Rivalry Week matchups among series to watch

While any given week can have some notable matchups to observe, this week hits totally different: it’s Rivalry Week. In accordance with this, MLB Network might be broadcasting every of the next video games: Braves-Mets on Monday, Dodgers-Padres on Friday, Yankees-Rays on Saturday and Astros-Mariners on Saturday. Braves-Mets is the finale of a three-game sequence, however the different matchups are all a part of sequence that start this week, as all three are featured in our 5 sequence to observe in the course of the week of May 1:

Pirates (20-9) at Rays (23-6)
3 video games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head to go: The Rays went 3-0 in opposition to the Pirates final season in Tampa, with the three wins coming by a mixed 4 runs.

Storyline: When the MLB’s solely two 20-win groups face off, the storyline writes itself. Tampa Bay’s dominant begin has already been well-documented, however you may not know fairly as a lot in regards to the Pirates, whose 20-9 document is their greatest by way of 29 video games since beginning 21-8 in 1992 — the final time they reached the NLCS.

Watch out for: Andrew McCutchen. After hopping round 4 totally different franchises from 2018-22, the 36-year-old’s reunion tour in Pittsburgh goes in addition to anybody may ask. His .478 slugging share is his highest since 2017 (.486), which occurs to be his most up-to-date season with the Pirates.

Diamondbacks (16-13) at Rangers (17-11)
2 video games (Tuesday-Wednesday)

Head to go: These groups final performed in 2021, once they break up a two-game sequence in Texas, and the Rangers swept a two-game sequence in Arizona.

Storyline: It’s truthful to name this the Surprise Series. Both of those groups completed fourth of their division final season, greater than 35 video games behind the winners (Astros within the AL West, Dodgers within the NL West). But each squads have turned the tide to date in 2023, every main their division. There has by no means been a workforce in MLB’s divisional period (since 1969) to win its division one season after ending 35-plus video games out of first.

Watch out for: Geraldo Perdomo. Perdomo’s enchancment is one in every of a number of causes that Arizona has surged to the highest of the NL West. The 23-year-old’s on-base share of .456 ranks fourth amongst all MLB gamers with a minimum of 60 plate appearances.

Dodgers (16-13) at Padres (15-14)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to go: These groups haven’t but performed in 2023. The Dodgers dominated San Diego (and everybody else) within the 2022 common season, successful 14 of 19 matchups. But the Padres shocked the Dodgers, 3-1, within the NLDS, incomes their first NLCS look of the twenty first century.

Storyline: Are the Padres lastly not the little brother? The Padres weren’t shy about their intentions to catch the Dodgers final season, with proprietor Peter Seidler referring to them as “that dragon up the freeway that we’re trying to slay.” With that magical four-game stretch in October, the dragon was certainly slayed. In the groups’ first matchup since then, the Dodgers might be hungry to re-establish their dominance, maybe including some extra notable moments to an intra-state rivalry that has been full of them these days.

Watch out for: Mookie Betts. Betts struggled in final season’s NLDS, ending 2-for-14 throughout the 4 video games in opposition to San Diego. And if getting revenge for final season’s playoff exit isn’t sufficient motivation, maybe Betts may even be intrigued by the possibility to beat his longtime Red Sox teammate: first-year Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Yankees (15-14) at Rays (23-6)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to go: These groups haven’t but performed in 2023. The Yankees went 11-8 in opposition to the Rays in 2022.

Storyline: These are two of the three AL groups to succeed in every of the previous 4 postseasons, becoming a member of the Astros. Remarkably, the Yankees and Rays have solely performed one another within the playoffs as soon as in that span, when the Rays received a memorable 2020 ALDS in 5 video games due to a game-winning, eighth-inning house run from Mike Brosseau within the deciding sport.

Additionally, one other story value watching out for is the standing of Aaron Judge. Judge just lately had an MRI for a proper hip harm, and it has not but been decided if he might be positioned on the IL.

Watch out for: Harold Ramírez. Among the plethora of Rays to be having career-best seasons is Ramírez, who has damaged out in his second season in Tampa. The 28-year-old is one in every of three Tampa Bay gamers to have an OPS of a minimum of 1.000 (Josh Lowe, Yandy Díaz).

Astros (15-13) at Mariners (12-16)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to go: These groups haven’t but performed in 2023. The Astros went 12-7 in opposition to the Mariners within the 2022 common season, and so they additionally swept Seattle within the 2022 ALDS.

Storyline: Similar to the Padres-Dodgers dynamic, the Mariners have been chasing the juggernaut of their division for years, and so they made vital progress in 2022, securing their first playoff look in 21 years. But in contrast to San Diego, they had been not capable of take that juggernaut down, dropping the three ALDS video games by a mixed 4 runs (together with a 1-0, 18-inning loss to complete the sequence). In their first matchup since then, Seattle will look to shut the hole even additional.

Watch out for: Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic simply is perhaps essentially the most improved participant in MLB this season. After hitting .168 throughout his first two seasons, the 23-year-old has emerged with a stellar .308/.366/.615 line this season, rating ninth amongst certified hitters with a .982 OPS.