As part of a new daily feature at MLB.com, we'll be breaking down every matchup on the schedule to help give fantasy players an edge, whether it's in daily contests or season-long leagues. The "Fantasy Daily Dish" will break down every starting pitcher on the slate, as well as all of the notable hitters in that particular game. We'll dive into all the specifics of a given matchup looking for everything from batters who thrive against certain pitch types to hot/cold streaks to platoon splits -- and everything in between.

With a balanced slate of afternoon action and night games, there is plenty to dive into on Wednesday's slate. The Yankees and Blue Jays continue their American League East slugfest with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looking to extend his hot start to the season, while the Angels -- and red-hot superstars Shoehi Ohtani and Mike Trout -- wrap up their series in Kansas City.

Here's a look at all of Wednesday's action:

Yankees (Kluber) at Blue Jays (Stripling), 1:07 p.m. ET

Yankees SP: Corey Kluber, RHP
Key stat(s): 89.9 mph average exit velocity, 47.4 hard-hit percentage in first two starts
2021 stats: 0-1, 5.68 ERA, 24.2 K%

Breakdown: Sure, Kluber's velocity is down a couple ticks from where it was in 2019 -- remember, he pitched only one inning in '20 before tearing a muscle in his throwing shoulder -- but that's not necessarily a major concern. Kluber himself said after his last outing that velocity is “probably the furthest thing from my mind.” Plenty of former aces have adjusted to drops in velocity late in their careers or following injuries, so the key will be whether Kluber can find ways to limit hard contact -- something he hasn't quite done through two starts. That task won't get any easier against Toronto's powerful lineup.

Notable Blue Jays hitters

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Guerrero continues to rake in the early-going, hitting .378 with a 1.115 OPS through 11 games. He's reached base safely in every game this season, including multiple times in five of the last six.

Bo Bichette: 10-game hitting streak since going 0-for-4 on Opening Day.

Blue Jays SP: Ross Stripling, RHP
Key stat(s): Opponents are 6-for-9 with three extra-base hits vs. Stripling's slider this season
2020 stats: 3-3, 5.84 ERA, 18.2 K%

Breakdown: Stripling has gotten off to a rocky start this season, including allowing three runs off seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings in his 2021 debut vs. this Yankees team. He's been using his slider more in the early-going, throwing it on 27.2% of his pitches -- making it his second-most-used pitch. That's up from 14.8% last year, when it was his No. 4 pitch, behind his four-seamer, curveball and changeup. Opposing batters hit .368 against that slider last year, and they are once again having success against it this season.

Notable Yankees hitters

Aaron Judge: 17-for-102 (.167) with 51 strikeouts against sliders since 2019; 99.4 mph average exit velocity this season (best in MLB).

Aaron Hicks: 0-for-13 with five strikeouts against sliders since start of last season.

Giancarlo Stanton: Ripped 120.0-mph single on Tuesday (highest exit velocity by any player on a batted ball this season); he has five of the nine hardest-hit balls in 2021.

DJ LeMahieu: Five extra-base hits in last five games (had zero in first six games).

Nationals (Ross) at Cardinals (Wainwright), 1:15 p.m. ET

Nationals SP: Joe Ross, RHP
Key stat(s): Sinker is most-used pitch (40.3% in first start of 2021; 38.0% in '19, his last full season)
2020 stats: N/A (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K in 2021 debut)

Breakdown: After opting out of the 2020 season, Ross looked great in his '21 debut, tossing five scoreless innings against the reigning World Series champion Dodgers. He unveiled a bit of a new pitch mix in the process, not throwing a single curveball (he threw it 9% of the time in 2019), instead relying far more on his slider (29.9%; up from 20.7%) and changeup (19.4%; up from 7.6%). He also threw just seven four-seamers, a pitch that was his second-most-used offering in '19. Of course, it's only one start and those numbers could balance out quickly, but one thing remains the same: His primary pitch is his sinker, which averaged 92.6 mph in his first start (94.0 mph in '19).

Notable Cardinals hitters

Nolan Arenado: 43 home runs off sinkers since 2015 (second-most in MLB during that span); overall, he's a career .344 hitter with a .647 slugging percentage against sinkers, and he has the same number of homers (52) as strikeouts against that pitch.

