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Houston Astros (0-0) vs. Texas Rangers (0-0), March 29, 2018, 2:35 PM CT
TV: AT&T SportsNet-SW, ESPN (National), FSSW (TEX)
Radio: KBME 790 AM, 105.3 The Fan (TEX), KFLC 1270 (TEX)
Online: MLB.TV
Rangers SBNation Blog: Lone Star Ball
Pitching Matchup
RHP Justin Verlander (2017 Stats: 15-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP vs. LHP Cole Hamels (2017 Stats: 11-6, 4.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
Preview
The World Champions have returned, folks, and it’s time to loose the dogs once more.
After the Houston Astros tied the Detroit Tigers (I mean, they do still have Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, who both handle left handed pitching well, as well as having had JD Martinez and Ian Kinsler last season, who also handle lefties well) for the best wRC+ in baseball against southpaws last season with a cool 120, the Texas Rangers in their infinite wisdom decided that the way to beat the Astros is to stack their rotation with left handed starters, if you believe this report from the Dallas News.
...kay.
For a deeper understanding of just how good the Astros were against left handed pitching in 2017, here’s a table courtesy of FanGraphs (custom split tool, custom player list) that shows every single Opening Day roster member of the 2018 Astros, and how they fared against southpaws last season. Please feel free to explore it and sort it, some useful information here:
2018 Astros Opening Day Roster - How They Fared Against LHP in 2017
| Season | Name | Team | G | PA | AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | SF | SH | GDP | SB | CS | BB% | K% | BB/K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wRC | wRAA | wOBA | wRC+ | GB/FB | LD% | GB% | FB% | IFFB% | HR/FB | IFH% | BUH% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% | Soft% | Med% | Hard% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Name | Team | G | PA | AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | SF | SH | GDP | SB | CS | BB% | K% | BB/K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wRC | wRAA | wOBA | wRC+ | GB/FB | LD% | GB% | FB% | IFFB% | HR/FB | IFH% | BUH% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% | Soft% | Med% | Hard% |
| 2017 | Carlos Correa | HOU | 48 | 105 | 92 | 36 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 1.0 | .391 | .457 | .609 | 1.066 | .217 | .408 | 24 | 11.0 | .445 | 187 | 2.0 | 22.2% | 51.9% | 25.9% | 0.0% | 23.8% | 7.1% | 0.0% | 30.9% | 39.5% | 29.6% | 16.1% | 40.7% | 43.2% |
| 2017 | George Springer | HOU | 64 | 164 | 133 | 40 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 35 | 19 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14.6% | 12.2% | 1.2 | .301 | .423 | .549 | .972 | .248 | .295 | 33 | 12.8 | .413 | 165 | 1.2 | 21.9% | 43.0% | 35.1% | 10.0% | 22.5% | 18.4% | 0.0% | 45.6% | 29.8% | 24.6% | 20.2% | 43.0% | 36.8% |
| 2017 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 63 | 155 | 139 | 49 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9.0% | 12.9% | 0.7 | .353 | .416 | .561 | .977 | .209 | .375 | 31 | 11.9 | .412 | 164 | 1.4 | 16.5% | 48.7% | 34.8% | 10.0% | 17.5% | 17.9% | 50.0% | 38.7% | 33.6% | 27.7% | 18.5% | 56.3% | 25.2% |
| 2017 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 67 | 162 | 142 | 47 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 10.5% | 13.0% | 0.8 | .331 | .404 | .570 | .974 | .239 | .348 | 31 | 11.7 | .406 | 160 | 0.8 | 25.4% | 32.0% | 42.6% | 17.3% | 13.5% | 12.8% | 0.0% | 48.8% | 30.9% | 20.3% | 20.3% | 48.8% | 30.9% |
| 2017 | J.D. Davis | HOU | 13 | 26 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.7% | 30.8% | 0.3 | .217 | .308 | .652 | .960 | .435 | .167 | 5 | 1.5 | .391 | 150 | 1.6 | 13.3% | 53.3% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 60.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 46.7% | 26.7% | 26.7% | 6.7% | 26.7% | 66.7% |
