Every MLB Team's Most Hated Opponent

It's hard to believe it, but we're just 40 days away from Opening Day, and teams all over the league are in full preparation mode to get ready for it.

No matter how hard a team works, however, there will always be that one player who always seems to have their number, seemingly tormenting them every time he takes the mound or steps up to the plate.

Here are some of the most impactful opponents every team has the joy (or pain) of facing.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks fans have the pleasure (or pain I guess) of seeing Matt Kemp come to town for the better part of this decade after he signed his mega contract extension this offseason.

Of all the teams he's teed off on throughout his young career, his most success has come at the hands of the D-Backs, as he's gone deep 22 times, driven in 59 runs and stolen 16 bases in just 85 games.

Atlanta Braves

In his relatively young career, Cole Hamels has already managed to make a name for himself as one of the game's best pitchers, and will no doubt be one of the top targets in next offseason's free-agent class.

His 11 wins against the Atlanta Braves are more than he's notched against any team, as he's managed a 1.199 WHIP in 142 innings pitched against his NL East counterpart.

Baltimore Orioles

Of all the teams that Alex Rogriguez has beat up on during his long career, he's had more success against the Baltimore Orioles than anyone else.

With 629 home runs and nearly 2,000 RBI for his career, he's gone deep 57 times against the O's, driving in nearly 200 career runs, while batting .307 in 212 games.

Boston Red Sox

Robinson Cano is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the game's best hitters, and at 29 is probably just now hitting the peak of his career.

He's batted .319 in 119 games against the Red Sox, racking up 157 hits, which includes 58 extra base hits.

Chicago Cubs

During his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun has made a point of showing up to play day in and day out.

The frequent matchups against division rival Chicago are no exception. In 79 games against the Cubs, Braun has managed a .331 average and .935 OPS, driving in 57 runs in the process.

With his suspension lifted, Cubs pitchers won't have the luxury of avoiding him this spring.

Chicago White Sox

Joe Mauer will look to improve on a disappointing 2011 season that saw injuries greatly cut his playing time from prior years.

He'll no doubt be hoping to continue his dominance over White Sox pitching, as his 32 career doubles, 12 home runs and 66 RBI are more than any other opponent he's matched up against.

Cincinnati Reds

Though the Cincinnati Reds do stare the prospect of facing sluggers like Ryan Braun and Carlos Beltran plenty of times throughout the 2012 season, they've got to be thanking the Detroit Tigers for taking Prince Fielder off their hands.

Fielder has made it a habit of tormenting Reds pitchers, with 98 hits (22 home runs) and a .907 OPS in 102 games.

Cleveland Indians

As the Detroit Tigers look to put a stranglehold on the AL Central this season, they'll no doubt be keyed by the success of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder at the plate.

Cabrera's dominance over Indians pitching has been similar among many of his best opponents, as he's managed to maintain a .336 batting average, .982 OPS and draw 40 free passes in less than 100 games.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies certainly wouldn't be brokenhearted if Matt Cain chose to leave the San Francisco Giants, as he's had their number on more than a few occasions.

In 26 starts against the Rockies, Cain has posted a 3.23 ERA in 161 innings pitched, striking out more than eight per nine innings.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers haven't had to face Justin Morneau much over the past two seasons as he's battled a number of injuries that have kept him off the field, but when he's at the plate, he's had great success against Tigers pitching.

Morneau's .318 batting average and .965 OPS against Detroit are well above his other splits, and he's gone deep 20 times and driven in over 80 runs in just over 100 games.

Houston Astros

With 42 career home runs against the Houston Astros, Albert Pujols is leaving behind one of his favorite opponents in moving to the AL West.

Unfortunately for the Astros, they'll see plenty of Pujols when the team moves divisions next year.

Kansas City Royals

As the best pitcher in the AL Central (and the rest of the league), Justin Verlander has tormented batters throughout the entire division.

His most success has come at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, as he has a 13-2 record in 19 starts with an impressive 2.40 ERA, striking out nearly a batter per inning.

Los Angeles Angels

With a world-class slugger of their own in Albert Pujols set to torment AL West pitching, the Los Angeles Angels are probably less concerned with the exploits of Josh Hamilton.

That doesn't, however, change the fact that Hamilton has been able to bat .309 with 30 extra base hits (10 home runs) in 57 games against the Halos.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have done well to temper the success of Troy Tulowitzki, but he's still managed a .272 batting average and 56 RBI against them in just 88 games.

