Mariano Rivera vs. David Ortiz

David Ortiz was one of the few hitters in MLB history to hit Mariano Rivera well during his career. Including the postseason, Ortiz was 13/38 (.342) against Rivera in his career with a .375 OBP and a .500 SLG (.875 OPS). Additionally, he walked twice.

The sample size in this clip shows Ortiz going 10/26 (.385) with a walk against Rivera in 27 plate appearances, with each pitch of all plate appearances being shown.

What stands out is how often Rivera pitched Ortiz up and in, as that seemed to be where there was a hole in his swing (his wheelhouse was down and in, and notice how Rivera rarely pitched there against him, and if he did, it was nowhere near the strike zone). Another theme that stands out is how Rivera would occasionally pitch him on the outside corner in order to keep Ortiz honest, when he knew he would be looking inside/up-and-in. Ortiz did most of his damage against Rivera on pitches that were out over the plate (missed location) and also when he made adjustments on pitches up and in (like the home run). Of course, Ortiz also benefitted from facing Rivera 40 times in his career.

Enjoy the greatest relief pitcher in the history of baseball face off against one of the most dangerous hitters in the history of baseball.

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