15 Weekend Warriors Who Will Dominate the MLB Matchups of May 18-20
MLB interleague play returns May 18-20.
In the first installment of a new weekly baseball series, I'm predicting which players will be the top Friday/Saturday/Sunday performers; potential "weekend warriors" capable of leading their teams to victory.
Settling on a single selection per matchup was a tall task.
After all, 50 individuals are active—and eligible to participate—in typical regular-season contests. That number is even higher after rosters expand in September.
Many factors had to be taken into consideration when choosing one among dozens. These included dimensions and conditions in hosting ballparks, single-season and career splits for players in various scenarios, recent production (who's hot, who's not) and injuries affecting each club.
Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs: Adam Dunn
1 of 15Adam Dunn loves hitting at Wrigley Field, and the stats confirm it.
He has amassed 25 home runs in only 69 career games at the historic venue.
Dunn has had particular success against Ryan Dempster, who will start on Saturday for the Chicago Cubs (1.261 OPS in 27 career plate appearances).
Don't expect the Cubbies bullpen to provide much relief in this series. That group has under-performed all season for Dale Sveum.
Robin Ventura will give his designated hitter ample opportunities by slotting him in left field for these three games.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg
2 of 15On May 20, Stephen Strasburg will attempt to rebound from his worst outing of the 2012 season.
Don't over-analyze his struggles, though. Icy-Hot is to blame.
His Washington Nationals will take on a free-swinging Baltimore Orioles team.
J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and other players on the O's are legitimate home run threats, but Strasburg specializes in keeping the ball in the yard.
And racking up strikeouts. He's great at doing that, too.
Boston Red Sox vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Jonathan Papelbon
3 of 15Jonathan Papelbon opposes the Boston Red Sox this weekend after thriving in their organization for nearly a decade.
His first season with the Philadelphia Phillies has been like his final campaign in Beantown—dominant.
The Phils rarely win comfortably with their inconsistent offense. Papelbon may have to close out multiple games in this best-of-three.
The six Red Sox players with prior experience against him have totaled one base hit and combined for a .056 batting average.
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Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Yankees: Mark Teixeira
4 of 15Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto—slated to start for the Cincinnati Reds on May 19 and 20, respectively—are right-handed, fly-ball pitchers.
Their plan of attack bodes well for first baseman Mark Teixeira in homer-friendly Yankee Stadium.
He's quietly riding a seven-game hitting streak.
Uncharacteristically, the $180 million man is choking with two outs and runners in scoring position. He regularly delivered in the clutch during the first three years of his New York Yankees tenure.
Perhaps this is the weekend that the old Tex shows up.
Miami Marlins vs. Cleveland Indians: Emilio Bonifacio
5 of 15Emilio Bonifacio paces the majors with 20 stolen bases and still hasn't been caught once!
He doesn't, however, produce much for the Miami Marlins when southpaws are on the mound. I can't imagine where his 2012 steals total would be without this flaw.
He must be salivating at the scouting reports of Jeanmar Gomez, Derek Lowe and Justin Masterson. They are the Cleveland Indians starting pitchers he'll oppose this weekend.
All are non-lefties who pitch to contact.
Considering his lifetime .340 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), Bonifacio should be on the basepaths constantly.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander
6 of 15Reigning American League MVP Justin Verlander is excelling through eight starts (4-1, 2.47 ERA, 0.87 WHIP).
The visiting Pittsburgh Pirates score an MLB-worst three runs per game.
Helped by cavernous Comerica Park, the Detroit Tigers ace will ensure that the Bucs continue to slump at the plate.
New York Mets vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Yunel Escobar
7 of 15The 2012 numbers on Yunel Escobar are misleading. In reality, he's one of the sport's most talented shortstops.
Spending parts of three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays has allotted him the time to adjust to the artificial turf of Rogers Centre.
Escobar's familiarity with the surface gives him an edge over his New York Mets counterpart, Ronny Cedeno.
Also, it's time for him to get back on track offensively.
R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana—the Mets' two most accomplished arms—won't be pitching.
Don't be surprised if his bat suddenly awakes from six weeks of slumber.
Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays: David Price
8 of 15If there's anything we know about David Price, it's that he overwhelms left-handed batters.
For whatever reason, that has not held true for him since the onset of the regular season.
The Price of old would have no problem shutting down Michael Bourn, Jason Heyward, Brian McCann and other prominent Atlanta Braves.
On Sunday, we'll be reminded that the 26-year-old is as effective as ever.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros: Josh Hamilton
9 of 15Who can cool off supernatural slugger Josh Hamilton? Maybe the Houston Astros?
Unlikely.
Baseball's best hitter is on an unbelievable tear entering interleague play.
A partial day off this past Thursday will have him refreshed for this matchup.
Even with the platoon advantage, Wandy Rodriguez won't neutralize the Triple Crown candidate.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer
10 of 15Similarly, Eric Hosmer was not in the starting lineup as the Kansas City Royals wrapped up a mid-week series.
But unlike Josh Hamilton, he is starved for hits.
Hosmer's 0-for-7 performance against the Baltimore Orioles on May 16 epitomizes his sophomore season.
He put the ball in play during each at-bat. It's just that nothing has been able to split the defense.
His .165 BABIP is evidence of his bad luck.
Any day now, things will turn around for him.
Minnesota Twins vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Justin Morneau
11 of 15Fresh off the disabled list, Justin Morneau is already bolstering a pathetic Minnesota Twins attack.
He contributed to an 11-run outburst on Wednesday, and launched his fifth home run of the season the following afternoon.
Still, it's going to take awhile before anyone compares him to the 2006 version, who was crowned AL MVP.
Opponents are more likely to respect cleanup hitter Josh Willingham for his success since signing with the franchise.
Morneau will come up often with runners on base if his teammates continue to battle. And he'll be seeing strikes from skeptics as they gauge his remaining legitimacy.
Seattle Mariners vs. Colorado Rockies: Dustin Ackley
12 of 15Coors Field—home of the Colorado Rockies—is a hitter's paradise.
Dustin Ackley is the sort of skilled individual who can exploit its vast dimensions.
The pitching staff he'll face is far from full strength. Plus, Ackley is seeing the ball vividly over his past dozen games.
Line drives take off at such a high altitude, and his smooth swing produces plenty of those.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. San Diego Padres: Jered Weaver
13 of 15Jered Weaver is certain to bounce back against the San Diego Padres after getting embarrassed by the Texas Rangers on national television.
He is set to navigate a weak batting order that struggles to produce at home.
Having a lead should help his confidence.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will hand Weaver some early run support en route to defeating San Diego's Jeff Suppan.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: James Loney
14 of 15Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has challenged his first baseman.
Because he's disappointing on a contending team, James Loney's role as an everyday player is in jeopardy.
A lack of job security can motivate men to over-achieve. I believe Loney can rise to the occasion.
The St. Louis Cardinals will deploy a trio of right-handed starters in this all-NL pairing.
Loney could start Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as teammate Juan Rivera was recently disabled with a torn hamstring.
Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants: Jarrod Parker
15 of 15Jarrod Parker was somewhat shaky against the Detroit Tigers in his fifth career big-league outing.
But obviously, the San Francisco Giants are not the Detroit Tigers.
The Giants must overcome their talent deficit and inexperience with Parker to prevail.
I doubt they will.
The right-hander's knack for inducing fly balls will irritate batters. Such a style is well-suited for pitcher-friendly AT&T Park.
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