5 monster MLB series you’ll want to see live in June

1. Minnesota Twins @ Arizona Diamondbacks, June 17-19

On the surface, this three-game set between the Twins and Dbacks may not seem to be much of an exciting series. At a closer look, there are multiple potential storylines to follow in this series against the two clubs.

First, the Diamondbacks are right in the middle of becoming either buyers or sellers at this year’s trade deadline. The team is currently nine games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and sports a 29-33 record, looking like sellers more than buyers at this point.

Fortunately, the Dbacks have multiple pieces to sell should they go that route. Every series is crucial at this point as the club will look to see value-boosting performances from David Peralta, Zach Davies, Ian Kennedy, Mark Melancon and finally, Madison Bumgarner.

Bumgarner is the second storyline to follow in this series. The 32-year-old southpaw, one of the best playoff pitchers in MLB history, is not only possibly pitching himself out of Arizona but he is also chasing another career milestone to go along with his three World Series rings: 2,000 career strikeouts.

Bumgarner should get the start in the second game of this series and is just seven punchouts away from hitting a serious milestone. His durability and longevity that he’s shown through the first 13 years of his career have put him within striking distance of becoming just the 86th pitcher in the history of the game to reach that number.