Paul Goldschmidt: 71.4 hard-hit percentage (second in MLB) and 96.6 mph average exit velocity (fourth) this season.

Yadier Molina: 92.0 mph average exit velocity and 48.1% hard-hit percentage this season (84.7 mph, 25.4% last season).

Cardinals SP: Adam Wainwright, RHP
Key stat(s): 5.51 xERA through two starts (8.22 actual ERA)
2020 stats: 5-3, 3.15 ERA, 20.6 K%

Breakdown: Wainwright was hit hard in his first start (six runs over 2 2/3 innings vs. the Reds) before bouncing back nicely in his second outing (one run over five innings vs. the Brewers). The 39-year-old is still leaning heavily on his curveball -- and it's still working. He's induced a 28% whiff rate on the pitch this season, and he is yet to allow an extra-base hit on the curve -- and he hasn't allowed a homer off that pitch since 2019. It's his cutter and sinker that were hit hard in his '21 debut, but the velocity and other metrics are still there. As long as that curve is working, he can still be effective.

Notable Nationals hitters

Trea Turner: Hitting an MLB-best .367 against curveballs since 2017.

Juan Soto: .714 slugging percentage against curveballs since 2019 (fifth-best in MLB); he's 19-for-56 (.339) with six homers against the curve during that span. 97.7 mph average exit velocity (tied for third-best among players with at least 20 batted balls).

Cubs (Arrieta) at Brewers (Burnes), 1:40 p.m. ET

Cubs SP: Jake Arrieta, RHP
Key stat(s): 5.27 xERA this season (2.25 actual ERA)
2020 stats: 4-4, 5.08 ERA, 16.8 K%

Breakdown: Arrieta's Cubs reunion has gotten off to a solid start with back-to-back six-inning outings in which he allowed just three combined runs. A couple caveats, however: Both outings came against the last-place Pirates, and Arrieta has actually been hit rather hard in those outings. He's served up 13 hits in 12 innings of work, while allowing an average exit velocity of 91.8 mph -- up from 88.9 mph last season when he finished with a 5.08 ERA with the Phillies. The rest of his 2021 numbers so far are right in line with his '20 stats, an indication that Arrieta may not have fully rediscovered his Cy Young Award-winning form just yet.

Notable Brewers hitters

Keston Hiura: Has reached base in four straight games; slashing .267/.313/.533 (.846 OPS) in that span after starting the season 0-for-19.

Omar Narváez: He's hitting .423 with an 1.154 OPS in nine games this season.

Christian Yelich: Day to day with back soreness (check status before game).

Brewers SP: Corbin Burnes, RHP
Key stat(s): 38.4 K% since start of last season (fourth in MLB, behind only Shane Bieber, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Glasnow)
2020 stats: 4-1, 2.11 ERA, 36.7 K%

Breakdown: After striking out 88 batters in just 59 2/3 innings in his breakout season last year, Burnes has been even more dominant through two starts in '21. The right-hander has 20 strikeouts and zero walks over 12 1/3 innings, while posting a 0.73 ERA and MLB-leading 0.16 WHIP. He's been nearly untouchable, with a 48.8 K% and 42.7% whiff rate. Opposing hitters are 1-for-20 with 11 strikeouts against his cutter this season, and that's just the start of his impressive five-pitch mix that also includes a sinker, curveball, slider and changeup.

Notable Cubs hitters

Javier Báez: 1-for-10 with six strikeouts in his career against Burnes.

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant: They are each 0-for-6 with three strikeouts vs. Burnes.

Team: Hitting MLB-low .167 this season, 32 points lower than any other club.

Angels (Canning) at Royals (Keller), 2:10 p.m. ET

Angels SP: Griffin Canning, RHP
Key stat(s): 16 swings and misses in 2021 debut
2020 stats: 2-3, 3.99 ERA, 23.5 K%

Breakdown: Canning was done in by a pair of home runs in his season debut against the Blue Jays, but he also flashed his potential upside while showcasing his slider. Last season, that pitch induced a 46.6% whiff rate and held opposing hitters to a .185 average. It was just as nasty in Canning's first start of 2021, as he capped off each of his seven strikeouts with his slider, while getting a 52.5% whiff rate with the offering. The slider will continue to play, but the key will be getting hitters off his four-seamer, a pitch against which they hit .305 with a .585 slugging percentage last season -- though the expected stats (.236 xBA and .484 xSLG) were more encouraging.

