6 division matchups with playoff race implications

As the Trade Deadline approaches, and MLB’s patrons and sellers change into recognized, it’s the time of the yr when the playoff race is ramping up. While the NL Wild Card race is especially tight, each leagues have a number of groups on the border of playoff rivalry that might be put to the take a look at this week in high-leverage sequence.

More particularly, the theme of the week is divisional matchups that would impression the playoff possibilities for each groups concerned. Here are six such sequence to observe through the week of July 31.

Rays (64-44) at Yankees (55-50)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to move: The Rays are 4-3 in opposition to the Yankees this season, together with a break up of a four-game sequence in New York in May.

Storyline: Will Aaron Judge‘s return increase the Yankees again into the playoff race? One of 5 groups all-time to make at the least six straight postseasons, New York is in peril of seeing that streak finish, presently sitting 3 1/2 video games out of the final Wild Card spot. But the Yankees are 31-20 when Judge performs this season, offering hope that their playoff possibilities aren’t finished but.

Watch out for: Jose Siri. The Rays offense has slipped since its blistering begin, averaging an AL-worst 3.57 runs per recreation in July. But Siri has continued to carry out nicely all season and is tied for first on the staff with 20 dwelling runs, together with 4 because the All-Star break.

Phillies (56-49) at Marlins (57-49)
4 video games (Monday-Thursday)

Head to move: The Marlins are 4-2 in opposition to the Phillies this season, together with successful two out of three video games in Miami simply earlier than the All-Star break.

Storyline: How wild is the Wild Card race going to get? These are two of the NL’s 5 Wild Cards groups which are all inside two video games of each other, together with the Brewers, Giants and D-backs. With solely three Wild Card spots up for grabs, any video games between these groups will carry further weight.

Watch out for: Brandon Marsh. Fellow Philadelphia outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos have a tendency to offer the facility, however Marsh can perform a little little bit of the whole lot on the sphere and have enjoyable alongside the best way. The 25-year-old has a .282/.365/.456 batting line this season, all of that are profession highs.

Reds (58-49) at Cubs (53-52)
4 video games (Monday-Thursday)

Head to move: The Reds are 4-1 in opposition to the Cubs this season, and so they swept a three-game sequence in Chicago in May.

Watch out for: Will Benson. Though not technically a rookie like teammates Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer and Matt McLain, the 25-year-old has arguably been as essential to Cincinnati’s stunning season as any of them. Benson has a 1.012 OPS because the begin of June, sixth-highest in MLB (min. 100 plate appearances).

D-backs (56-50) at Giants (58-48)
4 video games (Monday-Thursday)

Head to move: The D-backs are 4-3 in opposition to the Giants this season, however the Giants took two of three video games in San Francisco in June.

Storyline: Which staff can get again on observe? Arizona has misplaced eight of its final 10 video games, and San Francisco has misplaced seven of 11. With the Wild Card race being as compact as it’s, neither of those groups can afford to keep up that development for lengthy.

Watch out for: Joc Pederson. Helping maintain an injury-depleted Giants offense afloat, Pederson has had a profession yr by a number of metrics. Via Statcast, his .511 xSLG and .389 xwOBA are each his highest in any season the place he’s performed at the least 20 video games.

Mariners (54-51) at Angels (55-51)
4 video games (Thursday-Sunday)

Head to move: The Angels are 4-2 in opposition to the Mariners this season, together with successful two of three video games at dwelling in June.

Watch out for: Mike Ford. Ford will not be precisely a family title, by no means having performed greater than 50 video games in a season. But the Mariners’ DH has quietly put up 5 homers and an .895 OPS in July — to not point out homering in each video games he appeared in at Angel Stadium in June.

Blue Jays (59-47) at Red Sox (56-49)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to move: The Red Sox are 7-0 in opposition to the Blue Jays this season. They are one in every of two groups to have at the least seven wins and no losses, in opposition to an opponent in 2023 (Mariners are 7-0 in opposition to the A’s).

Storyline: Can the Blue Jays determine it out in divisional video games? Toronto is 7-20 in opposition to AL East opponents, together with its aforementioned 0-7 mark in opposition to Boston. But in non-division video games, the Blue Jays are 52-27, by far one of the best document in such video games in MLB.

Watch out for: Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida has been a Blue Jay destroyer in six video games this season, having 14 hits, 10 RBIs and 25 complete bases — all probably the most or tied for probably the most by any participant in opposition to Toronto in 2023.