4:10 PM ET New York Mets – Max Scherzer @ Miami Marlins – Sandy Alcantara
There are a couple of other title fight matchups on Opening Day this year, but none are bigger than Max Scherzer going against the defending NL Cy Young winner, Sandy Alcantara. This is a matchup of one of the greatest to ever take a mound and a sure Hall of Famer, versus the young gun who wants to join him there someday.
Max Scherzer is an absolute bulldog. When he gets the ball, he is all business and can deliver. At 38, his career is closer to the end than the beginning, but he is still as dominate as ever. Over his 15-year career, Scherzer has pitched in 430 games (421 starts), has a record of 201-102, has 2,682 innings pitched, has struck out 3,193, has a 3.11 ERA, and a 1.074 WHIP. He is the true definition of an ace.
Alcantara was lights out from start to finish last year. Not only did he win the NL Cy Young, but he was the MLB leader in innings pitched with 228.2. He gets the ball every fifth day and goes out and deals. Baseball Savant has Alcantara’s fastball velocity in the top 96th percentile for 2022. His four-seamer sits at 98 mph and his sinker comes in a tick under that at 97.8 mph. Alcantara’s changeup, slider and curveball come in at 91.8 mph, 90.0 mph, and 86.2 mph respectively. With his 6-foot-5 frame, he is able to make the best MLB hitters look silly.
4:10 PM ET Colorado Rockies – German Marquez @ San Diego Padres – Blake Snell
Germán Márquez will be making his third Opening Day start for the Colorado Rockies. While most players wish that their team’s Opening Day is at home, Márquez is probably not one of them. Pitching in Colorado’s thin air can be difficult for even the best pitchers in the game. Márquez’s home and away splits over his seven-year career (all with the Rockies) are drastic. At home in 483.1 innings, he has a 5.08 ERA and a 1.403 WHIP. On the road he has 512.2 innings pitched, a 3.76 ERA, and a 1.178 WHIP.
The 2018 AL Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, will be the Opening Day starter for the San Diego Padres. Snell has had durability issues in the past but, when he is healthy, he can really pitch well. This will be Snell’s second Opening Day start of his career and the start of his third season with the Padres since coming over to the club from Tampa Bay. Baseball Savant has Snell ranked in the top 90 percent in whiff% as well as 92 percent in K%.