His 14 home runs against the Dodgers are only bested by his 15 hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Miami Marlins

After a disappointing end to the 2011 season, Ryan Howard looks to bounce back from his Achilles injury in 2012 to lead the Phillies back to the Fall Classic.

He'll be contending with a rejuvenated Miami Marlins team, a team that he's had great success against over the years.

In 113 games against the Fins, Howard has a .308 batting average, 1.068 OPS, and has gone deep 34 teams while driving in 97 runs.

Milwaukee Brewers

He's still young, but in just 25 games against the rival Milwaukee Brewers, Starlin Castro has managed a .347 batting average and .896 OPS.

At just 21-years-old, you'd have to believe he's only begun his assault on Brewers pitching.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins find themselves in a seemingly pitcher friendly home at Target Field, but the confines certainly won't faze Miguel Cabrera as he has enjoyed great success against the team.

Cabrera has gone deep 19 times against the Twins, batting .313 with an OPS just a hair under 1.000.

As the favorite to take the division again in 2012, he won't be letting up on Twins pitchers any time soon.

New York Mets

The New York Mets haven't had a whole lot of chances to see what Cliff Lee has to offer, as he's only made three starts against them during his time with the Phillies.

When he has faced them however, he hasn't let up. He's 2-0 in those three starts, with a 0.43 ERA during those games. He'll certainly look to get his starts against the Mets in 2012 as he looks to build on prior success.

New York Yankees

You could argue that anyone on the Boston Red Sox roster would be the most hated in the eyes of Yankees fans, but David Ortiz has punished the Bronx bombers to the tune of 36 career home runs and 127 RBI in 170 games, while his .303 average against the them is 20 points better than his overall career average.

Oakland Athletics

Michael Young is one of the game's best hitters, as he's shown time in and time out against the Oakland Athletics.

With a .323 career average and 253 career hits in 195 games against the A's, he's had more success against them than any other team in the league.

Philadelphia Phillies

Jose Reyes may no longer be a New York Met, but he'll still have plenty of opportunities to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies as he moves to South Beach.

Reyes has swiped more bases against the Phillies (48) than all but one other team, and his .307 career average against them is tops against NL East opponents.

Pittsburgh Pirates

There probably aren't many teams happier about Albert Pujols' move to the Los Angeles Angels than the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A former division foe, Pujols has an astounding career .365 batting average and 1.131 OPS in 171 games against the Pirates.

San Diego Padres

If the San Francisco Giants have it their way, Tim Lincecum will be agitating San Diego Padres hitters for years to come, as he's certainly done in his first 18 starts.

Winning half of those 18 starts against the Padres, Lincecum has posted a sub-2.00 ERA while striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings and giving up only two home runs during the 120 innings he's pitched against them.

San Francisco Giants

Clayton Kershaw's emergence as one of the best pitchers of the league has come at the hands of many lineups, not the least of which is the San Francisco Giants.

He's made 12 career starts against San Fran, winning half of them, while posting an ERA of 1.25 and 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

Seattle Mariners

Despite playing in only 111 games against the Seattle Mariners, Paul Konerko has managed to rack up 130 hits, going deep 30 times and driving in 84 runs.

His .314 average against Seattle is higher than any opponent that he's faced at least 50 times.

St. Louis Cardinals

Joey Votto's emergence as one of the league's best sluggers has come at the expense of many teams in the National League, but he enjoys playing against division rival St. Louis just as much as any other.

His .295 average and .908 OPS against the World Champion Cards will only continue to grow as he matures into an even better hitter.

Tampa Bay Rays

During Derek Jeter's long and successful career with the New York Yankees he's played in 225 games against the Tampa Bay Rays.

His productivity has never wavered against the Rays, as he's batted over .300, and has managed more extra base hits against them than any other team with the exception of the Baltimore Orioles.

Texas Rangers

Playing in 210 games against the Rangers, Ichiro Suzuki has enjoyed a great deal of success, notching 284 hits and earning a .317 batting average.

The Rangers will no doubt have their challenges in facing Albert Pujols so many times in 2012, but Ichiro should still continue to rack up hits against Texas.

Toronto Blue Jays

With a home in the Bronx for years to come, you better believe C.C. Sabathia will continue to thrive against the Toronto Blue Jays.

He's only made 16 career starts against Toronto, but has won 12 of them, striking out 106 batters in 114 innings.

Washington Nationals

Roy Halladay has certainly had his share of success against many teams in this league, but none are as dominant as his record against the Washington Nationals.

In 16 games pitched against the Nationals, Halladay has an impressive 11-1 record, with a 2.28 ERA.