Notable Royals hitters

Jorge Soler: 6-for-43 (.140) with 23 strikeouts against sliders since start of last season.

Salvador Perez: 93.5 mph average exit velocity and 58.3 hard-hit percentage (both up from last season when he hit .333 with a career-high .986 OPS).

Royals SP: Brad Keller, RHP
Key stat(s): .236 opponents’ wOBA last season (third-best in MLB); .643 opponents' wOBA this season
2020 stats: 5-3, 2.47 ERA, 16.3 K%

Breakdown: Keller has gotten off to a rocky start in 2021, but his 2.47 ERA was no fluke last season. Though he doesn’t strike many guys out, he typically limits hard contact and prevents extra-base hits, as evidenced by his .236 opponents’ wOBA last season. The only pitchers with a lower wOBA were Kenta Maeda and NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer. It's been a different story through two starts this year, with Keller ranking in either the first or second percentile in xBA, xSLG, xwOBA and xERA.

Notable Angels hitters

Shohei Ohtani: MLB-leading 27.3 barrel percentage; has six extra-base hits and eight RBIs in his last four games. Ohtani is hitting .364 with a 1.187 OPS overall this season.

Mike Trout: Ranks second (behind Ohtani) with a 25.0 barrel percentage; has reached base safely in all 11 games this season and -- even after his four-strikeout game on Tuesday -- has a 1.273 OPS on the season.

Red Sox (Eovaldi) at Twins (Maeda), 2:10 p.m. ET (Game 1)

Red Sox SP: Nathan Eovaldi
Key stat(s): 3.5 BB% last season (career best) 2020 stats: 4-2, 3.72 ERA, 26.1 K%

Breakdown: Eovaldi throws his four-seam fastball (97.3 mph) for 37.7% of his pitches and his cutter (91.2 mph) for 31.1%. Opponents hit over .300 against each pitch last season (.328 vs. fastball, .309 vs. cutter), and they've hit .326 against his cutter over the previous two seasons.

Twins SP: Kenta Maeda
Key stat(s): Career-best 34.7 whiff percentage last season (fourth in MLB)
2020 stats: 6-1, 2.70 ERA, 32.3 K%

Breakdown: No pitcher limited baserunners last year better than Maeda, whose 0.75 WHIP was the best in MLB. Maeda did it by not only forcing soft contact (24.7 hard-hit percentage was second-best in the Majors), but also by striking out hitters at a career-high rate, thanks in part to a 45.3% whiff rate with his changeup and 33.3% whiff rate with his slider.

Red Sox (Rodriguez) at Twins (Berríos), Game 2

Red Sox SP: Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP
Key stat(s): Hitters went 3-for-4 with two homers against four-seamer in 2021 debut
2020 stats: N/A (5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 7 K in 2021 debut)

Breakdown: Rodriguez racked up seven strikeouts and didn't walk a batter in his first appearance since 2019, but he paid for a pair of fastballs that he left out over the plate. It was apparent that Rodriguez didn't have the best command of his fastball, as he threw it only 13 times (16.5% of his pitches) in his '21 debut despite it being his most-used pitch (38.9% of pitches) in '19. The velocity was still there, so there shouldn't be any lingering concerns over his fastball moving forward.

Notable Twins hitters

Byron Buxton: Ranks in the top 10 in barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage and average exit velocity this season; has at least one hit in all nine games, including multiple hits in each of the last four.

Nelson Cruz: 132 home runs off four-seam fastball since 2010 (most in MLB); 97.1 mph average exit velocity this season (seventh in MLB).

Mitch Garver: 5-for-33 (.152) with 17 strikeouts against four-seamers since start of last season.

Twins SP: José Berríos, RHP
Key stat(s): 47.6 K% through two starts
2020 stats: 5-4, 4.00 ERA, 25.1 K%

Breakdown: Berríos has been electric this season, racking up 20 strikeouts in just 11 2/3 innings of work through two outings. That included a dozen K's in six scoreless innings in his 2021 debut. Opposing hitters are just 1-for-16 with 10 strikeouts against Berríos' curveball, a pitch that accounted for a 34.5% whiff rate in 2020 while being his most-used pitch (47.6% whiff rate so far in '21).

