This week’s version of five series to watch can’t contain all the high-stakes matchups happening across baseball.
Among the series left on the cutting-room floor is a Cubs-Cardinals clash at Busch Stadium following a three-game set at Wrigley Field where things got a bit chippy after Thursday’s final out.
The season’s second Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees, this time at Citi Field beginning on Independence Day, also didn’t make the cut.
And while it’s always worth keeping an eye on two of the game’s most intense rivalries, this week is highlighted by Interleague series featuring rookie phenoms and postseason matchups past and -- potentially -- future.
Reds at Red Sox
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: This is the first and only series of the season between the Interleague opponents and their fourth series this decade. They’ve split 10 games since 2022. Their most famous meeting happened 50 years ago this October.
Storyline: These are teams on the fringe of contention who haven’t quite found the extra gear to put them more firmly in the mix. They’re both depending on young players to help change their outlook -- Cincinnati in the rotation and the Red Sox in their lineup. The Reds just called up 22-year-old Chase Burns, who made a dynamic debut against the Yankees. Meanwhile, Boston catcher Carlos Narváez is near the top of a rookie class that includes teammates Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell, who’s in Triple-A due to struggles after a strong first month of his career.
Watch out for: The Monday matchup between Burns and American League Cy Young contender Garrett Crochet, the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day. Burns, a right-hander out of Wake Forest, made his MLB debut just 345 days after the Reds drafted him No. 2 overall. In his debut on June 24, Burns struck out the first five Yankees he faced on the way to an eight-strikeout performance. Crochet leads baseball with 135 strikeouts and the American League at 109 1/3 innings. He has struck out 46 batters in 34 1/3 innings this month and has surrendered more than two runs in a start just once since April 25.
Brewers at Mets
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: This is the first of two series this season between last year’s playoff combatants. Milwaukee has won 11 of the last 13 regular-season meetings between the teams, but we know that has no bearing on postseason outcomes.
Storyline: The top two teams in the Wild Card standings are within striking distance of the division lead. Milwaukee is two games behind the Cubs but has not spent a day alone in first place this season. The Mets have spent at least 17 days at the top of the NL East in each full month of the schedule, including 19 in June. The Mets lead the NL – and baseball – with a 3.23 team ERA, and the Brewers are third in the NL at 3.45, with a certain phenom that could help them climb the list.
Watch out for: Another near no-hitter from that phenom? Milwaukee rookie Jacob Misiorowski has allowed three total hits over his first three starts. The 23-year-old right-hander pitched five no-hit innings in his MLB debut on June 12, then took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Twins eight days later. The only runs he has allowed came on a Matt Wallner two-run homer after Misiorowski walked Byron Buxton to lead off the bottom of the seventh against Minnesota. Misiorowski is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday at Citi Field.
Guardians at Cubs
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: This is the only series between teams from opposing Central divisions in 2025. The Guardians are 8-2 against the Cubs since 2022. Like the first two series listed here, these teams also once had an epic postseason confrontation.
The storyline: The Cubs won their first game of June to improve to 37-22 but have played .500 ball since, enduring their second three-game losing streak of the season from June 22-24. Their lead in the NL Central has shrunk from 6 1/2 games on June 17 to two games ahead of the Brewers. Still, the Cubs are in prime position to buy at the Trade Deadline, potentially to upgrade their rotation. The Guardians, meanwhile, reached a highwater mark of 25-17 on May 13, but they’re 15-25 since. Their Trade Deadline outlook is much less clear at the moment.
Watch out for: Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, who returned from the injured list to beat the Cardinals on June 26, have been the Cubs’ best two starters, boosting a rotation that has a 5.11 ERA without them. But the Cubs are a modest 14-11 in their starts and 35-23 when someone else starts, a testament to an offense that is second in the NL in runs, home runs and batting average, trailing the Dodgers in all three categories. Still, it's easy to see why the Cubs could be in pursuit of pitchers such as Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller, Edward Cabrera and Luis Severino.
Orioles at Braves
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: The teams meet for the only time in 2025 over Fourth of July weekend as both look to create fireworks during what has been a slog of a season so far. The Braves own a 28-26 advantage in the all-time series dating to 1997.
Storyline: These teams weren’t just playoff hopefuls in 2025, but they both had their eye on the World Series. Neither has gained much traction after a poor start, and the season has been particularly disastrous for the Orioles, who own a minus-77 run differential, third-worst in the AL. Carrying losing records into July has clouded the Trade Deadline strategies for both teams. Atlanta has made significant in-house upgrades with the return from injuries by Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, but the Braves could still use help in the lineup and the rotation. The Orioles are desperate for pitching help, with a 5.38 team ERA that ranks last in the AL.
Watch out for: Acuña continuing his incredible start to 2025 after returning from an ACL tear. After rejoining the Braves on May 23, Acuña has slashed .365/.500/.612 in June, and all three rate statistics have dropped. Acuña return has made for a more exciting on-field product in Atlanta, but it hasn’t yet translated to success -- the Braves are just 14-20 in games the 27-year-old outfielder has played. The Orioles have a long way to go to recapture their 2024 success, but they are guaranteed a winning June, and they’ve scored at least five runs in 10 of their last 20 games.
Astros at Dodgers
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: This is the only series between the teams this season. The former NL opponents have played 740 games all-time including the postseason, with the Dodgers winning 403. The Dodgers beat the Astros in the 1981 NL playoffs, but the Astros returned the favor by beating Los Angeles in the 2017 World Series.
Storyline: Four teams have at least 49 wins as the season moves past the halfway point, and these are two of them. Both teams are hot, too -- the Dodgers have won 12 of 15 to take a seven-game lead in the NL West, and the Astros are 14-4 since June 11. The Astros are getting career-best offensive seasons from outfielder Jake Meyers and shortstop Jeremy Peña, while rookie Cam Smith has a 1.062 OPS since June 11. On the pitching side, Hunter Brown leads MLB with a 1.74 ERA and Josh Hader’s 23 saves are tied for most in the Majors. The Dodgers have unmatched depth, with seven players at 2.0 bWAR or better.
Watch out for: Another start on the mound from Shohei Ohtani, whose timeline indicates that he’ll pitch during this series. Ohtani, in his return from elbow reconstruction surgery, has served as an opener of sorts for the Dodgers. He pitched multiple innings for the first time on June 28, holding the Royals scoreless in two innings while reaching a career-best 101.7 mph with his fastball. Ohtani has a 4.01 ERA in 13 career starts against the Astros, with 88 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings. Against Houston at the plate, Ohtani has 15 home runs in 303 at-bats. That’s the former Angel’s lowest against any AL West opponent.