5 series to keep your eye on this week

It is perhaps arduous to imagine, however we’re practically two months into the common season.

Through a couple of third of the season, many groups and gamers have carried out just about how everybody anticipated previous to the 12 months (we’re you, Braves and Dodgers). Others, nevertheless, have carried out past even the wildest of optimistic expectations (say hello to the Rangers, Orioles and Rays).

In what’s shaping as much as be an thrilling week, lots of baseball’s finest and sudden high groups will match up. Here are the 5 collection to look at in the course of the week of May 22.

Blue Jays (25-22) at Rays (34-14)
4 video games (Monday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: After beginning this season 13-0, the Rays misplaced each their first sport and first collection in opposition to the Blue Jays in Toronto final month. The two groups had an evenly matched collection, with the Rays narrowly outscoring the Blue Jays 13-12 within the three-game set. This mirrored final season’s tight matchups when the Rays went 10-9 and outscored the Blue Jays 82-73. The Rays enter this collection with one of the best file within the Majors.

Storyline: Can the Jays get their offense going? For an offense that completed high 5 in runs (775), wRC+ (117) and WAR (31.2) in 2022, their middle-of-the-pack placement in ’23 is actually shocking. It’s been a feast-or-famine efficiency for the Jays’ offense. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and Kevin Kiermaier all have a wRC+ between 135 and 147. Outside of Brandon Belt (113 wRC+), the remaining seven Jays’ hitters with 50 or extra plate appearances have a wRC+ south of 100.

Watch out for: Josh Lowe. One of many Rays who’ve sparked a enormous offensive turnaround, Lowe has taken off as probably the greatest hitters within the Majors in 2023. His 184 wRC+ trails solely teammate Yandy Díaz‘s 191 wRC+ amongst MLB hitters with a minimum of 100 plate appearances. Lowe has reduce his strikeout fee by greater than 10% and is slugging a whopping .652, which is behind solely Jake Burger and simply forward of Aaron Judge.

Dodgers (29-19) at Braves (29-17)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: Two of baseball’s finest groups of the season and final half-decade will match up in a collection that has predominantly favored the Dodgers in recent times. It’s been a full decade (2013) because the Braves final took a regular-season collection from the Dodgers. Even the playoff matchups have leaned Dodgers, with Los Angeles successful two of the three postseason matchups in opposition to Atlanta. For the Dodgers, this week represents a troublesome activity as they’re going to face each the Braves and the Rays in consecutive collection.

Storyline: Is this yet one more preview of a possible NLCS? Both groups have gotten very aware of one another within the playoffs in recent times. The Dodgers took each the 2018 NLDS and ’20 NLCS from the Braves, the latter season which resulted in LA’s first World Series title since ’88. The Braves, in the meantime, acquired their vengeance within the ’21 NLCS on their option to their first World Series trophy since ’95. As it at the moment stands, each groups have one of the best information within the National League and appear like clear favorites to win their respective divisions.

Watch out for: Ronald Acuña Jr.. The 25-year-old has ascended to superstardom this 12 months and is on tempo for one of the crucial spectacular seasons we have ever seen. Acuña Jr. is hitting .344/.431/.600, has slugged 11 dwelling runs and swiped 18 stolen bases. Acuña Jr. is on a 162-game tempo (he is performed in each sport for the Braves) for 38 dwelling runs and 63 stolen bases. No participant has ever hit 40 dwelling runs and stolen 60, and even 50, bases in the identical season.

Astros (27-19) at Brewers (25-21)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The two golf equipment head into the collection with comparable information. The Brewers maintain the highest spot within the NL Central whereas the Astros have stormed again from a mediocre begin to be simply two video games again of the Rangers for first place within the AL West. This is the primary regular-season matchup between the 2 groups since they break up their four-game set in 2019.

Storyline: Can both of those groups pull forward of their divisions? The NL Central is up for grabs for the Brewers, who, together with the Pirates, are the one two groups above .500 within the division. The Astros want to as soon as once more take management of an AL West division that they’ve owned for a decade. Houston has gone 9-1 in its final 10 video games and is knocking on the door of taking possession of first place.

Rangers (29-17) at Orioles (31-16)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: Both groups enter the collection as two of the most important surprises of the 2023 season. The Rangers narrowly maintain a lead within the AL West over Houston whereas the Orioles maintain the highest Wild Card spot within the American League. The O’s took two of three video games in opposition to the Rangers in Arlington earlier this 12 months.

Storyline: Are each of those groups legit? After closely investing of their membership the 2 earlier offseasons, the Rangers’ strikes have paid dividends. The Rangers’ offense leads the Majors with 297 runs scored whereas their beginning pitchers are top-5 in each ERA (3.38) and WAR (5.0). The O’s, in the meantime, have a robust group of place gamers and the league’s most formidable bullpen (first in strikeout fee and WAR). It stays to be seen if both crew can hold this up however they’ve put themselves in an important playoff place with sturdy begins.

Watch out for: Both crew’s catchers. Adley Rutschman is a full-blown famous person who has been a top-10 place participant by WAR (6.7) since debuting in May ’22. Rutschman is undeniably the face of the O’s franchise who’s each an important hitter and defender and a frontrunner for the burgeoning Baltimore squad. Jonah Heim has mainly matched Rutschman this 12 months, together with his 1.8 WAR trailing solely Sean Murphy amongst catchers. Heim owns a 133 wRC+ in 2023 and has had one of many largest enhancements of any hitter.

Padres (21-26) at Yankees (29-20)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The Padres have scuffled this 12 months, particularly the previous few weeks, and enter the collection attempting to proper the ship. The Yankees, regardless of a barrage of accidents, have greater than held their very own and occupy the second AL Wild Card spot. This represents the primary matchup between these two groups because the Yankees took two of three video games at Yankee Stadium in 2019.

Storyline: Can the Padres get going? 2023 was purported to be a constructing block upon a ’22 season through which the Padres made all of it the best way to Game 5 of the NLCS. What was purported to be one of the crucial thrilling and proficient groups in baseball has had a lackluster efficiency and ranks close to the center of the pack in lots of hitting and pitching classes. With the kind of firepower their crew possesses, it feels prefer it’s solely a matter of time earlier than they begin taking part in higher.

Watch out for: Aaron Judge. After blasting an AL-record 62 dwelling runs in 2022, Judge is choosing up proper the place he left off. While his wRC+ has “declined” from 207 in ’22 to 178 this 12 months, his underlying numbers counsel that he is largely been the identical hitter. His .472 anticipated wOBA — based mostly on the standard of contact (exit velo / launch angle), Ok’s + BB’s — is definitely larger than his .463 xwOBA from his ’22 season.