There are some very important MLB series this weekend that could determine the whole season for a number of clubs.
There is less than a month remaining in the MLB season and more than half of the league is still in the playoff hunt. Sixteen of the 30 MLB teams are in a spot to make the postseason or are within five games of a playoff spot.
This weekend, there are three series between teams that will have a direct correlation on who will make the playoffs and/or the playoff seeding. Here are those three storylines that could change everything in the sport.
3 weekend storylines that could change the MLB playoff picture
1) Rays vs. Yankees could determine the AL East
For the second consecutive weekend, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays will be facing each other but this time, they are facing each other in New York.
On July 9, the Yankees had a 15.5-game lead on the Rays for the AL East title but now, the Yankees only have a 4.5-game lead and only a three-game advantage in the loss column. Last weekend, the Rays took two of three against the Yankees but on the season, they are only 7-9 against them.
If the Rays win two of three or sweep the series, the Yankees will be reeling heading into Boston next week where they will be facing the Red Sox. The Rays will face the Blue Jays next week with five games in four days in what will be another huge series. Winning at least games in the series will be crucial for the Rays as a result.
2) Guardians vs. Twins could determine the AL Central
The AL Central is the weakest division in the sport as the Cleveland Guardians, who are in first place, are barely above .500 at 70-65. The Minnesota Twins were in first place for much of the season as they had a 5.5-game lead on May 24.
Now, the Guardians have a 1.5-game lead on the Twins and White Sox, who are tied for second place in the Central. On the season, the Twins are 5-6 against the Guardians. The last time the clubs faced each other, they faced each other in a five-game series. The Twins went 2-3. Two of the three losses were one-run losses and two of the three losses were walk off losses.
The Twins have also been in a tough stretch of games. In their last five series, they have faced the Astros, Giants, Red Sox, White Sox, and Yankees. In that span, the Twins have gone 7-9.
In their last six series, the Guardians have faced the White Sox, Padres, Mariners, Orioles, Mariners (again), and the Royals. They are 7-10 in that span so neither team is particularly hot right now.
The two clubs will see a lot of each other in the next week as next weekend (Friday through Monday), the Guardians and Twins will face each other in five more games in Cleveland.
3) Dodgers-Padres will determine whether SD has postseason hope
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the best team in baseball as they are 94-42. The San Diego Padres will likely make the playoffs as they are 76-62 under their first-year manager Bob Melvin. However, the Padres have a razor-thin margin in the Wild Card and they have been atrocious against the Dodgers.
The Padres currently have the second NL Wild Card spot but they only have a 0.5-game lead on the Phillies for that spot. The Phillies only have a 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final NL Wild Card spot.
This weekend, the Phillies are facing the Washington Nationals, who are 2-10 against the Phillies this year and 49-89 on the season. The Brewers are facing the Cincinnati Reds, who are 4-8 against the Brewers and 55-80 on the season. The Padres are facing the Dodgers. The Padres are 3-10 against the Dodgers this season.
If the Padres don’t win at least two of the three games this series, they could be out of the playoff picture come Monday and could have a hard time getting back in. Of the NL contenders, they have the toughest remaining schedule so this weekend could make or break the Padres.