If you look at this matchup from a preseason lens, it almost feels like the MLB is pandering to fairweather baseball fans.
On one team, arguably the best player in baseball is in the same lineup as a heralded rookie phenom whose skillset has been commonly compared to Babe freakin' Ruth. On the other, two home run machines — one that's homegrown, and the other who was acquired in the offseason — in the most famous uniform in baseball.
BENDER: Mike Trout much more than home-run leader for AL West-contending Angels
In case it's not clear, we're talking about the Angels' Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Ohtani has improved incredibly from his spring training struggles, and Trout is still doing what Trout does best — being good at baseball. Judge and Stanton, on the other hand, haven't exactly lived up to the hype. Judge has been about as good as expected, but Stanton has more highlights of strikeouts than hits this season.
Ohtani tweaked his ankle in Friday night's game of the series, and he's considered day-to-day. If he plays Saturday, he'll get a chance to face Masahiro Tanaka.
Will this game live up to the preseason hype? Fans will have to tune in to find out.
Angels vs. Yankees
Expected Matchup: Angels' Garrett Richards vs. Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka
Time: 9:07 p.m. ET, Saturday
Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
TV: FS1
Streaming: fuboTV (sign up for a 7-day free trial)