The Cleveland Guardians are set to host the Washington Nationals for a Memorial Day series. The Nationals will be escaping to the balmy shores of Lake Erie for a few days.
Team Stats Compared
The Nationals have a 27-27 record with a -14 run differential. Their wRC+ is fifth at 108. They rank second in baserunning runs above average at 5.2. Their defense is 21st at -10.6. The Nationals’ starting pitcher ERA is 28th at 4.87 (4.75 FIP), and their bullpen ERA is 26th at 4.77 (4.73 FIP).
The Guardians hold a 32-23 record with a +23 run differential. They have a wRC+ of 99, ranking 17th. Their baserunning runs above average is 12th at 0.6. Defensively, they are 11th at -5.3. The Guardians’ starting pitcher ERA is sixth at 3.46 (3.80 FIP), while their bullpen ERA is 13th at 3.69 (3.82 FIP).
Key Players for Each Side
The Nationals are led by Joey Weimer with a 159 wRC+, CJ Abrams with a 156 wRC+, James Wood with a 154 wRC+, Curtis Mead with a 127 wRC+, Daylen Lile with a 113 wRC+, and Keibert Ruiz at 105 wRC+.
The Guardians are led by Travis Bazzana at 139 wRC+, Chase DeLauter at 127 wRC+, Brayan Rocchio at 126 wRC+, David Fry at 118 wRC+, Jose Ramirez at 111 wRC+, Angel Martinez at 110 wRC+, Daniel Schneemann at 106 wRC+ and Rhys Hoskins at 106 wRC+.
Pitching Matchups
- Game One: Zack Littell (6.42 ERA, 7.54 FIP) vs. Tanner Bibee (3.75 ERA, 3.97 FIP)
- Game Two: Cade Cavalli (3.86 ERA, 3.16 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo (3.05 ERA, 4.15 FIP)
- Game Three: Miles Mikolas (8.28 ERA, 6.40 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams (3.25 ERA, 3.34 FIP)
What to Expect
The Guardians need to be prepared to score and score a lot to win this series.
It should be an exciting few games and a good chance for the few slow-starting hitters on the Guardians to break out of it.