currently contains the lowest earned run average in all of Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers LHP Martin Pérez stands in second with a 1.60 ERA.
Many speculated Houston to regress due to star shortstop Carlos Correa departing in free agency along with opposing division teams upgrading on all phases by strengthening specific needs. However, Jermey Peña, the 24 year-old out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has made the perfect fit in Houston’s infield. Peña is a durable shortstop, who was ranked 4th in the 2021 Astros Top Rankings List. In 38 games played so far this season, Peña has taken the league by storm with a .293 batting average, 7 home runs, 22 RBI, and 39 hits.
Seattle Mariners: Last place in AL West (11 games back) – 4 wins in last 14 games
The Mariners have hit a rough patch in their season; pitching for one, must progress through this difficult span. In the last 14 games, Seattle pitching has allowed 70 earned runs, giving up 19 home runs, which both statistics rank 25th in all of MLB. One positive note for Seattle is the elite hitting from Ty France with a .331 batting average, 31 RBI, and 10 doubles. France ranks 3rd in MLB with 59 hits.
The J-Rod Show on the Bases
Image Credit: Robert Cole
Julio Rodríguez – 2022 Regular Season Statistics: (44 games played)
.267 batting average, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 13 stolen bases
The 21 year-old is making an early case for AL Rookie of the Year. Rodríguez currently leads MLB in stolen bases. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo stands second in the category with 12 stolen bases.
Robert Rizzo writes for Latino Sports and NY Sports Day
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Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
