Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The MLB schedule features some incredible matchups early this week, including the Pirates vs the Cardinals.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers face a tricky test against the Miami Marlins, who could exploit the Dodgers' shaky bullpen despite the star-studded lineup.
- San Diego and Chicago meet in a high-stakes showdown between two of the league's best records, featuring elite offenses and questionable rotations.
The calendar will flip from April to May this week, meaning MLB fans now have a month of data to build on when evaluating their favorite teams. We've seen surprising teams emerge and other expected contenders falter thus far, making this upcoming week rather interesting.
Can said surprise teams continue to prove they're legit? Will the fallers continue to struggle? With that in mind, let's take a look at the series most worth watching this week.
Full schedule of MLB series set to begin on Monday, April 27
Home | Away | Length of Series |
|---|---|---|
Cleveland Guardians | Tampa Bay Rays | 3 games |
Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | 4 games |
Toronto Blue Jays | Boston Red Sox | 3 games |
Minnesota Twins | Seattle Mariners | 3 games |
Chicago White Sox | Los Angeles Angels | 3 games |
Texas Rangers | New York Yankees | 3 games |
San Diego Padres | Chicago Cubs | 3 games |
Los Angeles Dodgers | Miami Marlins | 3 games |
Teams MLB fans are watching closely like the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros have off on Monday, but there are still a ton of series worth watching, here.
For example, there are two divisional clashes taking place in Pittsburgh and Toronto. Two surprising small-market teams will face off in Cleveland. Whenever the Dodgers play, it's always must-watch, too. Which series are the best, though? Let's dive into the top five.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
- NL Central has been MLB's best division thus far; can the Pirates pull away from their reeling rivals?
A month into the season, the NL Central is the best division in the majors, with all five teams sitting above .500. Two of those teams are set to face off at PNC Park to begin this week, as the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On one side of the aisle, the Cardinals are a nice story, but it's hard to know whether their 14-13 start is legit or not. I mean, they have a -15 run differential, have the fourth-worst staff ERA in the majors, and they've now lost four in a row and five of six. Jordan Walker has cooled down a ton since his hot start, and while JJ Wetherholt is trying to pick up his slack, the Cardinals have scored three runs or fewer in four of their last six games.
On the other side of the aisle, the Pirates are 16-12, a record that'd be good enough to be leading the AL Central and AL West, and they rank eighth in runs scored and fourth in staff ERA. Their team defense is average at best, but they've been scoring runs and have pitched extremely well.
This is a series Pittsburgh should win, especially knowing they're at home and will get starts from Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler. The Cardinals have been pesky, though, and are looking to do damage in their first series against a divisional opponent this season.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins
- Dodgers lead the NL West, but are set to take on the pesky Marlins.
Virtually any series the Los Angeles Dodgers play will land on a list like this because, well, they're the Dodgers. They're the team everyone expects to three-peat, and whether you love them or hate them, they're the team with stars everywhere you turn.
As good as the Dodgers are, though, they're far from invincible. Their bullpen is a mess, and while they were able to slow down the red-hot Cubs, they lost four of their previous seven games against subpar teams in the Giants and Rockies. It'll be interesting to see how a pesky team like the Miami Marlins can fare at Chavez Ravine.
On paper, this is a mismatch, but the Marlins are better than people think, and will get a Sandy Alcantara start this series. Facing the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani is no easy task, but the Marlins are tied for the fourth-fewest strikeouts in the sport. They might be better equipped to handle the elite stuff of the Dodgers' aces than other teams.
The Dodgers are must-watch, but it'll be fun to see just how the Marlins match up.
3. Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees
- Yankees are one of MLB's hottest teams, but have to go through elite Rangers pitching to continue that trend.
The New York Yankees have won eight of their last nine games and, at 18-10, have the best record in the American League. This is despite injuries to Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, an inconsistent bullpen, and sluggish starts from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Cody Bellinger. They're really good with a path to be even better, but have their work cut out for them to begin this week.
Fresh off a series against a Houston Astros pitching staff as bad as anybody's, the Yankees have tough assignments in all three games with Jack Leiter, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi slated to take the ball for the Texas Rangers. That's two star pitchers and a pitcher in Leiter who is a lot better than his ERA would indicate.
The Yankees have some elite pitching lined up themselves, with Max Fried, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren lined up, but we already know how good this team is. Can the Rangers win a series at home against the Yankees with some of their best pitchers lined up? That'll be a good litmus test regarding just how good Texas is right now.
2. Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox
- Blue Jays get reinforcements back while Red Sox play their first series without Alex Cora.
On the surface, this series is much ado about nothing. I mean, both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox are under .500, and have clear flaws. With that being said, there's a lot for MLB fans to pay attention to in this series at Rogers Centre.
From Boston's perspective, how will the Red Sox look in their first series without Alex Cora? They won on Sunday in Chad Tracy's debut, but will the momentum continue? Craig Breslow certainly hopes so.
From Toronto's perspective, reinforcements are on the way. Trey Yesavage is going to make his season debut on Tuesday. There's a chance George Springer returns sometime this series. Guys like Jose Berrios and Addison Barger won't be back for this series but they're on the mend. They've won five of their last seven and are getting healthier. That could lead to a special run.
Both of these teams were expected to be in the World Series picture this season, but neither is off to a very good start. All it takes is for one series to turn things around, though. Which AL East rival will come out on top?
1. San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs
- Which NL foe will come out on top in the battle of heavyweights?
Easily the most exciting matchup of the early week, though it will require MLB fans staying up late. For those who are able to do so, I promise it'll be worthwhile. The Chicago Cubs are set to meet the San Diego Padres at Petco Park for what should be a riveting three-game set.
Chicago might've lost their weekend series against the Dodgers, but they had won 10 in a row prior to that. The state of their pitching staff isn't great with all the injuries they're dealing with, but Phil Maton is back, as is Matthew Boyd, and their hitting and defense have both been elite over the past couple of weeks.
As for the Padres, they're another team with pitching questions but that hasn't mattered. They're 18-9 and have won or split each of their last seven series, despite inconsistent showings from guys like Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. Mason Miller is the best pitcher on the planet right now, the rest of San Diego's bullpen is quite good, and the rotation is better than you think.
These clubs are a combined 35-20, and are two of the five best teams in the game right now. Watching them go head-to-head, even if two of the games start at 9:40 p.m. ET, will be a treat.
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