Is it too early to think about the World Series when we haven’t even reached the All-Star Game yet? Maybe … but that won’t stop us from doing it anyway.
The reason for this is because, from July 9-11, the teams with MLB’s two best records will go toe-to-toe when Atlanta takes the short trip to St. Petersburg in a potential World Series preview. Each team had multiple players voted as All-Star starters, showing the talent that will be on display.
That is one of five matchups included in our series to watch during the week of July 3:
Angels (45-41) at Padres (38-46)
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)
Head to head: These teams last faced off in 2021, when they went 2-2 against one another. Each team won once at home and once on the road.
Watch out for: Shohei Ohtani. You need no reminder of the ridiculous statistical anomaly that is Ohtani, but the Padres have never faced him on the mound. On Tuesday, MLB’s leader in batting average allowed will take on the star-studded Padres lineup.
Orioles (49-33) at Yankees (46-38)
4 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head to head: These teams are 3-3 against each other in 2023, with an exactly even 28-28 run differential. Both teams have won two out of three games on the road.
Storyline: The wild AL East race continues. Though both of these teams trail the Rays in the division standings, they are two of the three teams currently in position for AL Wild Card spots, along with Houston. The Yankees have managed to tread water in Aaron Judge’s absence, but they are still several games behind a Baltimore team with its best win percentage since 1997.
Watch out for: Aaron Hicks. The longtime Yankees outfielder signed with the Orioles in May shortly after being released by New York, and the change of scenery has provided a major boost for the 33-year-old, who has an .854 OPS with Baltimore (compared to .524 with the Yankees in 2023). This will be his first time facing the Yankees since August 2015, when he was with the Twins.
Braves (56-27) at Rays (57-30)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head to head: These teams last played in July 2021, when the Rays won two out of three games in Atlanta.
Storyline: World Series preview? These teams have been the best of the best in MLB so far, as no other team has even won more than 50 games. But while the Rays stole the show early with their remarkable 13-0 and 27-6 starts to the season, the Braves have been the hottest team lately, winning 23 of their past 26 games after a relatively pedestrian 33-24 start.
Watch out for: Charlie Morton. Morton had a very successful two-season tenure with Tampa Bay, finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in 2019 and helping the Rays reach the World Series in 2020. But he ended up winning a World Series with Atlanta in 2021 (despite a Game 1 injury), and has been a mainstay in the Braves’ rotation since. Friday is projected to be his first start against the Rays since July 16, 2021, when he had a no-decision in a 7-6 loss.
Reds (45-39) at Brewers (45-39)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head to head: The Brewers took three of four games in Cincinnati in June. Last year, the Brewers went 13-6 against the Reds, representing both their most wins against any team and the Reds’ most losses to any team.
Storyline: The NL Central is up for grabs. With these two teams tied for first, this series could play a major role in the eventual division outcome. Milwaukee has two division titles since 2018, but the Reds are seeking their first since 2012 — back when Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo were on the team.
Phillies (43-39) at Marlins (48-37)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head to head: The Marlins won two of three games in Philadelphia in April. The Phillies went 12-7 against the Marlins in 2022.
Storyline: Parallel to the aforementioned Yankees-Orioles series, these divisional rivals are each in the Wild Card hunt, with Miami holding the top Wild Card spot and Philadelphia sitting 1 1/2 games behind the No. 6 seed Giants. Both of these teams particularly showed out in June, as the Phillies finished the month 18-8 while the Marlins went 19-8.
Watch out for: Ranger Suárez. The season has been a roller-coaster for the sixth-year Phillies pitcher. After being hurt in all of April, Suárez went 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in May. But in June, he was 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA, becoming the first player to throw six-plus innings and allow one or fewer runs in every start of a month (min. 5 starts) since Yu Darvish in August 2020. He is projected to start on Saturday.