Notable Red Sox hitters

J.D. Martinez: Had first hitless game of the season Tuesday; still hitting .425 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and a 1.427 OPS in nine games.

Rafael Devers: 10-for-44 (.227) with 12 strikeouts and zero homers against the curveball since start of last season; it's the only pitch type he's seen at least five times and failed to homer against during that span.

Alex Verdugo: 10-for-21 (.476) with a .714 slugging percentage against curveballs since start of last season.

Reds (Mahle) at Giants (Cueto), 3:45 p.m. ET

Reds SP: Tyler Mahle, RHP
Key stat(s): 40.5 K% through two starts this season
2020 stats: 2-2, 3.59 ERA, 29.9 K%

Breakdown: Mahle has raised his strikeout percentage every year of his big league career, going from 15.2% in 2017 to 21.7% in '18 and 23.2% in '19 before setting another career high at 29.9% last season. With his four-seam fastball sitting at 95.2 mph so far this year (up from 93.9 mph last season), he's upped that K% to a whopping 40.5% in the early-going. He'll throw that fastball more than 50% of the time, while also working a slider and splitter into his three-pitch mix.

Notable Giants hitters

Evan Longoria: Hitting .314 with 12 home runs and a .585 slugging percentage against four-seamers since 2019.

Giants SP: Johnny Cueto, RHP
Key stat(s): .120 opponents' BA vs. changeup since start of last season
2020 stats: 2-3, 5.40 ERA, 20.2 K%

Breakdown: Cueto is off to a solid start in 2021, posting a 2.51 ERA through two starts -- and he came within an out of his first complete game since 2016 in his last outing. While there has been plenty to like -- his slider is still playing well, his velocity is still there and his 28.2% whiff rate is well above his 19.9% mark from last season -- he could be in line for some regression soon. He's allowing a hard-hit percentage of 50% and a 92 mph average exit velocity -- well above the league average of 88.3. Though he has a 2.51 ERA, his xERA is 4.27, a sign that some of this hard contact Cueto is allowing could turn into runs sooner than later.

Notable Reds hitters

Tyler Naquin: Leads MLB with 78.3 hard-hit percentage, but has not started last two games with Jesse Winker back in the lineup.

Nick Castellanos: Has multiple hits in five of 11 games this season, with eight of his 15 hits going for extra bases.

Joey Votto: Has homered in back-to-back games after having zero extra-base hits in first nine games.

Padres (Musgrove) at Pirates (Anderson), 6:35 p.m. ET

Padres SP: Joe Musgrove, RHP
Key stat(s): Opposing hitters are 10-for-91 (.110) with 56 K's vs. his breaking ball since start of last season
2020 stats:1-5, 3.86 ERA, 33.1 K%

Breakdown: Musgrove is the star of the young season so far after throwing the Padres' first no-hitter in his last outing. That came after he struck out eight over six scoreless innings in his San Diego debut -- and now he gets to face his former club. He's keeping hitters off balance with a new pitch mix that has involved throwing more cutters and fewer four-seam fastballs. The cutter has been his second-most-used pitch so far this year (24.7% of his total pitches) after being his No. 6 pitch last season (thrown just 6.4% of the time). His four-seamer usage has dropped from 26.9% last season (his most-used pitch) to 12.6% this year (his No. 4 pitch). The key, however, has been his breaking ball, with hitters going 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts against his slider and just 1-for-12 with five strikeouts against his curve.

Notable Pirates hitters

Phillip Evans: 10-for-21 (.476) with two home runs vs. breaking balls since start of last season.

Bryan Reynolds: 6-for-55 (.109) with 23 strikeouts vs. breaking balls since start of last season.

Pirates SP: Tyler Anderson, LHP
Key stat(s): Seven of the eight homers he's allowed since 2020 have come against four-seam fastball
2020 stats: 4-3, 4.37 ERA, 15.8 K%

Breakdown: Though he's given up 15 hits in just 10 1/3 innings this season, Anderson has actually been getting hitters to chase pitches and swing and miss more than in past years. His opponents' average exit velocity is also just 86.1 mph -- well below the league average of 88.3 mph. The problem is he's been done in by a trio of home runs, all of which have come against his four-seam fastball. Two of those were left out over the plate, while the other -- a pitch scraped off the ground by Javier Báez -- can't be blamed on Anderson at all.

