With fewer than 50 games for each team in the regular season, every game and series will take on even more importance for playoff hopefuls.
That’s certainly the case this week, with a pair of AL Central squads battling it out, a matchup between two of the top teams in the National League and an AL East showdown. Here are the five series to watch for the week of August 12.
Royals (65-53) at Twins (65-52)
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: The Twins have won five of seven games against the Royals this season but Kansas City has outscored Minnesota 32-27. That’s partly due to an 11-0 Royals win in the season's third game.
Storyline: Will both AL Central clubs make the playoffs and can either challenge the Guardians for the division? As things stand, the Twins would grab the second Wild Card spot and the Royals would win the final spot. There’s even the chance one of these clubs win the AL Central, as the Twins are 3 1/2 games behind the Guardians in the division, while Kansas City is right behind Minnesota (half game).
Watch out for: Bobby Witt Jr. could very well win AL MVP this season and he’s been downright unstoppable since the calendar flipped to July. Since then, Witt’s 3.4 Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs) are by far the most in the Majors and the Royals’ shortstop has hit a ludicrous .442/.476/.791. Witt will face plenty of MVP competition from Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Gunnar Henderson, but he has a real shot to join George Brett (1980) as the only Royals to win the award.
Dodgers (69-49) at Brewers (67-50)
4 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: The Dodgers took two of three games from the Brewers in Los Angeles from July 5-7, but were outscored 17-15 by Milwaukee.
Storyline: Given their recent track record and historic offseason, the Dodgers were viewed as a good bet to have the NL’s best record or at least take one of the top two spots. With fewer than two months to go, the Dodgers are tied with the Phillies for the best record in the NL (Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker). The Brewers, meanwhile, aren't far behind both teams and if they win the series against the Dodgers, they'd hold the important season-series tiebreaker advantage if Los Angeles and Milwaukee finished the season with the same record.
Watch out for: Mookie Betts is expected to be activated from the injured list for Monday’s series opener after missing nearly two months since suffering a left-hand fracture on June 16. It’s probably not a coincidence that Los Angeles has a 22-20 record in the absence of Betts, who is just one of many Dodgers who have been injured this season. The Dodgers’ star was playing at an MVP-level pace before the injury as Betts posted an .893 OPS and 3.3 WAR in 72 games.
Braves (61-56) at Giants (61-59)
4 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: The Giants won a nailbiter of a series from July 2-4, winning two of three games by a margin of 10-8.
Storyline: Will the Braves miss out on the playoffs? It seemed unfathomable coming into the season but it is a real concern for Atlanta. Sure, significant season-ending injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider have played a big role but the Braves have underperformed given the rest of the talent on the roster. Making the playoffs is still very much in play but the fact that this conversation is even happening is shocking.
Watch out for: Jorge Soler signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Giants last offseason but San Francisco traded him to the Braves at the Trade Deadline. Soler’s first stint with the Braves was memorable, as he was traded from Kansas City to Atlanta at the ‘21 Deadline and then proceeded slug 14 home runs in 55 regular season games and three homers in the playoffs for the eventual World Series champions. Soler is heading back to San Francisco for the first time since this year’s trade.
Red Sox (61-55) at Orioles (70-49)
4 games (Thursday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: The Orioles have thoroughly dominated the season series, taking five of six games across two series and outscoring the Red Sox 43-22.
Storyline: Can the Red Sox play a spoiler in this series? With the season winding down, every game is vital for an Orioles team that is tied with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. On what is a rare occasion, the Yankees and their fans should be rooting for the Red Sox, who can potentially help New York’s chances of winning the division.
Watch out for: Jackson Holliday has returned as a new player since returning to the Majors. After recording just two hits in his first 36 plate appearances in April, Holliday was demoted to the Minors and spent the next few months with Triple-A Norfolk. Promoted back to the Majors on July 31, Holliday has a .968 OPS and five home runs in 11 games. Ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect, it's no surprise that we're seeing the 20-year-old play at this level and Holliday deepens an already strong Orioles lineup.
Mariners (63-56) at Pirates (56-61)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: The two clubs will face off for the first time since May 26-28, 2023, when the Mariners won two of three games in Seattle.
Storyline: Julio Rodríguez could face off for the first time against Paul Skenes, who is lined up to start Friday’s series opener. Rodríguez returned from the injured list on Sunday and will make for must-watch television in his matchup against Skenes. More importantly for Seattle, the Mariners need Rodríguez to play closer to his career norms (.687 OPS this year, .797 career OPS).
Watch out for: Let’s stick with Skenes because why not? The Pirates’ rookie has taken the baseball world by storm, going from the first pick in the 2023 Draft to a dominant MLB starter on short notice. Skenes’ 2.25 ERA is second-lowest among pitchers with at least 90 innings and the right-hander has struck out 115 batters in 92 innings. Perhaps the most remarkable about Skenes’ dominance is he hasn’t had a bad outing -- he allowed three runs or fewer in his first 14 starts before allowing a career-high four runs in six innings against the Dodgers on Saturday.
