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Five MLB series to watch, as playoff races get even wilder

By No Comments10 Mins Read

September arrives kicking and screaming into this Major League Baseball season, with its dozens of mediocre teams still in contention and just 28 days left to find resolution.

No, we are not yet to the point of calling this week’s key matchups compelling. That day might never come. But we will say things are getting moderately more interesting.

That’s a start.

The coming week will produce a nearly full slate of games every day and just two to four series are virtually devoid of playoff ramifications, and fewer than that if you consider the Cardinals, Pirates and Twins still on the periphery of contention. The rest will have a scent of relevance – and a few are actually pretty important.

With that, a look at five of the bigger series this week:

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.

(Scott Marshall, Imagn Images)

When: Monday-Thursday, Wrigley Field

Key matchup: Monday – Brewers LH Kyle Harrison vs. Cubs RH Clay Holmes

Outlook: The Brewers can more or less ice the NL Central title by taking three of four, which would push their lead to 10 games. And the Cubs likely need a sweep to trim their deficit from eight games to four, at which point they’d have 25 games to try and make up the difference. But the division largely seems like settled business; this one feels more like a couple fighters feeling each other out in the early rounds with larger stakes down the line, such as a repeat of their five-game NLDS last year, won by Milwaukee. In case you wondered, Jacob Misiorowski will pitch Wednesday night, opposed by Cubs lefty David Peterson.

When: Monday-Thursday, Daikin Park

Key matchup: Thursday – White Sox RH Luis Castillo vs. Astros RH Hunter Brown

Outlook: A clash of division leaders! A potential ALCS preview! Or, a 69-68 club that just fired its general manager taking on a team that lost 119 games two seasons ago. OK, let’s call the glass half full, at least: The White Sox have very much earned their 3 1/2-game Central lead, even if their 72-64 record would be useless in any other division except the West, where the Astros for now reign supreme over a cast of losers. This will be a good test for the Sox, though, getting out of the Central and taking on a club of playoff veterans in what can be a raucous place to play. A Sean Burke-Brown matchup would’ve been entertaining but instead, Castillo, who has a 6.45 ERA in five starts as a White Sox, will try to pull off a reverse lock.

Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter face a big test this week when they welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to Progressive Field.

Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter face a big test this week when they welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to Progressive Field.

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Progressive Field

Key matchup: Wednesday – Blue Jays RH Dylan Cease vs. Guardians LH Joey Cantillo

Outlook: Finally – finally! – a compelling matchup strongly tied to the AL wild-card race. It might take all September for this quagmire to shake free, but at least we have a showdown between two teams that are both playing well and firmly in the race. Cleveland enters the week with a one-game lead over Baltimore for the final wild card, with Toronto lurking 1 1/2 games back. So the Jays are just 68-70, you say? We say they’ve won 12 of their last 19 and are a different team since catcher Alejandro Kirk returned and solidified matters on both sides of the ball. When will the Guardians call up super prospect Ralphy Velazquez? Rosters will expand gently this week.

When: Thursday-Sunday, Camden Yards

Key matchup: Saturday – Red Sox RH Sonny Gray vs. Orioles RH Kyle Bradish

Outlook: It’s getting interesting in Baltimore. The Orioles are beating up on inferior teams, finally, after not at all giving off “Don’t let them get hot!” vibes all year. Well, now they’re getting kind of hot, with Pete Alonso climbing into the nether reaches of MVP ballots and Gunnar Henderson starting to salvage what looked like a lost season. Losing three of four at Yankee Stadium was a heat check for the Red Sox, who increasingly look locked into that No. 2 wild card behind New York. Interim manager Chad Tracy returns to the site he grabbed the reins from fired Joey Cora back in April.

When: Friday-Sunday, Petco Park

Key matchup: Sunday – Yankees RH Will Warren vs. Padres RH Michael King

Outlook: Just call this the Trent Grisham Bowl. The Michael King Cup. The Randy Vasquez Invitational. OK, you get the idea. Point is, the Juan Soto trade still resonates for both these teams and several participants will join the fray this weekend, even as Soto is two years removed from pinstripes. This series means a lot more to San Diego than New York, as the Padres’ wild card hopes took a hit with a sweep at Tampa Bay. They can’t afford another letdown against an AL East team, while the Yankees can start to sort out their rotation as they fold Max Fried back into mix.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five MLB series to watch, as playoff races get even wilder

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