Notable Padres hitters

Eric Hosmer: Hitting .341 with a 1.047 OPS this season, but he has just a .665 career OPS vs. left-handed pitchers (.825 vs. RHP).

Manny Machado: 23 hard-hit balls this season (tied for second-most in MLB) and 97.2 mph average exit velocity (ranks third); the numbers may not be there yet, but it seems as if it will only be a matter of time.

Wil Myers: Reached base safely in all 12 games this season (1.296 OPS); day to day after aggravating right knee injury on Tuesday.

Tigers (Fulmer) at Astros (McCullers), 7:10 p.m. ET

Tigers SP: Michael Fulmer, RHP
Key stat(s): Opponents are 0-for-8 with six strikeouts and a 40% whiff rate vs. his slider this season
2020 stats:0-2, 8.78 ERA, 14.7 K%

Breakdown: After three encouraging appearances out of the bullpen, Fulmer will step into the rotation in place of the injured Julio Teheran. Fulmer has racked up 10 K's without a walk this season, while averaging 95 mph with his four-seamer and sinker. That's up 2 mph from last season, when he struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery. It's also right in line with his pre-surgery average velocity, something that could be an encouraging sign for the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year and '17 All-Star. Of course, he'll face a tough test against Houston in this one, and it's unclear how many long his leash will be, though he did throw 68 pitches in his last relief outing.

Notable Astros hitters

Carlos Correa: Slashing .330/.408/.670 (1.078 OPS) with nine homers and 23 RBIs in 24 games since the start of the 2020 postseason.

Astros SP: Lance McCullers Jr., RHP
Key stat(s): Allowing 95.9 mph average exit velocity this season
2020 stats: 3-3, 3.93 ERA, 24.7 K%

Breakdown: McCullers has turned in two nearly identical starts this season, allowing one run off two hits over five innings in each -- and both came against Oakland. He also walked three batters apiece in those starts. Along with the six free passes, McCullers may have been fortunate to limit the A's to only four combined hits, considering he allowed an average exit velocity of 95.9 mph on the 21 balls put in play against in him -- and 15 of those 21 (71.4%) were hard-hit balls (95 mph exit velocity or higher). Something to watch, though: McCullers has unveiled a new slider this season, and hitters 0-for-10 with six K's against the pitch thus far.

Notable Tigers hitters

Akil Baddoo: Has homered in four of his seven starts this season; hitting .391 with a 1.043 slugging percentage and 1.443 OPS.

Wilson Ramos: 100.2 mph average exit velocity this season (best among players with at least 10 batted balls).

Rangers (Arihara) at Rays (Fleming), 7:10 p.m. ET

Rangers SP: Kohei Arihara, RHP
Key stat(s): Six swings and misses through two starts
2020 stats:N/A (0-1, 5.00 ERA, 5.4 K% in first two MLB starts)

Breakdown: Arihara has unleashed a variety of pitches through his first two big league starts, but he doesn't seem to be fooling many hitters just yet. He's induced only swings and misses on 146 pitches (and 65 total swings). Making those numbers more concerning is the fact that the contact he's allowing has been quite solid -- opposing hitters have a 93.7 mph average exit velocity and six barrels against Arihara this season. Considering those numbers, his xERA (10.02) is actually more than twice as high as his 5.00 ERA.

Notable Rays hitters

Randy Arozarena: .444 OBP and 1.194 OPS with two homers in his last four games.

Yoshi Tsutsugo: 5-for-34 (.147) with one extra-base hit (a double) this season.

Rays SP: Josh Fleming, LHP
Key stat(s): 34.4% chase rate last season
2020 stats: 5-0, 2.78, 19.2%

Breakdown: The Rays recalled Fleming to make his season debut, with the hopes that the southpaw can replicate his impressive rookie season. Fleming went 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA over seven games (five starts) last season, while relying on a three-pitch mix of a sinker (53.4%), cutter (29.4%) and changeup (15.5%).

