5 must-watch series beginning tonight

There are a bunch of really intriguing matchups on tap across the Majors this week, capped by the inaugural Rivalry Weekend, so let's focus for now on five series you won't need to wait to see.

A showdown between first-place clubs. An NL West rivalry rekindled. A Pittsburgh phenom on the mound facing some of the hottest hitters in the sport. We will get to witness all that and more.

Here are five series opening tonight that deserve your attention.

Yankees at Mariners
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Yankees went 4-3 against the Mariners last season, including a series win in Seattle last September. Their final victory over the Mariners last year clinched a playoff spot.

Storyline: This is our one clash between first-place clubs to begin the week. Even though the Mariners were swept at home by the Blue Jays over the weekend, they have the best record in MLB dating back to April 9 (18-9). But no club has more runs (235) or a better OPS (.829) than the Yankees. New York has won four of its past five games and plated 45 runs during that span.

Watch out for: The biggest boppers in the American League. Aaron Judge is tied with Kyle Schwarber for the Major League lead with 14 home runs and boasts a .409 batting average after racking up four hits on Sunday. On the other side, catcher Cal Raleigh is right behind Judge with 12 homers, and is a key reason why the Mariners' offense has been a pleasant surprise thus far. However, that offense will have to deal with Max Fried during this series. The left-hander has been simply spectacular in his first season with the Yankees. He has given up only one earned run through his past four starts and leads MLB with a 1.05 ERA over 51 2/3 innings.

Red Sox at Tigers
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Tigers endured a nine-game losing streak against Boston between 2022 and 2023, but they have won five of the past nine head-to-head meetings. Detroit won two of three games at Comerica Park when these teams last faced off from Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2024.

Storyline: The Tigers were a fun underdog story in 2024. In 2025, they may be the best team in the American League. Detroit owns the top record in the Junior Circuit at 26-15 and resides inside the top five in MLB in runs scored (214, fourth) and team ERA (3.15, third). The Red Sox have pulled into second place in the AL East and are just two games behind the Yankees after a series win over the weekend at Kansas City.

Watch out for: Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Last time we saw him on the mound, he recorded an incredible 32 swings-and-misses; that's enough wind energy to power a small town. He is slated to start Wednesday's series finale. He'll do battle against Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers, both of whom are red-hot right now. Bregman has a .333/.412/.640 slash line over his previous 19 games. Devers has reached base in 12 of his past 16 plate appearances and crushed a majestic 440-foot dinger on Sunday. No matter what position he plays, Devers is going to hit.

D-backs at Giants
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: These NL West rivals have yet to meet this season. The Giants went 7-6 against the D-backs in 2024 and have won the head-to-head season series by one game in each of the past three years.

Storyline: The NL West could be the toughest division in baseball, and that means every intradivisional game takes on extra importance. The D-backs just split a four-game set against the Dodgers, which included an early candidate for game of the year. Meanwhile, the Giants are coming home after being swept by the Twins. Both clubs are still above .500, but they need to gain some traction quickly to avoid losing contact with the Dodgers and Padres, who sit 1-2 in the Majors in winning percentage.

Watch out for: A couple of entertaining young outfielders. D-backs star Corbin Carroll has taken his game to another level this year. The 24-year-old has already drilled 11 homers -- half of his 2024 total -- and is tied for sixth in MLB with 2.3 FanGraphs WAR. Giants 25-year-old outfielder Heliot Ramos is batting .419 with a 1.267 OPS through his past 13 games after reaching base four times and homering on Sunday.

Royals at Astros
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: This is the only matchup on this list that we've already seen in 2025. Highlighted by a pair of 2-0 shutouts, the Royals won a three-game set against Houston at Kauffman Stadium last month.

Storyline: The Royals had been almost unstoppable heading into this past weekend. Even though they dropped two of three games at home against Boston, Kansas City has still won 17 of its previous 21 games. Of course, Bobby Witt Jr. has been the catalyst for the Royals during that stretch, hitting .317 with a .911 OPS. The Astros are two games behind Seattle in the AL West and are doing their best to weather injuries to a couple of critical players.

Watch out for: Hunter Brown. With Yordan Alvarez on the injured list with a hand injury and Jose Altuve nursing a tight hamstring, Houston needs its arms to be on point. Brown certainly has been throughout this season. The right-hander delivered six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Royals on April 27 and has a 1.48 ERA through 48 2/3 frames. He is in line to potentially start Wednesday's series finale.

Pirates at Mets
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Mets went 7-2 against the Pirates in 2024, including a three-game sweep at Citi Field last April. The Mets have triumphed in 14 of the past 19 head-to-head games.

Storyline: Paul Skenes in New York to take on one of baseball's top teams is must-see TV. At 26-15, the Mets are atop the NL East and tied with the Tigers for the third-best record in the Majors. Skenes has lost his past two starts and issued a combined eight walks in those outings after recording four walks over his first six starts. But you know the Pirates' second-year ace is capable of bringing any offense to its knees.

Watch out for: The head of the Mets' lineup. Francisco Lindor has had a stellar first six weeks at the plate. Pete Alonso was the National League Player of the Month for April. And don't look now, but Juan Soto is getting comfortable in Queens. He got out of the gate slowly this season, but Soto is slashing .282/.383/.718 with five home runs in 10 games this month. It'll be a treat to see how Skenes navigates through that terrific trio. David Peterson, Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes are scheduled to start in this three-game set, and each has been pivotal to the Mets pacing the Majors in starting rotation ERA (2.67).