| 2017 | Jake Marisnick | HOU | 47 | 107 | 94 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10.3% | 29.0% | 0.4 | .266 | .349 | .468 | .817 | .202 | .356 | 15 | 2.4 | .347 | 120 | 0.6 | 16.9% | 30.5% | 52.5% | 6.5% | 12.9% | 5.6% | 40.0% | 39.1% | 25.0% | 35.9% | 17.2% | 59.4% | 23.4% |
| 2017 | Marwin Gonzalez | HOU | 67 | 134 | 120 | 30 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8.2% | 17.9% | 0.5 | .250 | .328 | .467 | .795 | .217 | .275 | 18 | 2.1 | .340 | 115 | 1.0 | 14.6% | 42.7% | 42.7% | 14.6% | 12.2% | 4.9% | 0.0% | 46.9% | 29.2% | 24.0% | 21.9% | 52.1% | 26.0% |
| 2017 | Brian McCann | HOU | 59 | 111 | 97 | 22 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9.9% | 11.7% | 0.8 | .227 | .324 | .412 | .737 | .186 | .215 | 14 | 0.0 | .321 | 102 | 1.5 | 17.9% | 48.8% | 33.3% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 2.4% | 0.0% | 40.5% | 39.3% | 20.2% | 26.2% | 54.8% | 19.1% |
| 2017 | Evan Gattis | HOU | 41 | 93 | 87 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5.4% | 16.1% | 0.3 | .241 | .280 | .448 | .728 | .207 | .246 | 10 | -1.2 | .306 | 92 | 1.0 | 16.4% | 41.1% | 42.5% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 45.2% | 30.1% | 24.7% | 20.6% | 45.2% | 34.3% |
| 2017 | Max Stassi | HOU | 8 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1.0 | .167 | .231 | .500 | .731 | .333 | .100 | 1 | -0.2 | .300 | 88 | 1.0 | 9.1% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 63.6% | 9.1% | 27.3% | 18.2% | 45.5% | 36.4% |
| 2017 | Yulieski Gurriel | HOU | 71 | 160 | 147 | 37 | 23 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6.3% | 13.1% | 0.5 | .252 | .300 | .395 | .695 | .143 | .272 | 16 | -3.1 | .298 | 86 | 1.6 | 18.0% | 50.0% | 32.0% | 12.2% | 7.3% | 4.7% | 0.0% | 35.9% | 43.8% | 20.3% | 14.8% | 46.9% | 38.3% |
| 2017 | Derek Fisher | HOU | 19 | 33 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.1% | 33.3% | 0.4 | .241 | .333 | .310 | .644 | .069 | .389 | 3 | -0.8 | .290 | 81 | 12.0 | 25.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 16.7% | 50.0% | 44.4% | 16.7% | 38.9% | 22.2% | 66.7% | 11.1% |
If that wasn’t exciting enough, a key matchup for the Astros in this game will be Evan Gattis against Cole Hamels. Gattis, who did not have a great season against left-handed pitchers last season and as such does not rate highly on the above table, does in fact own Cole Hamels historically, and that’s in 25 career plate appearances against the former Phillies star - handily the largest sample of any Astros hitter against Hamels. In twenty five at bats against the perennial All Star Hamels, Gattis has nine hits - three of which have been home runs. Marwin Gonzalez (.303 in 13 at bats) and Jose Altuve (.286 in 13 at bats) have also met success in their careers against Hamels.
On the other side of the equation, there is a clear answer to Evan Gattis in Elvis Andrus, who is 11 for 26 in his career against Astros Opening Day Starter Justin Verlander. Other than Andrus, however, Verlander has fairly owned most of the Rangers hitters, including holding the lefty trifecta of Rougned Odor, Joey Gallo, and Nomar Mazara to just three collective hits in thirty nine at bats. Shin Soo Choo, too, has just one hit in sixteen career at bats against the ace workhorse. Only Delino Deshields has met any noticeable success against Verlander, with a .294 career average in 17 career at bats.
All of the specific hitter versus pitcher stats mentioned here are small sample noise - any of them could veer hard in either direction without warning. Gattis may never get another hit against Hamels, or Rougned Odor (who has not yet registered a hit against Verlander in 18 career at bats) might go 4-4 with four home runs.
What is not small sample noise, however, is the fact that the Astros as a team tore up left-handed pitching last year. Time will tell if that dominance will carry over to 2018 - but go ahead and place your bets on orange before they spin the roulette wheel.