Notable Rangers hitters

Joey Gallo: Has an identical .825 OPS against right-handed and left-handed pitchers; his home run rate is actually slightly higher against southpaws (7.2%) than it is against righties (6.4%).

Phillies (Wheeler) at Mets (Peterson), 7:10 p.m. ET

Phillies SP: Zack Wheeler, RHP
Key stat(s): 54.6% ground-ball rate since start of last season
2020 stats:4-2, 2.92 ERA, 18.4 K%

Breakdown: Wheeler was absolutely dominant in his 2021 debut, strikout out 10 Braves batters and walking none over seven innings of one-hit ball. He was far less sharp six days later against that same Atlanta club, giving up three runs off seven hits and four walks over just 4 2/3 innings. He admitted after the game he needed to execute better, saying he fell behind in the count too frequently and didn't have full command over his pitches. Wheeler may not be the 10-strikeout guy on a nightly basis -- his career average is 8.6 K/9 -- but he does specialize in limiting hard contact (85.7 mph average exit velocity last season was tied for second-best in the National League) and getting opposing hitters to keep the ball on the ground.

Notable Mets hitters

Pete Alonso: 99.1 mph average exit velocity (third-highest among players with 10 batted balls).

Francisco Lindor: Though he just picked up his first extra-base hit of the season on Tuesday, Lindor's hard-hit percentage (39.1) is right in line with last season -- and he's struck out only twice in 32 plate appearances.

Mets SP: David Peterson
Key stat(s): .142 combined opponents' batting average vs. four-seamer and slider last season
2020 stats: 6-2, 3.44 ERA, 19.5 K%

Breakdown: Peterson allowed just 17 hits on 120 at-bats ending in either his four-seam fastball or slider last season. He served up six in only 15 at-bats ending in those pitches in his 2021 debut against the Phillies. Considering he throws those two pitches more than 60% of the time, he'll look to rediscover his '20 form in a rematch with Philadelphia.

Notable Phillies hitters

Rhys Hoskins: 4-for-5 with two homers and two doubles in his career vs. Peterson, including 3-for-3 with three hard-hit balls in the first meeting this season (105.8 mph double, 100.1 mph home run and 96.5 mph double).

Bryce Harper: Roped a 116.3 mph double off Peterson on Wednesday, marking the second-hardest hit ball of Harper's career (116.4 mph in 2019); career 1.021 OPS in March/April, more than 100 points higher than any other month.

J.T. Realmuto: 23 home runs and a .526 slugging percentage in at-bats ending in either a four-seamer or slider since joining Phils.

Marlins (Neidert) at Braves (Morton), 7:20 p.m. ET

Marlins SP: Nick Neidert, RHP
Key stat(s): Hitters went 3-for-9 vs. his fastball and 0-for-6 vs. everything else in 2021 debut
2020 stats: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 11.8 K%

Breakdown: Neidert struggled with his command in his season debut, walking five batters and throwing 85 pitches over just 4 1/3 innings against the Mets. His changeup and four-seamer were particularly erratic with Neidert consistently missing low with the change and well above the zone with his fastball. Overall, he left the fastball up in the zone a lot -- something that could spell trouble against a potent Braves lineup.

Notable Braves hitters

Ronald Acuña Jr.: 11-for-19 with six extra-base hits and a 1.783 OPS over last five games; 96.6 mph average exit velocity is tied for fourth-best in MLB.

Marcell Ozuna: 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs on Tuesday after going 5-for-36 with zero extra-base hits and one RBI over first 10 games.

Ozzie Albies: Has homered in two of last three games; has five extra-base hits in last five games (had zero in first six games).

Freddie Freeman: Five of seven hits this season have gone for extra bases (four homers, one double).

Braves SP: Charlie Morton, RHP
Key stat(s): 32.3% whiff rate in last four starts dating to last season
2020 stats: 2-2, 4.74 ERA, 24.7 K%

Breakdown: Morton has gotten 12 swings and misses in each of his first two starts this year after finishing last regular season by getting 15 and 14, respectively, in his final two outings. He averaged just seven whiffs in his first seven starts last season. Those numbers have helped him raise his strike percentage to 68% through two starts this season, allowing him to keep his pitch count relatively low (he's thrown 76 and 83, respectively, in two starts). That pitch count figures to get slightly higher as the season goes on, allowing Morton to take his balanced four-pitch mix deeper into games.

