What’s the best rivalry in Major League Baseball? A traditionalist would likely lean toward Red Sox-Yankees, given that the AL East powers have had no shortage of legendary moments in a century filled with animosity. A younger fan might lean toward Phillies-Braves, given that these two teams have faced off in intense NLDS showdowns in each of the past two seasons and are currently in the top two spots in the NL East yet again.

But here’s a thought -- why not both? For this week, at least, that can be the answer. Both Red Sox-Yankees and Phillies-Braves highlight our series to watch for the week of July 1.

Mets (40-41) at Nationals (39-44)
4 games (Monday-Thursday)

Head to head: The Mets swept the Nationals in a three-game series in Washington, D.C., in June. Last season, the Mets went 7-6 against the Nationals.

Storyline: The power of Grimace. If you’re not familiar, Grimace is one of the mascots of McDonald’s -- though no one knows what species he is -- and he threw out the first pitch of a Mets game on June 12, when the Mets were 28-37. The Mets are now 40-41, having gone 12-4 since the “Grimace Game,” and they are now only two games out of a playoff spot.

Watch out for: James Wood. The 21-year-old Wood, ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 prospect, is projected to make his MLB debut in the Nationals outfield on Monday. Wood was a second-round Draft pick by the Padres who was sent to Washington in the Juan Soto trade, and he has a 1.058 OPS in Triple-A this season.

Orioles (53-31) at Mariners (47-39)
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head to head: The Orioles took two of three games over the Mariners in Baltimore in May. The Orioles also won four of six games in this matchup last season.

Storyline: Which team is on the faster track to AL supremacy? Both of these teams snapped long playoff droughts in the past two seasons, and both coincidentally were swept in the ALDS by that year’s eventual champions when doing so, with Seattle falling to Houston in 2022 and Baltimore falling to Texas a year later. But both rosters are stocked with young talent, meaning this could be a playoff preview for years to come.

Watch out for: Corbin Burnes. Burnes is on a heater right now even for his standards, having thrown at least six innings in each of his last 12 starts -- MLB’s longest active streak. He will be a bit off of his usual schedule due to a paternity leave that began on Friday, but he’s expected to return during the Mariners series.

Red Sox (44-39) at Yankees (54-32)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to head: The Red Sox took two of three games over the Yankees at Fenway Park in June. Last season, the Red Sox went 9-4 against the Yankees, which was the Yankees’ worst record against any AL opponent.

Storyline: Will the Red Sox run wild again? Boston’s speedy lineup featuring the likes of David Hamilton, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela made history the last time these two teams faced off, with the Red Sox securing a franchise-record nine steals in a series-clinching victory. If Boston has a similar game plan this time around, watch out for some fireworks.

Watch out for: Aaron Judge. Maybe it’s a boring pick, but with what he’s been doing over the past two months, it’s a justified one. In 50 games since May 4, Judge has hit 25 home runs, to go along with a preposterous .398/.507/.932 batting line. Judge became the fifth player with 25 home runs and a .500 OBP in a 50-game span, joining Ryan Howard (2006), Barry Bonds (2001), Mark McGwire (1996) and Babe Ruth (1930).

Phillies (55-29) at Braves (46-36)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to head: The Braves took two of three games in Philadelphia to open both teams’ seasons in March. This came after the Phillies beat the Braves, 3-1, in both the 2022 and 2023 NLDS after finishing behind Atlanta in the NL East both times.

Storyline: Bad blood. Injuries to the likes of Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto don’t change the fact that whoever is on the field won’t be very fond of each other. After two straight years facing off in the playoffs, not to mention some spirited celebrations along the way, these teams will give each other everything they have.

Watch out for: Max Fried. Fried didn’t make it out of the first inning the last time he faced Philadelphia, in both teams’ second game of this season. But ever since a rough first two starts of 2024 in which he allowed a combined 10 earned runs, Fried has been lights out. Since April 12, Fried is 7-3 with a 2.08 ERA and a meager .516 OPS allowed. He is projected to start Friday’s series opener.

Brewers (50-34) at Dodgers (52-33)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to head: These two teams have not faced off this season. Last season, the Dodgers went 5-1 against the Brewers, which was the Dodgers’ best record against any NL opponent.

Storyline: Playoff preview? These teams have already faced off twice in the playoffs since 2018, with the Dodgers winning both the 2018 NLCS and 2020 NL Wild Card Series. While it’s still early, it certainly looks like there’s a chance of another on in 2024, as both teams hold leads of more than six games in their respective divisions.

Watch out for: Joey Ortiz. The 25-year-old has quietly been among MLB’s top rookies this season, holding a .275/.380/.455 batting line to go with an “Outs Above Average” mark in the 95th percentile of MLB. Ortiz is a Southern California native, and these will be his first career games against the Dodgers, though he did go 1-for-9 in a three-game set at the Angels in June.