Clashes between MLB’s best among 5 series to watch this week

If Tuesday’s Trade Deadline wasn’t enough drama for you, this week of MLB games features series pitting some of the best teams in the Majors against each other.

Bryce Harper and the MLB-leading Phillies host Aaron Judge and the Yankees in an Interleague showdown from Monday to Wednesday, while the Orioles and Guardians -- the two best teams in the American League -- meet for four games at Progressive Field.

Those two series are just some of MLB’s best during what promises to be an exciting week across the Major Leagues. Here are five key series to watch during the week of July 29.

Yankees at Phillies
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: These two clubs last matched up in 2023, with New York taking two of three games at home. In 2021, when they most recently met at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for a two-game set, the Phillies won both contests.

Storyline: Star power. So much star power. Not only do both teams feature big bats in the lineup (Judge and Juan Soto for the Yankees, Harper and Kyle Schwarber for the Phillies) but the pitching matchups are tantalizing, too. Luis Gil and Zack Wheeler will face off Monday, while Gerrit Cole takes on Aaron Nola on Tuesday and Nestor Cortes faces Cristopher Sánchez on Wednesday. This is a can’t-miss series between two legitimate World Series contenders.

Watch out for: Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Yankees acquired the 26-year-old from the Marlins on Saturday for three prospects, adding a middle-of-the-order bat to their lineup. The Phillies are no stranger to facing Chisholm, who has 177 career plate appearances against Philadelphia with four homers. Chisholm will be learning a new position -- third base -- possibly as soon as Monday, so he could be seeing some action at the hot corner for New York.

Twins at Mets
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: When these two squads matched up last year at Target Field, Minnesota won two of three. The Mets claimed the final game 2-0 despite eight scoreless innings and 14 strikeouts from the Twins’ Pablo López.

Storyline: Can either team gain ground in the Wild Card race? The Twins still harbor division hopes, coming into this series just 4 1/2 games out in the AL Central, but they have the chance to gain some separation for a Wild Card spot as well. The Mets are in the same boat, as the NL East (where they sit 10 games behind the Phillies) seems unlikely but a postseason spot is very possible. The Mets hold the third NL Wild Card spot entering Monday, but with three other clubs within two games, every win is crucial.

Watch out for: The Mets’ resurgent offense. New York averaged almost eight hits and nearly five runs per game over the past week, winning five straight games before back-to-back losses to the Braves on Saturday and Sunday. Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have all been hitting well, and when that’s the case, New York’s lineup is as deep as any club’s. Whether the Mets can keep that going against Simeon Woods Richardson (Monday’s starter), López (Wednesday) and a tough Twins bullpen remains to be seen.

Pirates at Astros
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: The Pirates and Astros met up in April 2023 at PNC Park in their first series against each other since 2019. Houston won two of three games on the road and now welcomes Pittsburgh to Minute Maid Park this year.

Storyline: Will either of these teams make a second-half surge? The Astros have picked up the pace tremendously since a slow start, but their 55-50 record is only two games better than a pitching-fueled Pirates club. With Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline coming smack in the middle of the three-game set, these clubs could look quite different from one game of the series to the next.

Watch out for: Paul Skenes, as always. The rookie phenom, who has a 1.93 ERA through his first 12 starts, will start Monday’s series opener. Skenes will oppose a fellow rookie, Houston’s Jake Bloss, on the mound. It’s the first time since 2002, when the Cubs’ Mark Prior faced the Astros’ Kirk Saarloos, that a pair of starting pitchers each drafted the previous year will face off.

Braves at Brewers
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: The Braves had the Brewers’ number in 2023, when both teams cruised to division wins. Atlanta won two of three games at American Family Field in July, then swept a three-game set against Milwaukee a week later at Truist Park.

Storyline: Can the Braves rally? Atlanta surged in the second half of 2022 to nip the Mets for the NL East title, but this year, the Braves found themselves in third place briefly before beating New York on Saturday and Sunday. It won’t be an easy task with Spencer Strider out for the year, Max Fried on the injured list and Reynaldo López leaving Sunday’s outing with forearm tightness, but the Braves have a good opportunity this week. The Brewers, meanwhile, are hoping to put some distance between themselves and their NL Central opponents.

Watch out for: Jackson Chourio. The outfielder, who began the year as MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect, has been red hot of late. Since July 20, Chourio is hitting .414 with two homers and a 1.103 OPS, and he’s had multiple hits in five of seven games since. The talented 20-year-old is playing up to his potential, which has been important for a Brewers team that lost Christian Yelich to the injured list last week.

Orioles at Guardians
4 games (Thursday-Sunday)

Head to head: These two teams have already faced off this season, and it was quite the series. The Guardians won the first two ballgames to clinch the series victory, but none of the three games was decided by more than two runs.

Storyline: Who’s the best team in the AL? The Yankees have a potential claim to that title as well, but right now, Cleveland (63-42) and Baltimore (62-43) have been the league’s best clubs. A sweep or series win could help either team on its path to securing the AL’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, but for now, both teams need every win they can get to gain some separation in their respective division races.

Watch out for: Anthony Santander. Santander is fourth in MLB this season with 29 home runs, ranking ahead of teammate Gunnar Henderson (28) and behind only Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna. Twenty of those homers have come since June 1 -- Santander’s slugging percentage since then is .617, which ranks just outside the top 10 among qualifying hitters. In a lineup with Henderson and Adley Rutschman, Santander is another major threat.