Notable Marlins hitters

Jesús Aguilar: Hitting .345, but has only one extra-base hit (a double) in 10 games this season.

Starling Marte: Zero home runs this season, but his 91.2 mph average exit velocity is up significantly from 87.1 mph last season; Marte is also hitting the ball in the air far more (14.5-degree average launch angle compared to 6.5 degrees last season).

Indians (Plesac) at White Sox (Rodón), 8:10 p.m. ET

Indians SP: Zach Plesac
Key stat(s): .081 opponents' BA vs. slider since start of last season
2020 stats: 4-2, 2.28 ERA, 27.7 K%

Breakdown: Plesac's slider was quietly one of the most unhittable pitches for any pitcher last season. Opposing hitters went just 4-for-58 with 26 strikeouts and a 42.7% whiff rate against the offering. They're 2-for-16 with five K's against Plesac's slider so far this season, though the whiff rate is just 29.0% to this point.

Notable White Sox hitters

Yermín Mercedes: Has reached base safely in all eight starts this season; hitting .485 (16-for-33) with five extra-base hits and a 1.298 OPS.

Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-9 with five K's vs. Plesac.

José Abreu: 38.7% whiff rate and 38.6% chase rate this season (up from 30.1% and 32.2%, respectively, last season).

White Sox SP: Carlos Rodón, LHP
Key stat(s): 19 swings and misses in 2021 debut
2020 stats: 0-2, 8.22 ERA, 17.1 K%

Breakdown: Rodón has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, undergoing left shoulder surgery in 2017, Tommy John surgery in '19 and missing seven weeks in the abbreviated '20 campaign with left shoulder soreness. Finally healthy, his four-seamer sat at 95.4 mph in his '21 debut, while he racked up nine strikeouts (six with his slider and three with his fastball). While his 44.2% whiff rate in that outing is unsustainable for the season, Rodón proved he still has serious swing-and-miss stuff when he's healthy.

Notable Indians hitters

Eddie Rosario: 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in his career against Rodón.

José Ramírez: Hitting .365 with a 1.251 OPS and 9.3 HR% against left-handers since start of last season (.266, .874 OPS, 5.6 HR% vs. RHP).

Rockies (Gray) at Dodgers (May), 10:10 p.m. ET

Rockies SP: Jon Gray, RHP
Key stat(s): 26.1 K% through two starts
2020 stats: 2-4, 6.69 ERA, 12.6 K%

Breakdown: Gray's 26.1 K% through two starts may not jump off the page, but it's certainly an encouraging sign after what happened last year. Gray, who has a 23.8 career K%, struck out ust 12.6% of the batters he faced in 2020 en route to finishing with a 6.69 ERA in eight starts. He's already recorded nine strikeouts with his slider, matching his total from all of last season.

Notable Dodgers hitters

Corey Seager: Hitting .366 with a 1.030 OPS this season; 9-for-24 (.375) with four extra-base hits and a 1.125 OPS vs. Gray.

Mookie Betts: Homered on Tuesday after missing previous four games with a stiff lower back.

Max Muncy: Has reached base in 10 of 11 games this season; hitting .400 with a 1.229 OPS.

Dodgers SP: Dustin May
Key stat(s): 34.8 K% and 36.4% whiff rate in 2021 debut (19.6% and 19.1%, respectively, last season)
2020 stats: 3-1, 2.57 ERA, 19.6 K%

Breakdown: May looked brilliant in his season debut, striking out eight A's batters and allowing only two hits over six scoreless innings. He did it with a four-seam fastball that averaged 98.4 mph, a 97.7 mph sinker, 93.0 mph cutter and a curveball with a 2,940 RPM spin rate -- and all of that was just in start No. 1. He was averaging 99.1 mph on his four-seamer and 3,090 RPM on his curveball last season, so there's actually still room for improvement as May continues to ramp back up for 2021.

Notable Rockies hitters

Trevor Story: 8-for-39 (.205) with one home run and 16 strikeouts in his career against pitches 98 mph or faster.