Hard as it is to believe, we’re coming to the penultimate weekend of the 2023 MLB season. Most division races have been put to bed — either officially or unofficially — but there is still a lot to sort out as the playoff picture in both leagues starts to come into focus. With several huge series on tap over the next couple of days, here’s a primer of what’s at stake this weekend around the Majors.
AL East
Weekend series
Orioles at Guardians
Blue Jays vs. Rays
What it means
The O’s started their week off with a bang, taking two of three from the Astros in Houston in dramatic fashion. Warning signs remain, though: With Felix Bautista still on the shelf, Baltimore’s bullpen remains shaky, and it’s cost them in each of their last two games — both the series finale in Houston and the series opener on Thursday night in Cleveland. After last night’s loss, the Orioles’ lead over the Rays in the AL East (and in the race for the AL’s top seed) is now down to just 1.5 games. Baltimore will play three more against the rebuilding Guardians this weekend, and with Tampa hosting a Blue Jays team that also has its postseason life to play for — Toronto heads to Tropicana Field just a half-game ahead of the Mariners and Rangers for the second AL Wild Card spot — this is a golden opportunity for the O’s to give themselves some breathing room. Baltimore holds the tiebreaker over the Rays by virtue of winning the season series.
AL Central
Weekend series schedule
What it means
It took them long enough, but Minnesota finally put the moribund AL Central to bed over the past few weeks. There’s no drama remaining — the Twins are essentially locked into the third seed in the AL playoffs — but this series is on here because Minnesota has whittled their magic number down to one, meaning they can clinch tonight with either a win or a Cleveland loss to Baltimore.
AL West
Weekend series schedule
Astros vs. Royals
Mariners at Rangers
What it means
Thus begins the AL West thunderdome. Houston (85-68) enters this weekend clinging to just a half-game lead over the Mariners and Rangers, each of whom sit at 84-68 — in a dead heat for both second place in the division and the third and final AL Wild Card spot. The Astros get Kansas City at home, and if they have designs on a seventh division crown in eight years, now’s the time to take it. (But lest you think that’s a layup, keep in mind that Houston just dropped two of three to these same Royals at Kauffman Stadium last week, and the state of the Astros’ rotation is such that there are no gimmes right now.)
The main event, though, will be in Arlington, where Seattle and Texas play the first of what will be seven games against each other over the last 10 days of the regular season. The Rangers hold a 5-1 edge in the season series, meaning they’ll almost certainly hold the tiebreaker if the tiebreaker ends up mattering — if the Mariners win enough of these games to flip that record, they’ll almost certainly be ahead of Texas in the standings anyway. Houston is no doubt hoping that the two will beat each other up and allow the Astros to whistle past the graveyard. Barring a Toronto collapse down the stretch, whoever loses this battle will likely find themselves home for October. Seattle rookie Bryce Miller faces off against Rangers righty Dane Dunning in Friday night’s opener.
NL East
Weekend series schedule
Phillies vs. Mets
Marlins vs. Brewers
What it means
There obviously isn’t any suspense left in the divisional race — the Braves had that puppy more or less wrapped up by the All-Star break — but that doesn’t mean the East is without intrigue. The Phillies enter play Friday having already taken the series opener against the Mets on Thursday night, stretching their lead over the D-backs for the top NL Wild Card spot to a full three games. The Marlins, meanwhile, just dropped two of three to New York, and now enter a critical series against a tough Milwaukee team tied with the flailing Cubs for the final Wild Card spot at 79-74. The good news for Miami is that they’ve already secured the season series against the North Siders, having won four of the six games. The bad news, however …
NL Central
Weekend series schedule
Cubs vs. Rockies
Reds vs. Pirates
What it means
… is that the Cubs get three games against a dismal Rockies team at Wrigley this weekend. Granted, Chicago just got done dropping two of three at home to the Pirates, but still — Colorado is a different level of futile, especially away from Coors Field. The Cubs play the Braves and Brewers to wrap things up next week, so if they have designs on righting the ship — they’ve now lost two in a row and seven of 10 — and earning a playoff spot, now is the time to rack up some wins and hopefully create some breathing room.
Cincinnati stubbed its toe at precisely the wrong time, losing the final two games of their series against the Twins this week to fall a game back in the loss column of Miami and Chicago. The Reds get Pittsburgh at home this weekend, but we’ve already seen how feisty this young Pirates club can be, and Cincy is just 4-6 against their Central rivals so far this season. They’ll need a big bounce-back effort on the mound from rookie Andrew Abbott on Friday night to get their confidence back, although they do have the easiest remaining schedule of any NL Wild Card hopeful with series against the Guardians and Cardinals on tap next week.
NL West
Weekend series schedule
Diamondbacks at Yankees
Giants at Dodgers
Padres vs. Cardinals
What it means
Arizona just refuses to lose, taking a five-game winning streak into their series against the Yankees on Friday night — a run that has them a full two games clear of the Cubs and Marlins for the second Wild Card spot. This is the start of a huge six-game road swing for the D-backs: They better bank some wins against New York — who will not have Gerrit Cole this weekend after the presumptive AL Cy Young winner pitched Thursday night — and the White Sox, because they close their regular season back at home against the Astros next weekend.
The Giants, meanwhile, are in total freefall, losing their series opener against their arch rivals from So Cal for their third straight defeat and their seventh in their last 10 games. A full three games out of a Wild Card spot with three more games remaining against a Dodgers team that’s still fighting for the NL’s top seed, San Francisco’s playoff hopes look awfully grim. In fact, at this point, there’s another West club that might have better odds: the … Padres?
Yes, the Padres. It might be too little, too late, but San Diego is currently riding a seven-game winning streak that has all of a sudden vaulted them within just four games of a Wild Card spot at 75-78. San Diego’s schedule is also a dream: They have three games against the Cardinals this weekend, then get the Giants and White Sox next week. If Chicago and Miami stumble, don’t count the loaded Padres out just yet.
