Derek Jeter reveals toughest pitcher he ever faced
Oct 3, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter addresses the media at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Derek Jeter didn’t struggle against too many pitcher during his Hall of Fame career, but one pitcher seemed to have his number over everyone else.
Jeter hosted a Q&A on his Instagram story Tuesday, and was asked to name the toughest pitcher he’s ever had to hit against.
“Toughest pitcher on me was Roy Halladay,” Jeter said. “Couldn’t figure him out.”
Derek Jeter says Roy Halladay was the toughest pitcher he ever faced
His .234 average and .571 career OPS against Halladay were by far his lowest against the 15 pitchers he faced more than 60 times. He had a .740 OPS or better against 11 of those pitchers pic.twitter.com/ujzrmtdkAi
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 31, 2022
Jeter also mentioned Pedro Martinez as the best pitcher he ever faced.
The five-time World Series champion had a career .310 batting average and an .817 OPS. Jeter’s 3,465 hits are the sixth-most in baseball history. But he struggled to hit Halladay, a fellow Hall of Famer.
In 104 plate appearances against Halladay, Jeter had a .234 average and .571 OPS. He had 22 hits, including five RBI. Halladay struck him out 24 times as well, more than any other pitcher during Jeter’s career.
The late Halladay passed away in a piloting accident in 2017, and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jeter was just one of many players who had little success facing Halladay, who pitched for both the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies.
The two-time Cy Young Award-winner had a career 3.38 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 2,749.1 innings. In addition to 2,117 strikeouts, he threw a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter in 2010.
