Mets @ Dodgers, May 11 2016: Maeda vs. Thor

	Mets			Dodgers
	7:10 p.m. PT			Los Angeles
RF	Granderson		2B	Utley
SS	Cabrera		SS	Seager
LF	Conforto		3B	Kendrick
CF	Cespedes		1B	Gonzalez
1B	Duda		C	Grandal
2B	Walker		CF	Pederson
3B	Campbell		RF	Puig
C	Rivera		LF	Crawford
P	Syndergaard (R)		P	Maeda (R)

Kenta Maeda and Noah Syndergaard have been two of the best starting pitchers in Major League Baseball so far this season. Maeda has the second-best ERA in the National League, at 1.66 (3.15 FIP). The Dodgers are 3-3 in his starts. Syndergaard has the best FIP in the National League, at 1.58 (2.58 ERA). The Mets are 3-3 in his starts. Baseball, right?

Maeda and Syndergaard are very different pitchers, yet they have found their success in a number of similar ways. Batters are unlikely to hit home runs off of either man. Maeda’s given up three home runs in 38 IP (0.71 HR/9); Syndergaard has allowed just one home run in 38.1 IP (0.23 HR/9).

Both pitchers have good strikeout and walk rates, although Maeda’s are above average (8.29 K/9, 2.37 BB/9), while Syndergaard’s are exceptional (11.50 K/9, 1.88 BB/9). Syndergaard’s K%-BB% of 27% is second in baseball to only Clayton Kershaw.

Both Maeda and Syndergaard have managed to keep the hard contact off of them to a minimum:

MLB Network notes tonight's matchup is of starters with the lowest average opponents' exit velocities in MLB: 84.1 for Thor, 84.6 for Maeda.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 11, 2016

A substantial difference between Maeda and Syndergaard is their velocity. Maeda throws his average fastball at 89.7 MPH. As you’ll likely remember from the 2015 NLDS, Syndergaard throws hard — the average velocity on his four seamer this season is 97.8 MPH. He also throws his second-most used pitch, his sinker, at 97.7 MPH. Yikes.

One additional thing that Maeda and Syndergaard have in common: both have been more successful on the road than at home. The good news for Dodger fans, though, is that Maeda’s been excellent at home — just not quite as excellent as he’s been on the road.

This matchup has all the makings of a low-scoring pitchers’ duel, which means that both teams will probably hit a bunch of dingers and the final score will be something like 11-10.

With another Mets righty on the mound, tonight’s Dodgers lineup is practically identical to last night’s lineup, except Howie Kendrick is at third base in place of Justin Turner. It’s just a day of rest for Turner:

Justin Turner just a day off, starting tomorrow.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) May 11, 2016

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